Category: OLD SPORT SHORTS (Page 15 of 68)
An old guy’s perspective on all sports
The Hurryin’ Hoosiers made their national debut in the Gavett Games at Xavier and barely escaped with a 81-79 victory. I bring the nickname “Hurryin'” out of moth balls from the Branch McCracken coaching era because I got the sense that they were playing somewhat out of control. Although they had only 11 turnovers, four were by Senior Xavier Johnson to go with his 23-points. All-American candidate Trayce Jackson-Davis led all scorers with 30, while Freshman Malik Reneau added 12 and a key deflection on the last Musketeer lay-up attempt. This was after he missed two free throws that could have iced the game. It was a great physical test that will pay dividends during the upcoming rugged BIG conference battles.
Indiana led 78-70 with 2:25 left but Xavier rallied to within a point in the final minute. I.U put magic on their side when they reached the 60-point mark first with 10:08 remaining. A Musketeer three then tied it up 27-seconds later, one of seven from long distance. I.U. only managed 4-triples but shot an outstanding 51.7% overall from the field. Free-throw shooting was the biggest concern at only 65.4% and kept Xavier in the game. Defense was suspect, giving up 79 points. Last year’s Woodson squad beat Minnesota 84-79, but lost all six games where they allowed 80 or more points.
It was Indiana’s first non-conference road victory in eleven seasons, dating back to North Carolina State in November of 2011. A road victory like this is a monumental step forward for this veteran Hoosier team that has amassed a pitiful14-40 record away from home in the last 5-years. Coach Mike Woodson, who replaced Archie Miller two seasons ago got his first victory over Archie’s brother, Sean, who was rehired by Xavier, where he was A-10 Coach of the Year in 2008, then spent 12-years at Arizona where he earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year three times. Hopefully, this season will be the start of Woodson’s coaching honors. Defense and 3-point shot efficiency will be the measures of success.
I.U. football plays at Michigan State this afternoon, after being pounded by Michigan last Saturday. Let’s hope for a less embarrassing effort today. Big Red soccer meets storied St. Louis tomorrow, after being named the 13-seed in this year’s NCAA tourney. It is a record 9th straight seed selection for the 8-time national champions. St. Louis University has ten to their credit but the last was in 1973. All of IU’s titles have been since 1982. Mike Woodson’s squad also is back in action tomorrow against Miami of Ohio. Go Hoosiers!
My wife is still asleep while I peck away at the keyboard. The dark rain clouds are conducive for snoozing, while Tally is in no hurry to go to the dog park, knowing that it would entail putting on her rain suit again. I already had her outside for a quick one earlier, so she’s content with a lazy Thursday morning. I fought the wind and rain to get my mile in this morning. It was great with the breeze at my back but a struggle running into it. One car braved the conditions that could have been a lot worse. Hurricane Nicole stuck the east coast last night and is making her way northwest. Fortunately, we are not in the path, so I’m sure our insurance agent, also named Nicole, is relieved. I already have a call into Nicole from Ian’s recent damage, but she is already apparently so busy that she’s yet to get back with me.
We have a busy social week coming up, including a party tomorrow night, “Meet the Neighbors” pitch-in on Saturday, Sunday brunch with recent acquaintances, “Matinee Monday,” and a Tuesday cocktail party. I’ll also have a chiropractor appointment, tooth cleaning, blood donation to make, and a much anticipated service call from the refrigerator repairman. I also planned to pick up my grandson from school this afternoon, but classes were cancelled in lieu of Nicole. I’m feeling lucky that the storm is nothing more than lots of rain and wind. I don’t thing it’s enough to bring down more trees, power lines, and roof tiles in our neighborhood.
I started watching Power of the Rings yesterday and joined my wife last evening for the season finale of Handmaid’s Tale. We then got through another episode of The Bear before I sat through the final half of the I.U. soccer victory over highly-touted Maryland. The Terps had stolen the regular season conference title from the Hoosiers on a last minute tying goal. “Revenge was a dish served just ten days later,” as I.U. now moves on to the BIG Championship game against Rutgers on Sunday. It’s a record-tying sixth straight year that they’ve advanced to the tourney title match. Hoosier basketball action against Bethune-Cookman is on my calendar for tonight, but tomorrow’s expected football massacre against Ohio State should probably best be ignored. Nonetheless, Go Big Red!
Another Wordle streak bit the dust this morning as there were just too many letters that worked instead of the “L” in STALE. STATE, STAVE, STAKE, and STAGE were all unsuccessful, so a new streak will have to wait until tomorrow. Bu the way, I’m not worried about revealing the answer or spoiling someone else’s fun with this daily word game because it will be several days before this gets posted. I’m still at my son’s house and writing this on my phone to be copied and pasted later.
I’m still recovering from my eye surgery, and spent a lazy day yesterday watching TV. It was also a bit lonely with no one home, no dog to take care of, and a cat on my lap. When my son got off work, I ordered Taco Bell for both of us on my new app, and he picked it up on his way home. The app was solely the result of a Kyle Schwarber stolen base in game 1 of the World Series. (See Post #2186). However, it came in handy to efficiently feed both of us last night.
After a sedate 12-hours of watching my favorites like I.U. and Purdue be soundly crushed, Alabama lose in O.T, Illinois fall to the Spartans, and unwanted victories by Notre Dame and Ohio State, I turned to the World Series for more disappointment. Dusty Baker finally won a ring as a manager after falling short leading the Giants, Cubs, Reds, and Nats. Schwarber, in a losing Phillies effort, belted another homer, walked, and gunned down a runner at second “after further review.” It was getting late, but I was not the slightest bit tired.
I tossed and turned in my grandson’s bed for hours before I finally figured out what was wrong. I had inadvertently ordered a large Mountain Dew Blast instead of a caffeine-free Sierra Mist on the Taco Bell app and was seriously buzzed! I stared at the ceiling, read my book, and worried about silly things that will probably never happen. Finally, I dozed off restlessly and felt out of sorts when daylight rudely forced me out of bed. As a result, I shortened my run and exercise routine to play a losing game of Wordle. I’ll now spend another day with frustrating football and go to bed early in anticipation of another disruptive time change.
It may be a few days before this gets posted from my home office. Currently, I’m all alone at my son’s house while my wife entertains girlfriends at ours. I drove over here after dinner last night, went to bed shortly after, and ran a 5k this morning. My son is at work and the grandkids are at their mother’s. I’m watching the You Tube replay of the final I.U. basketball exhibition game against St. Francis before Saturday football starts. My stitched eyelids are itchy but the bruising and swelling is less noticeable.
The Hoosier soccer team won their first BIG tourney match against Penn State last night and will play #1 seed Maryland next week. The Terrapins won the National Championship over I.U. a few years ago in Santa Barbara with me in the stands. They are always a tough matchup especially come tournament time. The #16 Nittany Lions were equally formidable, falling 1-0 at Bill Armstrong Stadium. I.U. will now go on the road to Maryland, after failing to hold off a late tying score in the last match of the regular season. As a result, the #8 Terps got the top tourney seed and the unranked Hoosiers fell to 4th.
Without the responsibility of taking the dog out, I doubt if I see any more daylight today. My eyes are still a bit sensitive to the sun, so I’m content with a day in front of the TV, concluding with World Series game #6, perhaps the last of the season. I’ll also do some reading of Grisham’s The Boys from Biloxi, another reminder of hurricane devastation and the battle to collect insurance reimbursement. Massive piles of debris surround my son’s home. Ouch!
Through swollen eyelids, I watched baseball history last night with a Houston Astros combined no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. It was the second no-hitter in a World Series game, the first by Don Larsen of the Yankees in 1956, who was “perfect” against the Brooklyn Dodgers. That record will never be topped. Cristian Javier, Christian Vazquez, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Ryan Pressly only gave up three base-on-balls, one was to Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, extending his post-season on-base streak to 11 straight games.
I can remember the buzz around the Don Larsen “Perfecta,” even though I was only 5-years old. I was already into collecting baseball cards at that age and had all the Yankee greats that year. The 1956 Mickey Mantle Topps card alone is now worth thousands of dollars but somehow it got lost or thrown out. Three years later I became a White Sox fan, so those Yankee cards apparently didn’t matter any more. Don Larsen is valued at about $80 and probably went up in value with the exposure from last night’s no-hit feat.
I spent my second straight night in a chair sitting up with ice-packs pressed against my black-and-blue eyes. It made it even tougher to watch Manager Dusty Baker pull Cristian Javier after 6 innings and nine strike outs, taking away his chance of solo heroics. Instead, he shared the honor with four other bullpen mates for a 5-0 victory, tying the series at 2 games each.
My eyelids are now thick lips with Frankenstein-like stitches. I joke that I got a special deal on surgery by waiting until the day after Halloween. I’m also not supposed to exercise, but I did get the minimum mile in both days to extend “The Streak” to 5,058 consecutive days. It was especially difficult the day after surgery as I waited until afternoon and the pain-killers to wear off before lacing up my running shoes. This morning was easier and tomorrow I could be back to normal, hiding behind my cheap sunglasses.
Sherman Lollar of the Chicago White Sox was the very first recipient of a Rawlings Gold Glove at the catcher position. In fact, in its inaugural presentation year of 1957, it was awarded to the best player regardless of league. In subsequent years it has been divided into American and National League position players. Lollar won the award three times while it was one of the few honors never bestowed on Yankee rival Yogi Berra.
“The 2022 winners were announced prior to Tuesday’s Game 3 of the World Series between the Astros and Phillies on “Baseball Tonight” on ESPN2, with a record 14 first-time recipients earning the honor for best defensive player at each position (the old mark was 11, recorded in both 2020 and 1958, the year the award was established to include both Leagues.” For the record, only nine were presented in 1957, the fewest of all.
National League 2022:
Catcher: J.T. Realmuto, Phillies First: Christian Walker, D-Backs
Second: Brendan Rodgers, Rockies
Shortstop: Dansby Swanson, Braves
Third base: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
Left field: Ian Happ, Cubs (first Cub at that position)
Center field: Trent Grisham, Padres
Right field: Mookie Betts, Dodgers
Pitcher: Max Fried, Braves
Utility player: Brendan Donovan, Cardinals
American League 2022:
Catcher: Jose Trevino, Yankees
Trevino is the third player in Yankees history to win a Gold Glove Award at the catcher position, joining Thurman Munson (1973-75) and Elston Howard (1963-64). Trevino led all Major League catchers with 21 defensive runs saved, which was also tied for the third-most Defensive Runs Saved in baseball, regardless of position.
First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
Second base: Andrés Giménez, Guardians
Shortstop: Jeremy Peña, Astros
Third base: Ramón Urías, Orioles
Left field: Steven Kwan, Guardians
Center field: Myles Straw, Guardians
Right field: Kyle Tucker, Astros
Pitcher: Shane Bieber, Guardians
Utility player: D.J. LeMahieu, Yankees
In other baseball notes:
“A managerial search that included candidates such as Joe Espada, Ozzie Guillén and Ron Washington, Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol’s candidacy flew a bit under the radar.” It appears that he will be the new White Sox manager for the 2023 season, replacing Tony La Russa at the helm.
I.U. alum Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies has now reached base in ten consecutive Playoff games with a first-inning walk. He was the first to cross the plate last night with Bryce Harper’s 2-run homer. “Schwarbs” then went on to hit a 2-run bomb in the bottom of the 5th, part of a 5-homer Phillies barrage that led to a 7-0 victory over the Astros in Game 3. He was already a “Taco Hero” after stealing a base in Game 1, but has yet to be a candidate for a Gold Glove.
Steal a base…Steal a taco. It’s a Taco Bell promotion and I.U. alum Kyle Schwarber, as a result, is a World Series hero. Schwarber at 6′ 229 lbs. is a slugger not a speedster by any stretch of the imagination. Going from base-to-base with a piano on his back is one description, but who needs to be fast when you can take your time rounding the bases after celebrating another over-the-fence moon shot like Game 1 of the NLCS against Yu Darvish, another former Cub, and the San Diego Padres. Coincidentally, the Topps card of this achievement just arrived in the mail this morning. Hopefully, they will produce another to commemorate the stolen base, although it didn’t really figure in the 6-5 extra innings win. The real hero of the game was J.T. Realmuto with his 10th inning homer that sealed the victory.
Through the years, Mookie Betts, Cameron Maybin, Lorenzo Cain, Trea Turner, Francisco Lindor (Indians), Angel Pagan, Jason Bartlett (Rays), Jacoby Ellsbury, Ozzie Albies, and now Kyle Schwarber have all “secured Taco Bell goodness for everyone who wants to indulge.” In the ten years that the campaign has existed, “teams whose player secures the first stolen base of the World Series are 8-2.” Only the Rays and Indians fell short.
In last night’s Series opener, Schwarber reached first base on an infield single off Astros reliever Bryan Abreu in the top of the seventh and the score tied 5-5. While still nursing a knee injury, he then stole second to move into scoring position with only one out. The successful swipe means a free Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco for anyone that downloads the app. I will, of course, claim my Taco prize!
Note: Schwarber World Series heroics date back to 2016 and the Cubs. (See Post #119)
Tonight is game one of the World Series that practically everyone in the world can watch on TV if they want. However, that wasn’t the case up until September 30, 1947 when three networks shared the broadcast of the very first World Series featuring the Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers. NBC televised games 1 and 5, CBS games 3 and 4, and DuMont games, 2,6, & 7. It was the first racially integrated series with Jackie Robinson going 7-27 and getting his first hit in game 2 to tie the score. Although it was televised, games were only seen on a small number of Eastern markets with stations connected via coaxial cable.
Sherm Lollar started game 3 at catcher for the Yankees wearing #29. He was a right-handed hitter and went 2-3 with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored. When the Dodgers brought in right-hander Ralph Branca in the 7th, manager Bucky Harris sent Lollar to the bench in favor of lefty Yogi Berra, who then proceeded to hit the very first pinch-hit home run in World Series history. The Dodgers still won 9-8, claiming their first victory in the series. Incidentally, four years later, Branca, pitching for the New York Giants, made unwelcome history again by giving up the 1951 Bobby Thomson “Shot heard round the world.”
Lollar did not play again until game 6 when he shared the catching duties with Aaron Robinson, the game 5 starter with Berra in right field. Sherm had another single and scored another run, going 3-4 in the series overall and earning his first World Series ring. His Yankees won it all in Game 7, but Robinson did the catching and Berra played right field. Neither of them had a hit. It’s the only time, so far, that the New York Yankees have won a Game 7 at home. In my collection, I have a piece of Sherm Lollar’s uniform from that series. He was traded to the St. Louis Browns in 1949 and finished his career with the Chicago White Sox starting in 1952.
Lollar’s next World Series was in 1959 with the Sox, losing to the Dodgers. He went 5-22 in that series. In 1966, he was a coach with the World Champion Baltimore Orioles.
While my wife has a busy day of appointments and errands, I don’t have much going on until the grandkids arrive for dinner. I’m watching my recording of last night’s Bear game, still stunned about the outcome. I did not expect the Bears to win in New England. Now, if only they could beat the Packers. It’s the first sports victory that I’ve enjoyed in months, as I bask in the glory. Could this be the start of great Fall? I’m certainly not counting on any more I.U. football victories, but basketball could be fun again.
I have some Halloween cards for the grands, but there are very few kids in our neighborhood to expect much in the way of trick-or-treating. The Hallo-wine event on Friday night at the Clubhouse will be the extent of our activities to end the month of October. Thanksgiving and Christmas this year will also probably be uneventful considering the trip to Kauai in between. We’ll also organize a mid-November “Meet the Neighbors” get-together and maybe host some dinner parties before the new year.
Yesterday’s movie, “Ticket to Paradise,” will never be a classic. The Bali scenery sure makes you want to go there. It was one of our cancelled destinations this year. We still need to make our March plans for Mexico and Arizona but I’m not very motivated to organize all this travel, let alone spend the money, after all our recent time away from home. It’s good to just relax!