When The Injury Bug Strikes Home

I am already in a crummy mood. My left heel area is inflamed and hurts like heck. I had just really recovered from the pain which had been plaguing me for months on my right calf and at the side of my knee. Orthotics inserted into a different pair of running shoes seemed to work after a slight alteration a little over a week ago. I was buoyant, walking and even running a bit once more. 

My New Balance running shoes were reaching the end of their lives. I had essentially worn them as my footwear for two months, afraid that I had not found the right shoe nor had I replaced all of my previous shoes which were no longer the correct size. 

I was remeasured at both the podiatrist’s officer and at a New Balance store outside of Princeton. I finally had the right size and width to help my legs. I bought a pair of running shoes and tennis shoes. 

With that in mind, I wanted to change into the new footwear on July 1. I was going to get 6 more days of wear out of the old New Balance shoes.

Until I woke up on Friday morning with some soreness and stiffness in my foot and in the heel. I stretched more and proceeded to walk about 3.5 miles Friday morning between dropping the car off to be serviced and on the track. Both at my normal clip of about a 17:30 mile. 

Except that it didn’t get better. Friday night it hurt a lot. There is difficulty in taking the initial steps, but after that, the pain subsides a little. Just a little. 

I broke out the new pair of running shoes, which offers a ton more support the the older shoes. I have been icing the area. Elevating it too. Stretching the calf. And applying copious amounts of Voltaren 1% gel to stave off the inflammation.  None of that seems to be working.

So I can see that I am headed to the IL again for a “lower body” injury. My educated guess is that it is an achilles tendonitis or an inflammation of the bursa, or both. I see upcoming x-rays, and either an ultrasound or MRI.  More physical therapy and maybe another injection could be on the horizon. 

This is a crappy way to be starting off the summer. Especially with the New York Yankees on such a torrid pace. 

The Yankees completed a long home stand by sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays. Their only loss was to a Hall of Fame pitcher—Houston’s Justin Verlander. Giancarlo Stanton one night hit an absolute bomb into the far stands in left center field, then sprained his knee ligaments, landing him back on the IL until August. Aaron Judge started to remove the cobwebs from his lengthy absence by hitting frozen rope singles and homers. And speaking of home runs, the Yankees broke the MLB mark for most consecutive games with a home run—a streak which is still alive.

While the hitting is alive and well, the pitching is underperforming. Each starter—Masahiro Tanaka, JA Happ, James Paxton and CC Sabathia is not pitching well, inviting havoc to occur in the bullpen through continued overuse. 

Two Yankees made the AL starting lineup—catcher Gary Sanchez and second baseman DJ LeMahieu. DJ earned it by hitting—he leads the AL in batting and he leads MLB with the best average with runners in scoring position since Divisional play began in 1969. A former NL batting champ, he is shooting to become the first to have batting titles in both leagues. That would be some accomplishment. 

Still, the injury bug is ever present. In the first game in London against the Red 

Sox, Luke Voit, in the midst of a 4-4 day, suffered a lower abdominal injury legging out a double. Stanton is gone for a while. Luis Severino’s rehab has been shut down. Dellin Betances is still a ways away. Only rookie pitcher Domingo German and reliever Chance Adams are imminent to return to the team. Do the Yankees ever need fresh arms…Jonathan Loiasiga and Ben Heller may make a return soon. Besides, it is quiet about the return of lefty Jordan Montgomery, who has some inflammation as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery. 

Which means that the Yankees will still look to strike a deal for a starting pitcher without selling off too many assets. Clint Frazier is projected to be the starter in LF in 2020, so he is unavailable. Detroit wanted Gleyber Torres for a young pitching prospect, Matthew Boyd. No thanks. Deivi Garcia, who has excelled in the minors and was part of a no hitter last week is not  going to be traded. I don’t know how GM Brian Cashman is going to do it, but I feel that he will strike a deal to bring a quality starter to New York without giving away the store. 

So the Yankees traveled to England for the inaugural two games in Europe against the Boston Red Sox. Playing at London Stadium in intense 90 degree heat at the centerpiece of the 2012 Olympics, Major League Baseball did a remarkable job in creating a big league setting so far away on the untouchable soccer pitch of West Ham United. Importing dirt, turf, building clubhouses, dugouts and bullpens made this feel every bit as if it was a World Series atmosphere in a neutral site. And all of the work will be deconstructed and much of the materials stored until the Chicago Cubs and  St. Louis Cardinals fly over the pond next year. 

The Saturday game was uniquely unforgettable. The ballgame lasted 4 hours and 42 minutes, making it the third longest 9 inning contest in MLB history, only 3 minutes shy of the all-time record. A final score of 17-13 had action within the affair which was mind-boggling. Former Cy Young winner and New Jersey native Rick Porcello lasted 1/3 of an inning, surrendering 6 runs to New York. The Yankees’ Tanaka lasted 2/3 of an inning. Unbelievably, the score was tied 6-6 after a 58 minute first inning was over. The first three innings took 1:51 to play. For Porcello and Tanaka, it was the shortest outings of both pitchers’ careers. 

New York kept adding runs to the scoreboard, taking a 17-6 lead. Boston kept chipping away, making the game into a very close contest in the 8th and 9th innings. The Yankees had to dig deep into their bullpen, using closer Aroldis Chapman to finish the game. Chapman was bailed out by slick fielding from shortstop Didi Gregorius and second baseman Torres who turned a sparkling double play on a very hard hit one hopper which Didi made an incredible stab to glove the shot before making a backhanded flip from his glove to Torres who threw to first just in time. 

It was a football score, and the Yankees scored more points than the New York Giants did in a game against Miami in London. Twenty runs were tallied with 2 outs. The teams had 32 hits, with LeMahieu and Voit leading New York with 4 each. Each team hit 3 homers, with Boston’s Michael Chavis slugging two. New York went 9-18 with runners in scoring position while Boston went 6-13. Remarkably, New York left 7 runners on base and Boston left 10. Edwin Encarnacion, the Yankees DH, struck out 5 times; he did get a hit. (Encarnacion is the first player to have played on three continents in a season—Asia when the Seattle Mariners met the Oakland A’s in Japan to begin this season, along with North America and now Europe) 

LeMahieu drove in 5 runs. Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr. went 4-5 and J.D. Martinez was 3-5. Chad Green’s two innings of scoreless relief after Tanaka made him the winning pitcher. Knuckleballer Steven Wright, recently returned from an illegal substance suspension, suffered the loss for Boston. Mike Sharwaryn gave up 8 runs to New York in 1.1 innings. Nestor Cortes, Jr. was responsible for 5 Boston runs in three innings. Neither team committed an error.

The British fans got their money’s worth, along with all of the Americans who came over  for the two games. Trying to explain to the neophyte Brit that the first game was abnormal must have been some experience. The white seats in the stadium did cause the centerfielders to slightly misjudge the balls hit to them. That seemed to be the only hiccup in what was a herculean effort by MLB. 

I did love that The Freeze, the Atlanta Braves sprinter, was outpaced by a Yankees fan in a between innings race on Saturday. He got his redemption on Sunday, defeating an Atlanta Braves fan—like he always does. Do I smell a fix here? I also like that Freddie Mercury won the mascot race on Saturday. I may need to see Bohemian Rhapsody after all.

Sunday’s matinee ended up a slugfest, too. Forced to start young Steven Tarpley, the Yankees paid dearly for it. In the bottom of the first inning, Boston struck for four runs on three homers. The teams then dug in—Boston behind lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez allowed 2 Yankees runs in 5 1/3 innings and 115 pitches, while Luis Cessa shut down the Red Sox from the second through the fifth inning. 

The floodgates opened in the 7th inning for New York, to the tune of 9 runs and 14 batters facing the porous Boston relief corps. Boston is second in blown saves in the majors, behind only the absolutely woeful New York Mets bullpen. New York tacked on a run via a Gregorius homer, extending that home run streak to 31 games.

Chance Adams was roughed up in the 8th inning and Zach Britton, who felt that the stadium conditions did not permit his ball to move because the venue was built for track and field and thus to cut down on resistance, almost gave all of the runs back. Aroldis Chapman once more had to close out the game for New York. Adam Ottavino was the winning pitcher with his two innings of relief after Cessa. LeMahieu went 3-6 and added 3 more R.B.I. Gary Sanchez finally joined the party with a key 2 run single; he left the game in the 8th inning after jamming a finger behind home plate. Judge went 1-2 with 3 BB, lifting his average to .299; of the starters, only Encarnacion failed to register a hit. Red Sox pitchers gave up 9 walks in this game.

It was a fun series from a New York standpoint. Two wins, sending Boston 11 games behind in the standings. Lots of hits and scoring, although the bullpen was a bit shaky at times. It was rewarding to hear Frank Sinatra belt out “New York, New York” after each win, especially when the Red Sox anthem, Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” was played in the middle of both 8th innings.

More runs were scored than in any two consecutive Yankees-Red Sox contests—50. The teams combined for 65 base hits, 10 homers and 15 doubles. The total time of both games was 9 hours and 6 minutes. 

I cannot think of any time in my life where the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry was more skewed than this weekend. Maybe it was the location and the teams played in a World Series atmosphere and for the first time met on artificial turf after 2020 games on real grass. Or that both teams wore the home team uniforms—it was both odd and neat to see the Yankees in pinstripes when they technically were the road team. It could have been the stadium, with its white structure and seats, along with an odd positioning of the sun creating glare for the fielders and batters. There could be a ton of reasons why this series was so high scoring, starting with the pitching and ending with the fact that both teams had lineups which could mash the ball. 

When they next meet, New York should be in first place, ahead of Boston, having won 7 of the first 8 games the teams have played this season. The games will be in more familiar surroundings, without such acreage in foul territory that they encountered in London, and with grass to slow down balls from quickly reaching the fences. For the coaches and players, it will be memory for a lifetime.

The All-Star Game reserves were announced on Sunday evening. The Astros have 6 players on the American League squad. The Yankees have only 3 players who are All Stars—LeMahieu and Sanchez as starters and Chapman as a reliever. AL manager Alex Cora only added one catcher as a backup, which might leave Sanchez in the game somewhat longer than needed. 

What irks me is that the National League team has 3 New York Mets—Peter Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Jacob deGrom. I think that Gleyber Torres is deserving of an All Star nod. He is the fastest Yankees player to reach 200 hits in his career since Mickey Mantle. Which means he surpassed Derek Jeter. And Torres hits for power. I know it is different leagues and there must be at least one player representing each team on a league roster. But really—3 Mets and 3 Yankees when the Yankees are atop the AL East while the Mets are floundering, playing at a 2-8 pace in their last 10 games?

Upon the conclusion of their series with Atlanta, the Mets try to cool down the champions of Europe, as the Bronx Bombers pay a visit to Citi Field for two games on Tuesday and Wednesday. It might be anti-climactic for the Yankees.

The Mets did honor the 1969 Miracle Mets this weekend. A nice touch was renaming the roadway by Citi Field for Tom Seaver, the Mets Hall of Fame pitcher who suffers from dementia. Many of the Mets greats on that team came back to Flushing, which is always a thrill to see. Yet just like the blown saves in the bullpen, the Mets placed two names in memoriam who were still alive. Is that another botched move by the franchise?

Finally, there is just one thing I want to say about NBA free agency. The Nets got Kevin Durant because of his desire to move his business interests to the Big Apple and, more importantly, his close relationship with Dr. Martin O’Malley. Dr. O’Malley previously surgically resurrected Durant’s career in Oklahoma City. The fact that he went directly to New York after his recent injury and was operated on by Dr. O’Malley told me that the Nets were in play because Durant would stay in New York and his rehab would be overseen by Dr. O’Malley and the people who report to him in his position as a team doctor for the Brooklyn Nets. 

This was obvious to me. It is an added bonus that Brooklyn was signing Kyrie Irving as a free agent and adding DeAndre Jordan in the post. The parts are there for Brooklyn to compete in 2020-21 when Durant returns and the Nets put together a complementary roster. 

The Knicks stood absolutely no chance of landing Durant based on what I believe is the case. NYK will again be in lottery pick purgatory—a comeuppance to owner James Dolan, who deserves nothing less. I do feel for the legion of Knicks fans like me. Then again, they are as bad as the New York Jets in terms of winning. Which I completely understand.

I hope that my foot has nothing seriously wrong with it. Otherwise, I will be headed to Dr. O’Malley, who removed a cyst from my left ankle and who injected me with platelet rich plasma (PRP) at the point of my peroneal tendon to heal it. I actually have something in common with KD—an abiding belief the Martin O’Malley is the man when it comes to the foot and ankle.

I just don’t want to remain on the IL with Durant for so long lest we bump into each other at Dr. O’Malley’s East Side office. We both know that it hurts when the injury bug strikes home.the 

Fan X: My Harbinger Of Summer

It is the first full weekend of Summer. No titles have been won or lost this past week, although we have determined that Michigan and Vanderbilt are the two remaining teams in the College World Series as they square off in a best-of-three series in Omaha to determine the last collegiate championship from the 2018-19 academic year. The Women’s World Cup enters the knockout rounds, with the United States still the favorite after defeating rival Sweden 2-0.

The NBA and NHL Drafts are over. Zion Williamson went to New Orleans as expected. In some shrewd trading, the Pelicans acquired three more first round picks. With Anthony Davis gone to the Lakers (finally!!), Coach Alvin Gentry received a contract extension and has a sleek, younger, running team more suited to his style. Plus they still have a very fine guard in Jrue Holiday, who can score and has been on the NBA All-Defensive Team twice. As the Pelicans’ GM David Griffin stated (and Griffin has some serious credibility as the architect of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ success), it is Holiday’s team, not Zion’s. Williamson does not have to be a savior, according to Griffin. Query to Griffin: was Lebron not a savior?

Free agency is next on tap for many NBA players. A rumor regarding Kevin Durant has him resigning with Golden State in a sign and trade deal, allowing the Warriors to receive something in return for Durant should he leave the Bay Area. More rumors abound on Kyrie Irving’s landing spot—the Nets or Lakers? And the intrigue remains as to where Kawhi Leonard will be next season—the Los Angeles Clippers or if he stays with the Raptors for a year.

The Lakers continue to be a disaster with Anthony Davis heading West. With the trade, the credible NBA players on the Lakers are Lebron James and Kyle Kuzma. To anoint them as the NBA West favorites without knowing more is silly. 

Then again, the dysfunction in Houston is palpable. Chris Paul and James Harden don’t like each other (maybe it is over the State Farm commercial where Harden destroys Paul’s microwave and his kitchen, then denies culpability?) and Paul allegedly requested a trade, which he denied. No wonder why Rockets’ Head Coach Mike D’Antoni is still renegotiating his contract—who wants to babysit those juveniles for another season without adequate compensation?

With the Knicks, poor R.J. Barrett was inundated with questions as to how will he lead the Knicks back to prominence. Barrett, the overall number three pick out of Duke, answered the media by saying he hasn’t played a game yet. I sense he will be good, but the team will stink again. 

The New Jersey Devils picked Jack Hughes from the US Men’s Development Team as the overall number one selection. From what I have read, this young man plays over his head for his age and experience and is more like Jack Armstrong and Sidney Crosby than anyone else. He is a can’t miss prospect. NewJersey still needs to resign Taylor Hall, who was injured most of last season after being chosen as the NHL’s top player in 2017-18. Moreover, the Devils traded with Nashville to obtain bruising PK Subban and sent former first rounder John Quenneville to Chicago for a player named John Hayden. 

The New York Rangers had the second pick and they selected another can’t miss player named Kaapo Kaaka. They too will be interesting to watch in the upcoming season, as the Rangers have made numerous trades and drafted keenly to restock the team. The rivalry among the Metropolitan Area teams will be that much more intense in 2019-20.

Thus, on the first weekend of summer, I am fortunate enough to have a friend who thinks like I do and loves his sports. You may have seen me answer Fan X in some of my blogs. Fan X is a Mets, Knicks, Jets and Syracuse Orange fan who craves to sit near to the action. Fan X and I have gone to baseball games together in Shea Stadium, Citi Field, the old Yankee Stadium and our legendary one day trips to Baltimore. The guy is an animal on the roadways and has not yet missed a start of a game, even if we were seriously close in Baltimore, walking into Oriole Park as the first pitch was thrown when the Cardinals met the Orioles in a game for the birds…We have seen the Mets and Yankees home and away; the Tigers and Justin Verlander (with an added perk of seeing Ravens Coach John Harbaugh in the stands); hundreds of buses lined up by the stadiums which brought Phillies’ fans to pack the park; Cleveland and Texas among others. He even has an Orioles cap which he breaks out every time we are inside Camden Yards. We hardly have seen a blowout and we even had an extra inning Adam Jones walk off homer. Fan X marveled last year watching the Yankees bomb away against the woeful Orioles. For good measure, we sat through a torrential rain storm in the parking lot of Citizens Bank Park awaiting the Mets and Phillies.

Fan X loves his food—from Boog’s BBQ  and the crab cakes in Baltimore, to the steaks we devoured in Manhattan en route to see the Mets play or the cheesesteaks in Philly. When we go to Jets’ games each year, he loves his Millburn Deli sub while we roast out in the parking lot 2+ hours before the game starts.

Fan X does not get cheated when he goes to a game. Which is why he is mad at the Mets, because they won’t offer him a partial season package with good seats. Our seats in Baltimore have been close to the action. Which he loves. It makes him feel like part of the event, although he can do without the Oriole mascot on top of the dugout…He even likes our high up seats in Met Life Stadium, as he can see the game develop at a reasonable speed.

This year it was the Yankees and the Houston Astros. A good choice. Two of the top three teams in the American League. A relatively full house at Yankee Stadium, energized by a New York 7 game winning streak, the return of Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge to the lineup and the addition of Edwin Encarnacion, tied for the lead in A.L. home runs with now teammate Gary Sanchez. 

We left Springfield at almost 5:00 and we were inside the Stadium by 6:00. This was with Fan X skirting the reenactment of the Battle of Springfield going on this weekend, weaving in and out of traffic on the NJ Turnpike, the George Washington Bridge, Cross Bronx and Major Deegan Expressways, although a late signaling New York driver nearly sheared off the driver’s side of his SUV.  Leaving I-95 to take Route 46 to the GW Bridge always has its advantages. The man is a genius on the roadways in New York, as I have been with him when we did some amazing things to get to Citi Field. I trust Fan X with my life, with good reason.

After consuming a Guacamole Black Bean burger and avocado dots, we were in our seats in plenty of time for the 6:58 P.M. National Anthem. Since it was one of three regional Games the Week on FOX, the start time was pushed back to 7:15. The late arriving crowd was revved up and ready. Yankee Stadium was awash in sunlight in the right field stands and bleachers, appearing majestic in its regal beauty.

Our pitching matchup was right hander Masahiro Tanaka for New York and lefty Wade Miley on the mound for the Astros. For 4 innings, it was a pitching matchup that put a lot of zeroes on the scoreboard. Miley changed speeds effectively and baffled the big swingers on the Yankees. Tanaka had difficulty in the strike zone but managed to limit the struggling Houston lineup to three hits through four innings, while Miley had no hit the Yankees. Miley lost his perfect game in the fourth inning when Astros centerfielder Jake Marisnick inexplicably dropped a routine Luke Voit liner and then right fielder Josh Reddick whiffed on his throw as he attempted to get the ball back into the infield. Two errors on one play. Fortunately for the Astros, Voit was stranded at second. 

With his perfect game ended, Miley walked slumping Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks before surrendering his first hit—a line drive homer just over the right field wall off the bat of the marvelous rookie third baseman Gio Ursela. The Astros stormed back in the sixth inning when Tanaka again lost control of the strike zone and gave up a redeeming two run homer to Reddick to tie the score.

New York countered in the bottom of that inning with a two run single by Stanton, after Miley had been taken out of the game by Houston manager A.J. Hicks. With this kind of wild game, Houston got the best of usually strong Yankee reliever, Jonathan Holder, culminating in a massive three run shot by rookie phenom Yordy Alvarez into the right field stands.

After the seventh inning stretch and no Kate Smith singing “God Bless America,” New York rallied, first on a line shot to right off of the bat of backup catcher Austin Romine to tie the game, then another two run single by Stanton to put New York ahead for good. Adam Ottavino and Zach Britton did not allow the Astros to score in the last two innings even after having surrendered a combined 5 walks.

Beside the blooper highlight reel performance by the Astros outfield, there were some shining fielding gems by Voit, two inning ending putouts at third base and a charging pick up and throw by Urshela, a great throw by Judge to gun down first baseman Tyler White as he attempted to stretch a hit into double a leaping catch at the left field wall by Stanton, plus a very odd catcher’s interference call with Judge at bat in the eight inning.

The Yankees are alone in first place. Their record is second best in the A.L. after the surprising Minnesota Twins. The team has slugged to a team record 26 games with a home run, which is one short of the MLB mark. They are led by catcher Gary Sanchez and second baseman Gleybar Torres, who became the first Yankee teammates to hit home runs in three consecutive games—quite an accomplishment in New York Yankees history. Neither Sanchez or Torres played on Saturday night, with manager Aaron Boone resting them and  ultimately pushing the right buttons once again.

New York still has its problems. Outfielder Cameron Maybin, who stayed with the team when Judge was added to the roster, has suffered a hamstring injury which will sideline him for a month. The pitching is thin—Tanaka was okay but not great. James Paxton and J.A. Happ have started to look better. C.C. Sabathia finally won his 250th career victory against the Rays. 

Yes, the Yankees employ a Tampa Bay stratagem for the fifth starter, utilizing reliever Chad Green to go two innings and rookie Nestor Cortez, Jr. to follow up unit the remainder of the bullpen can take over. The latter has worked thus far but is very risky; Cortez may be shuttling back and forth to Triple A in roster moves every 4-5 days. And the bullpen is wearing thinner and thinner as the middle portion of the season is here. 

The Yankees have three games at home with Toronto before heading to London to face the villainous Boston Red Sox in a two game series, the first regular season games played outside of North America. When they come back, the Yankees are thrust into to two games at Citi Field versus the Mets, then a four game swing to St. Petersburg before the All-Star break. While the Yankees are winning, the team looks tired.

Talking about a team that must be tired. That would be Houston. Currently on a 7 game losing skid after Saturday’s loss, they miss OF George Springer, SS Carlos Correa and reliever Collin McHugh. The leading hits producer over the past few years is Jose Altuve, and he was out for more than 30 games. His bat is cold. Only OF Michael Brantley and pitchers Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole have excelled. Yet don’t pity Houston—the Astros have a 49-30 record, which is not too shabby after defeating New York on Sunday with a barrage of four homers including one from Altuve to stop their losing streak while halting the Yankees winning at 8.

With the exception of closer Aroldis Chapman, no Yankees pitcher looks like he may head to Cleveland as an A.L. All-Star. Six position players could make it there as starters or reserves—Sanchez, Voit, Torres, D.J. LaMahieu, Urshela and Judge. No rest for the weary, who will be tired from the first half of the season, then the trip to England and the games away from New York.

Sunday marked the 73rd Old Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium. Starting right with the introduction of the widows of Bobby Murcer, Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Thruman Munson among others, the cheers resonated for the Yankee greats and role players, from Scott Kaminicki to Jerry Hairston to Tino Martinez, Chris Chambliss, Bernie Williams, David Wells and more. Big cheers went to Lou Piniella, Aaron Boone, YES broadcasters David Cone, John Flaherty and  Paul O’Neill, 1978 hero Bucky Dent, Reggie Jackson to name a few. The loudest ovations went to Don Larsen, who pitched the only perfect game in World Series history and used his walker to get to his seat, and Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera, who will enter Cooperstown later this summer. A great picture was taken with the three Yankees to have thrown perfect games—Larsen, Cone and Wells. 

How many franchises can do what the Yankees can do in an Old Timers Day? That they can supply all Yankees is a change from my youth when opposing players were honored. While it is not a bucket list item, I thoroughly enjoy watching the event in my den.

More baseball to talk about. Max Scherzer is headed to the Hall of Fame. He is the consummate strike out artist and has garnered multiple Cy Young Awards (3), to go with his two no hitters and two immaculate innings, a 20 strikeout performance, 6 All-Star selections and is the the three time reigning N.L. strikeout leader. But the Washington Nationals ace accomplished something that defies description. He broke his nose in bunting practice on Tuesday then authored a shut out with 10 strikeouts in 7 innings against the Phillies the next night.

The N.L. East has become up for grabs. The vaunted Philadelphia lineup is not producing—do I hear rumblings about a managerial change? Atlanta, last year’s champs, has come alive. As have the Nationals and even the Mets are within wild card distance. Pete Alonso, New York’s rookie first baseman is hitting homers at a record pace before the All-Star game. He appears to be a legitimate star.

Finally, Albert Pujols returned to St. Louis this weekend for the first time since he took his bat and glove to Anaheim. Pujols still has charitable ties to the city and is beloved by the Cardinals fans. Those fans showered him with their love and even had him return to the field for a curtain call and more cheers after hitting a homer on Saturday. So nice to see.

My thanks to Fan X for making the start to summer so great and enduring the pain that ensued with a temporary crown that he received on Friday. A real trouper, Fan X tried to mask the discomfort until he was on the Henry Hudson Parkway as we traversed homeward on Saturday night. The man is a beast—but his confident ego will tell you that is so anyway.

Baseball sure beats my attacking the overgrown shrubs which my soon-to-be former landscaper has ignored and which will leave me coughing violently and wheezing for the rest of the day, even with the plethora of medications I take to control the allergies.

Welcome to Summer 2019. Revel in it for what it presents. I am sure having fun thus far, minus the shrubs. For me, summer begins when Fan X and I are on the road and in a ballpark. That is my personal harbinger of Summer.

Winners

The winter sports season is officially over. On June 12, the Stanley Cup Finals ended in a Game 7 on the ice of TD Garden in Boston. The very next night, Oracle Arena, the oldest venue in the NBA, bid farewell with the gut-wrenching Game 6 which concluded the NBA Finals. The way things finished, Winter went out with a bang. In June. Just about a week before Summer begins. 

As has been chronicled, the St. Louis—Boston series had been a fiercely-fought group of games.  With their backs to the wall, Boston broke open a close Game 6 in St.Louis behind goaltender Tuuka Rask and headed back home, primed for a do-or-die, winner-take-all Game 7 with the Blues. 

Most pundits stayed true to form and picked the Bruins to prevail. It seemed like the wise and prudent choice. But not the correct one.

This was the season for the underdog in the NHL, none more an underdog than the St. Louis Blues. Dead last in the standings, the worst team in the league started an amazing resurrection in early January. That coincided with the arrival of Jordan Binnington, a journeyman goalie who was at one time fourth on the depth chart for St. Louis. Debuting with a shutout in Philadelphia on January 7th, Binnington went on a monstrous tear and his teammates awakened and had his back. 

Binnington went 24-5-1 with a microscopic 1.83 goals-against average and an outstanding .930 save percentage. Unrealistic for a 25 year old with no prior  NHL experience. His saves are not flashy like Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy, two of the game’s greatest goalies. They are, however, similarly important and timely, which are necessary ingredients for a Stanley Cup champion. 

The rest of the team was a gritty, determined bunch who liked to keep the puck in their attack zone, frustrating opponents. This is exactly what happened in Boston. The center ice and offensive zones were dominated by the Blues, whose defensemen would pinch in at the corners of the zone to push the puck forward to the forwards, who would keep possession more than not. 

St. Louis continually capitalized on its opportunities throughout the series, and especially in Game 7. Boston may have recorded more shots on Binnington than Rask faced from the Blues, but Binnington was more than up to the task, surrendering a meaningless third period goal when Boston pulled Rask for an extra attacker. The 4-1 final score was indicative of just how good the Blues were in the entire playoffs. This was a hungry collection of players who thrived in their own environment and persevered when things looked bleakest—if they could come back from last place and make the playoffs, then seemingly no challenge was too great. 

I was happy for the fans of St. Louis. While they have the Cardinals in baseball, a franchise which has won the World Series a number of times in their storied history, the Blues  were the only team in town that had not tasted the champagne of victory. The St. Louis Hawks won the NBA crown in 1958 and the St. Louis Rams collected an NFL title in 1999. The Hawks vacated Missouri for Atlanta and the Rams went back to Los Angeles. Bob Gibson, Bob Petit and Kurt Warner are still in the lore of the citizenry who adores their champions.

Which is why I was rooting for the Blues to beat the big, bad Bruins. 52 years. That is what it took for the Blues to win this first Stanley Cup. Part of the first wave of NHL expansion, the Blues were the only franchise of the original ones that stayed intact (Oakland merged into Cleveland which was morphed into the Minnesota North Stars, who moved to Dallas where they won their Cup). Teams formed after the Blues have won Stanley Cups—the Islanders, New Jersey, Carolina, Colorado, Calgary, Anaheim, Tampa Bay and Washington.  On the other hand, Winnipeg, Arizona, Columbus and the Minnesota Wild have NEVER appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals. That leaves Nashville, newbie Vegas, Ottawa, Buffalo and Florida also searching for their first trophy. And Toronto, one of the regal franchises in the NHL, owns the longest drought—it’s that number again—52 seasons and counting.

What’s next for Conn Smythe winner Ryan O’Reilly, who tallied the most points in the playoffs, and Blues Captain and top tier defenseman Alex Pietrangelo along with teammates Brayden Schenn, Jaden Schwartz and company? First, the celebratory parade and rally under the Gateway Arch. Then private days with the Cup over the summer. With a realization that they have pulled off one of sports more memorable comebacks to become the top dog. 

Will the Blues continue the success or be a one year wonder? Who knows? Will Craig Berube, the former Flyers’ tough guy/winger, have the “acting” removed from his title? Probably. And will the Bruins rebound form this shocking loss? I don’t know and I hardly care.

For my mind resided on the other part of the winter duo that folded its tents on Thursday night—the NBA Finals. A series which will be memorable for a number of reasons that happened in six very contested games.

There is a new champion in pro basketball. The Toronto Raptors are at the top of the heap. They beat the defending champion Golden State Warriors, 4-2 in the best of 7 series. They are the champions and no one can deny that fact. 

Usually, that means they are the best team in the NBA. That argument can be made here. Toronto was the number 2 team in the regular season, and they defeated #1 Milwaukee and #3 Golden State. Both opponents went down in less that seven games. The only series which they were pressed was with Philadelphia, and they won at home in Game 7 on a rolling shot that suspended its finality for what seemed to be an eternity before the ball made it through the net and put the Raptors into the Finals. 

Remember that I come here with a bias towards the Golden State Warriors. I am sure that some of the legion of readers are wondering how I am taking this loss to Toronto. The answer is that I concede the NBA title to Toronto, with an *. 

Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. No team in recent memory has suffered more catastrophic injuries than this Golden State team. Starting center DeMarcus Cousins tore his quad muscle in the first round. He did return to play in the Finals, contributing as best he could, but still a shadow of his former self, as he had been rehabbing from surgery for a significant portion of the season. All-Pro and two time Finals M.V.P. Kevin Durant sustained a calf injury against Houston, which sidelined him until Game 5, when the Warriors medical staff cleared him to play. We all know that turned out to be disastrous for Durant and the Warriors, as KD tore his Achilles tendon and surgery was performed by my ankle doctor, MartIn O’Malley, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. His 11 points in 12 minutes were heroic.

The Warriors somehow managed to turn a late six point deficit in Toronto into a one point win behind the sharpshooting of Klay Thompson and Steph Curry, along with a critical block by Draymond Green on a shot by the Raptors’ Kyle Lowery at the end of the game. Golden State played its heart out for their fallen comrade. 

That put them in one last home game at the loudest building in the NBA—Oracle Arena. Thompson came out blazing, collecting 28 points into the third quarter. On a fast break when he attempted a dunk and he was fouled by Toronto’s Danny Green, Thompson landed awkwardly, tearing his ACL. While he tried to come back and even made two free throws as a last gasp,  Klay Thompson was finished and so, in effect, were the Warriors. 

Sure, Golden State fought gallantly and had an opportunity to win the game if Curry had sank a three pointer. But it wasn’t to be. Every Warriors thrust was parried and met by the Raptors. Toronto played like a team and they won as a team.

Still, had Cousins and Durant not suffered their injuries before the series and Thompson didn’t hurt his hamstring and then his ACL nor Durant tear his Achilles tendon, I truly believe the this would have been a far different series, one which might not have reached five games, as the Warriors with healthy players of that caliber would have more than matched the Raptors. Who was going to stop Durant? Thompson and Curry would not have had to carry the load like they did. Green and Andre Iguodala would have had different roles and the bench would not have been called in to provide critical minutes. The defense would have shut down the Raptors offense.

But this isn’t what happened and the Raptors emerged as the winners because they did what they had to do against who was on the floor. Nick Nurse coached superbly and his players executed on offense and defense time and time again. The box and one called for by Nurse to smother Curry with coverage provided by Nick Van Vleet was tactically brilliant. Nurse’s only mistake may have been calling a time out in Game 5 to rest his player when M.V.P. Kawhi Leonard and his crew had momentum and seemed headed towards victory.

No, I am not trying to take away the fact that Toronto is the champion. I just know that it would have been a far different scenario had the Warriors been able to play with their core players, with maybe five headed to the Basketball Hall of Fame in the not too distant future. 

Both squads may have entirely different looks and results next season. Durant may opt out of his very rich player option and entertain offers from other interested teams—even if he is unable to play in 2019-20. Thompson too can see what the market can bear. Golden State would like to retain both by offering super max contracts for 5 years. The downside is that the Warriors are restricted in what they can do to provide competent supporting players. Many of them, beginning with center Kevon Looney, are free agents. Shaun Livingston and Iguodala are getting older and the luxury of such role players is not something that the Warriors can afford; Livingston is rumored to be retiring. Cousins is a free agent and not likely to return, even with a small market for his services since he is now injury-prone and not the offensive force he once was and his defense is suspect. What I see is a team that will not necessarily reach the playoffs given the injuries and free agency. 

And they have to be careful to protect Curry, who will try to lead the team back to glory with a different cast. He has logged plenty of time and injuries mount even quicker when he is the sole offensive option. He will face defenses designed to thwart if not stop him because the alternative offensive options are limited. This is not a good scenario, but it is a byproduct of the marketplace, when free agency and injuries occur.

Kawhi Leonard has some hard choices ahead. He is a valuable commodity—the only man win the Finals M.V.P. having played in both conferences. He showed how valuable he was to the Raptors. Can Toronto keep him and does he want to stay? If they lose him, the Raptors fall back in the pack. Keep him, and they are contenders again. For that matter, wherever he lands, that team will be in contention if they have the scoring and defense shown by Leonard.

This Finals was remarkable and set the stage for new teams to emerge. The people of Canada fell in love with their Raptors. The Warriors fans said good bye to Oracle and perhaps to the five great years they witnessed. Starting with the NBA Draft this week and then when free agency begins in July, the stage will be set for a different NBA in 2019-20.

Yankees baseball is in a horrible slump. The Bombers have gone 3-8 in their last 11 games and look tired and are playing like a collective group that needs a lift. The pitching has been woeful—especially C.C. Sabathia, who is either finished or should be a spot reliever. The bullpen is overused and the starters are not living up to their potential. There is very little else coming to their aid pitching wise.

However the big boppers are on their way back. Giancarlo Stanton is ready. He hit a building outside the stadium in Durham, NC with a prodigious rehab homer. He will be back on Monday barring a setback.

Surprisingly and suddenly, Aaron Judge went from limited baseball activity to rehab starts at the Triple A level. Depending on how he does, Judge will be activated at the end of the week.

This means that the patchwork lineups Manager Aaron Boone has cobbled together will be no more. Write in Judge at the 2 spot in the lineup and put Stanton either at number 3 or 4, which will help Gary Sanchez see better pitches. Boone will have the luxury to rest players and insert a hitter like D.J. LeMahieu into the lineup as he sees fit. In turn, the pitching will benefit by having added run support. This is not a minute too soon, as the Red Sox are constantly improving and moving up the standings. 

Baseball is hitting homers at an alarming pace. In a game between Arizona and Philadelphia, 13 balls went over the outfield walls of Citizens’ Bank Field. In one game. Conversely, teams are swinging and missing at an equally unconscionable pace because the batters are trying to reach the seats with every at bat. Milwaukee was struck out 24 times in a 14 inning affair with the Houston Astros, which the Brewers won 6-3. This feast or famine dichotomy results in fans not heading to the stadiums for this kind of inconsistent play. 

I don’t have an answer here—I hope Commissioner Rob Manfred can come up with some ways to get the fans back into the costly seats, which is at the core of the problem. A family cannot reasonable afford to go to a ball game without spending a fortune, which they don’t have to begin with or they choose to spend elsewhere where they can get a big bang for their buck (pun intended).

The Women’s World Cup is under way in France. The top-ranked United States women were vilified for trouncing Thailand 13-0 and for showboating on their goals. I don’t care what the critics say. The goal count is important in a tiebreak situation. Moreover, the women are vastly unpaid in comparison to their male counterparts, whose antics after a score aren’t scrutinized like this. Do I hear gender bias and inequality? I applaud the U.S. team for standing out, being the favorites and for having fun.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made news this week by hiring a woman to their coaching staff. Former University of California women’s Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb signed a four year deal to become an assistant to first year Head Coach John Beilein. She is not the first female assistant in the NBA, but Gottlieb is the first female college head coach to join the NBA ranks. This is a groundbreaking and something which Commissioner Adam Silver is supportive of—getting more women involved within the NBA as coaches or in management. 

Gottlieb comes in with a glowing resume developed at Cal. She also has spent time with Warriors head man Steve Kerr, soaking up knowledge like a sponge. The Cavs and Beilein made an excellent choice  and I hope that it works and more women seek employment in pro basketball beyond the WNBA.

I want to praise the announcers for the NHL and NBA playoffs. I thought that Mike “Doc” Emrick was superb (as usual) and his color commentator Eddie Olcyzk was spot on. I also enjoyed the trio of Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy of ESPN/ABC. A bit egotistical and self-serving at times, Van Gundy and Jackson are both funny and astute when it comes to basketball analysis. 

The pre-game and intermission shows were much better on NBC. I have trouble when ex-players cannot properly speak English, which is where Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups of ESPN/ABC left me cold. 

Finally, there was small article a week or so ago that Amazon is looking to air some of the YES Network shows like Center Stage. This comes as no surprise, as Amazon was part of a group which helped the Yankees buy back the YES Network from Disney in March. You knew that Amazon would come up with a real reason to buy into this venture—to do what they do best—make money, while expanding their reach into the sports television market. So, Yankees fans, you now are on notice to purchase Amazon Prime.

So let’s hear it for all the winners. Golden State may have lost the NBA title, but the fortitude of their players has made a positive, lasting impression. For even if they are on a downward swing like the Yankees are, they have an upside. Begrudgingly, I will give the Bruins credit for making it to the Stanley Cup Finals. This is what makes sports so great.