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World Series Quiz: 1) Who is the only hitter to bat .500 for their World Series career, given baseball-reference.com’s parameters of either 36 plate appearances, or 14 BB + Hits? [Hint: Think 1970s.] 2) Who are the only six to hit 10 home runs for their careers in the World Series? Answers below.
Mets-Royals
The Mets bring their sterling starting pitching and the bat of Daniel Murphy to Kansas City for Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday. Matt Harvey was kind of a surprise selection to start the opener, followed by Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. [As I go to post, the Royals hadn’t named their starter for the opener yet.]
Harvey is at 202 innings for the season and his agent, Scott Boras, wanted him to stop at 180.
As for slugger Yoenis Cespedes’ availability, there’s a little mystery as to how he hurt his shoulder, like did he do it golfing the day of the Mets’ Game 4 finale against the Cubs in Chicago. Hey, the guy, a true golf fanatic who harbors dreams of turning pro one day, got to play Medinah! [Hitting coach Kevin Long said Yoenis hurt his shoulder doing pushups in the Cubs’ crappy clubhouse.]
What matters now, though, is that he’ll be in the lineup Tuesday and we’ll see just how serious his condition is after taking a cortisone shot.
As for Murphy, all of baseball is trying to figure out just what is going on. Where did this power surge that has seen him hit seven home runs in nine postseason games, one in each of his last six (a postseason record), come from?
Murphy has worked closely with Kevin Long, who urged him to try to hit more home runs, tinkering with his stance and approach. Everyone on the team said the guy has as much power as anyone on the team, but he had never hit more than 14 home runs in the regular season.
ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark points out that Hank Aaron hit six postseason home runs in his whole career (in 17 games) and Murphy has now hit postseason home runs in six games in a row.
“No player has ever homered in six games in a row in any of the Mets’ 54 regular seasons. But Daniel Murphy has done it in his very first postseason.”
Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, and Miguel Cabrera are among those who have never hit a home run in six games in a row in the regular season.
“Over the last nine years, only three players (Nolan Arenado this year, Chris Davis in 2012 and Carlos Pena in 2010) homered in six games in a row in any stretch of any regular reason. And Daniel Murphy has now done it in six postseason games in a row.”
Meanwhile, the Royals return to the World Series after losing Game 7 of last year’s Fall Classic to San Francisco and Madison Bumgarner. I would expect each game to be tight. Kansas City has a solid lineup, 1 thru 9, they strike out the least of any team in baseball, they have great team speed and a very solid defense (unlike the Mets’ shaky combo at second and short, though Wilmer and Murphy have been solid in October).
So the Mets are looking to win their first World Series since 1986, while the Royals last won it in 1985.
But are the Mets getting too much rest…two more days than the Royals? The winners of the past six World Series had at least one fewer day of rest than their opponent.
In the past 54 World Series, though, in which teams had different amounts of rest entering Game 1, the teams are 27-27, according to Stats LLC and the Wall Street Journal.
–As to Game 6 of Royals-Blue Jays, a terrific contest, as the Daily News’ Mike Lupica put it:
“There hasn’t been a worse strike call in the postseason than Jeff Nelson’s strike-two call against Ben Revere in the 9th inning Friday night since the late Eric Gregg rang up Fred McGriff for Livan Hernandez to end Marlins-Braves in 1997.”
But it was a dramatic 4-3 win for the Royals, with a 45-minute rain delay before the bottom of the eighth as K.C. closer Wade Davis waited it out, having been brought in prior to the delay, only to then promptly face first and third with none out before wriggling free of any damage in the top of the ninth.
I’m jumping ahead but after the Blue Jays’ Jose Baustista tied it at 3 in the top of the eighth, with his second home run of the night (that accounted for all three Toronto runs), following the delay, Lorenzo Cain worked out a leadoff walk from Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna, and then Eric Hosmer hit a single down the right-field line that you would have expected would lead to first and third.
But right fielder Bautista threw to second instead of the cutoff man and Cain, running full speed, was waved home by third-base coach Mike Jirschele, just enough time to beat the throw from second. Yes, I stayed up…electrifying and it now goes down in history with Enos Slaughter’s famous first-to-home dash.in the 1946 World Series. [Not quite, since it wasn’t Game 7 of a World Series, but for the next 30 years, future broadcasters will be bringing up Cain’s dash.]
For Toronto, starter David Price’s postseason woes continued, though he pitched well on Friday, allowing three runs in 6 2/3 with eight strikeouts. It just wasn’t good enough, and now, after winning 104 games in his career with a .650 winning percentage, including 18 games in three of his seven seasons, he remains winless as a postseason starter: 0-7 with a 5.27 ERA.
Price’s teammates love the guy, but there is little chance he’ll be back as he enters free agency seeking a Scherzer-like contract
–Reaching the postseason is huge for Mets ownership, with Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz still recovering from their involvement in the Bernie Madoff debacle. Now that the team has made it into the World Series, it is estimated that with six home games (two in the Division Series, two in the NLCS, and then two in the Series), the Mets could be looking at about $45 million in added revenue, a source with direct knowledge of team finances told the New York Post’s Josh Kosman.
Roughly $20 million will come from ticket sales, and about $25 million in revenue from an expected 500,000 rise in 2016 home attendance.
The Mets were set to lose a little less than $10 million in 2015, before the playoffs.
Wilpon and Katz control Sterling Equity, which owns 65 percent of SportsNet New York (SNY) and 60 percent of the Mets.
Sterling makes roughly $65 million annually from SNY and uses that to pay $44 million annually for Citi Field bonds. SNY, though, won’t see its finances change much with the team in the playoffs as 80 percent of the network’s revenues come from long-term cable affiliate fees, according to Josh Kosman.
So Mets fans will be wondering what this all means in the postseason and the handling of the likes of Cespedes and Murphy…but that’s for another day. Time to enjoy the present.
–Meanwhile, in Chicago, Steve Rosenbloom / Chicago Tribune:
“The Cubs’ death spiral into a sweep included failing to score more than a single run in any inning until the 35th of the 36 total in the series, by which time the Mets led 8-1.
“In an excruciating sequence that easily could be a snapshot of this series, the Cubs were one pitch away from getting out of the first inning of Game 4 with no damage, then bang, 4-0, Mets, on back-to-back homers.”
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune
“After an impressive finish to highlight a 97-win regular season and a convincing 4-0 victory at Pittsburgh in the wild-card game, the Cubs wore down despite eliminating the rival Cardinals in the NL Division Series.
“A rotation that allowed only two earned runs in 60 1/3 innings during its eight-game winning streak to finish the season and the wild-card win wobbled through the NLDS and fizzled in the NLCS.
“In the final eight games, the Cubs starters posted a 6.45 ERA with 12 home runs allowed.”
Jon Heyman / CBSSports.com
“The Cubs looked cold battling the elements in New York, then got overwhelmed back in balmy Chicago, with conditions more to their liking. The Mets scored in the first inning of all four games, and never trailed even once over the four-game sweep. It got so bad that even Cubs fans, desperate to see their team break their 107-season streak of no World Series titles, got quiet at times.”
Heyman also said this of the Mets’ rotation.
“We knew (it) was special, but it is even better than anyone realized. Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Matz absolutely dominated. And they did it on a shoestring. Never before has a rotation that makes so little – Harvey is the only one over $600,000, and he’s only over by a bit – performed so superbly.”
But back to the Cubs, their fans have to be psyched over the future. Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo are all under team control through 2020. Now if they can just find some pitching, of which you have among probable free agents: Zack Greinke, Jordan Zimmermann, David Price and Johnny Cueto.
–The Nationals appear to be focusing on Dusty Baker and Bud Black in their search for a new manager. Baker is 66 and hasn’t managed since being dismissed by the Reds after the 2013 season, but he has reached the playoffs with three teams – the Reds, Giants and Cubs – and is known for being able to deal effectively with the big personalities found in today’s game. Black, as I noted before, is favored because of his extensive knowledge in handling a pitching staff.
But with the Dodgers and Don Mattingly parting ways, would Mattingly be a fit in Washington? Possibly.
Mattingly, though, is said to be a favorite of Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.
The Mariners hired Angels’ assistant general manager Scott Servais as their new manager on Friday.
College Football Review…comments written prior to release of latest AP Poll, and there will be a shakeup in the top ten after this week’s results.
No. 1 Ohio State (8-0) whipped Rutgers (3-4) in Piscataway 49-7 as J.T. Barrett took advantage of his first start of the season to have a superb game, going 14/18, 223, 3-0 through the air, while gaining another 101 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott added 142 yards and two TDs rushing as well.
No. 2 Baylor is 7-0 after a 45-27 win over Iowa State (2-5) in rainy Waco. But quarterback Seth Russell has a broken bone in his neck and it’s not known how serious and how long he’ll be out.
No. 3 Utah (6-1) was upset by USC (4-3) 42-24 at the Coliseum as USC’s Cameron Smith picked off three of Utah’s Travis Watson’s four interceptions, including one for a score.
Just a huge win for the beleaguered Trojans. Bill Plaschke / Los Angeles Times:
“The madness of the domination was matched by the madness of the postgame scene, players running to salute with the band, running into the arms of their families, running into the tunnel past fans who pounded walls and chanted names. In the middle of it all, interim Coach Clay Helton tucked his ball cap low on his eyes like good ol’ coach and smiled at all his crazy kids.
“ ‘This one was for them,’ he said. ‘They have been through so much.’….
“It had been 16 days since the Trojans last showed up on the Coliseum field, but it seemed like forever. Steve Sarkisian had been replaced by Helton, (A.D.) Pat Haden had collapsed on a South Bend, Ind. sideline amid calls for his resignation, and the Trojans had been bullied by Notre Dame….
“(But) this is still a team in search of a new head coach, as probably only a victory over UCLA and a Pac-12 championship could give the job to Helton.
“More important, it doesn’t solve their problem at athletic director. And yes, they still have a problem at athletic director.
“Haden’s issues are no longer simply his failure to properly handle the unhealthy reign of Sarkisian, or even his health, which is being questioned after his unexplained collapse at Notre Dame. Now there is the issue of his involvement in more than a dozen nonprofit and corporate boards that pay him a minimum of $500,000 a year, as documented in a Times report Saturday.
“To concerns over his judgment and health, add concerns over his time, which seems stretched in the wake of his poor job of vetting Sarkisian’s background and his seemingly minimal search before turning to Florida Gulf Coast University for basketball Coach Andy Enfield, who has gone 23-41 in two seasons with just five conference wins….
“These uncertain times are another reason why Saturday’s definitive win was met with such elation.”
No. 5 LSU (7-0) beat Western Kentucky (6-2) in Baton Rouge 48-20, with leading Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette rushing for 150 yards and a score.
Bye-bye Al Golden. The Miami Hurricanes’ coach, while a seemingly real good guy, just doesn’t deserve to be coaching at Miami anymore after his team suffered the worst loss in the 90-year history of Hurricanes football, 58-0, at home, to No. 6 Clemson.
Miami was outgained by an unbelievable margin of 567-146. It was 42-0 at half and few were in the stands by the third quarter.
It was so bad, Summit High School alum Michael Badgley didn’t even get a field goal attempt. Transfer, kid! Transfer to Wake Forest, where we’ll take your all-around talents as a tailback, receiver, kick returner and defensive back and exploit them.
And late Sunday, Golden was indeed fired.
[I can’t help but note this was Clemson’s largest win over an FBS opponent since an 82-24 win over Wake Forest in 1981…ouch…thank god I had graduated by then. Then again, my senior year in basketball, we lost to N.C. State 130-70…and you can look it up.]
No. 7 Michigan State (8-0) pulled away from Indiana (4-4) to win 52-26 in East Lansing, but this was a most deceiving game. Indiana’s kicker missed two extra points(!) or it would have been 28-28, but that kind of thing is a momentum killer and the Spartans had a strong finish. MSU quarterback Connor Cook was 30-52, 398, 4-0, in his best game of the year, while IU’s Nate Sudfeld was solid, 23/37, 308, 3-1.
I’ve watched a lot of Indiana this year and to me they are one of the hard-luck teams of 2015. After a 4-0 start, they lost to Ohio State 34-27, Penn State, Rutgers (who came from 25 points down) and now Michigan State. A key has been the loss much of this time of running back Jordan Howard, who had 1,587 yards last year but injured his ankle and was out of the Penn State and Rutgers games, while playing only part time Saturday, though when he was in he had 78 yards on 11 carries and a score.
Howard is a future star at the next level….no doubt. And that’s your Hoosiers’ wrap-up. Film at eleven.
No. 8 Alabama is 7-1 after a 19-14 win over Tennessee (3-4). Yawn.
But what a finish in Atlanta as disappointing Georgia Tech (3-5) handed No. 9 Florida State (6-1) its first loss, 22-16, on a blocked field goal returned 78 yards for a touchdown as time expired. FSU’s Roberto Aguayo, as good a kicker as there is in the country, was attempting a 56-yarder so he had to start it low and it was touched at the line, advancing just a few yards before it was scooped up. The Seminoles then reacted poorly to the runback.
No. 10 Stanford (6-1) easily handled Washington (3-4) at home as running back Christian McCaffrey had 109 yards rushing and another 112 on five receptions, scoring twice, to lead the way.
No. 14 Oklahoma State remained undefeated at 7-0 with a 58-10 win over pathetic Kansas (0-7). But the real story had nothing to do with the game, rather it was the tragedy at the Homecoming Parade earlier in Stillwater where a woman, later charged with DUI, plowed into the crowd, killing four, with a number still in critical condition at last word. Our prayers to the victims’ families and the O.K. State community.
No. 15 Texas A&M (5-2) lost to No. 24 Ole Miss (6-2) 23-3.
No. 17 Oklahoma (6-1) defeated Texas Tech (5-3) as Sooner running back Samaje Perine had 201 yards rushing on 23 carries and four touchdowns.
No. 18 Memphis is 7-0 after a 66-42 win over Tulsa (3-4). Both teams entered the game in the top ten in the nation offensively and they put on a show. Memphis QB Paxton Lynch had a career game, 32/44, 447, 4-0, while Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans was 24/36, 421, 4-1. Tulsa wide receiver Keyarris Garrett (what kind of name is Keyarris?!) caught 14 of Evans’ passes for 268 yards and three scores. As Ronald Reagan would have said, ‘Not bad, not bad at all.’
No. 19 Toledo was shockingly down 28-10 at UMass, but the Rockets (7-0) rallied big time on the road and ended up winning 51-35. Toledo quarterback Phillip Ely was 26/47, 355, 5-3. This would have been a devastating loss to the Minutemen who fell to 1-6.
No. 21 Houston stayed undefeated at 7-0 with a 59-10 win over winless UCF.
No. 22 Temple is now 7-0, the best start in school history, after defeating East Carolina (4-4) in Greenville, 24-14. Gigantic game next Saturday night in Philly…Temple vs. Notre Dame! This one should be fun.
No. 23 Duke (6-1) survived, defeating Virginia Tech (3-5) in Blacksburg, 45-43 in four overtimes, the longest game in ACC history. I hate college OT. I would do it NFL style. It’s also totally bogus how the stats get rolled up, like for quarterbacks. Duke’s Thomas Sirk had two TD passes in OT, and thus four for the game. I don’t consider that a 4-TD effort. Now discuss amongst yourselves.
No. 25 Pitt (6-1) needed a Chris Blewitt field goal as time expired at the Carrier Dome to defeat Syracuse (3-4). Mr. Blewitt asked his parents if he could change the family name to ‘Keyarris.’
In other games….
Navy is 5-1 after a 31-14 win over Tulane (2-5). Navy QB Keenan Reynolds ended a two-game drought with two rushing touchdowns to carry his career mark to 75, just two shy of the D-I record held by Wisconsin’s Monte Ball (2009-12).
Boston College (3-4) lost to Louisville (3-4) in a totally meaningless game I mention only because Louisville outgained BC 365-79! 79 total yards! Plus Louisville had four turnovers. BC had a blocked punt for a TD and the other score was the result of a fumble deep in Louisville territory.
I was following the beginning of N.C. State-Wake Forest online and before you could say Keyarris Garrett, the Deacs were down 28-0 in the first quarter…AT HOME! Wake gave up four touchdowns of 50 yards or more! Wolfpack running back Matthew Dayes had TD runs of 85 and 57 yards in the first few minutes! I’m running out of exclamation points!!!
Thankfully, when the Plutonians examine the history books, they’ll see Wake lost only 35-17 (Dayes finishing with 205 on 16 carries) as N.C. State (5-2) suddenly laid down the final three quarters. My Deacs fell to 3-5 and with Louisville, Notre Dame, Clemson and Duke remaining it’s a second straight 3-9 season under coach Dave Clawson, though I’m still not blaming him. But if they don’t start showing improvement next year, look out. [This will also be our seventh straight losing season.]
And in FCS (I-AA) play, No. 11 Richmond (6-1, 4-0 CAA) beat No. 4 James Madison (7-1, 4-1 CAA) 59-49 in the game of the week for all of college football, as I said it would be.
No. 1 FCS Jacksonville State (6-1) beat winless Austin Peay, 27-7, giving up just 82 yards of offense in the process.
And now…your new AP Poll!
1. Ohio State 8-0 (39 first-place votes)
2. Baylor 7-0 (7)
3. Clemson! 7-0 (6)
4. LSU 7-0 (5)
5. TCU 7-0 (3)
6. Michigan State 8-0
7. Alabama 7-1 (1)
8. Stanford 6-1
9. Notre Dame 6-1
10. Iowa 7-0!
11. Florida 6-1
12. Oklahoma State 7-0
13. Utah 6-1
16. Memphis 7-0
17. Florida State 6-1
18. Houston 7-0
20. Toledo 7-0…deserved to drop one
21. Temple 7-0
22. Duke 6-1
23. Pitt 6-1
It seems a lock now that Memphis, Houston or Temple out of the American Athletic Conference will receive a Big Six New Year’s Day bowl game.
So the big AAC games remaining are Houston-Memphis, Nov. 14, and Temple-Memphis, Nov. 21.
[I’ll get into other looming intra-conference games next BC.]
NFL…a few game notes…
The Jets had their opportunity to defeat the Patriots up in Foxborough but failed. Leading 17-16 in the fourth, Brandon Marshall dropped a touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Jets had to settle for a 20-16 lead, Tom Brady then marched the Pats down the field for a TD and a 23-20 lead, and New England (6-0) went on to win 30-23 as the Jets fell to 4-2.
Brady was 34/54, 355, 2-0, despite 11 drops. For New York, Ryan Fitzpatrick was 22/39, 295, 2-0, but running back Chris Ivory was clearly injured and had just 41 yards on 17 carries.
But as disappointing as this was for Jets fans, it was hardly a crusher. The Jets are a solid team and should be in the playoff hunt heading into the final weeks.
The Giants (4-3) beat the Cowboys (2-4) at MetLife Stadium 27-20 as Dallas committed four turnovers, including three interceptions by quarterback Matt Cassel in his first start as the team waits for Tony Romo’s return. The question is, will Dallas still be in it when he does come back?
Miami (3-3) is now 2-0 under interim coach Dan Campbell, as the Dolphins whipped the Texans (2-5) 44-26 in a game that was 41-0 at the half! Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill was perfect, 18/19, 282, 4-0…158.3 rating. Running back Lamar Miller had 175 yards on the ground, including an 85-yard TD run, plus a 54-yard TD reception, as Miami, like N.C. State against Wake Forest, had a record four 50-yard+ scores in the first quarter.
Tannehill, until his lone incompletion in the fourth quarter, set a two-game NFL record with 25 straight completions.
So Miami is very much back in the playoff picture. Good for them.
Tampa Bay (2-4) took a 24-0 lead over Washington, but the Redskins, behind quarterback Kirk Cousins, came back for their largest comeback win ever, 31-30, as Cousins threw for 310 yards and three second-half touchdowns. Tampa Bay rookie Jameis Winston was solid, 21/29, 297, 2-0, but it wasn’t enough.
Atlanta advanced to 6-1 with a 10-7 win over Tennessee (1-5) 10-7. Scintillating.
Pittsburgh (4-3) suffered a bad loss at Kansas City (2-5) 23-13 as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger remains on the sidelines.
Minnesota is 4-2 after defeating the 1-6 Lions 28-19.
New Orleans is 3-4 after defeating Indianapolis, also 3-4, in Andrew Luck’s return, 27-21. Luck was 23/44, 333, 3-2. Saints running back Mark Ingram had his finest game, 14 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown.
Raiders fans should be hopeful as their team beat San Diego (2-5) 37-29 in a game that was 30-6 at half. Oakland (3-3) was led by QB Derek Carr, who had another superb effort, 24/31, 289, 3-0.
St. Louis improved to 3-3 with a 24-6 win over Cleveland (2-5) as Rams running back Todd Gurley rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries; Gurley’s third straight with 128+. For Cleveland, quarterback Josh McCown was 26/32 for 270 yards and no interceptions, but also no TDs.
Thursday, Seattle barely stayed in the playoff hunt with a 20-3 win over San Francisco, who dropped to 2-5 and is out of it. Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch returned to form with 122 yards on 27 carries and one touchdown.
Golf Balls
–For the second straight week, a Web.com Tour graduate has won a PGA Tour event; this time a fellow who for the life of me I had never heard of, Smylie Kaufman, who shot a 29 on the back nine to capture the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. I’m ready for the real season to resume in January and February with the west coast tour, but remember, boys and girls, if you’re looking forward to the AT&T in February at Pebble Beach, it will be rained out due to El Nino. That was my prediction long ago and I’m sticking to it.
[For the record, after a fine showing in the DraftKings.com challenge last week, I was about 58,000 out of 76,000 this week.]
–In Forbes’ annual Fab 40 list for most valuable sports brands, Tiger Woods is No. 1 with Phil Mickelson second. “Brand value” measures how much more an athlete earned in endorsements over the average endorsement income of the top 10 earners in their sport.
For Woods, his real 2015 brand value was a whopping $30 million, with Mickelson at $28 million. LeBron James and Roger Federer were tied for third at $27 million.
But is Tiger going to play next year? Following his most recent back surgery, Woods said the other day:
“Rehab will be soon, and it will be tedious and long. The last one, it took me a while to get back. Some players on tour have done the same procedure and to be back pain-free it took them over a year.”
Uh oh. Woods added, “This year I tried to play after the back surgery and it wasn’t fun because of all the pain.”
Premier League
West Ham handed Chelsea its fifth defeat of the Premier League season 2-1 as a controversial call on a Chelsea header led to manager Jose Mourinho and a Chelsea player getting tossed. Chelsea thought the ball crossed the line – but goal-line technology showed otherwise.
Manchester City and Manchester United played to a 0-0 draw on Sunday. I watched most of this one…eh. Man City got the point they needed to stay in first.
My Tottenham Spurs finally broke out and whipped Bournemouth like a rented mule (apologies to the ASPCA), 5-1, as Harry Kane had a hat-trick. Understand, the Spurs had all of 11 goals in their first nine games, and Kane had just one.
Leicester City won a big early-season match with Crystal Palace 1-0.
Arsenal defeated Everton 2-1.
And Liverpool drew with Southampton 1-1.
So the standings after 10 of 38:
1. Man City 7 (W) 1 (D) 2 (L)…22 points
2. Arsenal 7-1-2…22..ties broken by goal differential
3. West Ham 6-2-2…20…I have to keep repeating…12th last season!
4. Man U 6-6-2…20
5. Leicester 5-4-1…19
6. Tottenham 4-5-1…17…we weathered the early-season storm.
7. Crystal Palace 5-0-5…15
8. Southampton 3-5-2…14
9. Liverpool 3-5-2…14
15. Chelsea 3-2-5…11…yuck!
–In Champions League play, matchday (sic) three of six in the Group Stage, Manchester United drew with CSKA Moscow 1-1, while Manchester City beat Sevilla 2-1.
Rugby World Cup
It’s Australia vs. New Zealand in the Final next Saturday in London. Both have won it all twice so each is attempting to become the first three-time champ.
On Sunday, Australia held off a game Argentina 29-15, while Saturday, New Zealand edged South Africa 20-18.
I have an All Blacks (NZ) shirt in my sportswear drawers somewhere…guess I need to wear it proudly.
But it’s M-E-T-S these days. [Oregon Duckwear is being transitioned into the losers’ drawer, where it will reside alongside Beaverwear and Deaconwear.]
Stuff
—Lewis Hamilton became the second British driver along with Sir Jackie Stewart to win three Formula One championships as he won the U.S. Grand Prix and the title on Sunday.
–Big goings on late at Talladega on Sunday, but just no time to get into it. The Chase for the Sprint Cup is now down to eight drivers…more next time.
–While Wake Forest football blows, we always have soccer and golf! The golf team is now ranked No. 3 behind Auburn and Illinois, according to Golfweek’s latest poll. Wake has won three events this fall, after failing to make the NCAAs last spring. Florida State and Stanford round out the top five.
And the No. 1 Wake soccer team should remain so when the latest poll is released on Monday, the Deacs having defeated No. 5 Notre Dame 2-1 over the weekend.
—Andre McGee, the figure at the center of the University of Louisville’s basketball scandal, resigned from his post as an assistant basketball coach at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. McGee had been placed on administrative leave following the publication of Katina Powell’s book in which she alleges McGee paid her thousands of dollars and gave her tickets in return for her providing dancers and escorts to entertain Louisville players and recruits.
Louisville coach Rick Pitino had earlier called on McGee to “tell the truth” about the scandal, but with local authorities now investigating potential criminal activity in Powell’s book, McGee, on the advice of counsel, will no doubt stay silent.
–We note the passing of actress Maureen O’Hara, 95. O’Hara was one of the biggest stars in films of the 1940s and 50s (though I remember her in 1966’s “The Rare Breed” and ‘63’s “McClintock”).
She is best known for her star turn in the classic “The Quiet Man” with John Wayne.
O’Hara wrote in her 2004 memoir of working with the Duke, “I was the only leading lady big enough and tough enough for John Wayne. Duke’s presence was so strong that when audiences saw him finally meet a woman of equal hell and fire, it was exciting and thrilling.”
Wayne said of O’Hara: “She’s big, lusty, absolutely marvelous – definitely my kind of woman. I’ve had many friends, and I prefer the company of men. Except for Maureen O’Hara.”
That film was directed by John Ford, who also directed O’Hara in “How Green Was My Valley” and other flicks.
But generations who didn’t see O’Hara in her early work, see her every Christmas with 1947’s “Miracle on 34th Street.”
Maureen O’Hara was born in Dublin, Aug. 17, 1920, and died in her sleep at her home in Boise, Idaho, surrounded by family who played the music from her favorite film, “The Quiet Man.” RIP.
–Dave Quinlivan, who survived a Sept. 4 attack from a great white shark in Australia, gave his first interview over the weekend. From the Sydney Morning Herald’s Dan Proudman:
“When (Quinlivan) noticed the dolphins getting spooked in the bay which hurls the sand onto Black Head Beach, the veteran surf lifesaver thought it was his hour-and-a-half long ski paddle which was to blame.
“Less than an hour later, and only 40 paddles into his 450-stroke warm down, the 65-year-old realized he was wrong.
“Very wrong.
“About 150 meters off the beach, north of Forster, a great white shark zeroed in on the paddler before leaping out of the water and latching onto his left ankle. And Mr. Quinlivan’s fight for survival began.
“ ‘He just came straight across and I couldn’t believe it when he took my leg clean, never chomped the ski or anything,’ Mr. Quinlivan told the Newcastle Herald.
“ ‘Got it clean. I reckon I was on the ski with him for about 10 seconds at least, because he took another adjustment and got [the leg] right into the corner of its mouth and then he gave me two almighty shakes.
“ ‘Shook the head side to side and then stopped because I said to him ‘Look, go away mate, you are killing me.’ He paused, looked at me, then endeavored to do it again but with the weight shift of the shark, his weight was overwhelming and we capsized together.
“ ‘We went below the water together and then all of a sudden there was a mass of bubbles, mass of silver and grey where he was flicking around in it somewhere and obviously he let me go and I surfaced on the other side of the ski.’
“Mr. Quinlivan got back onto the ski before realizing it was upside down. He made the brave decision to get back into the water, severed artery and all, and turn the ski over. That tough decision gave him the chance to escape.
“He climbed onto the ski, lying on his stomach and began paddling, while expecting the next hit from the shark.
“ ‘I was prepared to die because I looked at the artery and it was severed, and I knew the length of time that it was going to take me to get in, but I was pretty calm,’ Mr. Quinlivan said.”
Somehow he made it to shore, where beachgoers and then emergency services stabilized him.
But he almost died from blood loss during the helicopter flight to the hospital, where doctors performed several operations to reattach his Achilles tendon and other badly damaged parts of his ankle and lower calf.
“There was the operation where a chunk of muscle from his right thigh was removed and reattached to his left shin to replace the chunk taken by the shark. There were the hundreds of stitches, which took three hours to remove. And there were the dozens of bone fractures and chips from the first shark bite, and when the shark adjusted its bite and shook him like a ragdoll – twice.”
Seven weeks later he is still in the hospital. Months on crutches and years of rehabilitation remain.
–The oldest polar bear in the U.S. died Friday morning at the Philadelphia Zoo. Klondike, a female polar bear who was born at the Bronx Zoo in 1980 and moved to Philadelphia in 1981, was 34.
The average polar bear life span is 24 years.
—Bear Attack! From the Tallahassee Democrat and USA TODAY:
“A bear attacked a man outside a motel in Florida on Friday evening, according to the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which is investigating the incident.
“The attack came on the eve of the state’s first bear hunt in more than 20 years.
“Charles G., 65, was walking near the Sportsman’s Lodge Motel and Marina in Eastpoint, about 60 miles southwest of Tallahassee, when he encountered a bear and sustained injuries.
“Griffin transported himself to a hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries.”
Officials are looking to cap the hunt at 320 kills. There are a reported 3,500 black bears in the state.
–We note the passing of comedian Marty Ingels, 79, who was perhaps best known for his marriage to actress Shirley Jones.
Once, at a Republican fundraiser, Ingels introduced himself to Barbara Bush.
“Hello, my name is Marty Ingels,” he said. “I’m Shirley Jones’ husband.”
“My name is Barbara Bush,” she responded. “And I’m George Bush’s wife. Don’t you hate these parties? So boring.” [Los Angeles Times]
–I saw a blurb in the local paper on how Summit High School’s marching band was holding its annual Pledge Day, where the band, orchestra and chorus go door-to-door for financial support.
Way, way back, like 1973-76 when I was in Summit’s band, we sold “band candy” and Claxton fruitcakes. Now we all know Claxton fruitcakes were like WMDs and were used as weapons at the beginning of World War I as armies eventually transitioned to more modern methods of war. The Poles, for example, were known to use catapults to fire Claxton fruitcakes into enemy lines with tremendous effect.
But this use all changed during one of those Christmas Eve ceasefires when the soldiers, sitting in those awful trenches with mud-caked food, rats running free, decided to devour their ammunition and that’s how the tradition of eating fruitcakes at holiday time came about.
And now you know…the rest of the story.
–Finally, Cory Wells, a founding member of the vocal trio behind Three Dog Night, died. He was 74. Co-founder Danny Hutton said on the band’s website: “Cory was an incredible singer – a great performer, he could sing anything.”
The group formed in 1968 when Hutton and Wells met while touring with Sonny and Cher. The two decided to organize their own band and invited Chuck Negron to join them.
Three Dog Night went on to release 21 consecutive Top 40 hits, including top 10s “One,” “Easy To Be Hard,” “Mama Told Me (Not To Come),” “Eli’s Coming,” “Joy to the World,” “Liar,” “An Old Fashioned Love Song,” “Never Been To Spain,” “Black & White,” “Shambala,” and “The Show Must Go On.”
My own favorite of theirs, though, was the 1970 #15 tune “Out In The Country.”
Three Dog Night helped bolster the careers of some nascent songwriters, including Elton John, Harry Nilsson, Laura Nyro, Hoyt Axton and Randy Newman; Newman being responsible for “Mama Told Me (Not To Come),” which sold more than a million copies. Wells sang the lead and liked to tell the story of a phone call he later received from Newman. “He said, ‘I just want to thank you for putting my kids through college.’ Then he hung up.” [Elaine Woo / Los Angeles Times]
As for the name of the group, Wells said Hutton’s girlfriend at the time came up with it.
“She was reading in a magazine about the aborigines in Australia, where they end up at night, they take a dog to keep them warm. The Australians got a hold of that and said it was a ‘three dog night.’”
Cory Wells is survived by his wife of 50 years, Mary, two daughters and five grandchildren. RIP.
Top 3 songs for the week 10/25/69: #1 “I Can’t Get Next To You” (The Temptations) #2 “Hot Fun In the Summertime” (Sly & The Family Stone…in my all-time Top 50…) #3 “Sugar, Sugar” (The Archies…eke…sorry, LT…)…and…#4 “Jean” (Oliver…song about the late, great Jean Beliveau…or maybe not…) #5 “Suspicious Minds” (Elvis Presley) #6 “Little Woman” (Bobby Sherman…remember when you could get his records, little 45s, literally on cereal boxes? True story, young people…there was a protective sleeve…) #7 “Wedding Bell Blues” (The 5th Dimension …they were golden…) #8 “Baby It’s You” (Smith) #9 “Tracy” (The Cuff Links) #10 “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” (Lou Christie …not his best…)
World Series Quiz Answers: 1) Phil Garner hit .500 in the 1979 WS for Pittsburgh in their triumph over the Orioles. Garner was 12-for-24 with 3 walks to qualify as the ‘career’ leader. 2) Six to hit 10 home runs: Mickey Mantle, 18 (230 at-bats); Babe Ruth, 15 (129); Yogi Berra, 12 (259); Duke Snider, 11 (133); Lou Gehrig, 10 (119); Reggie Jackson, 10 (98). No one has nine, by the way.
Next Bar Chat, Thursday.
