"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 8-15-09

Lazzari's "Cheap Win of the Week" (and it doesn't get much cheaper!): Undoubtedly goes to the Yankees' Joba Chamberlain, who labored through the minimum 5 innings last week vs. Boston--giving up a pair of homers, walking SEVEN, and allowing four earned runs. However, like many of his New York predecessors, he benefits from the team's potent offense--picking up the "W" during a 13-6 Yankee rout..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1984 Philadelphia Phillies--who finished at exactly .500 under manager Paul Owens--had two players on the squad who combined to steal 120 bases. Can you name these two gentlemen? Answer to follow..........I'm sorry, folks, but if N.Y. Giants QB Eli Manning is worth $16 million per season, then yours truly is at the top of actress Sharon Stone's cell phone contact list--with a STAR next to his name..........A year or two after I first inquired about it, I'm STILL wondering if PGA golfer Boo Weekley has a cousin named Applaud Monthly..........**ATTENTION PARENTS: Take your kids out to one (or more) of the three remaining "Sundae Fundae Rundae" promotions at Dodd Stadium in Norwich this summer. In addition to seeing some great baseball being played by the first-place Connecticut Defenders, kids get to run the bases after the game and receive FREE ice cream--sponsored by Edy's. The three upcoming "Fundae" dates are 8/16, 8/23, and 9/6--with all games starting at 1:05..........This week in sports history, August 17, 1933: Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees makes baseball history--playing in his 1,308th consecutive game vs. the St. Louis Browns to break Everett Scott's major league record. The "Iron Horse's" streak had begun on June 1, 1925; play was stopped after the first inning of the game as Gehrig was presented with a silver statue by American League President Will Harridge. The Browns ultimately put a damper on this special occasion--beating the Yankees 7-6 in 10 innings in a game played at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis..........Hilarious moment: I was having coffee at a local breakfast joint recently while watching the news on the overhead TV. The CNN anchor proceeds to report that David Ortiz of the Red Sox had tested positive for a PED a few years back. Immediately, about 4 or 5 of us male patrons--unplanned and IN UNISON--sarcastically yelled out, "NOOOOOOOOO!!!" (in "you don't say!" fashion). Following another 20 seconds or so of collective laughter among us, we all finished our coffee/breakfasts and went our separate ways. Yes, you had to be there, folks..........Can you imagine if former MIT basketball player Kimberly Soo Hoo married former British boxer Jim Watt--divorced--then married PGA golfer Mike Weir? Inquisitive minds would surely delight in her full married name of Kimberly Soo Hoo Watt Weir..........Once again, gotta love Steve Somers of WFAN Radio in New York--one of my "faves" in the business. When asked recently about the early-season home run barrage at the new Yankee Stadium, he referred to the building as "The House That Someone Who Flunked Out Of Engineering School Built"..........ITEM: The aforementioned David Ortiz--addressing a positive drug test-- says he was "a little bit careless back in the days when I was buying supplements." Pardon me, David, but what constitutes "a little bit careless" when purchasing supplements is when one buys a Met-Rx Bar when they really wanted to purchase a PowerBar instead..........Answer to trivia question: JUAN SAMUEL (72) and VON HAYES (48)..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league infielder Charles Henry "Bucky" Guth--who blows out 62 candles on August 18th. Bucky Guth is a member of that unique fraternity of big league players who hit .000 lifetime in the "bigs." Yes, as a shortstop, Guth came to bat just three times in 1972 while playing with the Minnesota Twins--going hitless. However, he CAN tell his grandchildren that he DID score one run in the majors--and fielded all four of the balls hit to him cleanly; yes, folks, Bucky Guth is in the MLB record book with a lifetime fielding percentage of 1.000. Best wishes for many more birthdays to come, Bucky..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former major league pitcher Carlton Willey--who died recently of complications from lung cancer at the age of 78. Willey pitched eight seasons for the Braves and Mets between 1958 and 1965--winning 38 games in his career. A native of Maine whose career would be interrupted by a two-year stint in the Army, Willey won a career high 9 games for the Braves during his rookie year of 1958--pitching to an impressive ERA of 2.70 while hurling four shutouts. On the flip side, he was also known for his hitting futility; Willey hit just .099 for his career including a 1-for-54 season (.019) in 1961 while with Milwaukee. Appearing in the 1958 World Series vs. the Yankees, Willey pitched a scoreless inning in Game 5. After his career ended, Willey worked at a variety of jobs--including spending some time as a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies; may Carlton Willey rest in peace.