As you have read here, I am opposed to the partial season/playoffs going on in both basketball and baseball. Hockey I can live “con.”
Despite my opposition, especially to basketball, let’s note there will be an opening round series between the heavily favored Boston Celtics and their long time rival, Philadelphia 76ers.
Boston holds a (9-4) edge in the many ‘offs series between the teams. When the Sixers were the Syracuse Nationals, the teams met in 7 playoff(s) series, with the Celts winning 4.
The first such series was in 1953, the most recent just two years ago, when the big underdog Celtics upset the 76ers, in the “quarters.”
Both that series and this year’s began or will begin on a Monday.
Click below for a nice article regarding Celts/Sixers history by Jim Fenton of The Patriot Ledger.
Celtics and 76ers have a long playoff history
“Monday, Monday can’t trust that day.” Certainly Celts won at Philly, in “Monday upsets,” 50 years apart in 1968 and 2018
Today, another great episode of “What’s My Line?”
This episode aired in August, 1963 with Joey Bishop as the mystery guest.
Panelists were Dorothy Kilgallen, who introduced panelist Robert Q. Lewis as the host of “Play Your Hunch,” Arlene Francis and Bennett Cerf.
John Daly is the show’s host.
Enjoy watching.
The Columbus Blue Jackets will not go away as their (3-1) game 2 win squared their series with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
This followed a 5 overtime victory by Tampa Bay in game 1.
Remember last year, in this same round but now 16 months, not 12 later, Columbus shocked the top ranked Lightning, winning in 4 straight games.
Above the Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs shake hands (I guess if they “faced” each other in hockey, this was fine sans gloves or masks) after Columbus made it 53 consecutive “completed” seasons, sans even a Cup Final appearance for the Maple Leafs.
A week after the great writer Pete Hamill’s death, I will recall Mr. Hamill’s words regarding Robert F. Kennedy, his friend and a man he greatly admired.
I will include what I think of as a “million to one” coincidence involving Mr. Hamill and me. I will point out again what a brilliant writer, Pete Hamill was and since it endures, will always be.
A link below expresses Hamill’s anger after some time had passed following another senseless killing in this country.
More positive, not that I do not wholeheartedly agree with Hamill’s rage regarding the deaths he cites and the “4 days mourning and on with business,” that I add, the media perpetuates, is from I believe, Life Magazine (Pete advised newcomers to “look at the clips” I am not professional and have few, if any clips) but I wrote “I Believe” before Life Magazine, on the 20th anniversary, of the tragic death of Bobby in Los Angeles (June 1968).
Ending a piece in which he travels, Hamill comes across an old house, maybe a shack, but he needs assistance. When he notices, among the religious items, a picture of Robert Kennedy, he knows to go in. Hamill wrote it so eloquently.
Finally, I was reading Hamill’s great novel “Snow In August,” at least 15 years ago. In the book, there is many a reference to “The Golem.” I am at a club because my late friend and great publicist, Claire O’Connor’s “event” is there. I watch an old silent movie with subtitles and “The Golem” is mentioned.
About to leave, I tell Claire, who is well aware of me and coincidences, the slight one about Pete Hamill, the Golem (ok a figure in Jewish mysticism, a big entity) and the movie.
So help me, I walk out and 3 blocks away here comes Pete Hamill and his wife Fukiko Aoki.
I tell him what happened. He smiles. I express my admiration for him. I hoped then feel now, he knows all of it really happened. Good and bad happened as well, often cited in the extraordinary writing of one, Pete Hamill.
Pete Hamill on the murder of Robert F. Kennedy
Pete Hamill, pictured above.
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.
Andy B Sports 