Hi all.  Here’s how I see baseball on this Wednesday.

It’s a good thing I don’t bet on the College World Series. In this part of the country, with both Miami and the Florida Gators eliminated I’d have a couple of guys coming around to rearrange my arms and legs. The Gators completed their embarrassment in Omaha by losing 3-2 to Texas Tech in the early game yesterday.  They were down 2-0 and gave up an insurance run in the 9th.  In their last atbat, future Mets’ prospect Peter Alonzo hit a 2-run home run, but he was the only Gator to show up in Omaha this time around.

In the late game, Coastal Carolina who had slain one giant after another finally remembered who they were, losing to TCU 6-1. Luken Baker set the tone early on by hitting a home run off starter Alex Cunningham, who was gone in the fifth giving up two runs.  Bobby Holmes gave up two more and Michael Morrison gave up the last two.  Coastal will play Texas Tech tomorrow night with the winner needing to beat TCU twice to reach the final round.  As for tonight, UCSB faces Arizona, with the winner needing to beat Oklahoma State twice.  I have a rooting interest in Arizona winning.  Their games are_ available on the Internet, while UCSB if it broadcasts at all does not do so on the Internet.

With Travis D’Arnaud in last night’s lineup the minute I heard there was an injury I thought it was him.  If possible, it was worse than that.  Bartolo Colon took a line drive off the thumb of his pitching hand. The x-rays were negative however I wouldn’t count on him pitching any time soon. He was gone after just one batter and the bull pen had to carry the night.  It didn’t hurt that Asdrubal Cabrera homered in the first to give the Mets an early lead. 3 innings later, Yoenis Cespedes unloaded one of his patented tremendous drives to make it 2-0. The Royals scored on an RBI single in the fifth but that was all they would get. Hansel Robles got the win, lasting through the 4th. Eric Goeddel pitched two innings, then Jerry Blevins, Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia took care of one inning each.  Familia, who has been beleaguered of late got his 23rd save. Put together, the Mets’ staff walked one lone man and struck out 11.  Their blessing is that Noah Syndergaard, the man known as Thor goes in their matinee today and if anybody should be able to last 6, 7, 8 or even the full 9 the long, tall Texan is the guy.

In Boston, Chris Sale of the White Sox became the first 12-game winner in the bigs as his team beat the Red Sox 3-1.  Sale struck 9 men out getting the win.  Not even Kershaw or Arrieta are at 12 wins yet. It didn’t hurt that the White Sox’ Tim Anderson launched the game’s first offering over the green monster, and Todd Frazier hit a solo shot later on. While Frazier is used to such things, it was the first career home run for Anderson.    In a park known for ruining lefty pitchers, Sale went 7 innings giving just 4 hits to the Red Sox.

If you’re the Nats and you’re facing the Dodgers, there isn’t a whole lot to fear from their bats.  Yasiel Puig might hurt you if he’s on his game and if his brain is engaged (not always a guarantee.) Justin Turner or Joc Peterson might be a worry. But would you think Yasmani Grandal might hit a 3-run home run to beat you? He’s their catcher, and a good one at that but he was a .177 hitter as he strode to the dish in the home 8th and won the game for his team with a 3-run blast  off Nats’ starter Tanner Roark.

The Mets and Royals aren’t the only matinee today.  The Braves and Marlins play in Miami and may have started before we go to press. The Rockies play the Yankees just after 1 PM in the Bronx. It’s a rare happening that both New York teams are home at the same time. CC Sabathia will try to salvage something for the Yankees from an embarrassment at home, losing the first two in the series to the Rockies. The Angels face Houston at 2:10 Eastern at Minute Maid Park. The Cardinals are at Wrigley for a matinee against the Cubs and Jake Arrieta. Oakland faces Milwaukee and the D-Backs meet the Bluejays in later afternoon action.

Darrell Ceciliani is 26 today. The Oregon native was a 4th-round choice by the Mets in 2009. Starting from the very bottom he finally made the bigs with the Mets last season, hitting .206. He was sent to the Blue Jays in the winter and called up from AAA when Jose Bautista went on the DL with a big toe injury.

Cesar Ramos, a reliever for the Rangers is 32. He’s been with the Padres, Rays and Angels. Infielder Ian Kinsler of the Tigers and pitcher Jason Motte are both 34.

Hall of Famer King Carl Hubbell was born this day in 1903 and passed  away in 1988. His screwball baffled hitters in general and 5 future Hall of Famers in a row in the 1934 All-Star game: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin.  He ended up with a 253-154 record in a career with the New York Giants that ran from 1928 to 1943. He broke in with the big team in mid-1928 and threw a no-hitter a year later.  Starting with the first All-Star game in 1933 he was an All-Star 9 times over. His team won the 1933 World Series, but in 1936 and 1937 were beaten by the Yankees. He was MVP twice, led his league in wins 3 times and led the league in ERA  3 times. He had been a Tigers’ minor leaguer but was spotted by a Giants’ scout in Houston for the 1928 Democratic convention. He caught a minor league game Hubbell was pitching and notified John McGraw. The Giants had him within the month. Once he pitched a 1-0 shutout which took 18 innings and he threw all 18.  Joe DiMaggio called him the toughest pitcher he ever faced, and Brooklyn broadcaster Red Barber named Hubbell the man he would want on the mound if Barber’s very life was at stake.