15-acre fire, dubbed the Wildomar fire, burning in Cleveland National Forest

A 15-acre fire was burning near the Wildomar off-road staging area in the Cleveland National Forest, fire officials say.

Update: live webcam of the #WildomarFire , 6 tankers requested. #Breaking pic.twitter.com/O7toehoz8d

— Bernie Deyo (@EPN473) October 26, 2017

Ground and air resources were being deployed.

The blaze was burning at a moderate rate of speed.

Reports of smoke have come from as far away as Orange County.

More to come.

27.10.2017No comments
Whicker: Astros’ Alex Bregman gets his brashness honestly

Sam Bregman is the chairman of New Mexico’s Democratic party.

“He’s probably the best-known lawyer in the state, too,” said Alex Bregman, his son.

Alex didn’t say “best-liked.” There is a Stop Sam Bregman page on Facebook. There is criticism of his advocacy of those accused of child molestation, drug trafficking, and government corruption.

This is no country for shy men, and Bregman has criticized state senators in his own party and called Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gary King “the worst attorney general” in state history. Bregman regularly clashes with Republican governor Susana Martinez, too.

“Living that public life, no doubt it has helped me,” Alex Bregman said. “Watching my dad deal with criticism, it’s helped me 100 percent. You develop a thick skin that way. I’ve seen him fight for what he believes in. You have to have confidence. You can’t let the outside noise creep in.”

Alex walked into the noise Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. He is the 23-year-old third baseman for the Houston Astros, drafted second overall from LSU just two years ago.

In his second World Series plate appearance he drilled a home run off Clayton Kershaw.

On Wednesday he singled, and his eighth-inning double off Brandon Morrow prompted the Dodgers to bring in Kenley Jansen with six outs to get,, and Bregman scored on Carlos Correa’s base hit.

The rest of the game was the Elysian Park Air Show, with six home runs from the ninth inning through the 11th and a Series-record of eight overall.

Smoke entered the ballpark from a nearby brush fire, a fan jumped into the Houston bullpen and was seized upon by guards, a wild pickoff throw hit second base umpire Laz Diaz and thus prevented Enrique Hernandez from getting to third base in the 10th…..Was this the World Series or “Stranger Things?”

But the Astros won, 7-6, and a tied World Series goes to Houston for Games 3-4-5, and the type of inside noise that Bregman welcomes.

Return to Game 7 of the ALCS, fifth inning, one out, runners on first and third,  Houston leading 1-0.

Todd Frazier’s chopper found Bregman, playing on the grass, as Greg Bird ran home on contact.

“I’d had the same situation against the Angels recently and  Justin Upton hit one to me,” Bregman said. “I went for the double play. The run scored and (manager) A.J. (Hinch) told me, hey, next time, get the out at home. We might need that in the playoffs.”

But Bregman had to fit this throw into a thimble. It hit catcher Brian McCann’s glove just as Bird did. McCann handled it flawlessly and Bird was out. Had he been safe, it’s a 1-1 game with one out and two on and the Yankees gathering speed. Instead, the high-risk maneuver preserved Houston’s lead.

“I just went for it,” Bregman said. “When I got back to the dugout, (Justin) Verlander and the guys told me I had big (guts) for doing that.”

Bregman was called up last summer and started 0-for-36. Hinch reacted by moving him up to the No. 2 hole. He wound up hitting .264. This year he had 19 homers, 71 RBI, a .284 average and an .826 OPS.

“I’d been hitting beach balls in the minor leagues and now this was something different,” Bregman said. “I’m just happy he had that confidence.”

Bregman would be playing shortstop most anywhere else. The Astros have Correa, so he’s at third. He broke a finger in high school and was passed over in the draft. He first wore No. 30 at LSU to remind himself of the teams that missed him.

On Thanksigiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day you find Bregman in a batting cage somewhere. LSU coach Paul Mainieri gave him a key.

So the self-assurance works in a big league clubhouse when it syncs up with constant work and production, and when Bregman speaks Spanish with Correa, Jose Altuve, etc.and cites the “gray hair” of 40-year-old Hall of Fame candidate Carlos Beltran.

“I studied it in high school and I played a lot in Cuba, Colombia, Mexico,” Alex said. “I’m pretty fluent, as far as understanding whatever they say.”

Bregman also had a famous grandfather. Stanley Bregman founded a law firm in Washington, negotiated the sale of the Senators to the group that made them the Minnesota Twins, and moved to Albuquerque, where he was known as Stan The Man to the racetrack handicappers.

Stanley saw all of Alex’s 19 high school home runs. He died at 83, three years ago.

:”He’s still watching me,” said Alex, who never wanted to be a lawyer  but isn’t too bad with opening statements.

27.10.2017No comments
World Series ballparks compared in by-the-numbers look at Minute Maid Park and Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium and Minute Maid Park are vastly different in terms of outfield dimensions. Fueled in part by the high temperatures brought on by this week’s blast-furnace heat wave in Southern California, the ball flew out of Dodger Stadium at a record-setting rate Wednesday night. The Dodgers and Astros combined for eight home runs in Game 2, a World Series record.

Now, the Series shifts to Houston’s Minute Made Park for Friday’s Game 3. It’s 315 feet down the left-field line in the quirky confines at Minute Maid. Will the homer-mad pace continue?

A closer look at the dimensions of both ballparks, and some of the crazy power being generated by the Dodgers and Astros:

 

Ballparks comparedPOSTSEASON HOME RUNS AND DODGER STADIUM

The chart below shows the home runs at Dodger Stadium in the postseason with the red dots highlighting the eight home runs hit in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Two of the home runs would would have landed in the outfield of Minute Maid Park.

postseason home runsLONG-BALL HITTERS
Average home run distance for select Dodgers and Astros during the 2017 season

Home run hitters

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 13: A general view during pre-game ceremonies for game one of the American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees at Minute Maid Park on October 13, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Minute Maid Park’s features include a 242-foot high, retractable roof and a natural grass playing surface, both notable departures for the Houston Astros’ long-ago home in the Astrodome. The ballpark opened in 2000, bringing open-air baseball to Houston for the first time in 35 years. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
27.10.2017No comments
Ducks Gameday: After fight, hand injury shelves Kevin Bieksa for ‘extended period’

SUNRISE, Fla. – Kevin Bieksa will not play in the remainder of the Ducks’ road trip due to a hand injury that he suffered Tuesday in a fight with Philadelphia defenseman Radko Gudas.

Bieksa has returned to Southern California where he will be examined to determine the full extent of the injury. Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said the defenseman “will be out for an extended period of time.”

Bieksa caught Gudas with his right hand in a one-punch knockdown during their scrap in the first period of the Ducks’ 6-2 win over the Flyers. It appears the left one that he braced his fall on top of Gudas has damage as Carlyle didn’t want to delve into specifics. “I’m going to say it wasn’t the hand that delivered the punch,” he said.

What it will mean for Thursday night’s game against Florida is that Korbinian Holzer will draw back into the lineup after being scratched for the past three games.

Bieksa joins a long line of the Ducks (4-3-1) who have had to miss time due to injury or illness. The Ducks already have 49 man-games lost and learned before the trip that winger Patrick Eaves will be out indefinitely due to Guilliain-Barre syndrome, a muscle-weakening autoimmune disorder.

“You can only coach the players that are available to you and sometimes injuries take their toll,” Carlyle said. “What you do is you play to your group. And it’s got to be replaced by committee. It’s not one or two individuals. It’s got to be a hockey club that’s got to go out and play a structured hockey game and outwork the opposition in some critical areas.”

John Gibson (4-2-1, 2.48 GAA, .933 SV%) will make his ninth straight start to open the season. Reto Berra will continue to serve as his backup. Ryan Miller (wrist) continues to face shots in net daily but it doesn’t appear as if the Ducks are ready to activate him from injured reserve.

“Somewhere along the line, we’re looking at that as a possibility.” Carlyle said. “But those are situations that we’ll deal with on a day-to-day basis. We’re just trying to patch together our lineup and have some success on this road trip.”

The Ducks have games on Saturday at Tampa Bay and Sunday at Carolina but it isn’t clear if Miller is working toward becoming available for either one. Sami Vatanen (shoulder) remained on the ice with the scratches in their morning skate so he isn’t quite ready to make his season debut.

Here is the projected lineup for the Ducks:

Rickard Rakell-Ryan Getzlaf-Corey Perry

Andrew Cogliano-Antoine Vermette-Jakob Silfverberg

Nick Ritchie-Derek Grant-Ondrej Kase

Chris Wagner-Kalle Kossila-Logan Shaw

Hampus Lindholm-Josh Manson

Francois Beauchemin-Brandon Montour

Jaycob Megna-Korbinian Holzer

James Reimer (2-3-0, 3.59 GAA, .903 SV%) is expected to start for the Panthers and the veteran will be their main man for the foreseeable future with Roberto Luongo on injured reserve due to a right hand injury.

Reimer has won his two career starts against the Ducks, with both coming within two weeks of each other last season. He made 21 saves in a 2-1 home win at BB&T Center and then turned away 35 shots in a 4-1 triumph in Anaheim.

The Panthers (3-5-0) have had mixed results to start 2017-18 and porous penalty killing has been a central role in that. They’ve allowed 10 goals in 33 short-handed situations, leaving them with a 69.7 percent success rate which is last in the NHL.

It could bode well for the Ducks as they have their first two power-play goals of the season in back-to-back games. The Panthers have also had a propensity of allowing multiple goals in short spans. Five times they’ve allowed two or more within three minutes or less.

But there is talent flowing within the Florida roster. Jonathan Huberdeau is the early scoring leader with eight points in eight games, while Sasha Barkov and Vincent Trocheck each have seven. Evgenii Dadonov also has seven points in his return to the Panthers after five seasons in the KHL, where he starred for SKA St. Petersburg.

It is the defense corps that Carlyle points to as the group that can swing games. Aaron Ekblad, Keith Yandle, Mike Matheson and Mark Pysyk are all strong skaters whose biggest forte is quickly moving the puck.

“They’re a young hockey club,” Carlyle said. “They’ve got some very noticeable forwards down the middle. Barkov’s a big-time hockey player. Trocheck. These are quality players and they’re transitioning some youth. I think their game rides on their back end.”

Florida claimed veteran goalie Antti Niemi off waivers from Pittsburgh and will have him back up Reimer while Luongo is sidelined. Niemi only lasted a few weeks with the Penguins as he went 0-3 with a 7.50 goals-against average and an equally lowly .797 save percentage.

Jared McCann (lower body) and Colton Sceviour (upper body) are also expected to be out.

Here is the projected lineup for the Panthers:

Jonathan Huberdeau-Aleksander Barkov-Evgenii Dadonov

Jamie McGinn-Vincent Trocheck-Radim Vrbata

Connor Brickley-Nick Bjugstad-Denis Malgin

Micheal Haley-Derek MacKenzie-Owen Tippett

Keith Yandle-Aaron Ekblad

Mike Matheson-Mark Pysyk

Ian McCoshen-Alex Petrovic

 

27.10.2017No comments
The lives of 7 women leaders will be explored in ‘Seven’ at Soka University

Soka University of America Office of Student Affairs will host a reading of the documentary play “Seven,” which captures the lives of a diverse group of global women leaders.

A collaboration of seven award-winning playwrights, the play is based on personal interviews with seven women in the Vital Voices Group Leadership Network who have triumphed over enormous obstacles to bring about changes in their home countries of Russia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Guatemala and Cambodia.

Directed and produced by local resident CeCe Sloan, the play is 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 at Black Box Theater. Tickets are $3, with proceeds from ticket sales and donations to benefit Human Options –Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence. For details call 949-683-1278.

IF YOU GO

When: 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4

Where: Soka University, Black Box Theater, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo

Tickets: $3

Information: 949-683-1278

27.10.2017No comments