"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 12-25-10

Remembering "Rapid Robert"


The numbers are staggering: 266 victories, over 3,800 innings pitched, 279 complete games, twelve one-hitters--all while missing nearly four seasons due to military service. Oh, he was also a World War II hero (gun captain on the USS Alabama), World Series champion, and an eventual baseball Hall of Famer. When I first heard about the death of legendary pitcher Bob Feller last week, I immediately thought, 'Man--there was a guy who did it ALL.' He was a cherished sports icon in Cleveland, for sure; elsewhere, he was sometimes thought of as being a bit stuffy, grumpy, and a bit full of himself. One thing was never debated, though: the man could flat-out PITCH like few others EVER have.

I look back on Feller's 1946 season with Cleveland and just say 'Wow.' People were wondering before Feller's first start that year if the guy could ever be a dominant starting pitcher again. Yes, he HAD pitched effectively in nine games after returning from the service in 1945, but the question still remained: Could he ever shake off the extended military-stay "rust" and be a 20-25 game winner once again? Feller's answer: 26 wins, 36 complete games, 371 innings (you read that correctly) and 348 strikeouts. Yes, Bob Feller never DID have a problem answering critics throughout his lifetime. And when he spoke, he made SURE he was heard.

I met Bob Feller for the only time back in 1980 at a West Haven Whitecaps (Eastern League) game; he was there during a promotional tour--available to sign autographs for the first few innings. I was in college at the time and was keenly aware of the man's legendary status--mostly due to my Dad having always told me that Feller and Sandy Koufax were the best pitchers he'd ever seen (ironically, my Dad knew the woman who'd later become Feller's second wife--Anne Gilliland--and carried her books to school on occasion as a youth). I just HAD to get a ball signed by him that evening; it's not often that you're in the company of true baseball royalty. I had also known that Mr. Feller could be a bit stand-offish and gruff; how would he react when I reached the front of the line? Should I say something? What would I say? When I finally handed him the ball to be signed, I recall nervously saying, "Mr. Feller, it's an honor to meet you--and my father STILL says you're the best pitcher he's ever seen." I remember him replying something like, "Thank you, kid--was your father a Cleveland fan?" I think I was too nervous to answer at that point and my friend, Bob--who accompanied me to the game--proceeded to engage in some small talk with the legend. It didn't take long for Feller to realize that we were true baseball fanatics as my friend and I proceeded to start reeling off some famous Indians over the years. Then, while exchanging handshakes, our jaws nearly dropped when Feller said, "When I'm done here, boys, I'll come look for you in the stands and we'll talk more baseball." I didn't fall down/pass out at the time--but I came close. Would baseball Hall of Famer Bob Feller REALLY seek us out and spend some time with US? I had my doubts as we returned to our usual, behind-the plate bench seats.

Two innings later--almost inconspicuously--Feller and an aide entered the ballpark seating area; we waved at him and he simply pointed back at us. Without hesitation, he walked up the stairs and took a seat next to us; yeah, the game suddenly became secondary. I kept thinking/wondering: So THIS is the ornery, uncooperative man with the questionable personality? I didn't see it--not THAT night. I recall us talking about some modern-day players, how the game has changed over the years, then finally asking him who was the toughest hitter he ever faced. He replied, "Ted Williams was the best hitter--but DiMaggio and Tommy Henrich always gave me more trouble." After another few minutes of stimulating conversation among 'the three Bobs' (he also talked about his military record--which he took great pride in), Feller excused himself--lamenting, "Well, guys, I have a flight to catch--a pleasure meeting you." The autographed ball is still displayed in my bedroom; I gaze at it from time to time and remember that special conversation from 30 years ago. Yeah--I always smile.

My Monday Night Sports Talk co-host Tony DeAngelo on Feller: "I had to laugh when he (Feller) went to the Baseball Encyclopedia once and asked them to put In the Service of our Country next to the names of players who missed time during the war; they told him it would be an 'inconvenience' to do so. Feller then remarked 'Inconvenience? What do you think it was for me getting bombed and shot at on an aircraft carrier every day?' And this came from a man who did his running and throwing on the boat between attacks. Yes--what an inspiration for those who will choose to listen."

Yeah, I guess there was only ONE Bob Feller--"Bullet Bob" back in the day. Again, many fans/colleagues didn't care for the man due to his disdain for the modern-day player (he consider them spoiled--and hadn't earned what they reaped); they also considered Feller egotistical--on the verge of being boisterous. Yes, perhaps it came down to which Bob Feller you met on a particular day. I'm just glad I was able to meet the Bob Feller who simply enjoyed talking baseball with two "pie-eyed" young men on a summer evening a few decades ago. I'll prefer to remember him in a positive way the rest of my life, too.

Rest in peace, "Rapid Robert."

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 12-18-10

Gotta love WFAN's Steve Somers--who recently called the disappointing 2010 Dallas Cowboys squad the "Arlington Afterthoughts"..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1995-'96 Minnesota Timberwolves--who finished a disappointing 26-56 under coaches Bill Blair and Flip Saunders--were led in scoring by a player who was a member of five different teams over his nine-year career. Can you name this individual? Answer to follow..........ITEM: Former NFL lineman Keith McCants is arrested AGAIN--this time for crack cocaine possession outside an exotic dance club in Florida; it was his SIXTH drug-related arrest since 2008. The ironic part of this latest bust has to do with the name of the establishment where this low-life criminal had been hanging out that evening just prior to his arrest: "Tina's House of Angels"..........In my next lifetime, I DO NOT want to be in the same foxhole with Washington Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth..........This week in sports history, December 20, 1979: The Philadelphia Flyers extend their unbeaten streak to an NHL record-tying 28 games; they get a third period power play goal from Behn Wilson that results in a 1-1 tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Over 17,000 fans at the Philadelphia Spectrum saw Wilson put the puck past Penguins goalie Greg Millen with 4:08 remaining. The tie allowed the Flyers to match the 28-game unbeaten streak put together by the 1977-'78 Montreal Canadiens.........If you're putting together a new football team and you want guys on your squad who play the game the way it's SUPPOSED to be played, can you go wrong by picking New England's Wes Welker on offense and Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu on defense?..........I've been hearing all year long from some fellow NFL fans that sooner or later the "roof would cave in" on the Vikings season--due to Brett Favre's advancing age, etc. And YES--last weekend it caved in LITERALLY..........If Joe Paterno had aged HALF as well as actress Teri Hatcher, then Penn State would be playing for a national championship in a few weeks; just sayin'..........The insanity continues: I see that pitcher George Sherrill recently agreed to a $1.2 million contract with the Atlanta Braves; in 65 games last year with the Dodgers, Sherrill pitched to an ERA of 6.69. Yes--in my next lifetime, I DO want to come back as a below-average, left-handed relief pitcher..........Great stuff from color guy Dan Dierdorf during last weekend's Steelers/Bengals game. He pointed out that Cincinnati LB Dhani Jones was recently asked how is he still able to play so hard for a team that's now 2-11. Jones simply answered, "Because my mother and father are watching." Yes, pride STILL matters to some..........Answer to trivia question: ISAIAH "J.R." RIDER--who averaged 19.6 ppg while appearing in 75 games..........ITEM: Former MLB player Gary Sheffield has partnered with a New York lawyer and plans to advise clients in the player representation business. Yeah, JUST the kind of guy I'd want overseeing MY career--surly, confrontational, linked to steroids, and uncooperative. Sheesh--what's this world comin' to, folks?..........I'd love to see Debra Grand--a VP at the Bank of America--hook up with PGA golfer Fred Funk. If they ever tied the knot, fans of a great American band would surely delight in her full married name of Debra Grand Funk..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league pitcher Paul Swingle--who blows out 44 candles on December 21st. The most avid baseball aficionado out there may not be familiar with this native of Inglewood, CA--who attended Grand Canyon University. Swingle played just ONE season in the majors--1993 with the California Angels. In just nine career appearances (all in relief), Swingle pitched a total of 9 2/3 innings, gave up 15 hits, and allowed nine earned runs--thus rendering him a lifetime ERA of 8.38. Hey--they ALL can't be Nolan Ryan, right? Best wishes and happy holidays, Paul..........Finally, condolences go out the family of a special man who passed away recently--Frank Pergola of Ansonia, CT. Frank was a member of the Silver Sluggers Baseball Club--a close-knit group of individuals who meet weekly down in southern CT during the baseball season to discuss the happenings in major league baseball. Frank was a long-time friend to my father; whenever I'd see Frank at the weekly meetings, he'd kindly shake my hand and ALWAYS ask how my Dad was doing. Frank was simply a soft-spoken individual with a smile that could truly light up a room. I've met bigger BASEBALL FANS in my life than Mr. Pergola, but few nicer PEOPLE; he'll truly be missed. May you rest in peace, Frank Pergola.

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 12-11-10

I was very saddened to hear about the passing of former Chicago Cubs third baseman/broadcaster Ron Santo--who died recently from complications of bladder cancer at the age of 70. Santo was a man whose loyalty to the Chicago organization was still very apparent long after his playing days were over; and yes, he is definitely worthy of Hall of Fame induction. I talked to his former teammate Carmen Fanzone--who offered these words the day after Santo's death: "I'm just proud to have been a teammate of such a great man. He had a wonderful career, and I can only imagine the kind of pain he was in before his passing. It's a very sad time for me." Yes, Mr. Santo will be missed greatly by the entire baseball community--whether you are a Cubs fan or not; thanks for the memories, Ron.........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1993 Washington Redskins--who finished 4-12 under coach Richie Petitbon--were led in rushing by a back who played a total of just 40 NFL games. Can you name this individual? Answer to follow..........My "Monday Night Sports Talk" co-host Tony DeAngelo recently put into perspective what kind of pitiful shape this country is in by using a baseball reference. Seeing that about 20,000,000 individuals are unemployed at this juncture (a conservative estimate), Tony pointed out that this amount of people would fill the equivalent of 400 Yankee Stadiums at FULL capacity. Wow..........This week in sports history, December 14, 1988: Following 17 consecutive losses, the expansion Miami Heat win their first game ever--defeating the Los Angeles Clippers 89-88 in a game played at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. A jump shot by the Clippers' Ken Norman fell short with just two seconds remaining--giving the Heat this historic victory. Miami was led in scoring by Pat Cummings, Grant Long, and Billy Thompson--with each of them tallying 15 points. The 17 losses to begin a season was an NBA record--although the Cleveland Cavaliers (during the 1980's) and Philadelphia 76ers (70's) had lost more consecutive games in the past..........Shame on Glastonbury (CT) High School due to the continued, horrific media accommodations there; I was present at the recent Staples/Glastonbury quarter-final football game. First of all, although it's fairly new, the press box is TINY--with seating for approximately 5-6 people (you read that correctly--even at a PLAYOFF game, folks). Second, there is a partition in the middle of the box--making it impossible to see both end zones and the scoreboard if you're lucky to even HAVE a seat. Finally, when the wall heater is turned on, the place (due to its miniscule size) turns RIDICULOUSLY warm; my colleague Tom Yantz of the Hartford Courant called it "an oven". Question: Do you think the person/people who designed this box may have flunked out of engineering school?..........Answer to trivia question: REGGIE BROOKS--who rushed for 1,063 yards (which was more than half of his career total of 1,726)..........ITEM: The Cincinnati Bearcat mascot is cited for disorderly conduct after a snowball-throwing incident last Saturday afternoon during a game vs. Pittsburgh; the mascot was told to stop throwing snowballs in the stands and then proceeded to push a security guard. Doing some research on bearcats, I found out that they CAN be vicious--but are also nocturnal. If that's the case, WHY was that bearcat even AWAKE around 2:00 that afternoon?..........I'll go out on a limb and say that Derek Jeter will NOT follow the same path of former NBA-er Latrell Sprewell--and WILL be able to live on the $15-20 million per year that he'll now be earning..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league pitcher Jon Perlman--who blows out 54 candles on December 13th. Perlman has the distinction of having played for three different teams in his three big league seasons; he pitched for the Cubs, Giants, and Indians between 1985 and 1988. Perhaps the reason he isn't familiar to most fans out there is that he appeared in a career total of just 26 games--all in relief. In 39 2/3 career innings, Perlman walked 23 batters and gave up 28 earned runs--rendering him with a lifetime ERA of 6.35. Not pretty, I understand, but he can always tell his grandchildren that he was a teammate of Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley and Ryne Sandberg while in Chicago, right? Best wishes, Jon..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former major leaguer Gil McDougald--who passed away recently in New Jersey of cancer at the age of 82. A native of San Francisco, Gil was the AL's Rookie of the Year in 1951 while playing for the Yankees--a team he spent his entire career with from 1951-1960. A member of five world championship teams, he was a five-time All-Star while being a very versatile infielder--having seen playing time at second base, shortstop, and third base. McDougald later coached baseball at my alma mater--Fordham University--from 1970-1976; he recorded two 20-win seasons and five winning seasons during his seven-year tenure there. He is survived by his wife, Lucille, seven children, and 14 grandchildren; may Gil McDougald rest in peace.

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 12-4-10

ITEM: University of New Mexico football player Julion Conley spends Thanksgiving behind bars and faces criminal charges after he was accused of beating up bouncers at a local nightclub in Albuquerque. Question: Doesn't this guy know that you're supposed to EAT stuffing at Thanksgiving--and not BEAT it out of individuals???..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1992 Philadelphia Eagles--who finished 11-5 under coach Rich Kotite--had three players on the team who rushed for more than 500 yards apiece. How many of these players can you name? Answer to follow..........Oh, regarding the Albuquerque bouncers mentioned above--my friend Mitzi makes a good point: "If the bouncers at that establishment were beaten up, could they perhaps be in the WRONG line of work?" Can't disagree, Mitzi!..........If Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre had aged HALF as well as actress Jane Krakowski, his team would be a few games over .500 right now and coach Brad Childress would still have a job..........This week in sports history, December 7, 1968: Niagara guard Calvin Murphy sets an NCAA single-game scoring record (vs. Division I competition)--tallying 68 points during his team's 118-110 victory over Syracuse. Murphy made 24 field goals and added 20 free throws while scoring 34 points in each half. The junior guard's heroics broke the previous record of 66 points set by Washington & Lee's Jay Handlan vs. Furman back in 1951..........Sure, I enjoy watching Division III basketball--as I attend most of the Eastern CT St. University (both men AND women's) home games. What makes it even MORE enjoyable is that songs like Mountain's "Mississippi Queen" and the Allman Brothers "Midnight Rider" are played over the P.A. system during timeouts. Yeah, my kinda music--even though I'm surrounded by co-eds that are still wet behind the ears.........I used to think that a Roger Federer backhand was a pure thing of beauty; that all changed when I saw a recent preview of the upcoming Carmen Electra 2011 wall calendar. My goodness.........If anyone out there can tell me what former Heisman Trophy winners Jason White, Eric Crouch, and Danny Wuerffel are up to these days, then you have WAY too much time on your hands..........Answer to trivia question: HERSCHEL WALKER (1,070), HEATH SHERMAN (583), and RANDALL CUNNINGHAM (549)..........Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a college football game played last week, Northern Illinois destroyed Eastern Michigan 71-3; NIU accumulated 642 yards of total offense, scored TEN touchdowns, and held EMU to a total of just ELEVEN (11) yards passing. Yes, I definitely thought it was ugly--that is, until I saw the uniforms that the Oregon football team was wearing later that day during an impressive victory over Arizona..........Speaking of ugly, you soon may be able to look up that word in the dictionary and be directed to "see Manhattanville women's basketball team performance vs. Eastern CT on 11/27/10." Get this: The Valiants had a team total of just TWO assists in the entire first half and shot 12-53 from the field (23%) during this 'laugher'--including 2-for-13 from 3-pt. range (15%). In addition, the Manhattanville team probably threw up about a dozen "air balls" during this 67-36 shellacking. Yeah, I give the Eastern CT defense SOME credit in this game--but I still say that this qualifies as flat-out ugly--if not totally GROTESQUE..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former NBA player Herman "Skeeter" Henry--who blows out 43 candles on December 8th. A native of Dallas who played his college ball at Oklahoma, Henry played just ONE season in the league--1993-'94 with the Phoenix Suns. Appearing in four games that season, Henry scored a total of just FOUR points--making it very easy to figure out his lifetime scoring average of 1.0 ppg. Hey, they ALL can't be Connie Hawkins, right? Henry also played in the CBA and overseas during his professional playing days; best wishes, "Skeeter"..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former Nebraska assistant football coach Dan Young--who died recently in Lincoln at the age of 69; he had been diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer this past July. Before retiring following the Cornhuskers' 2002 season, Young spent two decades on Nebraska's coaching staff--including 17 as the team's co-offensive line coach; during his tenure, NU won a total of ten NCAA rushing titles. Young was very instrumental in Nebraska's three national championships in four years during the 1990's--often working with kickers and punters, too. He is survived by his fiance, Cathy, two children, as well as five grandchildren; may Coach Young rest in peace.