Hockey ‘offs, I can live with, even as the kids say—Get into.”
Thus far a pair of very different (3-2) games with Calgary (Flames) edging Dallas(Stars), and then in an epic 5 overtime tilt, Tampa Bay (Lightning) won vs Columbus (Blue Jackets).
Brayden Point’s second goal and yes his second “point,” of what was the fourth longest game in NHL history, at 10:27 of the fifth overtime period won it for “T.B.” which despite finishing 30 points ahead of Columbus in last season’s regular season, were swept by John Tortorella’s Blue Jackets.
Tortorella coached the Lightning to their lone title in 2004.
Both goaltenders were great as you might expect in a 5 overtime. Truly gallant in defeat, Joonas Korpisalo had a record 85 saves while Andrei Vasilevskiy had 61 in a win.
Brayden Point, pictured above. I do not know if there is more on the front of Point’s sweater in the picture above, however , I see Orr and that says much.
It is not surprising to me that both of last year’s World Series participants, the title winning Washington Nationals and runner up Houston Astros have struggled thus far, in the 60 game baseball season.
The teams share a spring training site in West Palm Beach, Florida and each was swept over the past weekend to increase their losing streaks.
There has not been a World Series rematch in consecutive years since 1977 and 1978 when the Yankees won both vs the L.A. Dodgers.
Dusty Baker, pictured above has managed both the Nationals and Astros.
Last season, in a real season, the St. Louis Blues won an overtime, decisive game 7 vs their long time and many time playoffs rival, the Dallas Stars, en route to their first title, which came in their 61st completed season.
Today the teams met to decide a seeding position, quite a difference in importance.
The Stars won in overtime and as the 3rd seed in the West will face the Calgary Flames in the round of 16. 4th seed and defending champion St. Louis will meet the 5th seed Vancouver Canucks.
Hall of Fame player, Brett Hull, pictured above, played for both the Blues and the Stars.
In addition to Sandy Koufax, cited in a recent post as having pitched and won on May 19, 1963, there were 5 other Hall of Fame pitchers that started games that day.
In the second game of a doubleheader, Warren Spahn notched his 333rd career win while, in the first game of a doubleheader, Robin Roberts, then pitching for the Baltimore Orioles won his 246th game.
Great pitchers Whitey Ford of the Yankees and Bob Gibson, not quite great yet, lost games that day, while Juan Marichal got a no decision in an eventual Giants’ second game win.
Felipe Alou gave the Giants the second game win with a game ending home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. There was much more that day and I will note some of it in future posts.
A tremendous pitcher, Robin Roberts, pictured above.
Today, the day after my long streak of posting each day came to an end, partially in tribute to Fran McGee (she played “Mrs. Johnny Roastbeef” in the film, “Goodfellas”), who died in April, a really special episode, of “What’s My Line?” from February, 1962.
Johnny Carson is the mystery guest, while Toots Shor, the legendary New York restauranteur, is a regular guest, however, the panelists do wear blindfolds.
Those panelists are Arlene Francis, Tony Randall, Dorothy Kilgallen and Martin Gabel.
John Charles Daly is the show’s host.
An incredible array of great pitchers took the mound on Sunday May 19, 1963.
There were 7 doubleheaders and three single games in the 20 team(s) big leagues. Only the eventual ’63 title winning, Dodgers, among the 14 teams involved in the doubleheaders, gained a sweep and that after hard fought wins vs the second year New York Mets.
In the opener, Sandy Koufax out dueled Roger Craig, as the Dodgers won (1-0), while they needed Frank Howard’s game ending 2 run home run to complete the sweep, (4-2) in 13 innings.
More on the great pitchers, Sandy being one of them, that pitched on May 19, 1963 in future posts.
Frank “Hondo” Howard, pictured above.
I will cite some of the expansion entities, each with two added teams, with none having the same number of World Series victories.
The first expansion, of the American League variety, brought in the new Washington Senators (the old ones, moved to Minnesota where they have clinched two, 7 game World Series victories) and the then Los Angeles, later California and now again L.A. but at Anaheim Angels.
Washington moved to Texas, becoming the Rangers in 1972 and though so close in 2011, have not won a title. The Angels won it all in 2002.
One more: Also in the A.L. the Kansas City Royals entered with the Seattle Pilots in 1969. Seattle played one season there and became the Milwaukee Brewers, now a National League team.
K.C. which has football crowns 50 years apart with the Chiefs, won baseball titles 30 years apart in ’85 and 2015 with the Royals. The Pilots/Brewers have never won a World Series.
Click above as the then new president, John F. Kennedy is shown throwing out the first ball in the new Washington Senators’ first game on April 10, 1961.
There have been 7 expansions in baseball, actually 6 but the one in 1969 brought in 4 teams, hence I call it two expansions.
None of the expansions have teams from said expansion, with the same number of World Series victories.
If the Houston Astros had won the ’19 World Series vs the Nationals, nee 1969 N.L. expansion tram, Montreal Expos, as they should have, there would be two “ties.”
More on this in future posts.
It is hard to believe that 41 years have passed since star Yankees’ catcher, Thurman Munson was killed while piloting his own small plane on this date.
He was a great player, I believe delivering really key, if not the key hits as the 1978 Yankees first won the A.L. East, then the ALCS and finally the World Series.
One of those key hits by Munson, clearly the big hit of the Yankees’ ’78 ALCS win vs the K.C. Royals, was the home run, b8 of game 3 with the Yankees behind by a run and the series tied at a game apiece. It is shown above.
Roy White, an unheralded and unappreciated by Steinbrenner (witness after his playing days) player, scored in front of Munson.
Today and tonight TCM is offering a tribute to the great Barbara Stanwyck.
Tonight at 10 P.M. Stanwyck stars with Fred MacMurray in the classic Billy Wilder directed “Double Indemnity.”
Earlier, Stanwyck was shown in “East Side West Side” and in the cast was Tom Powers.
Powers is a fairly prominent presence in “Double Indemnity.”
Barbara Stanwyck, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 