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Bar Chat

06/09/2011

Go, Dirk, Go!!!

Baseball Quiz: 1) Name the all-time leader in pinch-hit at-bats, and hits, lifetime (same player). 2) Who holds the rookie record for home runs with 49? Answers below.

Just Stuff

--Oh, baby. Tuesday night, after watching the Mets eke out a 2-1 win over the Brewers, I flipped on Game 4 of the NBA Finals with 5 minutes to go, hoping that LeBron and Co. would go down in flames. I had no idea then that Mavs superstar Dirk Nowitzki was playing with a 102-degree fever. But in the end, the Mavs prevailed as Nowitzki’s drive for a bucket and Jason Terry’s two free throws clinched the 86-83 win for Dallas as it evened up the series at 2-2.

“Who knew this series was going to come down to Dirk Nowtizki vs. Dwyane Wade for MVP and everything in the NBA pot? Who foresaw the guy who actually calls himself King James playing a fourth-quarter peasant, taking one lousy shot and failing to reach double figures for the first time in his playoff career?

“ ‘I think that it happened in a loss is the anger part of it,’ LeBron said after his passive body language embodied the Miami Heat’s loss…He said not to worry, he would be ready for Game 5, even if he had to get some extra shots in – because when someone yells ‘LeBrick!’ after two straight missed free throws and a bevy of errant jumpers, something in the coronation business has gone wrong.

“Maybe this is just LeBron cruelly teasing the masses until he delivers a wrenching three-pointer to end Dallas’ season on his home floor.

“Maybe this is some grand ploy by LeBron, part of his own game-within-the-game theater, in which the most complete player in pro basketball suddenly decides to miss 8 of 11 shots and finish with eight measly points in a game his team had in the bag with less than 10 minutes left….

“Wade and LeBron’s drama kings could have had a nice, little tidy four-game sweep by now, and had their most strident detractors groaning about the birth of the league’s next dynasty.

“Instead, they find themselves in a best-of-three scrap with a reinvigorated, desperate team that looked completely outclassed…until Dirk awakened again.”

--In Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals on Monday in Boston, the Bruins sought revenge for a vicious hit on Nathan Horton by Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome that sent Horton crashing to the ice, the back of his head slamming it with such force that he was carted off and is in rough shape at Massachusetts General with a severe concussion. Rome was given a game misconduct for the late hit and later suspended for four games, thus the balance of the series. For Boston it was all the incentive they needed after two disheartening losses in Vancouver. The Bruins proceeded to dismantle the Canucks 8-1, scoring all 8 in the second and third periods after a scoreless first. [This column is being posted before Wednesday’s Game 4.]

Ball Bits

--Prelude to the College World Series…the 8 Super Regionals, winners advancing to Omaha. Play is this weekend.

Arizona State at Texas
Stanford at North Carolina
UC Irvine at Virginia
UConn at South Carolina
Mississippi State at Florida
Oregon State at Vanderbilt
California at Dallas Baptist
Texas A&M at Florida State

So with three ACC teams remaining, will the conference finally take its first CWS title since Wake Forest, 1955?

For UConn and Dallas Baptist, it’s the first time they’ve reached the super regionals. UConn had to go through the loser’s bracket to get it done after losing the opener to Coastal Carolina. The Huskies then won four straight elimination games.

--As I wrote about two weeks ago on Washington Nationals phenom Bryce Harper, there were zero thoughts of bringing the 18-year-old up to the majors this year, despite him tearing up Class A pitching (.342, 14 HR 42 RBI), because the team wanted him to mature before facing the pressure of the big leagues, let alone he needs to first face a higher quality of minor-league pitching.

So on Monday night, Harper hit a home run for Hagerstown in a 3-2 loss to Greensboro, took a few moments standing at home plate to admire his work, and according to reports, as Harper slowly headed to first, the Greensboro pitcher gave Harper grief for his display at which point Harper blew a kiss in the pitcher’s direction.

Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt said, “Just hit your home runs and hit ‘em like you’re used to hitting ‘em, not like you’re surprised when you hit one.”

--In the college baseball draft, the Pirates used the first overall pick to select UCLA’s Gerrit Cole, a 22-year-old right-hander who was just 6-8 this season with the Bruins but struck out 119 in 114 innings and regularly threw in the high 90s. Pittsburgh over the past two years has now selected some high-profile picks and paid up to sign them.

Seattle, with the number two pick, took Danny Hultzen, a left-hander out of the Univ. of Virginia. Trevor Bauer, Cole’s teammate and another right-hander, went third to Arizona.

And perhaps the most interesting player in the draft, Gardner, Kansas, native Bubba Starling, was taken fifth by his hometown Royals. The thing is, Starling, a 6-foot-4 power hitter with blazing speed (4.36, 40-yard dash), is committed to playing quarterback for Nebraska next season. And with Steve Boras as his agent, the Royals could have real problems signing him.

--The Wall Street Journal had a bit on the caliber of pitching in the minors. We keep hearing how good the pitching is these days in the majors and the numbers bear that out, but “Down on the farm, it’s another story. Triple-A managers must be wondering where all the good pitching went.”

In the Pacific Coast League, the average game now consists of 11.2 runs, the highest since the merger with the American Association in 1997. Iowa and Colorado Springs both have a team ERA over 6.00. The better arms are getting the call-up to the big time, probably too early for the pitchers’ development, and some of the injuries to the hurlers bear this out.

MLB scoring in 2009 was 9.22 runs per game and is 8.42 this year.

--Lenny Dykstra’s problems only got worse. The former Mets and Phils star was jailed Monday on grand theft auto and drug possession, 25 misdemeanor and felony counts in all. As noted by the AP:

“Prosecutors contend that (Dykstra and two associates) tried to lease high-end cars from dealers this year by providing phony information and claiming credit through a phony business called Home Free Systems.”

As for Lenny, who filed for bankruptcy two years ago, owing over $30 million with just $50,000 in assets, his story is as pathetic as it gets…unless your name is Anthony Weiner.

--This just in…A-Rod and Cameron Diaz may still be an item! A-Rod and Diaz “shared a romantic weekend in L.A., despite recent reports the pair had split. The Yankee slugger and actress looked cozy at Soho House on Sunday night at the MTV Movie Awards after-party. They were also spotted having lunch and holding hands at the club in West Hollywood on Thursday.” A source told the New York Post’s Page Six, “Alex has been staying with Cameron while the Yankees were in Anaheim."  What?!  Forget his steroids past, this is living in sin! This, more than anything else, could keep him out of the Hall of Fame.

[Commenting on my bit last time on Ernie Lombardi, Johnny Mac hastened to note that while Lombardi is indeed generally acknowledged to be the slowest player in baseball history, he nonetheless had 27 career triples, while A-Rod has had all of 29 and Rodriguez has had 4,000 more plate appearances than Ernie.]

--Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, 1941… continued

Game 25…June 10…Chicago…1 for 5
Game 26…June 12…Chicago…2 for 4…1 HR 1 RBI [5 HR 11 RBI last 7 games]

--In a big blow for golf and ratings, Tiger Woods is missing the U.S. Open that commences June 16 at Congressional in Bethesda, Md., because his left knee and Achilles tendon are not healed.

“I am extremely disappointed I won’t be playing in the U.S. Open. But it’s time for me to listen to my doctors and focus on the future. I was hopeful I could play, but if I did, I risk further damage to my left leg,” Tiger posted on his website. Enough has been written about his health and whether he will ever be truly back in form to win the five majors he needs to exceed Jack Nicklaus’ 18, but with four procedures on the one knee, it doesn’t look good.

[Woods did add he was sticking with agent Mark Steinberg, who had just been let go by sports agency IMG.]

Meanwhile, in U.S. Open qualifying, Fred Funk carved out a cool story. The 54-year-old, who grew up in the D.C. area and coached at his alma mater, the Univ. of Maryland, made the field by firing a 67-68 in the grueling 36-hole qualifier. Funk was speechless afterwards.

And among the other interesting qualifiers is former phenom Ty Tryon, who has been in golf’s wilderness for the better part of a decade, as well as Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer’s grandson. But Vijay Singh didn’t even try to qualify because he said he needed a break to get his game back, the 48-year-old thus ending the longest active streak of consecutive majors played, 67.

--As expected, the BCS stripped USC of its 2004 national title on Monday and the record book will show no BCS national champion for that year, all this being the result of the Reggie Bush case. Earlier, Bush relinquished his Heisman Trophy from 2005 and the school returned the copy it had as well. USC does not, however, have to give up its Associated Press national championship.

--This was good to see. Marv Albert is going to be calling NFL games for CBS Sports starting this season, if there is one. In return he’ll give up doing Nets games. He will continue to call the NCAA tournament, as well as NBA games for TNT.

Everyone knows Marv is simply the best in anything he calls and while he hasn’t been assigned a partner yet for the NFL telecasts, here’s hoping he does most of the Jets’ games.

“Scientists have described whale sightings off the Cornish coast as one of the ‘largest gatherings’ of the species ever seen in British waters.

“Researchers spotted 21 fin whales 50 to 70 miles offshore, feeding near the surface over 30 minutes.

“The fin whale, the second largest animal on the planet, is a globally endangered species.”

No doubt, yet another step in the spring offensive, girding up for what promises to be a summer of mayhem as the fin whales, mistaking humans for krill, take out whole communities of swimmers around the globe. 

--Momma, don’t let your babies grow up to be gator trappers….

You see, it’s not a great business anymore, kids. Gator hunters get just $30 from the state of Florida per gator trapped and removed, or killed, and the trappers would then sell the hides, which is where they made their real money.

But the price of gas, plus a plunge in the price of the skins on the world market, has many trappers quitting the business.

“ There’s no money in it anymore,” said Johnny Douglas, a Wildwood resident who trolled central Florida and was credited in 2003 with finding and killing a 10-foot-long alligator that drowned a 12-year-old boy in Lake County’s Dead River….

“(Another, Curtis Lucas), a trapper who caught an 11 ½-foot alligator that killed a snorkeler in the Ocala National Forest in 2006, said, ‘My income’s dropped by two-thirds in two years.’” 

There are an estimated 1.3 million gators in Florida…1.3 million! [Stephen Hudak / Orlando Sentinel]

--Meanwhile, in San Diego County, the problem is feral pigs. As reported by Tony Perry of the Los Angeles Times:

“Without natural predators, and with a proclivity for reproduction, the wild pigs number several hundred. An average adult can range from 200 to 300 pounds, with nasty-looking tusks and a frightening snort….

“So the federal government is considering an eradication plan…(the) feds may hire professionals, using dogs and helicopters.”

If the White House has problems with the Pakistani government on drone attacks, then we should shift some of these assets back here to take out the pigs. Of course PETA is opposed to killing the pigs, “particularly if hunting from helicopters is employed. PETA calls aerial hunting ‘crueler than cruel’ because it reportedly leaves many animals wounded and condemned to a slow, painful death.”

Which is another reason why I favor drones. It’s more certain. Just gotta make sure there are no joggers around the target area, know what I’m sayin’?

Just last month, the New Mexico Fish and Game Department was plotting pig strategies of its own. Of course the tragic wildfires sweeping the area now could drive the pigs east into Texas, where they’ll hook up with the nation’s largest population of them. Then it would be anyone’s guess where the horde would move from there. Possibly New Orleans and Bourbon Street.

--How many of you knew the following? Duff Beer of “Simpsons” fame is a big hit in Latin America, as reported by Jim Wyss of the Los Angeles Times. In South America, the beer’s motto is ‘Yes it does exist!’ But Wyss couldn’t get anyone to discuss the details. It turns out the makers of Duff south of the border aren’t allowed to talk to the U.S. media. And 20th Century Fox, which owns the rights to “The Simpsons,” refused to comment on Wyss’ story and would not say whether it has a licensing agreement with any of the Duff producers.

You see “The Simpsons” is huge in South America, just like it is everywhere in the world, but as Wyss notes:

“Fox has never licensed the beverage in the United States. According to several reports, ‘Simpsons’ creator Matt Groening fears that bringing Duff into the real world would be tantamount to pushing alcohol on minors.”

But as to various brewers in Latin America selling Duff, it’s unclear if they are doing so illegally and Fox is pursuing legal action, though Jim Wyss of the Times couldn’t find any records of lawsuits on the topic.

--I forgot to pass on this critical information from Nate Silver of the New York Times:

According to the experts at OKCupid, a matchmaking site that collects data on the topic, “When (Christian Rudder) put all the numbers together, he got a curious result. Weekdays, not weekends, are better for singles on the prowl – and the mix of people out on Wednesday nights are the friskiest. (The least surprising bit of data is that someone’s chances of success increase over the course of an evening.)”

But Rudder didn’t have a lot of backup, so Nate Silver did his own leg work and talked to a number of bartenders.

“Allison, who works at a Michelin-starred Manhattan restaurant, wasn’t surprised by Rudder’s findings. She argued that whereas weekends are overcrowded with out-of-towners, Wednesdays and Thursdays provide for more spontaneity. ‘It’s a little bit more organic,’ she told me.”

But these are school nights! I mean even to this day I don’t go out on a school night. Plus I work on Fridays, and on Saturdays, well, if the Mets are on, can’t go out, plus in the fall you have college football on Sat. evenings…and then Sunday is a school night and the cycle starts all over again.

So I only go out on Saturdays in February (January is taken up with NFL action, including the playoffs on Saturdays two weekends), assuming there isn’t a can’t-miss college basketball game.

Actually, I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to Feb. 18 and 25 as the two Saturdays in 2012 I’ll be available. By March 3, college basketball will once again be in heavy play through March Madness and then in April 2012, the Mets start up again.

--Justin Timberlake, currently the world’s coolest guy, on how he took up the game of golf.

“About eight years ago, I was on tour, and you get cabin fever because you’re always indoors. Every day becomes the same, like the movie ‘Groundhog Day.’ So one day my stage manager said, ‘We’re going to play golf, want to come?’

“And it might sound silly, but I went out there and had a couple of beers, and all I was thinking about is getting a little ball into a little hole. It was just the best mental release from performing on stage. It took my mind somewhere else. I haven’t stopped chasing that little ball since.”

--Andrew Gold died. He was 59. As a solo artist, Gold had two hits, 1977’s “Lonely Boy” (#7 Billboard) and the following year’s “Thank You For Being A Friend” (#25). But he was better known in the industry as a key component of Linda Ronstadt’s pop success as a member of her band and arranger, and Gold was a major session artist for the likes of James Taylor and Carly Simon. His father, Ernest Gold, won an Academy Award for his score for the film “Exodus.”

--The Wall Street Journal’s Marc Myers had an interview with Motown Records founder Berry Gordy on the 40th anniversary of the release of Marvin Gaye’s awesome “What’s Going On” album. 40 years?! And then…the depression set in.

“Released first as a single in January 1971, ‘What’s Going On’ marked a major turning point for Gaye, Motown and soul music. Rather than continue to record formulaic pop hits, Gaye co-wrote a song that expressed his deep concern about the Vietnam War and the toll it was taking on American society.

“The single was considered a gamble for Motown. Its blunt protest theme was in stark contrast with Gaye’s sexy public persona and Motown’s congenial image. But as ‘What’s Going On’ raced up the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Gaye rushed back into the studio to complete a concept album that included ‘Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)’ and ‘Inner City Blues.’….

“Released in May 1971, the LP reached No. 6 on Billboard’s Top 10 album chart in July.”

The album is being reissued in a set that includes two CDs with 16 previously unreleased tracks and a vinyl LP of Gaye’s first mix.

Top 3 songs for the week 6/9/84: #1 “Time After Time” (Cyndi Lauper…good lord, this totally sucked) #2 “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” (Deniece Williams…ughh) #3 “Oh Sherrie” (Steve Perry…whatever)…and…#4 “The Reflex” (Duran Duran…No Mas!) #5 “Sister Christian” (Night Ranger) #6 “The Heart Of Rock & Roll” (Huey Lewis and the News…they did some decent tunes…this wasn’t one of ‘em…) #7 “Hello” (Lionel Richie…. “Hello you’re on the air.” “Hello, hello, hello Marv? Do you think the Rangers have a good shot this year?” “Ah, kid? Turn your radio down.”) #8 “Breakdance” (Irene Cara) #9 “Self Control” (Laura Branigan…. AGHHHH!) #10 “Jump (For My Love)” (Pointer Sisters…couldn’t stand them, either. What a godawful year for music….easily one of the two or three worst since 1760, the year after Handel died)

Baseball Quiz Answers: 1) Lenny Harris has the most at-bats as a pinch-hitter, lifetime, with 804 (1988-2005…all in the N.L.). He also has the record with 212 hits for a .263 average. Gates Brown (1963-75) holds the A.L. mark in both categories with 107 hits in 414 at-bats, .258. Brown hit .370 and .338 as a part-timer for the Tigers in ’68 and ’71, but otherwise was highly mediocre. Nonetheless, all baseball fans loved him. He was a classic. And back to 1968, the Year of the Pitcher, quite an accomplishment for him to go 34 for 92 with 6 home runs. 2) Mark McGwire holds the rookie record for home runs with 49, 1987, when he was still normally proportioned.

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