The New York Rangers advanced to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 20 years with a (1-0) victory vs the Montreal Canadiens in game six of the Eastern Conference finals.
This will be just the 4th finals appearance for the Rangers in 63 seasons played 1951-2014. There was no NHL season in 2005.
New York awaits the winner of the Chicago Blackhawks/Los Angeles Kings series, which L.A. leads three games to two.
One mega corporation’s ceiling is a country’s low. While NBC gets a final between its country’s largest city and one of the next two, Canada gets a 20th consecutive NHL season without one of its teams winning the Stanley Cup.
It was another great event at the fabulous Bergino Clubhouse (67 East 11th Street) last night as author John Rosengren discussed his book “The Fight of Their Lives,” with Bergino Clubhouse owner Jay Goldberg.
The book is about the before, during, and after of an August 1965 game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, best known for an incident involving the Dodgers’ John Roseboro and the Giants’ Juan Marichal.
Yes, it was the game in which Marichal hit Roseboro on his head with a baseball bat. Yet as Mr. Rosengren detailed with interesting anecdotes and a heartfelt reading from the book it is so much more.
Ultimately it is a story of forgiveness and the fact almost nothing is so one sided. Details about the year 1965, each player’s personal woes that year, and more tidbits about the Dodgers/Giants rivalry were revealed.
I can not wait to read the book which will take me back not only to a glorious baseball time and a pure pennant race, but will serve me in life’s never ending quest to grow.
Mr. Rosengren in tackling this story of forgiveness and in being moved to tears regarding Hank Greenberg in a previous book, shows articulate compassion.
While following the Oklahoma City Thunder in their semi-final series with the San Antonio Spurs, I recall the wonderful Seattle Super Sonics, the franchise that was uprooted to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder.
In thinking about “Downtown” Fred Brown, the great Seattle uniforms, and staying up very late to watch the Sonics, I uncovered a note you likely will not find very easily.
This is the seventh time (counting their days as the Sonics) that the Thunder franchise has played games three and four of the NBA semi-finals at home. All seven times the game three winner also won game four.
The two time defending champion Miami Heat have a three games to one semi-final series lead vs the Indiana Pacers.
Thus the Heat are prohibitive favorites to join the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers franchises as the only ones to make as many as four straight appearances in the NBA finals.
LeBron James has been brilliant as Miami has won three straight games, since dropping the opening game of the series in Indiana.
The Pacers’ road semi-final series games record dropped to (5-22). They have lost in six of their previous 7 NBA semi-final series and likely it will be 7 of 8 semi-final series losses after this one.
LeBron James
This is the 21st best of seven semi-final series in New York Rangers’ history and just the second time they have led a series three games to one.
In 1972 vs the Chicago Blackhawks, the Rangers won a semi-final series in four straight games. However, 18 other times they were no better than (2-2) in a best of seven semi-final series.
By the way, the other time they led (3-1) in a semi-final series was in 1950 vs the Montreal Canadiens, the same team they are facing now. The Rangers won that “semi” in five games.
1972 NY Rangers
The opposing shortstops in the 1959 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox were Maury Wills and Luis Aparicio.
Both men are among the great stolen base kings of all time.
Aparicio led the American League in stolen bases for nine consecutive seasons from 1956-1964.
Wills won six straight National League stolen base titles from 1960-1965.
In the ’59 World Series opener, Jim Gilliam, who would become a great number two (in the lineup) hitter behind Wills, was the Dodgers leadoff hitter.
Aparicio was the White Sox leadoff batter. Nelson Fox, like Gilliam a great second place hitter, batted next for the White Sox.
Aparicio and Wills in 1966
The Miami Heat are over ten to one favorites to win their semi-final series vs the Indiana Pacers.
The Heat, getting the usual fine performances from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, eased to a victory in game 3 of their series vs the Indiana Pacers.
Miami now leads two games to one but I still predict a seven game series. The Pacers record in road semi-final games dropped to (5-21).
I think the Pacers will win game four on the road. Let’s see what happens, as that is why they play the games.
This past week the Oakland A’s won a game getting just one hit. This evoked memories of the one and only Reggie Jackson.
Some people like Reggie, others do not, and some dispute his greatness. Few rational people deny his great clutch play.
The A’s won game four of their 1974 ALCS vs the Baltimore Orioles keyed by Reggie Jackson’s double, high off the wall at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. It was the A’s only hit in a pennant clinching win.
The game was played on a weekday afternoon. It was one of many huge hits by Mr. Jackson in his storied career and truly a memory from days long since (Margaret Mitchell’s famous title and concept, namely) “Gone With The Wind.”
The cities of Chicago and Los Angeles have a storied history, and often a direct sports rivalry.
The current NHL semi-final series between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings is the thirteenth playoff meeting between sports teams from the two large U.S. cities.
Hockey, Basketball, Football and Baseball Teams from the cities of Chicago and Los Angeles have met twelve times before in playoff sports series.
Twice the cities have met for the league championship. In 1959, the L.A. Dodgers, in just their second West coast season, beat the Chicago White Sox in the World Series.
By 1991 the Bulls were in the NBA East and Chicago beat the Lakers to win the first of their six championships.
In watching the very enjoyable “A Kiss in the Dark,” a 1949 film on Turner Classic Movies, I noticed a coincidence that involves Notre Dame University football.
The movie starred David Niven and Jane Wyman (who by the way looked awesome in shorts). Ms. Wyman was the first wife of Ronald Reagan.
The 40th U.S. President, Mr. Reagan was also an actor–all presidents are–but he made a living as one before entering politics. One of, if not his most famous role, was as Notre Dame player George Gipp, in the film “Knute Rockne All American,” which starred Pat O’Brien as coach Rockne.
In “A Kiss in the Dark,” Ms. Wyman, whose character is in love with Niven’s character, admonishes hulking Bruce Arnold, played by Wayne Morris, after he hugs her too hard.
” Must you always be acting as though you are charging through the Notre Dame 5 yard line?,” are her approximate words.
Andy B Sports 