The Giants opened the bottom of the seventh inning with a lead off infield single by Emmanuel Buriss off of A’s starter Tyson Ross. Manager Bob Melvin elected to have Ross pitch to Giants starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong and on the first pitch that is when the drama unfolded. Ross threw a 93 mile-per-hour  fastball up and in to Vogelsong who was attempting to bunt and the fastball was heading directly towards his chest, so Vogelsong brought the bat back to his chest and the baseball instead wentfoul for what should have been strike one.

Yet, that was not the call on the field; Hoye ruled that Vogelsong had been hit by the pitch. Melvin immediately went out to argue the call and even got Hoye to discuss what happened with Joyce, who had the better view of the play.  To the dismay of Melvin, the ruling on the field stood even though it was clearly a foul ball and it wasn’t a difficult one to make. If Vogelsong had been hit with a 93 mile-per-hour he would not have got up as quickly as he did and he definitely would have shown the effects of a pitch that hit him, a ball hitting the bat makes a much different sound than when it is a hit by pitch and lastly if the ball had hit him in the chest the baseball would not have rolled as far as it did.

It is now time for MLB to take action; it has already this week suspending Bob Davidson for how he acted towards PhiladelphiaPhillies manager Charlie Manuel who was also suspended one game. Laz Diaz after the A’s finished their series with the Texas Rangers called Melvin after blowing a call, A’s pitcher Brandon McCarthy was furious with the call as Diaz ruled that McCarthy on a squeeze play had trapped the baseball instead of catching it, which allowed the Rangers to score a run instead of the A’s having a double play with no run scoring.

McCarthy after his spat with Diaz created a blog about the situation and continues to show why he’s one of the more respected players in MLB and as a reminder here’s a story from what he had to say about kiss cams.

Yet, in the case of Joyce and Hoye missing  the call, a big inning for the Giants resulted and no one knows what would have actually happened if called correctly. There’s a big difference between having runners on first and second with no outs to being an o-1 count with a runner on first. Hoye’s view was more difficult from being behind the plate, he still should have been able to figure out that the ball hit the bat by the sound and Joyce should have been able to make the correct call because he was looking directly in and easily determined the ball hit the bat.

With MLB refusing to put in the fix to an issue like this by implementing instant replay, MLB has to start holding umpires accountable for their blown calls that make an impact on the game. That means suspending umpires who get calls clearly wrong. In this case both Hoye and Joyce blew the call and each receiving a suspension for at least five plus games for both of them with Joyce getting a few extra games because he had the best view and could have easily overturned the call and made it right.

“Like” Steven Resnick on Facebook  

Be sure to check out the Rant Sports

Back in January, Scott Atchison designated for assignment to make room for Cody Ross. The 36 year old righty had to clear waivers to remain with the Boston Red Sox and all 29 other teams passed on him. Since returning from Japan, where he pitched from 2008-2009, Atchison had become an organizational solider for the Boston Red Sox, moving back and forth between Boston and AAA Pawtucket as needed and pitching as a spot starter and mop up man when needed. His career 3.70 ERA and 3.85 FIP do not make him an elite reliever, and before this season, Atchison seemed destined to life on the borderline of the major leagues.

This season, however, something has changed. It would wrong to overlook the element of luck in Scott Atchison’s success this year. He has a .232 BABIP and a left-on-base percentage of 91.8%, both of which are not sustainable going forward. However, Atchisonhas shown a few tenancies that indicate he may be slightly better than the pitcher who first returned from Japan. His control has been getting better and better since his return to MLBand his strike out rate has been climbing up as well. Over his last 79 innings, he has a K/BB ratio of 3.43, comparable to elite relievers like Kimbrel, Andrew Bailey  and Ryan Madson. Add to that a GB% of 52.4% in the last calendar year and you have a one time replacement level pitcher who, at 36 years old, is becoming a force in the late innings.

Atchison’s best quality is not his stuff, however. While heavier reliance on his curve and his slider/cutter hybrid have raised his punch outs, he is most valuable to the Red Sox because he can pitch multiple innings. Atchison is now finding himself filling an important role in the bullpen, the role that Alfredo Aceves played last year. In 2011, the current closer pitched 114 innings, 93 of them in relief. Ace averaged over an inning and a third out of the bullpen and helped Terry Francona  deal with the his pitcher’s inability to go deep into game. This season Atchison is on pace to pitch almost 99 innings and appear in 71 games, a very similar workload to Aceves.

Atchison is a guy that is easy to root for. He signed with Boston in 2010 primarily so that he could be closer to his then-two year old daughter who was being treated for a rare bone disorder in the Boston area. He has done everything the team has asked of him, shuttling back and forth between the minors and the big league club as needed. At 36, he may not have much time left as a big league pitcher, but it would be great to see to him spend his final few seasons as a key member of the Boston Red Sox new and improved bullpen.

The Butler Mitchell Alumni Association, who has been helping kids since 1955, will be sponsoring the 2nd Annual City Kids @ Summer Camp ‘Night of Champions’  at the Statler City in downtown Buffalo from 6-10pm.

The event, which helps to raise money to send inner-city kids to summer camp who may otherwise be unable to attend due to financial or other reasons, will be a star-studded affair.  The event will include Hall of Famers from the Buffalo Bills, the Buffalo Sabres, the Buffalo Bisons and other sports figures.

The current/former Bills in attendance will be Bills running back Fred Jackson, former 8-time Pro Bowl guard Ruben Brown and Bills Hall of Fame offensive lineman  Joe DeLamielleure.

This will be a great night for both the community and Buffalo players, past and present.  It is always a plus for any team or athlete to get their players out in the community, especially for an event like this one for a great cause  This can be even sweeter for a player like Fred Jackson, who is not only one of the most recognizable players on the team and fan favorites, he also recently signed a four-year contract extension.

The event will feature live music, silent auctions and various raffles. Great food and drinks will be served at food stations around the room.

The Night of Champions is open to the public. Tickets are only $50 and can be purchased by calling JRC Promotions at 716-694-7867. All major credit cards accepted. You can find them on Facebook at The Night of Champions or visit their website.

Follow me on twitter @jeffsattora

James missed the technical foul shot. Stephenson, standing in front of the Indiana bench, threw up the “choke” sign in LeBron’s direction. The gesture wasn’t noticed by many at the time, but has been overblown ever since the Heat were blown out by the Pacers in game three. In an interview on Saturday, Indiana head coach Frank Vogel said that he had spoken to Stephenson, and that the second-year guard had expressed remorse for the unnecessary action.

“(Stephenson) knows it was wrong and I agreed with him 100 percent that it was wrong. He was over the line and made a mistake.”

The Pacers know that they need not throw any more ammo into the fire to inspire the Heat. Stephenson’s actions were needless, but were harmless, and kind of true. If Miami needs a useless gesture from a bench player to fire them up in this series, then they are in more trouble against these young upstart Indiana Pacers than we can possibly discuss.

This year, however, the Eagles have taken care of their own.  The team re-signed wide receiver DeSean Jackson, defensive end Trent Cole and offensive lineman Todd Herremans…all before giving LeSean McCoy a 5 year $45 million contract extension that guaranteed him almost $21 million.  These moves by Philly indicate that they very well may have learned from their mistakes.  It also shows that they are confident in the players on their roster and feel they will put the organization in a position to win a championship in the near future.  The biggest offseason acquisitions the team made this year were trading for linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who should make an immediate impact on a team that was desperate for a quality middle linebacker, and signing Demetress Bell, who was picked up out of necessity when Jason Peters went down with an injury.  Those pickups are hardly the “fantasy football” approach that some members of the squad thought Philadelphia took last year.  In addition, the departure of Asante Samuel may be a blessing for the Eagles.  It will allow Cromartie to play outside opposite Asomugha, which is a position he is much more comfortable with than the nickel spot he was forced to play last year because of the presence of Samuel.

The Eagles also drafted well this year; better than they have for quite some time.  Granted, any talk of “how well a team has drafted” is pure speculation until the players take the field, but Philadelphia addressed some glaring deficiencies by picking up quality players in the draft who should be able to come in and compete right away.

Philly’s renewed dedication to building from within could very well pay immediate dividends for the organization, as they have the talent to compete with anyone in the NFC East and possibly the NFL.  The only questions are whether or not the team can continue to gel and build upon the 4 game winning streak that closed out last season and whether they did in fact pick up the correct pieces to fill the holes they had on defense last year.

San Diego has a week six home game and a week 11 road battle against the defending AFC West champion Denver Broncos whom San Diego was 1-1 against last season.  Although both teams finished their 2011 season at 8-8, Denver added one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in Peyton Manning.  It will be interesting to see how Manning plays after numerous surgeries on his neck, which caused him to miss the entire 2011 season.  San Diego’s toughest stretch of the season should come in weeks 12-14.  They will start of in weeks 12 and 13 with home games against the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals.  Baltimore finished the 2011 season at 12-4 while Cincinnati was 9-7.  Baltimore was 4-4 on the road while Cincinnati was 5-3 away from home.  San Diego dominated the Ravens 34-14 last season in San Diego, but I expect the outcome to be closer this season.  San Diego will face the 12-4 Pittsburgh Steelers on the road in week 14.  The Steelers were 7-1 at home in 2011.

San Diego finished their 2011 season with a 5-3 home record and a 3-5 road record.  San Diego did not have a great road record, but if they can reassert their dominance at home, the team can live with it.  The Chargers were 8-0 at home in 2006, 7-1 in 2007, 6-2 in 2009 and 6-2 in 2010.  San Diego started off the 2010 season with a 2-5 overall record and finished the season at 9-7 which was one win away from making the playoffs.  The Chargers lost their division last year based on a tiebreaker after they started the season 4-1 and finished at 8-8.  The Chargers finished their 2006 season on a 10 game winning streak, but lost their only playoff game.  They also finished 2009 on an 11 game winning streak, but lost their only playoff game.  San Diego needs to avoid their proverbial nap in 2012 to make the playoffs and do damage if they get in.

At 6’6″ and 284 pounds the defensive lineman gives the Jets a chance to significantly upgrade their pass rush in 2012. Muhammad Wilkerson could be a major positive influence for Coples since they already have familiarty from their time playing together on the Hargrave Military Academy‘s football team. The former Temple Owl improved over the course of 2011 and understands the rigors of playing in the NFL, specifically for the Jets.

Fans should be aware that Coples‘ performance in 2011 was not worthy of a first round pick, but the Jets drafted him primarily based on his play in 2010. That year he played like an elite prospect and Rex Ryan believes that 2011 was just an anomaly.

Some fans have compared Coples to the Jets greatest draft bust, Vernon Gholston, yet the two are not at all alike. At worst Coples will turn out to be an average starter, but at his best he could turn out to be a premier five technique defensive lineman comparable to Justin Smith of the San Francisco 49ers.

Follow me on Twitter @Allicareisjets or email me at allicareisjets@gmail.com

In just two years, the conference lost four schools to other conferences; the Nebraska Cornhuskers ran off to the Big 10 and the Colorado Buffaloes, perhaps afraid of being left out, left for the (now) Pac 12. The following season, both the Missouri Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies bolted for the SEC, leaving the Big XII with just 8 teams, whose loyalties didn’t seem to be very strong either. Conflicting rumors resurfaced that the remaining conference heavyweights were headed to every possible BCS conference (depending on the source).

After the dust settled, the Big XII conference remained, though it was weak and many doubted it would last much longer. But then they went out and added the West Virginia Mountaineers and the TCU Horn Frogs, teams many consider an upgrade over the recently departed–a good move, but still not one that instilled much faith in the conferences’ long-term stability.

Since then, however, the Big XII has also named a new commissioner, Bob Bowlsby (though much, rather most of, the credit for these bold moves goes to Chuck Neinas, the interim commissioner prior to Bowlsby’s hiring).

Rumors have even resurfaced about teams such as the Florida State Seminoles, the Clemson Tigers, and (though it’s a long shot) even the Notre Dame Fighting Irish heading to the Big XII.

All of these little things add up, helping to assure fans that perhaps the Big XII isn’t dead in the water as once believed, but perhaps they are actually on the cusp of drastically changing the landscape of college football, possibly revamping the entire system.

None of the recent events, however, has done more for the conference than the recent announcement that the Big XII and the SEC have joined together to create a new bowl game which will include the winner of the two conferences (or the best teams NOT playing in the proposed four-game playoff).

This new alliance with the SEC was a stroke of genius for the conference thought to be headed towards extinction. The move was a brilliant one for the following reasons:

1. It gives the Big XII conference must needed stability. By aligning themselves with the SEC (the conference that most see as the strongest in college football) the Big XII has solidified its place among the top two football conferences in the country.

2. This move could be the catalyst that finally ends the BCS system. For the first time, with the SEC and Big XII taking the lead, the conferences are taking control of college football’s postseason, and not leaving it in the hands of bowls. What better way to change the landscape than to jump out as a leader rather than a follower?

3. Money, money, money. The Big XII as SEC will have complete control over the game from tickets, to location, to TV rights. By cutting out the middle man, both conferences look to create a substantial amount of total revenue from this game.

4. If the Big XII does decide to expand, the conference just got a lot more appealing, making it even harder for top programs to say no if they come calling.

Yes, with the recent moves, most notably the addition of the SEC v. Big XII bowl game, the conference is sending out a loud, thunderous message to the world of college football: Not only is the Big XII here to stay, it is taking control.  And something tells me that the conference isn’t done just yet.

The two neighboring countries faced each other in the second semifinal game of the day, which Slovakia won 3-1. Miroslav Satan, former Bruin, scored two of Slovakia’s goals and scored first, near the end of the first period. The Czechs, though, had an answer for that goal that came from Michael Frolik in a hard-fought second period as the game heated up intensely. Three different players left the ice with injuries: Martin Erat, Tomas Starosta and Frolik.

While shorthanded at the beginning of the third period from a carryover penalty, Satan struck again, breaking the tie. Four minutes later, Libor Hudacek added another goal to secure Slovakia’s lead and chase Jakub Kovar from the Czech net in favor of Jakub Stepanek. The Czechs could not overcome this deficit and Slovakia got the win.

In this game, Krejci won 75 percent of his faceoffs and took one shot on goal per period. Chara came out with a +2 and spent a team-leading 26 minutes on the ice.

Tomorrow, the Czech Republic will take on Finland for the chance to win bronze again or go home with fourth place.

Speaking of Finland, Russia defeated them 6-2 in the other semifinal game, keeping the curse of the home ice going: no Worlds host country has won the gold since the old Soviet Union managed it in 1986. Now the Russian team, stacked with firepower from guys like Evgeni Malkin (who scored another hat trick in the game with Finland) and Alexander Ovechkin, will take on Slovakia for the gold or silver medal. Oh boy, a rematch of Ovechkin vs. Chara! I wonder if the Worlds announcers will be as obsessed with noting when the two are on ice together as the NBC announcers were.

My guide for NBC Sports Network on DirecTV says that they will show what is erroneously labeled Czech Republic-Sweden tonight at 9 p.m. (I presume they mean Czech-Slovakia?) and then the Russia-Slovakia game at 9 p.m. tomorrow night. However, I will report on the games before that time, just like today.

The four-time European champion Reds are the first home team since Roma in 1984 to play at home when it faces Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League final at their own home pitch of Allianz Stadium, and hopes to be crowned “Kings Of Europe” for a fifth time.

While many may have already conceded that Munich the presumptive winner, it would be wise to not overlook the scrappy underdogs from West London.

Chelsea, who would win their seventh FA Cup, is in the Champions League final for the second time in four years. The Blues would lose to fellow Premier League rival Manchester United 6-5 on penalty kicks in Moscow back in 2008.

Chelsea may be without the services of captain John Terry, Raul Meireles, Ramires and Branislav Ivanovic due to yellow card accumulation in their match against F.C. Barcelona, any side that goes into Nou Camp and beats Barcelona is not to be underestimated.

While Chelsea will be short-handed, the steady play of Frank Lampard, the return of Ivorian striker Didier Drogba and the recent good form of Fernando Torres makes Chelsea more than an even match for Bayern’s triumviate of Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Mario Gomez.

If Chelsea hopes to hoist up it’s first Champions League trophy and become the first London club—much to the consternation of local rivals Fulham, Tottenham and Arsenal—look for forwards Salomon Kalou and Juan Mata to play a factor in countering Munich’s prolific midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and forward Thomas Muller.

One cannot overlook the impact that interim manager Roberto Di Matteo and his steady leadership for the Blues as they have gone 14-3-2 under his watch. The Blues are 4-1-0 under Di Matteo in Champions League play.

While Munich is 15-1 against English clubs at home, the gained momentum and confidence of beating Barcelona on the road and their recent triumph in the FA Cup over Liverpool, gives the Blues an edge in become the second English side to beat Bayern on the Allianz pitch and the first London club to win the Champions League in a 2-1 victory.

Follow me on Twitter, @RobertCobb_76