"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 5-24-08

After last weekend's running of the 133rd Preakness Stakes, Maryland governor Martin O'Malley awarded the Woodlawn Vase to Triple Crown candidate Big Brown's handlers--remarking that it was the most "coveted trophy in sport." Huh????????? Did this guy ever hear of the Lombardi Trophy, the Borg-Warner Trophy, the Stanley Cup, or the Wanamaker Trophy--among others? After I picked myself up off the floor, I had to remind myself that this clueless comment WAS made by a politician--which then easily explained the rationale behind such absurdity..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The lowly 1989 Detroit Tigers--who won just 59 games--had only three players on the team with ten or more home runs. Can you name these three gentlemen? Answer to follow..........I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that earning $6 million per season and having an ex-fashion model for a wife TRULY softens the blow of each loss that Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni will experience next season..........This week in sports history, May 27, 1975: Fred Shero's "Broad Street Bullies," aka the Philadelphia Flyers, beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-0 in Game 6--clinching their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship. Flyers winger Bob Kelly broke a scoreless tie 11 seconds into the third period while fellow journeyman Bill Clement added another goal with 2:48 remaining; Philadelphia goalie Bernie Parent stopped 32 shots while recording his fourth shutout of the postseason. The Flyers had beaten the Boston Bruins the previous year in six games to win the franchise's very first Stanley Cup..........Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a CT high school softball game last week, Vinal Tech crushed Whitney Tech 23-0 in five innings; Vinal held an 18-0 lead after just two frames while Whitney made a ridiculous SIXTEEN errors during the course of this embarrassment. My question is this: If the Whitney team played its next game and committed a lower total of, say, TEN errors, would the head coach then be happy with the apparent "improvement?"..........ITEM: Jason Giambi of the N.Y. Yankees says that he often wears a gold thong under his uniform pants when trying to snap out of a slump. Put it this way: If another player comes forward soon and says that he wears a Wonderbra when he's on a hot streak, yours truly immediately gives up following the game of baseball COMPLETELY..........Saw a picture the other day of lovely actress Charlize Theron--decked out in purple--attending a Christian Dior runway show in Manhattan. Let's just say that on his very BEST day, no member of the Minnesota Vikings ever looked THAT good..........Oh, and here's a score for the ages: In an early-May softball game held in Hartford, Bulkeley High defeated Weaver 44-25. Rumor has it that the scorekeepers from each squad were rushed to Hartford Hospital after the game complaining of severe dizziness, terrible eyestrain, and moderate wrist pain--but that could not be confirmed as of press time..........Answer to trivia question: LOU WHITAKER (28), FRED LYNN (11), and MIKE HEATH (10)..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former big-league infielder Darrell Evans--who blows out 61 candles on May 26th. Evans played an amazing 21 seasons between 1969 and 1989 for the Braves, Giants, and Tigers--hitting .248 lifetime. His modest career average was somewhat offset by his ability to hit the long ball (414 career homers) and draw walks (5 seasons with 100 or more BB). Evans was the first player to hit 40 home runs in both the National and American Leagues and, in 1985, he became the oldest man (at age 38) to win a home run title when he clubbed 40 for Detroit. A two-time All-Star, Evans was on first base when Braves' teammate Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run in April of 1974. Best wishes, Darrell..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former Scottish soccer player/coach/manager Tommy Burns--who died last week as a result of skin cancer at the age of 51. Burns joined the Celtic Football Club as a teenager in 1973 and went on to play 352 league games for the team--scoring 52 goals and winning eight Scotland caps. Burns was with Celtic as a player until 1989; he also had a stint as manager in the mid-1990's and was the club's first-team coach before being granted leave. Burns was first diagnosed with skin cancer in March of '06; all along, he expressed the hope that his case might make people take action against the growing problem of the disease. We sure hope so, Tommy, and may you rest in peace.