Keeping Score

Taylor Teagarden was fourth among catchers in American League All-Star voting last week. Which resulted in Bob Molinaro of the Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot writing: “Never heard of him? That's because when the Texas Rangers sent him down to Double-A, he was batting .037, with one hit. But before his demotion, Rangers fans flooded the ballot box. One more example of why fans don't deserve the vote. Stupidity shouldn't be encouraged.” . . . The Kamloops Blazers’ braintrust, including two of the owners and GM Craig Bonner, is in Los Angeles for the NHL draft. While there, they will meet with goaltender John Keeney, 17, and his family. Keeney, who finished last season with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers, is likely to go the NCAA route, but his family has expressed a desire to chat with the Blazers. . . .

You may be aware that Wimbledon has banned the vuvuzela, which flies in the face of the fact that the players — hello, Ms. Sharapova — still are allowed to grunt like elk in rutting season. . . . If you’re hooked up to Sirius Satellite Radio, you should know that every CFL game through the Grey Cup will be heard on Channel 97 or 98. It all begins with a Canada Day doubleheader. . . . Be forewarned if you are journeying into the big smoke to watch the B.C. Lions. Parking at Empire Field will set up back as much as $30. . . . Yes, that is called gouging. . . . Along those same lines, you may have noticed that the price of gas went up four cents this week. Let’s blame it on Tony Hayward. . . .

Dwight Perry, in the Seattle Times: “Former USC star Reggie Bush denied any wrongdoing but said he'll do whatever he can after the Trojans got tossed into the NCAA hoosegow. O.J. Simpson, profoundly touched, immediately applied for work-release just so he can help Reggie find the real program-killers.” . . . One more from Perry: “Coincidence? NFL suddenly realizes it needs two fewer preseason games at exactly the same time it realizes it needs two more in the regular season.” . . . With the Pac-10 now at 12 teams, comedy writer Jerry Perisho notes: "Apparently it's the USC Compliance Department keeping track of the details here." . . . Greg Cote, in the Miami Herald: “Dust hasn’t settled yet, but as of now, the Big Ten is now the Big 12, the Big 12 is the Big Ten, the Pac-10 is the Pac-11, and 7-Elevens are now 5-13s.” . . .

Pablo Martin was the extra golfer a week ago at the U.S. Open. The Spaniard played his round with a non-competing partner and did the 18 holes in two hours 39 minutes. "It was a nice walk, checking the course. Pretty cool,” he said after shooting a 79. “It's so nice here, I'm happy we can get to play it for free.” . . . Green fees for the common man run to US$495. Yes, for 18 holes. . . . When TRU announced some of its teams’ schedules earlier this week, the WolfPack hockey team’s wasn’t among them. But when it does come out, it will feature Friday and Saturday night home games — with 8:15 start times — and beer will be available in the stands at Memorial Arena. . . .

Tim (Fuzzy) Hall, who is a legend in BMX circles, is working on building a new course on a lot in Chicago that once was home to a factory. His biggest concern? As he told the Chicago Sun-Times: "Digging up a gangster that got buried back in the 1930s." . . . Some of us are (un)fortunate enough to be able to pull in four Rogers Sportsnet channels via the dish. After Thursday afternoon, I would suggest that the CRTC immediately force a name change to Rogers Pokernet. Four channels. Four poker games. All at the same time. . . . Only in Canada! . . . The Spirit Warriors, a local dragon beat team, were in Peterborough, Ont., earlier this month for the 2010 International Breast Cancer Survivors Festival. They don’t keep track of wins and losses, but they wound up 17th of 74 boats, covering 500 metres in an average time of two minutes 36 seconds. If you are a breast cancer survivor and interested in joining, the Spirit Warriors practise Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:45 p.m., at Pioneer Park. Call Midge (250-374-2566) for more info. . . .

Cam Hutchinson, in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix: “If somebody told me they had a vuvuzela, I’d tell them to get that checked at the community health clinic.” . . . Ron Judd, in the Seattle Times: “Those vuvuzelas are making some of us sports fans rethink 30 years' worth of assuredness that nothing could possibly be worse than listening to three solid hours of the droning of Brent Musberger.” . . . Judd, once more: “The Mariners say they are ready and willing to trade starting pitcher Cliff Lee for any combination of players who can maintain the franchise's rich history of failing to live up to even marginal expectations.” . . .

Just a reminder that the World Cup will pause its round of 16 for a few moments today to allow Tom McManus, who doubles as the head coach of the TRU WolfPack women’s soccer team and KYSA, to walk down an aisle with Pat Harrison. They will be wed during halftime of one of the games that opens the Round of 16 in South Africa. . . . Surely there will be at least one guest there with a vuvuzela. . . . Phil Mushnick, in the New York Post: “Vince Young is just the latest to learn — perhaps — that unless you’re the milkman, there’s no good reason to be out and about between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.” . . .

Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. Email him at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca, or visit his blog at gdrinnan.blogspot.com. Keeping Score appears Saturdays.