There will be something so rare this afternoon in major league baseball, an event that once occurred just about every week, but disappeared: a true doubleheader, and not a day/night, but an old fashioned doubleheader.
Due to the fact that the last two games of a four game series between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians, in the Yankees only scheduled visit to Cleveland, were postponed, there is a makeup doubleheader scheduled today. The first game has a noon, local start. The second game, matching two first place teams by the way, is scheduled for a three thirty local start.
Ah, doubleheaders! I am old enough to remember them on Sundays and certainly on such holidays as Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. They represent many fine memories. Sadly, they do not exist any longer. Once in the back of a car service provided vehicle, I recall Al “Grampa” Lewis, a once big baseball fan, recall and lament by saying “remember doubleheaders”
In the great book, “The Godfather,” author Mario Puzo talks of the men, some with children in hand, waiting at the betting parlor, to wager on Sunday doubleheaders. The parlor boss, “Carlo Rizzi” (this before “Sonny” arrives to “confront” him regarding “Carlo” hitting “Sonny’s” sister “Connie”) is to neatly write with chalk the odds for the plethora of doubleheaders in what were 8 team leagues at the time, in the years after World War 2, depicted in the great book and film.
People before my time must have great memories of Yankees vs Indians doubleheaders, in say the 1950’s, when great names such as Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Al Rosen and Larry Doby were among the players, who lined the rosters of each team.
I recall a truly entertaining, if not great, doubleheader between the Yankees and Indians at the original Yankee Stadium in June, 1970.
With Cleveland easing to victory in the “opener,” Yankees manager Ralph Houk brought six foot six inch pitcher, Steve Hamilton into the game. Hamilton threw the highly entertaining, “folly-floater” pitch. It was thrown on a high arc and was difficult to hit.
The Indians’ Tony Horton found this out when he popped out to catcher Thurman Munson on the second of two such pitches. Tony fouled off the first one and asked Hamilton to throw another.
However, Tony “wowed” the crowd when he crawled back to the dugout after that at bat. The entertaining, Yankees’ broadcaster Phil Rizzuto cites Horton as a big part of that “show.”
In the first game of that “DH,” Bobby Murcer homered in his last at bat. Then he hit three home runs in the nightcap. Thus he hit four consecutive home runs, a record he shares with, as another Yankees’ broadcaster Frank Messer, would say, “Joe Many.”(the rather obvious reference being many others have hit four consecutive home runs but nobody has ever topped four.)
I believe firecrackers were thrown on the field that day so not all the memories are great. Yet this scheduled doubleheader and thoughts of others, including the related, aforementioned one, between the two clubs, evokes good memories this Monday morning.
Click on the link for great video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFvp7kMraAw
There was a time the NHL sent 16 of its 21 teams into the playoffs. (Now it is 16 of 30.) Worse than that money making farce, the league scheduled a potential four games in five nights in the first round of the playoffs.
Sure, play all year to eliminate but five teams and then for the “all important” playoffs, schedule the teams to play a possible four times in five nights. Certainly three time in four nights! It was absurd.
Now the NHL may have another scheduling fiasco, not as bad, but still horrible. Three series currently are (3-2) and in all three cases should the home team, which trails (3-2), win game six, the decisive seventh game would be played the next night. There also would be a change in venue for that game.
I love the NHL playoffs, know to “ignore” the regular season and accept it is a business. However, having this possible next night, game seven with a change in venue really shows how little the integrity of the sport matters when television, money and short sighted thinking gets in the way.
For the record, the Pittsburgh Penguins lead the New York Islanders three games to two, with #6 at Long Island tonight. If the Isles win, then game seven is scheduled in Pittsburgh tomorrow night.
Repeat and rinse, (this scheduling horror bothers me almost as much as having little hair to rinse, which is truly sad) for Washington Caps leading the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins leading the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In each case, if the trailing team wins Sunday, then game seven is Monday night with a change of venue. Next hockey report and the next round hopefully will be more positive regarding the schedule.
The NHL preliminary round is well underway and again teams based in Canada are not faring very well.
The once glory teams of the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, are each down three games to one. The Vancouver Canucks were swept out in four straight games by the San Jose Sharks. Only the Ottawa Senators are doing well, leading three games to one in their preliminary round series. However, guess their opponent? Answer, the Montreal Canadiens.
No team based in Canada has won the Stanley Cup in 20 years. Montreal was the last to do so in 1993. Since that time, there have been but five finals appearances by the seven NHL teams currently located in Canada.
The Montreal Canadiens won an incredible five eighths (15 of 24) of the Stanley Cups contested from (1956-1979.) Since then, they have won two, with only three finals appearances. The once mighty, Toronto Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1966-1967, the last year before expansion. They have not even been to the finals since that time. Oh Canada indeed!
Click on link for video
In my post of April 25th, I wrote there was little mystery in the preliminary round of the NBA playoffs after two games in each of the eight series. Though only one of the six teams down two games to none advanced, the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls each (1-1) in their series, when I posted, went on to upset series wins.
Now I cite the excitement thus far in the quarterfinal round, with each series one game old.
The Chicago Bulls, after winning as a seven point underdog, in the decisive seventh game vs the Brooklyn Nets in the prelims, went into Miami and shocked the defending champion, and top ranked Heat. The Bulls, 12 point and eight to one underdogs, won game one.
Two other quarterfinal, opening games were decided by two points. In the other, an upset victory occurred.
Though the San Antonio Spurs, on an incredibly clutch and wide open three point basket by Manu Ginobili, won game one vs the amazing Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry, it took two overtimes for the (129-127) win.
The Warriors now (7-0) vs the spread and an amazing underdog story, were nine point underdogs. Steph Curry scored 44 points for the Warriors in the loss.
On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers won game one at New York, vs the Knicks. Indiana, which lost their quarterfinal series last year in six games vs the Heat, after leading two games to one, were five and a half point underdogs in game 1.
Meanwhile the Oklahoma City Thunder, three point favorites in game one, but series underdogs, won the opener by two points vs the Memphis Grizzlies.
Finally, in its recap of the Spurs two point win vs the Warriors, in its “defining moment” portion, ESPN .com put out another factual error.
Their account stated the Spurs were down by two points when Ginobili made the all important three point shot with one second left in the second overtime. In fact the Spurs were behind by one point. Hence the (129-127) two point Spurs’ victory margin.
“The Big Wedding,” directed by Justin Zackham, is a highly entertaining comedy, that once again showcases the comedic skills of the great modern actor, Robert De Niro.
The movie has a big name cast that includes Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Katherine Heigl ,Robin Williams and Topher Grace.
The plot centers around old fashioned mores being applied amidst the rather open lifestyle of the characters involved. This takes place in and around a wedding.
There are some really funny scenes and as usual, in somewhat wild comedies I like, have noticed scenes with a reasonable amount of pathos.
In such films as “The King of Comedy,” “Analyze This,” “Analyze That” and now again in “The Big Wedding,” De Niro comes across not only with the assurance that is his acting essence, but with a sense of comedic timing that is astounding.
The NBA Quarterfinals begin with two games today. First, the West top seed, Oklahoma City Thunder face the five seed, Memphis Grizzlies. That will be followed by the East two seed, New York Knicks hosting the three seed, Indiana Pacers.
The Knicks/Pacers series evokes memories of five quarterfinal or semi final series between the two teams from (1994-2000.) Twice, the Knicks were victorious in the semi-final series while the Pacers prevailed in one “semi” and in both quarterfinal clashes.
Tomorrow, two other quarterfinal series begin with the respective conference favorites, the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs swinging back into action after seven days off.
The Heat will be heavy favorites vs the Chicago Bulls, who handed the borough of Brooklyn (vs the Nets) another home game seven loss. That kindled memories of far more important home Brooklyn Dodgers’ losses in game seven of the World Series, vs the Yankees in 1952 and 1956. The Dodgers did win their only title in a game seven, road win at Yankee Stadium in 1955.
The Spurs are eight to one favorites vs the Golden State Warriors, who upset the Denver Nuggets in six games. The Warriors were (6-0) vs the point spread in that series.
Five NBA prelims ended in six games. All four games this past Friday resulted in the team up three games to two winning and those four winning teams play today.
Last year, the Los Angeles winter sport’s teams were creating a scheduling problem as three of them, all playing in the Staples Center, had advanced to their league’s quarterfinal round. This year is a different story.
First of all, the Lakers have already been ousted in four straight games in the first round. The other L.A. basketball team, the Clippers, have lost three straight games to the Memphis Grizzlies and face elimination tonight in game six at Memphis. If the Clippers win there will be a decisive seventh game at the Staples Center on Sunday.
Last year, the Los Angeles Kings won it all with one of the great playoff performances ever staged. They went up three games to none in all four series, winning the first two games on the road each time. No team had ever accomplished that feat and I doubt one will do so again in the foreseeable future.
However, this year the Kings lost the first two games of their preliminary series at St. Louis, vs the Blues. Last year the Kings swept the Blues in four straight games in the quarterfinal round.
Additionally, both L.A. area baseball teams, each touted to do big things this year, are playing under .500 baseball. The Dodgers are (13-14) while the Angels are (10-18).
Finally, the Anaheim Ducks are the NHL West two seed but find themselves sans home ice advantage. This manifested after a (5-4), game two, home loss vs the Detroit Red Wings.
Six is the operative number thus far in the NBA playoffs as six preliminary series will go at least six games.
While the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs swept the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers respectively (all eight times the Lakers have been down (3-0) in a playoff series they were swept out in four games), the other six series have some intrigue and will go at least six games.
Three series favorites, with home court advantage, still have that advantage and three to two, series leads. Those teams, the West one seed, Oklahoma City Thunder, (vs the Houston Rockets) the New York Knicks (vs the Boston Celtics) and Indiana Pacers (vs the Atlanta Hawks) are still big favorites to advance. The Thunder, however, have lost one of their stars Russell Westbrook to injury.
Meanwhile series underdogs, sans home court advantage, the Memphis Grizzlies, (vs the Los Angeles Clippers), Golden State Warriors, (vs the Denver Nuggets) and Chicago Bulls (vs the Brooklyn Nets) get a chance to win their series at home in game 6. A home team loss results in a decisive seventh game on the road.
Russell Westbrook
In light of active NBA player Jason Collins saying he is gay, let’s take some time (time the operative word as why did it take so much of that most valuable thing for Collins or anyone to do so ?!!) to remember former NFL running back, Dave Kopay.
Three years after his retirement from the NFL in 1972, Kopay announced his sexual orientation was homosexual. That happenstance was incredibly brave and a good deal of time in the past.
Mr. Kopay has gone on to do great work on behalf of athletes, who happen to be gay.
One way to look at all this and maybe it is advanced for some of you but Dave Kopay was not exactly Jim Brown or even that good an NFL running back. Yet do you know how good a running back he was to make the NFL which surely had less available spots then.
When and then— as WHEN this country evoke standards of performance and not race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and perhaps most of all lineage, THEN “we” will have something much(o) better than what now exists.
Yesterday I listened to part of a baseball game for the first time in a long time. I have my reasons why I do not listen.
Hearing Boston Red Sox broadcaster Joe Castiglione during the seventh inning of the game vs the Houston Astros was a good experience.
Castiglione, who once teamed with Ken Coleman to form an outstanding broadcast team, does a fine job. The game was one sided and he offered some good notes.
One criticism: perhaps due to a sports update involving a local NBA playoff game, Castiglione went a good chunk of one of the half innings without giving the score. It was at least four and a half minutes.
Overall, hearing Castiglione brought me back to better times. It was a nice treat.
Andy B Sports 