It's difficult to tell whether this story is true or not, but Foxsports.com is reporting IU offered the men's basketball coaching job to Tony Bennett of Washington State.
This seems difficult to believe since the Cougars just lost to Carolina just a couple days ago in the Sweet 16. Stranger things have happened, but I don't think Bennett would be in extended talks with IU during a tourney run and I don't think it would have been kept secret that IU got permission to talk to him.
Terry Hutchens, the IU beat reporter at the Indianapolis Star, wrote a great blog post today about the rumor. He said he talked to several people who seemed to indicate the story was false and that Bennett hadn't talked to anyone.
It seems unlikely that the IU search committee will get to talk to anyone before their teams are eliminated from the tournament. And the interview process likely will take some time.
Everyone just needs to calm down and be patient.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Don't worry about opposite-field homers
When the Red Sox play the Dodgers in a pre-season game Saturday, March 29, there will be no reason for right-handed hitters not to look to pull that inside pitch. The game will be played in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, where the Dodgers spent their first four seasons in California.
The stadium was not built for baseball -- the left field "fence", I mean screen, will be a paltry 201 feet from home plate. A pop-up to short could be in danger of falling in the seats. Fans sitting in the first few rows will have to be on the look-out for line drives.
To even things out, right field is where fly balls will go to die. That fence is 440 feet from the plate. The NYT story I linked above has a great quote from Dodgers likely starting left fielder Juan Pierre. He likely will get the best view of the ball coming off the bat that he has ever had from the outfield. He just will have to be careful to call off the shortstop and third baseman every time he makes a play.
This exhibition is part of the Dodgers' 50th anniversary in L.A. More than 100,000 are expected with standing-room tickets included.
It's hard to believe the Dodgers hosted the the 1959 World Series against the White Sox at the Coliseum under nearly the same conditions. By the way, the Dodgers won that series in six games.
Photo found at www.ballparkwatch.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)