Choices Aplenty

I have been watching too much baseball so early in the season. For every team which I now follow is playing lousy. 

Last week I covered Rutgers and Franklin and Marshall’s difficulties. Which seemed to be many.

For RU, they salvaged a loss at home versus Marist, a team pounded by legitimate opposition like Vanderbilt, St.John’s and Purdue en route to a 14-20 overall record yet 13-5 in the MAAC, with a road win by a score of 11-1 in 7 innings over St.Joseph’s in Pennsylvania. St.Joseph’s sports a 23-12 record and is 14-1 atop the Atlantic-10. Go figure. 

The Scarlet Knights are in State College for a three game series against Big Ten co-cellar dweller Penn State (the bottom of the the conference standings has 11 schools separated by 3 games). Rutgers has a RPI ranking at 126 in the nation; PSU is at 195. RU won Game 1, a 13-11 slugfest. 

Meanwhile, F&M was unable to bounce back from its doubleheader loss to Mc Daniel. A trip to Chestertown, Maryland, a quaint hamlet on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, resulted in an excruciating 13-12 loss to the Shoremen.  Friday’s return game in Lancaster proved to be no better for F&M, losing 6-5 in another aborted comeback. 

Up next is a trip to Carlisle to meet Dickinson. The Red Devils split games with conference leader Johns Hopkins this week. They are formidable. 

Home and home games against #18 Gettysburg with a home contest against Lancaster Bible are on tap before a regular season-ending twin bill in Allentown against Muhlenberg. Unless this young team rights itself, puts itself in position for a playoff berth and if the weather stays more early April-like than the heat of this week, I might think twice about hiking up Route 78 to watch the two teams play. 

Last week, I thought UCLA would roll over UC-Santa Barbara on their triumphant return to the West Coast after sweeping Rutgers. Well, nobody told the Gauchos they weren’t a match for the top-ranked Bruins. UCSB must have had a joyous ride back home after engineering a 4-0 shutout over UCLA. UCSB survived multiple jams against the Bruins, who didn’t want their 27 game winning streak to end. But when the dust cleared, UCSB has its firs win over a #1 team since 2020—when they defeated UCLA. 

This UCSB team has beaten USC, Oregon, Southern Mississippi,Utah and Hawaii among others while compiling a 23-11 record, 10-5 in the Big West. The win catapulted the Gauchos to #25 in the country. A game at UC Irvine (RPI # 121) will be telecast on ESPN 2 on April 19. UCLA comes to town seeking revenge on April 28th. 

I want to circle back to Division III for a moment. Leading the pack is Denison University with a 24-1 record. Lynchburg, Salve Regina, Shenandoah and Johns Hopkins round out the Top 5 as the smaller schools head towards the end of the season. 

Within a few hours on the same weekend in March, the Ohio school won both the women’s basketball title and defended its crown in men’s swimming and diving. Now the Big Red seeks to capture the DIII baseball championship. The women’s lacrosse team is currently ranked at # 9; women’s fencing finished third; women’s golf is #18; women’s squash was #20; women’s swimming and diving ended up at #4; and women’s tennis sits currently at #22. In men’s sports, DU had a decent football season;  they were competitive in many other sports and finished ranked in soccer and squash. Men’s tennis is currently #4 and lacrosse is leading the conference. 

The private, selective liberal arts college located in Granville, Ohio is suddenly a focal point for DIII athletics.  Denison has 2,400 students taking some 65 academic programs. Notable graduates include Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner. Hal Holbrook, Richard G. Lugar, former Disney head Michael Eisner, former Ohio State head football coach, the late Woody Hayes and race car driver Bobby Rahal. 

Denison is adding men’s fencing and women’s water polo in 2026-27. Sports seem to be thriving in central Ohio. While ranked #26 in the Learfield Cup standings after the Winter sports ended, a win in baseball could catapult the Big Red into the Top 20. Very impressive for a non-NESCAC, non-UAA school. A sound investment in the college’s future through athletics.

Major league baseball in New York City isn’t exactly red hot right now.  The Yankees may have split a four game set with the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim, but they were very close to being swept. 

While reigning M.V.P. Aaron Judge slugged four home runs this week, he wasn’t the star of the series. That belonged to another three-time M.V.P.—Mike Trout. The Millville, New Jersey native clobbered five home runs in a four game series at Yankee Stadium. That’s the most be a visiting player—ever!!

I am certainly taking no credit away from Trout for his performance. Instead, it showed the weakness of NYY pitching. LAA swatted 14 homers in the series—that’s one heck of a lot of dingers. Even NYY castoff Oswald Peraza, once thought to be the likely NYY shortstop of the future but who hit lightly for the Bombers while in pinstripes, put two into the seats. 

But for a fielding miscue and the meltdown of the Angels’ closer, NYY should feel fortunate that they won two games. Without some clutch hitting from Trent Grisham, along with continued stellar performances from Ben Rice, Giancarlo Stanton and a walk off double by Jose Caballero which barely scored catcher Austin Wells, the hitting has been atrocious. 

I realize that 11-9 isn’t horrible for March and April thus far. While Tampa Bay leads the AL East courtesy of last weekend’s sweep of New York, it is only by 1.5 games. Everyone else is sitting below .500. 

Reinforcements are on the way. Ace pitcher Gerrit Cole has begun a rehab assignment. His timetable is uncertain but could be fast-tracked if he performs well. Fellow star pitcher Carlos Rodon feels no pain in his surgically-repaired elbow and could be on the heels of Cole to be playing soon the Bronx. And Anthony Volpe is working his way back to reclaim the starting shortstop role. 

All good signs. But Yankees’ fans couldn’t help think of Jasson Dominguez being in the lineup or Oswaldo Cabrera taking grounders at third base on his healed ankle, instead of disappointing Ryan Mc Mahon. For the desperate NYY faithful, it was a welcome sign for NYY that Mc Mahon, inserted late in the game for his defense, deposited a pitch over the left field wall for an opposite field home run which catapulted the Yankees to a victory before a full house on Friday night.  

It’s too early to panic. Unless Kansas City, in for the weekend, puts a hurting on this team prior to heading to Boston for a three game set. Lose both series and the howling will be that much more intense at GM Brian Cashman and Manager Aaron Boone. 

Yet as badly as the Yankees are playing, the Mets are much worse. Owners of a nine game losing streak after being spanked in Los Angeles by the defending champions and then humiliated in Wrigley Field by a score of 12-4, the ever-emotional Mets fans are apoplectic right now. 

Yes, the Mets miss the injured Juan Soto. He’ll be back soon. Do they miss slugger Pete Alonso—yes. NYM suffers from the same illness as their Bronx rivals: hitting woes. Top starters Nolan Mc Lean, Clay Holmes and Freddy Peralta are doing their jobs. Former Yankees’ closers Luke Weaver and Devin Williams aren’t doing it. I am not as confident that they will turn things around so quickly. 

In a first look at the National League, the Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks are playing well. Atlanta is the sole NL East team above.500, while all the NL Central is playing over .500 ball, led by Pittsburgh—for the moment. 

No one is really excelling in the American League. The Athletics are at .500 while the Angels are 11-10 after returning home and shutting out a very potent San Diego lineup. In a week or two, this configuration easily could change.

Some players worth mentioning in the early days of a long season. Shohei Ohtani gave up his first earned run of the season when LAD beat the Mets on Wednesday night. In 18 innings, the Japanese slugger/pitcher has an E.R.A. of 0.50. San Diego closer Mason Miller has pitched in 9.1 innings thus far. He has six saves. His E.R.A. is 0.00. He has struck out 23 of the 30 batters he has faced, allowing one hit and one walk. 

Jose Soriano of LAA is 5-0 with a 0.28 E.R.A. He also leads MLB in strikeouts with 39, followed closely by New York Yankees phenom Cam Schlittler with 36. Cleveland’s Parker Messing, who nearly threw a no hitter this week is 3-0 with a 1.05 E.R.A.

Houston’s big lefty hitter Yordan Alvarez has 8 home runs, tying for the MLB lead with Judge and Jordan Walker of St. Louis. Andy Pages of the Dodgers continues his torrid start to the season with a MLB-best .412 batting average. Pages leads the majors with 21 R.B.I. 

The post-season has started for the NBA with play-in games. Golden State surprised the Clippers with a Steph Curry and Draymond Green-led comeback to win on Tuesday. Portland also stunned Phoenix to set up a first round Trail Blazers-San Antonio matchup. 

When Lamelo Ball grabbed Miami Heat player Ben Adabayo on his way to the ground, the subsequent injury to the Heat offensive juggernaut played big in Miami’s defeat to the Hornets in OT. The fine and a change to a Flagrant 2 Foul  was little consolation for Miami coach Eric Spoelstra. Ball has done this before to Adabayo. The officials blew the call. Period. 

Without Joel Embiid, Philadelphia outlasted Orlando to gain a 2-7 matchup with Boston. There is no timetable for Embiid to return from his appendectomy. 

Orlando received the gift of a home game to determine whether they or Charlotte gets to play the Detroit Pistons, the Eastern Conference’s top seed, in the first round. The Magic emphatically sent Charlotte packing. 

Alas, playing from behind on the road became too much of a burden for the Warriors. Phoenix outshot a flawed Golden State team to set up an opening round date with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Los Angeles star LeBron James has hinted at retirement. He will have to carry the offense for the Lakers against Houston, as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are both out. Could this be it for the King? 

New York and Atlanta will be a war. There is no clear favorite here. To the chagrin of Knicks fans. 

Toronto and Cleveland round out the Eastern Conference playoffs. Denver and Minnesota meet once more to determine who goes forward to likely play OKC. Whenever those two teams get together, it is a battle. 

What do I see happening? It is more like what I hope for. Detroit and Boston surviving in the East, although New York might have something to say about that. In the West, the dream scenario is OKC and San Antonio. Navigating the West for any of the eight teams left is going to be difficult. 

Hockey opens the run to the Stanley Cup this weekend. Colorado and Buffalo are sentimental favorites. Don’t count out a run by a lot of other teams. It is a wide open playoffs this Spring. Each series is no easy one for any team. 

Of note is the intra-state rivalry between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Montreal and Tampa Bay is an intriguing series—how many Canadiens fans will be in the stands in Florida?

Buffalo drew a difficult opening round opponent in Boston. Ottawa will test Carolina. Can NHL points leader Connor McDavid, perhaps the best player on the planet, lead his Edmonton team past Anaheim and even further? 

If you are a hockey aficionado (like me), you will be controlling the remote, sending your spouse to an alternate set to watch what she wants. Or for that matter, there also is baseball and basketball to watch. Plus two days in Pittsburgh for the wheeling and dealing of the NFL Draft are upcoming. 

Lucky for me that my daughter isn’t home or I would have to find time for the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Final Four. While favorites LSU, Florida and Oklahoma, all SEC schools, made it to Fort Worth, a very lucky and unlikely Minnesota squad will join them, courtesy of a UCLA meltdown in the previous round. 

There are choices aplenty. Choose at your peril.  

An April Snapshot: An Inauguration. Baseball. The Masters

  I had never been to an inauguration. Sure, I have watched countless U.S. Presidential inaugurations on television. The air of formality and tradition was evident, even from the limited views television provided. And it always seemed to be really cold every January when it was time to swear in the leader of our nation. 

Since I have knowledge of the U.S. Capitol building from my six month internship in the Houser of Representatives, I always marveled how an entire platform was constructed on the steps of the building, under the supervision of the Architect of the Capitol. The majestic view outward allowed for the President and guests to view the beautiful vista of the DC skyline and the thousands of citizens who braved the freezing temperatures to watch the spectacle so critical to the seamless tradition of power in our democracy, 

I have never wanted to be a part of that, largely because of the weather. I hate going to football games in January because of how cold I remain despite the layers of clothing I wear and the number of strategically-placed warmers I secrete around my body.

So, while it wasn’t on my bucket list, when I received an invitation to attend the inauguration of Andrew Rich as the 17th President of my alma mater, Franklin and Marshall College, I thought this might be something I would like to see. After all, it was in April and it would be held indoors at the college’s Alumni Sports & Fitness Center. A win-win in terms of comfort. 

I have gotten to know President Rich from a trip to Hudson Yards in Manhattan to listen to him and others speak on Athletics and Greek Life at the college. His invitation to hear from those present on any matter related to the school spurred me to write to him. It culminated in a 35 minute phone conversation in February which gave me greater insight into a man who I believed was ready to take the college to new heights while restoring its place among the more prestigious institutions of higher education. 

I figured there certainly would be pomp and circumstances associated with the ceremony. Along with speeches. I wasn’t wrong. 

The ASFC dazzled in blue and white, the college’s colors. A stage was set up with supporting video screens behind it—a nod to the age we live in. Yet old-fashioned wooden chairs with the F&M insignia were grouped together on the podium in reverence to the heritage of the school. 

For tradition was what the ceremony was about. Colleges in the Northeast sent representatives to the event. Professors marched in along with members of the Board of Trustees, past and present. All were adorned in the robes of their respective colleges and universities. It was a cacophony of colors. 

Part of the formal aspect of this installation was the leading of the procession with the College’s mace. It is a replica of the towers of Old Main, the most prominent building on campus, built on the highest spot in the City of Lancaster, where hangings were previously held. What I didn’t know was that mace dates back only to the 1967-68 academic year—the year before I began attending Franklin and Marshall. Inside the metal replica is a portion of a wood beam from the original Franklin College, the forerunner to the present school. 

A beautiful collegiate orchestra serenaded the guests. Speeches galore were the order of the day. Some serious and some were light-hearted and anecdotal. The incoming President’s father, a retired academician of some note at the University of Delaware, along with a former F&M graduate, now part of Governor Josh Shapiro’s cabinet, who was associated with President Rich as a Truman Scholar, were especially poignant as well as relevant. 

Before the installation, the Presidential Medallion was conferred. Then Andy Rich, as he likes to be referred to, spoke to the the assemblage. He laid out his vision for the future of the college in bold and unmistakable terms. 

If his words are true and he is as captivating as he speaks, then Franklin and Marshall absolutely made the right choice as a leader. Even if he might have been campaigning for the job as a guest at a wedding, strategically seated next to a prominent member of the Search Committee. 

With the bells of Old Main tolling via tape after a rendition of the Alma Mater, the recessional started. We lunched with friends and guests. I introduced myself to Andy. It was a joyous celebration of the life of a fine academic institution. My wife and I couldn’t have enjoyed it better. I felt comfort and honor for my college. 

As the bevy of workers tore down the stage and all the trimmings, the vacant area made me think about how quickly the construction at the U.S. Capitol is removed for another four years, only to be rebuilt anew. While costly to put on, ceremonies last just so long but are seared into memory for a lifetime. 

Not to disappoint, there was an extra element to our trip to Lancaster. It was time to see my team play Mc Daniel College in a baseball doubleheader. I call it “my” team because I played for baseball at F&M. I have a team cap given to me by the current coach, a sweatshirt for F&M Baseball, and a retired uniform similar to what we wore in 1970 bearing my number 25. I am always all in on F&M Baseball. 

We caught the last three innings of the first game. F&M staged a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning, closing the gap from 11-1 to 11-6, thus avoiding the dreaded 10 run rule and ending the game after 7 innings. 

It was breezy and clear, with temperatures hovering around 60 degrees. The field never looked better. The grass was green and lush. The infield dirt stayed finely manicured. It was a perfect setting. 

Unfortunately, the Diplomats bats went silent and the 11-6 score became final. The team lost the nightcap 6-1, dropping them to 4-6 in the conference and with a 6-8 record at home. 

Nine games remain on the schedule. Home and home Tuesday-Friday contests with Washington College and #21 Gettysburg are sandwiched around two road doubleheaders at Dickinson College and at Muhlenberg. A non-conference game at the nearby Penn Medicine Park versus local rival Lancaster Bible is also to be played. 

Currently, the team is tied at the bottom of the Centennial Conference standings with five other schools which include Dickinson and Muhlenberg. Washington College and Mc Daniel are ahead of that group at 5-5. Highly-ranked Johns Hopkins and Gettysburg lead the pack.

It’s going to be tough for the Diplomats to make the playoffs, as Mc Daniel and Swarthmore hold tiebreakers over F&M. F&M must win the six games against Washington, Dickinson and Muhlenberg to securely make the playoffs. 

With what appears to be a muddled pitching staff which has a cumulative 6.50 ERA, that makes the chances more problematic, given that eleven F&M players sport batting averages well over .300. It is not insurmountable, but the odds aren’t in favor of F&M unless the pitching warms up with the weather as April heats up. 

Less that 24 hours later, we were seated on the outfield bleachers at renovated Bainton Field, the home of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The place looks more collegiate and at a DI level, although it pales in comparison with other Big Ten rivals home fields. 

The attraction this day was the final game of a three game series with #1 UCLA. It is rare that any #1 team visits Piscataway for games. I can recall #1 Purdue coming to Jersey Mike’s Arena this fall for basketball. #1 Ohio State came to SHI Stadium in 2023. I am confident that RU has played against #1 teams in men’s lacrosse before.

But this was the first time I can recall that a number one baseball team would be playing at RU. So I had to be present to take it all in.

The temperature was in the upper 50’s and the skies again were clear. There was a slight breeze blowing in and towards right field. 

When we arrived, UCLA was ahead 1-0. This was unsurprising since the Bruins won Game 1 by a score of 4-1 in 14 innings. 

What made the series opener remarkable was the strikeout totals for Rutgers. The starter, a transfer from San Diego where he was a first team WCC selection, pitched 8 innings. He struck out 18 RU hitters while only allowing the one run. In total, RU batters were fanned an incredible 30 times. 

Game 2 was no better for the Scarlet Knights. They lost 7-1. At least UCLA registered only 10 RU strikeouts in that contest. 

From what I saw of UCLA in Game 3, the hitters were better than RU and the pitching was far superior. One relief pitcher for UCLA consistently registered 98 mph on the speed gun for his pitches. That’s MLB level talent. 

It was no contest in the finale. RU did score 2 runs, but on only 2 hits. They did commit 3 errors while surrendering 14 hits.

Totals for the weekend: UCLA 20 runs scored; 37 hits; 4 home runs and 8 extra base hits; 0 errors. Meanwhile, Rutgers managed to score 4 runs with 11 base hits, 1 home run and 3 extra base hits; RU committed 5 errors. 

The disparity was great in all facets of the game. I am guessing that there were a number of future pros in the Bruin lineup, starting with their shortstop Roch Cholowsky, believed to be the number one pick in the next MLB Draft. Cholowsky went 2 for 12 against RU with a couple of walks and 1 RBI. I know he was the collegiate player of the year in 2025. I know he is hitting .332 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI. He did not impress me at all. 

UCLA now sports a record of 33-2 and is 16-0 in Big Ten action. The Bruins have won 27 straight games. RU fell to 17-18 and 5-10 in conference. 

Rutgers gets a breather with Marist coming to town. UC Santa Barbara is UCLA’s next likely victim. RU has to go to Los Angeles soon to play USC. UCLA has one more out of time zone road trip to Michigan State. 

Look for UCLA to be in Omaha for the College World Series. Look for Rutgers to try to make better strides as the season progresses. 

Then there’s the Yankees. Off to a blazing start, the Bombers fell off the table once they played the A’s. And it followed with a clunker of a series at Tampa Bay. Five straight losses, six out of seven total. 

It took a crazy game on a crazy night to stop the bleeding. Barely. On an unseasonably warm April night, the somnambulant Yankees bats came alive. To the tune of five home runs, two each by Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham, the latter coming off the bench to spark the team twice, including a game-tying blast in the ninth inning. NYY had to overcome shaky pitching, two homers by the Angels’ Mike Trout, who is back to being one of the best players in the game after having been beset with injuries and then relied on a wild pitch to score the winning run. Of note, many M.V.P. winners took part in the game—Judge, Trout, Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton and Paul Goldschmidt

One game hardly makes a season. Maybe this kind of nutty game can be the jolt which the team needed. What the Yankees still require are productive at bats from guys not named Judge, Ben Rice or Giancarlo Stanton. And more reliable relief pitching—Jake Bird was sent to the minors after his disastrous game last night. 

By the way, nine players hit multiple homers on Monday. That is amazing. What’s more amazing is that the record is an incredible ten players accomplished that feat on September 10, 2019 and that nine players have hit multiple home runs on five other occasions.

Finally, a few comments about the Masters. Rory McIroy, the Northern Ireland golfer, took home his second consecutive green jacket with his win on Sunday. He joins Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in that rare company. 

McIlroy leaped out to a sizable lead on Thursday. That lead kept getting reduced until during Sunday’s final round, he found himself trailing a couple of golfers at a number of different holes. 

Then Mc Ilroy did what champions do. He hit shots that catapulted him into the lead while others fell off the pace. And he survived his near-undoing from a bad shot on the final hole to survive by one shot over a hard-charging Scottie Scheffler. 

It was good theater on the most picturesque golf course in this country. I enjoyed the drama and the artistry. This is the one tournament which, to me, outshines the others. 

This was an April snapshot. An Inauguration. Baseball. And The Masters.