Let’s start on this day of scheduled #2’s in the 12/8 baseball tournament round with the fact ten of the twelve such best of three/12/8 ‘offs series ended in 2 games with the game 1 winner advancing all twelve times.
Furthermore or “Furthermore to that”which Isabel Sanford’s character invoked to Sidney Poitier’s in “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner,” all sixteen non covid year best of 3 series went to the #1 winner.
All four and then the last ‘off or technically an extra regular season game (just1when Houston beat L.A. in ’80) involved the Dodgers, two best of 3’s while in Brooklyn (losses to the Cards in ’46 and famously to Bobby Thomson’s game ending home run in ’51) and two in L.A. (a 2 straight win vs the Braves in ’59 but another excruciating last inning, this time at home in L.A. on another October 3rd, 11 years after Thomson or what might be “A.T.” now year 74).
Again the #1 winner won all four and 16 of 16 non covid years and (22-8) all-time counting 2020 ‘el’ Covid year.
Tito Francona, the Reds manager is in a twentieth post season entity and 17 of the previous 19 manifested either in sweeps-{some automatic as they were one game} or either a Francona team win or loss skein of at least 3 games within the series, one and the only in baseball annals, 4 straight.
Defending champion, L.A. (Dodgers) are a pretty big favorite to make it 18 of 20 on that esoteric note, having doubled Francona’s Reds (10-5) in #1.
Best 2’s of 3’s have been bad for the game 1 losing team as noted above.
Enjoy the great song.
Six teams entered Pro Football’s fourth week with undefeated, (3-0) marks and a mere two won, to raise their respective records to (4-0).
Only the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, who beat now (3-1) Tampa Bay (Buccaneers) and the (0-4) in Supes, Buffalo Bills, who won by less than the over 2 touchdown perceived margin, vs the (0-4) New Orleans Saints, are (4-0).
Three other games manifested in a (3-0) team losing, one being the Jax Dart debut/first TD/pretty good performance, as the (1-3) N.Y. Giants upset the L.A. Chargers.
Next Dart an Ole Miss player, goes to New Orleans, hoping his Giants can duplicate the (5-0) Ole Miss
(Ole Miss won last week)
home win vs New Orleans related, now (4-1) L.S. U. on Saturday past. (Remember 12 in the college football ‘offs).
The other 2: The Rams now (3-1) by 7 on a late Matthew Stafford to Tu Tu Atwell (you/”tu” did well, real well, for “certain”), 88 yard first play of the possession, in the last 3 minutes, vs the now (3-1) Indianapolis Colts and (3-1) “Jax” (the Jacksonville Jaguars) upsetting the now (3-1) 49ers.
Both the Rams and Niners, who clash in the next Thursday tilt played at home, while the Giants scored a home win vs the Chargers. Buffalo was at home, Philly won at T.B. and there was a rare NFL tie, surely the first in NFL annals with a forty/forty (ode to Chet Forte and always the “reminder”) score, between (2-1-1) Green Bay and (1-2-1) Dallas.
If that had manifested in either the ’66 or ’67 title tilts between the two teams–then overtime, otherwise why not ties and a rare one occurred last night.
Almost surely too late and certainly unfair he was not acclaimed while walking the earth, I still elicit praise for the brilliant, unrecognized Vincent van Gogh, as below, view a Van Gogh tie.
It looks as if the Houston Astros, a team and franchise I truly like, will miss the ‘offs for the first time after eight “makes” and nine of ten.
Supposedly, the ‘Stros stole signs–(so what) however, the returning Carlos Correa, a truly fine player well past his prime, deserves criticism, as he agreed to be “mic’d” and talked on the field to the ESPN audience, with his team down (9-0) to Seattle, which ripped Houston in Houston, last week as “Sea” roared, to what almost certainly will be the A.L. “2” seed.
Forty years ago, on the reg’s penultimate day, in a real race, (the winner became 1 of 4, the one who did not was eliminated), the Blue Jays ripped the Yankees to clinch their first division crown/post-season “app,” as there was no bogus wild card presence.
Now those teams are tied in what seems and might be really important joust for being a “1” seed vs falling to a “4,” however, qualification is assured for both teams.
“Tor” up a half game, via another baseball blight, the tiebreaker, can clinch today, if they win and the Yankees lose.
Speaking of Forty Years!!
Quickly baseball to its final 3 “regs,” no playoff thus tiebreakers might decide. Holding my nose, N.L. for qualification, the Mets who last year surged and this year are “stumbling and likely to be in,” by a half game over Cincy and one plus over Arizona.
A.L. for qualification, Cleveland and Detroit (Cleve by a half for the div and its 3 seed manifestation) by one plus over the Astros.
While Seattle football Seahawks won Thursday night at now (2-2) Arizona Cards to go to (3-1), its baseball Mariners, the only one of the 30 baseball teams never to have even made the World Series (this season in which they are an almost certain 2 seed, trailing the Blue Jays and Yankees by one and a half-in turn Tor (the Blue Jays) lead the Yankees by a half for the very likely one seed), are into the tournament quarters, while Arizona’s baseball D/Backs, I believe tiebreakered out of last year’s tournie fell vs L.A.’s clinching its 12th div title in 13 seasons and as cited above are one plus behind the Mets and also a half behind the Reds.
No Bobby Thomson, Bucky Dent, Dick Sisler and others, just “stumblin in” to one of 12 (out of 30) berths.
Regular season baseball and its subsequent tournament, respectively have five days remaining and is less than a week away.
Additionally, both the pro and college football seasons are well underway.
Thus of course, tongue a bit in cheek let’s update the WNBA playoffs.
Both best of 5 semi-final round series are tied at one game apiece.
In one the top ranked Minnesota Lynx only split their two home games vs the Phoenix Mercury.
Meanwhile the Las Vegas Aces lost its home opening game before winning game 2 vs the Indiana Fever, who have made this great run sans Caitlin Clark.
Maybe that is why I choose to publicize the WNBA.
Trust me, it is not even close to the drama or greatness of the league’s 1967 pennant race when one team and one team only, qualified and gained World Series entry, however the scramble in the A.L. these 58 years later, is quite interesting.
Most interesting, is that the one eighth or not even that, “div” race that seemed Detroit’s, now has only a one half game loss (ode to Beano Cook, who ripped baseball when after the hostages were issued lifetime baseball passes, he quipped “haven’t they suffered enough?!’– yet Beano, who once loved baseball always called it the all important loss column, now even more important with no playoffs for regular season, another way the once great game is being ruined) separation, as Detroit faces an epic collapse, juxtaposed with the Cleveland Guardians nee Indians, perhaps staging an incredible comeback.
Next Detroit plays 3 games in Cleveland. Of course the non div winner might still qualify for the 12 team tournament ahead.
Also, let’s call the ’77 expansion teams, the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners, the latter the only one of the 30 big league teams never to have even made the World Series, no less win it, the respective A.L. 1 and 2 seeds with the Yankees a very likely “4”seed.
The Det/Cleve div winner will be the “3” while Boston, Houston and the non div winner are vying for the two remaining tournament spots.
Click above to view Carl Yastrzemski’s big, game tying hit B6 of the season’s final game. They won the game, then clinched the incredible longshot pennant when the Angels gained a split in their doubleheader vs Detroit.
Detroit, Boston hmm– but again, nowhere as great as ’67, yet pretty good!!
“El numero tres/three/Babe Ruth” is operative as three past tilts with the NFL title at stake have “encores” in the league’s third week of play.
The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, off (2-0) including a win last week vs the (0-2) Kansas City Chiefs in a redux of 2 of the last 3 Supes (split by the teams), have 5 NFL crowns, the second of which was won to repeat as title winners in 1949, vs today’s opponent, the Los Angeles Rams, (also (2-0). However, this game is in Philadelphia.
It is a little farther south to Washington D.C. where in a redux of the 1983 season Super Bowl, the Raiders once Oakland, L.A. Oakland again and now Las Vegas, a seemingly impossible prospect not only in ’83 but not too long ago, visit the Washington football team.
A note which includes what was only legal to wager on in Las Vegas then but in most states now, the point spread: In the ’83 “reg” 1982 strike season “Wash” was a 2 or 2 plus fave vs the Raiders and won (37-35). In that season’s Supe, ’twas the field goal or so, underdog Raiders easily, (38-9).
Though my then team the “real” Cleveland Browns, a franchise that moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens, lost (23-12) in the Lambeau Field muck in what was the great Jim Brown’s last game as a Cleveland Browns player, memories stir recalling the Green Bay Packers, off (2-0) vs Cleveland, last NFL championship game, after which there was no other game, namely to this point 59 Super Bowl contests, vs Browns game.
The Raiders and “Wash” go in (1-1) while the ’99 expansion team Browns are (0-2).
The great Jim Taylor appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show 2 weeks after that ’65 title tilt.
3 years earlier, Ray Nitschke, with the Pack win vs the Giants, having been played in Bronx, New York, appeared that night on “What’s My Line.” The mystery guest was Vaughn Meader.
It so often changes however, at this point I will go on record with the following 6 teams as N.L. tournament qualifiers and in that order.
The Milwaukee Brewers are an almost certain top seed , ditto (ode to the movie “Ghost,”) the Philadelphia Phils as the “2,” and the defending champion Dodgers of L.A. as the likely “3” seed.
In all likelihood, in a redux of the famed ’84 NLCS won by San Diego,
It likely will be those Padres playing the whole best of 3 series at Chicago vs the Cubs.
The New York Mets, who made “noise” as the N.L. “6” last season lead the Cincinnati Reds by 1 and a fraction loss (2 games but it is Cincy’s tiebreaker, no comment) column games with both the Arizona D/Backs–“tiebreakered” out last season and maybe the S.F. Giants with outside shots.
Steve Sax, pictured above, got a big hit off #7 ’88 NLCS, losing pitcher as the Dodgers beat the mets before 5’ing the Oakland A’s to win one of their 6 full season crowns.
Playing “The Sundance Kid,” he could not swim, while again, teamed with the great Paul Newman in another iconic film, “The Sting,” he already knew how to drink, however as Robert Redford, who died yesterday at age 89– oh could he act, direct, develop and yes–attempt to help.
Certainly his great looks helped, beauty in the eye of the beholder, but discernably less so when those wanting posteriors in the seats at “x” or paraphrasing Jack Kent Cooke, promoting the epic first of three great Frazier/Ali bouts, 1/2 “x” per “cheek,” yet Redford in a long great career, undeniably had and displayed the acting chops.
He stirred great emotions, so young with Gladys Cooper in a Twilight Zone episode and rose to fame with Jane Fonda (she among a trio of greats, Barbara Streisand and Meryl Streep, the others each paying tributes and recalling roles with Redford) in Neil Simon’s “Barefoot In The Park.”
There are so many others, thankfully that remains, one being “Jeremiah Johnson,” where he works with Will Geer, a great, shamefully blacklisted actor, who soon or already had the similar “Grampa” role on “The Waltons.”
Masterful with Dustin Hoffman in “All The President’s Men” and as a director try “Ordinary People,” and the so underrated and revealing, “Quiz Show.”
Mr. Redford was beyond cool displaying indifference toward girlfriend Etta, played by Katharine Ross in “Butch and Sundance,” saying “oh take her” to Newman’s “Butch” after their iconic bike ride to Burt Bacharach’s (sung by B.J. Thomas as the greats regarding Redford, continue to be noted and recalled Fond(A)ly) “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head.”
My favorite and there are so many others, many I am omitting, is the almost flawless “The Sting” with Redford and Newman, a great bad guy in the limping and actually injured in real life,Robert Shaw and an array of brilliant character actors.
Redford as “Johnny Hooker” with character flaws (he did not even take his cut, lamenting “he would only blow it anyway”), dodging danger, was the gateway to the great ending.
Once downstairs at a club with an event, I did not approach Mr. Redford, for once respecting privacy as I had years earlier eschewing a talk attempt with Mr. Newman, who was seated eating dinner (Paul having talked of a fan’s approach when he stood at a urinal, racing in my mind).
Now and perhaps then, as I wish Redford well, recalling an incredible life replete with achievement, I make the signal, one finger (the index)touching and moving off my nose as Paul and Bob did in “The Sting.”
Really a co-favorite among the so many great Redford films is “The Way We Were.” View the trailer with Barbra singing the great Marvin Hamlisch composed song, below.
Robert Redford above
With Paul Newman. What a team!!
Reviewing the seminal, Robert Rossen directed and produced film, “The Hustler,” I noticed Vincent Gardenia in a fine scene early in the film.
He is in effect “hustled” to bet against Paul Newman’s “Eddie Felson” making a tough shot.
More or less the opposite manifests years later when Gardenia, a superb character actor playing Bunker family neighbor “Frank Lorenzo” notices “Archie” (Carroll O’Connor) is feigning injury to avoid a pool match with Betty Garrett’s “Irene Lorenzo.
Mr. Gardenia is on the right as one looks on. Myron McCormick and Paul Newman, left to right are next to him.
A classic film with a great opening, the best part ending the video above. After that credits roll, including the great player Willie Mosconi as “Technical Adviser.”
