Posts by Shane Ryan

June 26, 2013
About Last Night: The Bru’ Crew Blue Coup

In case you were out filibustering an impending breakup, here’s what you missed in sports on Tuesday. UCLA won its first national championship in baseball, defeating Mississippi State, 8-0, to sweep the best-of-three series. “Eat your heart out John Wooden, you pompous old owl!” shouted Bruins coach John Savage in the postgame celebration. After he […]
June 24, 2013
Screws, Forks, and the Eephus: A Tribute to MLB’s Freak Pitches

Which position in sports produces (attracts?) the most neurotic personalities? Ask that question to 100 knowledgeable sports fans, and you’ll probably get three answers: soccer keeper, hockey goalie, baseball pitcher. The common thread? They all have to prevent something. The glory of scoring, in whatever form that takes, is permanently denied to them. The magnified […]
June 21, 2013
The MLB Weekend Top 10: Beautiful, Soaring Cardinals

We suffered through a bit of a downer last weekend, but the rebound is looking great. I forcefully recommend watching every minute of each game listed below, with one notable exception: 10. Oh God, the Astros and Cubs Are Playing (HOU-CHC) You know how some people get a kick out of watching bad movies over […]
June 20, 2013
Pitchers’ Duel Diary: Jeff Locke vs. Bronson Arroyo

Welcome to this new series for pitching junkies, in which we anticipate one excellent matchup per week and diarize it to learn something about the practitioners of the Mound Arts. In the process, we also discover meaningful things about ourselves and our lives through the lens of baseball. There is always a lesson at the […]
June 17, 2013
The Climb: Justin Rose Survives the U.S. Open

Imagine a group of cyclists grouped together for a race up a steep mountain incline. They leave on the gun, and it becomes immediately clear that some of them aren’t conditioned for this kind of strain. Their legs cramp, their chests pound, their bikes begin to wobble, and they pull off to collapse on the […]
June 14, 2013
The MLB Weekend Top 10: Does Anyone Love the AL East?

Like the man at no. 10 during the Dodgers-Diamondbacks brawl, let’s jump right into the fray. 10. Yasiel Puig, the Cienfuegos Slammer (LAD-PIR) I left Puig off the list last week, and certain factions were upset. So here he is, in all his shiny glory. But a word of warning: Sure, the guy has been […]
June 13, 2013
Golf’s Most Powerful Power Rankings: U.S. Open Edition

It’s June, which means two things. First, the U.S. Open. Hooray! Second, and exclusive to our tiny corner of the Internet, the second of Grantland’s monthly golf power rankings. Smaller hooray! The U.S. Open — so named because anyone can qualify, from the lowliest American amateur to the highliest Tiger Woods — is truly the […]
June 11, 2013
The Pitchers’ Duel Diary: Hisashi Iwakuma vs. Dallas Keuchel

Welcome to this new series, in which we anticipate one excellent matchup per week and diarize it to learn something about the art of pitching. In the process, we also discover meaningful things about ourselves and our lives through the lens of baseball. There is always a lesson at the end. Each pitchers’ duel receives […]
June 7, 2013
The MLB Weekend Top 10: Might Is (Wain)Wright

I love baseball, so it wouldn’t be true to say I’ve been faking the funk so far in the 2013 season. But there comes a point every year when the game pierces the thick mental hide of my winter hibernation, and my fandom rises to near-obsessive levels. That happened this week. I don’t know why; […]
June 6, 2013
The Pitchers’ Duel Diary: Alex Cobb vs. Doug Fister

Welcome to this new series, in which we anticipate one excellent matchup per week and diarize it to learn something about the art of pitching. In the process, we also discover wonderful things about ourselves and our lives through the lens of baseball. There is always a lesson at the end. Each pitchers’ duel receives […]

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