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[Posted: Wednesday a.m.]
World Series Quiz: Four pitchers in World Series history have won 10 games. Three are Yankees. Name the one who wasn’t. [Of course I could ask you who the three Yanks were as well.] Answer below.
Game One to the Royals
Steve Politi / NJ.com
“If you were looking for a sign that this Mets ride was headed straight for the Canyon of Heroes, what more did you need than the little roller up along first?
“Those were the exact words from Vin Scully, of course, from 29 years ago to describe what happened when a baseball squirted between Bill Buckner’s legs. Here were the Mets back in the World Series and – of all the things – they had scored their go-ahead run with an error at first.
“Wilmer Flores, playing the role of Mookie Wilson, hit the grounder. Eric Hosmer misplayed it for the Kansas City Royals. Juan Lagares scored to put the Mets ahead 4-3 in the eighth, and it seemed like a sign from the baseball gods that a world championship was the Mets predetermined destiny.
“And then…
“The Royals had their own idea about history and destiny and all that. Alex Gordon tied the game with a monster home run off seemingly invincible Mets closer Jeurys Familia in the bottom of the ninth. Then, fittingly, it was Hosmer in the 14th inning driving in the winning run with a walk-off sacrifice fly in a 5-4 victory.”
It was also a game where Royals starter Edinson Volquez wasn’t told until after he exited the game that his father had died in the Dominican Republic. And you had those embarrassing technical issues with the Fox broadcast, which went off the air twice. [Fox doesn’t have to worry about getting an Emmy for its coverage.]
Plus there was that first pitch in the bottom of the first to Alcides Escobar, a 95-mph Matt Harvey fastball that center fielder Yoenis Cespedes botched (with help from left fielder Michael Conforto) that then turned into an inside-the-park home run.
As for Familia, it was his first blown save since July 30. In the postseason he had allowed just two hits and no runs over 9 2/3 before Gordon took him deep.
David Wright didn’t help matters with an error on a routine ground ball in the 14th inning that opened the door for the Royals to score the winning run off 42-year-old Bartolo Colon.
So now for Mets fans it’s up to Jacob deGrom in Game 2 tonight. Many of us are running on fumes after staying up until the bitter end at 1:18 a.m. ET. I hope the Mets aren’t. They need to find a way to recharge the batteries.
But I can’t help but bring up the story of Cespedes, the free-agent-to-be who is just assuming he is going to get a monster, six-year deal from someone (most likely not the Mets). This is a guy who despite his spectacular raw talent has been on four teams in four years. There’s a reason. More than one.
For example, he missed the pregame call to the base line because, according to a Mets official, he was in the bathroom, and then he nonchalanted the ball that Escobar hit to start it off for K.C.
Afterwards, he was reluctant to take responsibility, even though it’s the center fielder’s ball.
Yoenis needs to have a strong Game 2 or he’ll be amazed how quickly Mets fans turn on him this weekend.
–The Wall Street Journal reported that no lineup in baseball matches up better with the Mets’ collection of young flamethrowers than the Royals’. “During the regular season, they led the major leagues with a .307 batting average on pitches thrown at 94 mph and above, according to the website Baseball Savant.” They also struck out just 11.6% of the time on such pitches, the best rate in baseball. [Jared Diamond / WSJ]
But the Royals hit only .209 on pitches 85 mph or slower, the worst mark in the American League.
And back to their ability to hit fastballs, at the same time they swung at a large percentage of pitches out of the strike zone, so while they don’t strike out much, that indicates weak contact and easy outs. Game 2 will be telling in proving or disproving such theories.
–Major League teams are told not to make big management changes during the World Series, so as not to distract from the main event, but that doesn’t mean players can’t make announcements.
Thus Torii Hunter announced his retirement after a very solid major league career. He had returned to Minnesota last season to finish things on his own terms and he had a solid last campaign, batting .240, but with 22 home runs and 81 RBIs, while his leadership and positive influence on the younger members of the team played a positive role in keeping the surprising Twins in the playoff hunt until the next-to-last day of the season.
Hunter ended up hitting .277 with 353 homers and 1,391 RBIs for Minnesota, the Los Angeles Angels and the Detroit Tigers, playing in one A.L. Championship Series with each team. He had 11 seasons of 20+ homers and 13 seasons of 80 or more RBIs. Now that’s consistency.
Hunter was also a terrific fielder, winning nine Gold Glove awards. And he made five All-Star teams.
College Football
–So what are this coming weekend’s big games? Once again, what a crappy slate. But it heats up the rest of the way.
First off, as you plan your Saturday, go to a high school football game, walk the dog, go for a long run (as I will be doing), shop, take a long nap (as I will also be doing), buy beer (like moi…I’ll be multi-tasking), do community service…yes, you can do it all before 3:30, because there aren’t any games worth caring about until then.
And even at 3:30, I have mild interest, emphasis on mild, in 3 Clemson at North Carolina State, though this is one you follow online and go to later; and Maryland (which truly blows) at 10 Iowa just to see if the Hawkeyes stumble (give a cursory glance online to this one until about 6:15 ET, then go live if necessary), and then…and then…heck, the only game worth watching all day is at 8:00 ET, 9 Notre Dame at 21 Temple. I just hope the Owls are up to the challenge. Certainly the crowd should be pumped…with obviously a bunch of ND supporters in the stands in Philadelphia. Expect all kinds of brawls and fist fights.
So there…I’ve given you a total roadmap for your Saturday. Notice how I didn’t say anything about doing something with your kids. They’ll be off in their own little worlds. Let them be. Just make sure they have the phone numbers for the police and fire departments when you leave them for 12 hours….and maybe some water.
[Actually, at 5:35 p.m. there is a big event, see further below, and we’ll have Game Four of the World Series.]
No. 2 Baylor is idle this weekend but they received bad news when it was revealed quarterback Seth Russell needs neck surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. Russell suffered damage to the cervical vertebra in Saturday’s win over Iowa State.
Baylor still has Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU on their remaining schedule. True freshman Jarrett Stidham now takes the helm and he has star power of his own, according to coach Art Briles. But if Stidham goes down, the backup is sophomore Chris Johnson, who has been playing wide receiver.
Before the Bears’ final stretch, they travel to Kansas State a week from Thursday.
–Meanwhile, Utah’s loss to Southern Cal leaves the Pac-12 with two one-loss teams, the other being Stanford, and in real danger of being left out of the four-team College Football Playoff. Certainly the Big Ten is a lock with three unbeaten teams, while the Big 12 has Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State and one-loss Oklahoma. And of course the SEC is getting a slot, while the ACC has Clemson.
At least that’s where we’re at on paper with 4 or 5 games left for each of the above, not including their conference championship games.
Stanford has a shot, having suffered its only loss in the opener at Northwestern in just a pathetic performance. If it runs the table from here, it’s certainly going to be no worse than fifth in the AP poll, one would think. But let’s face it, the real fun is just getting started…OK, not this week but the following one for sure. LSU vs. Alabama, for one. Florida State at Clemson.
–Who will be the next coach at Miami after the firing of Al Golden? Former college and NFL coach Greg Schiano is one name being mentioned, but he’s a defensive coach, not like, say, Justin Fuente (Memphis). CBS Sports was also told by a source that Miami missed all or part of 33 practice days in 2014 due to weather. Indoor facilities are a big deal and Miami doesn’t have one.
As Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com also notes, it’s not like the old days where Miami could “throw up a fence around Broward and Dade counties. Everybody recruits in South Florida. In-state, Florida is rebuilding and Florida State has played for the last two national championships.”
Miami’s once proud program is going on its 12th year without double-digit wins. It has no ACC division titles, let alone a conference championship.
[For the record, Golden was 32-25, 17-18 in the ACC.]
–Meanwhile, the FCS (I-AA) standings:
1. Jacksonville State 6-1
2. Coastal Carolina 7-0
3. Illinois State 6-1
4. Chattanooga 6-1
5. Eastern Washington 5-2
6. Richmond 6-1
11. Fordham 7-1
NFL
—Remaining undefeateds: New England 6-0; Cincinnati 6-0; Denver 6-0; Green Bay 6-0; Carolina 6-0.
AFC South
Indianapolis 3-4
Houston 2-5
Jacksonville 2-5
Tennessee 1-5
[Can you say putrid?]
NFC East
NY Giants 4-3
Washington 3-4
Philadelphia 3-4
Dallas 2-4…doesn’t look like they will survive Romo’s loss for another few weeks/losses
Teams to watch come January…Miami (3-3) and Oakland (3-3).
–Hmmm…let’s see, Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bedard predicted the Ravens would defeat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Not quite. Baltimore is 1-6. [For the record, I had the Seahawks winning it all and there is still a very small shot of this occurring.]
–So I posted Sunday night before all the details were known on certain aspects of the day’s games. For example, you had the behavior of Dallas defensive end Greg Hardy, who is a lockdown candidate for “Dirtball,” “Jerk” and “A-hole of the Year,” not only for his past issues but for being a total [cue Jeff Spicoli].
After Dwayne Harris’ 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown gave the New York Giants a 27-20 lead Sunday, Hardy got into a tussle on the sidelines with special-teams coach Rich Bisaccia, who shoved Hardy out of the huddle. Then Hardy got into it with Devin Street. Then he exchanged words with Dez Bryant, which those watching on TV saw…Bryant just trying to calm things down.
Afterwards, in the locker room after the game, Hardy had the following exchange with the press.
[Actual transcript]
Q: Could you describe your feelings right now?
A: No comment. Next question.
Q: How do you think the de—
A: No comment. Next question.
Q: Is there —
A: No comment. Next question. Any other questions?
Q: It looks like you got into the special teams —
A: No comment. Next question.
Q: Can you say anything about —
A: No comment. Next question. Any other questions?
Q: The Giants —
A: No comment. Any other questions?
(two-second pause)
A: Thank you guys for coming. I appreciate you all very much.
Boy, it’s really tempting to wish this guy the worst.
Another jerk, owner and general manager Jerry Jones, said of Hardy’s behavior that he didn’t have any problems with it. “As a matter of fact, I would encourage it.” Jones then called Hardy “one of the real leaders on this team.”
Oh brother. The guy is a thug…at best. At worst, he is a lot more than that. He flat out shouldn’t be playing in the league.
–Is Tom Brady the greatest quarterback of all time? Mike Sando asks the question in a piece for ESPN.com. I can’t stand the guy, but I have no problem with calling him this, the latest example being his leading role in the Pats’ 30-23 victory over the Jets on Sunday.
–The Giants reached an agreement on an incentive-laden one-year deal with Jason Pierre-Paul; the team apparently satisfied JPP is making solid progress and doing all the right things as he attempts to come back from a serious Fourth of July fireworks accident, which cost him his right index finger and caused damage to two other fingers.
The Giants have been saving $871,000 every week that Pierre-Paul does not play this season, which represents the pro-rated portion of what he would have made had he signed the contract he was due when he was designated the Giants’ franchise player this spring. The team also had leverage in that JPP needed to sign a contract by Nov. 17, or he wouldn’t be able to play the remainder of the season.
–We have an “Idiot of the Year” candidate in former Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett, who was released by the team on Tuesday after, first, showing up late for meetings Saturday, which he blamed on traffic, and then missing the team’s charter flight to South Florida for the game against the Dolphins, forcing him to fly commercial.
Sources said coach Bill O’Brien was so upset, he wanted to release Mallett that day, but the Texans wouldn’t have had a backup. The QB was guaranteed $1.75 million this season, but he had no guaranteed money for 2016.
NBA
–The season opened Tuesday night. Ask me if I’ll care the first few weeks, or more?
–I saw the news on the death of Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders Sunday afternoon and flat out forgot to include it last time. It all happened so suddenly as it was just last June he first learned he had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, though it wasn’t until Aug. 11 that he offered on social media he was being treated for it: “The outpouring of support today has been overwhelming, (and) has truly reminded me that the goodness of people should never be questioned.”
Doctors at the time considered his lymphoma “very treatable and curable” and Saunders planned on remaining head coach and president of basketball operations. But then the T’Wolves announced in the past few weeks he had been hospitalized following a setback and on Friday said he would miss the entire season. Two days later he was dead.
Saunders coached Minnesota from 1995-96 to 2004-05, before moving on to Detroit and Washington, and then returning to the T’Wolves in 2013 as president. He took over again as coach last season.
Saunders compiled a 654-592 record, 47-51 in the playoffs. In 2004 he reached the Western Conference finals with Kevin Garnett, a player he shared a special relationship with. Last February, Garnett waived his no-trade clause to return to Minnesota to finish his career alongside his coach, with whom he had had some of his best seasons, averaging over 20 points and 10+ rebounds for nine straight, 1998-2007.
Not long after Saunders’ death was announced, Garnett posted a picture of himself sitting in Saunders’ parking spot at the team practice facility, staring at his friend’s nameplate on the chain-link fence, with the caption, “Always in my heart.”
Fred Hoiberg, the Chicago Bulls new head coach who played for Saunders in Minnesota from 2003-05, said: “He’s a great mentor, he’s a great leader, a special, special person….There’s not one person that you could talk to to get to say one bad thing about Flip Saunders.”
Saunders played his college ball at Minnesota alongside future NBA players Mychal Thompson, Ray Williams and Kevin McHale.
Minnesota opens its season tonight. Sam Mitchell has been named interim head coach.
–Regarding the new NBA season, of course I’m going with San Antonio to win it all. Couch Slouch (aka Norman Chad) of the Washington Post said of the Spurs:
“Nobody ever leaves San Antonio. Players either stay with the Spurs forever or get in line to join the Spurs forever. The team’s latest pickups are David West, 35, and LaMarcus Aldridge, 30. Brett Favre, Derek Jeter and Jay Leno reportedly have discreetly inquired about joining the Spurs.
“This season the Spurs will have eight players 30 or older, with five of them at least 35; at this rate, the Spurs’ training complex will replace Leisure World as the largest retirement community in the U.S.”
Actually, I hope the Knicks improve so I can root for them. A .500 season will suit me just fine after a season in which they won just 17 and were beyond unwatchable. There are, after all, some nights in the deep of winter when there literally is nothing else on and at least in these parts we have the Knicks and Nets as background while we’re rearranging our sock drawers.
Breeders’ Cup Classic
It’s getting lost in the crush of football and the World Series, but don’t forget that at 5:35 p.m. ET on Saturday (NBC), American Pharoah runs in his last race against a very strong field at Keeneland.
Among those looking to ruin Pharoah’s going away party are 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, who ended California Chrome’s Triple Crown bid; Keen Ice, who defeated American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes; Frosted, who was 4th in the Kentucky Derby, 2nd in the Belmont, and 3rd in the Travers this year; Honor Code, who has won some big stakes races in 2015; and Beholder, a 5-year-old mare who has won 15 of 20 starts, including all five this year, and is destined for the Hall of Fame.
NASCAR
So last Sunday, Kevin Harvick denied triggering a last-lap wreck at Talladega that ended up ensuring his place in the next round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, but virtually all the other drivers begged to differ.
As described by ESPN’s Bob Pockrass:
“After one restart was aborted because of a crash before the leaders got to the start-finish line, Harvick, in 10th, was in jeopardy of falling out of the Chase as his motor was about to blow prior to the one attempt to have a green-white-checkered finish.
“Harvick’s car didn’t get going on the restart – just as in the previous one – and he pulled to the outside lane. He clipped Trevor Bayne, causing a wreck that brought out the caution. At that point, the field was frozen, drivers could not gain positions and Joey Logano was awarded the checkered flag for his third consecutive win.
“ ‘That’s a crappy way for Harvick to have to get in the Chase; to wreck somebody – what I believe to be on purpose (but) maybe it wasn’t,” Bayne said. “The restart before that, he had engine problems and got out of the way.”
Denny Hamlin also questioned Harvick’s move.
“The 4 could only run about 30 miles an hour,” he said after the race. “I think he saw people coming and he knew he was probably going to be 30th, the last car on the lead lap, so he caused the wreck.”
Jeff Gluck / USA TODAY:
“In NASCAR, there are great races and bad races and every kind of race in between.
“And then there was Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway, which was simply a colossal embarrassment.
“What was billed as possibly the most exciting race of the Sprint Cup season – an elimination race in the middle of the sport’s playoff – turned into a complete debacle, unsatisfying in every way for fans who had traveled from 22 countries and 49 states to see it.”
Harvick’s crew chief Rodney Childers said the explanation was simple: The no. 4 car’s engine was blowing up, and his driver was attempting to move up when he hit Bayne and caused the wreck.
So the end result was that Harvick finished 15th and seventh in the standings as the Chase field was cut to the top eight with four races to go. Now the next three races will reduce the field to four for the final. Ryan Newman was screwed, finishing in ninth in the standings, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. also a victim.
Said Earnhardt: “I feel like no matter the rules, when the race is over, I can live with the result as long as everyone else is going by the same rules.
Bottom line, the field is reset to these final eight. Next race, Sunday, at Martinsville.
Joey Logano, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch.
Seeing as this is Jeff Gordon’s swan song…it would be way cool for him to win it all.
Golf Balls
–It’s official, official…The Open Championship is returning to Northern Ireland, Royal Portrush, in 2019, the first time it has been played here in 68 years (Max Faulkner lifted the claret jug at Portrush in 1951). Portrush’s cause was helped greatly by the massive crowds at the 2012 Irish Open there, plus four Irishmen winning nine major titles over the past decade didn’t hurt either.
–I forgot to note last time that 18-year-old Lydia Ko won an LPGA event in Taiwan on Sunday, amazingly her tenth career LPGA title already, including five this season. So Ko, a New Zealander, is the fastest to 10 wins by nearly 3 ½ years (the prior record holder being Nancy Lopez).
Men’s Division I Soccer Rankings (Oct. 26)
1. Wake Forest 12-1-2
2. Clemson 13-1-2
3. North Carolina 13-1-1
4. Akron 11-2-2
5. Notre Dame 8-3-5
6. Creighton 15-0-0
14. Boston College 8-5-1…sop to Steve D.
15. SMU 11-2-3…sop to Paul P.
Stuff
–The Montreal Canadiens faced off against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night in Vancouver, attempting to make NFL history by becoming one of three teams to open up with 10 consecutive wins. [1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs and 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres the others.] The 2012-13 Blackhawks didn’t lose a game in regulation or overtime until the 25th game of the season after a 21-0-3 start; their only three losses to that point all being in a shootout.
But the Canadiens lost to Vancouver 4-1.
–The college hoops season is only about two weeks away and I was looking at a CBSSports.com preview of the ACC and their experts have North Carolina as best in the conference, followed by Virginia, Duke, Miami and Notre Dame.
Wake Forest was listed 12th out of 15, but I didn’t realize we’re without our solid point guard, Codi Miller-McIntyre, for the first 7-8 games of the season as he suffered a broken foot.
Boston College is ranked last and no sugarcoating this…they could really, really suck.
Which was the topic of the conversation at the Ferraro’s Lunch Bowl Pay-off on Tuesday in Westfield, New Jersey, as B.C. alum Steve D. bought my lunch for the Eagles’ 3-0 loss to the Demon Deacons in football. Steve said he is already saving for late February when Wake and B.C. tussle for the only time in hoops this season.
Because the football score was so low, I was only allowed to order items $3.00 or less, which meant hot tea.
–American Ted Ligety won the season-opening giant slalom in Solden, Austria, his 25th career World Cup win and 50th podium finish. He thus became the third American male skier to accomplish the feat, joining Bode Miller (79) and Phil Mahre (69).
Mikaela Shiffrin finished second for the U.S. in the women’s opening GS, losing to Italy’s Federica Brignone.
I’m going to do my best to keep up on the World Cup schedule this season as I always try to do.
–On November 12 at the White House, President Obama will be awarding the Medal of Honor to Capt. Florent Groberg. From Michelle Tan / Military Times:
“Out of the corner of his eye, Capt. Florent Groberg saw the man first.
“ ‘I’m looking at him, dark man-jams, he doesn’t look right,’ Groberg said.
“When the stranger turned toward the American patrol, the young captain, who was charged with his brigade commander’s personal security detachment, quickly realized the man had a suicide bomb vest strapped to his chest.
“ ‘The only thing I could think of was, ‘I have to get him away. I have to get him away from the boss. I have to get him away from everybody,’’ Groberg said.
“Groberg immediately started pushing the man away, throwing him to the ground.
“ ‘The next thing you know, he just lands on the ground chest first, and I’m looking at him, and he detonates,’ Groberg said. ‘He detonated right in front of my feet.’
“The blast killed four Americans and wounded several others. It also caused a second suicide bomber, hidden behind a small structure near the road, to detonate his vest prematurely, according to the Army. Groberg’s quick thinking prevented both bombers from detonating as planned, saving most of the people on the patrol.
“For his actions on that August 2012 morning in Afghanistan, Groberg will receive the Medal of Honor.
“Groberg, 32, is the 10th living service member to receive the nation’s highest award for valor for actions in Afghanistan or Iraq. Seven troops were posthumously awarded the medal for their actions in those wars.”
Groberg said he didn’t know how to feel about the honor.
“You’re receiving an award for the worst day of your life, a day that you lost four incredible individuals, a day that I’ll never forget, that lives on every day when you wake up.”
Groberg, who suffered severe wounds to his left leg, said his goal is to make sure others know about the four men who died that day: Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin J. Griffin, the brigade’s senior enlisted soldier; Maj. Thomas E. Kennedy, the brigade’s fire support coordinator; Air Force Maj. Walter D. Gray, of the 13th Air Support Operations Squadron; and Ragaei Abdelfattah, who was on his second voluntary tour with the U.S. Agency for International Development.
—Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been charged by the Football Association over his behavior in Chelsea’s defeat by West Ham the other day that had him kicked out. Chelsea was also fined about $37,000 for receiving more than five bookings (seven in fact).
Mourinho is now at war with the press and is not cooperating as per Premier League rules. Ergo, the dude isn’t long for the Chelsea gig, a year after winning the championship.
–I think most of you understand it’s hard as heck putting this column together on Sundays during football season in particular and I just run out of time, still having to attempt to proof and all. So in my acknowledgement of actress Maureen O’Hara’s passing, I just wanted to note the following anecdote, from Myrna Oliver / Los Angeles Times:
“In the late 1950s, Confidential magazine roiled Hollywood by printing scurrilous stories about Liberace, Dorothy Dandridge and many others. The tabloid headlined ‘It was the Hottest Show in Town when Maureen O’Hara Cuddled in Row 35’ and went on to print that the actress was having a steamy real-life scene with a Latin lover in Grauman’s Chinese Theater as ‘Ben Hur’ played on the screen.
“Recruited by actor and future U.S. Sen. George Murphy to take on the tabloid, several entertainers filed suit. Others dropped out, but O’Hara pursued the litigation, proving through her passport stamp that she was in Spain on the night in question, shooting the film ‘Fire Over Africa.’ Confidential was found guilty of conspiring to publish obscenity and libel, and went out of business.”
No wonder John Wayne liked her.
–Morristown, New Jersey is just 15 minutes from where your editor lives and Brad K. and I were discussing a story out of the local papers on Monday…a black bear found in the middle of the town square there, at 2:00 in the afternoon….which is rather bizarre. This means the bear was shopping and eating at the many fine establishments surrounding “the Green,” at least one would assume so. The bear went up a tree and when it didn’t come down, police tranquilized it and safely removed it….or so the story goes.
To paraphrase Linus, Morristown is not only getting too commercial, it’s getting too dangerous.
–Brad K. also passed along the story from the AP out of North Webster, Ind. – “Authorities say a northern Indiana woman is recovering after being shot in the foot by her dog.
“And the dog’s name? Trigger.
“Indiana Conservation Officer Jonathon Boyd says 25-year-old Allie C. (some last names I just feel should be omitted…though I admit my policy is haphazard) of Avilla laid her 12-gauge shotgun on the ground without the safety on during a waterfowl hunt Saturday at Tri-County Fish and Wildlife Area.
“Boyd says Carter’s chocolate Labrador retriever, Trigger, stepped on top of the shotgun and depressed the trigger.
“He says (Allie C.) was shot in the left foot at point-blank range, suffering injuries to her foot and toes. She was treated at two hospitals and released.”
I’m assuming Trigger was forgiven (he was clearly going after a duck) and didn’t end up in the dog house.
–So my buddy Johnny Mac has mused from time to time that when it comes to the All-Species List, “Man” is below the “Blobfish,” Man being about No. 355 at this point with zero chance of recovery unless you tell me world peace breaks out and Sunni and Shiite are partying together, but I digress.
Anyway, I’m reading the November issue of Smithsonian and they label the blobfish the most “misunderstood fish” in the world. Mr. Blobby, as he is affectionately known, was first dredged up off the coast of New Zealand during a 2003 research voyage and now resides in a “70 percent ethyl-alcohol solution.”
As the article written by Frank Lidz further notes, “Two years ago the blobfish was voted the earth’s most hideous species in an online poll conducted by the British-based Ugly Animal Preservation Society.”
Top 3 songs for the week 10/31/70: #1 “I’ll Be There” (The Jackson 5…my 2nd favorite of theirs… “Never Can Say Goodbye” being first…) #2 “We’ve Only Just Begun” (Carpenters) #3 “Fire And Rain” (James Taylor)…and…#4 “Cracklin’ Rosie” (Neil Diamond) #5 “Green-Eyed Lady” (Sugarloaf) #6 “All Right Now” (Free) #7 “Indiana Wants Me” (R. Dean Taylor) #8 “Candida” (Dawn) #9 “Lola” (The Kinks) #10 “It’s Only Make Believe” (Glen Campbell)
World Series Quiz Answer: 7 or more wins pitching in World Series play: Whitey Ford, 10 (10-8), 2.71 ERA; Red Ruffing, 7-2, 2.63; Allie Reynolds, 7-2, 2.79; and Bob Gibson, 7-2, 1.89.
Of course Mr. Gibson was the only non-Yankee. He had nine Series starts and had eight complete games, though 27 innings each of three years. In 81 innings, he gave up just 55 hits, walked only 17 and struck out 92. As Ronald Reagan no doubt said back then, “Not bad…not bad at all.”
Next Bar Chat, Monday.
