Slight favorites Barbora Krejcikova and Carlos Alcaraz, the latter easily, won Wimbledon crowns, vs Jasmine Paolini and Novak Djokovic respectively.
It was shameful, that when Djokovic, again denied by Alcaraz, fought off numerous break points and went up (2-1) third set, however, down 2 sets, and “showed emotion,” the 4 letter word crew implied it might be a match.
No, as Alcaraz eased.
Yesterday Krejcikova over Jasmine Paolini went the maximum 3 sets.
Barbora Krejcikova, pictured above.
It shapes up as quite a final on the men’s side as 2 days hence, Novak Djokovic bidding to add to his record 24 major crowns, is a slight underdog vs Carlos Alcaraz, in a redux of last year’s final won by Alcaraz.
Today, Alcaraz prevailed in 4 sets vs Daniil Medvedev, which was followed by Djokovic’s straight sets, but no cover, semis win vs Lorenzo Musetti.
Alcaraz is about a 3 to 2 fave.
I will go with Djokovic, vs Alcaraz, who won the French Open not long ago, in 4 sets.
It will be Barbora Krejcikova vs Jasmine Paolini in the Wimbledon Women’s final match on Saturday.
Barbora won as about a 5 to 1 underdog vs Elena Rybakina, while Paolini won (7-6), in the decisive third set, against Donna Vekic.
On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic, seeking to add to his record number of major tournament wins, having benefitted from Alex DiMinear having to withdraw from their scheduled “quarters” clash, is now a huge say 7 to 1 “fave,” vs Lorenzo Musetti in tomorrow’s semi. Musetti won in the maximum 5 sets, vs Taylor Fritz, the bell tolling for the latter, as a near 4 to 1 favorite.
In the other semi, tomorrow, Carlos Alcaraz is about a 3 plus to 1 “fave” vs Daniil Medvedev.
In listening to part of the 1942 All-Star baseball game as broadcast by Mutual, with “The Commander,” Bob Elson, Mel Allen and Jim Britt, I realized a “history repeats” note had manifested.
Spurgeon “Spud” Chandler, one of the great Yankees’ pitchers, is Joe McCarthy’s choice to start the tilt, apparently on 2 days rest, but with a maximum 3 innings pitched allowed.
Broadcaster Elson, who 10 months before and 2 months before events at Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor, had been behind the microphone for the Yankees great game 4/1941 World Series win, that was the key to their 5 game triumph vs Leo Durocher’s Brooklyn Dodgers, informed that in a Friday night Yankees/Red Sox game on July 3, 1942, Chandler had emerged victorious by a (5-3) score.
Though I follow baseball nowhere near as I once did, somehow I knew that last Friday in another Red Sox/Yankees game, a (5-3) score manifested, this time in favor of the Red Sox.
From Wikipedia, more below. I add Spud Chandler, pictured above had a great career, spending all 11 of his seasons with the vaunted Yankees who won the title 6 times and did not only 5 times, as part of their great era of baseball that manifested in crowns in half their 40 seasons from 1923-1962.
He was named the American League‘s Most Valuable Player in 1943 after anchoring the team’s pitching staff with 20 wins and only 4 losses as New York won its third consecutive pennant; his 1.64 earned run average in that season was the lowest by any major league pitcher between 1920 and 1967, and remains a Yankees team record. In eleven seasons, he never suffered a losing record; with a total of 109 wins and 43 losses, his career winning percentage of .717 is the highest of any pitcher with at least 100 victories since 1876.
I realized a decent fact concerning a link between the television shows, each a great one, “All In The Family” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”
In “Hitch” Presents, Martin Balsam starred in “Final Arrangements,” meeting with a funeral director played by O.Z. Whitehead.
“O.Z.” stands for Oothout Zabriskie, but it is the Whitehead that is relevant here.
In a great “All In The Family” episode, “Archie” played by the great Carroll O’Connor, is pressured to give a good funeral for his cousin “Oscar,” though Archie never liked him.
The funeral director is named “Whitehead,” played by Jack Grimes.
O.Z. Whitehead, pictured above, as “Al Joad” in the film, “The Grapes Of Wrath” based on John Steinbeck’s immortal novel.
Oh to express and in both instances, that of the great career and contributions of Robert Towne (“Chinatown” “The Godfather” and specifically the Polanski insisted– ” Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown,” to Jack Nicholson’s “Jake, ” among so much else) and this morning’s tribute to Mr. Towne, who died days back at age 89, by Scott Simon–beautiful expression manifests.
I share Mr. Simon’s tribute and laud and thank Mr. Towne for so much meaningful, entertaining, often humorous writing.
Enjoy.
Opinion: Remembering the star screenwriter Robert Towne
Click below to view, as Joe Mantell speaks the iconic line to Jack/”Jake” as the Roman Polanski, directed “Chinatown” ends.
Mr. Sheppard, perhaps “intro-ing” Mr. Towne in a better place, and for a needed “rewrite.”
I happened to be at Yankee Stadium on another Friday July 5th, that in 2002 when the venerable and legendary Yankee Stadium public address announcer, Bob Sheppard,
certainly a diehard Yankees’ supporter, announced the death of a great Yankees’ rival player, Ted Williams.
Sheppard certainly spoke briefly, eloquently and in high praise of Williams, whose efforts, most times fell short in key games at Yankee Stadium, I suppose part of the lore of the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry.
That so over rated rivalry, (it is a good one but …,) resumes tonight as the Yankees and Red Sox open a 3 game series at Yankee Stadium, no longer on its hallowed ground.
I need not look, as surely the series will culminate, in yet another ESPN Sunday night game between the two teams.
Their emergence into this rivalry and the always Sunday night game has turned me off, however memories of Sheppard’s class, Williams’ hitting and such greats as Vic Raschi and David Ortiz continue to resonate in a quite positive way.
The legendary Bob Sheppard, who also was the public address announcer at New York Giants’ football games for many years, is pictured above.
Once the All-Star Game mattered. It no longer does.
In the 1956 game held at Griffith Stadium in Washington D.C. four baseball greats hit home runs.
Two were Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, the two often compared, an echoing theme of my youth.
Also often compared, each as all-time hitting greats, Ted Williams and Stan Musial also hit home runs in that game.
What a foursome!!
Griffith Stadium, shown above.
A truly great and gifted player, Orlando Cepeda, died days back at age 87, a scant 10 days after his longtime teammate, the great Willie Mays, left us at age 93. They averaged 90 years on earth, however, it is so sad that so many greats from “my time,” certainly one I greatly prefer, have died.
Cepeda known as “Baby Bull,” and “Cha Cha,” was an integral player on 4 teams, (3 different franchises), that finished first in the great National League in 8 seasons from (1962-1969).
Cepeda was the National League MVP in 1967, as a member of the world champion, St. Louis Cardinals. Additionally, his 1962 Giants and 1968 Cardinals won pennants, but were denied in 7 game World Series losses to the Yankees and Detroit Tigers respectively.
The ’67 World Series also went 7 games, with the Cardinals winning behind Bob Gibson’s 3 series triumphs, #7 on the actual Columbus Day (no school, so I saw it) at Fenway Park vs the Boston Red Sox.
Before the 1969 season, which was the first with divisional play (remember you still had to finish first) Cepeda was dealt by the Cards to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Joe Torre.
Atlanta won the first N.L. West crown (Atlanta in the West?!!), before being swept by the eventual champion New York Mets in 3 games.
Meanwhile the Cards faded. Joe Torre never made post-season play as a player, but ended up managing 4 World Series winners with the New York Yankees.
Incredible 1962 baseball, and oh the race between the Giants and the Dodgers. Look it up!
Phenomenal years for Willie Mays, Jack Sanford, Tommy Davis, Maury Wills and Don Drysdale. Sandy Koufax was on his way to perhaps his best season, but injury stopped it.
I cite Cepeda last, (35 HR’s), as I so vividly recall him hitting 46 home runs the season before (’61 to lead the N.L.) He could hit them out to right center, was unfairly denied earlier Hall status, why? because he possessed pot. UGH!
In the great 4 run Giants’ rally that transformed a “facing elimination” (4-2) / T9 deficit in the ’62, 165th game/3rd of the unscheduled playoff, in which the Giants, so incredibly replicated ’51, Orlando Cepeda drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly.
Orlando Cepeda, a great player from a great era of baseball, pictured above.
Maybe the great Lindsey Nelson who “stretched” Cepeda’s name so eloquently and memorably emphatically introduced Willie Mays late in the ’73 season, when Willie said “good bye to America,” is doing intros now for Willie, “Cha Cha” and others, as few can.
The Panthers’ 7 game triumph, again why did it have to go 7 when they were up (3-0)?!! means 22 of the 32 NHL teams (that is about 12, I could say 26 too many teams) have at least one title.
It was the second consecutive final in which a team bidding for its first crown defeated a team that had “hoisted.” (el Stanley Cup). (The Blues 7’d the Bruins in 2019).
One big positive is Paul Maurice, the “Fla” coach and finally a title winner evoking the names of Jean Beliveau, Maurice Richard and Gord Howe in “telling” his father now the surname Maurice joins Maurice’s some of Maurice’s heroes on that chalice.
Now Corey Perry did title with the ’07 Anaheim Ducks but now somewhat incredibly has been in 4 of the last 5 Cup final rounds and his teams, the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning and now the Edmonton Oilers lost all 4 times.
Twice the Lightning won then he lost with the Lightning (I guess it struck thrice) to the Colorado Avalanche and then this season.
Perry was presented a medal, probably the top one by Putin at the ’12 Olympic Games. I could have told him that did not augur well.
Once something/”a little prayer” after her coffee break, now I believe it is MeTV, to help the great Dionne Warwick, pictured above, to start and along her day.
