July 1st update

Cliff Lee-ding the way into July

- Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cliff Lee was incredibly unhittable during the month of June. Hitters might as well have been using those foam multi-colored noodles that you'll see at the pool this weekend instead of bats. In 5 starts during the month Lee allowed a grand total of 1 run (1 run per game would be fantastic, 1 run over 5 games is just silly).
- Lee has not just been beating up on bad teams. In these five starts he has pitched against the LA Dodgers who (despite going through the bankruptcy proceedings) have been scoring a bunch of runs this year. Additionally he shut down two of the best offenses in baseball, the St Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.
- Lee, who was a free agent before this season, turned down a bigger offer from the Yankees in order to resign with the Phillies who had traded for him during the 2010 season. With Lee joining the pitching staff, the 5 starting pitchers (mainly the first 4) have been compared to the best staffs in the history of the game. Roy Oswalt, Roy Halladay, and Cole Hamels join Lee in this remarkable group of starting pitchers which leads many experts to believe that Philly will win their league and possibly the World Series.
- Oswalt has some back issues and Hamels was hit on the hand with a ball Thursday. Hamels should be back soon but Oswalt may miss significant time.


Steroids... Duh!

- Charlie Sheen (yeah, soak that in for a second, we’re talking about Charlie Sheen) is claiming that he was on a 6-8 week steroid regimen while he was filming the classic baseball movie, Major League, in 1989.
- Sheen played an ex-convict Relief Pitcher who had trouble throwing strikes, leading to Harry Doyle's (played by real life broadcaster Bob Uecker) sarcastic catch-phrase "Juuuuuussst a bit outside" after Sheen missed the plate by multiple feet (not inches... feet).
- Sheen's recent erratic behavior calls these claims into question, but he says that he was able to throw a pitch at 85 miles per hour (very fast for a non-athlete), an upgrade from the 78 mph he was able to throw without the assistance of the steroids. And it's not like the guy is shy about drug use.
*NOTE* This post was not made to fulfill a blogosphere rule stating that you must mention Charlie Sheen in some capacity.


What's on tap this weekend?

- In addition to being a great weekend for fireworks, BBQ's and a Will Smith movie, the July 4th weekend is also a great summer sporting weekend. Here's what's happening in 2011:
- Intra-city Interleague Baseball: The New York Yankees and NY Mets renew their Subway series, Chicago’s Cubs and White Sox take the field, and Dodgers and Angels start a 3-game series for supremacy in Los Angeles.
- In Tennis, both the men and women finish Wimbledon over the weekend.
- Nathan’s annual hot dog eating contest: This annual celebration of gluttony again takes place on Coney Island. Two fun facts: 1) American Joey Chestnut is going for his 5th straight win at the premier eating event in the world. 2) Pepto Bismal, the upset stomach remedy, is set to become an additional sponsor for the event. Sportico's staying away from bathroom humor at the moment, but if you must, you can insert your own joke in the comment box below.