In NLCS opener at LA Updated: Thursday, 15 Oct 2009, 11:36 PM CDT Published : Thursday, 15 Oct 2009, 11:33 PM CDT LOS ANGELES - Brad Lidge and the Philadelphia Phillies picked up where they left off a year ago against the Dodgers in the NL championship series.
Working as a scout team player on Seattle's practice squad just a week ago, Kyle Williams is now likely to get the start at left tackle on Sunday when the Seahawks entertain Arizona in a key NFC West matchup.
People seem to be pretty high on this team that only won 23 games a year ago. Of course that was three more than this team won in their final season as the Seattle Supersonics. Since the team was sold, and GM Sam Presti came to town, only one player Nick Collison remains with the team. Presti has gone through a somewhat painful tear it down and rebuild it plan that has suffered a lot of growing pains. This is a team that is winning over the fans in Oklahoma, since they are the only pro team there, but this is a team with some more work to do.
This is a team with a lot of issues. They have a lot of payroll tied up in aging players, their farm system is depleted, and they played so poorly in 2009 they got their manager fired. Cecil Cooper was let go with two weeks left in the regular season, but the Astros are looking to find some direction. With one great hitter, and a bunch of really good hitters this is a team that needs to add some pieces for 2010, but with a bare farm system it will be hard to trade, which means this team would have to find talent on the free agent market meaning the payroll is going to have to go up if they want to improve.
NASCAR will open its Hall of Fame next year in Charlotte, North Carolina, and today they announced the first Hall of Fame class. In all 25 notable NASCAR stars were nominated and after a fan vote, and a lengthy selection process hat was far more complicated than it needed to be NASCAR has its first five NASCAR Hall of Famers. Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., King Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Junior Johnson have been elected.
Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri will be out four to eight weeks after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and the team waived starting defensive tackle Ed Johnson on Wednesday to make room for a new kicker.
Defending champion Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong will play out the next chapter of their Tour de France rivalry against the majestic backdrop of the Pyrenees.
