"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" -- 04-30-05

QB Timmy Chang--who threw for over 17,000 yards at the University of Hawaii and soon hopes to have a pro career--is said to be of Chinese, English, Hawaiian, Irish, Puerto Rican, and Spanish descent. To make things fair at a future Chang family reunion, here are some guidelines that should be followed: While wearing leis around their necks, guests will dine on Egg Foo Young while imbibing Jameson whiskey; music will be provided by Julio Iglesias while guests--wearing tee shirts sporting the flag of Puerto Rico--are allowed to converse ONLY in English during the festive gala..........TRIVIA QUESTION #1: From 1957-1974, only THREE men led the NBA in yearly rebounding. Name them; answer to follow..........Red Sox fans: Do you get the feeling that it's just PURE LUCK on the part of the team when reliever Alan Embree DOESN'T give up a run or two every time he takes the mound?..........Of all the seemingly "untouchable" sports records of all-time (Joe D.'s 56-game hitting streak, Gretzky's 92 goals in a season, Wilt's 100 points in a game, etc.), Byron Nelson's streak of ELEVEN straight PGA tour wins in 1945 takes a backseat to none of them..........Attention, "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria: Sports columnists--though broke, arthritic, and possessing lousy golf games--are good boyfriend material..........How 'bout last week's NFL Draft--and all these first round picks talking on their cell phones while Paul Tagliabue was announcing their names? I'll go out on a limb and say they WEREN'T conversing with their college professors regarding the subject material of their next term papers..........Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a recent high school softball game here in Connecticut, the Glastonbury girls defeated Weaver 30-0--with the losing squad committing a total of FOURTEEN errors. I haven't seen that many mistakes made since the days I took clarinet lessons in grammar school..........Did you know that, in 1930, minor leaguer Gene Rye of Waco (Texas League) hit THREE home runs in one inning? Rye, who stood only 5' 6" tall, would play only one season in the majors—1931, with the Red Sox--a year in which the outfielder went homer-less and batted .179..........Answer to trivia question #1: WILT CHAMBERLAIN, BILL RUSSELL, and ELVIN HAYES..........This week in sports history, May 1, 1991: 44-year-old Nolan Ryan throws his record seventh career no-hitter--leading the Texas Rangers to a 3-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Arlington Stadium. Ryan would strike out a remarkable 16 Blue Jays that day while winning the 305th game of his stellar career; he had become the oldest pitcher in history to throw a no-hitter a year earlier vs. the Oakland A's..........Taking into account the current motivation/mindset of today's typical big league ballplayer, shouldn't the O' Jays’ "For The Love Of Money" be played over the public address system every time a team takes the field?..........TRIVIA QUESTION #2: What player holds the N.Y. Mets record for most runs scored in a season? Answer to follow..........If Mets catcher Mike Piazza is now worth $16 million (or even HALF of that) per season, then actress Amanda Peet is the most unattractive person in Hollywood..........Among the first-round picks in the 1965 NFL Draft were names like Joe Namath, Dick Butkus, Mike Curtis, Jack Snow, Gale Sayers, and Donny Anderson. Looking back now, the quality of this current year's first-round selections doesn't seem as good anymore--does it?..........Best nicknames of current minor league baseball franchises? How 'bout the Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League--or the Hickory Crawdads/Greensboro Grasshoppers of the South Atlantic League?..........Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis continues to try to shore up his defense, and the team's first-round draft selection of Georgia DE David Pollack will help immensely. Having already added DT Bryan Robinson through free agency, Pollack (who may play linebacker) will be free to use his relentless energy/quickness to rush the passer. Look for him to have quite possibly the biggest impact of any player chosen in this year's first-round..........Answer to trivia question #2: EDGARDO ALFONZO--who scored a team-record 123 runs for the Mets in 1999..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former big league catcher Chris Cannizzaro--who blows out 67 candles on May 3rd. Once called "Canzoneri" by former manager Casey Stengel, Cannizzaro played 13 seasons with the Cardinals, Mets, Pirates, Padres, Cubs, and Dodgers--appearing in 740 games. He was named to the NL All-Star team in 1969--a year in which he caught regularly for the expansion San Diego franchise. Best wishes, Chris..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former NFL linebacker Sam Mills--who died recently at the age of 45 after battling intestinal cancer. Mills, who stood only 5' 9" tall, was named to five Pro Bowls in a 12-year NFL career with the Saints and Panthers; he later joined Carolina's coaching staff after retiring. You may have been undersized for an NFL player, Mr. Mills, but you were a giant in the hearts of many. Rest in peace, Sam.

Bob Lazzari

Reprinted by permission of the Valley Times.