Scintillating Bumgarner proves the ultimate World Series difference

KANSAS CITY Mo. Plans Sure the San Francisco Giants had plans. If starter Tim Hudson struggled they wanted to use Jeremy Affeldt as a bridge to the fifth inning. Then they would put Madison Bumgarner in the game and then well that was sort of the end of the plan. Two days earlier he had thrown a 117 pitch shutout. Could Bumgarner pitch two innings on short rest Three One Midway through Game 7 of the World Series the Giants were winging it.

We just didn t know how long Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti said. How in the hell do you know a guy can do something like that

MLB The Giants talked about having all hands on deck but in the end they only needed one. Bumgarner took the ball in the fifth inning and never gave it up lifting the Giants to a 3 2 Game 7 win. Five shutout innings on two days rest in the loudest World Series road environment you can imagine. Who can plan for that

Manager Bruce Bochy yanked Hudson after 28 pitches. Affeldt carried the Giants through the fourth inning. Michael Morse had given the Giants a 3 2 lead with an RBI single and then it was Bumgarner s turn. The Giants knew their man.

After one MadBum inning centerfielder Gregor Blanco thought OK we got it. We got it already. Righetti told catcher Buster Posey You had a game plan for Huddy. You got another one now because Bumgarner's staying in for a while.

Bumgarner was not just the World Series MVP. He was also as teammate Brandon Belt said the MVP of the world out there. As much as any player in a generation Bumgarner was the reason his team won the World Series.

By the time the World Series started there were two kinds of games The ones when Bumgarner pitched and the others.

How great was he In their four wins the Giants needed 108 outs. Bumgarner recorded 63 of them. He gave up only a single run the whole series.

When the Giants ride in their third World Series parade in five years they should all wear Bumgarner jerseys. They are not kidding themselves. In the clubhouse afterward injured starter Matt Cain pointed to his teammates spraying champagne and said bluntly Without him we wouldn t be doing this.

How did this happen How did a guy who probably won t get a single Cy Young Award vote over Clayton Kershaw turn into one of the most dominant postseason forces in Major League history How did he go from a 2.98 ERA in the regular season to 1.03 in the playoffs

It started with failure.

The date was Sept. 23. The Giants trailed the hated Dodgers by 3 1/2 games with six to play. They needed a win in Dodger Stadium to stay alive in the division race and Bumgarner could not deliver it. He gave up three home runs and while he also hit a two run homer off Zack Greinke the Giants lost 4 2.

MLB Bumgarner was rushing. He wanted to beat the Dodgers so damn much that he tried to overpower them instead of pitch to them. Looking back that loss propelled the Giants to the championship. If they had won the game they probably still would have lost the division but they might have used Bumgarner on the final day of the season to try to catch the Dodgers. Instead they were able to save him for the Wild Card Game against Pittsburgh and perhaps most importantly he was able to learn an important October lesson before October.

JAFFE Making a Hall of Fame case for Giants manager Bochy

Focus Righetti said. His focus to make each pitch everybody gets excited grabs the ball they re feeling really good and they throw it. I swear to God if you watch the tapes it s almost like he pitched the same speed the whole month.

After that Dodgers loss Righetti talked to Bumgarner about using both sides of the plate and trusting his curveball. The curve became a strikeout pitch for him this month and Righetti says That wasn t always the case. He was willing to throw that in the toughest of circumstances.

MLB Every start brought more confidence every calmly executed pitch was followed by another calmly executed pitch. By the time the World Series started there were two kinds of games The ones when Bumgarner pitched and the others.

For 10 days it was like the Giants and Royals were roped together wherever one went the other one followed. The Giants won the opener 7 1 and the Royals won the next game 7 2. The Giants won two of three in San Francisco and the Royals whipped them 10 0 in Kansas City.

They were interchangeable evenly matched and equally great and the difference was Bumgarner. He was the reason the Giants celebrated on the field while a solemn man in a blue sport coat quietly walked down a Kauffman Stadium staircase. In that moment it didn t matter one bit that the man was George Brett. He was just another man in Kansas City who had his heart stepped on by Madison Bumgarner.

Bumgarner allowed a single run the whole Series that came in Game 1 with the Giants leading 7 0. That run seemed meaningless at the time and it basically was except for how it happened Salvador Perez hit a home run.

MLB And now here was Bumgarner on Wednesday in the ninth inning of Game 7 with a man on third base clinging to a 3 2 lead needing one more out to win the World Series and who was at the plate Salvador Perez.

Bumgarner should not have been in this situation. It was Blanco s fault really. The normally steady center fielder had turned a single into an error and a trip to third base because he has these things called veins and blood and emotions and sometimes they interfere with his head. With two outs in the ninth Kansas City s Alex Gordon hit a line drive toward center field Blanco realized he could make the catch that could end the World Series and he went after a ball he would have left alone in July.

As soon as I started going I think to myself 'You re doing the wrong thing You gotta stay back ' Blanco said. But it was too late. The ball scooted past him and Gordon ended up on third. The Kauffman Stadium crowd erupted like the Royals had won the Chiefs had won and everybody was getting an enormous tax refund.

Bumgarner had thrown 62 pitches more than anybody imagined he would throw but from the bench Righetti and Bochy saw he still had his velocity and control. Mostly he still had his calm his poise the quality that kept him from making the kind of mistake that Blanco made. He forced Perez into a popout to third base. Pablo Sandoval caught it and fell to his back a World Series champion yet again.

This World Series title sealed Bochy s Hall of Fame induction though that should have been ensured anyway. It may bring Sandoval back he is due to hit free agency in a few days. It solidifies the Giants as the best team of this era not just in championships won but also in the old fashioned sense of that word.

In the clubhouse afterward starter Jake Peavy celebrated bigger and louder than anybody even though he was arguably the worst performer in the whole World Series. And why not He s on the team right Posey said he wasn t worried about Sandoval s free agency right now though he obviously wants him back because the best teams don t let business interfere with pleasure.

Affeldt talked about how much it meant to have his wife Larisa by his side as he won a World Series in Kansas City. A decade ago as a Royal he was so beaten down by injuries and failure that he sat at the kitchen counter of the home he owned here and cried.

VERDUCCI Bumgarner's flawless and historic World Series

That was it he told Larisa. He was quitting the game. She told him he had to keep going that he would make it. She says now that he was just frustrated and she doesn t think he was really going to quit. But at the time he sure felt like quitting. Now here he was the winning pitcher in Game 7 en route to capturing his third World Series on the same mound that almost destroyed him.

These are the kinds of stories that pour out of a winning clubhouse along with the Budweiser and champagne. Bumgarner provided all the happy endings.

Belt He s just a bad ass I guess. Posey I m still amazed at how he just sits on the bench and just seems so calm. I guess when you re as good as he is it s easy. Hunter Pence He is so calm that it leaks into you so confident that it leaks into us. Blanco He s not human. We gotta do something about this guy. We gotta take him to the doctor I guess. I don t know. It seems like he is a robot.

If anybody is thankful for Madison Bumgarner s existence his toughness and his greatness it is Blanco. Consider If Bumgarner had thrown a wild pitch or given up a single to Perez Blanco would have been an all time World Series goat. That botched play in center field would have followed him around forever. Instead nobody cares. Bumgarner made sure of it.

So when that last popup landed in Sandoval s glove Blanco was both excited and relieved. Confused too. He thought OK what do I do now Should I run Should I jump Should I scream

He can t help it. He is human. We can t all be Madison Bumgarner.

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President Obama Issued a Statement on Mayor Tom Meninos Death

Image via City of Boston

With a heavy heart President Barack Obama released a statement sending his condolences to the Menino family and loved ones. On Thursday morning October 30 Boston's longest serving mayor Tom Menino passed away after losing his courageous battle with cancer.

Mayor Menino 71 ceased his cancer treatments just last week in order to spend time with his family and close friends.

President Obama came to Boston and joined Mayor Menino to memorialize the victims of the tragic Boston Marathon bombings in 2013.

Said President Obama

Michelle and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Tom Menino. Bold big hearted and Boston strong Tom was the embodiment of the city he loved and led for more than two decades. As Boston's longest serving mayor Tom helped make his hometown the vibrant welcoming world class place it is today. His legacy lives on in every neighborhood he helped revitalize every school he helped turn around and every community he helped make a safer better place to live. I had a chance to speak with Tom s wife Angela yesterday and today our thoughts and prayers are with her with the entire Menino family and with the people of Boston who Tom loved so much and who loved him in return.

Update Details of Mayor Tom Menino's Funeral Will Be Released Soon

According to a statement released by the Menino family Menino lost his battle with cancer just after 9 a.m. Thursday morning. He was surrounded by his wife Angela loving friends and family.

He had just published his memoir Mayor for a New America on October 14. More BostInno Looks Back at Mayor Tom Menino's Enduring Contribution to Boston.

Reaction

RIPMyMayor Boston Pours out Grief on Twitter Boston's Tech Community Recalls Menino's Contribution Boston's Higher Education Leaders Reflect on the Life Impact of Mayor Tom Menino Boston Chefs and Restaurateurs Remember Mayor Menino

Added Secretary of State and Beacon Hill native John Kerry

Tom Menino was Boston. In fact if you just look around the city you ll see with your own eyes that he is Boston today.

Others talked Tommy worked.

Crime fell population rose the skyline became world class schools got better the financial academic and medical sectors thrived and neighborhoods became more diverse. It was in those neighborhoods that Mayor Menino made his mark.

His example for 20 years as Mayor taught us all a lot about people and politics and his example the last year taught us even more about grace and grit.

Tom Menino had the big bold beating heart of a street politician. People came up to the Mayor and asked him to fix things and he followed up and fixed them whether it was streetlights or parks or getting the snow plowed so people could get to work on time. He knew what built community. He felt the city and the neighborhoods in his bones.

He combined good old fashioned common sense with modern state of the art vision and he delivered for Boston block by block neighborhood by neighborhood. He was fiercely loyal and unbelievably reliable.

Teresa and I send Angela and their children and grandchildren a big hug and big prayers.

Together with their beloved Tom Angela Susan and Tommy Jr. Bill and Lisa Giulia Will Olivia and Thomas III Samantha and Taylor embody something fundamental the love that is a great family.

God Bless them all and God Bless Tom Menino.

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Pennsylvania Police Eric Frein Was Dedicated to Killing Cops

After a 48 day manhunt suspected cop killer Eric Frein was captured Thursday in Pennsylvania and carted away in handcuffs used by a state trooper he is alleged to have killed. Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty.

Col. Frank Noonan commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police said Frein was captured without incident about 6 p.m. ET at the abandoned Birchwood Pocono Airpark in Tannersville in the Poconos resort region. A rifle and a pistol were found inside a hangar officials said.

Frein 31 was taken by surprise and was in surprisingly good condition after so many weeks in the wild Noonan said. He admitted his identity.

He has been stripped of his guns his bombs and now his freedom Sam Rabadi chief of the Philadelphia office of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives said at a late night news conference.

Frein is accused of killing State Police Cpl. Bryon Dickson and wounding Trooper Alex Douglass in an ambush on the Blooming Grove barracks on Sept. 12. Police found a diary entry his AK 47 two homemade pipe bombs and several campsites they but hadn't been able to capture him until Thursday.

A police caravan drove Frein on Thursday night to the State Police barracks at Blooming Grove the alleged scene of the crime where he was awaiting arraignment on a slew of charges including first degree murder homicide of a law enforcement officer attempted murder and possession of weapons of mass destruction. Noonan said there was no indication that Frein had an accomplice or help during his time on the run.

He was handcuffed with the handcuffs of Corporal Dickson which I think was very appropriate Gov. Tom Corbett said at a late night news conference. Let me assure you from everyone here Justice will be served.

Courtesy WBRE

Noonan said the manhunt took so long because it was such a big wooded area that he was familiar with and he had so many places to hide in. Search teams had to be very methodical because Eric Frein had a mission and that was to attack law enforcement. There was concern that had Frein made it out of the woods he'd go after other law enforcement and possibly civilians Noonan said.

The Associated Press reported that Frein left the barracks in handcuffs around 1 30 a.m. ET Friday and was taken to the Pike County Correctional Facility. His nose looked swollen and he appeared slightly bloodied above one eye. Frein's initial court appearance was scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday at the Pike County Courthouse.

In his diary Frein a military reenactment buff and survivalist described how he fled in his Jeep but got only a half mile before he encountered a roadblock.

Got a shot around 11 p.m. and took it he wrote in an entry dated Sept. 12. He dropped. I was surprised at how quick. I took a follow up shot on his head neck area. He was still and quiet after that.

Another cop approached the one I just shot Frein continued. As he went to kneel I took a shot at him and jumped in the door. His legs were visible and still.

At one campsite uncovered by search teams on the border of Pike and Monroe counties early this month authorities found military style packs food clothing the two pipe bombs and ammunition that matched the weapon used to shoot the two troopers. Many of the items police found during the manhunt including soiled diapers and trash tested positive for Frein's DNA they said.

As many as 1 000 local state and federal law enforcement officers eventually joined the search.

I can't think of a more dangerous occupation then going into the woods to capture this individual Noonan said. And yet my biggest problem was telling people I didn't need any more help.

In addition to the trooper shootings Frein is charged with two counts of manufacturing weapons of mass destruction after the pipe bombs were found. The shrapnel packed pipe bombs were booby trapped with trip wires and could have caused serious injury to anyone nearby authorities said.

IN DEPTHCapture of Accused Cop Killer Saves HalloweenBalloon a Bust in Manhunt for Eric FreinCop Killer Suspect Left Behind DiarySOCIAL

The Associated Press and NBC News' Michael Kosnar and Jonathan Dienst contributed to this report.

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Giants rookie Joe Paniks glove helps save the World Series

KANSAS CITY Mo. If there was a turning point in Game 7 beyond Madison Bumgarner taking the mound in the fifth inning on Wednesday night it may have occurred two innings earlier when Joe Panik took flight.

The rookie second baseman's spectacular diving stop and glove flip to shortstop Brandon Crawford who converted a double play was easily the defensive gem of the game and it proved to be a pivotal momentum turner in the Giants' World Series clinching 3 2 victory.

After the Kansas City Royals had scored two runs in the second inning to erase a 2 0 Giants lead they picked back up in the third with a Lorenzo Cain leadoff single against reliever Jeremy Affeldt.

The Kauffman Stadium crowd was roaring at full pitch as cleanup hitter Eric Hosmer came to the plate and on an 0 1 Affeldt offering Hosmer hit a hot shot up the middle that appeared headed for center field. But Panik dove and stopped the ball then made a glove toss from his belly to Crawford covering the second base bag to nail Cain. Crawford then relayed to first base for what turned out to be a double play.

Hosmer dove into first base and was initially called safe by umpire Eric Cooper. But the Giants challenged the play and after 2 minutes and 57 seconds of review deliberation Hosmer was ruled out.

The Royals got just two hits the rest of the game.

That was the first time I've ever done something like that said Panik of his two part jewel. It was just instinctual. He hit it well and it looked like it was going to shoot through. I just told myself to dive knock it down and try to get one.

The way Crawford turned it over was great and thank goodness for the replay system. That double play was big especially after they'd tied it up.

Bruce Bochy thought it was bigger than big.

Huge play the manager said. That ball gets through we're in a tough situation. Defense wins games for you and that play there saved us today. This kid he's been so solid since he's been here but to make a play like that on this stage it's just so cool.

Panik said since switching from shortstop to second base he's never really had to use the glove flip.

It's a little different type of flip for one thing he said. I practice glove flips standing up but never flat on the ground like that.

Crawford said he's seen Panik make a lot of nice plays but never one quite like that.

If he said it was his best play ever I'm sure it was said the shortstop. It's a quick infield so there's not a whole lot of time to think about what happened. It was a perfect flip and the play at first was bang bang. For us not only to take a hit away but get two outs I think it changed the whole momentum.

The only casualty on the play was Panik's belt buckle. It snapped as he hit the ground on his dive and he had to retrieve a new one.

Affeldt the beneficiary of the double play couldn't believe what he saw when he turned and watched after Hosmer hit the ball.

That saved us that saved me said the veteran left hander. They'd been hitting ground balls where we weren't the whole series it seemed like. For him to lay out the way he did flip it the way he did and then turn the double play that was the game changer for me. It allowed me to go out again because it limited my pitches. The way that kid made that play on this stage is pretty awesome. He was big part of why we just made history in my opinion.

While Bumgarner clearly was the hero of the night Panik was among the runners up. It was a fitting final exclamation point to a season in which the Giants had so many problems at second base early in the year yet were rescued at the position by their standout rookie who saved his best defensive play of the season for the final game.

Joe's played great said infield coach Ron Wotus. I think he punched out three times tonight. You don't see that very often but he made a big play on defense. He hasn't been over there at second too long but he's taken to it like a duck to water and he's only going to get better over there with experience.

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Halloween Creeps In Where Local Tradition Ruled the Living and Dead

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Marvel Just Made You Watch The New Avengers Age Of Ultron Trailer Again

Further proof no one is better at this game than Marvel After the trailer for The Avengers Age of Ultron wracked up more than 50 million views during its first week a record for 2014 the studio found a way to get fans to watch the same thing all over again by including a special first look at Age of Ultron at its start. The sequence teased at Comic Con in July shows various members of the Avengers trying to lift Thor's hammer to almost no avail. (Captain America makes it wiggle and that's probably going to pay off in one of the 10 movies Marvel will release between Age of Ultron and 2020.) It's fun Then Ultron shows up and things get weird.

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5 Ways Halloween Has Changed Since You Were a Kid

Halloween isn't what it used to be.

Parents worry today about sugar and calorie counts in candy and many don't know their neighbors so forget trick or treating. Halloween costumes seem to get sexier and more expensive every year but at the same time many schools ban dressing up on Oct. 31.

Here's how else Halloween has changed in the past decade

Before Trick or Treating at the Neighbors'

Now Trick or Treating on Main Street

Years ago kids wandered the neighborhood knocking on doors and filling plastic pumpkins with sour candies and miniature chocolate bars. Now many parents are uneasy about letting their children go door to door and prefer to go trick or treating at local stores and businesses.

Before Sugar Highs All Around

Now Got Allergies No Problem.

Speaking of trick or treating there might be fewer sugary sweets to go around this year. If you do still go door to door keep your eyes peeled for teal colored pumpkins. Those houses have planned ahead for kids with allergies and stocked up on small toys to give to kids with allergies instead of candy.

Health conscious parents have also started to consider more nutritious treats for trick or treaters to avoid kids overdoing it on the sugar and calories.

Before Sexy Halloween Costumes

Now Sexy Halloween Costumes ... For Kids

Halloween has long been a holiday to get creative when it comes to what you wear and oftentimes that involves attire you probably wouldn't wear to the office.

But in recent years the sexy costume trend has drifted into the kids' aisle and more tots and tweens are dressing up as sexy cats or scantily dressed superheroes.

Before We Called October 31 Halloween

Now Schools Rename Holiday 'Character Day'

Or Pajama Day or Costume Day or Orange and Black Day depending on where you live. And some schools don't even allow kids to dress up claiming the costumes are a distraction.

Before Carving Pumpkins

After Painting Pumpkins

Hey it's safer. Speaking of safety concerns remember bobbing for apples That also doesn't happen as much anymore but when it does parents will change out the water between kids.

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Jose Canseco Cops Investigate Shooting ... No Foul Play

Police have investigated the Jose Canseco shooting and have determined there was nothing nefarious going down when the ex MLB star discharged his gun yesterday and blew off his finger.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Canseco had claimed he accidentally fired his handgun inside his Las Vegas home while attempting to clean the weapon.

The bullet ripped through his middle finger ... and he was rushed to the hospital where doctors tried to save the digit.

Now we've learned the Las Vegas Metro Police Department went to Canseco's home to see if there was any foul play involved with the shooting ... and ultimately determined there was no crime it was all just an unfortunate accident.

As for the status of Jose's hand he just posted a pic of it in a cast saying Got no sleep. Hope I can keep my finger but grateful it wasn't something worse...

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Amelia Earhart Plane Fragment May Have Been Identified

After decades of looking researchers say they may finally have found a bit of wreckage from Amelia Earhart's plane.

The aluminum fragment was recovered in 1991 on Nikumaroro an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean about 2 000 miles southwest of Hawaii. Some believe Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan lived there as castaways after being forced to land during their 1937 attempt to circumnavigate the globe.

This is the first time an artifact found on Nikumaroro has been shown to have a direct link to Amelia Earhart Ric Gillespie executive director of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) the non profit group that made the identification told Discovery News.

The aluminum fragment found on Nikumaroro which may be a piece from Amelia Earhart's plane.

Researchers initially had little interest in the piece because its size and shape didn't seem to match any part of Earhart's Lockheed Electra aircraft.

But earlier this year Gillespie and his colleagues spotted a shiny patch near the tail of Earhart's aircraft in a photo taken in Miami shortly before she took off on her second try at flying around the world on July 1 1937. According to TIGHAR the patch was placed where a window had been an expedient field modification before her plane disappeared over the Pacific on July 2.

After an exhaustive re analysis of the patch's size shape and rivet hole patterns the TIGHAR researchers decided it was a match.

The patch was as unique to her particular aircraft as a fingerprint is to an individual the researchers said in a written statement. Research has now shown that a section of aircraft aluminum TIGHAR found on Nikumaroro in 1991 matches that fingerprint in many respects.

What do other scientists make of the claim

It seems plausible Dr. Les Kaufman a Boston University biology professor who has spoken as an expert witness about wreckage linked to Earhart. I have been impressed with Ric Gillespie who seems to me to be an honest broker a knowledgable enthusiast and generally cautious in drawing conclusions based upon limited evidence.

TIGHAR has conducted a series of expeditions to Nikumaroro where researchers have discovered several artifacts they believe may be linked to Earhart a jar of anti freckle cream a woman's compact and buttons and a zipper from a flight jacket.

In 2013 sonar data revealed a strange 22 foot long object under 600 feet of water near the remote island. At the time TIGHAR speculated that the object was a piece of the Electra's fuselage.

The research group hopes to return to the area around Nikumaroro in June for a closer look at the sonar anomaly and to search for other potential relics.

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Tape recorder rewind Buster Posey and Dave Righetti on Bumgarner and the ...

Just a few leftover sound bytes from two very involved participants in last night s Game 7 drama Buster Posey who caught Madison Bumgarner and pitching coach Dave Righetti who plotted out and then rode the wave of Bumgarner s instantly legendary performance.

One note This was as buoyant and open as I ve ever seen Posey who was an overflowing mixture of total exhaustion jubilation awe and flat out relief.

Best moment As Posey was bringing up the historic proportions of Bumgarner s postseason outing somebody started up Fire on the Mountain on the clubhouse speakers at full blare.

Tremendous. (And thanks to Tim Linecum for very graciously offering me a sip of champagne. I didn t take any but it was very nice of him. He looked very happy and relaxed in the celebration and didn t splash me either.)

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Meanwhile Righetti was as keen eyed and precise as always. Here s some of what they said

DAVE RIGHETTI/ Q When Bumgarner started the fifth are you thinking he might finish this game

RIGHETTI No.

I m not saying we didn t want him to. In our wonderful dreams we d want him to do it.

But we were hoping he bridges the gap to our three other relievers that we trust.

But once it builds you just go with it.

Q What was he telling you through each successive inning

RIGHETTI We were talking about strategy. Posey there was always a guy or two he wanted to be certain about Bum s right there to hear it all wondering what he should do too.

That s it it was baseball.

It wasn t about how s your arm

I just looked him after the eighth he looked at me goes yeah and I said You re in. You re starting the inning.

Q How did he get through it Did he have his normal stuff

RIGHETTI He s got four pitches which he used. He didn t just go out there trying to blow smoke he came in to pitch.

A lot of starters that have tried this overthrow because they think they re relievers now whatever they ve got they re going to empty the tank.

He took his time same rhythm and he threw the same pitches.

That slow curve ball was there and the change up was there.

I don t know how in the hell he does that with all the adrenaline you figure he d be over amped to throw those

BUSTER POSEY/

Q You looked pretty emotional in that hug with Bumgarner

POSEY I knew what was on the line. I m a huge fan of baseball and just honored and humbled to be a part of three world championship teams in five years.

I know how historic the performance of Bumgarner what he just did was.

And I was really tired too. That probably had something to do with it.

Q Were you counting down the innings with Bumgarner OK got through the 7th the 8th

POSEY That s what I was thinking. I was thinking If he goes through seven it s going to be a great job.

But I mean the guy wasn t missing. He wasn t missing his spots the velo was picking up.

I talked to him after his first inning he was like Yeah I just gotta get loose a little bit.

And he did.

Q Then came the Gordon hit and error man suddenly on third. Were you and Bumgarner just determined to throw all fastballs on the last batter

POSEY Obviously other pitches went through my mind but he was just commanding the fastball so well that he could elevate it enough where it was either a strikeout or what you got was a pop up.

Q What do you think Madison s response would ve been if Bochy took him out

POSEY Oh I don t think he had to worry about that. He knew he was going to get the ball.

Q Did you sense how historic this performance was at it was going on

POSEY Yes. Definitely. I mean I think you re going to be hard pressed to ever find a postseason performance like this ever again.

I really believe that. If you do it s going to be few and far between.

Q So is this a dynasty

POSEY In today s game if it s not it s as close as you re going to get

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Horns Stars a Horned Daniel Radcliffe

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Is Jessica Biel Pregnant Justin Timberlakes Wife Gets Congratulated on ...

Amy Graves/WireImage

Jessica Biel has been at the center of pregnancy rumors for some time but now they're really heating up

Biel's pal and InStyle editor Ariel Foxman posted a TBT snapshot with the actress and captioned the photo Congrats jessicabiel on your impending motherhood ... Looking forward to the red carpet maternity style pix to come tbt.

Wait one second impending motherhood Red carpet maternity style Whaaaaat Does Foxman know something we don't know or is he just reacting to the speculation that Biel and Justin Timberlake are expecting their first child together

Radar Online has reported that Jessica is indeed pregnant sourcing a friend of the star. According to their story Biel is three months along and due in April.

VIDEO Does Jessica Biel want to be a mom someday

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Both Biel and Timberlake's camps have stayed mum on the matter.

Questions as to whether or not Jessica and J.T. are soon to be parents began after the Internet swore there was a baby bump in photos of the super fit star wearing loose fitting clothing during a recent hike.

The pair enjoyed multiple outdoorsy dates over the last few weeks including a little anniversary hike while in New Zealand. At the time Timberlake shared his first ever Instagram with Biel of the duo sitting on a bench on a cliff overlooking the ocean. He captioned the pic with a quote from Ferris Bueller's Day Off writing Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.

If the celeb is carrying a bun in the oven there might be a chance the pair will think about relocating their little family.

In an interview for InStyle's August 2012 issue Biel a Colorado native talked about the possibility of leaving L.A. if she and her Tennessee born beau have children someday. I would like those future little people to have the experience that I had in some capacity she says. It was fun. I love Colorado I've always thought that could be a possibility for me.

PHOTOS Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel romance rewind

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LeBron James Cavaliers return special despite loss to Knicks

Cavaliers forward LeBron James walks down court during the season opener Thursday vs. the Knicks.(Photo Jason Miller Getty Images)

CLEVELAND Even the New York Knicks winning the game 95 90 couldn't ruin it. The moment Cleveland Cavaliers fans had been waiting for finally arrived.

That instant when Cavaliers public address announcer Olivier Sedra bellowed From St. Vincent St. Mary and the 20 000 plus fans' growing anticipation erupted in a rising swell of cheers and energy the moment lived up to the hype.

It was a scene filled with joy and celebration LeBron James is home.

BOX SCORE Cavaliers 95 Knicks 90

For a stretch it was like the old days at The Q when James was leading the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference finals.

But the game didn't match the hype and neither did James' performance as he finished with 17 points five rebounds four assists and eight turnovers. But was it really about the performance Did the result even matter

FOR THE WIN

Watch LeBron James' first basket in his Cavaliers return

I thought we came out with energy and we started well Cavaliers coach David Blatt said. We began the game in the fashion we had hoped to play it. Then we spiked at a certain point and dropped off the map. We got stagnant without question. We're good when we move the ball. We're really good.

James was scoreless almost halfway through the first quarter before finally getting on the board on a pass from Kevin Love. Love put up 19 points and 14 rebounds and Kyrie Irving had a team high 22 points.

Well first of all that was an emotional night for him without question Blatt said. He wanted badly to win the game and help the team play well. His effort was there. His efficiency was not what it normally is. That was obvious. We have to do a better job of getting him things in motion.

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 25 points in a balanced effort.

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Carmelo Anthony spoils old rival LeBron James' big night

Earlier in the day James said he had a sense of what it might be like. As much as it meant for fans it was important for James too.

He did what he could to avoid allowing the moment to swallow him.

I just tried to stay focused and maintain. Obviously it was a special night James said adding that it was a difficult game to play because of the hype surrounding his return.

The Cavaliers led 25 18 after one quarter and 44 42 at the half. But it was a sloppy game fully of miscues from both teams. Then the Knicks started to find some rhythm with help from unproven supporting players such as Shane Larkin and Quincy Acy along with Anthony J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert.

The eight turnovers really rankled James afterward as the Cavs had 19 as a team and were out shot 53.6% to 45.7% from the field.

I hate turning the ball over. My turnovers led to our team struggling on the defensive end James said.

We gave up too many shots were we didn't contest. Sometimes defense wins games but sometimes the offense can take from the defense and that's what happened. We started turning the ball over.

James who listened to Twitter followers and participated in his pregame chalk toss had no problem whipping a cross court pass to Love or passing the ball to Anderson Varejao on a pick and roll. But it's obvious that what James and Blatt have said from the starting of training camp is true patience is necessary.

Are we going to grow every day Are we not going to fall prey to the noise and the tough moments and they will ultimately come. It's part of the process Blatt said. Are we going to stay focused determined and dedicated to the task Are we going to believe in each other enough to work our way through all the way through the trials and tribulations of an NBA season and ultimately become a top level basketball team

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Kevin Love is dominating LeBron James' big night

Those answers will reveal themselves eventually.

Regardless James' decision to return and play for the Cavaliers has made Cleveland the place to be.

James transformed the arena into a Midwestern version of the old Forum in Los Angeles a building full of celebrities. Usher Kendrick Lamar Imagine Dragons Justin Bieber Kevin Hart Spike Lee Michael Strahan David Beckham and Johnny Manziel and Joe Haden of the Cleveland Browns were in attendance.

Lamar and the Imagine Dragons performed an outdoor event across the street from the arena before the game began and Blatt wondered if he needed to find a new route to the arena with so much downtown traffic.

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During the day workers finished hanging the massive banner on the Sherwin Williams building adjacent to Quicken Loans and Nike launched its new commercial featuring James bringing the city together.

The last several years in Cleveland for basketball have been tough and the people have not left our side have not left the team Blatt said. But they are hungry and I think deserving of a good product of a good show every night of a team that's willing to give them everything that they've been giving to this club in tough times.

Blatt wanted his team to play the game not the occasion. But deep down he knew that was impossible.

This is a special day for a lot of people Blatt said. The city is we'll you'll see as excited and as enlightened as possibly as could be. I'm sure we'll feel that energy in the arena tonight.

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Armour LeBron James' homecoming bigger than basketball

No stranger to big moments James understands the importance of today's game.

By hearing all the noise it's a pretty huge day James said. I understand how much I mean to this team to this franchise to this city to this state. It's a different feeling. But I'm still calm and excited at the same time because it's the first game of the season.

Thursday's game was not about results as much as it was about James' return and the potential for something special an NBA championship for a city that has not experience a title in major pro sports since the Cleveland Browns won the NFL Championship in 1964.

There's 81 more games to focus on results and progress starting Friday when the Cavaliers visit Central Division rival and main threat in the Eastern Conference the Chicago Bulls.

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LeBron James grows home

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A Visit to Madison Bumgarner Country and a Proud Fathers Home

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Is Greys Anatomy New Tonight October 30 2014

We actually can't begrudge ABC too much for depriving us of our Grey's tonight. The Alphabet Network is instead airing a full hour of classic Peanuts cartoons based on the immortal comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. We do love us some Snoopy.

Starting off the hour at 8 p.m. tonight is It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown an animation that first aired on CBS in 1966 which sees the Peanuts gang trick or treating as Linus tries to find the mythical Great Pumpkin.

Then at 8 30 p.m. ET it s You're Not Elected Charlie Brown a 1972 special that has Linus running for student body president at the gang's school. (Yep Election Day is coming up people.)

But don't fret Grey's is back and all new next week November 6. See our full coverage of the episode here and read what ABC has to say about it below.

Owen (Kevin McKidd) becomes invested in a patient when he realizes she may have served in the military April s (Sarah Drew) mother (Connie Ray) pays her daughter a visit and bonds with Jackson (Jesse Williams) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) plans a family dinner. Meanwhile a patient's diagnosis causes Bailey (Chandra Wilson) to reconsider her own health issues and Dr. Herman (Geena Davis) drops a bombshell on Arizona (Jessica Capshaw).

Grey's Anatomy Season 11 Episode 6 Don't Let's Start airs Thursday November 6 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. In the meantime happy Halloween

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