Let’s say, the very likely will manifest and 5/10 year World Series participants, the Red Sox, Pirates, Tigers, A’s, Yankees (they were in ten, winning in ’23,’28, ’38,’43,’53,’58 before losing in ’63 only to win again in ’78 and ’98 before losing in ’03 up (2-1) after Michael Kay said the eventual winning Marlins did not belong on the same field with them. So they were (8-2) in such), Cardinals, Cleveland, Mets, Padres, Marlins, will not be in the event, which is so much less than in daytime glory days.
That leaves possible rematches of ’33,’83, ’93 and ’08 the three of four involving the Phillies, currently a likely ‘offs participant but to be no higher than a 4 seed.
One/me is reminded they made last year’s final (a better name for the so diminished World Series) as the N.L. 6 seed, a “joke” in itself. They deserved credit but the six in/each league ‘offs are an affront to people such as me, who once loved baseball.
In ’33 the then New York Giants 5’d the then Washington Senators, now the almost certain A.L. “3” seed, Minnesota Twins. The Giants now in S.F. are currently in a battle for ‘offs qualification and at best will be a wild card team.
The Phils’ ’83 World Series opponent, the Orioles 5’d them and lead the A.L.
In ’93 Toronto (Blue Jays) repeated as title winners when Joe Carter’s 1 out, bottom 9, 3RHR transformed a (5-4) Phils lead into game 6 clinched title.
Finally in ’08 the Phils 5’d the Tampa Bay Rays, who currently are and likely will be the A.L. 4 seed.
At this point, tennis was more compelling but alas I have notes and memories.
A 24 time winner (Novak Djokovic to tie Margaret Court’s record for most grand slam victories) and a first time winner, Coco Gauff took U.S. Open tennis crowns.
On Saturday, Gauff stormed back to defeat Aryna Sabalenka in the maximum 3 sets, after dropping the first set (6-1).
Djokovic dispatched Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.
U.S. Open venue, pictured above.
There will be two reasonably low odds final round matches in the 2023 U.S. Open Tennis event.
One is really considered a toss up (ode to game shows or show that had “toss up” questions, just can not quite remember which), that being today’s women’s final, with Aryna Sabalenka just (-130) vs Coco Gauff.
Tomorrow’s men’s final was expected to be about the same odds with Novak Djokovic a slight “fave” vs Carlos Alcaraz, however, it will be Daniil Medvedev, whose lone Grand Slam win was vs Djokovic, in the 23 time “Slam” winner’s last U.S. Open, in 2021.
That result denied Djokovic the “calendar” grand slam.
Djokovic, to be the world’s top ranked player, no matter tomorrow’s result, is over a 2 to 1 favorite.
Daniil Medvedev, pictured above.
1978, 1995 and this year 2023 have the same calendar.
Oh am I subjective concerning those previous baseball seasons, especially those of the Yankees.
I skip that, these 45 years later as on September 7, 1978, another Thursday, the Yankees began a 4 game series at Boston vs the first place Red Sox, trailing them by four games, in a win the one quarter division or go home situation that sadly is no longer and produced an incredible finish, one whose “pain” still resonates, but indeed a true, great baseball moment, as the Yankees held on (5-4) in a one game ‘off for the ’78 A.L. East title.
A 4 game sweep in the aforementioned 4 game series that began exactly 45 years ago tonight, catapulted the Yankees.
The Yankees went on to win a second straight and 22nd World Series crown.
Dare I write, Burleson 3rd, Remy first and Yaz up. If only he did what Edgar Martinez did 17 years and 6 days later in same calendar 1995 , namely “tune” runners Cora and Griffey Jr. to “last at bat,” the Yankees and advance to the ALCS, only to be 6’d by Cleveland.
That preceded 4 Yankees’ crowns in the next 5 seasons under their unappreciated manager Joe Torre.
2023’s Yankees story is they are but one game over .500, (going (8-1) in their last 9 games) behind 3 teams for one of 3 wild card spots (three too many!!), and six plus games from qualification.
Talk about not appreciated, Roy White, pictured above, was an integral part of the Yankees’ remarkable run to the ’78 crown.
He was a fine player and is a classy gentleman.
As the 2023 pro football season is about to commence and with still little to say about “12 teams in the ‘offs”/tournament, I will cite some baseball notes, largely concerning 3 players and their 1962 seasons.
A truly great player, Tommy Davis entered play on Saturday August 25,1962, a Saturday game at the Polo Grounds vs the Mets with an astounding 122 RBI’s.
Davis finished the 165 game season (the Giants won a playoff vs L.A. for the pennant) with 153 RBI’s, an even more astounding total.
Maury Wills started that day with 69 stolen bases. Ralph (I call him “King Kong”) Kiner imparted that Maury was 12 shy of Bob Bescher’s N.L. stolen base mark.
Wills swiped a record breaking 104 bases in 1962, breaking Ty Cobb’s record of 96.
Subsequently, both Lou Brock and then Rickey Henderson, set single season stolen base marks.
Finally, the Mets’ Frank Thomas had 29 home runs beginning that day.
He ended up swatting 34 in that inaugural Mets season.
The great player, Lou Brock, pictured above, had a memorable 1962 Polo Grounds day.
On June 17, 1962, he hit one of the longest homers in Polo Grounds history.
I am not against Deion Sanders, who in addition to great football player prowess, was a good baseball player and contributed to at least one Atlanta Braves’ pennant winning teams.
However, the unabashed Colorado hype (bad enough from Gus Johnson but also by Jenny Taft, promoting Fox being at Colorado, bet (plus 7 to -3) next Saturday vs Nebraska–(I correctly had “Neb” to cover, though in defeat vs Minnesota) even after “barking” as a 3 TD “dog,” vs last year’s second place team, Texas Christian University, is hard to take.
I had Colorado “small,” (I learned the hard way, I do win “small” seemingly never “big”) and hesitate to “take” with Nebby, however, do know the hype for Colorado is too much!!
By the way, again credit Sanders, certainly his son, Shedeur Sanders, who threw for over 500 yards and did he say or reference what (different meaning) he excelled doing as a player?
Hint: He was a defensive back, later playing both offense and defense.
1971 Final Football Polls | College Poll Archive
1971 Final AP Football Poll. Conference …
- RANKRANKTEAM (FPV)CONF11Nebraska (55)Big 823OklahomaBig 837ColoradoBig 8
In ’71 the now extinct Big 8 Conference finished 1,2, 3 in the final college “pig” poll, the 1 and 3 teams then but nowhere near now, meeting this week.
Truly sad news on this the “in between day,” 84 years later of the invasion of Poland and the actual start of a second world war, as the great performer Jimmy Buffett has died, far too young (as the great Elton John remarked), at age 76.
I am not a “blender” guy, however, a post regarding a great New Year’s Eve Show I saw, so “naturally alone” (ode to Gilbert O. Sullivan, Karen Carpenter and Eric Carmen among others) with Mr. Buffett and opening performer, Huey Lewis is posted below.
The best tribute is his music and hopefully Jimmy’s iconic “Margaritaville” will play, resonate and lift our spirits.
Here’s hoping!
Jimmy Buffett preceded by Huey Lewis and the News put on a great New Year’s Eve show on January 2, 2016
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UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will defend his crown against challenger Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 293. After regaining his title with a satisfying knockout of Alex Pereira in April, New Zealand’s Adesanya now sets his sights on Strickland, who has won eight of his last ten bouts on the way to the biggest fight of his career.
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Very rarely if ever, unlike so many with platforms, will I make a pretty extreme, far from certain statement here.
I make one here, knowing the odds in favor of it happening are less than 3 to 1 in favor.
Three is operative as I strongly predict two time national college football champion, Georgia will NOT become the first team in the modern era to win 3 straight college football crowns.
Also Minnesota, supposedly the only team to win three straight titles, all unofficial as even most from ’36 until at least ’97 were, to win 3 straight titles will not cover vs Nebraska, a team/university that won back to back titles in ’70 and ’71 and 2 in 3 seasons (’95 and ’97).
In tonight’s tilt Minne a TD “fave” will be lucky to win, no less “cover.”
Georgia is still really good, the “Pre” #1, however, somehow, some way, I will opine they will not win a third straight college football crown.
The great Johnny Lujack, pictured above, the 1947 Heisman winner and a member of 3 unofficial Notre Dame national title teams (1943, 1946 and 1947).
Today marks the exact 56th anniversary of the famed last episode of “The Fugitive,” which aired on Tuesday August 29, 1967.
I seem to remember Cosmo Santullo, soon to be/already, a standout scholar/athlete, talking about the upcoming episode on that day.
At the time, as with much that was/is popular, I did not join, but have seen the superb episode and most series episodes many times in the years since.
Years pass, with memories of good quality, even seminal shows helping.
“The Fugitive,” as a series and that great last episode, still one of the highest rated both quantitatively and qualitatively, stands as a fine example of such work.
The great William Conrad, actually as radio’s “Matt Dillon” (a fine interview with TV’s “Matt,” James Arness was thoroughly enjoyable viewing/listening in recent days) is pictured above.
He, as “The Fugitive” narrator intoned “August 29th, the day the running stopped,” airing “exactly” 56 years ago today.
