Stocks and News
Home | Week in Review Process | Terms of Use | About UsContact Us
   Articles Go Fund Me All-Species List Hot Spots Go Fund Me
Week in Review   |  Bar Chat    |  Hot Spots    |   Dr. Bortrum    |   Wall St. History
Stock and News: Bar Chat
 Search Our Archives: 
  
 


   

 

 

 


Baseball Reference

Bar Chat

AddThis Feed Button

   

08/30/2018

Playoff Chase

[Posted early Wed. a.m.]

U.S. Open Tennis Quiz: Name the last five American men to win the singles title.  Answer below.

MLB

A.L. Wild Card (thru Tues.)

New York 84-48... +4.5
Oakland 80-53... --
Seattle 74-58... 5.5

So for now, increasingly looking like New York is hosting Oakland in the wild card, the Yankees 6 ½ back of the Red Sox. But....

A.L. West

Houston 81-51
Oakland 80-53... 1.5

Back to the Yanks, good thing they beat the White Sox last night, 5-4, on a walk-off homer by Neil Walker, because they lost to Chicago 6-2 the night before. The Yankees received more bad news when Aaron Judge revealed he still can’t swing a bat due to pain in his fractured right wrist.

N.L. Wild Card

St. Louis 74-58... +1.5
Milwaukee 73-60... --
Arizona 72-60... 0.5
Colorado 72-60... 0.5
Los Angeles 71-61... 1.5
Philadelphia 70-62... 2.5

N.L. West

Arizona 72-60 --
Colorado 72-60 --
Los Angeles 71-61... 1

--The Cardinals removed the interim tag from Mike Shildt’s title, promoting him to manager after his super job since taking over from fired Mike Matheny. 

St. Louis was 47-46 when the change was made, and they’ve gone 27-12 under Shildt.

--We had another matchup between the Nationals’ Max Scherzer and the Phillies’ Aaron Nola Tuesday night in Philly, and the Nats prevailed 5-4, with three runs in the ninth, but both pitchers got a no-decision, Scherzer allowing 3 earned in five innings, Nola just 1 in seven.

Scherzer remains 16-6, but his ERA rose to 2.20.  Nola is 15-3, 2.10.

And the Mets’ Jacob deGrom squared off in Chicago against the Cubs’ Cole Hamels, the game suspended in the tenth inning, 1-1, due to rain.

DeGrom allowed the lone run in eight innings, fanning 10, to lower his ERA to 1.68, but, staggeringly, still just 8-8.  Cole Hamels threw five shutout innings and lowered his ERA in six starts for the Cubs to 0.69.

--Not for nothing but J.D. Martinez leads the A.L. in RBIs (110) and hitting (.338), while trailing Oakland’s Khris Davis by a lone homer (Davis with 39, J.D. 38).  Ergo, Triple Crown talk for sure.

--Kind of shocking that Scooter Gennett leads the N.L. in batting at just .313.

--Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-5, including a three-run homer, as the Angels snapped a six-game losing streak on Monday against the Rockies, 10-7.  Mike Trout hit his first home run since he returned from the disabled list and a subsequent personal leave.

With Ohtani’s homer, his 15th of the season, he joined Babe Ruth in 1919 and Jimmy Ryan in 1888 as the only players with 15 home runs and four pitching wins in a season.

In 233 ABs, Ohtani has 16 2B, 15 HR, 43 RBI, .275 BA, .898 OPS.  And he has six steals in seven attempts.

On the mound, he’s 4-1, 3.10 ERA, with 61 strikeouts in 49 1/3.

But there is still no word on whether Ohtani will hit the mound again this season, as he progresses from a right elbow sprain.  He threw 50 pitches in a three-inning simulation game, against minor league hitters, the other day.

--USA TODAY conducted a study of all 30 major-league teams and found there are 21 active managers earning $1.5 million or less this season, with just three managers earning more than the average major-league player salary of $4 million.

Yes, gone are the days of 10-year, $50 million contracts, such as the one the Angels once awarded Mike Scioscia.  No one earns $7.5 million a year like Joe Torre did 11 years ago with the Yankees.

The highest-paid managers at $6 million apiece are three-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy of the Giants, Scioscia and the Cubs’ Joe Maddon.

Just seven managers have lasted at least five years in their current jobs, earning salaries dwarfed by NFL and NBA coaches, ditto major college coaches in both football and basketball as well.

The suppressed salary scale comes as baseball’s revenues continue to rise, to in excess of $8billion this year, but managers salaries are going down.

Consider this. Aaron Boone signed a three-year, $3.75 million contract with the Yankees, while Boston’s Alex Cora signed for $4 million over four years.

Compare that with the Oakland Raiders handing Jon Gruden a 10-year, $100 million deal, or the 10-year, $75 million that Texas A&M gave football coach Jimbo Fisher to leave Florida State.  This is absurd.

Many of the new managers are barely making the minimum $545,000 player salary, even as managers work a minimum 12-hour workday, including nonstop interaction with the press and departments within the organization.

Yup, it’s all about the front office these days.

NFL

--The Giants did it...agreed to a five-year extension with superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr., which makes him the highest-paid wide receiver in football.

Beckham will receive a maximum $95 million over the course of the deal, with $65 million in guaranteed money, eclipsing the contract of Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown, $17 million per year, and Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans’ $55 million in total guarantees.

Beckham is set to make $8.4 million on the fifth year of his rookie contract, but the agreement reworks it to give him a $1.459 million salary with a $20 million signing bonus, thus saving the Giants $3 million against the cap.

Beckham, 25, had at least 90 catches, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his first three seasons, before breaking his ankle last October.

Steve Serby / New York Post

“(With his new deal), a new responsibility will confront Beckham, as early as Week 1 against elite Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey:

“The bull’s-eye on his No. 13 jersey just reached Empire State Building heights.

“Ramsey almost immediately tweeted:

“ ‘It’s going to be a show very soon. #BatmanVsTheJoker’

“It will be incumbent upon Beckham to tame the wild game-day beast within him and show the world that he has matured enough not to allow himself to be baited or provoked.

“But if The Money Badger is all grown up, finally, and his fractured ankle is indeed a distant memory, and IF the Giants are right about 37-year-old Eli Manning, then the joke will be on the rest of the NFL.

“Manning’s Score Four – Beckham, Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram – has a chance to be The Greatest Show in Town outside of The Bronx....

“Gone, the Giants trust, are the days of Beckham mimicking a dog urinating in the end zone or embarking on a Miami boat trip before a playoff game or starring in a Paris pepperoni pizza video.

“But he can dance to the bank now if he pleases....

“You don’t become a legend in this town until you win a championship, and Beckham now needs to win his first playoff game.

“ ‘It’s time for Eli to bring us home,’ Beckham said.  ‘It’s time for him to bring us back to what we all dream of doing, which is winning a Super Bowl, so the goals are never going to change, it’s just that time to go is now.’”

--I didn’t have time last B.C. to comment on the retirement of receiver Eric Decker, who spent eight season in the NFL, 439 receptions and 53 touchdowns.

Decker had played his first four seasons with Denver and had two monster years his last two there, 2012 (85-1,064-13) and 2013 (87-1,288-11), before the Jets signed him as a free agent.

There were a lot of sceptics who believed his numbers were inflated by playing in Peyton Manning’s offense those two seasons, but Decker proved to be a very solid performer for the Jets his first two seasons – 74-962-5; 80-1,027-12 – and Jets fans learned to appreciate his value.  He earned his money.

Unfortunately he got hurt early in 2016, he was cut in 2017, signed with Tennessee, and was a mediocre 54-563-1 for the Titans. New England signed him this summer but he struggled in camp and in exhibition games, so he decided to hang it up at age 31.

“It has been my childhood dream and my passion to play the game of football. I was very fortunate and blessed to have had the opportunity to have those dreams fulfilled and to have played with such extremely talented and hard-working teammates, coaches and staff,” he wrote on Instagram.

Decker added he looked forward to spending more time with the wife and kids, and in his case, we’re talking singer/model Jesse James Decker.  Can’t say I blame Eric, especially after some of the things Jesse would say in the local media when he was playing with the Jets...as in she talked openly about frolicking in the house nude....cough cough...cough....

But back to her hubby, this is one Jets fan who appreciated his playing career in New York.  He was a pro.

College Football

--On paper, the opening weekend of the college football season has few games of interest.

6 Washington at 9 Auburn is one of them.  14 Michigan at 12 Notre Dame a biggie for all manner of reasons, especially if you’re Jim Harbaugh.

Sunday night has an intriguing one, 8 Miami at 25 LSU.  And then Monday, 20 Virginia Tech at 19 Florida State.

Phil W. and I are intrigued by Appalachian State at 10 Penn State, Phil having been in attendance at Ann Arbor for one of the great sports upsets of all time in this country, App St. beating Michigan.  [Holy cow, Phil. That was 11 years ago and I remember your phone call from the stadium as if it was yesterday!]

Wake Forest opens at Tulane Thursday night.  I’m worried. We’re starting a true freshman at QB, Sam Hartman, and we’re only favored by 6-6 ½.  But we have a lot of experience on the offensive line, some decent weapons, and what should be a solid defense.  All of us expect a 7-5 season, at the very worst.  Week 3 against Boston College will be the big early test that will tell us all a lot.

--Speaking of true freshmen, JT Daniels is getting the nod at No. 15-ranked USC when they open up Sept. 1.  Daniels has the unenviable task of replacing Sam Darnold.  Only three true freshmen have ever started a game at quarterback for the Trojans: Matt Barkley (2009), Carson Palmer (1998) and Rob Johnson (1991).

--Finally, as the college football season gets underway this weekend in earnest, the NFL the following one, just some thoughts on the state of the game, as so many of us watch in denial.

Phil W. passed along a piece from Ed Hardin / Greensboro News & Record:

“Look, the game of football is great. It indeed instills character and team-building qualities in all of us who played the game.  And those of us lucky enough to have been around such coaches as Bob Waters at Western Carolina, Joe Gibbs in Washington or Jim Grobe at Wake Forest understand that good men have always been in the game.

“But it was Grobe who once said, ‘I’m just a football coach.’

“He was as tough as old nails, and he expected his players to run through walls for him, but he didn’t buy into the myth that football is life and war or that the football coach is above reproach.

“We’re in the process of bringing down statues in the country, and some of them are football heroes.  It’s against that backdrop that we begin another football season, a time when we come together on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons for a game our fathers taught us.

“Some of us love the game while admitting its problems and shortcomings.  And some of us, grown adults, wear football jerseys and gamble away our family’s money and pretend that football Sundays are important.

“They aren’t. Sunday is sacred and football is a sport, not a religion and not a war.

“Football isn’t under siege in this country.  It’s the other way around. We have the media to blame for that.  And the NFL.  And our colleges, many of which are now nothing more than football factories surrounded by classrooms.

“But mostly, we have ourselves to blame.  It wasn’t always like this.  There was a time in this country when the first cool breeze in the dying days of summer meant school supplies and harvest festivals.  Now we’re studying for fantasy football leagues.

“I know.  I’m in three of them.”

Joanna Allhands / Arizona Republic

“Football appears to be dying a slow death.

“A growing number of kids don’t want to play the sport, and a growing number of schools aren’t offering it.

“And as much as it pains me to say this, part of me thinks that’s good. A part of me hopes that by the time my toddler gets old enough to choose a sport (if he even decides to play sports), football will be so last season that he won’t seriously consider it.

“I know.  How did I become that mom?

“I like watching football.  And I’ve long been OK with the idea of my son getting in the game, taking those crazy hard hits like his dad did when he played football in school.

“Because that’s the sport. It’s rough. There will be injuries. Kids (and parents) should know that going into it.

“We’re learning a lot about the damage concussions can do to a forming brain, and it’s seriously scary.  I’ve long heard that repeated knocks to the head, like those that add up over years of professional or college play, can cause all sorts of problems.

“But now research is showing that even one concussion can do lasting damage to the brain. Even a few hard hits that aren’t concussions could have ill effects (which is worrisome enough if you have a boy.  I mean, they’re always hitting their heads)....

“I tell myself that I need to support (my kid), no matter whether he wants to play football or trumpet. It’s not my job to project my affinities or aversions onto choices that, in the grand scheme of things, are relatively inconsequential.

“But, man, football is going to be a rough one to endure. If it’s still around when that day comes, that is.”

Premier League

We had a big one on Monday, Tottenham at Manchester United. The Spurs had a reputation for coming up small on the road against the Big Six, so this was a good test against a team that was in turmoil after just two games.

But early on, Tottenham’s Danny Rose made a horrible mistake on a backpass, but Man U’s Romelu Lukaku missed the shot, and then had two other golden opportunities that he failed to convert, and that was the game.  Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Lucas Moura struck twice in two minutes early in the second half, after a scoreless first, Moura adding a third goal late, and the Spurs won 3-0.  For Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, it was his first victory at Old Trafford after four straight losses without scoring a goal.

For United, its three game start (one win, two losses) represents its worst start to a league season since 1992-93.

But the story was Man U manager Jose Mourinho, and his post-game behavior.  It’s panic city for the club.

Mourinho walked out of the news conference following the humiliating loss, while demanding more “respect” from the media and reminding reporters he has won more Premier League titles alone than the other 19 managers combined.

The presser lasted just seven minutes, with Mourinho praising his players and their supporters, and ended with the manager saying “respect” over and over again as he left the room.

“Do you know what was the result?  3-0.  3-0,” he said, holding up three fingers.  “Do you know what this means?  3-0.

“But it also means three Premierships, and I won more Premierships alone than the other 19 managers together.    Three for me and two for them. Respect, respect, respect...” as he walked out of the room.

Mourinho won his three titles over two stints with Chelsea.

But the guy has never spent more than 3 ½ years at a club.  Without fail, the relationship always break down.

Joshua Robinson / Wall Street Journal:

“One reason is that Mourinho’s management style relies on breeding tension in his squads.  A successful team, he believes, is one driven by an internal rage to compete. That approach has rewarded him in the past, but it has also been his downfall.  During his second stint at Chelsea, for instance, he lost the locker room even as the club romped to the 2015 title.”

But now Mourinho is picking fights with ownership, the Glazer family, which also owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So here is Mourinho’s history.

2001-2004: Porto...2 Primeria Liga champions. Champions League winner (2004).

2004-2007: Chelsea...2 Premier League champions.  [Left in September 2007]

2008-2010: Inter Milan...2 Serie A champions.  Champions League winner (2010).

2010-2013: Real Madrid...1 La Liga championship.  3 Champions League semi-finalists.

2013-2016: Chelsea...1 Premier League championship. [Left midway through third season]

2016-2019?: Manchester United...no PL titles.

Meanwhile, Manchester United Football Club is a public company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange.  As Joshua Robinson put it:

“It is a $4 billion company that trots out 11 highly paid staffers every week to represent one of the most celebrated soccer teams on the planet. And no matter how strong the share price is, United’s performance on the field – and the management turmoil it is generating – is driving the club’s supporters crazy.

“The bad headlines around Manchester United – the club and the company – belong to a raft of brewing crises.  Like, for instance, its most public-facing employee, manager Jose Mourinho, deciding to throw a tantrum in a news conference.  Or its most expensive employee, French midfielder Paul Pogba, making it little secret that he would rather work elsewhere.

“The Premier League season is only three weeks old, but already the fundamental tension inside Manchester United has returned to the surface.”

--So there are only four unblemished teams after three games (of 38).

Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Watford.

Watford was a relegation pick for some in the preseason, though before anyone starts comparing them to Leicester City and its miracle season, Watford’s wins are against Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Brighton.  This Sunday they host Tottenham.

Meanwhile, Arsenal and Man U are both 1-0-2 (W-D-L).

U.S. Open

--It’s all been about the heat thus far. Tuesday, at Flushing Meadows, it was 98 degrees air temp, 107 heat index at the worst, as three players retired from their matches from heat-related ailments, and Novak Djokovic barely made it through his first-rounder.  Today, Wednesday, won’t be any better.

--Monday, world number one Simona Halep became the first top-seeded woman to lose in the U.S. Open first round, falling 6-2, 6-4 to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.

--Serena Williams steamrolled Madga Linette of Poland in her first test.  She missed last year’s Open because of the birth of her daughter.  Because Serena is seeded No. 17, she could face sister Venus in the third round.

--Sloane Stephens, the defending champ and No. 3 seed, beat Evgeniya Rodina in her opener.

--Britain’s Andy Murray made his return after being out 14 months with a hip injury, the 31-year-old defeating Australia’s James Duckworth in the first round.

Golf Balls

--John Feinstein of Golf World agrees with me that Bryson DeChambeau is not an ideal pick for the Ryder Cup team as one of Jim Furyk’s captain’s picks, except now Furyk has to take him after DeChambeau won the Northern Trust.

“Furyk has made it clear that he thinks experience is critical on the road and DeChambeau, at 24, will be a Ryder Cup rookie and the youngest player on the U.S. team.  What’s more, he is very clearly an outside-the-box thinker and U.S. captains very much want everyone inside-the-box when they walk into the U.S. team room.”

With Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson locks, Feinstein thought Matt Kuchar “was also a likely pick because of his experience and because he brings a looseness to the U.S. team room that is desperately needed.

“Now though, Kuchar may have to play his way into the final spot during the next two tournaments because Furyk has to seriously consider Tony Finau, if only because Finau can be a birdie-making machine.”

--I loved this story that emerged after Sunday’s final round of the Northern Trust.  Tyrrell Hatton had a 73 on Saturday and decided he needed a new putter, so he went to a nearby Golf Galaxy after the round and bought one off the rack, so to speak, a new Ping Sigma G Darby putter, and promptly shot 64 the next day.  Hatton posted his receipt on Twitter... “new putter worked its magic!  On to Boston!”

Stuff

--San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, 41, announced his retirement Monday.

“Today, with a wide range of feelings, I’m announcing my retirement from basketball,” he said in a tweet.  “It’s been a fabulous journey. Way beyond my wildest dreams.”

The Spurs were hoping the future Hall of Famer would return for a 17th season, and he was working out regularly at the team’s practice facility.

Ginobili ends a spectacular run with the Spurs, a four-time NBA champion, as well as being one of the most decorated international players in basketball history, including as a gold medalist for Argentina (2004) and a Euroleague MVP.

--USA TODAY Sports reported that Bob Costas is negotiating to be let out of his contract with NBC Sports, which currently runs through 2021.  As he put it, NBC’s programming no longer suits his interests and abilities very well.

Pretty amazing to think that Costas, 66, has been with NBC since 1979.  It seems he wants a journalism show that could extend beyond sports, and someone like HBO might be a fit.

--From USA TODAY comes a horrific story: “Burmese pythons invaded South Florida nearly 40 years ago, devouring local animals and slithering through the Everglades.

“But a new study suggests at least some of those Burmese pythons are partly Indian pythons, indicating a giant snake hybrid that could spread farther than either species alone.

“For the study, published this month in the journal Ecology and Evolution, wildlife researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey examined the tail tissue from about 400 Burmese pythons across South Florida. At least 13 of those snakes showed genetic signs of Indian pythons, according to a USGS statement.

“Interbreeding may have resulted in what is known genetically as ‘hybrid vigor,’ offspring with the best traits of both species. Breeding between Burmese pythons, which prefer wetlands, and Indian pythons, which favor higher ground, could result in snakes able to spread beyond the marshy terrain of South Florida, lead author Margaret Hunter said.

“ ‘Hybrid vigor can potentially lead to a better ability to adapt to environmental stressors and changes,’ Hunter, a research geneticist with the USGS, said in the statement.  ‘In an invasive population like the Burmese pythons in South Florida, this could result in a broader or more rapid distribution.’”

I think we’re going to have to call in the Air Force, personally.  Give all mammals 24 hours’ notice to get out of the area and then let loose.

Personally, I’m also looking under my bed each night.

Top 3 songs for the week 8/27/66: #1 “Summer In The City” (The Lovin’ Spoonful) #2 “Sunny” (Bobby Hebb)  #3 “See You In September” (The Happenings...loved this one...)...and...#4 “Lil’ Red Riding Hood” (Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs)  #5 “Sunshine Superman” (Donovan)  #6 “Wild Thing” (The Troggs)  #7 “You Can’t Hurry Love” (The Supremes)  #8 “Yellow Submarine” (The Beatles)  #9 “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” (Petula Clark...we love Pet!...)  #10 “Summertime” (Billy Stewart...another A/A- week...)

U.S. Open Tennis Quiz Answer: Last five American men to win the singles title:

Andy Roddick was the last in 2003, preceded by Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.

Connors and McEnroe alternated winning it between 1978 and 1984, Connors three times, McEnroe four.  But Connors also won in 1974 and 1976.  The two, though, never squared off in a final.

Sampras won five times, Agassi twice.

Next Bar Chat, Monday.



AddThis Feed Button

 

-08/30/2018-      
Web Epoch NJ Web Design  |  (c) Copyright 2016 StocksandNews.com, LLC.

Bar Chat

08/30/2018

Playoff Chase

[Posted early Wed. a.m.]

U.S. Open Tennis Quiz: Name the last five American men to win the singles title.  Answer below.

MLB

A.L. Wild Card (thru Tues.)

New York 84-48... +4.5
Oakland 80-53... --
Seattle 74-58... 5.5

So for now, increasingly looking like New York is hosting Oakland in the wild card, the Yankees 6 ½ back of the Red Sox. But....

A.L. West

Houston 81-51
Oakland 80-53... 1.5

Back to the Yanks, good thing they beat the White Sox last night, 5-4, on a walk-off homer by Neil Walker, because they lost to Chicago 6-2 the night before. The Yankees received more bad news when Aaron Judge revealed he still can’t swing a bat due to pain in his fractured right wrist.

N.L. Wild Card

St. Louis 74-58... +1.5
Milwaukee 73-60... --
Arizona 72-60... 0.5
Colorado 72-60... 0.5
Los Angeles 71-61... 1.5
Philadelphia 70-62... 2.5

N.L. West

Arizona 72-60 --
Colorado 72-60 --
Los Angeles 71-61... 1

--The Cardinals removed the interim tag from Mike Shildt’s title, promoting him to manager after his super job since taking over from fired Mike Matheny. 

St. Louis was 47-46 when the change was made, and they’ve gone 27-12 under Shildt.

--We had another matchup between the Nationals’ Max Scherzer and the Phillies’ Aaron Nola Tuesday night in Philly, and the Nats prevailed 5-4, with three runs in the ninth, but both pitchers got a no-decision, Scherzer allowing 3 earned in five innings, Nola just 1 in seven.

Scherzer remains 16-6, but his ERA rose to 2.20.  Nola is 15-3, 2.10.

And the Mets’ Jacob deGrom squared off in Chicago against the Cubs’ Cole Hamels, the game suspended in the tenth inning, 1-1, due to rain.

DeGrom allowed the lone run in eight innings, fanning 10, to lower his ERA to 1.68, but, staggeringly, still just 8-8.  Cole Hamels threw five shutout innings and lowered his ERA in six starts for the Cubs to 0.69.

--Not for nothing but J.D. Martinez leads the A.L. in RBIs (110) and hitting (.338), while trailing Oakland’s Khris Davis by a lone homer (Davis with 39, J.D. 38).  Ergo, Triple Crown talk for sure.

--Kind of shocking that Scooter Gennett leads the N.L. in batting at just .313.

--Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-5, including a three-run homer, as the Angels snapped a six-game losing streak on Monday against the Rockies, 10-7.  Mike Trout hit his first home run since he returned from the disabled list and a subsequent personal leave.

With Ohtani’s homer, his 15th of the season, he joined Babe Ruth in 1919 and Jimmy Ryan in 1888 as the only players with 15 home runs and four pitching wins in a season.

In 233 ABs, Ohtani has 16 2B, 15 HR, 43 RBI, .275 BA, .898 OPS.  And he has six steals in seven attempts.

On the mound, he’s 4-1, 3.10 ERA, with 61 strikeouts in 49 1/3.

But there is still no word on whether Ohtani will hit the mound again this season, as he progresses from a right elbow sprain.  He threw 50 pitches in a three-inning simulation game, against minor league hitters, the other day.

--USA TODAY conducted a study of all 30 major-league teams and found there are 21 active managers earning $1.5 million or less this season, with just three managers earning more than the average major-league player salary of $4 million.

Yes, gone are the days of 10-year, $50 million contracts, such as the one the Angels once awarded Mike Scioscia.  No one earns $7.5 million a year like Joe Torre did 11 years ago with the Yankees.

The highest-paid managers at $6 million apiece are three-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy of the Giants, Scioscia and the Cubs’ Joe Maddon.

Just seven managers have lasted at least five years in their current jobs, earning salaries dwarfed by NFL and NBA coaches, ditto major college coaches in both football and basketball as well.

The suppressed salary scale comes as baseball’s revenues continue to rise, to in excess of $8billion this year, but managers salaries are going down.

Consider this. Aaron Boone signed a three-year, $3.75 million contract with the Yankees, while Boston’s Alex Cora signed for $4 million over four years.

Compare that with the Oakland Raiders handing Jon Gruden a 10-year, $100 million deal, or the 10-year, $75 million that Texas A&M gave football coach Jimbo Fisher to leave Florida State.  This is absurd.

Many of the new managers are barely making the minimum $545,000 player salary, even as managers work a minimum 12-hour workday, including nonstop interaction with the press and departments within the organization.

Yup, it’s all about the front office these days.

NFL

--The Giants did it...agreed to a five-year extension with superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr., which makes him the highest-paid wide receiver in football.

Beckham will receive a maximum $95 million over the course of the deal, with $65 million in guaranteed money, eclipsing the contract of Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown, $17 million per year, and Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans’ $55 million in total guarantees.

Beckham is set to make $8.4 million on the fifth year of his rookie contract, but the agreement reworks it to give him a $1.459 million salary with a $20 million signing bonus, thus saving the Giants $3 million against the cap.

Beckham, 25, had at least 90 catches, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his first three seasons, before breaking his ankle last October.

Steve Serby / New York Post

“(With his new deal), a new responsibility will confront Beckham, as early as Week 1 against elite Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey:

“The bull’s-eye on his No. 13 jersey just reached Empire State Building heights.

“Ramsey almost immediately tweeted:

“ ‘It’s going to be a show very soon. #BatmanVsTheJoker’

“It will be incumbent upon Beckham to tame the wild game-day beast within him and show the world that he has matured enough not to allow himself to be baited or provoked.

“But if The Money Badger is all grown up, finally, and his fractured ankle is indeed a distant memory, and IF the Giants are right about 37-year-old Eli Manning, then the joke will be on the rest of the NFL.

“Manning’s Score Four – Beckham, Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram – has a chance to be The Greatest Show in Town outside of The Bronx....

“Gone, the Giants trust, are the days of Beckham mimicking a dog urinating in the end zone or embarking on a Miami boat trip before a playoff game or starring in a Paris pepperoni pizza video.

“But he can dance to the bank now if he pleases....

“You don’t become a legend in this town until you win a championship, and Beckham now needs to win his first playoff game.

“ ‘It’s time for Eli to bring us home,’ Beckham said.  ‘It’s time for him to bring us back to what we all dream of doing, which is winning a Super Bowl, so the goals are never going to change, it’s just that time to go is now.’”

--I didn’t have time last B.C. to comment on the retirement of receiver Eric Decker, who spent eight season in the NFL, 439 receptions and 53 touchdowns.

Decker had played his first four seasons with Denver and had two monster years his last two there, 2012 (85-1,064-13) and 2013 (87-1,288-11), before the Jets signed him as a free agent.

There were a lot of sceptics who believed his numbers were inflated by playing in Peyton Manning’s offense those two seasons, but Decker proved to be a very solid performer for the Jets his first two seasons – 74-962-5; 80-1,027-12 – and Jets fans learned to appreciate his value.  He earned his money.

Unfortunately he got hurt early in 2016, he was cut in 2017, signed with Tennessee, and was a mediocre 54-563-1 for the Titans. New England signed him this summer but he struggled in camp and in exhibition games, so he decided to hang it up at age 31.

“It has been my childhood dream and my passion to play the game of football. I was very fortunate and blessed to have had the opportunity to have those dreams fulfilled and to have played with such extremely talented and hard-working teammates, coaches and staff,” he wrote on Instagram.

Decker added he looked forward to spending more time with the wife and kids, and in his case, we’re talking singer/model Jesse James Decker.  Can’t say I blame Eric, especially after some of the things Jesse would say in the local media when he was playing with the Jets...as in she talked openly about frolicking in the house nude....cough cough...cough....

But back to her hubby, this is one Jets fan who appreciated his playing career in New York.  He was a pro.

College Football

--On paper, the opening weekend of the college football season has few games of interest.

6 Washington at 9 Auburn is one of them.  14 Michigan at 12 Notre Dame a biggie for all manner of reasons, especially if you’re Jim Harbaugh.

Sunday night has an intriguing one, 8 Miami at 25 LSU.  And then Monday, 20 Virginia Tech at 19 Florida State.

Phil W. and I are intrigued by Appalachian State at 10 Penn State, Phil having been in attendance at Ann Arbor for one of the great sports upsets of all time in this country, App St. beating Michigan.  [Holy cow, Phil. That was 11 years ago and I remember your phone call from the stadium as if it was yesterday!]

Wake Forest opens at Tulane Thursday night.  I’m worried. We’re starting a true freshman at QB, Sam Hartman, and we’re only favored by 6-6 ½.  But we have a lot of experience on the offensive line, some decent weapons, and what should be a solid defense.  All of us expect a 7-5 season, at the very worst.  Week 3 against Boston College will be the big early test that will tell us all a lot.

--Speaking of true freshmen, JT Daniels is getting the nod at No. 15-ranked USC when they open up Sept. 1.  Daniels has the unenviable task of replacing Sam Darnold.  Only three true freshmen have ever started a game at quarterback for the Trojans: Matt Barkley (2009), Carson Palmer (1998) and Rob Johnson (1991).

--Finally, as the college football season gets underway this weekend in earnest, the NFL the following one, just some thoughts on the state of the game, as so many of us watch in denial.

Phil W. passed along a piece from Ed Hardin / Greensboro News & Record:

“Look, the game of football is great. It indeed instills character and team-building qualities in all of us who played the game.  And those of us lucky enough to have been around such coaches as Bob Waters at Western Carolina, Joe Gibbs in Washington or Jim Grobe at Wake Forest understand that good men have always been in the game.

“But it was Grobe who once said, ‘I’m just a football coach.’

“He was as tough as old nails, and he expected his players to run through walls for him, but he didn’t buy into the myth that football is life and war or that the football coach is above reproach.

“We’re in the process of bringing down statues in the country, and some of them are football heroes.  It’s against that backdrop that we begin another football season, a time when we come together on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons for a game our fathers taught us.

“Some of us love the game while admitting its problems and shortcomings.  And some of us, grown adults, wear football jerseys and gamble away our family’s money and pretend that football Sundays are important.

“They aren’t. Sunday is sacred and football is a sport, not a religion and not a war.

“Football isn’t under siege in this country.  It’s the other way around. We have the media to blame for that.  And the NFL.  And our colleges, many of which are now nothing more than football factories surrounded by classrooms.

“But mostly, we have ourselves to blame.  It wasn’t always like this.  There was a time in this country when the first cool breeze in the dying days of summer meant school supplies and harvest festivals.  Now we’re studying for fantasy football leagues.

“I know.  I’m in three of them.”

Joanna Allhands / Arizona Republic

“Football appears to be dying a slow death.

“A growing number of kids don’t want to play the sport, and a growing number of schools aren’t offering it.

“And as much as it pains me to say this, part of me thinks that’s good. A part of me hopes that by the time my toddler gets old enough to choose a sport (if he even decides to play sports), football will be so last season that he won’t seriously consider it.

“I know.  How did I become that mom?

“I like watching football.  And I’ve long been OK with the idea of my son getting in the game, taking those crazy hard hits like his dad did when he played football in school.

“Because that’s the sport. It’s rough. There will be injuries. Kids (and parents) should know that going into it.

“We’re learning a lot about the damage concussions can do to a forming brain, and it’s seriously scary.  I’ve long heard that repeated knocks to the head, like those that add up over years of professional or college play, can cause all sorts of problems.

“But now research is showing that even one concussion can do lasting damage to the brain. Even a few hard hits that aren’t concussions could have ill effects (which is worrisome enough if you have a boy.  I mean, they’re always hitting their heads)....

“I tell myself that I need to support (my kid), no matter whether he wants to play football or trumpet. It’s not my job to project my affinities or aversions onto choices that, in the grand scheme of things, are relatively inconsequential.

“But, man, football is going to be a rough one to endure. If it’s still around when that day comes, that is.”

Premier League

We had a big one on Monday, Tottenham at Manchester United. The Spurs had a reputation for coming up small on the road against the Big Six, so this was a good test against a team that was in turmoil after just two games.

But early on, Tottenham’s Danny Rose made a horrible mistake on a backpass, but Man U’s Romelu Lukaku missed the shot, and then had two other golden opportunities that he failed to convert, and that was the game.  Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Lucas Moura struck twice in two minutes early in the second half, after a scoreless first, Moura adding a third goal late, and the Spurs won 3-0.  For Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, it was his first victory at Old Trafford after four straight losses without scoring a goal.

For United, its three game start (one win, two losses) represents its worst start to a league season since 1992-93.

But the story was Man U manager Jose Mourinho, and his post-game behavior.  It’s panic city for the club.

Mourinho walked out of the news conference following the humiliating loss, while demanding more “respect” from the media and reminding reporters he has won more Premier League titles alone than the other 19 managers combined.

The presser lasted just seven minutes, with Mourinho praising his players and their supporters, and ended with the manager saying “respect” over and over again as he left the room.

“Do you know what was the result?  3-0.  3-0,” he said, holding up three fingers.  “Do you know what this means?  3-0.

“But it also means three Premierships, and I won more Premierships alone than the other 19 managers together.    Three for me and two for them. Respect, respect, respect...” as he walked out of the room.

Mourinho won his three titles over two stints with Chelsea.

But the guy has never spent more than 3 ½ years at a club.  Without fail, the relationship always break down.

Joshua Robinson / Wall Street Journal:

“One reason is that Mourinho’s management style relies on breeding tension in his squads.  A successful team, he believes, is one driven by an internal rage to compete. That approach has rewarded him in the past, but it has also been his downfall.  During his second stint at Chelsea, for instance, he lost the locker room even as the club romped to the 2015 title.”

But now Mourinho is picking fights with ownership, the Glazer family, which also owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So here is Mourinho’s history.

2001-2004: Porto...2 Primeria Liga champions. Champions League winner (2004).

2004-2007: Chelsea...2 Premier League champions.  [Left in September 2007]

2008-2010: Inter Milan...2 Serie A champions.  Champions League winner (2010).

2010-2013: Real Madrid...1 La Liga championship.  3 Champions League semi-finalists.

2013-2016: Chelsea...1 Premier League championship. [Left midway through third season]

2016-2019?: Manchester United...no PL titles.

Meanwhile, Manchester United Football Club is a public company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange.  As Joshua Robinson put it:

“It is a $4 billion company that trots out 11 highly paid staffers every week to represent one of the most celebrated soccer teams on the planet. And no matter how strong the share price is, United’s performance on the field – and the management turmoil it is generating – is driving the club’s supporters crazy.

“The bad headlines around Manchester United – the club and the company – belong to a raft of brewing crises.  Like, for instance, its most public-facing employee, manager Jose Mourinho, deciding to throw a tantrum in a news conference.  Or its most expensive employee, French midfielder Paul Pogba, making it little secret that he would rather work elsewhere.

“The Premier League season is only three weeks old, but already the fundamental tension inside Manchester United has returned to the surface.”

--So there are only four unblemished teams after three games (of 38).

Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Watford.

Watford was a relegation pick for some in the preseason, though before anyone starts comparing them to Leicester City and its miracle season, Watford’s wins are against Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Brighton.  This Sunday they host Tottenham.

Meanwhile, Arsenal and Man U are both 1-0-2 (W-D-L).

U.S. Open

--It’s all been about the heat thus far. Tuesday, at Flushing Meadows, it was 98 degrees air temp, 107 heat index at the worst, as three players retired from their matches from heat-related ailments, and Novak Djokovic barely made it through his first-rounder.  Today, Wednesday, won’t be any better.

--Monday, world number one Simona Halep became the first top-seeded woman to lose in the U.S. Open first round, falling 6-2, 6-4 to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.

--Serena Williams steamrolled Madga Linette of Poland in her first test.  She missed last year’s Open because of the birth of her daughter.  Because Serena is seeded No. 17, she could face sister Venus in the third round.

--Sloane Stephens, the defending champ and No. 3 seed, beat Evgeniya Rodina in her opener.

--Britain’s Andy Murray made his return after being out 14 months with a hip injury, the 31-year-old defeating Australia’s James Duckworth in the first round.

Golf Balls

--John Feinstein of Golf World agrees with me that Bryson DeChambeau is not an ideal pick for the Ryder Cup team as one of Jim Furyk’s captain’s picks, except now Furyk has to take him after DeChambeau won the Northern Trust.

“Furyk has made it clear that he thinks experience is critical on the road and DeChambeau, at 24, will be a Ryder Cup rookie and the youngest player on the U.S. team.  What’s more, he is very clearly an outside-the-box thinker and U.S. captains very much want everyone inside-the-box when they walk into the U.S. team room.”

With Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson locks, Feinstein thought Matt Kuchar “was also a likely pick because of his experience and because he brings a looseness to the U.S. team room that is desperately needed.

“Now though, Kuchar may have to play his way into the final spot during the next two tournaments because Furyk has to seriously consider Tony Finau, if only because Finau can be a birdie-making machine.”

--I loved this story that emerged after Sunday’s final round of the Northern Trust.  Tyrrell Hatton had a 73 on Saturday and decided he needed a new putter, so he went to a nearby Golf Galaxy after the round and bought one off the rack, so to speak, a new Ping Sigma G Darby putter, and promptly shot 64 the next day.  Hatton posted his receipt on Twitter... “new putter worked its magic!  On to Boston!”

Stuff

--San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, 41, announced his retirement Monday.

“Today, with a wide range of feelings, I’m announcing my retirement from basketball,” he said in a tweet.  “It’s been a fabulous journey. Way beyond my wildest dreams.”

The Spurs were hoping the future Hall of Famer would return for a 17th season, and he was working out regularly at the team’s practice facility.

Ginobili ends a spectacular run with the Spurs, a four-time NBA champion, as well as being one of the most decorated international players in basketball history, including as a gold medalist for Argentina (2004) and a Euroleague MVP.

--USA TODAY Sports reported that Bob Costas is negotiating to be let out of his contract with NBC Sports, which currently runs through 2021.  As he put it, NBC’s programming no longer suits his interests and abilities very well.

Pretty amazing to think that Costas, 66, has been with NBC since 1979.  It seems he wants a journalism show that could extend beyond sports, and someone like HBO might be a fit.

--From USA TODAY comes a horrific story: “Burmese pythons invaded South Florida nearly 40 years ago, devouring local animals and slithering through the Everglades.

“But a new study suggests at least some of those Burmese pythons are partly Indian pythons, indicating a giant snake hybrid that could spread farther than either species alone.

“For the study, published this month in the journal Ecology and Evolution, wildlife researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey examined the tail tissue from about 400 Burmese pythons across South Florida. At least 13 of those snakes showed genetic signs of Indian pythons, according to a USGS statement.

“Interbreeding may have resulted in what is known genetically as ‘hybrid vigor,’ offspring with the best traits of both species. Breeding between Burmese pythons, which prefer wetlands, and Indian pythons, which favor higher ground, could result in snakes able to spread beyond the marshy terrain of South Florida, lead author Margaret Hunter said.

“ ‘Hybrid vigor can potentially lead to a better ability to adapt to environmental stressors and changes,’ Hunter, a research geneticist with the USGS, said in the statement.  ‘In an invasive population like the Burmese pythons in South Florida, this could result in a broader or more rapid distribution.’”

I think we’re going to have to call in the Air Force, personally.  Give all mammals 24 hours’ notice to get out of the area and then let loose.

Personally, I’m also looking under my bed each night.

Top 3 songs for the week 8/27/66: #1 “Summer In The City” (The Lovin’ Spoonful) #2 “Sunny” (Bobby Hebb)  #3 “See You In September” (The Happenings...loved this one...)...and...#4 “Lil’ Red Riding Hood” (Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs)  #5 “Sunshine Superman” (Donovan)  #6 “Wild Thing” (The Troggs)  #7 “You Can’t Hurry Love” (The Supremes)  #8 “Yellow Submarine” (The Beatles)  #9 “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” (Petula Clark...we love Pet!...)  #10 “Summertime” (Billy Stewart...another A/A- week...)

U.S. Open Tennis Quiz Answer: Last five American men to win the singles title:

Andy Roddick was the last in 2003, preceded by Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.

Connors and McEnroe alternated winning it between 1978 and 1984, Connors three times, McEnroe four.  But Connors also won in 1974 and 1976.  The two, though, never squared off in a final.

Sampras won five times, Agassi twice.

Next Bar Chat, Monday.