[Posted Wed. a.m.]
MLB Quiz: OK, we know the Cubs haven’t won the World Series since 1908, 107 years. Name the next six teams with the longest droughts. Answer below.
MLB Playoffs
Cubs-Giants
With the Cubs looking to complete a three-game sweep in San Francisco on Monday against Madison Bumgarner, the Cubs got to the ace for three runs in five innings as their starter, Jake Arrieta, was allowing two in six frames. But the Giants got three in the bottom of the eighth off the Chicago pen, including Aroldis Chapman, who was totally ineffective, to make it 5-3 San Fran heading to the top of the ninth.
Then the Cubs tied the game up on a two-run homer by Kris Bryant off the Giants’ Sergio Romo, sending the game into extra-innings, only for the game to end in the bottom of the 13th on a Joe Panik double, scoring Brandon Crawford.
But Cubs manager Joe Maddon had summoned Chapman in the eighth with two on and no one out, meaning he was planning on using him for two innings, though Chapman had had just one six-out save in his career.
After Chapman fanned Hunter Pence, Conor Gillaspie – he of the three-run homer off Jeurys Familia that ended the Mets season in the wild card game – delivered a two-run triple to give the Giants the lead.
So the Giants had won 10 straight elimination games.
On to Tuesday and Game Four…
With San Francisco’s Matt Moore pitching 8 strong innings, yielding two runs (one earned) while striking out 10, the Giants took a 5-2 lead into the top of the ninth after hitting Cubs starter John Lackey hard. But then the Cubs mounted a stirring rally, notching four runs off five Giants relievers…the big hits by Ben Zobrist, Wilson Contreras and Javier Baez, while Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford threw away a potential double-play ball.
Aroldis Chapman, the goat the night before, then struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth and the celebration was on for the Cubs, who now await the winner of Washington-Los Angeles.
The Giants were so close to sending it back to Chicago, which would have been a true tension convention for city and its fans, but the Giants’ bullpen has been miserable the second half of the season and it did them in. Cubs manager Joe Maddon also pushed all the right buttons in the ninth. Eight more wins to go.
Nationals-Dodgers
With the series tied at 1-1 heading back to Los Angeles, the Nationals took Game Three 8-3 on Monday, meaning they could wrap it up Tuesday.
Clayton Kershaw took the mound for L.A. on just three days’ rest and forget the stat line, which is highly deceiving…6 2/3, 5 earned on 5 hits, but 11 strikeouts. He had a chance to get out of it in the seventh with a 5-2 lead but he got pinched on a few calls from the home-plate umpire and the Dodger pen blew it, allowing the Nats to tie it at 5-5 as Kershaw sat disconsolately in the dugout.
But in the bottom of the eighth, Chase Utley raked a go-ahead RBI single off Washington reliever Blake Treinen and Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen closed it out in the ninth for the 6-5 win.
On to Washington, Thursday, Game Five. Max Scherzer for the Nats. Rich Hill (it seems) for the Dodgers.
Back to Kershaw, this is a guy who most thought wasn’t returning this season from his back injury. Forget his postseason issues, Tuesday he more than answered the call.
Indians-Red Sox
It’s over already. Rather shockingly, given the questionable status of Cleveland’s rotation, the Indians completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox in Boston on Monday, David Ortiz’ career coming to an end in the process.
Monday’s score was 4-3, the Indians’ Coco Crisp with the decisive two-run homer in the sixth off Boston’s Drew Pomeranz for a 4-1 lead and the Indians’ pen held on from there.
After it was over, Ortiz emerged from the dugout for one last goodbye as the Red Sox faithful gave him a final ovation.
Big Papi ends his career with 541 home runs and 1,768 RBIs.
But in the postseason, he had 17 homers and 61 RBI in 304 at bats.
It was in the World Series, though, that he really shined, hitting three home runs and driving in 14 in 44 ABs, while batting .455 as he picked up his three rings.
Rangers-Blue Jays
It’s so depressing to get swept in the ALDS, as Texas was on Sunday night in Toronto by the Blue Jays, 7-6 in the clincher. One year ago, the Blue Jays eliminated the Rangers in Game Five of the ALDS on Jose Bautista’s home run and historic bat flip.
So it’s Toronto vs. Cleveland, Friday, as we all wonder, or at least some of us….can the LeBron magic continue? [Not having Boston advance is a killer for ratings.]
–Due to Saturday’s rainout of the Nationals-Dodgers game, on Sunday, the Nats and Redskins played at the same time, so a chance to compare television ratings in the Washington market.
The Redskins, according to Nielsen, averaged 740,000 viewers vs. 135,000 for the Nationals.
And that’s a good example of the apathy surrounding Washington Nationals baseball, boys and girls.
–Following his first Arizona Fall League game in Scottsdale, Mets minor leaguer Tim Tebow, who went 0-for-3 at the plate, was signing autographs when a man hit the ground, apparently suffering a seizure.
Tebow then put out his hand and prayed and talked with the fan until paramedics arrived.
“They’re going to take good care of you buddy,” Tebow said to a man identified as “Brandon,” who later blamed the fit on a brain tumor of frontal lobe epileopsy.
College Football
New AP Top 25
1. Alabama 6-0 (56)
2. Ohio State 5-0 (2)
3. Clemson 6-0 (2)
4. Michigan 6-0 (1)
5. Washington 6-0
6. Texas A&M (6-0)
7. Louisville 4-1
8. Wisconsin 4-1
9. Tennessee 5-1
10. Nebraska 5-0
11. Baylor 5-0
12. Ole Miss 3-2
13. Houston 5-1
14. Florida State 4-2
15. Boise State 5-0
*Wake Forest received one vote! Ding ding ding!
Among Saturday’s big games….
Wake Forest at Florida State…actually, not in the least optimistic about this one. N.C. State at Clemson is intriguing.
But Alabama at Tennessee and Ohio at Wisconsin are the two real biggies.
North Carolina at Miami could be entertaining.
–While there was some controversy over the cancellation of the LSU-Florida football game last weekend in Gainesville as Hurricane Matthew had moved on by then, Gainesville was an evacuation zone and a base for first responders, so in hindsight the decision was most warranted.
But attention has turned to all the games on Saturday in North Carolina, literally played in Matthew, and now in light of the devastation in many parts of eastern Carolina, criticism is rampant. Phil W. passed on the following.
Ed Hardin / Greensboro Record
“This was hardly a day for football, but while most of the state was boarded up and some of it was washing away Saturday, we played all day long. We played in Raleigh, where a voluntary evacuation was posted at halftime. We played here in Chapel Hill, where the Highway Patrol left us on our own, assuming anyone with any sense would stay home anyway.
“We played in Durham, where apparently no one witnessed the game, and we played in Winston-Salem, where the adjacent Dixie Classic Fair stopped all carnival rides at sundown because of high winds.
“It was borderline insanity. The adults in charge of allowing such a travesty took the day off.
“Virginia Tech beat North Carolina, and N.C. State beat Notre Dame and Duke defeated Army in the afternoon rain.
“And nobody cared.
“On a day when a state of emergency was in effect for all 100 North Carolina counties, when I-95 flooded and the governor told everyone to stay off the streets, we played football games all over the state….
“Hurricane Matthew left cities under water, highways closed and people praying for their lives. [Ed. the death toll as I write is 17 in N.C. and expected to rise.] Even NASCAR had the good sense to postpone its race earlier in the day.”
During the North Carolina-Virginia Tech game in Chapel Hill, “Much of Chapel Hill was without power. Curfews were in order in some surrounding counties….
“The football game was terrible. Carolina managed to wreck its hopes for an ACC championship, ended quarterback Mitch Trubisky’s hopes for a Heisman Trophy and endangered the lives of all its fans who defied emergency orders and came to watch. Again, this was lunacy.”
Back in the 1980s, when I was on Wall Street, I worked for a spell in North Carolina and my territory encompassed large swaths of the eastern part of the state. So as I watched the N.C. State-Notre Dame in the muck, I was following the storm and fearing the worst for the towns you’ve now seen on the news, like Lumberton, Kinston and Rocky Mount, communities east and south of Raleigh. I knew it was bad in these parts, but with the game announcers saying nothing about the surrounding area, I just assumed at least in Raleigh there was no state of emergency.
Yes, it was nuts. A lot of my friends from Wake Forest are from these impacted areas and my thoughts and prayers are with them as they now begin to recover…once the waters go down. More in my next “Week in Review” column.
NFL
—Denver coach Gary Kubiak will not be on the sidelines for Thursday night’s game in San Diego after being diagnosed with a “complex migraine condition.”
Following Denver’s loss to Atlanta on Sunday, 23-16, Kubiak was taken to the hospital. GM John Elway said the doctors told him the prognosis was good for him returning after a week off.
Special-teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis will be the Broncos’ interim coach.
—Colin Kaepernick is getting the start for the 49ers against the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday.
Coach Chip Kelly said of the team’s 1-4 start that it wasn’t QB Blaine Gabbert’s fault. Kelly said it’s on the group offensively. The 49ers’ offense ranks next to last in the NFL.
Kaepernick supposedly is finally rounding back into shape physically.
–As Jim Chairusmi of the Wall Street Journal notes, since 1990, only eight of the 128 teams that started a season 1-4 made the playoffs, talking about the Jets’ prospects in this case. But, last season, both Kansas City and Houston did it; the Chiefs actually starting 1-5.
But the Jets have so many problems, including just 13 total third and fourth quarter points in their four losses. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has no idea what the deal is after halftime. “That’s something we have to take a hard look at.”
Geezuz, bring out a keg or something to mix it up.
And what happened to the vaunted pass rush that produced seven sacks of Andy Dalton in the opener, but only five sacks in the last four games?
Plus the Jets have forced only three turnovers and, thanks to Fitzpatrick’s INTs, the team has a league-worst +/- takeaway/giveaway mark of -10, while it should be no surprise Minnesota is 5-0, thanks in no small part to their league-best +11 [12 takeaways, just one giveaway.]
Speaking of the Jets, fans are still talking about coach Todd Bowles’ decision late in Sunday’s Steelers game.
Mike Vaccaro / New York Post
“There were 7 minutes, 36 seconds left in the game, and somehow the math still worked for the Jets. They had only two timeouts, true; that wouldn’t be ideal. But that’s enough time to score a touchdown, make a two-point conversion, get a stop, and leave some time to spare for a field goal.
“It was fourth-and-2, Steelers 24, Jets 13, time to come up with a play (well, just about any play EXCEPT A SHOVEL PASS, please…) to keep the drive alive, keep the afternoon alive, extend the game, and…
“(Holy hell…is that the PUNTER?)
“Immediately, you have to second-guess yourself here. Maybe the scoreboard really says fourth-and-12. Rub your eyes a little. Squint. Nope. Fourth-and-2. Maybe you’ve lost track of time. Maybe that’s 14 minutes, 36 seconds left. Maybe it’s really the third quarter. Rub. Squint. Nope. The scoreboard’s correct. You aren’t hallucinating.”
Coach Bowles said after, “I don’t think it was a mistake.”
It was a terrible mistake, as the Jets’ defense had been unable to stop the Steelers.
Mike Vaccaro:
“This was…a fifth straight week, out of five, when the Jets looked, at worst, like a poorly coached team and, at best, like an only occasionally coached team. There are still too many stupidities lining game days – an unnecessary timeout, a terrible offsides on third-and-short, banana peels all over the goal line whenever the special teams try to down a punt deep in enemy territory….
“Bad teams rarely make the playoffs. And bad, poorly coached teams never do.”
One more…the Jets lead the NFL in big pass plays allowed, plays that cover at least 25 yards, with 13.
–Meanwhile, the Giants’ Eli Manning is off to a poor start with just five touchdown passes and four picks in the first five contests, the Giants being 2-3, having lost three straight under first-year coach Ben McAdoo.
Sunday night, after I posted, the Giants lost to Green Bay 23-16.
Paul Schwartz / New York Post
“It was such a dud of a showing on offense that the much-awaited Odell Beckham Jr. response, with so much scrutiny on him, became an afterthought. Manning looked for Beckham all night but they connected only five times for 56 yards, including a tremendous leaping catch for 8 yards in the back of the end zone with 2:54 remaining, Beckham’s first touchdown of the season.
“It was not nearly enough, Beckham’s running mates at receiver, rookie Sterling Shepard (two catches, 14 yards) and Victor Cruz (no catches), did next to nothing.”
At least Beckham behaved this week.
For Green Bay, I can’t help but note again how mediocre Aaron Rodgers has been for the better part of a year, going back to last season, Rodgers just 23/45, 259, 2-2 on Sunday night, leaving him with a 87.7 rating the first four games, far below his 103+ career mark.
–Michael Salfino / Wall Street Journal
“Legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells famously said ‘you are what your record says you are.’ Parcells said this before watching the 2016 Chargers.
“San Diego currently resides in the AFC West cellar with a 1-4 record following a loss to Oakland on Sunday. But to reach that point, the Chargers have strung together four improbable, gut-wrenching, throw-your-remote-at-the-TV defeats in the span of five miserable weeks….
“How the Chargers are losing these games is almost as bizarre as the losses themselves: two shanked punts, a muffed field-goal snap, three huge fumbles and the inability of anyone in all these moments to step up and stop the bleeding.
“San Diego’s bad luck this year isn’t limited to actual football. They’re also snake-bitten by injuries. Since Aug. 1, the team has placed 25 players on injured reserve…including starters Jason Verrett (CB), Manti Te’o (LB), Danny Woodhead (RB) and Kennan Allen and Stevie Johnson (wide receivers).”
Poor Philip Rivers. The veteran QB is off to a great start, 11 touchdown passes, just three interceptions, and a sterling 108.9 rating.
—Cleveland is already down to its fifth quarterback, and a receiver at that, Terrelle Pryor – after rookie Cody Kessler and veteran Charlie Whitehurst joined Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown on the injury list. It should be no surprise that Cleveland is the last winless team in the NFL.
–I think it’s great the Oakland Raiders are 4-1.
–Monday night, Tampa Bay (2-3) sent Carolina reeling to 1-4 with a 17-14 win in Charlotte on a 38-yard Roberto Aguayo field goal as time expired.
The Panthers were playing without concussed QB Cam Newton, replacement Derek Anderson throwing two picks and losing a fumble.
It was an all-around hideous contest.
Golf Balls…Tiger Backs Out
The Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte first reported Monday afternoon the news that Tiger Woods had withdrawn from the Safeway Open (as well as next month’s Turkish Airlines Open) in what had been a highly anticipated comeback.
In a statement on his website, Woods said: “After a lot of soul-searching and honest reflection, I know that I am not yet ready to play on the PGA Tour or compete in Turkey. My health is good, and I feel strong, but my game is vulnerable and not where it needs to be.
“I practiced the last several days in California, but after a lot of hours, I knew I wasn’t ready to compete against the best golfers in the world,” he wrote.
Johnny Miller, who is the tournament host at Safeway, calling the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa home, said he was disappointed but he understands.
Looking back on his own battle with the putting yips, when he wanted to walk away from the Tour for good and retire to his ranch, Miller said on Golf Channel: “I was ready to quit, and a voice said to me, ‘It’s not what you accomplish in life that really matters, it’s what you overcome that proves who you really are, and proves the man.’ I also was inspired to think, my kids, if I quit when I’m down, that’s all they’re going to remember. If I win four or five more tournaments, I can quit on my own terms.
“I’m hoping that Tiger uses that as a goal, to win in front of his kids. …Then he can have joy in doing so, and joy in the game. Go enjoy the darned game. I hope that he can come back. I hope he doesn’t walk away.”
The show will go on in Napa, with a field headlined by Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar.
Mark Cannizzaro / New York Post
“Tiger Woods has stage fright.
“One of the greatest players of all time, winner of 14 major championships and 79 career PGA tournaments, is afraid to walk to the first tee and show his game in public.
“Woods is a mess.
“His stunning decision Monday to withdraw from this week’s Safeway Open, a tournament he committed to play in just three days before, is an unfortunate display of his complete disregard for the game.
“Woods committed to play the Safeway Open on Friday, causing a frenzy of interest in the tournament with ticket sales doubled and hotels within miles of the course booked. And three days later, he withdrew, leaving tournament officials and sponsors with egg on their faces, thousands of fans in a lurch, some out of money spent and everyone involved out of luck….
“How could Woods not have known Friday, when he committed to play, his game was not ready for prime time before withdrawing Monday?
“If this were health-related, his withdrawal would be totally understandable. But it is not.
“Was Woods hitting it sideways Friday, when he committed, figuring he’d have it fixed by Monday? This, by the way, after reports a week ago quoted Jesper Parnevik on how Woods was flushing it in practice down in Florida.
“Notah Begay, one of Woods’ small roster of confidants, told the Golf Channel on Monday that ‘not having enough reps in’ prior to the Safeway Open was the issue. Begay said Woods told him, ‘It’s just not there, man.’
“Was it there Friday and not there Monday?
“Eventually, Woods has to turn up and play. And yes, as unfair as it may be, he’ll be under more scrutiny than any player in the history of the game – regardless of when he brings his game out of hiding.
“Woods was scheduled to play in the Wednesday pro-am at the Silverado Resort with NBA star Steph Curry and to be paired for the first two rounds with Phil Mickelson, who always relishes playing with Woods.
“But Woods, whose world ranking has tumbled to 786th, clearly wanted no part of being paired with Mickelson for fear Mickelson, who has been in top form this year, would outclass him for two days.
“ ‘This isn’t what I wanted to happen, but I will continue to strive to be able to play tournament golf,’ Woods said. ‘I’m close, and I won’t stop until I get there.’
“ ‘I’m close.’ This is another refrain we’ve been hearing from Woods for too long.
“Everyone was looking forward to Woods returning this week….
“But the more things like Monday happen with Woods, the more he becomes an unfortunate sideshow, detracting from what’s most important, which is his golf and his comeback to the game.
“Eventually, people are going to stop caring, not only about how he plays whenever he comes back but whether he comes back at all.”
Nancy Armour / USA TODAY Sports
“If (Tiger’s) game was close enough that he felt confident in playing a PGA Tournament last week, the fact he now doesn’t think he can be ready in 3 ½ weeks (for the Turkish Open) speaks volumes….
“ ‘He’s hitting it great,’ Parnevik told Golf Digest. ‘He’s pounding it a mile and flushing everything. On the range, at least, his trajectory and ball flight are like the Tiger we knew 15 years ago.’
“Woods is a perfectionist, always has been….If he’s not ready to return now, the 40-year-old might never be.”
According to Tim Rosaforte, Tiger’s agent, Mark Steinberg, said Woods’ change of heart came after putting his preparation into overdrive and realizing his game wasn’t ready. Steinberg told Rosaforte:
“You have to commit the Friday before. He flew Joey [Woods’ caddie, Joe LaCava] down to Florida. He flew him out to California with him. They were going through their prep for a tournament. Going through the weekend, playing as much golf as he did, it just wasn’t to the standard he wants it to be.”
Whatever. I agree with Mark Canizzarro. Tiger’s scared. I also imagine he still has the chipping yips.
–I missed the result of last Sunday’s Champions Tour event in Newport Beach, Calif., the Toshiba Classic…it was 62-year-old Jay Haas, his first win in two years. Go Deacs!
Haas began the final round five shots ahead of the field, but then had to hold on for dear life, eventually beating Bart Bryant on the first playoff hole. It was win No. 18 in his Champions career and at 62 years and 10 months, Jay became the second-oldest winner in the circuit’s history (two months shy of Mike Fetchick’s record set in 1985). Haas was inspired in part by attending fellow Wake Forest alum Arnold Palmer’s memorial service earlier in the week.
And who was on Jay’s bag? His wife, Jan…the first time in victory for her husband. Very cool.
NASCAR
Jimmie Johnson won last Sunday’s race in Charlotte, postponed a day due to Hurricane Matthew. For Johnson it was his third win of the year, but first since March 20.
Six races left in the Race for the Chase, with the next two deciding the Round of 8.
Stuff
—NCAA Men’s Soccer Poll (Oct. 11)
1. Maryland
2. Notre Dame
3. Clemson
4. Louisville
5. Denver
6. Creighton
7. Wake Forest..beat Marshall 1-0 Tues. night…hosting Louisville this Sat.
8. UNC
9. Indiana
10. Syracuse
–Jim Ryan / The Oregonian:
“A shark attacked a Portland man who was surfing near Indian Beach on Monday, according to the Oregon State Police.
“Early information indicates the shark bit Joseph Tanner, 29, on his upper thigh and lower leg, the Oregon State Police said in a news release. He was flown to Portland’s Legacy Emanuel Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries, troopers said….
“There hasn’t been a shark attack off the Oregon coast since 2013….
“Of 28 previous Oregon shark attacks listed in the Global Shark Attack File database, only one has been fatal. Two people died in a 1975 attack after they were thrown into the water during a boating accident, the database’s director said….
“(The pair back then) was bit by blue sharks.
“Each of the 27 previous authenticated, unprovoked Oregon shark attacks have involved great white sharks.”
Mr. Tanner believes he was bitten by a great white.
–Joseph Serna and Matt Hamilton / Los Angeles Times:
“A hiker was hospitalized Monday after he encountered two bears and one of the animals attacked him in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains near Sierra Madre, authorities said.”
It was 10:45 a.m.
“The hiker, who was described as a 53-year-old man, returned home and called authorities. He was later taken to a hospital in Arcadia, where he remains with injuries that are not life-threatening, Sierra Madre police Chief Larry Giannone said at a news conference.
“ ‘He sustained what we would know as a pretty good bear attack,’ Giannone said, adding that the attacking bear was likely between 200 to 300 pounds….
“The hiker was alone when he said a bear appeared ahead of him in the middle of the trail and stood on its hind legs… The hiker told authorities the bear was taller than him, meaning it was a full grown adult.
“A few seconds after the bear stood up, the hiker was surprised to see a second animal.
“ ‘He did not see a second bear off to his left who came up and started attacking him,’ Giannone said.
“The attack lasted a few seconds….
“The man fought off the bear. Both bears then ran away, and the man got up to return to the trailhead.”
The hiker suffered cuts and puncture wounds.
There is now a manhunt for the offending bear. The park where the attack occurred is surrounded by quiet residential streets.
All bears should be considered armed and dangerous. Which is fine. We always need good Bar Chat.
—New Jersey started a bear hunt on Monday, with 146 going down the first day…and this was bow and arrow! One of those taken out was a 472-pound male. Good lord.
Last year’s harvest was 510.
–NBA veteran and Miami Heat captain Udonis Haslem is part of a growing list of athletes who have spoken out against Donald Trump’s comments he has described as “locker room talk.”
“Don’t throw us in there – we have nothing to do with it,” Haslem said on Monday. “That ain’t our locker room talk. I don’t know what locker room he’s been in.”
–I just saw that Brock Yates died last week, 82.
Yates was the automotive journalist who spent decades at Car and Driver, while writing for other publications such as Playboy, but as Daniel E. Slotnik writes for the New York Times:
(Yates) founded an anarchic, cross-country road race in the 1970s, then fictionalized it in the script for the 1981 Burt Reynolds film ‘The Cannonball Run.’”
Yates “had a rebellious streak, which was on display in the early 1970s when he and some colleagues from Car and Driver met for beers at a bar in New York City and discussed the state of racing,” which they decided “had become staid.” What was needed was “an informal, cross-country race” to liven things up.
They called it the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shinging-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, more commonly known as the Cannonball Run.
“Named after Erwin ‘Cannonball’ Baker, a record-setting cross-country driver, it had only one rule: The vehicle that finishes first wins. The only prize was bragging rights. Mr. Yates planned the first race for the spring of 1971.”
Well, a bunch of others said they would participate, then backed out, but Yates did it anyway, completing the 2,863-mile run in his Dodge van in 40 hours and 51 minutes.
Afterwards, he wrote about it in Car and Driver and was encouraged to schedule another race.
This time Yates drove a Ferrari Daytona coupe with auto racer Dan Gurney (my brother’s favorite athlete of all time). “They won, averaging 80 miles per hour and, on one deserted stretch, reached a top speed of 172 miles per hour. They made it from Manhattan to Redondo Beach, Calif., in 35 hours and 54 minutes, beating the second-place team by about an hour.”
So Yates and Co. ran the race a few more times and eventually captured the attention of director Hal Needham, the director of the Burt Reynolds film “Smokey and the Bandit.” Yates was asked to come up with a script that became “The Cannonball Run.”
Aside from Reynolds, the cast included Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Terry Bradshaw and Jackie Chan.
–And I forgot to note last time the passing of British-born musician and songwriter Rod Temperton, who died of cancer in London at 66.
Temperton was the sole writer on some of Michael Jackson’s classics, including “Thriller,” “Off the Wall,” and “Rock With You.”
But when I would hear the name I’d think of his time with the band Heatwave.
Heatwave had only three Top 40 hits in the late ‘70s, but they were three big ones.
#2 Boogie Nights
#7 The Groove Line
#18 Always and Forever
It’s this last one that, looking back, you wonder why it didn’t chart higher because it has become a timeless tune, to your editor.
Temperton was the keyboardist and songwriter for Heatwave.
Among his other songwriting credits was “Stomp!” for the Brothers Johnson; “Give Me the Night” for George Benson; and “Baby, Come to Me” for Patti Austin and James Ingram, a #1 1982 tune.
And I just realized he wrote “Sweet Freedom” for Michael McDonald, a solid #7 hit from 1986 that was my favorite from that year, as I recall.
So RIP, Rod Temperton. Yours was a life well-lived.
Top 3 songs for the week 10/14/67: #1 “The Letter” (The Box Tops) #2 “Never My Love” (The Association) #3 “To Sir With Love” (Lulu…would become #1 the following week for five weeks…)…and…#4 “Little Ole Man” (Bill Cosby) #5 “Ode To Billie Joe” (Bobbie Gentry) #6 “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher” (Jackie Wilson) #7 “Come Back When You Grow Up” (Bobby Vee) #8 “How Can I Be Sure” (The Young Rascals) #9 “Gimme Little Sign” (Brenton Wood) #10 “Soul Man” (Sam & Dave)
MLB Quiz Answer: After the Cubs’ 107 year drought, you have Cleveland, 67; Texas Washington Senators) 55; Houston Astros 54; Washington (Montreal Expos), Milwaukee, San Diego…all 47.
I got this idea from a TIME magazine piece, which also noted only four teams since the 1989 Oakland A’s had both the best record in MLB and then won the Series, which is another warning to Cubs fans.
Next Bar Chat, Monday.
