We went to AP at DNH  for obvious reasons.  I’m exporting the Video right now.  It will not be our standard look back but rather a highlight version that we sent from our Sat Uplink for the Blitz.  It was great to be able to visit with Coach Thomas again, and Coach Betts was also a class act.  Next week the Blitz Extra will be filled with emotion, and a lot of hitting.   I will not be surprised at all if these two teams don’t both end up in the Dome when November comes calling.

HERE IT IS!

While we’re waiting for football games to kickoff, let’s pass the time with some more useless baseball information, shall we?  Very well, then.  When a player has 40 or more HR in a season, he very often has a lot of doubles too.  That makes sense, but what about triples?  Triples are hard to come by and usually speedsters, not sluggers, end up having the most.  History backs this up nicely.  Only 17 times has a player hit 40 or more HR and had double digit total triples.  In fact, only Vladimir Guerrero and Jim Rice have done it since 1966.  In 2000, Guerrero blasted 44 HR and managed to leg out 11 triples, while Jim Rice accomplished the feat in 1978 when he hit 46 HR and had a very respectable 15 triples.  Respectable to the tune of no 40 HR hitter had amassed that many triples in a season since 1930, and no one has hit that many since.  In the last 50 years, only Dick Allen (40-10 in 1966), Hank Aaron (40-11) in 1960 and Ernie Banks (47-11) in 1958 even make the list.  Rice’s 15 triples is fourth on the list, based on most triples.  3rd is Babe Ruth, who hit 59 HR and 16 triples in 1921.  Do you think that will EVER happen again?  2nd and 1st is Lou Gehrig with 41 HR/17 triples in 1930, and 47 HR/18 triples in 1927.  That is just plain stupid.  The Iron Horse also had 52 doubles and 175 RBI in 1927 just for good measure.  We haven’t seen the player yet who is capable of topping this list.  While we’re talking about rare, there have been just two seasons ever where a player had 30 SB, 120 Walks and scored 140 runs.  Think about the type of player it takes to excel in those catagories…lots of names come to mind, but how can it be possible only two managed to do it?  Amazingly, only Lenny Dykstra and Jeff Bagwell have pulled it off.  “Nails” had 37 SB/129 BB/143 R for the NL Champion Phillies in 1993,  while “Bags” finished with 30 SB/149 BB/143 R for the Astros in 1999.  Bagwell also drilled 42 HR with 126 RBI.  Not too shabby.  How about the top five lowest career BA for players with over 500 SB?  Not your everyday watercooler topic, but here we go:  1) Bert Campaneris (.259/649), 2) Ozzie Smith (.262/580) and Luis Aparicio (.262/506), 4) Davey Lopes (.263/557) and 5) Vince Coleman (.264/752)  If Coleman could have hit like Tony Gwynn, he would have had 3,000 SB.  Finally, sticking with the lowest BA theme, let’s look at the top four lowest career BA for players with over 3,000 hits.  Only ten players have managed to collect over 3,000 hits without a lifetime .300 or better average.  These four are at the top of that list, or bottom, depending on how you look at it.  1) Cal Ripken Jr. (.276/3184), 2) Rickey Henderson (.279/3055), 3) Craig Biggio (.281/3060) and 4) Dave Winfield (.283/3110).  That’s probably enough for today, we have to get our heads on straight and focus on football.

Week one of the high school football season is upon us, and as we have mentioned, ICS will be busy Friday covering the Aplington-Parkersburg vs. Dike-New Hartford contest.  What a great way to kick it off.  Two great programs and a chance to bring the ABC5 viewers highlights of a great non-local game.  And next Friday, it will be the feature game for the Blitz Extra.  Believe me, though, there are several great matchups in our area that will be featured on the Blitz as well.  Ankeny hosts Waukee in a rematch of a round one playoff game from last year.  That ended in a one-sided 55-7 whipping by the eventual runner-up Hawks.  This promises to be one of the biggest non-conference battles for both teams, and could very well be repeated come playoff time, as both teams look to have another big season.  Ames at Johnston should be a nice matchup, as well as Dowling Catholic at East.  I like the ADM @ Dallas Center-Grimes game, that should be a fun one.  North Polk @ Ballard is interesting as well.  As always, I will be pulling for Pleasantville as they take on Carlisle for the Highway 5 Trophy.  Good luck, Trojans.  There’s no shortage of great games to go to, so make sure you get out and enjoy the hometown team or do yourself a favor and take in a nearby game between teams you may not get to see very often.  There’s plenty to choose from, with at least 30 games on local fields this weekend.  Statewide there are some great games also, so if you’re not in the “Quadrant” you have several options.  Here are some tidbits for week one, do what you will with them.  The longest win streak in the state belongs to Council Bluffs Saint Albert at 23.  They open at 3A Glenwood.  The longest regular season win streak is 45 by Harlan, which hosts Denison-Schleswig.  Harlan also has the longest win streak in district/conference play at 35.  Last week, Northeast Hamilton lost in week zero 8-player action to Central City 70-55.  That snapped a 25 game regular season streak for them.  Here is a class by class list of the longest current winning streaks by NON-playoff teams from 2007:  4A Council Bluffs Lincoln ended their season with three straight victories, 3A ADM, Adel won their last six, 2A Cascade won four, 1A Mount Ayr and Fort Dodge Saint Edmond each finished with five straight wins, A Gilbertville Don Bosco won five and 8-player East Mills went 9-0 but they were ineligible for playoff participation.  Here are the winningest teams in each class for 2000-2007:  4A Valley 86-12, 3A Harlan 88-8, 2A Emmetsburg 74-17, 1A Council Bluffs Saint Albert 84-12, A West Hancock 71-14 and 8-player Adair-Casey 65-19.  Since 1972 Harlan is atop the list of games won and winning percentage at 365-45, which is roughly 89%.  21 teams went winless in 2007, including two 0-10 teams (Van Buren & Camanche).  Seven teams enter this season with losing streaks of 13 or more, led by West Harrison with 25.  That list would have been at eight, but Russell closed it’s doors and left behind an 18 game slide.  Good luck to all of those programs trying to end their frustration this season.  Don’t forget, the playoffs have expanded this year to 32 teams in every class, and there have been a few changes to teams with consolidations, program-sharing and re-classification, as well as the re-districting of all 3A and smaller schools.  Fear not, we will keep you up to speed on all of this and much more throughout the season.

I just feel I’m wasting too much blog space with all these previews!!  However, if you want to see them(and for some reason people are watching them)I have loaded them all on the u-tube site..    Simply click on word videos in the upper right hand corner and it will have all the previews.   We are hours away from opening kick off.. The ICS crew will be at the AP vs DNH game.   So make sure you are back here Saturday for the Weekly Football Webcast as we bring you a full report from Dike.    

ABC-5 and ICS are teaming up again for year 9 of the “Friday Night Blitz”  and Year 3 of the “Friday Night Blitz Extra”  Please tune in for one full hour of football every Friday Night Starting at 10:30

Part I

Part II

Since ICS first posted SC Heelen’s Wegher’s highlights, it has had more than 20-thousand views..  If you want to see it again or for the first time.. Here is the back that just choose the Hawkeyes over several other big time schools

More me and BJ.. WOW  Exciting Stuff!

If you’re over 30, then you more than likely remember when it was a big deal to see a player have a 50 HR season.  In 1977, when I was 10, George Foster hit 52 for the Reds.  A number that stuck out like Aaron’s 755 in my mind.  It had been 12 years since anyone belted 50, and it would be 13 more until anyone would do it again. 25 seasons with only one 50 HR effort.  It amazes me now.  I was 23 when Cecil Fielder cracked 51 for the Tigers in 1990, and I couldn’t believe he did it.  Five years later, in 1995, Albert Belle hit 50 for the Indians, and then the flood gates opened.  Since then, it has happened 22 times in the last 12 years.  Five players combined for 10 more 50 HR seasons in the 90’s after Belle, and it has been done 12 times by nine different players in this decade.  As of today, Carlos Quentin (35), Adam Dunn (33) and Ryan Howard (33) are trying to inch closer to joining the list this season.  The total list includes 41 seasons of 50 HR, accomplished by 25 different players.  The first, fittingly, was Babe Ruth who hit 54 in 1920.  Ruth had hit 29 the year before to claim the single season record in his last season with the Red Sox.  Until then, Ned Williamson held the record with 27 dingers in 1884.  So, when Ruth shattered his own record by 25, nearly doubling it, you can imagine the reaction to such an amazing feat.  Counting Ruth in 1920, eight players combined to reach 50 HR 13 different times through 1960.  Ruth alone did it four times.  That’s 41 seasons featuring some of the greatest players to ever play the game, and only 13 times did a player hit 50 HR.  Truly a rare feat.  In 1961, when Roger Maris hit 61 to break Ruth’s record of 60 set in 1927, Mickey Mantle also hit 54 for the Yankees, a feat that had only happened twice before, and never by teammates.  In 1938 Jimmie Foxx hit 50 and Hank Greenberg hit 58, and in 1947 Ralph Kiner and Johnny Mize each blasted 51.  But, when Willie Mays hit 52 in 1965, that was it until Foster’s amazing 1977 output.  Most people point to expansion and watered down pitching, as well as the growth of the modern athlete, but steroids are often blamed for the power displays we have grown accustomed to these days.  Unfortunately, I lean towards believing steroids play a large role in this, but some of these recent 50 HR seasons are no doubt legitimate accomplishments, and until someone proves without a doubt that some of them weren’t, I guess they all have to be accepted as “real”.  Besides, it would be unfair to the players who are reaching 50 HR to automatically blame it on “juice” and dismiss it as tarnished or fake.  The evolution of the game and the world of sports have changed over time, so as always, it’s hard to compare eras.  But, when you look at the list, Brady Anderson, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa will always stand out in my eyes.  Anderson for obvious reasons, but, even though the other three were career bashers, their otherworldly numbers, along with the fact that McGwire and Sosa each hit 50+ in four consecutive seasons, just make you wonder what really led to all that.  How much would it have really helped?  That is a whole other argument for someone else to dissect.  When “Big Daddy” walloped those 51 HR in 1990, I had no idea what was ahead, but I have enjoyed seeing most of it happen.  Last year, Prince Fielder joined the old man on the list, giving millions reason to believe in the lucky gravy.  Griffey, A-Rod and Andruw Jones have had some of the more exciting 50 HR seasons, and I especially enjoyed watching Big Papi blast 56 in 2006.  More than anything, though, I think I respect George Foster more and more every day.  “Yahtzee” was one of the most feared sluggers around, but never really gets his due in the grand scheme of baseball history.  He was one of many great players from the 70’s and 80’s, but even with the way we covet homers, his crowning achievement seems somehow largely forgotten.            

We sat down for a little High School Football Talk on Mediacom connections..  Here is a portion of the 4-A talk with BJ Schaben(he also lives across the street from me)

4-A Preview

Well, it’s finally here.  Almost.  This is officially a football week for Iowa high schools, although hardly any schools are actually playing this Friday.  It is what has become known as Week Zero.  The teams that play this Friday night are ones that had scheduling problems or struggled to find opponents to fill a nine game slate.  This year it consists of eight 8-player games and one 2-A tilt.  Nothing special, but hey, it’s football.  Next Friday we get underway at full capacity with games all across the state on tap, and it’s about time.  We are fired up here at ICS, and we hope you are too.  This promises to be another great season, and ICS will be on top of it for you.  We will have regular webcasts, numerous blog entries, video surprises and hopefully plenty of interaction with our visitors.  This site will be on full football alert for the rest of the year and you can count on us to be your source for coverage of all that is going on in high school football, as well as a little bonus college and pro information here and there as needed.  We will be at a different game every Friday, and our webcasts will let you know what we saw and what we thought about each game.  Check in every Saturday morning for highlights, and make sure to watch the Blitz and Blitz Extra on ABC 5 Friday nights at 10:30.  Each week, we will try to bring you something of interest about the teams, players and coaches whether it is in video or written form, so stay tuned and bookmark us if you haven’t already.  Next Monday, David and I will be co-hosting the “Cotlar & Company” radio show on 1460 KXNO from 6am-9am, so please tune in and maybe we will be able to give you a sense of what to expect this fall on the website and what we are planning to do throughout the football season.  At the very least, we will have very entertaining conversation and some guests you will be interested in if you are a Cyclone or Hawkeye fan.  As for the content of this site, we will mainly concentrate on football, but that doesn’t mean we will abandon our usual fare.  All sports and subjects we like to talk about will be on the menu.  We hope you enjoy your visits, let us know!

Last night the Angels lost to the Mariners 10-7.  Normally this would not be a big deal, nor would it interest me for more than a second while passing a glance at baseball scores, but after further review I noticed that the Halos’ closer Francisco Rodriguez had blown a save.  Still not earth-shattering news, but he happens to be the league leader and is on pace to smash the single-season record of 57 set by Bobby Thigpen of the White Sox in 1990.

Save my saves record!

  Rodriguez, or “F-Rod” as he is known by those compelled to tag players with insipid nicknames based on abbreviations, has 46 saves so far.  He gave up 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk in only a third of an inning against Seattle, so #47 will have to come some other time.  This got me thinking about saves and how many great closers there have been over the years.  Trying to put this record in perspective also led me to wonder who had the best season as a closer ever.  Is it soley based on the number of saves?  Lowest ERA?  Team wins and postseason success?  It’s hard to say, but just like home runs, it’s the number that goes in the books, not the story behind it.  So with due respect to Bobby Thigpen and Francisco Rodriguez,  dare I suggest that I have found the two best recorded seasons by a closer, and neither one of our subjects are included.  First, though, let’s compare Thigpen and Rodriguez.  Thigpen was 26 years old when he had his magical season.  He was 4-6 in 77 games, pitched 88.7 innings, gave up 18 earned runs, walked 32, struck out 70 and had a 1.83 ERA.  1990 was the last year for old Comiskey Park, and the White Sox won 94 games but missed the playoffs by finishing 9 games back of the Oakland A’s in the old AL West.  Thigpen did his part, imagine how many games back they would have finished without someone shutting the door in that many close games.  The White Sox were not a juggernaut in 1990.  Thigpen was a major factor in their success.  Rodriguez, on the other hand, plays on what is easily the best team in the majors this year.  With or without him, they are way ahead of the pack.  I don’t want to sound like I am diminishing what he has accomplished, I’m not.  But they have not relied on him to ‘bail them out’ to get where they are.  Regardless, he is impressive and very important to the Angels and their chances in the postseason.  Like Thigpen was then, he is also 26 years old in his best season to date.  He is 2-2 in 56 games, has 50.1 innings pitched, has given up 16 earned runs, walked 29, struck out 55 and sports a 2.86 ERA.  A strong finish will give him results very similar to Thigpen’s, But he should end up with more saves and a good shot at a World Series run.  Sidenotes for these two pitchers:  Rodriguez wears #57 of all numbers…Thigpen only saved 54 more games the rest of his career and was out of the league at the age of 30.  Now, back to the two best overall seasons by a closer I mentioned earlier.  I don’t know how to justify my decision, so just humor me and consider my choices as strictly my opinion.  the second best season by a closer was in 2006 by Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox.  At age 25 in his first season as “The Man”, Paps

Sit down 

 put together a lights out campaign that will be hard for him to ever top.  The numbers:  4-2 in 59 games, 68.1 innings, 40 hits, 35 saves, 7 earned runs, 13 walks, 75 strikeouts and a 0.92 ERA.  The facts:  Dominated the league and showed no fear of any hitter he faced.  This is how he started his career!  He only pitched 17 innings in 2005, so this was a rookie punching out the best hitters in the AL night after night for the whole season.  No slumps, no bumps, just dominance.  He had more saves in 2007 and will again in 2008, but he will be hard pressed to be “on” for an entire summer like 2006.  As for the best season ever by a closer, I had no doubt who it would be, just which season?  Once Dennis Eckersley went to the bullpen

 Drive Safely Folks 

and transformed himself with the A’s, he was the poster boy for what you want from a closer for an extended period of time.  Numbers don’t do him justice, but he had ‘em.  The season that I think stands alone is 1990.  Ironically, Oakland was the reason Thigpen was shut out of the playoffs and didn’t win the Cy-Young Award.  The A’s were in the middle of another  ”Swinging A’s”-like run, headed to their third straight World Series behind the “Bash Brothers” and Cy-Young winner Bob Welch.  But it was Eck who really defined this team.  He truly was “Game Over”.  The numbers: 4-2 in 63 games, 73.1 innings, 41 hits, 48 saves, 5 earned runs, 4 walks, 73 strikeouts and a 0.61 ERA.  The facts:  Less baserunners allowed than saves recorded?  Are you kidding me?  5 earned runs?  is that a typo?  And most important to a manager, 4 walks issued all year.  4.  You did not see first base against Eck.  I don’t care what anyone says to refute it, this is the best you could ever hope for out of your closer.  There have been many great closers, but I’ll take Eck in 1990 as the best.  Apologies for not mentioning Eric Gagne and John Smoltz who each had 55 saves in a season, and were very impressive in doing so, but they just don’t compare overall.  

1. Bubba Bingham

 Like Favre,

Bubba will always be loved in the Bingham house.  There are other things that Bubba and I understand that the 4 Ladies around here don’t.   That James Morris

Is a stud.  And it is stuff like this that we will focus on for the most part!! That’s just Iowa Classic Sports being Iowa Classic Sports(I mean isn’t it weird that Manny is gone forever?)
Now here is our MANNY BEING MANNY Tribute.. put to Whitney being Whitney.. How special!!

That is my first Blog and I’m sticking to it!

We’ve begun a little remodeling here at Iowa Classic Sports! (You might notice the shiny new blog here.) You can still find our old content and our vast library of Iowa high school sports DVD’s in our Store