Dan Haren came out rough again.  By the time we got to our seats Dan had given up 4 runs.  I was bummed.  The Padres are not tough to beat because they don't usually score many runs (They rank 28th out of the 30 MLB teams).  The problem is that Padres ace, Jake Peavy is last year's cy young winner.  But when we came up in the first Augie got a hit and then Cojack walked before our new clean up man Adam Dunn made a nice little souveneir for someone in the left field seats.  He was due.  He hit one monday night too, but still, he was due.  First inning ends 4 to 3, San Diego.  Not so bad.

The rest of the game really came down to this.  Walks.  Haren gave up 1 more in the sixth, walking none in his six innings.  Quals put up a zero, walking none in the 7th.  Pena put up a zero, walking none in the 8th.  Rauch gave up a solo homerun and also walked none.  The Padres walked 8 batters, four of those were Peavy's.

So in the end 6 hits scores 8 runs for the Dbacks.     Double our hits for the Padres but they score only 6.  We win.  Dodgers lose to the Rockies again.  We're up two games.  Tomorrow with Webb on the mound we will sweep.  Tomorrow's score will be 8 to 0.  How do I know?  Not telling.

I'll be there.  Join us.  Read the full story on www.dbacks.com

-Mark

On Jul 26th I posted that the Dbacks had awakened. Since then they've completed a three game sweep of the Giants and took two out of three in San Diego. I'm quite confident they could have also swept the Padres if Bob Melvin would have done what everyone was probably yelling from their couches on Monday night, "GET HIM OUT". Dbacks pitcher, Micah Owings was obviously having some sort of intermittent control issues again. When he was off he would either miss the plate by two feet or accidently serve it up right down the middle. He gave up eight runs in three innnings. The last three of those runs were due to a three run homer. I have no Idea what Mr. Melvin was thinking to let him face another batter with two guys on. It reminded me of my little league days when my dad was coach and he'd leave my brother, Frank in the game after he'd beamed two batters and walked two more. The Dbacks ended up losing that one eight to five. Micah is now in Tucson and Yusmeiro Petit has taken his spot in the starter rotation. Petit should do just fine.

Ok, so I said that they had awakened. And it seems they have but....now we have four games in LA. The Padres and the Giants, although they have some good starting pitchers, were not exactly the toughest competition. Tonight Brandon Webb faces my high school basketball nemesis, Derek Lowe. (Derek, if you happen to be reading, I declare that If I hadn't fouled out I would have never allowed that last second, baseline, fade away three pointer that won the game for Edsel Ford at Garden City High. I would have been in your face. But that was a hell of a nice shot!) Anyway, we have four games at Dodger Stadium and we're still only one game up on 'em. You can do the math on that. Can we win when it really counts?  Good entertainment for the weekend.

Pictured below is 24 Year old Alex Romero from Venezuela who's filling in for Justin Upton while he's on the DL.  He's been impressive.  Read more about Alex and watch his awesome catch on Dbacks.com

After a couple pretty bad months of lackluster hitting, bad base running, injuries, fielding errors and some sorry relief pitching it seems the DBacks have shed their bad skin.  The only thing that was not dry and crusty during this draught was the starting pitching and Connor Jackson.  Thanks to the venom of Webb and Haren our snakes managed to somehow stay on top of the division.  I don't know if you feel it but I feel like they've sleep walked across the I10 during rush hour, managed to not get run over and now they've woken up.

The Dbacks took two out of three at home against the first place Chicago Cubs earlier this week.  Friday night they gave a spanking to the Giants in San Francisco, winning 10 to 2.  I'm recalling some monster home runs Friday from "Cojack", Chad Tracy and the "Sheriff".  They've beefed up the bullpen with the addition of six foot eleven (Yes, the tallest player in MLB, yes, a "Bigger Unit") Jon Rauch.  They called back the old big guy Tony Clark who last year seemed to get the hits every time it was needed the most.  He homered once against the Cubs already.  They brought up a hot batting prospect, Jamie D'Antona who singled in his first MLB at bat.  D'Antona can play at first, third or catch.  Upton should be coming off the DL. 

 They'll be in Cali for nine more games, two more against the Giants then three in San Diego and on to a four game series against the Dodgers.  The Dodgers have been breathing down their necks so now is the time to break away from the crowd.  Tonight will be a pitching duel between Webb and the young all star Tim Lincecum.  This should be a good one.  If I had the cash I’d love to get out of the heat and head to San Fran for the game tonight but I must admit, the pitching duels are almost better on TV.  I’ll be watching from my couch. 

I got this email from CityScapePhx.com:

CityScape is preparing to go vertical.  A 250 foot tower crane was placed on the middle block of the project recently, representing a major construction milestone for CityScape.  Phase I, on schedule to open in December 2009, includes a 565,000 square-foot office building, approximately 200,000 square-feet of retail and restaurant space and 1,250 below grade parking spaces.  Your continued support of the CityScape project is greatly appreciated.  We will continue to keep you updated on the project as construction milestones are achieved.  For more information on the project, visit www.CityScapePHX.com

I went to the market on Wed night.  I bought some cucumbers, onion, garlic, red bell pepper, a tomato, carrots and a dozen eggs.  I chopped up one whole bell pepper, one whole onion, one whole carrot, one whole tomato (squeeze the juice out), half a garlic.

I made 3 cups (dry) Jasmin rice.  I make the rice first than chill it.  I cut up (more like shaved) a couple pounds of boneless frozen chicken breast.  I cut a few stalks of basil from my two live basil plants I got at the market a month ago.  They also have fresh basil at the market now.  I discard any thick stems.

In a large wok I scramble two or three  eggs first than add some light olive oil and the chicken, garlic and carrots.  When the chicken is almost finished cooking I add the rest of the veggies and then the rice a few minutes later.  I add oyster sauce, soy sauce and a little more oil, stirring the rice and veggies until the rice is hot and all veggies are cooked.  I usually cover the wok for a couple minutes to speed up the process.  Do not overcook or the rice can get mushy.

I serve with a plate of chilled sliced cucumber and a little sweet and spicy sauce. It's also good with shrimp or add some crushed hot red chili for a spicy version.

-Mark

Both taken from From Lantino Perspectives Magazine: http://www.latinopm.com/

Brown Skin and Cracked Tail Lights

Guest columnist Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon
blasts the Sheriff's Office for racial profiling

Mayor Phil Gordon

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon

A few months ago, a member of my own staff and her husband went “off-roading” with five other couples. They were just outside the City of Phoenix, but still in Maricopa County. All five couples drove past a sign that read “No vehicles beyond this point.” It was a mistake. And immediately, they began a giant U-turn that would correct their mistake. But they didn’t even finish that simple turn before a Maricopa County Deputy Sheriff pulled all six vehicles over.
One by one, he approached each couple, and one by one he let them go. Until he got to the last couple – the one driven by my assistant. He didn’t ask her for her driver’s license like he did the others. He asked for her Social Security Card. And he didn’t let her go like he did the others. He wrote her a citation. Her first name is Jessika.

And her last name is Rodriguez.

And the only thing that made her different from the other four couples was the color of her skin.

On the streets of Phoenix, a United States Marine, in full uniform, was harassed outside a day-labor center. He was insulted and called a traitor by a group of “Pretend Patriots.” It’s too bad you didn’t die in the war,” he was told. “Go back to your own country.”

Well, this American hero of Hispanic heritage is in his own country. He fought for this country.

And all of us have to re-double our efforts to fight for that Marine. And for Jessika. And for everyone who stares down the face of discrimination in our community.

These two stories have nothing to do with Green Cards. They have everything to do with Brown Skin. They were about racism and nothing else.

Not long ago the Phoenix Police Department, working with the FBI, DPS, Mesa P.D. and other local police agencies rounded up and jailed nearly 500 gang members who were terrorizing Arizona.

I’m proud of that – because those are the kind of round-ups we should all be doing. The kind that make us safe from the most dangerous and violent among us. Just about every jurisdiction does that. Except one.

While everyone else is targeting criminals who endanger us all, one agency stops people who honk their horns or change lanes without signaling. Surely with limited resources, there are better choices to be made.

The Maricopa County Sheriff has 40,000 outstanding felony warrants sitting on his desk. And rounding up those people should be a priority. Instead, he has created a “Sanctuary County for Felons” with his reckless priorities – that target brown skin and cracked tail lights – instead of killers and drug dealers.

Reasonable people may disagree, from time to time, on some issues. But not on this issue. No one should be targeting people who have skin that is darker than their own.

''Illegal Immigration is just that - Illegal''

one-time guest columnist Sheriff Joe Arpaio slams Mayor Phil Gordon for accusing him of racial profiling

Sheriff Joe Arpaio

In the May issue of Latino Perspectives we introduced a section of the magazine where members of the community could voice their own opinions of the world around them. To kick off the series, Mayor Phil Gordon wrote on immigration and his view of Joe Arpaio's activities of late (see related stories, at right). In this issue, Joe Arpaio responds to the Mayor's article.

Perhaps I see my job as an elected official differently than some other elected officials do. My job as the Sheriff of Maricopa County is to represent the people I serve and secondly, as a law enforcement professional, to enforce all the laws enacted by the state legislature. I cannot and will not arbitrarily decide which laws to enforce and which ones to ignore because it may be “politically popular” to do so. That’s called selective law enforcement and it’s a bad idea.

Illegally entering the United States for any purpose is a crime. It always has been. Whether a person is from Greece or Italy or Mexico or the planet Mars, the rule of law applies. All who wish to come to the United States to live or work must comply with the government’s immigration regulations. Ask any one of the millions of immigrants who legally came to the U.S. whether they think it is fair that others now be allowed to come here illegally and face no penalty of law and the resounding answer will be “no!”

That’s what the Phoenix Mayor does not seem to understand. Phil Gordon panders to a vocal minority group of activists who want nothing more than to open our borders to all who wish to come here. Sadly, he has made Phoenix a “sanctuary city” for illegal aliens.

He deplores the fact that I am upholding laws he does not agree with. He would prefer me to turn a blind eye to those who violate our nation’s immigration laws. I cannot. I will not.

Currently this Sheriff’s Office has the nation’s largest contingency of immigration trained law enforcement professionals. One hundred sixty men and women dutifully enforce the laws that voters of this state and county asked to be enforced.

We are good people, doing very hard and dangerous work. We do not racially profile. We do not target brown-skinned people with broken tail lights as Mayor Gordon constantly says about my deputies. We have conducted crime suppression operations in Fountain Hills, Phoenix , Guadalupe, Aguila, Queen Creek and soon we will make our way into Mesa. We routinely contact the police departments prior to our operations to let them know of our plans. Once there, we make traffic stops based on probable cause. We cite or ticket those who commit a violation. And many of those we come in contact with cannot produce any documentation to prove their residency status. Many readily admit they are in the country illegally. Are we to ignore this violation of the law? If so, what other violations can or will we start ignoring? Where do we draw the line?

Phil Gordon is wrong about so many things. He is not a police professional. In fact, he knows very little about police work. That lack of knowledge leads him to make ridiculous and unfounded remarks in speeches and on national television in a vain attempt to discredit me and my organization. I have called him a liar because that is what he is. He throws out arrests statistics which are patently false and claims my office is personally responsible for serving 40,000 felony warrants. Most of those warrants originated with his city’s police department. Every police agency in Arizona is responsible for serving warrants. Phil Gordon knows the truth about warrants and he knows the truth about my immigration operations but he also knows that telling the truth won’t put him in the headlines.

It's somehow national news that Shaq busts on Kobe with a dirty freestyle rap at a NYC nightclub. I'm guilty of watching it here. The worst part is the use of a racial slur and the second worst part is that it's not a very good freestyle in my humble opinion, not that I could do better. My advice to Shaq is to retire his freestyle career and work on those free throws. As much as I enjoy when Kobe is busted on, it still reminds me that we didn't make it past the Spurs. Shaq of course does not mention that in his rap. I wonder if Coach Porter will take issue with that behavior. Sheriff Joe took issue with it.

Hotel Monroe and Jackson St are in trouble as financing falls apart. Read the story here. The government may step in and help Jackson St, read about it here. Hotel Monroe will hopefully get a boost from the completion of the Light Rail and extension to the convention center and find new financing. Downtown certainly needs a boutique Hotel.

Dbacks gave up a three run lead in the bottom of the eitgth. If they could have held on it would have been two road wins in a row against the world champs, Bosox. Heart breaker. They take on the Bosox again tonight at 4:05 pm.

Jackson St Entertainment District rendering:

This may be the lift they need to get them out of their batting slump. I can't think of anything more motivating right now than to beat the World Series champs at their own park. Hopefully they'll keep their lead tonight too. Go Dbacks!

-Mark

....Dbacks allowed a barrage of hits amounting to four runs in the bottom of the eighth and lost it 5 to 4.  They face the Bosox again tonight at 4:05 pm.  

Be good little boys and girls the light rail is coming to town soon.

Read the azcentral article here.