which lost at home to Nashville on Friday night

[ldh2013]

When I look at the Hall of Fame ballot and wonder how baseball will ultimately deal with the likes of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, I try to think back to when the game and its ethics really changed. . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. What struck me as unusual was Caray almost seemed to have a vendetta against Downing. He was always finding fault with him and ultimately the pressure of playing in Chicago wore Downing down. On December 5, 1977, Downing was part of a huge six-player trade with the Angels that sent him back home to California. Downing had always been a player who battled adversity and beat the odds. He made his Magnolia High School team, but hardly played and was cut. Same story pretty much at Cypress College. It looked as though his baseball dream was over. But then he went to a White Sox open tryout camp and was signed. When Downing played his first game with the White Sox he was a third baseman and believe it or not on the very first pitch he severely damaged his knee when he tried to make a diving catch near the dugout and tumbled down the steps. When he returned, he was converted to catcher and became a back-up to veteran Ed Herrman. But he never was much of a hitter and could never please Harry Caray. Downing didnt fare much better in his first year with the Angels and realizing his career could be slipping away, he committed to a "serious weight training" program in the off-season of 1978, changed his batting stance dramatically and even had a batting cage installed in his home. From there his career began to take off, though not particularly fast. Downing was so good at getting on base he often batted lead-off and he once led the American League in walks. He ran into more adversity in 1980, when he suffered a broken ankle and was ultimately forced to move to left field. Though not a great fielder, through hard work, he become more than adequate and actually didnt make a single error in the 1982 season. Downing played with the Angels right through the 1990 season before the Angels effectively forced him out in a bit of contract dispute. He played his final two years in Texas as a designated hitter. By the time he left the Angels though Downing had built up franchise record numbers in games played, at-bats, runs, hits, total bases, doubles, home runs, RBIs and walks. He retired on the final day of the 1992 season at age 41. His final game and last at-bat came at the Angels ballpark, and he ended his career with a pinch-hit single off his former teammate and future Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven. Downing received a prolonged standing ovation. Ten years later Brian Downing was honoured as a member of the Angels All-time team and still later on August 27, 2009 he was named to the Angels Hall of Fame along with his former teammate Chuck Finley. The point of this is, Brian Downing was one of the very first to get involved in weight training. By all accounts, he transformed his long lanky body into a muscular physique with nothing more than dedication and extremely hard work. Others perhaps inspired by Downings success followed his path. Others learned of the shortcuts to building a new body with PEDs and created the era that still clouds baseball to this day. Downing carved out a career that is to be admired, but his nickname then - "The Incredible Hulk" - is strangely ironic now considering the brand of baseball it may have helped span over the last 35 years. Changes in Philly It was sad for me this week to see that Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews were let go by the Phillies as broadcasters. "Sarge", as Matthews is affectionately known, had a great career as a player and worked with the Blue Jays as a batting coach, and even spent two years in the Toronto radio booth with Tom Cheek and Jerry Howarth. I only had the pleasure of working with "Sarge" for one year, in 2001 and enjoyed every minute of it. He was insightful and funny and a good friend. He is apparently staying with the Phillies in another capacity but he will be missed on the air. A couple of interesting notes on Gary Matthews playing career. He slugged seven homers in 19 career post-season games. If thats not impressive enough, in his final Major League at-bat "Sarge" singled off Texas lefty Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams, only to be immediately picked off first base to end the game. What a way to end your career. All the best "Sarge"! . -- Milos Raonic and Aleksandra Wozniak continued successful injury comebacks as each advanced into the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Monday to next face reigning Grand Slam champions. . -- With the season on the line once more in Oakland, Justin Verlander pitched another Game 5 gem. . The 24-year-old from London, Ont., recorded a score of 8,282 for the victory that comes a year after he won bronze at the world championships.DENVER -- The reeling Anaheim Ducks needed something to stop their slide. A record-setting second period did the trick. Kyle Palmieri scored two goals in 47 seconds, and the Ducks netted six in the second to beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-4 on Friday night. Corey Perry, Daniel Winnik and Ben Lovejoy also scored for the Ducks, who stopped a four-game skid with their biggest offensive output since they scored nine goals against Vancouver on Jan. 1. The teams combined for nine goals in the second. "I wasnt anticipating that," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. "When youre struggling and you get a win its just like a monkey off your back and you start relaxing and start playing better." Jonas Hiller made 34 saves two nights after giving up three goals on five shots before being pulled. Jamie McGinn scored two goals, and John Mitchell and Gabe Landeskog added goals for Colorado, which finished 2-2 on its homestand. The Ducks stayed tied with San Jose in the Pacific Division. The Sharks beat the New York Islanders on Friday. Both teams have 95 points, but the Ducks have played one fewer game. Anaheim came to Denver on the heels of a 7-2 defeat at Calgary, its worst since losing by five goals to Colorado on opening night. The Ducks stopped the slide with a franchise record for goals in a period. "I think it was just desperation," Winnik said. "We havent been playing very good hockey and weve been down after every first period. I think we are finally just sick and tired of chasing the third period. Five goals were scored in a span of 8:45 against goalie Semyon Varlamov, who left after Lovejoys shot bounced off the backboards and went in off his right leg to make it 5-2 at 11:31. "We couldnt stop the bleeding," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "Look at the fifth goal. It hit the backboards and goes in." Palmieri had given Anaheim a 3-2 lead with his 10th and 11th goals less than a minute apart. Perry scored his 36th just 1:06 later, and Lovejoy followed with his fourth. "It was one of those things we felt the ball start to roll and just kept on going with itt," Palmieri said. . The Avalanche played four of the top five teams in the Western Conference on this homestand and moved into second place, one point ahead of Chicago, which lost at home to Nashville on Friday night. They missed a chance to move further ahead of Chicago after their worst period of the season. "We just werent good enough defensively," centre Matt Duchene said. "It is disappointing. This was a big game for us." Mitchell, who signed a three-year extension a few hours before the game, gave Colorado a 1-0 lead at 12:25 of the first period. Winnik tied it early in the second. McGinn gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead before the Ducks broke out their offence. McGinn and Landeskog scored 38 seconds apart late in the second to cut the deficit to 5-4, but Anaheims Mathieu Perreault made it 6-4 with a redirection past goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere 30 seconds later. Tempers were raised throughout the third period. Colorado defenceman Erik Johnson was given a match penalty for a cross-check on Perreault at 2:07, and things flared up after Nathan MacKinnon had a goal disallowed because of a high stick. Players from both teams pushed and shoved in front of the benches, and after things settled down Avalanche enforcer Patrick Bordeleau reached across the partition between the benches to push Anaheims Patrick Maroon. Both players were ejected. It was reminiscent of opening night when Roy took exception to a hit on MacKinnon late in the Avalanches 6-1 win. He slammed the glass between the benches while shouting at Boudreau. Roy was fined $10,000 by the NHL for his actions. "I learned my lesson," Roy said. "I was quiet." NOTES: The Avalanche signed Mitchell to a three-year extension and G Reto Berra to a three-year contract. Both deals run through the 2016-17 season. ... Lovejoy returned to the lineup after missing Wednesdays game with the flu. ... Colorado C Paul Stastny missed his third straight game because of a back injury. He is day-to-day. ... Anaheim D Cam Fowler sustained a lower-body injury in the second period and didnt return. ' ' '