[Posted Sunday p.m.]
Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.
Baseball Quiz: 1) Who are the only four active pitchers (minimum 100 decisions) with a career winning percentage of .650 or better? 2) Who are the only three pitchers with a winning percentage of .690 career, modern-day, post-1920? Answers below.
Warning: This column contains the epic Lee Elia rant, with highly offensive language. If you don’t want to read it, just skip past it.
MLB
–I have to go back to Tuesday, when the Mets had their first comeback win from four runs down of the season, which is rather remarkable…down 6-2 in the eighth against the Orioles in Baltimore, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso hit 2-run homers to tie it and the Mets won it in the tenth on a Juan Soto single, 7-6; Huascar Brazoban stranding the ghost runner.
Owner Steve Cohen posted afterwards that it was a terrific win for “Fab Four,” (Lindor, Soto, Alonso and Brandon Nimmo).
But then we had a rainout Wednesday, necessitating a doubleheader Thursday, and the Mets reverted to form with runners-in-scoring-position, 2-for 18, as they lost two, 3-1 and 7-3. Ugh.
On to Kansas City…and Friday the Mets had just two hits after seven innings, down 3-1, but they scored 7 runs in the 8th and 9th, struggling Mark Vientos with a massive 3-run double in the eighth, Lindor and Soto going back-to-back in the ninth, 8-3 win.
Saturday, Juan Soto hit a 435-foot 2-run bomb in the fourth, Frankie Montas pitched five strong, one run, and the Mets bullpen did the rest, All-Star Edwin Diaz with a six-out save, Mets with another nice win, 3-1.
Today, the Mets were down and out, trailing 2-0 after 8, but they tied it in the top of the ninth, Sean Manaea making his 2025 debut after Clay Holmes went the first five, 2 earned.
Manaea was terrific in the sixth through the eight innings, six Ks, 53 pitches, and he went out for the ninth to keep the game in check and send it to ghost-runner territory.
But in the bottom of the ninth, speed demon Tyler Tolbert gets a single, previously 1-for-12, steals second, and easily scores on a Nick Loftin base hit.
The Mets, however, take away a huge positive in Manaea’s performance.
–The Yankees’ week started in tumultuous fashion as the team announced Jazz Chisholm was moving to second base from third, replacing veteran DJ LeMahieu, who is no longer capable of playing third. LeMahieu was pissed and then the team released him, eating the remaining $22 million on his contract. It was the right thing to do, though not real popular in the clubhouse, initially, with Aaron Judge saying, “It wasn’t great (hearing of the news), especially with what DJ’s meant to this team and what he’s meant to me also as a player.”
But the Yanks, after an 11-0 whitewash of the Cubs Friday night at the Stadium, behind Clay Bellinger’s three, 2-run homers (6 RBIs), Bellinger robbed by Kyle Tucker of a fourth, had won five straight. Carlos Rodon, an All-Star replacement for Max Fried, fired eight innings of shutout ball for his tenth win.
Thursday, the Yanks had had a stunning comeback over the Mariners, 6-5. Seattle’s Bryan Woo had no-hit the Bronx Bombers through seven innings, the team up 5-0, but the Yanks rallied with three in the bottom of the eighth, tied it in the ninth on a 2-out, 2-run single from Austin Wells, and won it in the tenth on an Aaron Judge sac fly.
Saturday, however, a packed house was disappointed and bored to tears as the Cubs got to Max Fried for 3 runs in 3 innings, before he left with a blister, Fried falling to 11-3, 2.43, the Yanks losing 5-2. The only thing Yankees fans had to cheer about was an Aaron Judge 2-run homer, No. 35, in the bottom of the ninth.
The home run was Judge’s 350th, as he became the fastest in MLB history to get to that figure, just 1,088 games vs. Mark McGwire’s 350 in 1,280 games.
For Chicago, All-Star Matthew Boyd improved to 10-3, 2.34, with eight shutout innings.
Sunday, the Yanks (53-43) lost 4-1, the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga (6-3, 2.65) with 7 innings of one-run ball, just two hits, Giancarlo Stanton with a home run for New York, Chicago 57-39 into the break.
–The Dodgers lost their seventh straight Friday night to the Giants in San Francisco, 8-7, L.A.’s longest losing streak since 2017.
But they snapped the streak Saturday with a 2-1 win over San Fran, Shohei Ohtani with three scoreless, his longest outing.
On Wednesday in Milwaukee, at least the Dodgers got starter Tyler Glasnow back, Glasnow encouragingly throwing 5 innings, zero earned, his first start since April 27 when he was sidelined with shoulder inflammation, but it was a 3-2 loss in ten.
–The amazing Cal Raleigh, the superstar catcher for the Mariners, hit another two home runs (Nos. 37 and 38) on Friday night, a 12-3 win over the Tigers, Seattle roughing up Tarik Skubal for 4 earned in five innings, Skubal’s first loss since April 2, also to the Mariners, as he fell to 10-3, 2.23.
Raleigh became the first player since the first MLB All-Star Game in 1933 with 38+ home runs and 80+ RBI before the All-Star break. He trails only Barry Bonds, who hit 39 homers before the break in 2001.
Saturday, Seattle blitzed Detroit 15-7, and you’re thinking, Raleigh must have hit two more, but he was 0-for-4 with a sac fly.
And Sunday, Seattle (51-45) handed the Tigers their fourth straight loss (59-38), hitting five home runs in an 8-4 win…but Raleigh was 0-for-2, 3 walks. The last four games, Detroit’s pitching staff has yielded 42 runs. Eegads, as Ken P. would say.
–Boy, I had no idea the Red Sox have won nine straight through Saturday to move to within four games of first-place Toronto in the AL East. Yesterday, Boston’s All-Star Garrett Crochet threw his first complete game shutout, 3 hits, no walks, 9 Ks, as the BoSox beat the Rays in Fenway, 1-0; Crochet 10-4, 2.23. What a great long-term signing, it would appear, having acquired Crochet in a trade with the White Sox in the offseason and then securing him through 2031.
Sunday, Boston (53-45) made it ten straight, 4-1 over Tampa Bay (50-47).
–I can’t help but note Minnesota’s 12-4 win over Pittsburgh, Saturday, as All-Star Byron Buxton hit for the cycle, 5-for-5, and on his bobblehead day! Love it. It’s great to have him healthy. Wish the Mets had him.
—I have to admit I was not that interested in who made the All-Star teams, though I’ll watch the game of course. With so many players opting out to rest, it’s just not the same, and hasn’t been for a long while.
That said, All-Star Game nods are still important in analyzing one’s career, more important than the NFL’s sham Pro Bowl designation. [AP All-Pro is what matters in that sport.]
And now, I have to admit, with Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski becoming a selectee (replacement) after just five major league starts, he becomes a story and will no doubt get in the game.
No starting pitcher in history has gotten a spot with just five starts.
Paul Skenes last year was selected after 11, and it was totally warranted. He ended up being Rookie of the Year.
Mark Fidrych was selected in 1976 after 13 starts, but that was the summer of “The Bird.” [Fidrych would be Rookie of the Year and lead the league in ERA, 2.34, with a 19-9 record.]
Ditto Hideo Nomo in 1995 after 13. [Nomo would go on to be Rookie of the Year and lead the N.L. in strikeouts.]
But five starts? Outrageous. For good reason a lot of folks are pissed. There are lots of more deserving veterans who deserved to be selected.
Misiorowski is 4-1, 2.81, with 33 strikeouts in 25 2/3. The Mets are the only ones to rough him up. Tuesday, he had 12 strikeouts in six innings against the Dodgers in a 3-1 win, marred only by Shohei Ohtani’s lead-off home run.
–We note the passing of Joe Coleman, 78.
Coleman was the No. 3 pick in baseball’s inaugural amateur draft in 1965 when he was selected by the Washington Senators.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Coleman became the first player to reach the majors after being drafted when he debuted for the Senators on Sept. 28, 1965. He threw a four-hitter to beat the Kansas City Athletics 6-1.
After the 1970 season Coleman was traded to Detroit in a deal that sent Denny McLain to Washington. He enjoyed his greatest individual success with the Tigers, going 88-73 with a 3.82 ERA from 1971-76.
Coleman went 20-9 in 1971, 3.15 after recovering from a skull fracture that hospitalized him for two weeks. He was an All-Star the following season, when he went 19-14, 2.80, and made his only postseason appearance, striking out a then-playoff record 14 batters to shutout the Oakland A’s in Game 3 of the five-game ALCS. The Tigers lost the series 3-2 and Oakland went on to beat Cincinnati in the World Series.
Coleman then had a 23-15 season in 1973, 3.53. He threw 280+ innings each of 1971-74.
He had also won 105 games after his age 26 season, but he struggled to finish his career, 142-135, 3.70.
I frankly had forgotten how good he was for those main four seasons. He had three, 200 strikeout campaigns as well.
Born in Boston, Coleman graduated from Natick High. He attended Ted Williams’ baseball camps, where he learned how to throw a curveball and slider. My childhood buddy, Jeff W., used to go to Ted Williams baseball camp and Jeff turned into a pretty darn good athlete, including as a soccer goalie on some very good teams. We would play endless games of wiffle ball in the streets in the summer. We had an unbelievably difficult home run mark and so our games always ended 0-0, until one day Jeff hit what he ruled was a home run, I differed, and we got into our only real argument in our lives. Jeff, I’m sorry!!! My bad.
–And Lee Elia died, 87. Elia was an unsuccessful manager for essentially four seasons in the big leagues with the Cubs and Phillies (238-300), after a brief playing career in the big leagues.
But Lee Elia is forever known for an epic rant. It was April 29, 1983, and the Dodgers had just lost a game to the Dodgers, Lee Smith with a wild pitch to bring in what would be the winning run in a 4-3 game. The Cubbies were 5-14 and the Wrigley fans were not happy.
After the game, fans poured beer on some of the players as they headed to the clubhouse and Elia was furious.
The thing is, most of the Cubs’ beat reporters were in the Dodger clubhouse to interview a local hero, first baseman Mike Marshall, who had become a regular for L.A.
Just four reporters were in the room when Elia started out, and if Les Grobstein of WLS-890 AM hadn’t recorded it (the only audio recording of the rant), we never would have had the real story.
It’s easier to write this without having to hide the F-word…so my apologies to those who consider this offensive.
Elia started out:
“Fuck those fuckin’ fans who come out here and say they’re Cub fans that are supposed to be behind you rippin’ every fuckin’ thing you do. I’ll tell you one fuckin’ thing, I hope we get fuckin’ hotter than shit, just to stuff it up them 3,000 fuckin’ people that show up every fuckin’ day, because if they’re the real Chicago fuckin’ fans, they can kick my fuckin’ ass right downtown and PRINT IT.
“They’re really, really behind you around here…my fuckin’ ass. What the fuck am I supposed to do, go out there and let my fuckin’ players get destroyed every day and be quiet about it? For the fuckin’ nickel-dime people who turn up? The motherfuckers don’t even work. That’s why they’re out at the fuckin’ game. They oughtta go out and get a fuckin’ job and find out what it’s like to go out and earn a fuckin’ living. Eighty-five percent of the fuckin’ world is working. The other fifteen percent come out here. A fuckin’ playground for the cocksuckers. Rip them motherfuckers. Rip them fuckin’ cocksuckers like the fuckin’ players. We got guys bustin’ their fuckin’ ass, and them fuckin’ people boo. And that’s the Cubs? My players get around here. I haven’t seen it this fuckin’ year. Everybody associated with this organization have been winners their whole fuckin’ life. Everybody. And the credit is not given in that respect.”
Elia would continue after a few tame lines of thought….
“There’s some fuckin’ pros out there that wanna win. But you’re stuck in a fuckin’ stigma of the fuckin’ Dodgers and the Phillies and the Cardinals and all that cheap shit. It’s unbelievable. It really is. It’s a disheartening fuckin’ situation that we’re in right now… We got 143 fuckin’ games left.
“What I’m tryin’ to say is don’t rip them fuckin’ guys out there. Rip me. If you wanna rip somebody, rip my fuckin’ ass. But don’t rip them fuckin’ guys ‘cause they’re givin’ everything they can. And right now they’re tryin’ to do more than God gave ‘em, and that’s why we make the simple mistakes. That’s exactly why.”
Elia was almost fired that night…but management decided to keep him, only to fire him in August, 54-69, replaced by Charlie Fox.
Wimbledon
–Going back to last Thursday, 13-seed Amanda Anisimova upset top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the women’s semifinals, Anisimova headed to her first Grand Slam final against 8 Iga Swiatek (who was the pre-tournament betting favorite, if I recall correctly), who took out Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0.
Anisimova is a 23-year-old American who was born in Freehold Township, New Jersey (Bruuuuce). Just two years ago she gave up the game, claiming burnout and a need to take care of her mental health.
Well, she may need another break after getting destroyed 6-0, 6-0 in the final…Swiatek’s first Wimbledon title and sixth Grand Slam overall (four French and one U.S. Open title).
So still no American champion at Wimbledon, male or female, since Serena Williams in 2016.
–On the men’s side, in the semifinals, 2 Carlos Alcaraz got past 5 Taylor Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6) to move within a victory of a third consecutive Wimbledon championship.
Then it was No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s turn, and he dispatched of 6 Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
So that set up No. 1 vs. No. 2 again, a rematch of the French Open. Would it be another epic battle?
Not quite epic, but the rivalry gets better and better, this round going to Sinner, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, the 23-year-old’s fourth Grand Slam title, first on a surface other than hard court.
Alcaraz, just 22, has five Grand Slam titles. I think most tennis fans would be happy to see the same finale in New York in September.
NBA
–It’s funny money season in the NBA.
Phoenix’ Devin Booker signed a two-year, $145 million extension, or $72.5 million per season, that is through the 2029-30 season. That’s more per season than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s $71.5 million per.
Booker is a very good player, but probably not even top 20 in the NBA and Phoenix is going nowhere. This is stupid.
The Thunder’s Chet Holmgren agreed to a fully guaranteed five-year maximum rookie extension worth up to $250 million. This comes after Oklahoma City had signed the aforementioned SGA to a four-year, $285 million extension.
—Frank Layden, the sharp-witted former coach who led the Utah Jazz to the playoffs for the first time, died. He was 93.
“Frank Layden made a lasting impact on the Jazz, the state of Utah, and the NBA,” the Jazz said in a statement Wednesday. “There will never be another like him. Our thoughts go out to his family as we join in mourning his loss and celebrating his life. Rest easy, Coach.”
Layden coached the Jazz from 1981-89, and had a 277-294 record, but that’s deceiving as he took Utah to five straight playoffs before he was replaced in ’89 by Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan. Layden’s latter teams were when Karl Malone and John Stockton arrived on the scene.
Frank Layden was also known for his humor and sideline antics. Among the best one-liners attributed to him was one about a problem player he coached: “I told him, ‘Son, what is it with you? Is it ignorance or apathy?’ He said, ‘Coach, I don’t know and I don’t care.’”
Layden began his career coaching in the high school ranks before moving on to coach at his alma mater, Niagara University. He made the jump to the NBA in 1976 on Hubie Brown’s staff with the Atlanta Hawks and became the New Orleans Jazz’s general manager in 1979.
He moved on to Salt Lake City, and took over as coach after Tom Nissalke was fired midway through the 1981-82 season. Layden then led the Jazz to their first playoffs in his second season.
Golf Balls
—As a prelude to The Open Championship, the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, can be a terrific tune-up, but the weather was largely tame for the first three rounds and we had this heading to Sunday’s finale….
Rory McIlroy -11
Chris Gotterup -11
Wyndham Clark -9
Matt Fitzpatrick -9
Jake Knapp -9
Marco Penge -9
Scottie Scheffler -6
And out of nowhere, Chris Gotterup, a Jersey boy (Little Silver High School, Rutgers University for four years) takes down Rory and a really top field, his second PGA Tour title, the other an opposite field event last year. He turns 26 next week. Wow.
Gotterup -15
McIlroy -13
Penge (a Euro Tour veteran) -13
Fitzpatrick -12
Nicolai Hojgaard -12
T8 Scheffler -9
Gotterup moves from 88 to 39 in the FedEx Cup standings and he heads to Royal Portrush.
Big week for Fitzpatrick, as he moves from 73 to 60 on the points list.
—At the alternate (opposite) field event, the ISCO Championship in Louisville, Ky., Chan Kim was up by 5 strokes after two rounds, but then weather became a factor and midway through the third when play was suspended, Saturday, Kim had lost the lead.
Stuff
—Next Saturday we have the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, and if all goes well in a final workout this weekend at Santa Anita, plans are to ship Preakness winner, and second-place finisher at both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes behind Sovereignty, Journalism, back east for the race. This would really spice things up and sell some tickets. It was ten years ago I went to the Haskell to see American Pharoah, in his first effort after winning the Triple Crown, and he didn’t disappoint. Still have the uncashed winning ticket on my refrigerator Hall of Fame.
–I read a piece in the Los Angeles Times on the recent Badwater 135 Ultramarathon, perhaps the toughest road race for ultra runners.
The 135-mile run takes competitors from around the world from the baking floor of Death Valley, where temperatures hit 117 degrees, to the thinning air of Mount Whitney, the Whitney Portal at more than 8,300 feet, the trailhead to glorious the glorious mountain (which tops out at 14,505 feet).
Ninety-three people completed the ordeal within the allotted 48-hour time window this week, headlined by the oldest competitor ever to finish the course, 80-year-old Bob Becker of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in a little more than 45 hours.
The winner was Simen Holvik of Norway, who finished in 21 little less than 48 minutes (you can do the math, a less than 10:00 mile pace. Wow. [The fastest woman was Marisa Lizak, 46, of Marina del Rey, in 25 hours 7 minutes.]
Badwater is renowned not just for its distance but for its hellish conditions, with temperatures often soaring above 120 degrees and runners reporting hallucinations, blood blisters and feet swollen three sizes beyond normal.
Becker had run in high school but was working as a mortgage broker when, with his 60th birthday approaching, a friend persuaded him to try a marathon in Minnesota. Quickly, distance running hooked him.
He typically runs 60 to 70 miles a week, light by comparison to many ultra runners. But the 5-foot-4, 118-pound Beckers spends a lot of extra time building up his core strength.
–The other day, longtime friend and great supporter, Jeff B., told me he was headed to London for ELO’s final concert in Hyde Park. And then on Saturday, he forwarded the note he received informing him the concert had been cancelled due to Jeff Lynne’s illness. Talk about suckdom, or the height of blowdom…that is it. Jeff goes from Connecticut to London, concert cancelled.
Hang in there, J.B. At least there’s more than a few things to do in that great city.
Well, I wrote the above Saturday and I should have known. Sunday, I wrote Jeff to ask if he had decided to take in Wimbledon, he being a huge fan of the sport and also a pretty fair player in his own right, and he sent me back a photo of him at the women’s doubles final and said he was going to attend the men’s final! I’ll say that made up for missing an ELO concert.
Top 3 songs for the week 6/15/68: #1 “Mrs. Robinson” (Simon and Garfunkel) #2 “This Guy’s In Love With You” (Herb Alpert) #3 “Mony Mony” (Tommy James and The Shondells)…and…#4 “Yummy Yummy Yummy” (Ohio Express) #5 “MacArthur Park” (Richard Harris…one of the worst songs in the history of the world…at least this version…interminable…) #6 “Tighten Up” (Archie Bell & The Drells) #7 “Think” (Aretha Franklin) #8 “A Beautiful Morning” (The Rascals) #9 “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” (Hugo Montenegro…one of the great flicks of all time…) #10 “The Look Of Love” (Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66…A- only because of #5…)
Baseball Quiz Answers: 1) Active pitchers with a winning percentage of .650 or better….
Clayton Kershaw (216-95), .695
Max Fried (84-39), .683
Max Scherzer (217-112), .660
Gerrit Cole (153-80), .657
2) Only three modern-day, post-1920, with a winning percentage of .690 or better….
Spud Chandler (109-43), .717*
Clayton Kershaw (216-95), .695
Whitey Ford (236-106), .690
*Chandler was with the Yankees from 1937-47.
[I do note for the record that Ray Brown, .7212, and Bullet Rogan, .697, of the Negro Leagues would qualify for the career mark.]
Brief Add-on up top by noon Tuesday.
