Nineteen years (tomorrow) after the events of September 11, 2001, there is the COVID-19/NINETEEN pandemic and on an exponentially lighter note, 9/11 (oh those #’s) manifestations in both NHL semi-final series.
Last night, the Tampa Bay Lightning followed their (8-2) rout (the 412 “free scores” line still disseminated Monday’s scores, two days later) in game 1 with a (2-1) win vs the New York Islanders, to take a (2-0) series lead.
Both teams wanted a change in a second 4 of 5, 8 of 10 pattern in their semis history and the Lightning got it. (More on the other one after the series, as it will be a bit relevant).
Now 4 of 6 Lightning semis have “stood” (1-1) while NINE of ELEVEN such Isles’ series have been (2-0), this a 6th vs the Islanders and only in ’84, did they come back to win.
Meanwhile in the Western Final/NHL semi-final series, the favored Las Vegas Golden Knights, seeking a second final round appearance in their first three seasons, bounced back from a (1-0) loss in game 1 and repeated a game 7/Qtrs (3-0) win in #2, to square their “semi,” vs the Dallas Stars.
Do not look now but NINE of ELEVEN Stars nee Minnesota North Stars “semis” have “stood” at (1-1). I have more, but it could “BUGS” many, so “that’s all folks!”
In this gripping year of bitter reality, one could make the case we have lost THE player from the three baseball title teams from (1967-1969), as the great Lou Brock, who was an integral player on two St. Louis Cardinals’ title teams and 3 pennant winning teams, all from (1964-1968), died at age 81.
Earlier this year, Al Kaline who led the 1968 title winning Tigers died while last week, Tom Seaver, a 25 game winner for the 1969 World Series winning New York Mets, passed away.
Brock could hit for power, once hitting a home run into the bleachers at the Polo Grounds, but was more of a hits and stolen bases man, amassing over 3,000 of the former and breaking Maury Wills’ season record for the latter in 1974.
Lou went on to set the all-time stolen bases record, eclipsing both Ty Cobb and “Sliding” Billy Hamilton’s records which had stood for 80 odd years. Eventually Rickey Henderson, as with Cobb, Kaline, Seaver, and Brock a true great Hall of Fame player, (I add that Maury Wills, a related player to Lou, is more deserving of “Hall” honors, than some that are already there, Maury Wills is not, likely will not get the honor of being inducted, yet again people /voters not understanding impact), broke Lou’s all-time base stealing record.
What impact Lou Brock had, as he like Maury, made a study of how to and then stole bases, bringing that exciting aspect of the once great game back, as in the days of Cobb.
Brock stood out in 3 World Series, collecting 34 hits in 21 W.S. games. He set the stage for key rallies as the Cards won 7 game World Series from the Yankees in 1964 and from the 100:1 pennant winning, Carl “Yaz” (Yastrzemski) led Boston Red Sox in 1967.
He came to the Cards in a famed, one sided trade on June 15, 1964, two years after Bob Murphy uttered “Lou Brock safe at home” on an Andre Rogers rbi hit. Two days later, he hit the aforementioned titanic home run at “P.G.” the first to do so since Joe Adcock. (The home run into the distant center field bleachers) The next day, Lou’s 23rd birthday, Henry Aaron accomplished the feat, but few, if any others did so. (Before remodeling Babe Ruth did so and it is said Luke Easter did so in a Negro Leagues game, but Lou, Henry and Joe Adcock are the only three to do so in the remodeled Polo Grounds in a major league game).
After the trade, Brock and the Cardinals, a team that included Bob Gibson, Curt Flood, Orlando Cepeda and an arrogant, but excellent catcher, named Tim McCarver, went on a “baseball run” with Lou running the most, among the best in modern baseball times.
The St. Loo team won 2 titles and led the Detroit Tigers 3 games to 1 in the 1968 World Series. On a key play in game 5, Brock, who often did not slide, again did not, and was thrown out by Willie Horton, after he fielded Julian Javier’s hit to left. The Cards off to a (3-0) lead with Lou’s double starting their 3 run first inning, led by only a run.
Detroit rallied to win game 5, with Kaline getting the big hit. The Tigers never trailed in 2 wins at St. Louis and claimed their first title in 23 years.
Below, I have included a link to a moving article by 92 year old Jerry Green (oh do I remember reading Mr. Green’s NFC Central columns in the Sporting News in better days), who like me shed tears regarding it.
It details the Tigers celebrating Mickey Lolich’s 3 wins and the title, their respect and yes fear, of the great opposing player Lou Brock and most of all, Lou coming into the delirious Tigers’ clubhouse and congratulating the Tigers, including Kaline.
Maybe and hopefully, Lou, Al and Mr. Seaver (that includes the fictional Mr. Seaver, Alan Thicke) are “safe at home” now. We all go eventually, maybe not before much needed change geared toward kindness, is implemented on this angst ridden planet.
Green: Lou Brock showed grace, guts in duel with Al Kaline .
Lou Brock, an all-time great player, pictured above.
Pun intended it is a joke/Djok that the great player Novak Djokovic is out at the U.S. Open.
John McEnroe, who is in “lock step,” with the corporate greed that made the (dis)likes of his father, did far worse, cruelly insulting officials, in his playing days.
Despite it, he was not nor should have been disqualified. Neither should Djokovic. By the way, McEnroe was like Djokovic a great tennis player.
Someone will win a major tennis tournament for the first time. I believe Dominic Thiem, pictured above is now the favorite to do so.
History repeated throughout the New York Islanders’ 7 game quarterfinal series triumph vs the Philadelphia Flyers.
In all 5 playoff(s) series, between the two teams, one team or the other took a commanding lead, and all five teams facing elimination, won at least one game, two won two games and one, the ’75 Islanders won three.
However, none of the five trailing teams won the series as the Islanders eased in game 7 and now are pretty big underdogs vs the Tampa Bay Lightning in one NHL “semi.”
Ed Westfall scored the only goal in a Saturday night, game 7/quarterfinals win for the ’75 Islanders at Pittsburgh vs the Penguins.
Another last night, 2 weeks before Mr. Westfall turns 80. ’80 the Isles won the first of four straight crowns, in ’75 the Flyers won their second straight title but have not won another.
After Joel Kiviranta’s “hat trick” overtime goal (he also had the tying goal, 10 seconds after Colorado took the lead in the last 4 minutes of regulation play) lifted the Dallas Stars into their first NHL “semi” since 2008, the third year Las Vegas Golden Knights advanced to their second, shutting out the Vancouver Canucks.
Each result was in a game 7 of the NHL quarterfinal round, the Stars/Avalanche tilt beginning at 4 P.M. Eastern Time and L.V./Vancouver playing a second straight day, as the tail that is TV, (particularly annoying, as it has David Stern’s mark, via Gary Bettman on it), continues to “wag.”
Bettman, as he seemingly always does, got what he wanted, 3 of the 4 NHL “quarters” going 7, with a team down three games to one, forcing such a game.
Last season, both Dallas and Las Vegas were eliminated in a game 7, the Golden Knights, in a prelim, to a San Jose Sharks team, coached by their current coach Peter DeBoer, whose #7 record rose to (5-0) last night.
The Stars were 7’d by the eventual champion St. Louis Blues, while the Avalanche also fell victim to DeBoer and the Sharks in a game 7/Qtrs loss last season.
Vancouver’s first NHL season was 1971 and in a 50 years inclusive and 49 completed seasons period, they are (3-8) in the quarterfinals, (3-0) in the semis and (0-3) in final round play.
With the ouster of the Canucks (speaking of 1971, that year the NBA Milwaukee Bucks, led by the then Lew Alcindor, later of course Kareem Abdul Jabbar, in just their third season, won the NBA crown on Friday night April 30th. Last night, a Friday, in the NBA ‘offs, which are way more of a joke than the NHL, only baseball’s absurdity tops the NBA’s, the Miami Heat took a seemingly commanding (3-0) series lead vs the top ranked Bucks. If Miami avoids being the first NBA team in history, to lose after a (3-0) series lead, the Bucks will have gone 49 consecutive seasons, sans a title, thrice with the best record, including the last two seasons with the top mark. At least last season, they were afforded the home advantage for their regular season efforts and achievements, not the case in 2020), there are no teams from Canada in the NHL semi-final round for the 6th straight season.
Las Vegas Golden Knights’ goaltender, Robin Lehner, shown above, in that thing called a mask, had 3 shutouts for L.V. in their “qtr” win vs Vancouver, including a (3-0) job in game 7.
Amazing, perhaps pun intended, things and memories flood my mind, in recalling one of baseball’s greatest pitchers, Tom Seaver, who died this week at age 75.
There were the near no hitters, as I recall two on radio and the near perfect game, broken up by Jimmy Qualls, watching with my dad on television.
He won game 4 of the ’69 World Series on “Moratorium Day,” and though not shown in a recent telecast on SNY, I could swear, Tom talked of the U.S. getting out of Viet Nam.
The Mets won the World Series the next day behind Jerry Koosman and that was the peak, even one as great as Seaver, could get no higher.
There was nary another title or even a World Series win, despite Tony Kubek’s optimism toward the latter, in the post game 4 interview.
However, though often not quite able to get to the “finish line,” in the biggest of games, Tom Seaver was along with Bob Gibson, second or third only to Sandy Koufax, among pitchers in my time.
In short, Seaver with phenomenal statistics and pitching know how, was a true great.
Recall among much, the 300th win called by the great Lindsey Nelson on another great, Phil Rizzuto’s day. I raced home from school in April 1970 and saw “Sea,” who did R.C. Cola commercials, strikeout Al Ferrara, who earlier had homered, for his 19th strikeout, tying Steve Carlton, (Carlton did so in a (4-3) loss to two Ron Swoboda homers, vs the Mets the season before), in a (2-1) win.
So many memories, including how cool he and his beautiful wife Nancy, who was with him to the end, as he battled dementia, looked and apparently were together.
It did not manifest for me and I was not “into” a picture with Seaver, on my birthday, 2 months and change, before the real fall.
Yet I cherish his time, his pitching, what he meant and yes the glory of, as Tom said and I loved, referencing the ’69 Mets “just a bunch of young kids who loved to play this game,” baseball–of course, since nearly ruined by wild cards and such—
Go now and feel as you did when Cleon grabbed future Mets’ title manager, Dave Johnson’s long drive and “taste the wine.”
Far or maybe on nights such as July 9, 1969 vs Qualls and the eventually overtaken, first place Chicago Cubs, not so far from perfect, you Tom Seaver were something else!
The hits, all negative, just keep on coming–the latest being the death of a fine actor, Chadwick Boseman, at the so young age of 43, leaving remarkable work both behind and ahead of him.
In the movie “42,” in which Mr. Boseman played the indomitable Jackie Robinson, it is falsely depicted that a Jackie home run ends the game, in which the 1947 Dodgers clinch the pennant.
That, however, does not take away from Boseman’s excellent portrayal, one he also accomplished playing Thurgood Marshall. Less known but in the sports realm, he portrayed the great running back Floyd Little in “The Express” about another great, one who died tragically young, Ernie Davis.
In collaboration with Michael Santasieri, who went on to work, helping autistic adults, I named an “Electric Football” player, subliminally, Thurgood Marshall.
Once, that tiny quarterback figure took off, the little motor purring and seemed to go the wrong way, before turning around and breaking clear for a touchdown.
All of us, but especially in this “US,” face steps forward and back.
Chadwick Boseman took many forward and leaves us way too early, however, with much good work.
Maybe, we can turn and go forward again, however, even what would be a start toward rectifying the injustice, is now only “pick em.”
As Tom Bosley’s “Howard Cunningham” laments in an early “Happy Days” episode, prejudice, really racism, has been around longer.
While the Tampa Bay Lightning advanced to their 4th semi-final round in 6 seasons, riding Victor Hedman’s second overtime period goal in game 5 to beat Boston (Bruins), the Philadelphia Flyers, despite dissipating a two goal lead late in the third period, won game 5 in overtime, to force #6 vs the New York Islanders, in their “quarter,” on Thursday night.
History, which repeated when for the 5th time in 5 Flyers/Islanders series, one team had a (3-1) series lead, did so again, as now in all 5 series, the team first facing elimination, won that game to extend the series.
Most famous was ’75, when the Flyers needed a game 7 win to “semi” the Islanders, in a series they once led 3 games to none.
Teams facing elimination are (8-2) in Flyers/Islanders series.
Victor Hedman, pictured above.
Yesterday, while the Denver Nuggets forced just the second deciding game and first 7th game of this year’s basketball and hockey ‘offs, (16 NHL and 6 NBA series have been completed) three NHL teams joined the Tampa Bay Lightning with seemingly commanding (it appears that teams up (3-1) in NHL best of 7 series are (284-29) but I remember when no team had overcome a straight (3-1) deficit though the ’42 Leafs had overcome a (3-0) deficit) three games to one, NHL quarterfinal series leads.
Meanwhile the Clippers 6’d the Mavericks and the Celtics “opened” the Raptors, winning game 1 of their “quarter.”
The three NHL teams that took (3-1) series leads yesterday are the Dallas Stars, New York Islanders and Las Vegas Golden Knights.
The Dallas Stars are one win away from their 11th “semis” appearance and first since 2008.
From (1975-1984), the New York Islanders made the NHL semi-final round nine times. They were in just their third season when they made their first such appearance in 1975, losing in 7 games to the eventual champion, Philadelphia Flyers.
Currently the Islanders lead the Flyers, who have not won the title since that ’75 season 2 games to one in their quarterfinal series.
The Islanders (5-5) all time in semis, have made just one semi-final appearance after ’84, that a 5 game loss to the eventual and to this point last Montreal Canadiens’ title team in 1993.
Andy B Sports 