ESPN doesn't know it but the Major League baseball season is still going on.The cream has basically risen to the top with one or two teams disappointed by losing out on the post season play because of a crucial late season loss.
**There is a rumor that Umpire Joe West is going to retire at the end of the season. Boy, will that be a big retirement party. I can only hope that Angel Hernandez gets the hint and retires, too. That party will be even bigger.
**I've seen players on a hot streak. I've seen Don Mattingly hit six grand slams in one season. I've seen him hit home runs in eight consecutive games. Giancarlo Stanton's streak is absolutely scary. Homers in four consecutive games is amazing in it's own right, but his homers are coming late in a game with men on base in a crucial series. That's hitting in pressure situations. Back in the 50's & 60's, opposing pitchers would rather face Mickey Mantle with the game on the line than have to pitch to Yogi Berra in that situation. Yogi was the Yankee's best clutch hitter ever, but Stanton looks like he's going after the title.
**The Yankee season has been a yo-yo all year. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Yanks chance of making the post season was in the 30's and Boston's was in the 80's. Now, in the final 6 games, those numbers are reversed. It's amazing how a teams fortunes can change so quickly. As John Sterling, Yankee radio announcer would say, "That's baseball, Susan." So, New York, Boston, Toronto and Seattle will be fighting for two playoff spots.
**In the National League West, the Giants and the Dodgers are fighting for the division championship. Their records are almost exactly the same. Unfortunately, one of them will be severely handicapped in the post season because they will have to play a one game playoff just to get into the Division Championship series. The Dodgers have an uphill battle having to play the final three against the Milwaukee Brewers, winners of the NL Central, while the Giants finish against the disappointing San Diego Padres.
This should be some weekend in baseball.
**It's close to college basketball season, so be prepared to briefly watch your team's bast player.
As Groucho Marx once sang, “Hello, I must be going.” And it’s not just John
Calipari’s one-and-done Kentucky, not anymore. That’s the plan for many.
Student-athletics. Why don't they just change it to "Occasional Student-Athlete?"
***THEY SAID IT***
"Brewers star set-up reliever Devin Williams is out for the season after breaking a bone in his pitching hand punching a wall after Milwaukee celebrated clinching the division Sunday night “Siri, What does the expression mean – “Million dollar arm ten-cent head?” -- Janice Hough
"Don’t know about the IBF or WBA, but the WHL title belt belongs to
the Vancouver Giants, after a cross-checking major assessed to Kyle
Bochek against Victoria erupted into eight fighting majors and nine game
misconducts.And that was in a preseason game." -- Dwight Perry
"According to the N.Y. Post, in 1962 Johnny Carson’s wife, Joanne, was having an affair with Giants receiver Frank Gifford. Typical of Gifford, he said he wasn't getting enough touches." -- RJ Currie
"Ohio State has announced that despite being tossed from the football team
for rotten behavior, including the since-deleted tweet, “fucc Ohio
State,” linebacker K’Vaughan Pope will be allowed to remain in school to
continue “his progress toward graduation.” Graduation? He doesn’t even seem able to spell." -- Phil Mushnick
"Kyrie Irving is the most discussed anti-vaxxer in pro sports. Kyrie is also a Flat Earther. Well, there's a shock." -- Brad Dickson
"Anti-vaxxer Cam Newton remains unsigned. Now teams won’t touch Newton with a 10-foot swab." -- Alex Kaseberg
"The Toronto Blue Jays trail only the Houston Astros with 1331 hits this season. They've put more men in scoring position than Paris Hilton." -- RJ Currie
"Tyler Pence became the first U.S. runner since 2001 to win the Quad Cities Marathon when the volunteer bicycle rider leading the two frontrunning Kenyans mistakenly went straight when he should have turned.They lost out on the $3,000 first prize, but are considered the early favorites for this year’s Wrong-Way Kerrigan Award." -- Dwight Perry
"What a horrible time for sports in Detroit. The Red Wings are lousy, the Lions are worse. The Pistons are last in the NBA and the Tigers are 11th in the American League." -- Steve Simmons
"Bozo NFL kicker who booted the amazing 66-yard field goal later thanked God. So that's why all these Covid wards are full of people struggling on ventilators - God is busy guiding field goals through uprights." -- Brad Dickson
"It takes a village to make an idiot: To hear hundreds of U.S. team Ryder Cup spectators cheer bad shots and missed putts by the European team has been more sickening than surprising. And the pandering silence about it from NBC’s voices has been equally sickening and unsurprising. Our “sports culture” continues to dissolve." -- Phil Mushnick
Chad Picasner
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