By CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent Follow hockey much, and as the playoffs near you hear broadcasters talking about “desperate” play. If you don’t know what that means initially, you figure it out pretty quickly. Stars throwing themselves in front of 90-mph rubber disks. Puck battles all over the place. Goalmouth traffic more intense, goalie scrambles […]
Continue ReadingBy CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent It’s hard to believe it has been a year since my good friend Sean Thornton and I took in the All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium, a time that is among the best baseball experiences of my life. Well, the All-Star Game is back…neither of us are going…and if it wasn’t […]
Continue ReadingBy CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent Major League Baseball had a rough week, and you can thank a pair of umpiring crews for that. By now, you know the stories. A’s lose a chance to tie a game against Cleveland when a home run is called a double, despite firm instant-replay evidence, and lose. Angels victimized by […]
Continue ReadingBy CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent Royals pitcher Jonathan Sanchez was designated for assignment Wednesday. He deserved it. Sanchez was 1-6 with a 7.76 ERA and 44 walks — all in 53 1/3 innings covering 12 starts. The pitcher who also has a no-hitter to his credit was routinely lit up by media folks in the […]
Continue ReadingBy CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent KANSAS CITY — Well, the All Star Game may have been a bust. OK, scratch that — it was about as exciting as an empty hamster wheel — but that shouldn’t detract from a wonderful stretch of activities in Kansas City. And an important one for a long-suffering region. Imagine, […]
Continue Reading