"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 10-30-10

I used to think that watching Rod Carew lay down a bunt was a pure thing of beauty--that is, until I saw a recent photo of actress Anna Kendrick in a form-fitting dress at Elle Magazine's annual 'Women in Hollywood' tribute..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The lowly 1995-'96 Milwaukee Bucks--who finished 25-57 under coach Mike Dunleavy--DID have two players on the squad who averaged more than 20 points-per-game apiece. Can you name this pair of forwards? Answer to follow..........Yale football broadcaster Ron Vaccaro--using a baseball reference last weekend to describe a short run by Penn running back Michael DiMaggio: "DiMaggio 'jolts' forward for a few yards!"..........Following last week's 50-14 victory over Rocky Hill, I had the pleasure of walking to the team bus with Berlin High's All-State running back Max DeLorenzo--who had just rushed for 200 yards. A senior who's heading to UCONN next year, I was just as impressed with this kid's manners as I was with his spectacular performance. He constantly referred to me as "sir", thanked me for covering his game, and was amazingly modest when I simply recognized his stellar on-the-field efforts. Yes--considering recent events--he'll be a great addition to a college program that can surely USE a little more class on the gridiron..........*Mandi Schwartz Update: The Yale women's hockey player recently spent six days in intensive care out in Seattle due to complications from stem-cell transplant surgery. However, recent engraftment test results now indicate that the transplanted stem cells have begun to grow in her bone marrow and manufacture new blood/immune cells--which puts her in a better position to fight off any potential infection. Continued thanks go out to Sam Rubin of Yale's publicity staff for keeping me updated on this brave gal's condition. More info on Mandi's situation can be obtained by visiting www.yalebulldogs.com/mandi; keep fighting with your chin up, Mandi..........This week in sports history, November 2, 1990: In a game played at Denver's McNichols Arena, the Golden State Warriors defeat the Denver Nuggets 162-158--setting an NBA record for combined points in a regulation game. The Warriors led this high-scoring affair 87-83 at halftime; the 320 combined points surpassed the previous record mark of 318 set in 1984--when Denver outscored San Antonio 163-155. Chris Mullin was the high scorer for Golden State--tallying 38 points--while teammate Tim Hardaway chipped in with 32 points along with an impressive 18 assists..........Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a college football game played in the midwest last weekend, Sioux Falls defeated Dakota Wesleyan 63-3; DWU actually LED this game 3-0 at one point before Sioux Falls reeled off NINE consecutive touchdowns. My first thought was that this chain of events surely gives birth to a whole new expression: "He who scores FIRST, laughs LAST"..........Congratulations go out to Penn football coach Al Bagnoli (an East Haven High (CT) graduate)--who recently broke the record for all-time coaching wins at the Ivy League school. Folks, this is a record that stood for 109 years (you read that correctly)--going back to when George Woodruff won 124 games between 1892 and 1901; Bagnoli now has 127 victories. The Penn football publicity staff included this milestone in pre-game press notes given to media members before last week's Yale game--and also pointed out the following: Just HOW long has it been since the last time a Penn head coach set an all-time wins record? 1) Franklin Field had not yet been built 2) There were 44 U.S. states--and 3) Grover Cleveland was U.S. President. Yes-- WOW..........Answer to trivia question: VIN BAKER (21.1) and GLENN ROBINSON (20.2)..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league outfielder Larry Herndon--who blows out 57 candles on November 3rd. A native of Sunflower, MS, Herndon played 14 seasons in the "bigs" between 1974 and 1988 as a member of the Cardinals, Giants, and Tigers; he was a .274 lifetime hitter--appearing in 1,537 games. Herndon's best years undoubtedly came while in Detroit; in 1983, he drove in 92 runs while batting at an impressive .302 clip. The following season, Herndon helped the Tigers to a championship as he batted .333 (5-for-15) in the World Series vs. San Diego. Best wishes for many more birthdays to come, Larry..........Finally, condolences go out to former high school/college football coach Dick Corbin--who died recently as a result of a two-vehicle auto accident in Massachusetts; he was 71. Corbin was famous for developing Milford (MA) High School into a football power; during his eleven years at Milford, Corbin's teams went 72-25-1--dominating the Midland League. While there, Corbin coached football Hall of Famer Howie Long--who referenced Corbin's efforts during his induction speech ten years ago. Following his tenure at Milford, Corbin worked as a line coach at Harvard for 15 years and later served as athletic director at Griswold Junior-Senior High here in Connecticut. Rest in peace, "Coach."

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 10-23-10

Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a college football game played last week out in Missouri, Lindenwood annihilated Culver-Stockton 90-19; the winning squad scored on 13 of 16 possessions (including eight rushing TD's), had 721 yards of total offense, and led by a score of 48-3 at HALFTIME. Sheesh--and I used to think that the Liz Taylor/Larry Fortensky relationship was a mismatch..........TRIVIA QUESTION: During the 1982 World Series (won by St. Louis in seven games vs. the Milwaukee Brewers), three Cardinals players tallied nine hits apiece. Can you name this trio? Answer to follow..........ITEM: Georgia RB Caleb King is arrested for failing to appear in court--making him the ELEVENTH Bulldogs player arrested in 2010. I am now totally convinced--as long as Mark Richt remains head coach--that this will be the first college football program in history to soon employ a team bail bondsman--and have that person be considered an INTEGRAL part of the athletic staff..........Anyone out there catch the recent photo of Christie Brinkley attending the screening of "Fair Game" at NYC's Museum of Modern Art? Follow-up question: Does anyone out there still think that exercise DOESN'T do a body good?..........This week in sports history, October 26, 1970: Former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali ends a 3 1/2 year boxing layoff--scoring a third-round technical knockout vs. Jerry Quarry in a non-title bout held in Atlanta. Ali had been stripped of his title a few years earlier when he refused to be inducted into the armed services due to religious beliefs. Ali was simply much too fast/nimble for the slow-moving Quarry and proceeded to open a huge gash over his younger opponent's left eye during the third round--resulting in Quarry's trainer ultimately throwing in the towel..........Congratulations go out to a friend, Lori Harley--a "forty-something" Minnesota resident--who recently completed the Twin Cities Marathon (her FIRST 26-mile undertaking) in a respectable time of 4 hours, 13 minutes. She assures me she won't stop there, either; Lori plans on running her second marathon down in Miami in January--which happens to fall on the same day as her 23rd wedding anniversary. Great job, Lori--and continued good luck!..........A possible reason why the Fordham Rams DON'T have last names on the back of their football jerseys? Defensive tackle George Apostolopoulos..........Great quote by Yale football broadcaster Ron Vaccaro during last weekend's Fordham/Yale game--when the Rams were trailing by a point while on their own ten-yard-line with about a minute left to play: "Fordham needs a MIRACLE--but they ARE a Catholic school."..........Loyal column reader Dr. David Kramer chimes in once again with this gem: "People talk about Brett Favre's interception near the end of the Vikings/Saints' playoff game last year as one pass that he shouldn't have thrown. In terms of Jenn Sterger (the Jets sideline reporter whom the married Favre was pursuing), perhaps he shouldn't have made THAT pass, either."..........Answer to trivia question: GEORGE HENDRICK, DANE IORG, and LONNIE SMITH..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league pitcher Pete Vuckovich--who blows out 58 candles on October 27th. In a career that spanned 11 seasons between 1975 and 1986, Vuckovich pitched for four teams--the White Sox, Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Brewers--winning 93 games lifetime. While with Milwaukee (where he became a fan favorite due to his colorful personality), Vuckovich led the AL in wins during the 1981 strike-shortened season (14) and followed that up by winning the Cy Young Award in 1982--a year in which he went 18-6 while pitching 223 innings. In three postseason series with the Brewers, Vuckovich went 1-2 with an ERA of 3.74. Shoulder problems ultimately cut short Pete's career as he was done with baseball at the age of 33. Best wishes, Pete..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former NBA player Larry Siegfried--who died recently in Ohio after suffering a heart attack on October 5th; he was 71. Siegfried helped Ohio State win its only NCAA championship back in 1960; he was also the captain and MVP of the school's 1960-'61 squad and was a second-team All-American. Siegfried, a guard/forward, later became a member of five Boston Celtics championship teams from 1964-1969; he also played in San Diego, Houston and Atlanta over his nine-year career. Siegfried averaged close to 11 points per game during his NBA tenure and was a career 85% shooter from the free-throw line. He is survived by his wife, Tina, three daughters, a son-in-law, and a grandson. May Larry Siegfried rest in peace.

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 10/16/10

Yes--as autumn baseball winds down with most players now hanging out at the golf course, recognition is in order based on the 2010 regular season:


*The STAY AT FIRST Award: No doubt--goes to Torii Hunter of the L.A. Angels. Hunter tried to steal 21 times this year and was thrown out on TWELVE occasions--a SB success rate of just 43%. Just a reminder, Torii: You're NOT 25 anymore.
*The PETE ROSE/GEORGE BRETT HONORARY THROWBACK PLAYER Award: Roy Halladay of the Phillies. When I see this guy pitch, I think it's 1970 again. A stud, a horse--you get the picture. Led ALL MLB pitchers in complete games, innings, AND shutouts; when he DOESN'T go nine, he looks like Clint Eastwood in a "Dirty Harry" scene. Yeah--my kinda guy.
*The TONY BENNETT/BEST YEARS BEHIND HIM Award: Without question--goes to Brewers reliever Trevor Hoffman. In 50 relief appearances at age 42, the all-time saves leader blew five saves, went 2-7, and pitched to an ERA of 5.89. This is a guy who used to average around 40 saves per season and pitch to an ERA of at least three runs LESS than the inflated # he put up this year. Yes, Trevor--it's time.
*The LITTLE BUCKS/BIG NUMBERS Award: Goes to Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies. The man earned the league's minimum salary and put up MVP-type #'s: 34 HR's, 117 RBI's, .336 batting average. Yeah--a MAJOR return on the team's investment. Milwaukee's Casey McGehee and Trevor Cahill of the A's finished high in this category.
*The BONNIE AND CLYDE/HIGHWAY ROBBERY Award (for stealing large sums of money): Sadly, goes to Todd Helton of the Colorado Rockies. Once the best hitter in the game, Helton hit .256 with just 8 HR's and 37 RBI's in the thin air of Coors--and was paid almost $18 million (ouch). Helton could have easily qualified for the aforementioned Tony Bennett Award, too. Barry Zito finished second--earning even MORE than Helton and winning just nine games.
*The BLACKSTONE/HOUDINI DISAPPEARING ACT Award: Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies. When he was 15-1 at the All-Star break, it was simply a question of if he'd win 20 by Labor Day. He proceeded to go 4-7 the rest of the way--failing to hit the 20-win mark while making Colorado fans wonder if burnout will be an issue with him as his career unfolds.
*The PITIFULLY PUNCHLESS Award (for lack of offense): Hands down--goes to the Seattle Mariners. They hit a pathetic .236 as a team and finished last in the majors in runs, hits, OB %, total bases, doubles, triples,--well......EVERYTHING. Somewhere, Felix Hernandez is weeping.
*The ARSONIST OF THE YEAR Award: I'll give this one to George Sherrill of the L.A. Dodgers. Appearing in 65 games, he pitched to an ERA of 6.69 while hitters tallied a .311 batting average against him; right-handed hitters hit a blistering .427 off Sherrill. Yes, vs. right-handed batters, Sherrill might have been better off letting them hit off a TEE--and Joe Torre would concur.
*The BUM OF THE YEAR Award: Oliver Perez of the N.Y. Mets. The man pitched 46 innings and walked 42 hitters in 2010. In fact--since signing a 3-year, $36 million pact before the '09 season--"Ollie" has now put up ERA's of 6.82 and 6.80 and won just THREE games. I don't know a SINGLE Mets fan who wants this guy to even SHOW UP at spring training in five months--and he's owed another $12 million.
*The second annual EARL WEAVER/FULL PACK Award: This one goes to Hideki Okajima of the Red Sox. If manager Terry Francona DID smoke, he would have gone through a pack of cigarettes QUICKLY (like Weaver did with Don Stanhouse) every time Okajima pitched. He gave up 59 hits in 46 innings, was susceptible to the HR ball, and opponents hit .314 against him. Red Sox Nation collectively holds its breath EVERY time he jogs in from the bullpen. A Double-A pitcher at this juncture.
*The HIT OR MISS Award: A "no-brainer" as D'Backs infielder Mark Reynolds wins this award for the third year in a row--in a LANDSLIDE. The man slugged 32 home runs but also struck out 211 times--the third year in a row he's topped the 200 mark. Winning this award is usually only "slightly" embarrassing; the REAL embarrassing part of Reynolds' 2010 campaign was that he hit .198--yes, below the famed "Mendoza Line."
*The MAYTAG/DEPENDABILITY Award: As mentioned last year, Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners is a shoe-in for this award YEARLY--as long as he's breathing. Once again, he played in ALL 162 games; he also garnered 200+ hits for the TENTH year in a row. Also played great in the outfield once again and stole 42 bases at the age of 36. Bottom line with this guy? When you have an "off" year and bat at a .315 clip, Cooperstown will be calling in the near future.
*The AVERSION TO WALKING Award: Pedro Feliz--who split time with the Astros and Cardinals in 2010. The man came to bat 409 times this season and walked just THIRTEEN times--yes, just once every 31 at-bats. This guy takes pitches about as often as yours truly dates supermodels.
*The GERITOL/AGE DOESN'T MATTER Award: The Yankees' Mariano Rivera wins this award for the second year in a row. At age 40, he gave up just 39 hits in 60 innings--allowing just two home runs and pitching to an ERA of 1.80. Opponents hit .183 against him as he saved 30 or more games for the thirteenth time in his career. I'm beginning to think that Rivera is aging just as well as Christie Brinkley--well, ALMOST.
*The RODNEY DANGERFIELD/LACK OF RESPECT Award: Paul Konerko of the White Sox. Made the All-Star team only because Justin Morneau got hurt--yet put up huge #'s this year: 39 HR's, 111 RBI's, .312 BA. Plays a decent first base, too--though that's overlooked at times. Adam LaRoche of the D'backs received votes in this category--going 'under the radar' while driving in 100 runs for a last-place club.
*Finally, the DOLLY THE SHEEP/REASON TO CLONE Award: Albert Pujols of the Cardinals. What more can you say about a guy who's hit 30 or more HR's/drove in 100 or more runs in EACH of his ten big league seasons (seemingly in CLEAN fashion, too)? Rarely misses a game--and a slugger who's NEVER struck out 100 times in a season. Great fielder (almost underrated) who made just four errors in 2010. Good family man, too, who launched the Pujols Family Foundation in 2005 (dedicated to Down's syndrome) with his wife Deidre. Congrats, Albert--to a guy who does it on the field AND off.

Enjoy the rest of the postseason, folks.

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 10-9-10

*ATTENTION, TENNIS FANS: Tennis Ledger Magazine is now online--a quarterly publication that includes great stories and photos aimed at the true tennis aficionado out there. Publisher Joe McDonald has put together a skilled staff of knowledgeable tennis journalists in order to provide the reader with insightful coverage of the sport on a local and international basis. Fans can experience this new, wonderful website by logging onto www.tennisledger.com ..........TRIVIA QUESTION: In the 1993 ALCS played between the Blue Jays and the White Sox (won by Toronto 4-2), two starting pitchers combined to win all four games for the victors. Can you name this duo? Answer to follow..........Just wonderin': Do you think the two Redskins players who "pancaked" Philly's Michael Vick last weekend--forcing him from the game--are MAJOR dog-lovers?.......... ITEM: Georgia freshman linebacker Demetre Baker is dismissed from the squad after being charged with DUI, underage possession of alcohol, and improper driving; Baker is the TENTH Georgia player to be arrested this year. At this rate, I'm convinced that it's now advantageous for coach Mark Richt to restrict/simplify his recruiting efforts; Richt should do nothing more than hold open tryouts on the grounds of the Johnson State Prison in Wrightsville each summer--located about 90 miles from the Georgia campus..........With names like Ocieka Bakou, Ojatunji Idowu, and Prosper Mbongue-Muna on the University of Albany football roster, I'm just glad I'm not the Great Danes' home stadium public address announcer..........In a recent vote by Yale football players, it was decided that senior linebacker Jesse Reising (Decatur, IL) is "most likely to be U.S. President." Why? Maybe it's because Reising--who will complete Marine Corps Officer Candidate School next year--currently possesses a 3.75 GPA (economics/political science) and is the Bulldogs' (ummm, NOT Georgia) candidate for the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award. Excellent job, Jesse--and best wishes in WHATEVER you "tackle" once your fine college career comes to an end..........This week in sports history, October 12, 1992: During the Redskins' 34-3 Monday night rout of the Denver Broncos, wide receiver Art Monk catches career pass #820--breaking the record for most receptions in NFL history. Seattle Seahawks great Steve Largent--who retired in 1989--held the record previously. Monk's record-setting catch came on a 10-yard sideline pass from Mark Rypien; #820 came on the third straight pass thrown by Rypien to Monk. Monk also extended his streak of catching a pass in a game to 137--third on the all-time list behind Largent (177) and former Cleveland Browns star Ozzie Newsome (150)..........If Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, and Tim Wakefield had aged HALF as well as a woman named Christie Brinkley, then the Red Sox are STILL playing baseball at the time you're reading this current column..........Answer to trivia question: JUAN GUZMAN (Games 1 & 5) and DAVE STEWART (Games 2 & 6)...........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league pitcher Steve Shirley--who blows out 54 candles on October 12th. The name probably doesn't ring a bell, most likely due to the fact that this native of San Francisco pitched in only ONE big league season--1982 with the Dodgers. Shirley went 1-1 that season with an ERA of 4.26 while appearing in just 11 games. However, Shirley is a member of a unique fraternity; he came to bat just once during his short MLB tenure and SINGLED. Yes, folks, Steve Shirley can always brag that he'll forever remain in the big league record books with a lifetime batting average of 1.000. Best wishes for many more celebrations to come, Steve..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former Central Michigan basketball player/head coach Leonard Drake--who died recently in Evanston, IN after suffering a stroke; he was 56. Drake played at CMU from 1974-1977 and scored 1,338 points in his career--ranking #8 all-time in the school's record book. During his freshman year, Drake hit two free throws with no time remaining on the clock as his team beat Georgetown 77-75 in a first round NCAA Tournament game. During his junior season, Drake averaged over 18 points per game as CMU won a share of the MAC title; he shot 88% from the free-throw line that year--ranking third in the nation. Drake later became CMU's head basketball coach for four seasons--from 1993-'94 through 1996-'97. All told, the former team captain spent 33 years in collegiate athletics--most recently as an assistant coach for the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team. Drake is survived by his wife, Rhonda, a son, Jared, and a daughter, Enjoli; may Leonard Drake rest in peace.