The city of Cleveland ended a nearly 52 year major North American sports league title drought when the NBA Cavaliers won the title 4 weeks ago today.
Meanwhile the Cleveland Indians, sans a title since 1948 figure to be at least one of the teams in the baseball tournament.
That 1948 team as was the case with the last Cubs’ title team in 1908, had a player manager, in the Indians’ case Lou Boudreau.
Cleveland was victorious in the 1948 World Series vs the Boston Braves winning The Fall Classic in six games.
The Chicago Cubs have not won a National League Pennant since 1945.
They have not won the World Series since 1908.
Frank Chance was the player manager when they won it all in 1908. That year the Cubs handed the Detroit Tigers with Ty Cobb the second of three straight World Series defeats.
Harry Steinfeldt is the answer to the trivia question as to whom was the third baseman along with the legendary double play trio of (Joe) Tinker to (Johnny) Evers to (Frank) Chance.
Jack Quinlan, a great Cubs’ broadcaster and Ernie Banks, “Mr. Cub”
Now back to the younger man named Crute.
Remember this is on a hot day in a busy office.
I see the name and I have to ask.
“Excuse me, ” I see the name Crute are you perhaps related to Morris Crute?
Indeed he was and I recall Morris Crute’s tremendous playing days and of course the famous shot made at The Westchester County Center for Yonkers High School vs Roosevelt High School, whose team included Mike Linden, a starter on a final 8, Cal Fullerton team in 1978.
Does Morris talk about his playing days and the shot I asked?
Each of us laughed loud enough to stir others, on the hectic day, when the younger Mr. Crute answered “all the time, all the time!!”
The name on the man’s badge was familiar and somewhat unusual.
It was Crute and I asked the man if he was related to Morris Crute.
Morris Crute led Yonkers High School to a basketball crown in 1973.
Mr. Crute also hit a “Jerry West” type, long, desperation shot to tie a post-season game.
In West’s case it was in the third game of the 1970 NBA Finals but his team lost both the game and the series.
Crute’s shot was in a must win game for Yonkers High and they went on to stop a great high school player, college title winner with Marquette and NBA finalist, Bernard Toone, in their title win.
On a cable television show some years back, a discussion asked who was the greatest left handed pitcher of all time. Surely in the discussion is Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants.
82 years have passed since the second All-Star Game when Hubbell, with his dazzling screwball struck out 5 of the greatest hitters of the time or really any time, in succession.
The hitters were Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin.
Surely it was one of the great baseball performances ever, by one of the game’s best pitchers.
Though he botched the usage of went and gone, (Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi, who otherwise is well spoken, is the king of that, pun intended,), LeBron James gave a good performance in “Trainwreck,” which starred Amy Schumer, somewhat easing the “pain” of he and the Cavs winning a title, aided by a commissioner’s power.
Now another commissioner, Bronxville resident, Roger Goodell is showing his power and affecting league balance, by suspending New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for the first four games of the 2016 season.
Only 16 games are played, but when you have the power and privilege Goodell enjoys, why care what you are doing to the competition that is supposed to be football’s essence.
More on this down the road.
Last year the American League West had two teams in the baseball tournament, both from Texas and the race was not decided until the season’s final day.
The Texas Rangers, who lead the division right now at the All Star break, won it last year, with the Houston Astros also qualifying for the baseball tournament.
In that tournament’s quarterfinal round, both Texas teams dissipated significant series and game leads and were eliminated from the tournament by eventual World Series winning Kansas City (the Royals came from the brink of elimination to beat Houston) and Toronto (Blue Jays).
This year I believe Texas will hold on and win the A.L. West.
The Cleveland Indians have a nice lead in the division as play begins after the All-Star break.
While the Detroit Tigers and classy Kansas City Royals have managed to stay in the race, I believe the Indians under manager, Terry Francona, who guided the Boston Red Sox to titles in 2004 and 2007, will hold on and win the A.L. Central Division.
Chicago (White Sox) have been a positive surprise team, while the Minnesota Twins, managed by the great player, Paul Molitor, have been a huge disappointment, after contending for baseball tournament qualification last season.
As the All-Star Game break continues, (until very recently regular season games resumed on the Thursday such as this, but games will not resume until tomorrow), a look at the American League divisions begins with the American League East.
Three teams are in contention now, the somewhat surprising Baltimore Orioles and the two considered to be best in the division, the defending champion Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox.
For now, I am leaving out the .500 New York Yankees but that could be a mistake. Doubt it however, but can not really call the outcome in this division. Forced to pick, let’s say Toronto wins it again.
Two members of the defending World champion, Kansas Royals, led the American League to its 4th consecutive All-Star Game victory.
Eric Hosmer, who should have been the World Series MVP and Salvador Perez, the player that did win it, led the victory (4-2) at the N.L. venue, in San Diego but with the American League, the designated home team.
Speaking of home, the All-Star Game result means the World Series will open in the American League city.
The team opening the W.S. at home has won 24 of the last 30, including titles by the Royals the first and last years of that span.
Andy B Sports 