Last night, not too many hours ago, in relative obscurity especially juxtaposed with the three previous perfect games pitched by a Yankees’ hurler, Domingo German became the fourth Yankee to hurl a perfect game.
He did so in an (11-0) win for the (44-36) Yankees at Oakland vs the (21-61) once proud, (now look) Oakland A’s.
German joins Don Larsen, David Wells and David Cone as Yankees perfect game pitchers.
Larsen pitched a perfect game on Monday October 8, 1956 in game 5 of the World Series.
He outdueled Brooklyn starter Sal Maglie, who had been the mystery guest on “What’s My Line?” the night before in a (2-0) win.
Both Cone and Wells, as was the situation with Larsen, pitched their perfect games at Yankee Stadium, in what were back to back Yankees’ title seasons in 1998 and 1999.
After winning #5/’56 World Series behind Larsen and after losing #6 to Brooklyn on Jackie Robinson’s game winning and last ever big league hit, the Yankees took the ’56 crown, with a game 7 win.
The Yankees previous three perfect games occurred in title winning seasons.
The 1970 World Series/”The Brooks Robinson Series” won by Brooks and the Baltimore Orioles vs the first of 4 Cincinnati Reds’ pennant winning teams in 7 seasons ended with a (9-3) Orioles triumph in game 5.
Last night in a clash between the two surprising 2023 teams, the (48-29) Orioles defeated the (41-38) Reds by a (10-3) score.
“Balti” is 4 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, whose (54-27) “halfway” (162 games season) is baseball’s best. Their “qualification” lead is at least 6 games.
“Cincy” is only (41-38) but that places them only a half game behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the N.L. Central
NEW YORK — Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski takes on interim champion Yair Rodriguez in a unification match in the main event atop the UFC 290 PPV card on Saturday night, July 8th.
Hoops Cabaret (48 West 33 Street), called the world’s sexiest sports bar, will be showing the fight live on its numerous HD TVs and huge Mega-Tron Video Wall. The Hoops Cabaret girls will also host an After-Party, performing on stage, and up close and personal.
Volkanovski is currently MMA Fighting’s No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound male fighter in the sport. He’s looking for his fifth consecutive title defense after falling short against Islam Makhachev in his bid for two-division glory this past February. To do so he’ll have to get past Rodriguez, who captured the interim title with a second-round submission of Josh Emmett.
Co-headliner on the card is Brandon Moreno defending his flyweight strap in a rematch against Alexandre Pantoja.
Located just one block from Madison Square Garden Hoops Cabaret combines the fun of a sports bar with the excitement of a gentlemen’s club. It’s a great place to watch all sporting events. “Come make it rain on all the sexy girls,” said Hoops girl Nadia. “And don’t miss the after-party, it’s sure to be amazing.”
- Super VIP “Man Cave”
- Full Menu, served late
- Full Service Premium Bar
- Next door to the world famous Rick’s Cabaret NYC
Unofficially, but fairly certain is the fact that this year’s NBA and NHL final round result, with the home team (both the Nuggets and Golden Knights) clinching the title in #5, had transpired only once before then.
In 1956 both the then Philadelphia Warriors and Montreal Canadiens clinched their league crowns with a home win in game 5.
I noticed that in 1953, the Minneapolis Lakers lost game 1 at home to the New York Knicks but won the next 4 games to claim a fourth title in five seasons.
The next season, they made it six crowns in five seasons.
Subsequently, the Lakers who moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles for the ’60-’61 season, did not “title” until 1972, when after losing game 1 to the Knicks they won the last four to gain their first L.A. title.
In 1973, now fifty years ago and seventy years after 1953, the Knicks won the title, as they won the last four games to “5” the Lakers.
The great player, Tom Gola pictured above was a key player on that ’56 Warriors’ title team.
This man played on an NIT title team in ’52 with La Salle and an NCAA champion with them in ’54. They were denied in the ’55 final by the Bill Russell led San Francisco Dons.
Quite a four year span with three superb seasons!
It is a Friday night in June 1965 and the home plate meeting of course, involves the four umpires (for the record some really good ones, as I cite umpires, despite Ms. Barber’s “no return,” Al Barlick, Augie Donatelli, Mel Steiner and Stan Landes) but also Mets manager Casey Stengel and Pirates captain Bill Mazeroski.
Flashing back it was “Maz'” second pitch/B9 World Series home run in that same Forbes Field that was soon followed by Casey Stengel’s much more “more” than “less” exit as Yankees manager after winning 7 titles and 10 pennants in 112 seasons in that job. (Casey’s Yankees won their first 5 World Series going (20-8) in games and his teams finished (44-20) 11 of 16, as Yankees fan Larry David might say “prettty good,” in World Series games.
Harry Walker, the Pirates manager at that time, himself a World Series winner, having doubled not singled home Enos Slaughter for the last and game winning run of the ’46 World Series as his Cards 7’d the Red Sox, said the key to the Pirates 12 game win skein, broken the night before by the Mets, was the return of Mazeroski to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup.
On that June night, Jack Fisher so often the tough luck losing pitcher in a truly well pitched game not like the 6 or so innings stuff today, outdueled Bob Friend as the Mets won (2-1).
Friend’s record vs the Mets, at that point, was (13-2), both losses to Fisher.
A truly outstanding player, Bill Mazeroski, pictured above.
Unique, I am, having not gone to the prom in my last high school year, but gallantly escorting a woman who waited before revealing she had no prom date, the next year, dating/prom talk that abounds and resonates in “The Trouble With Dead Boyfriends,” (now through July 5th at “The Players Theatre 115 MacDougal Street), combined with the splendid musical numbers, make the show most entertaining.
The story is intriguing with both highly humorous and revealing elements, in what one might call a teaching mode.
“The Trouble With Dead Boyfriends,” (Book and lyrics by Annie Pulsipher, Music and lyrics by Alex Petti and directed by Stephen M. Eckert) has tremendous musical numbers, that truly entertain with a great cast.
That cast: Heather Sawyer, Alia Cuadros-Contreras, Zoe Dean, Will Einbinder, Hagan Oliveras, Patrick Voss Davis, Stephanie Hawkins, Patrick Swailes Caldwell, Sophia Carlin, and Jonah McKinley.
I highly recommend seeing this most entertaining show.
Today away from ‘offs notes and the fact on the day after those ‘offs ended, I attended an afternoon performance of Rock & Roll Man, a fantastic show that rightfully gives credit to the long departed (in 1965 at a tragically young age of 43), disc jockey and music pioneer, Alan Freed.
The show features a book by Gary Kupper and in it are performances by really talented singers as the likes of such greats as Little Richard, Chuck Berry and LaVern Baker, among others.
Currently in previews, “Rock & Roll Man” is playing at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).
In the coming weeks, more on this great show that I hope to see at least once more.
It is that good!
Remembering Homer Jones and his great speed, long touchdowns and less than big effort calisthenics, (he did not need them) brings me to good memories, regarding glorious days and people.
Mr. Jones died this week at the age of 82.
Once, he took a 98 yard touchdown pass from Earl Morrall.
Another time, at one point well into an NFL season, he was averaging over 40 yards per reception, a truly astounding feat.
It was fun to watch and on a couple of occasions via the first two Michael Santasieris, (Michael Dante is a third), I saw the Giants and Homer play at Yankee Stadium.
This was such a great treat and as cited here many times, my team was the Cleveland Browns, not the Giants.
Did Homer not quite finish the pre game exercises? Maybe, as it seems it was said.
Oh, could he play and players such as Homer made the sport grow, to its very likely too high popularity and negative, of today.
Yet, for once, I can think back sans guilt, about liking it so much. Players such as Homer Jones make that possible.
Finally, two second half, opening kickoff return touchdowns, each called by Keith Jackson on ABC will hopefully always resonate, as things of beauty in my mind.
In 1974, the great Anthony Davis did so against Notre Dame, the 7th-12th of an incredible 55 straight USC points to (55-24) Notre Dame in late November.
It was over four years earlier, with Jackson in his only year as Monday Night Football lead announcer (with Mr. Cosell there I guess lead is ?–alas Jackson doing play by play) and in the first “packaged” Monday Night tilt, Homer “first named” a touchdown, in an eventual Browns’ (31-21) win vs the New York Jets.
Keep running now Homer, you are among so many greats we have lost, just in recent times, however, know that thoughts and visions of your plays are great keepsakes in the minds of many.
Thank you Homer!
As above, you saw Homer and then he was gone, then for a long touchdown, now to a hopefully better place.
Coming up, not only out of the esoteric notes but out of sports and into a superb show, “Rock N Roll Man,” which does honor and give deserved praise to Alan Freed.
This was the 8th year ending in “3,” with both an NBA and NHL final round entity.
Both eventual 5 games/clinched at home, champions the Denver Nuggets and Las Vegas Golden Knights, by definition, had (3-1) series leads, marking the 6th time in those above referenced possibilities, that a team in such a final, had at least a (3-1) series lead.
It manifested in the first 5 possibilities:
(Canadiens/Minneapolis Lakers in ’53, Maple Leafs/Celtics in ’63, Canadiens/Knicks in ’73, Islanders/76ers in ’83 and Canadiens/Bulls in ’93), not in the next 2, as the Devils took the then Mighty Ducks (as just Ducks, they titled in ’07, another year both eventual champions led at least (3-1) in the final round) in 7 but in a (2-2) series and ditto the Heat in 7, vs the Spurs in 2013.)
Quickly, not easy for ADD me, this was also a 6th time both the NHL and NBA had first time champions.
In half of those cases, the calendar was the same (1989 when the Flames and Pistons copped crowns, 2006 when the Hurricanes and Heat won it all and now this same calendar 2023, as Las Vegas and Denver won their first title).
Two of the other 3, first time champions in both leagues years had the same calendar:
The Spurs and Dallas Stars in ’99 and the Raptors/Blues in 2019 doing the trick and “holy esoteric Batman,” as that makes 3 times out of the 6, first time NBA and NHL championships manifested in years ending in “9.”
In ’91 with super stars, Mr. Jordan and Mario Lemieux as team members, the Chicago Bulls and Pittsburgh Penguins won their first titles.
Looking him up (I refuse to give them “Frigidaire status,” the great, great player, Michael Jordan’s successful but harmful sneakers association and unsuccessful turn as Hornets’ owner are listed before his great basketball career or anything else.
Help!
I would think it is the first time in such history, that first time NHL and NBA title winners clinched said crowns on consecutive days/nights–the Las Vegas Golden Knights, doing so in a devastating (9-3) rout of the Florida Panthers in game 5.
Mark Stone had the three goal “hat trick,” opening with a shorthanded tally, L.V.’s first of these ‘offs, in which they went a stellar (16-6) to capture their first crown.
Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Certainly Golden Knights’ netminder, Adin Hill, Jake Eichel and Stone (he “barked” at a boosted 15 to 1 to be the first goal scorer but Mark/Pie and Ethan/Stone “stuff!!”) were worthy choices as well.
I suppose many more notes will follow, by including the fact that despite the “run out of gas” final round losses in 5, by the Florida teams, the Heat and Panthers, they were cashed at nice profits for many including a “vulture,” who as is the case with many on this planet, gets pleasure out of other’s failure and maybe even misfortune.
It is the 6th time there are first title winners in both the NHL and NBA in the same year.
The other times were ’89,’91,’99,’06 and 2019.
Cities/areas with a team in both the NBA and NHL final round entity in the same year fell to (5-15).
There has never been a year when both teams from the same city “titled” in those leagues. This is the 5th time both lost while an equal # 5 times, the two same city/area teams split in the final round.
Las Vegas captain, Mark Stone, pictured, a little over a decade back.
Andy B Sports 