"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 09-20-08

Attention all golfers: The Ann Liguori Foundation Charity Golf Classic will be held on Monday, October 6th at The Maidstone Club in East Hampton, NY-- a gem along the Atlantic Ocean. Ms. Liguori has been a long-time advocate of the fight against cancer, and I was privileged to have this lovely lady on my cable TV talk show recently where she mentioned her humanitarian/fund-raising efforts. Liguori, a tremendously versatile and well-respected sportscaster, recently finished a two-week run at the U.S. Open in Queens--providing periodic tennis updates on WFAN Radio. Interested golfers can obtain further information by going to www.annliguori.com........... TRIVIA QUESTION: The lowly 1982 Cincinnati Reds--who finished last in the NL West--were led by pitcher Mario Soto, who won 14 games. Can you name the second winningest pitcher on the staff that season? Answer to follow..........Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a college football game played in the Midwest last weekend, Sioux Falls dominated Dana 70-0; the winning squad rushed for 363 yards during this laugher while allowing a grand total of MINUS-4 yards defensively. My first reaction was that the losing opponent was not a team at all, but rather just one person NAMED Dana..........Yes, I feel for Tennessee Titans QB Vince Young and hope that he obtains the psychological help that is obviously needed. But my question is this: If what his mother said is true--that he's affected very negatively by booing, criticism, etc.--then why did this guy ever enter the NFL draft in the FIRST PLACE?..........This week in sports history, September 23, 1952: Behind on all the judges' scorecards, 28-year-old Rocky Marciano knocks out 38-year-old champion Jersey Joe Walcott in the 13th round to capture boxing's heavyweight title. Marciano had been dominated AND knocked down by the faster Walcott earlier in the fight, but the more powerful challenger finally ended the bout after 43 seconds of the 13th round in a fight staged at Philadelphia's Municipal Stadium. It was Marciano's 43rd consecutive victory--38 by way of knockout..........Last weekend, I came across some photos of tennis beauty Maria Sharapova decked out in a stunning black dress at the 2009 Herve Leger spring fashion show in NYC. Not sure why, but I've had ZZ Top's popular hit "Legs" playing in my head ever since then..........Still think that pitching is overrated when it comes to winning baseball games? Check this out: After last Saturday's doubleheader vs. Minnesota, the Orioles had an impressive THREE players on the team (Aubrey Huff, Brian Roberts, and Nick Markakis) with 45 or more doubles. However, they lost both ends of the twin bill--12-2 and 12-6--and the following were the ERA's of each of the five pitchers they used in Game 2: 6.84, 4.93, 6.32, 5.27, and 8.31. Their record going into the following day's game? 65-82--which rendered them 23 1/2 games behind Tampa in the AL East. Case closed..........Answer to trivia question: BRUCE BERENYI--who compiled a disappointing 9-18 record for the Reds despite pitching to a fairly decent ERA of 3.36..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league outfielder Vince Coleman--who blows out 47 candles on September 22nd. Nicknamed "Vincent Van Go," Coleman arrived on the big league scene in a HUGE way--stealing 110 bases for the '85 Cardinals and winning the NL Rookie of the Year award. He proceeded to steal 107 and 109 bases respectively in '86 and '87 while in St. Louis and swiped a total of 752 bases over his 13-year career. In addition to the Cardinals, Coleman spent time with the Mets, Royals, Mariners, Reds, and Tigers during his playing days--which ended after the '97 season. Coleman was named to the NL All-Star team in 1988 and 1989; however, he hit only .198 in his postseason career--going 22-for-111 in five different series. Best wishes, Vince..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former major league infielder/manager Don Gutteridge--who died recently at his home in Kansas after contracting pneumonia; he was 96. The last survivor of the St. Louis Cardinals’ famous “Gas House Gang” of the 1930's, Gutteridge also played for the Browns, Red Sox, and Pirates in a 12-year career that ended in 1948; he managed the White Sox in '69 and '70 and also did some major league scouting. Perhaps his best year as a player came in 1942 while with the Browns when he garnered 157 hits and scored 90 runs while legging out 11 triples for Luke Sewell's third-place ball club. May Don Gutteridge rest in peace.