I'm Retired, You Know

  I’ve been scolded. Big time. For being baseball and football centric in my previous blog. I choose only so many topics and I have shortened my blogs to a somewhat tolerable length.

Again, I have weathered criticism that I am too much a homer; unopinionated; and not very knowledgeable overall. These are the pitfalls of keeping things brief while going as free form as I can be. 

In doing this, I omit things—sometimes by choice, other times forgetting about a topic. One thing is for sure, I read the sports pages, watch ESPN and view the app; devour CBS Sports.com; and scour The Atlantic. There is very little I don’t know about that happened in sports during a week. 

I was excoriated about not mentioning the incredible Simone Biles and her phenomenal return to the sport after a needed pause. Do I follow gymnastics—YES!! My daughter participated in it through high school then joined the Penn State Club team to sneak in a couple of more meets before the amount of injuries she sustained would be too much a detriment as she went forth in her career. 

Did I see Biles perform in the recent U.S. National Championships? Of course, I did. She routed the field—with a smile on her face which spoke abut the joy that has returned to her passion. Biles is one of a kind—which those who understand and appreciate women’s gymnastics clearly get. 

For the more casual observer, we should enjoy her artistry. But we should temper our expectations once more, because she has proven how vulnerable she is—after all, Simone Biles really is human. 

Most of all, we should share in her euphoria. It is simply the best think to see someone compete at the highest level—with a smile on their face. 

The same person went after me for my lack of reporting on track and field. Again, chiding me for my lack of interest in the sport. 

My roots go back to watching Marty Liguori run in the N.J.S.I.A.A. Track and Field Championships, held on my high school track in Highland Park. I actually had my mother’s stop watch running along with the official timers and I wasn’t far off from his meet record. I went there for five years while I was in seventh through twelfth grades. I saw the best of the best New Jersey had to offer. 

Of more recent vintage, I saw Sydney Mc Laughlin, the Olympic champion from Dunellen, running on the same track I walk on in Springfield. She was being trained by her high school coach at the time, as she still was a student at Union Catholic High School. Watching her run so fast and effortlessly—whether scaling hurdles or running a lap—one could clearly tell she was special. 

Did I follow the World Championships? Yes. Did I read that Noah Lyles was a triple winner? Yes. Did I also know that Mc Laughlin-Leverone suffered a knee injury just prior to the event which cost her a chance to repeat in the 400 meter hurdles and to win in the 400 meters? Yes.

I also read an article where Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a three-time Olympic champion, offered Sydney advice—to never give up the joy one has in the sport they love, no matter the distractions. Joyner-Kersee is 61 years old. She remains the world record holder in the women’s heptathlon after her dominant victory in Seoul in 1988. 

I could have talked about the machinations of the men’s soccer world. Or gotten into the minutiae of college soccer—the University of Chicago and Williams College top the Division III men’s pre-season poll, with Johns Hopkins at #7 and Franklin and Marshall sitting at #18. Then again, who would believe that Syracuse is ranked first and the University of Kentucky second in the Division I poll? That #7 Brigham Young upset top-ranked UCLA on Thursday night in women’s action? 

I could delve into high school sports, as the fall season has begun. Teams in New Jersey actually played last weekend, with the majority of the schools joining the action on Labor Day weekend. The regular season is over in mid-October, allowing for multiple rounds of playoffs or consolation games for football. 

I restrained myself this week about pro football. At the gym on Friday, that’s all the talking heads could discuss while I sweated my way through a half hour on the recumbent bicycle. How are the Jets going to do—playoffs or not? Which teams will decline—the Giants?

It simply was not time for me to get into that in depth. I did omit that Gil Brandt, the great Dallas Cowboys executive and Pro Football Hall Of Fame inductee, passed away. His legacy is so broad—he drafted black players from HSBC schools ahead of anyone else. Brandt integrated analytics into the sport way before anybody did. He helped make the Cowboys America’s Team with his innovative and encyclopedic mind. 

I can go on and on about what I chose not to write about. My selectivity comes with the fact that my mainstream audience—yes, I have an audience—recognizes that I am writing for the fun of it and that I can weather all kinds of critiques. 

What I choose to focus in on, or even briefly touch upon is done in about an hour and a half of typing and editing, then awaiting my editor’s final comments. I know it isn’t science, but it is more like polishing teeth than pulling them. 

A reader gave me very positive feedback on my recent  “baseball musings,” as he liked to call them. Most often, I receive praise for what I write. Which motivates me to be the best that I can be for those who opt to read my discourses. 

Writing thus blog is a labor of love. So I am writing this second edition on Labor Day weekend with that in mind. 

Sure, the complaining fan was busting my chops. That’s not unusual with this person. I expect it. I actually appreciate it. I kinda like the guy.

The final complaint was that I get into gymnastics and track and field next blog, so as to satisfy him. That’s covered now. 

This will leave me free to write about Ronald Acuna, Jr.’s season, including his game in Los Angeles on Thursday, right after he was secretly married. And the playoff intensity of the game—one where National League M.V.P. rival Mookie Betts swatted 2 homers and nearly had a third in a contest which started out lopsidedly in favor of Atlanta and ended up as a one run affair. 

Or whatever else I might surprisingly decide to touch upon. Within limits. I am going to relax. Two blogs in one day is a bit much—I’m retired, you know. 

Hold Onto Your Hats, Sports Fans!

  I am going to open with baseball. Largely because I am seeing something unusual happening.

In my youth, the American and National Leagues each consisted of eight franchises. By the time I really became interested in MLB games, a number of those eight franchises had relocated. 

In the American League, the Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City before ultimately residing in Oakland. The first Washington Senators franchise found a new home as the Minnesota Twins. Before that, the St. Louis Browns left town, finding a warm reception in Baltimore as the Orioles. 

National League teams which left their home cities were the two most important ones. The Dodgers vacated Brooklyn for the sunny climate of Los Angeles. The New York Giants flew West to San Francisco. Prior to that exodus, the Boston Braves relocated in Milwaukee. 

The other twelve teams stayed put. The Yankees were in the midst of dominating baseball, with the Chicago White Sox leaping in to win the league in 1959. Everyone seemed to be good in the National League except for the Cubs and the Phillies. Milwaukee split the World Series with the Yankees in 1957 and 1958. The Dodgers won in 1959. Pittsburgh downed the Yankees in 1960. New York came back to win in 1961 versus the Reds and 1962 over the Giants, before losing to the Dodgers in 1963 and Cardinals in 1964. 

What does this have to do with today’s MLB? In the National League, the perennial cellar dwelling Pirates, with the exception of the 1960 squad and some teams in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, are once more miserable. But the Braves, Dodgers, Phillies, Cubs, Reds and Giants are alive for playoff spots.

It’s little different in the American League. Baltimore, Minnesota and Boston are the only ones of the original eight above. 500. And it is unlikely that the Red Sox are going to make the playoffs. Cleveland, Detroit and the White Sox are way below .500. Oakland is just dreadful.

What I find interesting is that the two teams with the most World Series wins—the Yankees and Cardinals—are mired in last place. I cannot recall the last time this has happened to the two great franchises. Mentioning them with the dregs of baseball is unheard of. They only have themselves to blame. 

Also from my childhood, the New York Mets and the Houston Colt .45’s came into existence in 1962. Both teams were abysmal. New York went 40-120 that year. The Mets righted the ship for improbable titles in 1969 and 1986. Owner Steven Cohen’s money got this season’s edition nowhere except in the cellar—just with more wins than the 1962 team.

It took Houston until 2017 to win its first. At least the Astros have remained really good (even if there may have been some cheating involved), as they won it all last year and are contending once more in 2023. 

College football started last weekend. Navy absorbed another punishing loss to Notre Dame—this time it was in Dublin where one would think the Irish have magic. USC showed it is strong on offense but the defense surrendered more points to San Jose State than it should. Don’t get your hopes up too high Trojans fans—Oregon and Washington could beat you and the teams left behind sure want a piece of you and UCLA as you say bon voyage. 

The rest of the collegiate world looks at the Southeastern Conference for guidance. How strong will Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and LSU this season? 

Those who believe Ohio State and Michigan are national title contenders forget that the Big Ten is a nice place to play traditional rivals and make some big TV money. Just not where a school can win national championships.  

Who knows where the ACC stands? They are making more news trying to decide about admitting Stanford, Cal and SMU (which the league Presidents supposedly have okayed). Those thinking that Texas might be a dark horse out of the Big 12 will find that next year the Longhorns will have plenty to beef about when in the SEC—they aren’t ready yet.  

For right now, the hatred of Texas by its Big 12 brethren is at an all-time high. Commissioner Brett Yormark implored Texas Tech’s head coach to “take care of business” with the Longhorns. 

University of Houston Head Coach Dana Holgorsen holds Texas and Texas A&M responsible for the Cougars not entering the Big 12 until this season, Texas’s last hurrah in the conference. This grudge goes back to the end of the Southwest Conference, for which Holgorsen says “those two (schools) are the specific reason why we haven’t been in the Big 12 the last 28 years. Screw them. They can go where ever they want. They don’t want us, and we don’t want them. So move on.” While Texas has won the last seven games between the programs, circle October 21st, the date when the rivals engage in Houston. Payback could be sweet.

There is a cute opener Friday night. Miami hosts Miami. That would be Miami (Ohio) playing Miami (Florida). An announcer’s nightmare. 

My wife and I are going to see Northwestern and Rutgers play on Sunday. The Wildcats were rocked with scandal over the spring and summer. Rutgers, a school which had 22 players on NFL teams during summer camps, needs to step up with a convincing win over a damaged foe in order to raise themselves to the next level—in the middle of the pack of the Big Ten. 

Franklin and Marshall, my alma mater, opens with local rival Lebanon Valley. This year will be interesting for the Diplomats; no more Susquehanna to fend off; only Johns Hopkins, Muhlenberg and Ursinus to defeat to make the NCAA’s. 

But what makes the season that much more interesting is the addition of three New Jersey Athletic Conference schools to the schedule as part of the cooperative venture between the Centennial Conference and the NJAC to offset the Centennial’s loss of Susquehanna, Moravian and Juniata. F&M plays Kean and TCNJ at home while visiting Montclair State. This seems like a step up in completion for the Diplomats. 

Saturday night in North Jersey was a big sports night. Mere miles apart, soccer superstar Lionel Messi and his Miami teammates invaded Harrison for a match with the Red Bulls. Meanwhile, at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, future Hall of Fame QB Aaron Rodgers made his pre-season debut for the New York Jets. 

Neither disappointed. Messi rested much of the game, to the chagrin of the throngs which paid outrageous sums of money to see him on the pitch. When he came in, the roar was deafening. And of course, he scored easily in helping Miami to a 2-0 win.

Rodgers played two series for the Jets. In the second series, he hooked up with last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson on a beautiful scoring play. Jets fans salivated. 

The Jets went on to defeat the other tenant in the stadium, the New York Giants. An odd statistic came from that game. For the first time since 1969—and the two teams meet every pre-season—the Jets held a double digit advantage in the first quarter at 14-0. Maybe something really is different in Florham Park this season. When I drive by, the building seems to glow brighter. 

Let’s not get too silly. The AFC East, where the Jets reside, is a tough place to play. Buffalo and Miami have championship aspirations. New England may not be what it was when Tom Brady was there—but Bill Belichick hasn’t lost the ability to outthink his opponents.

There is defending champ Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes. Joe Burrow and Cincinnati, too. The Chargers are real good. There is a lot of competition for the playoffs in the AFC. Just because Rodgers looked good doesn’t mean anything once the games begin for real. Remember the last old Green Bay QB who came to the Jets—he didn’t win a title and he’s in a heap of trouble in Mississippi. 

Giants fans should temper their expectations as well. Philadelphia and Dallas reside in their division. Washington is no cakewalk. The 49’ers are strong, very much so once defensive stalwart Joey Bosa ends his holdout. The NFC Central could send multiple teams to the playoffs. 

Yes indeed—the NFL is shaping up to have a great season. Just like the boys at 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan and their TV partners would want. 

We have Labor Day in our sights. Football is upon us. Baseball is in the homestretch. Even the United States has put a good squad in place in Manila for the FIBA Championships. And how about the turnout for the Nebraska women’s volleyball game—92,003 red-clad fans in Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium, making it the largest crowd ever for a women’s sporting event. The US Open is into the middle rounds and Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic seem destined to meet once more while the comeback story of Caroline Wozniacki has made the women’s draw intriguing. 

It’s September. This is prime time for hurricanes. Both on the gridiron and in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Hold onto your hats, sports fans. 

Back To Reading More Daniel Silva

  In a week when my editor went on the IL (recover SOON!), baseball’s greatest free agent-to be, Shohei Ohtani has been shelved from pitching due to an UCL tear in his pitching arm. Ohtani had been feeling arm fatigue and he removed himself from his last start versus the Reds. 

The word is that he will remain as a designated hitter for the remainder of the year, as the Japanese star chases Aaron Judge’s American League home run record of 62 long balls, set just last season. Personally, I question whether he will be able to hit as well as he likes with this injury, and for how long before it completely stops him from playing this season. 

Given the mega contract he was going to receive as the 2023 AL M.V.P., possibly breaking Judge’s record and being a top line pitcher, Ohtani’s bargaining position has changed dramatically. With this development, would he stay with the Angels, or does he hold the team responsible in some way for his injury? Then there is the question of how effective co-star Mike Trout will be going forward—Trout returned to the IL after one game, as his broken hamate bone has not healed sufficiently. And there is the additional question if the Angels hierarchy has done enough to persuade Ohtani that the team has improved significantly to make them a contender. 

Of course, there is the big question that is outstanding. Will Ohtani submit to a second Tommy John surgery, effectively keeping him from playing for a large chunk of 2024, and will any team be willing to pay top dollar not knowing if Ohtani will pitch again like he did before the ligament tear and what frequency will he be able to throw upon his return—every sixth day? As an opener? Or as a closer? 

Undoubtedly, Shohei Ohtani is unique. His present condition makes the uniqueness of his new contract, already presumed to be in uncharted waters, quite murky to his suitors. 

Normally, I don’t feel that much for baseball players who are highly overpaid, like many others in different sports. It is a shame that the baseball world might be deprived of the special talent of Shohei Ohtani for awhile, if not forever. 

I was reminded of this when I saw the Steven Strasberg, the Washington Nationals pitching phenom who was the 2019 World Series M.V.P., could not make it back from thoracic outlet surgery and will be retiring. Fame in sports is fleeting. Those who last the longest are the luckiest—even if they fanatically take care of their bodies like Tom Brady did. 

There was only one Babe Ruth. There has been only one Shohei Ohtani. Just like there is only one Aaron Judge. Remember, Judge was away from the Yankees lineup for 50 games, his status contributing to the team’s precipitous decline. 

Judge single-handedly ended the Yankees nine game losing streak by slugging three home runs at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night—a first for his career. Look—the team has many flaws and is not making the playoffs. But for one magnificent night, Judge, along with woefully underperforming pitcher Luis Severino, reminded Yankees fans why the season has been so disappointing. 

On Thursday afternoon, Judge and slugger Giancarlo Stanton, so devoid of power most of the season, both homered, yet the bullpen imploded once more. A quick return to mediocrity. Bringing up the kids of the future to see how they can handle big league pitching is nice—but this never would have happened if the season had gone as expected. 

I have wasted enough time on the Yankees plight. An avid Bombers fan asked me at the gym at the beginning of the week which team I am rooting for now that the Yankees are toast. 

Good question. One which I hadn’t given much thought. And it made me think and watch some games this week to get a perspective. 

First, I hope the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks make the post-season. That is because I saw them play each other in Milwaukee in June. Both teams have had rollercoaster seasons—in and out of playoff positions. The Brewers sit at 70-57, with a three game lead on the Chicago Cubs and they are four ahead of Cincinnati. 

Arizona actually fell below .500 but now sports a 67-61 record. Winners of five in a row and eight of ten, the D-backs sit in the final National League Wild Card spot, 0.5 ahead of both San Francisco and Cincinnati. 

I watched the Philadelphia Phillies, last year’s World Series representative for the National League, as they took on San Francisco at Citizens Bank Field in South Philadelphia. Occupying the top NL Wild Card position, the Phils are two games in front of Chicago, which is at 67-62. I like their swagger/confidence. I think Manager Rob Thompson is a good field general—he was Joe Girard’s excellent bench coach when Girardi managed the Yankees. 

The fellow I spoke with likes Atlanta. Who wouldn’t? The Braves possess the best record in baseball, are strong across the board, and they appear superior to the Los Angeles Dodgers, which trails the Braves in the race for best record in the league by four games. 

So in the National League I would like to see the Cubs, Reds and Diamondbacks make the playoffs. Except that one of the three won’t overtake Philadelphia. Nor necessarily beat Atlanta or LA.

In the American League, I cannot root for any team other than the Baltimore Orioles. After all, Fan X and I make an annual pilgrimage to the Inner Harbor. We root for the home team, and this year the young talent is that good. 

The team which has my interest other than the Orioles is Seattle. Red hot since the All-

Star break (remember—the ASG this year was in their ballpark), this team has a legitimate, young superstar in Julio Rodriguez. Coupled with fine pitching from Luis Castillo and Logan Gilbert and the players who can hit, the playoff drought could finally end in the Pacific Northwest. 

It may be too late for them, yet I am watching the late surge by the Boston Red Sox. Boston may be the fourth place team in the strong American League East, but they are playing sound baseball. Thursday night’s 17-1 thumping of a good Houston team once more reminds me not to count the Red Sox out—even if they have to surpass Toronto, Seattle, Texas or Houston to sneak in as the final seed. 

Two more things. There was this silly debate over who is the best point guard ever in the NBA. Steph Curry was interviewed on a podcast hosted by former player Gilbert Arenas and Curry said he was. 

Now you know I love Steph Curry. Great shooter, Great ball handler. A winner. 

I happen to agree with one Michael Jeffrey Jordan, as eminent an authority that there might be on the subject of NBA players. The Mouth that Roared on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith started to give credence to Curry’s claim he is the top PG. 

Number 23 simply reminded us of Earvin “Magic” Johnson. His statistics dwarf Curry’s in most every category—even with his contracting HIV, which shortened his career. 

Curry is the great shooter. Magic is the great winner. Discussion is over. 

Lastly, the Washington Commanders beat the Baltimore Ravens in pre-season football. Normally, I could care less. Until I saw that this ended the Ravens’ 24 game winning streak in the pre-season. Talk about streaks which may never be matched given the propensity to stay healthy first and win with guys who might not even make the team playing the majority of the games. I found the record Baltimore set to be astounding. 

That’s it until next week. College football begins in earnest. I might discuss pro football too.

Until then, back to reading more Daniel Silva.