"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 6-27-09

From the "Mouths of Babes" Dept.: A friend of mine wrote to me the other day, telling me about the rivalry between her husband and his brother; one's a Yankee fan and the other a Red Sox fan. She went on to say that when her daughter was three years old, her husband told the young girl to tell her uncle that the Red Sox stink. The little girl proceeded to get on the phone and uttered the following: "Uncle Doug--you have stinky socks!" Priceless..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1990 Kansas City Royals' team leader in wins was a pitcher who appeared mostly in relief. Can you name this hurler? Answer to follow..........This just in: New York Mets SS Jose Reyes is now suffering from a nasty hangnail; he will reportedly see a finger specialist this week--who will most likely recommend extended rest along with a 3-4 week rehabilitation period. His return date is still unclear as of this time..........Being the optimist that I am, I've been trying to think of SOMETHING positive that can come from the ridiculous sentence (30 days) given to WR Donte' Stallworth after his guilty plea to DUI manslaughter charges. I can only come up with this: From this day forward, whenever yours truly makes an AWFUL decision, I'll think of the judge's pathetic actions in this tragic case--and my own terrible decision won't seem too bad after all..........This week in sports history, June 29, 1956: Charley Dumas, a freshman at Compton Junior College in California, breaks a major track and field barrier--high-jumping 7 feet, 1/2 inch during the Olympic trials held at the Los Angeles Coliseum. With 50,000 fans looking on in disbelief, Dumas cleared the height rather easily after having missed badly on his first try. Dumas' previous best jump was 6-10 1/4--a mark he reached back in 1955 during the Amateur Athletic Union meet held at the same L.A. Coliseum..........Regarding all this recent precipitation and the horrendous spring we experienced here in Connecticut: With all the exorbitant taxes we pay in this section of the country, shouldn't the 'powers that be' have enough money left over to put a dome around the entire REGION of New England?..........Just thinking: If LPGA golfer Meena Lee married former big league pitcher Bryan Harvey--divorced--then married former BYU lineman David Oswald, would she REALLY want to be known by her full married name of Meena Lee Harvey Oswald?..........I saw a picture the other day of lovely actress Michelle Pfeiffer arriving at a screening of her new film "Cheri" in midtown Manhattan. Let's just say that if pitcher Randy Johnson had aged as well as Ms. Pfeiffer has after the age of 40, he would have recently celebrated win #400 instead of 300..........Answer to trivia question: STEVE FARR--who won 13 games while appearing in 57 games for John Wathan's sixth-place club..........Column reader Dr. David Kramer of California reminds me of one of the all-time great sports quotes--made by Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach John McKay back in the 70's. When asked about what he thought of his winless team's execution he said, "I'm in favor of it"..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league catcher John Boccabella--who blows out 68 candles on June 29th. A native of San Francisco who attended Santa Clara, "Boc" spent 12 seasons in the "bigs" between 1963 and 1974--appearing in 551 games as a member of the Cubs, Expos, and Giants. Boccabella was a MUCH better receiver than he was a hitter; during five of his big league seasons, Boccabella failed to hit .190 or better and finished his career with a lifetime batting average of just .219. However, Boccabella did have the pleasure of catching such fine pitchers as Fergie Jenkins, Ken Holtzman, Steve Rogers, and Bill Stoneman during his dozen years in baseball. Best wishes for many more birthdays to come, John..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former major league player Woodie Held--who died recently in Wyoming following a long battle with cancer. Held played with seven different American League teams between 1954 and 1969 and was a member of the 1966 World Series champion Baltimore Orioles. Woodie Held was an extremely versatile player--having played all three outfield positions as well as second, third, and shortstop over the course of his 14-year career. His best season came in 1959 as a member of the Cleveland Indians--a year in which he hit 29 homers and drove in 71 runs while appearing in 143 games. Held was acquired by Cleveland on June 15, 1958, from the Kansas City Athletics in a multi-player trade for future home run king Roger Maris; may Woodie Held rest in peace.