The Silver Screen Oasis

NHL hockey is putting on a great show.

G.C.

The Panthers are a great story. Winning that game adds to the mystique of the underdog. They remind me of the Canadians a couples back when they, too, were lowest seed in the playoffs, yet made it to the finals, though losing. No one thought that the Panthers would get this far.

Beautifully executed play for the win. The Panthers are for real.

G.C.

Trying to hear the announcers on the PGA broadcast but difficult because some a hole deems it necessary to have the crowd ringing full flush. Bush League.

Lebron James and LA Lakers have been swept by the Denver Nuggets-

Switching to baseball — The Immaculate Inning — at 66 years old I’ve never heard of that or maybe heard of it but didn’t bother to find out what it means. No contact maybe, how it gets its name. Anyway the immaculate inning is when the pitcher strikes out the side on nine pitches. No foul balls, only a called or swinging strike.

No, that’s wrong, foul balls can be included in the immaculate inning as long as they are struck on the first or second pitch.

I’ve heard the expression “clean inning” being used a lot lately but not quite sure what that means or why that new expression, if it is new.

Clean inning might mean an inning when an umpire does not miss a call. Rare.

The immaculate inning : I have seen such a thing, and it was thrilling! In 1955, I was attending a game at ole Lane Field right at the foot of Broadway and near the waterfront. The old San Diego Padres, AAA ball, just down a notch from the Majors. A pitcher was called in from the Padre bullpen to pitch the ninth. Nine pitches. His name was : Jim "Mudcat" Grant He would later play in the Majors. His record at the time was 2-3 as I recall. He was made a starting pitcher and finished 19-5. This information is available on Baseball Reference dot come, I confirmed this some time ago. But I was there.

Wow! I can’t believe with all the baseball games I’ve watched and listened to I’ve never heard (until now) of the immaculate inning. I might be wrong, as I often am, but I heard tell there have been two of them this season?

I have been a baseball fan for a gazillion years and had never heard of the term. Course they make up all kinds of weird s*** these days.

I agree with that! What is WAR? What does that mean? Lots of other ones nobody knows what they mean. The box score stats are familiar and understandable. He got a hit, got an RBI, and scored a run. Went 2 for 3 with a walk. Where does WAR fit in?

I don't know WAR other than armies that clash by night (or day, or afternoon). It's an overall rating that measures value to a team, something like that I think. I don't want to know what WAR means. Sounds like a lot Cybermetric BS.. Is that the word? I am not enamored one bit over immaculate innings. Immaculate reception is quite another and there seems to be only one that has occurred. Anyone else interested in this madman stuff that is happening in the NHL Playoffs. I mean, Florida? Gaaaa! The quintessential Cinderella team?

Notice how the babe starts running right away. That is so last century. Cruz (not to be equated with the Babe of course) hit a smash to right field the other day and stood their looking at it. It was no way going to be a homer. Cruz wanted evidently to see whether the ball was going to be caught or not before by golly gee he was going to exert himself by actually running. The right fielder had to make an excellent catch. Had he not caught the ball, Cruz would have been caught napping. If I were General Manager I would bench him for 10 games and fine him $50,000.