Thoughts from Saturday

First things first — I was thrilled to see Francisco Rodriguez get his 58th save, breaking the MLB record. Read my full post about it at Bugs & Cranks.

I thought it was kind of funny to see Micah Owings get the game-winning, pinch-hit RBI double for the Reds against the Diamondbacks. He was acquired from Arizona earlier in the week to complete the Adam Dunn trade. Owings, as you’ll remember, is primarily a pitcher (but a great hitter for a pitcher) and was used only as a pinch-hitter tonight by the Reds, not a pitcher.

Must USC win every big game by a lot?

And UCLA … oy. I’m trying to avoid talking about them. We had to know this was going to be a tough season, and that opening win against Tennessee just gave us false hope. But 59-0? That was one of the worst UCLA games I’ve ever seen, if not the worst. Well, just like the message coach Rick Neuheisel gave to his players after the game, “Adversity Builds Character.” (Hat-tip to Bruins Nation) I’m giving UCLA and Neuheisel the benefit of the doubt this season, since they have little talent. I’m confident this team will be good in a couple of years. It’s just tough to watch right now.