The San Francisco Giants are about to win a home game vs the Arizona Diamondbacks. They did win the game.
Their record the best in baseball at this point will be (56-33).
San Francisco has won the last 3 “even year” baseball titles but never had the best record which of course means nothing if you win it all.
They almost certainly will be in the baseball tournament, very likely one of the last 8 teams maybe even with the best record.
Do not bet against them, actually depending on the odds do so. The odds are they will not title but depending on who wins the All-Star Game this Tuesday, at this point the Giants have as good a chance to win it all as any team.
First of all, I like the Giants and would be happy if they win it all.
However, even year stuff aside, anyone want to bet me EVEN, I say the Giants do NOT win the 2016 World Series.
Serena Williams defeated Angelique Kerber in straight sets to capture the 2016 Wimbledon women’s crown.
She also finally won her 22nd Grand Slam tennis title which equals the “open era” mark of Steffi Graf.
Ms. Williams was denied the “calendar grand slam” at the U.S. Open last year while also not winning either the Australian or French Opens in 2016.
Williams is so good, it is a story when she does not win, especially when she walks out of interview rooms early, how good will be discussed in a near future post.
What an upset night in the WNBA and CFL (Canadian Football League) it was two nights back on Thursday.
In the WNBA, the Connecticut Sun, huge underdogs even at home, upset the Minnesota Lynx, a team that while still at least co-favorites with the Los Angeles Sparks to win league title, seem unlikely to get the WNBA top seed partially because of losses like this one.
Meanwhile both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts, each underdogs by more than a touchdown scored road victories in this the third week of CFL play.
The odds of all three teams winning that night were at least 85 to 1.
The only race that the legendary horse Man-O-War did not win resulted in a win by a horse named Upset.
Last night’s (9-7) loss to the New York Mets is not even in the same stratosphere as two other Washington baseball losses cited below from a post after one of them in 2012. I was not around, at least not posting (no internet) in 1925.
However, the Wilmer Flores led New York Mets (9-7) win, leaves the New York team just three games behind the “refuse to pull away” Washington Nationals, just two in the loss column in the N.L.East
The relevant part of the (9-7) Washington baseball history posted in 2012 is below.
The Cardinals won their fourth decisive game in the past two seasons (they are (6-0) facing elimination in those years) staging an incredible four run rally in the top of the ninth inning to eliminate the Washington Nationals, winning (9-7). Daniel Descalso, who also delivered a big hit in the Cardinals’ incredible Game 6 2011 triumph, delivered a two out, two run single to tie the game at seven. Shortstop Pete Kozma followed with a two run single and the Cardinals were on their way to San Francisco where they will begin NLCS rematches of both 25 and 10 years ago vs the San Francisco Giants.
The Washington Senators won Washington’s only World Series in 1924, beating the New York Giants. The great Walter Johnson was the winning pitcher in relief. The next year, the Pirates overcame a (3-1) series deficit, overcoming a three run Washington lead with five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to win (9-7). They beat Walter Johnson in the process. Now, 87 years later, the Washington D.C. area loses another deciding game by the same (9-7) score.
Twice, 5 years apart in 1986 and 1991 an NFL night game between the New York Giants and Washington Redskins “opposed” the 7th game of the World Series.
First on a Monday night in 1986, two New York area teams were involved, one in each game.
The New York Mets won the baseball title winning game 7 vs the Boston Red Sox.
The Hackensack/New York Giants won a Monday night regular season game vs the Redskins.
In 1991, on a Sunday night, the Minnesota Twins defeated the atlanta Braves in the 7th game of the World Series.
That same Sunday night, the Redskins defeated the Giants.
Both winning teams in the football game the night of game 7 of those World Series, the Giants in 1986 and the Redskins in 1991 went (14-2) and won three more playoff games to win titles.
Yesterday there was an incredible Dick Cavett show that aired on Decades, the truly informative and relatively new television channel.
One of Dick’s guests was the famed movie star, going back to silent film days, Lillian Gish.
She was talking about an event, a film festival talking about the pioneer director D.W. Griffith.
There were clips of movies and some great comments by Lillian Gish including one that nothing was really new except going to the moon.
Mr. Cavett quipped “even that is getting old.” Indeed.
On the night of the Disney/ABC/ESPN ratings bonanza (June 19th) on which the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first title in their 46 year existence, the Chicago Cubs won on the same “family” (more like a witch’s coven of greed) of networks in a regular season game, vs the Pittsburgh Pirates.
At that point, the Cubs, sans a world title in 108 years and a pennant in 71, stood at (47-20).
Even at that point, so what, they would at best be one of eight teams, likely with the N.L. top seed.
Now after a (5-12) slump with 4 of the wins vs the Cincinnati Reds, against whom they just lost two of three at home, the Cubs still have a big lead in the N.L. Central.
I do not know how good they are other than they sure are not great. Likely they will at least win the division and easily could be the N.L. one seed but a big part of me would like the slump to continue and expose Joe Maddon, surely over rated, and maybe too happy go lucky, media friendly to really win.
Unfortunately that is not likely to happen.
The Los Angeles Sparks continue their great play in the WNBA. They won a really good game last night vs the Connecticut Sun.
After the win last night, they sport a great (17-1) record.
L.A. has a 2 game lead over the defending champion, Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA West.
Meanwhile the New York Liberty continue to lead in the WNBA East. They have a three and a half game lead over the Atlanta Dream.
Remember teams are seeded, with no regard to conference in the WNBA. A great and fair way. It is too bad that was not the case in the NBA as likely the Cavs would not have titled or at least they would have TRULY earned it.
Tonight at Citi Field, in the last series before the All-Star Game next Tuesday in San Diego, two teams concerned with that All-Star Game result, the Washington Nationals and New York Mets begin a 4 game series.
Four is an operative number here as the Nationals, whose lead easily could have been greater, lead the Mets by 4 games, just 3 in the loss column in the N.L. East
Of course with the presence of the wild card teams, finishing first in the division is not even close to as important as in the “win it or go home days.”
There will be upcoming posts about some of the sport’s greats, especially baseball beginning next week.
There will be more about my favorite Yankees player and clearly one of baseball’s five greatest players, Lou Gehrig.
It is now 77 plus years since Mr. Gehrig’s famous speech at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, when despite his horrible illness, he declared that he was “the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
Lou Gehrig, of course a left handed batter, pictured above. At least Gary Cooper portraying Mr. Gehrig in “Pride of the Yankees” batted from the left side. I believe that was not the case when William Bendix portrayed Babe Ruth.
Andy B Sports 