Baseball Quiz: Name all those, post-1900, to have 165 RBI in a season. Answer below.
Kidnapped U.S. captain freed; snipers kill 3 pirates
“Navy snipers on the fantail of a destroyer cut down three Somali pirates in a lifeboat and rescued an American sea captain in a surprise nighttime assault in choppy seas Easter Sunday, ending a five-day standoff between a team of rogue gunmen and the world’s most powerful military.”
So who wants to be a pirate now? Score one for America and good guys everywhere. Kudos to President Obama, as well, for authorizing the operation. But far more on this topic, and potential retaliation by the pirates, in that other column I’m involved in later in the week.
But what a tragic ending; to have 48-year-old Kenny Perry, who would have been the oldest winner of a major, blowing that 2-shot lead with two to go. If ever there is a guy to root for the rest of this season, it’s him. Since he doesn’t play in the British Open, realistically I’m hoping he gets one more shot at the PGA.
Kudos to Augusta overall, though, as The Masters returned to its former, great self. What a Sunday. I watched the last round with our own Dr. Bortrum (because his television is superior to mine, plus he offers free beer and good company), and it was one ‘holy cow’ after another. It was also awesome that at least until the end, Phil and Tiger gave us the show we’ve been waiting for.
So it’s on to Bethpage for the U.S. Open, with the TPC in between. And congratulations Angel Cabrera, whose gutty shot on the first sudden-death didn’t receive the credit it deserved at first blush from Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo.
A Life Snuffed Out Too Soon
Yes, it’s sickening…the death of Angels’ pitcher Nick Adenhart. 22-year-old Andrew Thomas Gallo was drunk, ran a red light, and broadsided Adenhart’s car. Gallo has been charged with three counts of murder and faces 55 years to life if convicted. I won’t moralize on this, having done some stupid things in my life myself, except to say that upon Gallo’s conviction, there probably should be a simple sign in every bar in America with words similar to the following.
Andrew Thomas Gallo received 55 years in prison for the death of 22-year-old Angels’ pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other passengers. Gallo was drunk. Adenhart had just pitched the best game of his budding major league career.
The Angels won their first game since Adenhart’s death, defeating Boston, 6-3, in Angel Stadium, and the team will honor him in various ways. Perhaps the most poignant is that all of his things, such as the cleats, iPod, and clothes, will remain in his locker the entire season and the Angels will give him a road locker as well. Manager Mike Scioscia said, “He’s going to be with us. That’s something the guys felt very strongly about.”
But the toughest part of the past few days was the team meeting with Jim Adenhart, Nick’s father. Jim was in the stands as his son threw six scoreless innings in his best of just four major league starts. His family issued a statement.
“He lived his dream and was blessed to be part of an organization comprised of such warm, caring, and compassionate people. The Angels were his extended family. Thanks to all of Nick’s loyal supporters and fans throughout his career. He will be in everyone’s hearts forever.”
Adenhart’s father had flown out from Baltimore to attend the game. Agent Scott Boras said, “He told his dad that he’d better come here, that something special was going to happen…After the game he was so elated…he felt like a major leaguer.”
Adenhart and his father, a former Secret Service agent, along with Boras, spoke until just an hour before Nick’s death in the hotel lobby. The Angels lost that night, but for the rest of the sport’s days, fans will know that Jim Adenhart finished his major league career with a record of 1-0.
Russell Dunham, 89, Medal of Honor Recipient
During World War II, Dunham assaulted three German machine gun emplacements, killing nine, and took two prisoners one morning, Jan. 8, 1945.
“Sgt. Dunham’s company, part of the 3rd Infantry Division, was facing a formidable German force at the small town of Kayersberg, France, on the Franco-German border. The men were issued white mattress covers as camouflage in the deep snow.
“Heavily armed, Dunham scrambled 75 yards up a snow-covered hill toward three German machine gun emplacements. He took out the first bunker with a grenade.
“Advancing toward the second, he glanced around to call up his squad and a bullet hit him in the back, tearing open a 10-inch gash. As he struggled to his feet, a grenade landed nearby; he kicked it away before it exploded.
“He then crawled through the snow to the machine gun and lobbed his own grenade into the bunker, killing two Germans. His carbine empty, he leaped into the foxhole and hauled out a third enemy soldier by the collar.
“In excruciating pain, his mattress-cover overcoat now stained a conspicuous red, Dunham ran 50 yards to the third machine-gun emplacement and took it out with a grenade. As German infrantrymen began scrambling out of their foxholes, Dunham chased them down the back side of the hill. He and his elder brother Ralph, who was in the same unit, encountered a fourth machine gun; the older Dunham took it out.
“A German rifleman who shot at Russell Dunham at point-blank range but missed became the ninth German he killed that winter morning.
“His back wound had yet to fully heal when Dunham returned to the front. On Jan. 22, his battalion was surrounded by German tanks at Holtzwihr, France, and most of the men were forced to surrender.
“Dunham hid in a sauerkraut barrel outside a barn but was discovered the next morning. As the two German soldiers who found him were patting him down, they came across a pack of cigarettes in his pocket and began fighting over it. They never finished their search, so they missed a pistol in a shoulder holster under his arm.
“Later in the day, his two captors transported him toward German lines. The driver stopped at a bar, the second soldier’s attention wandered and Dunham shot him in the head. He set off toward American lines in sub-zero temperatures.
“By the time he encountered U.S. engineers working on a bridge over the Ill River, his feet and ears were frostbitten. A medic, working to save his feet from amputation, told him that the commanding officer had intended to recommend him for the Distinguished Service Cross but had changed his mind. The young man from Illinois, the officer had decided, deserved the Medal of Honor.” [Joe Holley / Washington Post]
What an incredible story. What a hero for the ages. Russell Dunham…rest in peace.
—Boston University defeated Miami (Ohio) to take the NCAA Frozen Four hockey title, scoring twice in the final 59.5 seconds to tie the game in regulation and then winning on Colby Cohen’s deflected shot in overtime. It was BU’s fifth championship. Miami was gunning for its first NCAA title of any kind. [Miami had defeated Bar Chat fave Bemidji State in the semis, 4-1, while BU defeated Vermont.]
–There’s only one good thing about the NCAA basketball season being over. We don’t have to listen to Clark Kellogg anymore. No more “pursue that orange…he didn’t squeeze it,” or, “He’s as versatile as baking soda…he gives you a lot of good uses.”
–I’m kind of surprised Jim Calhoun is coming back. And it’s not like he’d jerk the school around and decide in, say, June, that he’s changed his mind. Calhoun released a statement:
“In many ways, the journey of this past season has made me realize how much I love coaching this game, how much I love my kids and how much I enjoy being at Connecticut.”
So now the team sits back and awaits its fate regarding the possible recruiting violations.
–I’ve told you how I peruse NBA box scores only to check out former Wake players Tim Duncan, Darius Songaila and Josh Howard…not Chris Paul…but on Friday, Howard’s Mavs played Paul’s Hornets, in a key battle for playoff positioning, with Dallas prevailing 100-92 and both teams ending the evening at 48-31. I must say, the Wake guys did themselves proud. Paul had 42 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists, while the oft-injured Howard had his best all-around game in quite a while, 25 points and 11 rebounds. [Then, in a home-and-home, New Orleans prevailed and Paul had 31 points, 17 assists, and 9 rebounds.]
Classic Wake Forest. We develop some pretty good players for the NBA, but when it comes to the mark they leave on the Wake program, there is little to show for it. Actually, there’s nothing to show for it. As opposed to Duke or North Carolina, for crying out loud! I’m tired of this @#$%.
–Speaking of Wake basketball, as expected, sophomore Jeff Teague declared for the draft but didn’t hire an agent. He’ll likely be back.
But in reading Dan Collins’ piece in the Winston-Salem Journal, I couldn’t help but notice some comments on the blog accompanying the bit on Teague’s decision. Here’s one:
“Actually, I’d just as soon Jeff ‘Disappearing Act’ Teague, (James) Johnson, AND (Al-Farouq) Aminu go ahead and move on to their sure-fire benchwarming careers in the NBA, or, more likely, overseas. They will do NOTHING if they stay at Wake because they’ve demonstrated pretty convincingly that they lack any true team spirit or will to win. After Carolina got embarrassed by Kansas last year (in the ’08 semis), did you hear ANY of their core players going on about ‘wanting to test the NBA waters’? No, they all committed to coming back and taking care of business!….Let Dino start fresh with a different crew that actually has a little pride.”
There were other entries that were even worse. Wake Nation is not taking the latest tournament debacle sitting down.
But what’s this? I wake up Easter morning to some terrific news from Phil W. The Deacons have landed a shooter! The Deacons have landed a shooter! Konner Tucker, who completed a year at junior college Lon Morris in Jacksonville, Texas, has committed to the Deacs and has three years of eligibility left. The 6’4” guard shot 42% from 3-point land and was going to enroll at Kentucky but withdrew when Billy Gillespie was replaced by John Calipari as coach.
In the end, however, you have the unlikeable Wake hoopsters, and then you have the very likeable Wake football team, headed up these days by future NFL star Aaron Curry. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a player, pre-draft, receive more favorable publicity than Curry has, and all of it deserved. He seems to be too good to be true. This week he is in Sports Illustrated in one of those McDonald’s ‘Time Out’ segments. Curry talks about buying another Labrador retriever with his upcoming first-rounder contract. Why Labs?
“They’re intelligent, calm, good with kids and easy to train. My black Lab, named Ali – after Muhammad Ali, because I’m probably his No. 1 fan – is just awesome to be around.”
Think about it. Curry, 23, obviously didn’t see Ali box but he idolizes the man. That tells you a lot about his maturity in my book. So, again, when is Wake hoops going to wake up and smell the coffee and begin to recruit true character guys with above-average talent that can then be molded into a program that is a consistent Sweet 16 performer with a Final Four every eight years? Is that too much to ask?
—2009-2010 Pre-Season Basketball Top Tens
3. Michigan State
13. Wake Forest… “If the Deacons absorb too much punishment from early NBA draft entry, they could rank closer to ninth in the ACC than ninth in the nation.” I’d add, we could really, really suck…or should Teague come back with the right attitude, and Tony Woods develop, be really, really good.
1. Michigan State
2. Kansas
3. Syracuse
4. UConn
5. Villanova
6. Duke
7. Purdue
8. North Carolina
9. West Virginia…really like these guys
10. Oklahoma
Sporting News, on the just concluded NCAA tourney. “Team Flop: Wake Forest was a young team that got caught up in draft hype nonsense and began to perform as though that was the most important consideration. The Deacons were seeded No. 4 in the Midwest Region but allowed No. 13 Cleveland State to score the game’s first nine points. They never really got close after that.”
SN “Shoulda Been There: Couldn’t Davidson and Stephen Curry have lost a first-round game just as easily as Minnesota did? And wouldn’t it have been more fun?” Touche.
–John Feinstein has an opinion piece in Sporting News on Duke and its “whiteness.” The bottom line is some of the hatred of Duke is indeed getting out of hand. Duke is booed everywhere it goes (Feinstein writes how even the cheerleaders were booed during the NCAA tournament) because it is seen as the school of privilege. Feinstein notes that it is the reverse of what John Thompson faced during his run at Georgetown, a team, Thompson said, that “people saw as symbolizing blackness and thuggery.”
Thompson then has the point that the way Duke is treated is “tougher for (them) than it was for (my kids) for the simple reason that black kids are more accustomed to that sort of treatment for the most part than white kids. On the other hand, if the sort of things directed at Duke’s white players were being directed at black players right now, all hell would break loose. It seems as if it is all right for white people to yell hateful things at other white people, things we would never allow them to yell at black people in today’s society.”
Thompson adds that with stereotyping, “They see white kids and assume they’re rich.” Feinstein then relates that Christian Laettner’s parents were a newspaper printer and a teacher in Buffalo, while Grant Hill was the son of an ex-NFL star and a partner in a major law firm.
Feinstein: “Georgetown was too black for a lot of people in the 80s. Duke is too white for a lot of people today. In one sense, both groups of players are the same: They’re victims of sad, narrow-minded people. You have to be very sad to boo cheerleaders.”
Great points. But I’ve got to tell you. I read, and re-read, and re-read Feinstein’s piece and there is zero mention of Duke’s own fans. I mean, Thompson even says, “What bothered me then and bothers me now is when you see administrators who allow signs that are insulting or worse, chants that are ugly and the constant yelling of things that are embarrassing and hateful.”
Yet neither brings up who started it all. Duke fans! How can Feinstein, a great writer, not mention this? Why he graduated from Duke, that\’s why! Yes, the Dookies have toned down their act some over the years…and today are mostly clever…but in the past they’ve also been downright cruel. When I was at Wake Forest, 1976-80, we just went to basketball games to watch the event, as did just about all fans in those days. You booed the opposing star, like fans of every sport have done since 1800s baseball, but little more. Duke, however, around this time took it to another level. Ask Carolina’s J.R. Reid how it felt back in the day. Unfortunately, once Duke’s act got publicized, everyone else sought to imitate it and it’s gotten way out of control since then as opposing fans have turned the tables on Duke. That’s the real story. And look for the NCAA to launch a major crackdown next year because of one or two ugly incidents that will happen early.
–Over the last five years, the New York Knicks have the worst record in the NBA, a .350 winning percentage.
3. Brian Orapko, DE, Texas – Chiefs
4. Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia – Seahawks
5. Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest – Browns…you may have a winner, Trader George!
6. Everette Brown, DE, Florida State – Bengals
8. B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College – Jaguars
9. Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells, RB, Ohio State – Packers…that would be a great fit
10. Mark Sanchez, QB, USC – 49ers…still say he doesn’t make the grade
34. Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest – Patriots
100. Chip Vaughn, S, Wake Forest – Giants
One other…LeSean McCoy, Pitt’s great running back, is listed No. 50 to the Browns.
–Lots of good stuff in Sporting News this week. They asked a panel of former Pittsburgh Steelers “Who’s the greatest Steeler ever?” Mean Joe Greene, and not even close. Teammate Andy Russell: “No player did more for his team in the decade of the 70s than Joe Greene. He was an awesome player who won games all by himself.”
—Fred Lynn, 1975 rookie of the year and MVP, on going to the local liquor store as a kid to get baseball cards. “I got five Marv Throneberrys in one pack. What are the odds of that happening?”
Bert Blyleven, 287-game winner: “I love the way they sometimes use the worst photo possible (for your baseball card). I’m just glad they never used one of me picking my nose.”
April 11…start of weekend series at Shea against the Cardinals. It didn’t go well. Cards take opener, 6-5, as Jerry Koosman gives up 4 runs in 7 innings. But Cleon Jones homers and has three hits, and right-fielder Rod Gaspar has three hits as well.
April 12…Cards starter Dave Giusti goes all the way in a 1-0 shutout, scattering six hits, including another three for Cleon Jones who hikes his average to .524. Don Cardwell goes nine for the Mets in the loss.
April 13…Cards complete sweep behind Bob Gibson’s complete game, 3-1, as Gibby fans 8 and bests Tom Seaver in the process. Seaver allowed all three runs in eight innings. Tommie Agee, after his booming start, went 1-for-13 during the weekend. Mets fall to a 2-4 record.
By the way, the last two games were played in 1:54 and 2:13, respectively. Talk about the good old days. No wonder most night games back then started at 8:00 p.m., if you can imagine that.
And this from Larry Fox of the New York Daily News, April 14, 1969. With Bob Gibson’s effort, he went to 22-3 lifetime against the Mets. At the time, Juan Marichal was 21-2 and Don Drysdale, 23-6, among active Met killers.
For you younger folk, back in the 1960s, when your team faced one of the greats, such as those listed above, it was a real happening. And if you were a Mets fan you basically conceded defeat before the game began. Great, great memories.
–Switching gears, you know who looks better than ever? Eva Longoria.
–But speaking of Longoria, this time Evan, it’s time for our EXCLUSIVE first week of baseball stat projections!
Now this is tough work, trying to extrapolate off of just five or six games in most cases, or at most two starts for the hurlers, but over the years I have a success percentage of .042, much better than anyone else playing this game.
Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay already has 5 homers and 10 RBI in the team’s first six contests. With the help of my crack staff (which most of the time is indeed on crack) we can now project that Evan will hit 106 homers, while driving in 203.
Baltimore hurler Jeremy Guthrie, just 10-12 last season, is off to a 2-0 start. We see Guthrie going 28-2.
Chris Young of San Diego, 2-0, will finish the season 31-1, but his win total will be bettered by another hurler below.
Florida’s Josh Johnson, who on Sunday manhandled the Mets to take his mark to 2-0, will go 27-3 with a 0.76 ERA.
The Mets’ Johan Santana, who was brilliant in defeat to Johnson and the Marlins, is now 1-1 with a 0.71 ERA. We can project Johan going 18-18, while improving his ERA to 0.65, with the .500 mark being the result of shoddy defense and David Wright’s inability to hit in the clutch. [Mr. Wright will get his own segment in another week or two.]
Houston’s Roy Oswalt, seemingly destined for the Hall of Fame, finds himself 0-2. We regret to inform the Oswalt family that their breadwinner will end up 3-28.
Toronto’s Roy Halladay, already 2-0, will not only get his 3rd 20-win season, he’ll go 34-2, the first A.L. 30-game winner since Denny McLain.
The Washington Nationals’ Lastings Milledge, 3-for-19 with nine strikeouts, will finish the season hitting .122, while fanning 239 times.
Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies, just 3-for-28, .107, will improve some over the course of the year to .134.
Teammate Ryan Howard, while currently hitting .333, has zero home runs and we can now project he’ll finish the season with six.
The Mets’ quirky lefty, Oliver Perez, who got shelled in his first start (8 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings) will go 2-29 with the same 16.62 ERA he has today, in what some would say is an amazingly consistent, yet dreadful performance. Unfortunately, the Mets shelled out big bucks for the guy so they have to keep him in the rotation and “Bad Ollie” forces 8,678 New Yorkers to commit hari-kari before the season is over, including your editor.
Cleveland’s Cliff Lee, 22-3 last season and a runaway Cy Young winner, is off to a horrible 0-2 start and we can project he’ll finish 8-29.
The Yankees’ Cody Ransom, who is filling in for A-Rod until his return, is off to a 1-for-20 start, or .050. Our crack staff, by this time in need of rehab, can nonetheless project that Ransom will get a third hit by July.
On the brighter side, the Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera, off to a stupendous .520, 3 homers, 10 RBI start, will continue his monster pace and finish ’09 with 97 HR 265 RBI and a .467 average. Yet, despite his heroics, Cabrera will lose out for the Triple Crown with Evan Longoria clouting his 106 roundtrippers.
Cleveland’s Mark DeRosa, hitting just .115, nonetheless has five RBI in the team’s first six games. DeRosa will end up having one of the truly strange seasons in MLB history as he continues to struggle, batting average-wise, just .130 for the year, but he’ll drive in 135, taking advantage of every runner on third, one man out situation, to hit that ground ball to the right side, or that sac fly to plate the run.
But DeRosa plays for Cleveland, and the Indians, 1-5, will finish 30-131 (with one game not being made up).
The Washington Nationals, who I originally projected to finish 88-74, are off to a 0-6 start. But will I change my initial prediction? No….wouldn’t be prudent.
San Diego and Seattle, who were both projected to be doormats, are 5-2 after one week. We can now predict that the Padres will finish 108-54, and Seattle, 109-53.
Lastly, and I know about now you’re all breathing a sigh of relief, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles have the longest losing streaks in baseball, 16 and 11 years. But the Bucs are 3-3 and the Orioles 4-2. I can now say with the usual .042 certainty that the Pirates will indeed finish 82-80, and Baltimore 83-79, thus breaking their skids. Both cities will then throw massive parties to celebrate but riots will create headlines of a different sort.
I used to be relatively wealthy before the stock market crash, but now I’m living off Cheez Wiz and Saltines….
Taylor Swift, 19, makes $5.5 million.
I’m a big fan. Big fan….and, err, I…
–Speaking of kids, 18-year-old Joey Logano captured his second NASCAR Nationwide Series win on Saturday, defeating the likes of Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and David Ragan. Not too shabby. He’s come a long way from his unimpressive debut at Daytona in February.
–I have to admit I’ve never cared about the field for the Kentucky Derby like I do this year, now that I’ve decided to be a Dunkirk fan. But I’m having a hard time finding out if he’s definitively in. He’s one of the favorites, but you need to be in the top 20 in earnings for graded-stakes in order to get an automatic spot. I mean to tell you, I even watched the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course, Saturday, on video (very cool, by the way), because the result there had an impact on Dunkirk’s standing.
–Thieves in Elizabeth, N.J., stole a container holding $130,000 of bait fish; menhaden, “oily, bony and not used for human consumption.” So if you’re in a restaurant in the area and you see an item on the menu, Menhaden Clam Chowder, take a pass.
—Croc Attack!!!: From the Sydney Morning Herald –
“Northern Territory police have found the remains of a 20-year-old man taken by a crocodile while swimming at night in the Daly River about 150km south of Darwin.”
“The local man disappeared while swimming with his brother across the crocodile-infested river at about 2 a.m. on Friday.
“The man’s wife was watching from the riverbank and later police said she saw a crocodile nearby.”
“Superintendent Dean Moloney said the three had been drinking and the two men decided they would try to swim across the river.”
“Supt. Moloney said ‘very large crocodiles’ were known to frequent the river.”
The idiot’s remains were found 900 meters upstream from where he was attacked.
“Police destroyed a 4.3 meter crocodile believed to be responsible for the attack.”
4.3 meters! That’s 14.107 feet! 14.1076115, to be exact!
“This was the fourth fatal crocodile attack in Australia in recent months.” [March, February and last September, being the others.]
But wait…there’s more! The Northern Territory Environment Minister is thinking of putting in place a no-tolerance zone within a 30-mile radius of Darwin. Any croc found within the zone would be killed or captured. Repeat…any croc found within 30 miles of Darwin could be killed or captured.
–Uh oh… “A disturbed woman caused a horrific spectacle at a German zoo when she jumped into the polar-bear pen where the world-famous Knut lives and was brutally mauled by three of his pals.
“The massive Berlin Zoo beasts bit the 32-year-old woman repeatedly on her legs, arms and buttocks Friday. She miraculously survived….
“Little Knut – who charmed the world as a cuddly cub in 2006 after his mom rejected him – did not attack the woman.”
The woman scaled all kinds of defenses to get in and dived into the bears’ pool.
“ ‘One minute we were all watching the bears because it was feeding time and the next we realized this woman was swimming over to them,’ a witness told German television….
“Handlers swarmed the pen and managed to push them back while the woman was pulled to safety with ropes.
“The bears were not hurt in the incident and they will not be punished in any way.”
I was at this zoo in December 2007 and wrote at the time that Knut was no longer cute. I guess this woman thought otherwise. It’s why they have stuffed animals in the gift shop, lady! I suggest you try that next time instead.
“Conservationists have discovered a new population of orangutans in a remote, mountainous corner of Indonesia – perhaps as many as 2,000 – giving a rare boost to one of the world’s most critically endangered great apes.”
A team was surveying the forests when they came across 219 orangutan nests and extrapolated from there.
“The team also encountered an adult male, which angrily threw branches as they tried to take photos, and a mother and child (reunion).”
All the other known populations are small and scattered.
“Chimpanzees enter into ‘deals’ whereby they exchange meat for sex, according to researchers.
“Male chimps that are willing to share the proceeds of their hunting expeditions mate twice as often as their more selfish counterparts.
“This is a long-term exchange, so males continue to share their catch with females when they are not fertile, copulating with them when they are.”
[Sorry, forgot to substitute ‘Ted Koppelating’ instead of the other word.]
—Roger Federer married longtime girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec on Saturday in his hometown of Basel, Switzerland. I have no idea what kind of gift to give them. They would appear to have everything, so maybe just a McDonald’s gift certificate, seeing as it can be used anywhere he’s playing.
—Matthew McConaughey told Men’s Journal that he received good advice on women from his father. “ ‘Big Jim’ said…If you ever make a move, whether it’s for a kiss or touching her down there, and you feel the slightest bit of resistance, stop. A lot of times, after you stop, they’re going to then say, now it’s OK. Don’t. That time, that day, that’s as far as you go….It’s a great lesson. You do that, and you know what? Women do come back. They say, what? Nobody stops! They want to go out with you again. And eventually you don’t have to stop.” [New York Post’s Page Six]
Huh.
–So I’m looking at the Oakland A’s uniform and it hit me. They have a highly underrated cap. Not quite as good as the Cardinals or the Twins, or the Pirates, but just a notch below. As for my Mets, as broadcaster Keith Hernandez continually laments, their newer vintage uniforms suck. Go back to the classic look, guys, and stick with the original cap which is a great one. If we’re going to have to suffer through another long season, and invest the time we do as fans, at least let us admire the freakin’ uniform, Mets management.
–Incredibly, up to 1,048 seats at the new Yankee Stadium have obstructed views. You’re reading that right. In fact, until reporters were able to fully walk the place, I’m not too sure how many in Yankee management realized this.
The seats are in the bleachers and were slated to go for $12 to $14. The problem is the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar juts in front of two sections, thus obstructing the views to right and left field. Unbelievable.
As reported by Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, one of the many issues is that Mohegan Sun doesn’t want to be associated with such a fiasco. Mitchell Etess, the president and CEO, said he learned “along with everyone else” that the sports bar obscured the views. It’s a material fact that should have been disclosed by the Yankees. After all, naming rights at this place are expensive.
Anyway, now the Yankees have lowered the price of these seats to $5. Heck, might as well take them out entirely and maybe put in a dry cleaner or somethin’.
–From the AP / New Orleans: “Women in several states claim Victoria’s Secret bras gave them rashes and other skin problems, and a group of lawyers sought Wednesday to consolidate their cases against the lingerie chain.”
–So I get a free sample of a new magazine, Best Life, that for the life of me I can’t figure out why anyone would buy it, but there is a rather interesting picture of Selita Ebanks, a Victoria’s Secret model, in a bath tub….Anyway, Ms. Ebanks explains what she wants in a man.
“I’m a big sports fan [Ed. So am I], and nothing is more unattractive to me than a guy who doesn’t appreciate ESPN [Ed. I appreciate it]. If I have to explain football or basketball, that’s the biggest turn-off.” [Ed. I’m thinking so far, so good]
“I can’t stand a violent man [Ed. No problem here as well]. Aggression doesn’t belong in the home. And if he gets too excited by gore or violence on television, I’m out of there. [Ed. Whatever you want to watch, my dear.]
“A man has to have big, strong hands to make me feel safe. [Ed. How about medium, strong hands? I’m sensing I’m losing her…] When he makes me feel safe, I feel sexy. It’s as simple as that.” [Ed. I’m hanging by a thread…but as Jim Valvano said, ‘Never, ever give up!’]
“A man once walked up to me and started to put on his mack [Ed. Yikes, I’m old. Never heard this term], and I saw he was wearing white socks with his suit!” [Ed. As Jim Valvano said, ‘Never, ever wear white socks with a suit,’ a motto I’ve lived my life by….so I’m still in the game.]
“I want someone who walks into the room and all eyes turn to him. [Ed. uh oh….] He doesn’t have to be the finest man in the world [Ed….phew], but he has to possess that energy so that when you see him, you think, Oh my goodness!” [Ed. Drat! I thought I had a chance….time to move on.]
–We note the passing of the “Human Eraser,” former center Marvin Webster, 56. In reading his obituary, I totally forgot that his son, about to become the starting center at Temple in 1997, dropped dead of heart disease that August, six weeks before his 19th birthday.
—Lance Armstrong thinks French doping officials are out to get him and may ban the ‘roider from the Tour de France because, according to them, Lance didn’t cooperate the other day when he got a knock on the door and a stranger handed him a cup and said “Pee in this.”
Well, you can imagine your own reaction if a stranger told you to do that. Lance said, “I will not!” “Yes you will,” said the stranger. “I will not!” retorted Lance. “Yes you will,” said the stranger…and it went on like this for a full six hours. Finally, the stranger got the urine, a vial of blood, and a lock of hair and went merrily on his way. Lance, upon closing the front door, looked at his aide and said, “What was that all about?”
What I’ve omitted in the above that indeed has people scratching their heads is that for some strange reason, Lance needed to take a shower before giving up the samples, at least that’s the latest on this bizarre tale.
—Bruuuuuuce…..and Ann Kelly
New York Post
“The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said word started spreading in 2005 after Ann – a 44-year-old stay-at-home mom with a nurse’s license – and Springsteen got very friendly at the Atlantic Club gym in Red Bank, NJ.”
Well, one day Ann’s husband, Arthur, confronted Ann on his suspicions.
“An explosive argument ensued, police were called and a restraining order was issued, sources said.
“The pair appeared to be trying to work through their differences late last month and agreeing to lift the restraining order, but on March 27, Arthur filed for divorce, stating his wife had ‘committed adultery with one Bruce Springsteen.’”
Ann denies the allegations. According to her lawyer, she only learned about the divorce when media outlets caught wind of the papers being filed in Monmouth Superior Court.
As for Bruuuuce and Patti Scialfa, they have professed their love for each other.
And this just in…according to a Post story on Sunday, Patti “wrapped her arms around the Boss’s engines on stage during the E-Street Band’s Denver show.
“Not a word was sung of the salacious affair Springsteen is rumored to be carrying on with a married woman.”
“The Yankees slugger has been stepping out this weekend in Miami with Bethenny Frankel, one of the reality stars of ‘The Real Housewives of New York City.’”
A-Fraud dropped off “the sexy chef” at the Fontainebleau Hotel around 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
A source told the Daily News “that Frankel and A-Rod hooked up ‘three months ago’ but that, after quickly rounding the bases, ‘A-Rod cut it off.’”
Frankel denied she had been with him back then. But now she’s back. And the rest of us can’t wait until A-Rod himself is back in pinstripes and on the field.
Top 3 songs for the week 4/10/76: #1 "Disco Lady" (Johnnie Taylor) #2 "Dream Weaver" (Gary Wright) #3 "Lonely Night" (Captain & Tennille)…and…#4 "Let Your Love Flow" (Bellamy Brothers) #5 "Right Back Where We Started From" (Maxine Nightingale) #6 "Dream On" (Aerosmith) #7 "Boogie Fever" (Sylvers…dreadful) #8 "Only Sixteen" (Dr. Hook) #9 "Sweet Love" (Commodores) #10 "Golden Years" (David Bowie)
Baseball Quiz Answer: 165 RBI…
Hack Wilson, 191, 1930
Lou Gehrig, 184, 1931
Hank Greenberg, 183, 1937
Jimmie Foxx, 175, 1938
Lou Gehrig, 175, 1927
Lou Gehrig, 174, 1930
Babe Ruth, 171, 1921
Hank Greenberg, 170, 1935
Chuck Klein, 170, 1930
Jimmie Foxx, 169, 1932
Joe DiMaggio, 167, 1937
Sam Thompson, 166, *1887
Lou Gehrig, 165, 1934
Manny Ramirez, 165, 1999
Al Simmons, 165, 1930
Sam Thompson, 165, *1895
If you got Sam Thompson, even though I didn’t ask for him, pour yourself a premium frosty.
