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[Posted Sun. PM…prior to Mexico-England…]
Baseball Quiz: We go to the end of the 1976 season. What was the top ten in career home runs at that point in time. Answer below.
World Cup
I don’t know about you, but while I was looking forward to the World Cup, it has far exceeded my expectations, and it’s become ‘must-see television’ as we headed to the Round of 16.
Fox Sports’ TV audience for the USMNT’s last-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina drew a record 24.43 million viewers, making it the most watched English-language broadcast of a soccer fixture in U.S. history.
You’d certainly think that Monday night’s U.S. vs. Belgium game in Seattle will break that record.
But in recent games, Thursday, Portugal vs. Croatia, Croatia thought it had tied it late at 2-2, only to have the goal waved off due to an agonizing offside call, a closeup showing Igor Matanovic’s head grazing the ball in the lead-up to the ‘tying’ score, which triggered offside, and Portugal barely prevailed 2-1.
Friday, we had a scintillating game, Argentina beating upstart Cape Verde 3-2 on a 111th-minute Diney Borges own goal, saving defending champion Argentina from one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.
Cape Verde, 64th in the FIFA rankings, twice came back to equalize against the now second-ranked team in the world.
It was 1-1 heading into extra time when Lisandro Martinez thought he had won it for Argentina with a superb finish in the 92nd minute.
But Sidny Lopes Cabral produced one of the World Cup’s great goals 11 minutes later when he cut inside to the left of the box and whipped a curling strike over goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into the top corner to make it 2-2.
Cabral then forced a stunning save from Martinez four minutes from the end of extra time (which would have meant penalty kicks to decide it) – but they could not draw level for a third time.
What an effort.
In Saturday’s first Round of 16 match, heavily-favored Morocco was playing awful against Canada and it was scoreless, before Morocco scored three goals in the second half, all basically on superb individual efforts, not necessarily because the team started playing up to its potential, and in the end it was 3-0.
And then we had Paraguay-France, and Paraguay tried to provoke, intimidate, and rough up France right from the start, as they had done successfully the game before in knocking out Germany.
But in the end, Les Bleus weathered the test of Paraguay’s defense – and the near-100-degree heat in Philadelphia to win 1-0 on a Kylian Mbappe penalty kick at the 70’ mark.
“It could have gone another way,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “If we did respond to provocation, it could have been bad. Germany did respond and I said, ‘Please stay focused, focus on what we are able to do.’”
Sunday, we had Norway-Brazil at the Meadowlands…but first, early in the afternoon, Team USA received stunning news. FIFA ruled Folarin Balogun would be eligible to play against Belgium Monday night! Massive news.
In a statement, FIFA said: “In line with article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year. If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” President Trump posted on Truth Social.
We all agreed it was an injustice at the time. It was a bogus call. It should have been corrected. And glad it was.
But then the New York Times reported at about 4:00 PM: “President Trump called Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, on Wednesday and asked him to review the suspension….
“The reversal is highly unusual and the first time since 1962 that FIFA has allowed a player to appear in a game when they should have been suspended after being sent off in the World Cup. It also comes as Mr. Infantino has spent years trying to curry favor with Mr. Trump. Last year, FIFA created and gave Mr. Trump the FIFA Peace Prize amid the president’s public, but failed, campaign to win the Nobel Peace Prize.”
FIFA didn’t respond when asked for a comment. The White House referred to Trump’s post.
The Times also noted: “It is not the first time FIFA has drawn scrutiny for altering rules that appear to favor certain teams or star players. Cristiano Ronaldo…was cleared to play at the start of the World Cup when under regular rules he should have missed the first two games because of a red card before the tournament began.”
And then in the match, Brazil had an early penalty kick and instead of Vinicius taking it, Bruno did, and he freakin’ stutter-stepped and Norway’s goalkeeper saved it…the very thing I talked about in penalty kicks early on in the tournament.
So in the 79th minute, Erling Haaland did his thing, and he did it a second time at the 90’ mark, and Norway shocks Brazil 2-1, Brazil with a late meaningless penalty kick.
But the big story is the incredible corruption with FIFA and Donald Trump.
I hope Pochettino keeps Balogun out the first half. We’ll see. The pressure, and politics, all night and Monday leading up to the match will be unreal.
Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Mexico-England at the Azteca, will be fascinating. It is a very intimidating stage for England to have to play on. C’mon, Lads! Go Harry Kane.
—Jurgen Klopp confirmed he’s in negotiations to take over as Germany coach and says he’s “recharged” the energy he was missing when he left Liverpool.
Klopp is the German soccer federation’s preferred candidate after Julian Nagelsmann resigned Friday, four days after Germany lost on penalties to Paraguay in the Round of 32.
MLB
–Going back to Wednesday, the Yankees suffered their seventh straight loss, falling to the Tigers 6-2 in 11 innings at the Stadium as Detroit scored four in the eleventh.
But after an off-day Thursday, the Yanks snapped the losing streak, beating the visiting Twins 5-2, Gerrit Cole with five innings, 2 runs, for the win, evening his mark at 3-3, 4.01.
Saturday, however, New York returned to its losing ways, falling 11-4 as the Twins (43-47) hit six home runs, the Yanks falling to 49-39.
And Sunday, Twins won again, 6-1, Joe Ryan with seven scoreless.
But Byron Buxton left early with another hip injury…hopefully he’s just day-to-day.
The Yankees are in trouble. The return of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton isn’t imminent, last I saw.
—Mets fans finally heard from owner Steve Cohen on the state of the franchise, which is depressing, with zero hope for the future, and on a podcast with the New York Post’s Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Cohen said team president David Stearns, in his third year and on the way to a second straight postseason miss, will live out his five-year contract.
“We’re two and a half hears into a contract,” Cohen said. “Everyone forgets – does he get any credit for ’24? Does that count? We almost made it to the World Series. And that was just two years ago. It’s a mixed record. I’m not gonna say it’s going great, but it’s too early to really make evaluations. And I feel really strongly that if we’re going to burn and churn, that’s a terrible place to be. Every time you burn and churn, guess what, the next time nobody wants to come. Is someone going to put their career in your hands, if you’re going to be short term oriented?
“I have a contract. It’s a five-year contract. And we’re going to live that contract out.”
The thing is, Uncle Stevie, just look at the Mets’ farm system. It is beyond bleak. Optimists are reduced to talking about some low-A players perhaps having some potential. Everyone that we’re told is on the verge of breaking out, like Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and Francisco Alvarez, has failed to do so, though Alvarez has hit OK recently.
Anyway, the Mets are in Atlanta this weekend and lost Friday night, 5-3.
And once again on Saturday, Fox put the Mets on national TV and the Metropolitans (36-53, losers of 12 of 14), were blown out 14-3. Totally embarrassing. They don’t even compete anymore.
The Braves, 52-35, now have a 17-game lead over the Metsies.
But what a rain-delayed game we had today, Sunday. The Mets scored five in the top of the ninth to take a 10-3 lead…game over…until it wasn’t.
Atlanta scored six in the bottom on the ninth, five off normally reliable reliever Huascar Brazoban, closer Devin Williams was brought in, and with the game 10-9, runners on second and third, Williams struck out former Met Dom Smith…Mets win.
—Last Tuesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts became the fastest manager to reach 1,000 wins with L.A.’s 9-3 win over the Athletics. That made Roberts 1,000-606, every one of the victories with the Dodgers.
This weekend, the Dodgers hosted the Padres for a 4-game series, and on Thursday, L.A. came back from being down six runs to win it 12-7.
Friday, L.A.’s Teoscar Hernandez hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning for what proved to be the game-winner, 4-3. Shohei Ohtani pitched six innings, 3 earned, ERA up to 1.79, but it was a no-decision.
But Ohtani has a sore bicep and he was held out of Saturday’s game at the plate, L.A. winning again, 3-0, as Yoshinobu Yamamato threw seven scoreless, 10 strikeouts, to move to 9-5, 2.49.
–Last Wednesday, the Cubs beat the Padres 23-3, as Dansby Swanson had three home runs, 8 RBIs, including a grand slam.
Swanson had an astounding 9 home runs and 29 RBIs in his last 13 games through Wed.
Before the 13-game output, Swanson was batting .175 with a .598 OPS. After Wednesday, he was up to .210, .731.
The Cubs then had a big weekend series against the Cardinals at Wrigley, and Friday night, the Cards blasted the Cubbies 17-1, as former Met David Peterson showed his true stuff on the mound for Chicago, giving up 10 runs in 3 2/3.
And Saturday, five St. Louis pitchers shut out the Cubs, 3-0, as the Cards are now 47-39, Chicago 49-40.
–Also Wednesday, in what was billed as a terrific pitchers’ duel, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes vs. Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler, the Phils won it 10-6, hardly the score expected.
Skenes was rocked again…7 earned in four innings, as his record fell to 6-8, 3.62. Wheeler got a no-decision, going 4 2/3, 4 earned, but 10 strikeouts. He was pissed he was relieved before he had a chance to go the requisite five innings, but he had thrown 104 pitches in Philadelphia’s heat and humidity…the right move by interim manager Don Mattingly.
Back to Skenes, he is 0-6 over his last nine starts!
–In my irregular ‘How are the Deacs’ Doin’ in the Majors’…Thursday, Cincinnati’s Chase Burns moved his mark to 10-1, 2.40 ERA with six innings of 2-run ball in the Reds’ 7-2 win over the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Fellow Demon Deac Nick Kurtz remains in a bit of a funk and lost his major-league RBI to Yordan Alvarez, who through Saturday’s play was at 67 ribbies to Kurtz’ 66. [Alvarez, who is having a potential Triple-Crown season, had two homers and 6 RBIs in Saturday’s game.]
—Washington Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli and Boston first baseman Willson Contreras were each suspended seven games for their roles in a benches-clearing brawl at Fenway Park on Tuesday night, MLB said Thursday.
In addition, Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas received a five-game suspension, and Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton got a three-game ban.
Cavalli shouted at Contreras after striking him out looking with a full-count pitch in the fourth inning of the Nationals’ 8-1 victory, saying to him, “Sit down, boy.”
Well, as you know, the term “boy” has a rather racist history in the U.S. Contreras, who is Venezuelan, demurred when asked after the game if he felt there was a racial component to Cavalli’s word choice, adding that he plans to “let MLB handle that.”
Cavalli apologized profusely, saying in part, “I’m extremely torn up about the way that things were perceived. Obviously, there was no ill intention behind that….
“It hurt my heart, knowing that if there’s a 13-year-old Black kid in D.C. that sees that – that looked up to me and thinks that he perceived it in a way that wasn’t intended the way that it came out, and then he’s not looking up to me anymore – that hurts my heart.”
—The All-Star Game rosters were filled out for the Midsummer Classic, which is being held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 14.
The Braves, Dodgers and the host Phillies are sending five players to the All-Star Game.
Wake Forest’s Burns and Kurtz are going for their first time.
The Mets, as it should be, only have one player, Juan Soto, who will be starting.
And the Yanks are represented by Aaron Judge, Cam Schlittler, Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger.
I do not understand Paul Skenes going (except for the fact he is Pittsburgh’s lone representative, so I guess it makes sense, but that means someone like Zack Wheeler isn’t going). [And the Phillies already have pitchers Jhoan Duran and Cristopher Sanchez.]
I’m glad Minnesota’s Byron Buxton is in the AL starting outfield. Well deserved, plus I just like the guy. Wish the Mets had him.
Another reason to like Buxton is he just doesn’t want to leave the Twins, despite a ton of offers for him. That speaks to his character.
Golf Balls
–As the Tour’s best players gear up for The Open Championship in two weeks, with many of them also playing in next week’s Scottish Open, we had the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, IL, and it wasn’t exactly a scintillating leaderboard, but a huge tournament for those looking to break into the Signature Event crowd.
After 36 holes….
Lucas Glover -14
Lee Hodges -12
After 54 holes….
Glover -16
Hodges -16
Ben Kohles -15
Jackson Suber -15
Zac Blair -15
And 50-year-old Zach Johnson, whose last win was the 2015 Open Championship, was at -13!
But in a group tied at -11 was 19-year-old Blades Brown, who has two top-10s this year in alternate field events.
I mention this because coming into the tournament, all eyes were on 21-year-old Jackson Koivin, who was making his pro debut, but he missed the cut. It was like everyone was forgetting about Brown. He’s the story.
And now maybe Zach.
And also, 21-year-old amateur Preston Stout, a rising senior at Oklahoma State. Stout was -12!
So in the fourth round, Chris Gotterup, the big name in the tournament in terms of his play the last two years, suddenly shoots a 9-under 62 and is in the clubhouse at -20.
Ben Kohles is in the fairway on the par-4 18th, also -20, and we’re thinking playoff.
But then Kohles inexplicably pulls his approach shot left into the water!!!
Chris Gotterup, who played at Rutgers, with his fifth career win at the age of 26. Kohles remains winless. Wow.
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
Saturday, the great Joey Chestnut won his 18th Mustard Belt with 66 hot dogs and buns in ten minutes, a comfortable 15-wiener win over Patrick Bertoletti, though ten shy of his world record, the weather a big factor…95 degrees, heat index 105.
Chestnut was leading 48-36 over James Webb with 4:00 to go and cruised from there, Webb third at 47.5.
Miki Sudo won her 12th belt, taking the women’s competition by swallowing 38 wieners and buns.
But to appreciate Chestnut’s amazing career, consider that he tied Jack Nicklaus, who won 18 majors in golf, and now has to be thinking about Novak Djokovic’s 24 tennis grand slams, Djokovic not too likely to add to that total.
[Actually, Djokovic just qualified for his 17th Wimbledon quarterfinal.]
Chestnut, however, is now 42. How much longer can he go on?
To appreciate the breadth of Chestnut’s accomplishments, though, consider some of the other world records he holds, as documented by Major League Eating.
61.5 4-oz. Pork Roll sandwiches in 10 minutes.
141 hard boiled eggs in 8 minutes.
47 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes.
53 soft beef tacos (from Taco Bell) in 10 minutes.
45 pulled pork sandwiches in 10 minutes.
121 Twinkies in 6 minutes.
165 pierogis in 8 minutes.
And he still holds the ultimate mark, 76 hot dogs and buns at Nathan’s.
Jack Nicklaus didn’t do this. Nor Novak.
Babe Ruth no doubt could have, however, and that’s probably why he’s still No. 1 among the greatest athletes in U.S. history.
Shohei Ohtani, Michael Phelps, Carl Lewis…I doubt they could eat 45 pulled pork sandwiches in 10 minutes. [Though Michael Phelps would be intriguing. I bet he’d be good at MLE competitions.]
Lastly, Rich Shea, brother of Nathan’s emcee George Shea (one of the funniest men on the planet) had an interesting thought in a discussion with ESPN broadcast partner Jeremy Schaap.
“New York City has been on point,” Rich Shea said. The Knicks ended their 53-year drought, Joey Chestnut won another title in Staten Island, and Taylor Swift “got married at Penn Station.”
When Schaap asked why Taylor and Travis got married there, Rich said, “The Port Authority was booked.”
I hadn’t heard that before.
Stuff
—St. John’s basketball suffered a big blow this week, when Coach Rick Pitino announced that perhaps their top portal pickup, forward Donnie Freeman, will miss the entire 2026-27 season after suffering a torn Achilles injury.
Freeman, a 6-foot-9 junior, was slated to play a starring role in a renovated St. John’s frontcourt after losing three NBA Draft selections – Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds for Syracuse last season. Pitino wrote on social media that Freeman suffered the “non-contact injury in a workout.”
St. John’s had won the recruiting battle for Freeman over Kentucky.
–I’m not following every move in NBA free agency. Us Knicks fans have our championship, but after losing backup centers Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti to free agency, we needed a backup for Karl-Anthony Towns and New York went out and signed 32-year-old veteran Andre Drummond to a one-year deal. Perfect.
We just need 15-18 minutes a night from Drummond and he more than fits the bill. He’s a force down low for sure and can grab some rebounds, though his free-throw shooting is iffy, but better than Robinson’s.
—But basketball fans, let alone Boston Celtics fans, are wondering what the hell the team was thinking in literally unloading All-Star Jaylen Brown to the Sixers for 36-year-old Paul George, the oft-injured former All-Star.
Philadelphia is also sending the Celtics two first-round choices (2028 via the Clippers, their own in 2031) and two second-round picks.
Following Brown’s career year, the Celtics would tell you they traded him while his value was high, but for this package?
Everyone gives the Sixers an ‘A,’ while Boston’s grade on the trade is more like ‘D.’
–At Wimbledon, for the record, Serena Williams lost her first professional singles match in nearly four years on Tuesday, falling 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 to 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia. Williams hadn’t played a singles match since the 2022 U.S. Open.
It was Joint’s first Wimbledon victory in just her second appearance at the All England Club.
Serena then dropped out of her doubles match with sister Venus, about 30 minutes before they were slated to play, citing a knee injury.
Meanwhile, 3 Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, was upset by 29 Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, who becomes the first Filipino player to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles tournament.
And 2 Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, was upset in the third round by 25 Elise Mertens.
Sunday, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka squared off against 14 Naomi Osaka, and Osaka rolled, 6-2, 7-6.
So Nos. 1, 2 and 3 out already.
–Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc won today’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
–We note the passing of Victor Willis, 74, the lead singer of the Village People who co-wrote the hits “Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man.”
The Village People became global stars in the depressing late 1970s by singing in the garb of sexualized male stereotypes, with Willis often wearing the helmet and outfit of a police officer.
Although the group had widespread popular success, with “Y.M.C.A.” reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and “In the Navy” hitting No. 3, it was their association with President Trump that propelled them to new stardom the past decade or so. [“Macho Man” peaked at No. 25.]
Regardless of its use at political rallies, “Y.M.C.A.” has long been a cultural touchstone – widely played at wedding receptions and sung in karaoke bars.
The last karaoke bar I appeared in was like 28 years ago during my last at PIMCO where I went to a joint in Richmond, VA, with my work colleague and won $100 singing Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Can’t Hide Love.”
Top 3 songs for the week 7/7/79: #1 “Ring My Bell” (Anita Ward…ugh…) #2 “Bad Girls” (Donna Summer) #3 “Hot Stuff” (Donna Summer)…and…#4 “Chuck E.’s In Love” (Rickie Lee Jones) #5 “She Believes In Me” (Kenny Rogers) #6 “The Logical Song” (Supertramp) #7 “Boogie Wonderland” (Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions) #8 “We Are Family” (Sister Sledge…theme song for the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates…) #9 “Makin’ It” (David Naughton) #10 “I Want You To Want Me” (Cheap Trick…music was dreadful at the time…D+…)
Baseball Quiz Answer: Top ten in career home runs at the end of the 1976 season.
Hank Aaron 755
Babe Ruth 714
Willie Mays 660
Frank Robinson 586
Harmon Killebrew 573
Mickey Mantle 536
Jimmie Foxx 534
Ted Williams 521
Eddie Matthew and Ernie Banks 512
Mel Ott 511
I just have to go on a little rant concerning this quiz. I asked AI the question and they had Willie McCovey at 520.
Well, when it comes to statistical matters, I never, ever rely solely on AI…and I sure hope you don’t.
At the end of 1976, McCovey was at 465. He hit 56 home runs after 1976, including one in his final season, 1980, for 521 in his Hall of Fame career.
Of course, I then double-checked using Wikipedia. I’ll be commenting on Wiki in my next Week in Review. It’s an important topic.
But Wiki is the definitive source for me when I want to double-check stats on things like the PGA Tour, NASCAR, and World Cup Alpine.
As a subscriber to various sports publications, you wouldn’t believe how many mistakes the writers make on stats.
Up top I talk about Dansby Swanson’s RBI streak. Believe me, I double-checked going through his individual game stats. I wasn’t just going to rely on what I saw in an article.
That said, there are times when I am rushed and I’m not able to double-check as thoroughly as I’d like to, and for that I’m sorry.
Anyway….
Brief Add-on up top early Tues. AM.
