"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" ---- 04-22-06

San Diego Chargers LB Shaun Phillips has been charged with obstruction/resisting arrest after police saw him pulling the hair of an unidentified woman. If I'm the arresting officer, I wouldn't know whether to put Phillips in handcuffs or send him to his room without dinner..........TRIVIA QUESTION: What pitcher holds the Detroit Tigers club record for most saves in a season? Answer to follow.....
Lazzari's "Lopsided Score(s) of the Week": In a recent Connecticut girls high school softball doubleheader, Platt outscored Bloomfield
36-2--winning 20-1 and 16-1 (both games ended mercifully after 4 innings). In the first game of this "double debacle," Platt scored THIRTEEN runs in the second inning while Bloomfield committed a total of EIGHT errors during the mismatch. For some reason, from this day forward, I don't think the Bloomfield coach will be a big fan of Ernie Banks' famed expression "Let's play two!"............Anyone out there catch the piece in the Hartford Courant last weekend about UCONN forward Josh Boone, his mother, and his decision to enter the NBA draft? Writer Desmond Conner remarked that "money is not an issue"--at least as far as Rosalie Boone is concerned. Meanwhile, Ms. Boone proceeded to note in the article/interview her obvious fears about the possibility of her son dropping out of the first round of the draft; she also stressed the need for "getting one of the best strength/conditioning people we can find." Ah, but M-O-N-E-Y has NOTHING to do with all of this, right?..........This week in sports history, April 23, 1950: The Minneapolis Lakers--led by center George Mikan's playoff record 40 points--defeat the Syracuse Nationals 110-95 to win the NBA championship in six games. Mikan, who had averaged more than 27 points per game during the regular season, sparked the Lakers to a huge 81-56 lead after three quarters of the final game, which was played in Minneapolis..........I'd like to see LPGA golfer Wendy Ward hook up with former Middlebury College (VT) wide receiver Tom Cleaver. If they ever were to tie the knot, fans of "Leave It To Beaver" would surely delight in her married name of Wendy Ward Cleaver..........This just in: Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre will soon call a press conference to announce there will be at least THREE MORE press conferences before he makes his decision whether to retire or to keep playing..........Answer to trivia question: TODD JONES--who saved an AL-leading 42 games for manager Phil Garner's Tigers during the 2000 season..........I'm now totally convinced that David Duval's golf game can be found in the exact same location as the body of former Teamster's boss Jimmy Hoffa..........A new feature--Lazzari's "Cheap Win of the Week": This one has to go to the White Sox' Jon Garland; he recently pitched five innings, gave up 13 hits, and allowed seven earned runs against the Tigers but STILL picked up the "W" during a 13-9 Chicago victory..........I love EVERYTHING about N.Y. Mets third baseman David Wright: his enthusiasm, his friendly nature, his hustle, his overall approach to the game; he's truly "old school." Are there any readers out there as fearful as I am--that all this will change once Wright approaches free agency and hires an agent who finally conveys to him that baseball is now a BUSINESS and no longer just a game?..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former big-league third baseman Mike Blowers--who turns 41 on April 24th. Born in West Germany, Blowers played 11 seasons for the Yankees, Mariners, Dodgers, and A's--hitting .257 lifetime. Blowers' best season came in 1995 with Seattle when he hit 23 homers and drove in 96 runs. He struck out a lot, too--once every 3.77 at-bats during his career. He wasn't known for his speed, either; Blowers stole a grand total of SEVEN bases in 761 major league games. Best wishes, Mike.......
Finally, condolences go out to the family of former NFL guard Jim Clack--who died recently in North Carolina of heart failure at the age of 58. Clack played 146 games between 1971 and 1981 for the Steelers and Giants; he helped Pittsburgh win two Super Bowls during the 1970s. Jim Clack attended Wake Forest and was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. Sadly, he had battled neck and throat cancer for about four years prior to his death. May he rest in peace.

Bob Lazzari

Reprinted by permission of the Valley Times.