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June 02, 2012
June 2012 With Manny still out of the lineup, the Royals started at home to begin the month of June. They finished 4-2 on that homestand, winning both series against Oakland and the Twins. The next two weeks was interleague play. Following a strong start with two series wins against Pittsburgh and Milwaukee, Kansas City lost eight straight games, being swept on the road by both the Cardinals and the Astros. St. Louis then came into Kauffman stadium and won 2 of 3 games. The Royals finished the month on a 4 game win streak as they won a home series against the Rays and the first two of a series in Minnesota. KC ended the month with a 13-13 record, pushing their overall season mark to 37-40. They are still 3rd in the A.L. Central, 5.0 games back of the division-leading Indians. Desmond Jennings has filled in admirably for Manny, hitting .338 with 6 HRs and 14 RBIs since being called up from AAA. Giancarlo Stanton has been on a hot streak of late, finishing the month of June with a total of 14 HRs and 42 RBIs on the year. He currently leads the team in both marks. The Royals have a total of 69 stolen bases this season, which places them second in the majors. Alcides Escobar leads the team with 17 swipes. Joakim Soria is continuing his solid year with a total of 20 saves. In 21.1 innings pitched, he has 19 Ks as opposed to only 2 walks. Brett Anderson, acquired from Oakland before the season, has 6 wins for the Royals this year – only 3 behind league-leading Jered Weaver. Starter Jonathan Sanchez is third in the A.L. with 94 strikeouts. June also featured the 2012 MLB Draft. With the 5th overall pick, the Royals selected 19 year old 2B Felipe Trejo. They also selected CF Jude Fold, C Emmett Bell, SS Marcellus Martin, and 3B Clifford Kears. July keeps Kansas City on the road in order to prepare for hosting duties of the 2012 All-Star Game. Following the break, the Royals enter a 10 game homestand against the White Sox, Mariners, and Twins before heading out on a West Coast swing.

June 2012

With Manny still out of the lineup, the Royals started at home to begin the month of June. They finished 4-2 on that homestand, winning both series against Oakland and the Twins. The next two weeks was interleague play. Following a strong start with two series wins against Pittsburgh and Milwaukee, Kansas City lost eight straight games, being swept on the road by both the Cardinals and the Astros. St. Louis then came into Kauffman stadium and won 2 of 3 games. The Royals finished the month on a 4 game win streak as they won a home series against the Rays and the first two of a series in Minnesota. KC ended the month with a 13-13 record, pushing their overall season mark to 37-40. They are still 3rd in the A.L. Central, 5.0 games back of the division-leading Indians.

Desmond Jennings has filled in admirably for Manny, hitting .338 with 6 HRs and 14 RBIs since being called up from AAA. Giancarlo Stanton has been on a hot streak of late, finishing the month of June with a total of 14 HRs and 42 RBIs on the year. He currently leads the team in both marks. The Royals have a total of 69 stolen bases this season, which places them second in the majors. Alcides Escobar leads the team with 17 swipes.

Joakim Soria is continuing his solid year with a total of 20 saves. In 21.1 innings pitched, he has 19 Ks as opposed to only 2 walks. Brett Anderson, acquired from Oakland before the season, has 6 wins for the Royals this year – only 3 behind league-leading Jered Weaver. Starter Jonathan Sanchez is third in the A.L. with 94 strikeouts.

June also featured the 2012 MLB Draft. With the 5th overall pick, the Royals selected 19 year old 2B Felipe Trejo. They also selected CF Jude Fold, C Emmett Bell, SS Marcellus Martin, and 3B Clifford Kears.

July keeps Kansas City on the road in order to prepare for hosting duties of the 2012 All-Star Game. Following the break, the Royals enter a 10 game homestand against the White Sox, Mariners, and Twins before heading out on a West Coast swing.

Tags: PS3 BDot10 MLB 12 The Show Kansas City Royals Franchise June 2012

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May 31, 2012
May 2012 The Royals faced a tough stretch of games in the month of May, playing the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Tigers, and the A.L. Central-leading Indians. However, Kansas City managed to a record of 14-14 through the month. Bolstered by a 3-game sweep of the White Sox, the team never had a losing streak longer than 2 games during the month. They lost ground in the standings towards the end of the month as they dropped 2 of 3 to Cleveland. Currently, the Royals have a record of 24-27 which puts them 3rd in the A.L. Central, 5.5 games back of the division leader. The offense has been lackluster so far, but the team is young. Through the first 51 games, they have driven in 200 runs, good for 20th in the majors. The bright spot of the offense so far has been free agent acquisition Manny Ramirez. He leads the team with 12 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a batting average of .296. However, he fractured his shin in the series finale against the Indians and was recently placed on the 60-day DL. Desmond Jennings has been called up from AAA to take over some of the DH duties while Manny is recovering. While the offense is struggling, the pitching has been keeping them in games. They have only allowed 435 hits, which is tied for second in the MLB. 24 year old Jeremy Hellickson is 4th in the A.L. in innings pitched, tied for 4th for least walks allowed, and leads the A.L. with a 1.05 WHIP. In fact, 3 Royals starters are in the Top-10 in that category, with Luke Hochevar (1.09) in the 2nd spot and Jonathan Sanchez (1.16) in 10th. June has the team continue interleague play after dropping 2 of 3 to the Diamondbacks in May. They travel to Pittsburgh, rival St. Louis, and Houston. Featured home interleague matchups see the Brewers and the Cardinals coming into Kauffman Stadium.

May 2012

The Royals faced a tough stretch of games in the month of May, playing the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Tigers, and the A.L. Central-leading Indians. However, Kansas City managed to a record of 14-14 through the month. Bolstered by a 3-game sweep of the White Sox, the team never had a losing streak longer than 2 games during the month. They lost ground in the standings towards the end of the month as they dropped 2 of 3 to Cleveland. Currently, the Royals have a record of 24-27 which puts them 3rd in the A.L. Central, 5.5 games back of the division leader.

The offense has been lackluster so far, but the team is young. Through the first 51 games, they have driven in 200 runs, good for 20th in the majors. The bright spot of the offense so far has been free agent acquisition Manny Ramirez. He leads the team with 12 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a batting average of .296. However, he fractured his shin in the series finale against the Indians and was recently placed on the 60-day DL. Desmond Jennings has been called up from AAA to take over some of the DH duties while Manny is recovering.

While the offense is struggling, the pitching has been keeping them in games. They have only allowed 435 hits, which is tied for second in the MLB. 24 year old Jeremy Hellickson is 4th in the A.L. in innings pitched, tied for 4th for least walks allowed, and leads the A.L. with a 1.05 WHIP. In fact, 3 Royals starters are in the Top-10 in that category, with Luke Hochevar (1.09) in the 2nd spot and Jonathan Sanchez (1.16) in 10th.

June has the team continue interleague play after dropping 2 of 3 to the Diamondbacks in May. They travel to Pittsburgh, rival St. Louis, and Houston. Featured home interleague matchups see the Brewers and the Cardinals coming into Kauffman Stadium.

Tags: BDot10 MLB 12 The Show Kansas City Royals Franchise 2012 May PS3

Photoset
January 23, 2012
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So, I mentioned yesterday about getting tickets for the NCAA Tournament in Pittsburgh. After finding out from my brother where I’m sitting, I’ve added some details. The first picture is the seating chart for basketball, with ‘x’ marking the spot. The second is a picture from the Consol Energy Center website giving a view from the seat. Not too shabby, if you ask me.

Tags: NCAA Tournament Pittsburgh East Region 2012 March Madness

Video
November 18, 2011

This video, titled Logo for Life, introduced the media in attendance and the fans watching online to the new Blue Jays uniforms for the 2012 season. Or, should I say old? Heavily influenced by the original uniforms, this fantastic new uni-set modernizes a fan-favourite look that has been synonymous with the team for its 30-plus years in the MLB. I can’t wait for Opening Day and the Home Opener the next week. Boston better be prepared for the return of blue to the Blue Jays.

Tags: Logo for Life Toronto Blue Jays 2012 World Series Boston Red Sox uniforms

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November 16, 2011

It appears the Toronto Blue Jays are getting a makeover for the 2012 season. The above teaser video hints at a new set of jerseys and caps, with BLUE being the prominent colour instead of the previous season’s black. You think it would just be common sense to make them the same colour as the bird, but who am I to judge? I don’t run a Major League Baseball franchise. Anyways, I’m looking forward to the full unveiling Friday. I’ll then have to decide who I want on the back of the new duds: Romero, Lawrie, or Arencibia?

Tags: Toronto Blue Jays Ditch the Black new uniforms 2012 Romero Lawrie Arencibia

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April 26, 2011
It’s funny how events of your life end up being circular. While nothing serious, I’m prepared to review a game that almost two years ago, I reviewed an earlier version for my 4th ever blog post on this site. For this circumstance, I’m talking about Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters. I didn’t end up buying last years version of the game as I got bored of it really quickly and it began collecting dust on my shelf too soon. So, I held off. What reignited my interest in the series was the ability to play on the famous Augusta National course in search of that prestigious Green Jacket. To do this, you have to take your created golfer through the ranks in the revamped career mode. Your golfer start on the Amateur Tour, cruise through Q School and get some PGA Tour wins under your belt before tackling Augusta. It’s a very cool system that actually simulates the feelings of moving up the ranks of professional golf. The flaw of this system is the incorporation of the DLC. By making the courses available to purchase online part of the career mode, you are forced to skip events in the middle of the season despite your intentions. It’s a minor thing, but it looks messy. The swing system stays the same as Tiger Woods 11, with the use of a focus bar to give a power boost to your swing, more spin to the ball, or the ability to read the greens better. It’s a pretty cool system, that replenishes if you are able to make the shots your caddie assigns. That brings another thing up in the game. EA Sports has upgraded the caddie system. Instead of just giving you advice after your round, you play through with a personal caddie. He suggests shots for you, as well as weighing the risks of those shots. While you can turn this option off, it’s pretty cool to see the different strategies someone can take for each hole. Whether you play it safe or go for the green every time, his suggestions are often very smart and easy to pull off. You can improve the strength of your caddie as you play on the same courses repeatedly by completing assigned tasks. It makes him read the green better, etc. All in all, the game is a lot of fun. I didn’t even touch on the online mode, which allows you to take shots simultaneously in order to speed up the process. If you didn’t pick up Tiger Woods 11, definitely look at 12. There have been enough improvements to the gameplay, and the addition of one of the most famous golf courses in the world is a great bonus to purchases. Good luck on the links!

It’s funny how events of your life end up being circular. While nothing serious, I’m prepared to review a game that almost two years ago, I reviewed an earlier version for my 4th ever blog post on this site. For this circumstance, I’m talking about Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters.

I didn’t end up buying last years version of the game as I got bored of it really quickly and it began collecting dust on my shelf too soon. So, I held off. What reignited my interest in the series was the ability to play on the famous Augusta National course in search of that prestigious Green Jacket.

Charl Swartzel

To do this, you have to take your created golfer through the ranks in the revamped career mode. Your golfer start on the Amateur Tour, cruise through Q School and get some PGA Tour wins under your belt before tackling Augusta. It’s a very cool system that actually simulates the feelings of moving up the ranks of professional golf. The flaw of this system is the incorporation of the DLC. By making the courses available to purchase online part of the career mode, you are forced to skip events in the middle of the season despite your intentions. It’s a minor thing, but it looks messy.

The swing system stays the same as Tiger Woods 11, with the use of a focus bar to give a power boost to your swing, more spin to the ball, or the ability to read the greens better. It’s a pretty cool system, that replenishes if you are able to make the shots your caddie assigns.

That brings another thing up in the game. EA Sports has upgraded the caddie system. Instead of just giving you advice after your round, you play through with a personal caddie. He suggests shots for you, as well as weighing the risks of those shots. While you can turn this option off, it’s pretty cool to see the different strategies someone can take for each hole. Whether you play it safe or go for the green every time, his suggestions are often very smart and easy to pull off. You can improve the strength of your caddie as you play on the same courses repeatedly by completing assigned tasks. It makes him read the green better, etc.

The caddie in Tiger Woods 12

All in all, the game is a lot of fun. I didn’t even touch on the online mode, which allows you to take shots simultaneously in order to speed up the process. If you didn’t pick up Tiger Woods 11, definitely look at 12. There have been enough improvements to the gameplay, and the addition of one of the most famous golf courses in the world is a great bonus to purchases. Good luck on the links!

Tags: Tiger Woods 2012 The Masters PS3 Review