Month of MLB: Day 16

The Dodgers take a 2-0 lead in the National League Championship Series thanks to a COMPLETE GAME by Yoshinobu Yamamoto.  He was spectacular:  111 pitches, 1 run, 3 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts -- and NINE INNINGS PITCHED.  He beat the Brewers -- on their home field -- by the score of 5 to 1.  It was spectacular, and it was the first complete game in a League Championship Series since 2017.

So after two games each, the League Championship Series look like this:

Milwaukee 0 - 2 Los Angeles

Toronto 0 - 2 Seattle

Tomorrow is a travel day for the National League, while the Blue Jays head to Seattle for Game Three, which will start at 7:08 PM Central Time.

MaxPreps KHSAA Top 20

Here is the latest MaxPreps top 20 for KHSAA Football:

1.  Lou. Trinity:  6-2

2.  Christian Academy-Louisville:  8-0

3.  Lou. St. Xavier:  4-3

4.  Boyle Co:  6-1

5.  Ft. Thomas Highlands:  6-2

6.  Cov. Catholic:  5-3

7.  S. Warren:  7-0

8.  Johnson Cent.:  8-0

9.  Lex. Frederick Douglass:  4-3

10.  Woodford Co:  6-1

11.  Lou. DuPont Manual:  4-3

12.  Ryle:  4-3

13.  Pad. Tilghman:  6-1

14.  Cooper:  4-3

15.  Franklin Co:  8-0

16.  Lou. Male:  4-3

17.  Corbin:  4-3

18.  Owensboro:  5-2

19.  Pulaski Co:  5-2

20.  Scott Co:  6-2

Trinity's two losses are both to teams from Ohio.  On September 5, Cincinnati Moeller beat Lou. Trinity 24-21.  On October 3, Cincinnati St. Xavier beat Lou. Trinity 17-14.  But Lou. Trinity is undefeated in the Commonwealth, with a 35-24 win over Louisville St. Xavier on September 26.

AP Preseason Men's Basketball Poll

1.  Purdue

2.  Houston

3.  Florida

4.  Connecticut

5.  St. John's

6.  Duke

7.  Michigan

8.  Brigham Young

9.  Kentucky

10.  Texas Tech

11.  Louisville

12.  U.C.L.A.

13.  Arizona

14.  Arkansas

15.  Alabama

16.  Iowa St.

17.  Illinois

18.  Tennessee

19.  Kansas

20.  Auburn

I've concluded that the Kentucky media only cares about games that involve U of L, Rick Pitino, or John Calipari, so it should be a fun year for them.

Ken Pom's 2026 Rankings

Here's Ken Pom's top 20 for the 2025-26 basketball season.  It won't be long now:

1.  Houston

2.  Florida

3.  Purdue

4.  Kentucky

5.  Connecticut

6.  Illinois

7.  Duke

8.  Gonzaga

9.  Tennessee

10.  U.C.L.A.

11.  Michigan

12.  Texas Tech

13.  Iowa St.

14.  Louisville

15.  Arizona

16.  St. John's

17.  Baylor

18.  B.Y.U.

19.  Vanderbilt

20.  Wisconsin

Murray is number 134.  Western Kentucky is number 202.

Month of MLB, Day 13

 I'm not sure I can remember a more dramatic collection of Divisional Series.  The Phillies were eliminated on a heartbreaking play in the bottom of the 11th, when they were so close to forcing a Game Five in Philly.  The Tigers pushed the Mariners for over five hours, before finally losing 3-2 in the bottom of the 15th.  And, after falling behind two games to nothing, the Cubs fought back with two wins in a row before losing 3-1 in Milwaukee.

So now there are only four teams left:  the Dodgers, the Brewers, the Blue Jays, and the Mariners.  The Dodgers are a traditional power.  But the Brewers haven't reached the World Series since 1982, the Blue Jays haven't been there since 1993, and the Mariners have never been there.  Remember these facts when they shut down MLB in 2027 on the grounds that we need more parity.

Toronto and Seattle begin things tonight.  They both joined MLB in the same year -- 1977, a great year for sports.  Here's how they've done:

Toronto:  3,855-3,856 (.4999), 2 World Championships, 2 Pennants

Top Nine Blue Jays by wins above replacement:

1.  Dave Steib:  56.8

2.  Roy Halliday:  48.0 (only Blue Jay with a retired number)

3.  Jose Bautista:  38.4

4.  Tony Fernandez:  37.5

5.  Carlos Delgado:  36.8

6.  Jimmy Key:  29.6

7.  Jesse Barfield:  29.5

8.  Vernon Wells:  28.7

9.  Pat Hentgen:  26.5

Toronto's record in the ALCS (2-5):  1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015, 2016

Seattle:  3,689-4,022 (.478), 0 World Championships, 0 Pennants

Top Nine Mariners by wins above replacement:

1.  Ken Griffey, Jr.:  70.6

2.  Edgar Martinez:  68.4

3.  Ichiro Suzuki:  56.4

4.  Felix Hernandez:  49.8

5.  Randy Johnson:  39.0

6.  Alex Rodriguez:  38.1

7.  Kyle Seager:  37.0

8.  Jamie Moyer:  34.4

9.  Robinson Cano:  23.9

Seattle's record in the ALCS (0-3):  1995, 2000, 2001