Quickie Sports Chowdah Update, July 15- Wake Me When It's Over

(Elsa/Getty Images)

Well, that sure sucked.

Not the glorious, triumphant start of the second half some of us were hoping for. Knocking back a Newcastle at the same establishment I saw Erin Andrews towering over Danica Patrick on the red carpet in all it's 1080i glory, I casually asked the bartender if he could change the flat-screen to the Sox game.

Sometimes one should be careful what one asks for. In the blink of an eye, the Rangers had gone from a 1-0 lead to a 6-0 lead.....with only one out in the top of the 1st inning. This was capped by a Bengie Molina 2 run homer before starter Tim Wakefield got Texas 1B Chris Davis to fly out and struck out CF Julio Borbon. By that point I had to head into work for a few hours- and apparently not much had changed. The Red Sox had gotten on the board on homers by JD Drew and Bill Hall, but those were solo shots late in the game after the Rangers added to their lead in the top of the 3rd with a Nelson Cruz RBI double.

Texas wins the first game of the 2nd half at Fenway by a final of 7-2. Tommy Hunter got plenty of run support while Wakefield lasted all of two innings.

Tomorrow's pitching matchup will likely have Colby Lewis (8-5; 3.33 ERA) against rookie Felix Dubront (1-1; 4.22 ERA).

Jack Ohman/The Oregonian

Elsewhere: George Stenbrenner may not have been able to cheat the reaper, but even in death he was able to stay one step ahead of the tax man. Earlier this week, the New York Post reported that Steinbrenner passed away before a 55% Estate Tax was set to take effect in 2011. Had he passed away in 2011, his heirs would've owed an estimated $600,000,000. Similarly, in 2009 his estate would've owed $500,000,000 in taxes, but that lapsed in January of this year and wasn't set to be reinstated until January 2011.

Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner Passes Away At Age 80

Well, damn. Looks like Van Helsing finally hit the mark.

New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner- who ran the Bronx Bombers with big bucks, bravado and bluster for nearly 40 years- suffered a heart attack this morning. He was pronounced dead at a Tampa, FL hospital at 6:30 ET this morning.

Steinbrenner's death comes just days after the passing of long-time Yankee Stadium PA announcer Bob Sheppard.

The Red Sox issues the following statement earlier today:

The Boston Red Sox deeply mourn the passing of George M. Steinbrenner III this morning at the age of 80. Principal Owner John W. Henry extended sincere condolences on behalf of the organization to Joan Steinbrenner, George’s wife of 54 years, his children, his grandchildren, the entire Steinbrenner family, and the New York Yankees organization.

George Steinbrenner Spotted At Yankees Winter Meetings; Demon-Slayer Van Helsing Apologizes for 'Rookie Mistake'

The New York Daily News reported last week that Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was not only alive and well, but taking part in the club's winter meetings in Tampa, FL.

The Boss took part in Thursday's organizational meetings in Tampa, the final phase of the Yankees' offseason planning before Brian Cashman can start shaping the roster for 2010.

Steinbrenner's two sons took over day-to-day operations of the team in 2007, after the senior vampire's ill-fated encounter with accomplished demonslayer Abraham Van Helsing.

On Wednesday, VanHelsing issued a brief statement:

"Two years ago, I had the vampire known as Steinbrenner cornered and subdued in Tampa thanks in part to an abundance of crucifixes and garlic. Wary of the presence of otherwoldy beasts like Hank and Cash Man, I had to swiftly retreat as the helpless Steinbrenner sought refuge in a casket. I realize now I made a rookie mistake in not driving a stake through the vampire's heart when I had the chance, and now all of Major League Baseball is paying the price. I sincerely and contritely apologize for my grievous error"

When reporters attemped to contact VanHelsing's offices yesterday, they were immediately routed to a recorded message with contact information for the demonslayer's publicist.