There are three first place teams in the New York area at this time. Two are the highly publicized baseball teams, each a surprise, the New York Yankees and New York Mets. The other team is the WNBA New York Liberty.
The Liberty won in Chicago vs the Sky last night and have a 2 game lead in the WNBA East just past the halfway point of the season.
Epiphanny Prince, in a memorable return to her former home court, scored 30 points in the Liberty’ (77-63) win, which leaves (14-6) New York just a half game behind the defending WNBA champion, the (15-6) Minnesota Lynx for the best record in the WNBA.
An exciting time in New York sports with the baseball Yankees and Mets ahead, augmented by another surprise team, the WNBA Liberty also atop its entity.
The monolith NFL begins with a preseason game between the team with the most Super Bowl victories–the Pittsburgh Steelers with 6–and one of two teams–the Minnesota Vikings (the Buffalo Bills being the other)–that has an (0-4) record in Super Bowl games.
Two inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend, Mick Tingelhoff (Vikings) and Bill Polian, as Bills General Manager, were involved with both (0-4) Super Bowl teams.
The Steelers won their first Super Bowl and for that matter NFL crown, beating the Vikings (16-6) in the ninth Super Bowl (1974 season).
Pittsburgh went on to win 4 Super Bowl titles in six seasons.
The Vikings played in 3 Super Bowls in 6 seasons, 4 in 8 seasons, but never even led at any point of those games.
A few days back, I commented on the two 1962 National League expansion teams, the New York Mets and Houston Astros (now an american League team) and their marked improvement this season. I almost included a big “beware of the next opponents” warning for each team and while the Mets passed the “danger” with an impressive 3 game sweep in Miami vs the Marlins, for a second time this season, the Texas Rangers swept the Astros in a three game series.
The Mets gained two games on the Washington Nationals and now lead them by two games in the National League East.
Similarly, the Astros have a two game lead in the American League West but they had two games sliced off their lead by the Los Angeles angels of Anaheim. Also the aforementioned Texas Rangers have moved within 5 games of the Astros.
On May 4th, the Astros entered that night’s home game vs Texas having won 10 straight and 14 of their last 15 games. They led the second place Angels by 7 games. Texas swept Houston then and in a series concluded yesterday. Next the Mets go to Tampa to face the Rays while Houston visits Oakland to play the A’s.
First the Detroit Lions’ former great tight end Charlie Sanders and now their star former running back, Mel Farr have died. Though death is inevitable and Farr was 70, I might ask “What’s going on,” a great Marvin Gaye song, on which Farr and a Lions great still with us, Lem Barney, sang background.
Mel Farr was much more than a superb runner with U.C.L.A. in college and the Lions in the pros.
He became a great entrepreneur, owning many Ford dealerships and like Dave Bing, another Detroit athlete who got rich, he did much for the community.
Farr’s brother Miller is still with us and I think of them all, including cousins Marvin Gaye and SMU star Jerry Levias.
Farr played in the same college backfield as Gary Beban and each finished high in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1966 while the honor was afforded to Beban in 1967, the same year Mel won the NFL rookie of the year.
I am sure the Lions will wear some commemorative item honoring both Farr and Sanders in the upcoming 2015 season. They will be missed, but memories of their deeds and football exploits especially in the traditional Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit will live on.
The 1968 World Series ended when Detroit Tigers’ catcher Bill Freehan caught a foul pop off the bat of his “opposite number,” St. Louis Cardinals’ catcher Tim McCarver.
At the immediate moment, being a National League rooter, and probably having lost a quarter or two, I was somewhat sad, but upon reflection I am so glad Detroit won.
The “good for the good” is that the city, so hurt by riots the year before came together for the Tigers. Additionally, a great player, the Tigers’ Al Kaline played great and was on a World Series winner for the only time in his great career.
Mickey Lolich was the star of that World Series, winning 3 games and Dennis Mc Lain, a 31 game winner in 1968 and the only hurler to win as many as 30 games in 81 years and counting, won the other game.
The “bad to the so called bad” is a bit more complicated. The Cardinals of (1963-1968) were an excellent team that won three pennants and two World Series. Had they won a third world Series in that span, which they nearly did in 1968, dissipating a (3-1) series lead, their place in history would have been much higher, increasing the already overstuffed ego of the “last out maker,” Tim McCarver.
EPSON MFP image
Last baseball’s regular season ended with a virtually meaningless interleague series between the New York Mets and Houston Astros, the two 1962 National League expansion franchises. It is really early, but imagining these two teams meeting in baseball’s last and most important series, The World Series, is not out of the question.
The Mets bounced back from a horrible defeat last Thursday vs the San Diego Padres, by sweeping a weekend series from the Washington Nationals, leaving the Mets and Nationals tied for first place in the N.L. East
Meanwhile the Houston Astros, a 22 to 1 longshot to win the A.L. West at the season’s beginning, now have a four game lead in that division.
The Mets and Astros met in one of the greatest post season series in baseball history, a six game Mets’ triumph in the 1986 NLCS.
It still is a nice longshot, but the juxtaposition between the two teams’ status at season’s end last year and this point of the 2015 season is astounding in a positive way for both teams. This even more so for the Astros, but a good story for the Mets as well.
Recently I attended a baseball game at the beautiful, venerable, 103 year old Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. It was a great experience.
The atmosphere there is incredible; the field so lush and green, not to mention the famed “Green Monster,” the high wall, so close in left field.
I thought about the colors, the passionate fans, the bad Red Sox record this season, offset exponentially by their three 21st century titles, after an 86 year drought.
One need only walk around the park to see the great players who wore a Red Sox uniform, among them Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski for their entire major league careers.
Such greats as Cy Young and Babe Ruth, the most famous pitcher and batter in baseball history are remembered with flags carrying their names, along with Lefty Grove, Jimmy Foxx and others. Incredibly, Ruth was great hitting and pitching: the lesser known pitching aspect with the Red Sox, much of it in Fenway Park, which opened in 1912.
The game I saw was a (5-1) Detroit Tigers win against the Red Sox became an afterthought, the fact they clashed in a 6 game ALCS won by the Red Sox just two years back, en route to that third 21st century title, is far more important.
Memories: one game playoffs for an entity, 30 years apart (for the 1948 pennant and 1978 AL East) each a Red Sox loss, featuring an opposing shortstop’s home run exploits (Cleveland Indians’Lou Boudreau then NY Yankees’ Bucky Dent thirty years later).
One great player from all three Red Sox 21st century crowns, David Ortiz remains. I cheered his at bats, recalling his clutch exploits in 2004 keying the end to the 86 year Red Sox title drought.
I wish there were more players to hail and that those things so beautiful in baseball, illustrated so well at a place such as Fenway Park, could be more evident today.
At the very least, for one day some of that good feeling about baseball came back. Thank you, Fenway Park.
Indoors or outdoors, the gorgeous dancers at world famous gentlemen’s club Rick’s Cabaret New York put on a great show. The club’s all-girl softball team has a record of 3-1 so far, and is excited about taking on all challengers.
“We’ve been playing teams from around the city,” purred Rick’s Cabaret Girl Alison, who plays third base. “It’s so much fun. We get so many onlookers, and everyone has a great time.”
“A bunch of Wall Street guys sneaked away from work to cheer us on at our last game,” cooed Rick’s Cabaret Girl Amber. “After we won, we all went back to the club to celebrate. We hung out on the Roof Deck drinking champagne and enjoying a special tasting menu prepared by Executive Chef Franklin Edwards.
Howard Stern Show character “Ronnie the Limo Driver” joined the team as a guest hitting coach. “He’s a lot of fun,” explained Rick’s Cabaret Girl Joanna, the team’s catcher. “He gave me batting instructions and they worked!”
Rick’s Cabaret is the club of choice for an upscale clientele drawn by its warm hospitality, beautiful exotic dancers and well-appointed setting. The club is conveniently located across the street from the Empire State Building and just one block from Madison Square Garden.
Howard Stern Show character “Ronnie the Limo Driver” with Rick’s Cabaret NYC softball players
Last season the Denver Broncos were eliminated in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs by the Indianapolis Colts, despite Colt quarterback Peyton Manning again having a poor playoffs game.
The loss cost John Fox his head coaching job with Denver and was replaced by one time Broncos quarterback Gary Kubiak.
Denver is almost a 2 to 1 favorite to win a 5th straight AFC West crown. I think they will with a good (11-5) record.
The Kansas City Chiefs, whom I predict will finally win vs Denver in one of their two games this season, will contend and likely be a wild card team.
San Diego will go (8-8). The Oakland Raiders will win but 4 games.
The Broncos are still the team in the AFC West.
Yesterday the San Diego Padres overcame a (7-1) deficit and beat the New York Mets at the Mets’ home Citi Field.
Justin Upton’s three run home run transformed a (7-5) Mets’ lead into an (8-7) “S.D.” lead and eventual victory.
Gary Cohen, who passes my difficult test for broadcasting excellence with flying colors, told the audience it was just the third time in Mets’ franchise history they lost a home game in which they led by as many as six runs, the last time being in 1970. It was also only the second time that they have lost after ahead by six runs in the seventh inning or later.
As with shows going to the next one with credits flashed too fast and small, it was infuriating to me that Cohen did not tell us about the 1970 game, at least.
A wise man once talked of this type thing being easy to research on the all encompassing internet. True for TV shows, this a bit more difficult, but I found the 1970 game in which the Mets led by 6 runs or more and lost was on August 26th of that year vs the Atlanta Braves.
Some notes: Both yesterday and in 1970, the Mets dissipated a (7-1) lead and an opposition 9th inning homer put the road team ahead to stay. Each time the opposing relief pitcher hurled a perfect bottom of the ninth to preserve the win.
A good player, Justin Upton beat the Mets yesterday with a ninth inning home run but it was an all time great, Hank Aaron whose two run home run off Gary Gentry, normally a starter, who was hurling in relief, that put Atlanta ahead to stay in 1970. Craig Kimbrel a renowned relief specialist pitched for San Diego yesterday, far less known Bob Priddy pitched the ninth inning for Atlanta in 1970.
As for the other such Mets’ loss; I will play the part of my parents, “you look it up.”
Hank Aaron 1970 Baseball Card
Andy B Sports 