In thinking back to the somewhat glorious sports of the 1960’s, I recall players named Willie and Tommy Davis in baseball and Willie and Tommy Davis in football.
Baseball’s Tommy Davis, a personal favorite, had a year for the ages in 1962 playing for the L.A. Dodgers. He drove in 153 runs!
Football’s Tommy Davis did both the punting and place kicking for the San Francisco 49ers. He also did the same for the 1958 college champion, Louisiana State Tigers.
Staying in football, the Packers’ Willie Davis is a member of the Pro Football of Hall of Fame. As a great defensive end, he played on five NFL championship teams with “G.B.”
Baseball’s Willie Davis was considered the fastest man in baseball in his time. He played on two World Series winners with the L.A. Dodgers.
Since the NHL instituted a different playoffs system last season, standings within the four divisions are far more important.
With that in mind, it is noteworthy that last year’s Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers have as many points as the New York Islanders.
In addition, the Rangers have played two less games so at the moment they are theoretically ahead in the race for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
There is still a long way to go in the “endless” NHL season but this race for the top spot and the possible playoff match-up between the Isles and Rangers, has made the season a bit more interesting.
Last year, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were the top seed in the American League. However, they won nary a post season game.
The Angels were dispatched in three straight games by the Kansas City Royals in the division series.
They still are my key team in the AL West. Their tremendous player Mike Trout is key in the division.
The Angels’ failure lies not with their loss nor even with the Royals’ fine play.
No, alas the Angels failure lies in the wild card system, which forced them into an unnecessary short series, in which anything can happen.
Mike Trout
Bill Mazeroski hit one of the most famous home runs in baseball history.
His leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of game 7, won the 1960 World Series for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It was a great upset win for the Pirates who defeated the heavily favored New York Yankees.
In real life, Mickey Mantle cried after the defeat.
In the movie, “Bronx Tale,” the young character “C” is very upset when the Yankees lost the 1960 World Series. He is told Mickey Mantle does not care about him so why care so much?!!
The post season underachieving Detroit Tigers are still the key team and favorite to win in the American League’s Central Division.
Detroit has won the division the past four seasons, but has failed to win the World Series.
After losing once in the World Series and twice in the ALCS, last year the Tigers were swept in three straight games by the Baltimore Orioles in the division series.
The key player and certainly one of baseball’s best hitters is the Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera.
Even he has been a disappointment in post season play. As a rookie, he helped the Florida Marlins greatly in their improbable run to the 2003 World Championship.
That is not the case with Cabrera in Detroit, as both the team and this tremendous individual performer have been post season disappointments.
key player
In the National League West, the San Francisco Giants, baseball champions in 2010, 2012 and last year are my key team.
They are an incredible story with their post season success, which has manifested in 3 World titles and 10 straight post season entity victories.
My key player is Madison Bumgarner, whose post season performance last year was one of the best ever in Baseball, and of any other major North American sports league individual performance.
My predictions are a few weeks away, but I think S.F. will do pretty well in 2015.
Key Player
For the next few days, I will look at some of baseball’s six divisions, and mention a key team and player.
I do not like to go with what others perceive as favorites but in the National League East my choices as keys, if not winners, are the Washington Nationals and the pitcher they annexed, Max Scherzer.
The Nats won the division last year and surely are favorites to do so again.
Adding a quality, but in my book over rated and not worth the money Max Scherzer, should help.
I will project 90 wins for Washington and a not so hot season for Scherzer, but he will help the team somewhat.
Down the road a look at the entire division with predictions on each team.
Max Scherzer, former TIger, now a National
I was very disappointed in the portion of the Academy Awards known as “In Memoriam,” the tribute to some of the film community who died since the last Academy Awards a year ago.
Having many behind the scenes people is understandable but some really great people and performers were omitted, among them Joan Rivers, best known for television and stage comedy but a pioneer in so called “Red Carpet” Academy Award shows and someone who was in film.
Also disappointing to me is the fact the presentation used only still pictures of those cited. This is about the MOVING PICTURE industry.
No Mickey Rooney in “Boys Town.” The presentation was too short. Why the song after? Put it with the film and get more people in the tribute. What a disappointment!
There is almost nothing to look forward to regarding this show which once provided such precious memories.
I will not take much credit for predicting the Academy Award winners in six major categories as some were overwhelming favorites and the rest certainly big favorites.
It was no big deal for me to miss the Academy Awards telecast on ABC and am proud to have done so.
Add the fact I missed on purpose the first half of the most recent Super Bowl and I feel like a “poster child” for the “you can turn it off” movement.
One problem, there really is no such movement.
However, I feel if all or some of us would trim our time watching what is mass entertainment with decreasing substance as time proceeds, it would be an overall positive, certainly for the individual, if not our society as a whole.
Last night the defending champion Los Angeles Kings won (2-1) vs the San Jose Sharks in an outdoor hockey game played before over 70,000 fans at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, which is the home of the NFL San Francisco 49ers.
In addition to the enhanced circumstances involving an outdoor NHL game with a huge throng in attendance, it was another big win for the Kings as they battle to make the playoffs.
The Kings have been an exceptional playoffs team, winning the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014. In 2013, they lost to the eventual champion Chicago Blackhawks in the semi-final round of the playoffs.
Clearly, they are a team that NHL West opponents don’t want to face in the playoffs. It looks as though as predicted here, someone will face that task, as L.A. probably will make the playoffs.
Andy B Sports 