"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 10-3-09

I was just thinking that aging DOES have its benefits. Though the sports world we experience on a daily basis still attracts great interest from people of ALL ages, I DO feel sorry for those sports aficionados born within the past three decades or so. Why? Because if you were born after 1980........

* you didn't get to see the great Walter Payton carry the football in his prime--"Sweetness" personified
* you missed out on seeing MLB pitchers like Bob Gibson, Jim Palmer, Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton perform magic WITHOUT pitch counts
* you didn't get to see Rick Barry and Calvin Murphy shoot free throws
* you know nothing about the intensity of one Dick Butkus
* you missed seeing Dwight Gooden dazzle hitters in his rookie year of 1984--and follow that up with a "year for the ages" in 1985
* you have no recollection of the "No-Name Defense" and the "Purple People Eaters"
* you never got to read a Dick Young sports column
* you never heard Howard Cosell and "Dandy" Don Meredith together on "Monday Night Football"
* you missed out on seeing an NL player like George Foster hit 50 HRs with NO questions asked
* you didn't see Roberto Duran fight as a lightweight during his prime
* you don't recall an era when most sports autographs were FREE
* you probably didn't see Wayne Gretzky play for the Edmonton Oilers
* you weren't able to see "Pistol" Pete Maravich dribble a basketball, shoot a basketball, or do ANYTHING with a basketball
* you didn't see Johnny Bench catch a baseball game
* you never saw a football player like George Blanda
* you never got to see WHY Pete Rose became known as "Charlie Hustle"
* you grew up in an era when the "police blotter" was (still is!) a regular feature of the sports page
* you missed seeing the aforementioned "Pistol Pete" score 68 points vs. the Knicks and defensive whiz Walt Frazier back in '77--BEFORE there was a three-point line
* you didn't experience the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980
* you've probably paid more for a current Yankees yearbook than yours truly paid for a week's worth of Yankee Stadium bleacher seats in the early 80's
* a good part of your following of baseball has been in the "Steroid Era"--giving you a false sense of player accomplishments
* you haven't seen a perfect football season--i.e. the 1972 Miami Dolphins
* you never saw guys like McEnroe and Borg play tennis in their primes--or play EACH OTHER
* you weren't able to see a young Steve Busby pitch in the 1970's--before an injury cut short one of the promising careers of all-time
* you missed out on a time when "Fan Appreciation Nights" had meaning
* you've never seen regular three-inning saves
* you didn't get a chance to see the 1985 Chicago Bears play defense
* you didn't see George Brett flirt with .400 in 1980
* you grew up in an era where greed was commonplace (still is!), acceptable, and EVERYWHERE
* you didn't see Vida Blue pitch in 1971
* you didn't see Mark "The Bird" Fidrych pitch in 1976
* you've become used to an era where staying up past 11:30 PM to watch an east coast game is commonplace
* the "Thrilla in Manila" has little meaning to you
* you can't relate to why people were glued to their sets while watching "Wide World of Sports" during the 70's
* you have no recollection of the "pine tar incident"
* you didn't see the "Big Red Machine"
* you couldn't enjoy nicknames like "Blue Moon", "Catfish", "Sparky", or "Tug"
* you never saw Joe Namath throw a football--bad knees or NOT
* you never saw an old ABA game
* you--perhaps as a young parent--have been faced with the decision of attending a professional sporting event IN LIEU OF going on a family vacation
* you might have to Google the name "Bruce Jenner"
* you don't recall a coherent Muhammad Ali
* you don't know who "Wild" Bill Hagy is
* you didn't see stars such as Julius Erving, George Gervin, George McGinnis, and Nate "Tiny" Archibald play basketball
* you missed out on "The Mad Hungarian's" antics
* you never witnessed Ray Guy punting a football
* you've witnessed "shock sports journalism" to the max--and very few legitimate sports JOURNALISTS
* you weren't privy to the speed and power of one RB named Earl Campbell
* you can't relate to bringing $10 to a Yankee game and having the time of your life
* you never saw Pele play soccer
* you've attended very few--if ANY--MLB doubleheaders that WEREN'T day/night ones
* the song "We Are Family" has no sports-connection to you
* two-hour baseball games are foreign to you
* you've never seen a Bert Blyleven curveball

Yeah--maybe getting older isn't that bad after all.

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 9-26-09

I was listening to an interview on WFAN last week as host Mike Francesa was talking to N.Y. Yankees superstar Mark Teixeira. While talking about his home field, the first baseman actually urged listeners who hadn't been there yet to make it a point to visit the new Yankee Stadium. My first reaction/thoughts: Easy for YOU to say, Mark, when you're earning more than $22 million per season. Perhaps if you and some of your teammates were forced to "get by" on, say, ONLY $6-7 million per season, then more people out there actually COULD visit the new shrine in the Bronx..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1983 Houston Astros hit only 97 home runs as a team. Can you name the club's HR leader that year (an infielder) who hit a total of just 20? Answer to follow..........Just HOW good was the pitching in the American League back in 1985? Fathom this: Bert Blyleven, who pitched for both Minnesota and Cleveland that year, led the league in games started (37), complete games (24), innings pitched (293.2), and shutouts (5)--but finished THIRD in the Cy Young Award voting behind Bret Saberhagen and Ron Guidry..........This week in sports history, September 28, 1988: In San Diego, pitcher Orel Hershiser of the Los Angeles Dodgers extends his consecutive scoreless-innings streak to 59--breaking the 20-year record of former Dodger hurler Don Drysdale. Hershiser entered the game vs. the Padres needing nine more shutout innings to tie Drysdale's mark; he would proceed to shut out San Diego for TEN innings before leaving the game--a pitcher's battle that was ultimately won by the Padres in 16 innings. Over the course of Hershiser's remarkable streak, he threw an impressive FIVE shutouts--blanking Atlanta twice, Cincinnati, Houston, and San Francisco..........Just thinking: If singer/songwriter Neneh Cherry ever married Yankees pitcher Phil Coke, soft drink lovers everywhere would delight in her full married name of Neneh Cherry Coke..........ITEM: Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West is arrested for speeding while carrying a loaded shotgun and two loaded handguns on a motorcycle. Funny, before this, I always considered West a playmaker--NOT a "gunner"..........A suggestion to the football people at the University of New Haven: The next time you're politely invited to appear on a cable talk show in order to promote your resurrected program, please have the decency to SHOW UP. Is it me--or didn't most of us learn a LONG time ago to NOT bite the hand that feeds?..........Yours truly's idea of the PERFECT sports-themed day: A morning tennis date with Gabriela Sabatini--followed by a mid-afternoon golf round with Natalie Gulbis--ending with a candlelit dinner with NESN's Heidi Watney. Yeah--maybe in another lifetime, right?..........I don't know about you, but I miss hearing Marv Albert pronouncing the name of former Jets running back Nuu Faaola.......... Answer to trivia question: Shortstop DICKIE THON--who hit 20 of his lifetime 71 home runs that season for manager Bob Lillis' third-place club..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league pitcher Charlie Kerfeld--who blows out 46 candles on September 28th. A native of Missouri who had a reputation as a "free spirit," Kerfeld became a household name while pitching in relief for the Astros in 1986--a year in which he went 11-2 while giving up just 71 hits in 93.2 innings. However, various health problems limited his success thereafter as he went on to spend just four total seasons in the "bigs." Yes, folks, Charlie Kerfeld would be done as a major league pitcher by the tender age of 27. In his post-playing days, Kerfeld has done some minor league managing and front office work for the Phillies; best wishes, Charlie..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former tennis great Jack Kramer--who died of cancer recently in Los Angeles at the age of 88. Kramer, who was the #1 player in the world for much of the late 1940's, won the Wimbledon singles title in 1947 and the U.S. Championships in '46 and '47. He also won seven Grand Slam titles in doubles before being forced to retire in 1954 due to an arthritic back. After his playing days ended, Kramer became one of the sport's greatest ambassadors; he was the founder of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and was heavily involved in the Los Angeles Tennis Open for many years--serving as its tournament chairman and director. An avid horse racing aficionado, Kramer could often be seen at the Del Mar race track watching his own horses run; he owned more than 100 over the years. Predeceased by his wife Gloria in 2008, Kramer is survived by five sons and eight grandchildren. May the great Jack Kramer rest in peace.

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 9-19-09

Hmmm, so I see that the lovely Charlize Theron recently graced the September issue of Vogue. No offense, New York fans, but she's a LOT easier on the eyes than the photo of the N.Y. Giants defensive front that appeared on the cover of the 8/31 issue of the Sporting News ..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1985 Toronto Blue Jays had four players on the squad who stole more than 20 bases apiece that season. Can you name these four men? Answer to follow.........O.K.--here goes: Actress Tuesday Weld marries legendary North Carolina educator Bill Friday, divorces, marries former MLB outfielder Rick Monday--divorces again--then walks down the aisle with NFL center Jeff Saturday. She then graces film sets with the full married name of Tuesday Friday Monday Saturday..........This week in sports history, September 21, 1985: A hungry Michael Spinks ends Larry Holmes' seven-year reign as heavyweight champion--winning a unanimous 15-round decision in Las Vegas. Holmes was attempting to tie the great Rocky Marciano's string of 49 straight victories but could only muster weak jabs against Spinks--the light-heavyweight title-holder. With the victory, Spinks was able to claim the crown that his brother Leon had held briefly back in 1978..........Anyone else out there who develops that "Mylanta stomach ache"/sick feeling in his/her gut--along with a rise in blood pressure--whenever the term "pitch count" comes up on MLB telecasts?..........Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a college football game played in Louisiana last weekend, Southern rolled over Central State 68-0; the losing squad was held to just 44 total yards while Southern scored at least two TD's in each quarter. Sheesh, and I thought the Michael Jackson/Lisa Marie Presley marriage/fiasco was a mismatch!..........ITEM: Former Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour says he's "excited" to join the Oakland Raiders--and finally reports to the league's worst team over the past six years. Sure, Richard, that's like yours truly saying that I'm "excited" when the VISA, American Express, and car insurance bills all arrive on the same day..........Call me crazy and/or misguided, but I think all major league teams should be required to display a huge neon sign in front of their ballparks that reads, "NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR FINANCIAL RUIN; OPEN PURSES AND WALLETS AT YOUR OWN RISK"..........Answer to trivia question: LLOYD MOSEBY (37), DAMASO GARCIA (28), JESSE BARFIELD (22), and GEORGE BELL (21)..........In the mood to see some terrific, memorable photos? The NY Daily News has put together a gallery of "Sports All-Time Greatest Upsets." Check out these excellent shots by visiting http://tinyurl.com/le6sxs ..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league pitcher Mark Guthrie--who blows out 44 candles on September 25th. In a 15-year career that lasted from 1989-2003, Guthrie pitched for a total of TEN different teams--but the majority of his time was spent as a member of the Twins and Dodgers. Used mainly as a reliever during his career, the Buffalo native's best two seasons were arguably/strangely his LAST two. As a member of the Mets and Cubs in '02 and '03, Guthrie appeared in a total of 133 games during that span and posted ERA's of 2.44 and 2.74 respectively. Mark Guthrie compiled a lifetime record of 51-54 while appearing in a total of 765 major league games; best wishes, Mark..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former Lynchburg (VA) College soccer coach Bill Shellenberger--who died recently at the age of 88. Having played at Penn State during his own college days, Shellenberger took over the Lynchburg program in 1954 and went on to compile a record of 371-167-48 before retiring in 1989. The first collegiate soccer coach to win 300 games, he was a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame--the first soccer personality ever to be inducted. Shellenberger is survived by a son, Hank, a daughter, Ginny, and a grandson; rest in peace, "Coach."

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 9-12-09

Just came across a picture of the lovely Christie Brinkley as she attended the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows last week. One thing's for sure: If yours truly was there and able to make the acquaintance of this stunning beauty, the term "love match" would have taken on an ENTIRELY different meaning..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1979 Minnesota Twins, who finished 82-80 under manager Gene Mauch, had two regulars in their lineup who hit over .300--one an infielder and the other an outfielder. Can you name these two players? Answer to follow...........Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a college football game played last week in the midwest, Southeast Missouri State annihilated Quincy 72-3. When I first read this score, I thought of the former TV series "Quincy" where Jack Klugman played a medical examiner--which is what the losing team may have been in need of after such a life-less performance..........A couple of great publications:Baseball in New Haven and Yale Football --both authored by Sam Rubin, who works in the sports publicity department at Yale. Sam recently told me that both books are available at amazon.com as well as barnesandnoble.com; if people are interested in autographed copies of these books, they can contact Sam Rubin directly by emailing him at sam.rubin@yale.edu.......... This week in sports history, September 15, 1971: Americans sweep at the U.S. Open for the first time in 16 years as Billie Jean King and Stan Smith capture singles titles at Forest Hills. King, who had won her first U.S. title back in 1967, disposed of Rosemary Casals rather easily--winning 6-4, 7-6. The second-seeded Smith--who had won the tournament as an amateur in 1969--came back to beat Jan Kodes of Czechoslovakia 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 before a crowd of close to 13,000 at the West Side Tennis Club..........Sometimes, I think many of us would prefer sports announcers to speak in very plain terms; after all, it IS only baseball. Example: Last week, I heard N.Y. Mets announcer Howie Rose say that Rockies outfielder Ryan Spilborghs "took a circuitous route to the ball." Translation? The guy botched the play, Howie..........O.K.--here goes: English actress Jane March marries NFL assistant coach Bobby April, divorces, marries former MLB outfielder Carlos May--divorces again--then marries NFL linebacker Cato June. She then walks onto film sets with the full married name of Jane March April May June..........ITEM: Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor shows support for disgraced pro QB Michael Vick during last week's game vs. Navy--displaying the name "Vick" on the eyeblack sticker under his left eye. Truthfully, folks, I don't know what to say--other than relay my concerns about the mindset of some young individuals in our society along with the lack of rational thinking EVERYWHERE these days.......... Answer to trivia question: Second baseman ROB WILFONG (.313) and centerfielder KEN LANDREAUX (.305)..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league pitcher Doug Simons--who blows out 43 candles on September 15th. A native of Bakersfield, CA, Simons pitched only TWO years in the majors--1991 with the Mets and '92 with the Expos--and experienced very little success. In fact, his tenure with Montreal wasn't pretty AT ALL. Appearing in just seven games for a total of 5.1 innings with the Expos, Simons allowed 15 hits and 14 earned runs. Yes, folks, Doug Simons ended the 1992 campaign with an ERA of 23.63. Hey--they all can't be Jeff Reardon, right? Best wishes, Doug..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former NFL running back John Stephens--who died recently in Louisiana in a single-vehicle accident when his pickup truck veered off a highway; he was 43. Stephens was named the 1988 Offensive Rookie of the Year when he rushed for 1,168 yards for New England and was named to the Pro Bowl. He played a total of six NFL seasons--also spending time with Green Bay, Atlanta and Kansas City before retiring with 3,440 career yards and 18 touchdowns. As a college player at Northwestern State, Stephens broke the school's career rushing record previously set by Joe Delaney--who would also play for the Kansas City Chiefs. John was also the first recipient of the NFL's Gale Sayers Humanitarian Citation due to his terrific work on behalf of the Roxbury (MA) Comprehensive Community Health Center. May John Stephens rest in peace.

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 9-5-09

The "Not-So-Lazy" Days Of Summer

Yes--as the current summer fades away and the hot, scorching days come to a halt, I reflect upon my own summer vacations as a kid from long ago; yes, though "Father Time" has left his mark, certain memories still remain vivid. It was the 70's: no video games/computers to corrupt our minds, no iPods to play our favorite tunes, no legitimate excuses to stay indoors and become nuisances to others. So we spent time outdoors--a LOTTA time, in fact--and the baseball field was our daily destination.

Five or six of us would make the daily trek to the Emmett O'Brien baseball field a bit after noon; a couple of bats (including my Dad's coveted fungo), a bucket of balls, and our well-oiled baseball gloves would accompany us each day. Oh--refreshments, too, as I recall carrying a gallon jug of water on occasion--half-filled with ice--and/or the 64-ounce bottle of cola that Pepsi used to call "The Boss." Heat concerns? Nah--the hotter the better as we knew that a cooling dip in Tom's swimming pool (sometimes Joe's, too) would comfort us just a few hours later. We'd walk down Bruns Road on the way to the field and see the usual cast of neighborhood characters, i.e. Mrs. M. on her knees weeding dandelions or Mr. G. meticulously trimming his hedges. We'd cross the vacant tennis courts that led to the field and often be greeted by the smell of freshly-mowed grass; yeah, there was no better aroma come summertime. It was time to have fun, boys.

We never played organized games at O'Brien Tech due to the amount of kids involved; it was strictly fly ball shagging which we all grew to love. We'd all take turns being the batter (the dreaded job) for about 30 minutes apiece while the others dispersed in the outfield--some playing deep, some shallow. I always loved to play deep, especially if Tom (a weightlifter) was hitting the balls; boy, he could hit some towering blasts that were so fun to chase--some of them caught while leaning up against the rusting, chain link outfield fence. There was another kind of "shagging," too, when balls would go OVER the fence; it was then that we all took turns retrieving them while watching the balls roll down the hill toward the neighboring backyards at the bottom of a gully. Funny, though--I never remember anyone complaining while doing the "home run shagging." Bottom line? Perhaps we all realized there were only so many baseballs to go around. No baseballs, no more shagging. And none of us wore batting gloves, either, and I wonder to this day how our hands didn't bleed/blister badly with each of us hitting about 200 "fungoes" per day. On second thought, maybe they DID--but we were having way too much fun to complain about any slight discomfort we may have been experiencing at the time.

Looking back, I guess the real fun--at least for yours truly--came from making those nice running catches and acquiring the feeling that I could catch ANY ball that was in my vicinity. I remember that uplifting feeling of "mastering the sky" being SO powerful. Yeah, how cool; I had reached a point where I was catching those "high fly balls" that Bob Murphy talked about on Mets telecasts. What a terrific feeling-- being able to "read" the ball once it left the bat; I guess running down a few hundred fly balls per week DID come with a payoff. To this day, even when I catch/judge a fly ball while COACHING baseball, I think back to those many special summer days spent at O'Brien--ones that continue to resonate with joy.

Toward the end of our three-hour-or-so daily "celebration," we'd all move to the infield for some ground ball practice; yeah, as the hitter, there would now be a sense of relief: it was SO much easier smacking a few grounders than cranking fly balls for 30 minutes. And I recall the infield being SO dry and dusty by around three or four o'clock--and how on windy days the swirling dirt would actually turn to mud on our glistening, sweaty bodies. We'd then remind ourselves that the swimming pool would soon provide some welcomed relief--and also get us "clean" before dinner time. After everyone took their turn hitting grounders, we'd then pack it up for the day--disposing of used bottles/cups and taking inventory of our beat-up baseballs. And if we were missing one or two, Joe would always be there to remind us, "Don't worry, guys--we'll find them tomorrow." And we usually did.

After our soothing swim time, we'd then eat dinner with our families and congregate once again a few hours later to grab a soda at the nearby Hardee's. We'd pack ourselves into Joe's Dad's '66 Barracuda and soon be "toasting" to another "not-so-lazy" day spent doing what we loved. The best part? Knowing that we'd be doing it ALL OVER again the next day.

Yep, as another summer soon comes to an abrupt end, some memories will just keep on goin'.