Despite a tough loss at home vs the Boston Red Sox yesterday, the Cleveland Indians maintained their 5 game lead in the A.L. Central.
This is due to the fact, the all but out of contention, World champion and two time defending American League champion, Kansas City Royals handed the second place Detroit Tigers a home loss last night.
Watching Indians manager, Terry Francona in the dugout yesterday in the game vs the Red Sox, his former team evoked some thoughts and facts.
One is that Francona, who guided the Red Sox to two titles, including their first in 86 years, is one of only six current managers to guide a World Series winner.
Francona and Bruce Bochy the current San Francisco Giants manager, who has three, are the only current managers with more than one World Series win as a manager. More in the next post.
it was exactly 39 years ago today, on Tuesday August 16, 1977 that the great Elvis Presley died far too young at the age of 42.
Mr. Presley aka “The King,” was so great for so long a period of time, another record breaker, basketball’s Wilt Chamberlain, who also died on a Tuesday, commented that those criticizing, largely out of fear, his “outrageous” style in the 1950’s, were standing on line to buy tickets to see Elvis perform in Las Vegas and other places in the 1970’s.
Time marches on inexorably, so many greats gone, today remembering as great a performer as ever was, while wondering where 39 years disappeared.
The “King” may be dead, but oh how long he has and will live.
Click below to view Elvis sing “Jailhouse Rock” from the 1957 movie of the same name.
Elvis Presley. Jailhouse Rock.( From the movie Jailhouse Rock.1957.)
Today in a game with some meaning, the Boston Red Sox edged the Cleveland Indians (3-2) in Cleveland withstanding a first and second none out situation in the bottom of the ninth inning.
That is not what I will remember, however.
Not citing his name largely because I do not know it, but the analyst for the Indians telecast, declared the winning RUNS, yes plural, were on base for Cleveland in the “B9.” (bottom of the ninth.)
These men and woman analysts almost never shut up, their “spew” is almost always worthless and in this case pathetic and wrong!
Alas I almost did not add almost(s) above.
The “Decades Binge,” on the fine newer channel, Decades, featured “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,” this past weekend.
I watched a number of episodes of the series which followed the series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” after that series went off the air.
Most notable to me in watching some episodes, yes they allowed us to see the credits after the show, was seeing the episode entitled “The Black Curtain” was directed by a young director, who though not quite in Mr. Hitchcock’s realm, would go on to greatness in the field.
His name: Sydney Pollack, by most accounts a truly nice man that made some great films. Think about it director Hitchcock’s name on the show and a director as great as Sydney Pollack had an early directorial credit.
Also to Decades and those responsible, thank you for showing the credits.
The great director, Sydney Pollack, pictured above.
In his brilliant novel, 11/22/63, author Stephen King remarks how baseball once was as it should be, played during the day.
I totally agree and note today on a Monday afternoon, two American League contenders, the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians are meeting in Cleveland.
Ah Monday afternoon, Cleveland vs Boston!
This evokes thoughts of a one game playoff for the American League pennant in 1948 won by the Indians at Boston vs the Red Sox. The game was played on Monday AFTERNOON October 4th.
Cleveland stayed in Boston, split the first two games of the 1948 World Series vs the Braves (then in Boston), before returning there to title in game 6, the last time the Indians accomplished that feat.
I believe the United States Olympic basketball team, which won Group A, (big deal!!) played nine games and won all nine to do so.
They failed to cover the spread in 8 of those games and barely escaped with victories, in two games, in which a loss, maybe even losses in both, would have eliminated them.
If there was any real competition involved here, I would say that did not augur well for these minimum underachievers, if not “dumpers,” actually “shavers” for the NBC cameras.
However, and oh do I hope that I am wrong, it is not likely any of the competition has what it takes to really put the proper criticism on this sham that is NBA involved Olympic basketball. That would only happen, if they are denied the top prize.
They will steal my idea, but shaving paraphernalia in their Olympic “swag ” would be appropriate.
Please indulge the following excessive use of numbers.
They do involve a team, the Cleveland Indians, who have gone longer than any current baseball franchise sans a World Series win save (I do not know should someone considering their fans treatment of Mr. Bartman, years back?!!) the Chicago Cubs.
Back to the Indians, sans the title since 1948, they are currently (66-48) with 48 games remaining.
They very likely will win the A.L. Central and are close to first position for the A.L. one seed.
It is not so much startling but seemingly unrealistic and certainly unfair to me, that the “all-time value team,” the New York Giants, have as many super Bowl victories as the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers.
The team from Moonachie or East Rutherford or old stand by, Hackensack, but not New York and certainly not Yankee Stadium or even Shea Stadium, where they outscored a beginning Dan Fouts S.D. Chargers team in 1975, was dominant in 1986.
Led by a maniacal, great player Lawrence Taylor, (the fact he was fueled by drugs bothers me less than the fact coach “Willie Boy” Parcells looked the other way and even that pales to the fact the media, led by “love the local sizzle,” Mike Lupica lauds Parcells to this day), “Hack” was (14-2) in the “reg” and dominated all three post season opponents.
Chalk (and they were (10 point Supe faves and they “buried” a NYC “book” called “Captain Ahab” by writer/bettor, Pete Axthelm, as seemingly all of N.Y. and New Jersey “laid it” that day) that one up for the Giants, a well deserved title.
I can not say the same for the other three, especially the last two. More on that in an upcoming post.
The Chicago Cubs are 32 games over.500, have a 14 game lead in the N.L. Central and now most relevant, I suppose, a 6 and a half game lead for the N.L. top seed.
They can win 116 games, which the 1906 version of the Cubs did and not have the home advantage in the World Series. That was decided in an exhibition game, thank you Bud Selig.
The former commissioner Selig, the current one someone named Manfred (Rob is his first name, baseball under him is such a far cry from its best days and not so arguably best, at least dramatic day (due respect to Brooklyn Dodgers’ associations, when Don Mueller, aka “Mandrake the Magician,” was instrumental in the 1951 pennant race conclusion) join two other sports league czars, that are actually even more lacking in integrity.
They are Adam Silver (he suspended a key player “keying” a title for Cleveland, they might otherwise not have won) and Roger Goodell. (he is so lacking in integrity, that he makes the others look tame by comparison–I will address that and the horrible suspension of Tom Brady in a future post).
When a hard driving, David Stern disciple, like Gary Bettman is by far the best of the lot, heaven help sports in this country. Guess what it will not!
My early read on the NFC East will follow.
It looks to me as if the Dallas Cowboys, three and a half point favorites, in their late afternoon, but for once not Sunday night opener vs the Hackensack/N.Y. Giants, are going to be my choice in the division.
The Giants, as is the case with the Cowboys, symbols of NFL greed with their respective venues and merchandising, are also a major threat to win the division.
While the race should be wide open, I give both the defending division champion, Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles less of a chance in the division race.
Andy B Sports 