Monday, July 17, 2006

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" ---- 07-22-06

After recently playing his early morning, Friday round at the Buick Championship, I asked golfer Scott Verplank how the dry, sunny conditions were affecting the course. He replied, "Well, I would imagine it's going to help the golf course dry out faster since it's not as humid today and the wind is kind of blowing out of the northwest--which is usually a much drier wind." With meteorological knowledge like that, I was almost expecting Verplank to subsequently pull out a weather map and talk to the writers present about the current jet stream and high pressure systems--then offer us his latest 7-day forecast..........TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the last National League player to win three consecutive home run titles? Answer to follow.....
..........Scenario: Pop singer Jewel marries former big league outfielder Terry Puhl, divorces, marries Champions Tour golfer Doug Tewell--divorces again--then marries former major league pitcher Vern Ruhle. Could we then call her Jewel Puhl Tewell Ruhle?..........
I'm not saying the current ball used in the major leagues is "juiced," but last weekend I saw the Cards' Albert Pujols swing casually at a ball near his shoe tops and hit it well over 400 feet. Ooops--I think I just said that the current ball IS juiced--didn't I?..........This week in sports history, July 24, 1987: In a grueling Davis Cup match played in Hartford, West Germany's Boris Becker defeats American John McEnroe 4-6, 15-13, 8-10, 6-2, 6-2; the match lasted a whopping 6 hours and 38 minutes. The second set alone took over 2 1/2 hours to complete--the effects of which surely seemed to take a toll on the older McEnroe in the final two sets..........How 'bout the Mets’ Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez throwing a staggering total of 42 pitches in the first inning last Sunday vs. the Cubs? Hell, it worked for me; I was able to eat, shower, and do a load of laundry during that frame without really missing much of the game whatsoever........
......N.Y. Knicks guard Stephon Marbury recently expressed joy and exuberance over having Isiah Thomas as coach in place of the departed Larry Brown. Translation: I can now revert back to my offensive-minded, playground style and play no defense--and not have to worry about a coach getting on my back about it..........Answer to trivia question: MIKE SCHMIDT--who led the NL in 1974 (36), 1975 (38), and 1976 (38)..........Mets pitcher Tom Glavine has now hit ONE home run in his career in 1,225 at-bats. If my math serves me correctly, that comes out to 1/3 of a homer every 408 times-up...
.......Did you know that, in 1974, pitcher Ferguson Jenkins of the Texas Rangers went 25-12 with an ERA of 2.82--but DID NOT win the Cy Young Award? Oakland's Jim "Catfish" Hunter had an identical 25-12 mark that season--along with an ERA of 2.49--and won the award over Jenkins in a close vote..........Baltimore Ravens LB Roderick Green is in good shape now after being released from a local hospital where he was treated for a stab wound inflicted at a bowling alley. That's good news, but this is another 'Raven' who should definitely say "Nevermore"--especially if asked to go back there again..........
Fascinating stat on WTXX' Mets telecast last weekend: Cubs OF Jacque Jones had gone 0-for-53 this season when behind 0-2 in the count while at the plate. I know what you're thinking--and I wouldn't want this guy in a foxhole with me with our lives on the line, either..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league catcher Joe Oliver--who blows out 41 candles on July 24th. A native of Memphis, Oliver played for seven different teams between 1989 and 2001--including both the Yankees and the Red Sox. Although better defensively than offensively, Oliver DID make his mark at the plate in the 1990 World Series while playing for Cincinnati--hitting .333 with three doubles as the Reds swept the Oakland A's. Best wishes, Joe..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of Pacific Lutheran University offensive lineman Eric Fergen--who died recently in a drowning accident at Lake Stevens in Washington; he was 22. A tremendous student, Fergen was scheduled to graduate this coming December with a degree in business administration. A fun-loving young man who enjoyed making people laugh, his life was celebrated at a moving memorial mass last weekend in Redmond, Washington. May Eric Fergen rest in peace.

Bob Lazzari

Reprinted by permission of the Valley Times.

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