It is now 10 wins in a row for the Cleveland Indians, 7 after the Cavs won the NBA title which I felt would make an already fine Indians’ team better.
Of course no team is as good as they are when red hot, nor as bad when they slump.
However, I did feel the Indians would be at least a playoffs, even division winner, the rest is a crap shoot (I think not one of the seven words, the great Mr. Carlin once referenced).
There is a long way to go, standings often change dramatically in a week but I believed in the Indians before the current 10 game win skein and surely do now.
It was great to watch the incredible late actor, Jack Lemmon being interviewed by Dick Cavett yesterday as Decades aired the one hour interview from 1992 on the 15 year anniversary of Mr. Lemmon’s death.
He was candid, not abrasive in talking (perhaps I can take a lesson in my comments about sports broadcasting), about changes in the movie industry and I felt that I knew him a bit better after watching the show.
His work lives on and his stories about the fine work and comradery he shared with greats older than he such as Sir Laurence Olivier, whom Jack called Larry, Henry Fonda and James Cagney were priceless.
Words of praise for two with whom he worked often, Walter Matthau and the brilliant director, Billy Wilder plus Mr. Cavett’s insightful questions made this a great viewing experience.
The great actor, Jack Lemmon pictured above in the film, “The Apartment” directed by Billy Wilder.
Yesterday the Washington Mystics upset the Minnesota Lynx in a WNBA home game.
Also yesterday, the highly disappointing Washington Nationals, ended a 7 game loss skein.
While the Mystics should be lauded for their efforts, the Nationals, who foolishly are letting the New York Mets and even the (Miami is it?) Marlins stay in the N.L.East race, are a huge disapointment.
They may yet salvage, by winning the N.L. East, but the annoying, sloppy play to this point, after last year’s flop, is most palpable.
Reading ESPN.com, (I should know better), you would think the dinosaurs came back and not just in Steve Spielberg’s imagination, such was the reaction to the Pittsburgh Pirates winning a regular season game vs regular season, surely not post-season (which, if anything is what counts) great, L.A. Dodgers’ pitcher Clayton Kershaw.
A little info here, sorry it involves gambling terms. (once and for all I deplore what gambling has done but it is fueled yes by those who directly profit from it, but far worse by the media, leagues, and as Al Pacino’s “Michael Corleone” told the great character actor, G.D. Spradlin’s Senator character in “Two” “we are both part of the same hypocrisy”).
It is a vast understatement to say I am prone to “tangents,” but just one here. Yesterday Pete Rose’s number was retired. You know how I feel, it is a disgrace Pete is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Mr. Rose did gamble, and as is the case with almost all who do, did so poorly. He would try to get his losses back in the last game, most volume on Monday Night football.
Though baseball is not bet in the same stratosphere as “pig”/football/concussion causing,/sanctioned violence, some people down big said let’s “lay” 3 to 1 on the road with Kershaw and you saw the results. Not a big shock, even surprise to me.
Oh no, “The Bellman” probably made it to Las Vegas in time to go vs Kershaw, knowing the fools on the queue in front and behind him, were betting on Kershaw/aka, the significant “chalk” pictured above.
A week later, it still bothers me and likely will for a long time, that the 57 win, “played nobody until the finals,” Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the 73 win, “had to beat a very good “OKC” team in the semis,” Golden State Warriors.
One more opinion, then a fact and soon I will let this go, (actually NO because as with the 2007 Giants beating the undefeated Patriots and others that did not bother me subjectively, the Cavs’ title, more to the point, the denial of such to the Warriors’ is historic.)
The opinion is that Steph Curry’s play was horrible in the biggest game of all. Klay Thompson was not much better and though Draymond Green could not deliver down the stretch, his fine game 7 illustrated just how big a “game changer” his suspension for game 5 proved to be.
I credit the Cavaliers for taking advantage and said all along, they were a viable threat and having to beat just one good team were clearly capable of doing so.
Consider the fact the Warriors’ 9 playoffs losses matched their total for the entire season! Enough said but there will be more, after all, no matter whom one supported, this was sports history!
Yesterday, albeit in defeat, the Chicago White Sox slugged 7 home runs in their home game vs the Toronto Blue Jays.
The last time the White Sox hit 7 home runs in a game they beat the Kansas city athletics (29-6) in April of 1955.
This part is unbelievable or a ridiculous error by the incredible Baseball Reference researchers.
29
6-2
⇐ Won 3 ⇒
1st
Marty Marion
at Athletics
6
2-7
⇐ Lost 2 ⇒
7th, 4½ GB
Lou Boudreau
W: Jack Harshman (2-0)
L: Bobby Shantz (0-2)
S: Fritz Dorish (1)
Imagine what Phil Mushnick, who correctly rails vs the cheap saves of today would have said about this one. Reports are that from his crib, Phil was rattled, threw his rattle, but in this case, his folks understood.
(29-6) game and according to the information, Fritz Dorish notched a save, evoking another Fritz, maybe more, who gained far more than they deserve.
Here is some rare good news.
The television show, Superman is this week’s “Decades Binge.”
Episodes of the show are airing all weekend on Decades.
George Reeves as “Clark Kent” will wink at us, Jack Larson as Jimmy Olson will have 3 old grandmothers to support and we might even get to see Kent’s “Standish Arms” apartment.
Watch some, great transport to a better time.
I really like Superman, but I love Clark Kent. George Reeves played the role so well and Christopher Reeve, proved to be a positive rarity, playing the role 20 plus years later, and also playing it so well.
This just shows what they all do, make predictions with no regard to consequence and then change their mind.
TIM KURKJIAN: THE INDIANS ARE FOR REAL
Cleveland’s seven-game winning streak has been buoyed by an invigorated offense.
Sure after Cleveland gained 4 games on Kurkjian’s “team to beat,” the Royals.
Why don’t they just say nothing, no talking heads, less games on, as it was so much better then.
Oh Mr. Kurkjian, (give me your picks to the tune of Mr. Sandman) make more picks, as you with all your knowledge, as is the case with so many talking heads have no “feel.”
In addition, or maybe one of the intangibles vs the K.C. Royals, whom I would love to see win it all every year, is THEY do not want them.
It is not fixed although Ms. Curry, the wife of the deserved reg MVP (how dare James “rhymes with what Samantha was on Bewitched” re that, but alas (LeBron) James got the MVP that counts and Curry was awful in THE game, at least for 2015-2016) I believe is correct in at least sensing “league control,” but trust me it matters.
So Mr. Sandman, I mean Kurkjian, whom I actually respect as a writer, keep making statements, such as the Royals are the team to beat. again hope I am wrong but “THEY” do not want Kansas City plus Cleveland is pretty darn good.
It is a long season, however.
Think of me as Roy Thinnes’ character in “The Invaders,” as did you notice no Riley Curry this year just Ayesha Curry speculating the NBA finals were fixed to go 7.
That is one way they do it, in another year Kobe Bryant wore a dark hat.
As The Eagles sang (and what a horrible year Glen Frey, David Bowie, Prince, Jim McMillian and Muhammad Ali dead–Britain leaves the E.U. giving Trump momentum, other antis loom and Peyton Manning/LeBron James teams win it all, thus they are deified.) “Just looking for clues at the scene of the crime.”
Cleveland major sports professional teams are (9-19) in road finals games but of course the road wins by the Cavaliers in games 5 and 7 manifested in the first Cleveland sports title in nearly 52 years.
All 3 Cleveland major sports teams have now clinched titles on the road, this one by the Cavs coming nearly 61 years after the old (or the same depending upon how you look at it) Browns won at Los Angeles vs the Rams (guess what the next Cleveland title clinched on the road comes in the year the Rams are returning to L.A.) in the 1955 NFL title game.
The game was the last one in the magnificent career of the Browns’ quarterback, Otto Graham.
“Automatic Otto,” the great quarterback, Otto Graham pictured above.
Andy B Sports 