Are We Out Of Control?

This has been one heck of a week. One of my cars smelled like a skunk that took aim at its undercarriage in an act of anger or it fell in love with the SUV’s color of black. The skunk also decided that it was worth ripping up my back lawn for whatever it was looking for. That left deep divots, without the smell.  

All my flowers have been eaten by the neighborhood animals. Virtually no flowers this year, just chewed on plants. I planted my tomatoes surrounded by the usual corral made form an old dog pen. Chicken wire over that is inevitable. 

I have not had enough water pressure to fully water my grass with my in ground sprinklers. One plumber came out and said there would be well over $1000 in repairs. 

I had to coordinate with the water company to come and turn off the water from the outside of the house. That was some adventure, as the serviceman spent 30 minutes locating the buried switch and it took a lot of effort to turn it. The switch is off now and the plumber—a different one from the same company—will come to replace a very old, original inside valve and pipe for a lot cheaper price than the first guy quoted. 

We booked a trip to Italy for late summer. The plan was to use credit card points to cover a portion of the flight fares. However, the travel coordinator could only offer basic economy on United, which was a non-starter for the very long flight. Those points will go towards domestic air travel.

The knob on our just over 4 month old GE range got stuck in low and when I tried to turn the burner off, it remained on high. After calls to the dealer (closed) and GE (wouldn’t recognize our serial numbers as a GE product), we were left with no alternative to enlist the Springfield Fire Department for help. Two firemen from the ladder truck came and turned off the gas to the range and unplugged it from the electrical outlet. GE came Saturday and has ordered a new switch. We are unable to use the burner until repaired on May 29. The microwave/convection oven, the toaster oven and the gas grill will have to be our cooking sources.

In the sports world, Adam Gase showed he is in control of the New York Jets, as owner Christopher Johnson summarily fired GM Mike Maccagnan about two weeks after the NFL Draft. Head Coach Gase did not want free agent RB Le’veon Bell at all, and felt that his GM overpaid too. This was the last straw in the rift between them, and leaves the New York Jets adrift and poorly managed.

Gase must think he is Bill Belichick or Bill Parcells. He was a control freak in Miami according to former Jets’ front office man Mike Tannenbaum, who was let go when Gase didn’t get along with him.

This does not bode well for New York. There is a ray of hope for Jets fans with the personnel on this team. But for me, I feel that very little will change under Gase’s guidance and the team will again not be a contender. I would love to be wrong on this, yet, after all, it is the New York Jets, with a crazed coaching retread who is not a proven winner.

The Boston Bruins are four games away from ending their drought of winning the Stanley Cup. The B’s simply outclassed the Carolina Hurricanes and are the favorite to win the Cup, whether their opponent is St.Louis or San Jose.

San Jose was gifted a win in OT in Game 3 in St. Louis when an obvious hand pass wasn’t called, and that pass went onto a Sharks’ stick for a game-winning goal. The play was not reviewable and led to an outcry by Carolina coach Rod Brind‘Amour that the NHL, who, after the fact acknowledged the mistake, should expand replay. It works in baseball and it works in football, although after what happened to the New Orleans Saints in the 2018 playoffs, they too need to revamp their current system. St. Louis went up 3-2 on the Sharks with a 5-0 win on Sunday.

Golden State moved on to Portland for two games in the Western Conference finals. The “Core Four”—“The Hampton Five” minus Kevin Durant, is more than holding their own. Portland seems drained after their rugged seven game battle with the Denver Nuggets. Returning to Moda Center where the friendly environment, fueled by fans who want to dethrone the champions, should greatly improve their chances. Thus far Steph Curry has played like the two-time M.V.P. he has been, and Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have excelled. Andre Iguodala made a key defensive stop on Damian Lilliard at the end of Game 2. The Blazers have shown sparks of life and their Curry, Seth, gave his brother fits at times and hit some important shots. 

I thought it would totally surprise me if the Warriors swept their way into the NBA Finals. While they know how to win and have championship pedigree, Portland entered this matchup  far from being a decided underdog.  However, on Saturday night, Golden State overcame another large deficit to win convincingly. Green was a “wrecking ball,” according to Coach Steve Kerr. Curry managed to score 36 points again—on what looked like a sub par night. The Warriors have an astonishing NBA record—a road win in 22 consecutive playoff series. And they once more shut down Lillard, who admitted he was playing with separated ribs, and sent the Blazers to an incredible playoff record of 1-11 versus the Warriors. One thing is for sure—Dell and Sonya Curry will be going to the NBA Finals to root for one son, and it is looking like it will be Steph.

Milwaukee is acting like the best team in the NBA. It may be, but until they beat the Western Conference champs, they are just another contender. Toronto is game, and they might pick off a game at home. For the first two contests, it looked like the Raptors had ended the season with the dramatic win at home against Philadelphia. This is Milwaukee’s series to win.

Don’t look now, but the injury-riddled New York Yankees have momentarily made it into first place in the AL East. Recently, the Yankees have had the best record in MLB. They won a doubleheader from the Orioles on Wednesday, making up for a rain-sodden week in the New York metropolitan area. New York took 2 out of 3 from Tampa Bay, decimating the AL-leading Rays pitching staff for 13 runs on Sunday with a 7 run outburst in the 6th inning.

In their rear view mirror are the hard-charging Boston Red Sox. Despite losing David Price to injury, the resurgent Red Sox have become a force in the AL East as expected. Chris Sale struck out 17 Colorado batters in 7 innings last week. Did anybody really think that they wouldn’t be in it to win the AL East? This weekend they had a tough time with perhaps the best team in baseball, the Houston Astros, who won the first two games at Fenway Park before the Red Sox prevailed by a 4-3 score.

The Preakness was run on Saturday. Outside of a large crowd at Pimlico and a TV audience that knew this meant very little, no one cared much about the outcome. I know I didn’t watch. ESPN had an interesting feature on the future of the Pimlico Race Track in a largely black section of Baltimore and how the Canadian owners are seeking to move the race to Laurel Park, which has set up a major political battle in the city and in the Maryland Legislature.. 

New Orleans has the right to select Zion Williamson with the first pick in the NBA Draft. The Knicks are picking third—another unfortunate consolation prize. I wonder how this changes the free agent landscape? Or the mindset of the disgruntled Anthony Davis? 

Ian Kinsler was provocative this week. The San Diego infielder and a champion with Boston last year as well as a 4 time MLB All-Star, has been mired in a bad slump to start the year, pushing his average below .200. 

On Wednesday night he slugged a homer deep into the stands at Petco Park. At least three times he ranted and spewed obscenities—he said to psych up his teammates, but everyone knew they were directed at the fans who were giving Kinsler the business about his bad season thus far. This was bush, no matter what feeble justification Kinsler offered. Act like a pro, not a disgraceful has been.

That admonishment should go to C.C. Sabathia, too. C.C. has had his run ins with Tampa Bay, last season getting tossed after drilling a Rays player for throwing behind a Yankee batter. C.C. was hot again in Tampa last weekend, voicing his disapproval when two New York batters were hit by Yonny Chirinos pitches. To exact revenge this time, C.C. tried to hit Tampa Bay DH Austin Meadows on Friday night. Lip readers clearly saw C.C. say “Yeah, I definitely was trying to hit his a—.”

Grow up C.C. Pitch to win some games. You are only 2-1 and haven’t even reached the 250 career mark and it is nearly Memorial Day. Focus—even when it is the Rays. Your team needs you to pitch, not take unilateral action for wrongs you have perceived.

Mike Trout, playing in the relative anonymity of Orange County, California and not seen very much on national television, hit his 250th home run. Halfway to immortality. Halfway to the Hall of Fame.

Deontay Wilder is the WBC heavyweight champion. He had a fight this weekend with a long time rival, Dominic Breazeale. Boxers like to stir things up to draw fans, and I am sure that Wilder was hyping his match for Showtime. But to call boxing a “gladiator sport” and say that he “wants” to kill a man in the ring is over the top. Death is always a possibility in boxing. I recall watching Bennie Parent dying at the hands of Emile Griffith. Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini beat his opponent so badly that he died. 

When we were younger, someone would ask if you would go into the ring with Sonny Liston or Muhammad Ali for a million dollars? (nope) Mike Tyson, who was fearsome in his prime, would always call his KO punches “murderous.” Boxing is a serious matter. It does not require video game theatrics to draw attention to its violence. Tone it down, Deontay. KO Breazeale—which he did in the first round with a brutal right hand that found his opponent’s chin. Don’t try to kill anyone—if you do, the DA will be looking into your case and boxing will fall further behind UFC and MMA, until somebody dies inside the octagon.

After three rounds, the PGA Championship at the supposedly difficult course of Bethpage Black was turning into a romp for Brooks Koepka. Paired with Tiger Woods for the opening round, Koepka smashed the course record while the 43 year old Woods set his route for not making the cut. Too much of the focus was on Woods and his over par rounds. Only when Koepka was blowing away the field by 7 shots on Saturday did he receive the proper accolades. 

For his sake, I hoped he stayed in front and collected the trophy. Koepka is a fine golfer and he won the US Open on Long Island at Shinnecock. Otherwise, this would have been a tournament for the ages if he lost. Having said this, Kopek came back to the field and won by a mere 2 strokes.

As for Tiger, he was happy to say that, for those whose memory was a bit foggy that he did just fine for a man of his age in April in Augusta. Amen.

Two scandalous items appeared in print and on the airwaves. Evidently, a doctor at Ohio State had been doing inappropriate things to those OSU athletes he screened in the 1970’s and ’80’s. While he is long gone, the stigma of what happened remains with those young men, who probably knew no better.

I recall that in Highland Park we had to be medically certified to play in the Midget League. I remember having to take my pants down and be examined, including the obligatory squeeze of the testicles.My mother was not in the room. One doctor performed the testing.  As I grew older, the rule was amended to let the family pediatrician handle the testing. It hadn’t really dawned on me until this scandal at Ohio State broke that I may or may not have been the subject of abuse. 

Then there was the report of sexual abuse by a Penn State assistant coach on a woman on a plane in 2017. Penn State, if anywhere, had a zero tolerance for this kind of action. Instead, when the woman attempted to report the incident, she was told that “no would believe her.” The coach who was to report the incident failed to do so. There simply is no place for intolerance.

And I was appalled with the Michigan judge who acted as a celebrity when interviewed by Cynthia McFadden of NBC News about how she handled the Larry Nasser sentencing. All made up and dressed to the nines, she made the story into more about her than the women who suffered indignities at the hands of Nasser. Her mea culpa that she would rather be taken off the bench than change how she handled the matter was grandstanding at its worst in a state where judges are elected. This woman should have declined to be interviewed. What about the integrity of the judiciary, Brett Kavanaugh and the Senate Republicans notwithstanding? 

Finally, I do not usually bring politics into my blog. However, it is affecting me in how I travel. 

This week we head to Tampa to see the Dodgers and Rays play. We are driving form St. Petersburg to New Orleans for our daughter’s birthday. Previously, we decided to stop in Pensacola so I could see the home of the Blue Angels Navy air acrobatic team. On Friday we will head westward to “The Big Easy.” 

We have about 120 miles on I-10 that takes us through Alabama. With what the Alabama legislature has done this week regarding abortion, I do not intend to do anything in Alabama other than drive to Mississippi and to appropriately use the Alabama rest areas. Mississippi has their own draconian laws on abortion; I am simply madder at Alabama for the travesty they have wrought. 

This is my choice. I like the right to choose what I can do with myself. This is nothing compared to what a woman should have the right to do with her body, let alone when it is invaded by way of rape or incest. 

I am certain that there are many decent and knowledgeable people in Alabama who would do the right thing in this instance. Apparently it doesn’t matter in a state that gave us Roy Moore and may thrust him upon us again. The backwards thinking legislators who pleasured us with this legislation are what I envision Alabama to be. 

I hope that I do not have to re-enter Alabama until saner people come to their senses. I rooted for Nick Saban and his Alabama Crimson Tide. Not any more—the same zealots who work in the Legislature fund the University of Alabama and its teams. Same applies to Auburn and I like the roguish Bruce Pearl. I just cannot stomach this mentality.

I have two more big trips left in my quest to see all 30 MLB parks. I am thinking about a driving trip from NJ to Chicago and Milwaukee as well as visiting Purdue and the University of Illinois. This path leaves me no alternative but to drive through Ohio, stopping in Columbus and near Cleveland. It leaves me cold that I have to do this in a state which has joined the lunacy over abortion rights.

Next year I need to visit Kansas City and St. Louis. Missouri is the state where a legislator said most rapes are not from “strangers jumping out of the bushes’ but were “date rapes or consensual rapes.” Really?

I feel almost hypocritical in knowing that I will spend time and money in these states whose leaders I abhor. I feel that I have an unhappy choice to give up an abiding passion to see all the parks as I am but 5 stadiums away from conclusion. I feel empathy towards the women who must make starker and more defining choices because of the mania to overthrow Roe v. Wade.

I wish things weren’t the way life has become for so many who feel disenfranchised. The epidemic which has overrun our country threatens its core values. 

I see it in microcosm in sports. I see it in life. I am pro-life. The kind of life we all can enjoy and which our Founding Fathers had envisioned, not some demagoguery in the ruse of political gain cloaked in morality.

What Is wrong with our lives, our country, our leaders? I haven’t the answer for that. I hope we get things under control soon. So I can pursue my passion without question—just as a woman has the undeniable right to choose to take care of herself instead of others forcing her to do what she does not wish to do.

Television For The Ages

As the playoffs have progressed in both the NBA and the NHL, I find that I am being seduced by the games. A couple of Game 7’s in hockey and the Conference semi-finals in the NBA. There have been fewer late starts to games in the NHL, given one series involved St. Louis and Dallas, both in the Central Time Zone. The Eastern Conference games in the NBA are at reasonable times, but in the Western Conference, three of the four teams are in the Pacific Time Zone and Denver is in the Mountain Time Zone. 

Up to Wednesday night, the latest I had stayed awake was to just after midnight for the Rockets and Warriors in Houston. I missed the 2OT clincher by St. Louis to end their series. 

But I could not help myself on Wednesday night, and I tuned into the TNT broadcast of Golden State and Houston from Oakland. Which kept me at rapt attention to the TV until the 1:07 am final buzzer. I would have to wait another 44 hours for the next dramatic episode. More on this later.

So what filler did I have to occupy my time? How about the Yankees? They had two games left against the formerly hot Seattle Mariners, now drifting inexorably towards a berth below .500. As opposed to the Yankees, as injury-ridden as they have been, who are trending upwards towards first place in the AL East.

Wednesday night’s game started out and finished as a bad outing for the team. Which, in the course of the first quarter of the long season, have been few and far between. So I gave up on them early and turned my attention to the Warriors game without distraction. 

For the record, I had checked in on the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics, merely to watch the obvious—that a very strong Milwaukee team obliterated Kyrie Irving and his cohorts. There was not much to see except highlight reel dunks and drives to the hoop by “The Greek Freak.” 

I like the Celtics head coach Brad Stevens—I have liked him since he took his Butler University teams to the NCAA Final Four. It is my belief that, with a really good supporting cast, he would be a great coach to lead a team to an NBA championship. While his demeanor is not that of Greg Popovich, I think of how Pop wouldn’t be on the pedestal of certain Hall of Fame coaches if he didn’t have David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and a tremendous group of interchangeable supporting parts to meld into a tapestry of offensive and defensive prowess.

I hope that the Celtics are rid of Irving via free agency and can come up with a scenario  whereby GM Danny Ainge, recovering from his second heart attack, can bring in the necessary parts to make Boston a championship team again. A coach such as Stevens deserves an opportunity to show what he can do with players who form a whole team, not one with a divisive guard as the focal point. 

Diverging for a moment, the other cornerstone of the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers franchise, is in complete and utter turmoil. First, poor Luke Walton takes the blame for a poor season, one in which LeBron James was injured and could not play much of the final potion of the season. Then Magic Johnson leaves his beloved team without a hint or warning that this was going to happen. A coaching search centers on Ty Lue coaching LeBron again after his successful sting with James in Cleveland. Except that the Lakers and Lue could not agree on a deal when Lakers’ management refused to let Lue bring in his own assistant coaches. Now there is a new search for the leader of this dysfunctional group—one who might be complimentary to the mercurial James. And word has leaked out that owner Jeanie Buss is even considering trading James who, unbelievably, does not have a no trade clause in his contract. How and when this hysteria comes to a necessary end is unanswerable. No wonder fans are protesting outside of the Staples Center.

Such a shame that the Lakers and Celtics—NBA royalty—are in disarray. Moreover, two more glamor franchises, the Knicks and Bulls are bottom feeders, hoping that the upcoming draft will provide salvation. Not good for the NBA.

What is good for the NBA is the emergence of the Bucks, Nuggets and the 76’ers. Plus mainstays Portland and Toronto have been playing well. 

Yet the team that is spellbinding for the NBA is the Golden State Warriors. With Stephon Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala aiding and abetting Kevin Durant, the Warriors are a joy to watch. Durant has played above the rim, defended incredibly and carried the team with his offense. Once more, he looked like the greatest player in the NBA.

The marquee matchup between Houston and Golden State was living up to the pre-series hype. James Harden and his crew were giving the Warriors fits. The scores were close—the final tallies showed that the teams were within 6 points at the end of each game. So it was no surprise that the two teams were tied 2-2 before Wednesday’s meeting. Home court victories for each, none of them easy. The Rockets were gunning threes and Harden was shimmying on the court and not missing much while heading to the free throw line regularly. The basketball choreography was stunning. And no one knew which team would survive the pre-determined seven games series and move on to the Western Conference Finals. 

Which is why, on Wednesday night, the drama was high throughout the first two quarters and into the third period. Harden was again doing his thing and the sharpshooters of the Rockets were hitting the long range buckets so much a staple of the Houston offense.

Moreover, the Houston defenders were harassing Curry and Thompson, who could not make their shots. Green and Iggy still were playing at a high level. It was Durant who kept the Warriors afloat and led them to a double-digit lead in the third period.

Until the unthinkable happened. After he hit a mid-range jumper, Durant headed up court a step or two before clutching his right leg in agony. He limped off of the court, heading directly to the locker room. There was stunned, disbelieving silence in the normally loud Oracle Arena. The thought was common—had Durant torn his Achilles tendon and were the Warriors chances to beat Houston over?

Relying on Curry and Thompson to take over the bulk of the scoring, Golden State actually surrendered their large lead to the Rockets in the fourth quarter. Until Curry came out of his funk and started to lead the Warriors to the the unthinkable—a win despite losing Durant.The Rockets simply could not respond enough to win the game and take control of he series heading back to Texas for Game 6.

Meanwhile, off of the euphoria of the Warriors incredible survival, I watched some of the Yankees game on Thursday night—pre-empted for a half hour by the third-to-last episode of “The Big Bang Theory.” New York did what it has been doing well—winning with the unknown players contributing to victories. JA Happ pitched very well, although he hit Seattle’s Dee Gordon with a pitch that painfully plunked him near the wrist and angrily led Gordon swear on the field and after the game call out Happ for pitching inside. 

But it was the Gio Urshela story once more. A career utility player who had nearly 200 major league at bats entering this season and who was destined to remain int Triple A, Urshela stroked a two run single to catapult the Yankees to another win. Who knows how long Urshela’s bat will stay hot and how long the team will stay with a struggling Miguel Andujar? Additionally, Didi Gregorius is getting closer to paying again, so his time may eventually be limited. But is certainly has been fun watching Urshela provide a spark to the New York offense along with his fine glove work.

I did see portions of Toronto-Philadelphia Game 6. This was a rout in favor of Philly, with Joel Embiid back in form after illness had limited him. It sets up an intriguing Game 7 Sunday afternoon in the Air Canada Centre. Will the snakebitten Raptors, who have had talented teams not make the conference finals, win behind Kahwi Leonard, or will they succumb to Embiid, Jimmy Butler and the Sixers?

Which leads me to Friday night. I began the evening by watching the Yankees take the early lead against the Rays in St. Petersburg. As easily as they had taken the lead, the team was trailing 3-1 despite the continued good pitching of Domingo German. Of course, the Yankees again rallied from a deficit and overtook Tampa Bay, leaving the Yankees a mere 1/2 game out of first place. With the win, German became the AL’s first 7 game winner.

During a commercial break, I switch to see Michael Conforto hit a monstrous home at Citi Field as the Mets put up 8 first inning runs. After losing 5 of 6 on the road, the pitiful Marlins at home in Queens were a most welcome sight.

Upon the conclusion of “The Blacklist,” I headed to ESPN for Game 6 between Houston and Golden State. Oddsmakers had figured the Warriors to be large underdogs in the game. Very few felt that Golden State might actually win the contest, outside of some loyalist fans and the management and team.

This game was another classic battle. Harden and Chris Paul were on fire in the first half. There were numerous lead changes but the teams managed to be tied at 57 at halftime. Golden State rotated players in and out of the lineup and they held their own, Thompson was drilling buckets and Curry aided the cause by scoring 0 points. Wait a second—did I just say that the greatest three point shooter in NBA history and maybe the greater shooter ever had been held scoreless in a playoff half for the first time ever?

How could Golden State possible withstand the onslaught that was certain to come from Houston, which would force a Game 7 Sunday afternoon in Oakland? Not with Curry playing lousy and no Durant to rescue the team?

No one told Curry that his team—the team he is the acknowledged leader of—could lose this game.  Stephon Curry merely scored 33 points in the second half to, along with his teammates inspired play, defeat the heavily favored Rockets and end the series. Thompson had a strong all-around game. Green was a floor general. Kevon Looney put in significant minutes, unleashing a hidden scoring talent in the process. Curry’s parents, present at the Toyota Center, went delirious when a late three pointer was swished by their son. Owner Joe Lacob and Thompson saluted each other in the waning seconds. 

The unthinkable had happened. Another year, a crushing loss by the Rockets to their rivals. Houston is in need of a big man to compliment  Harden and his crew—a guy like DeMarcus Cousins, who will be free agent after his season with Golden State is over—must retool and rethink their isolation game and become a better, all around team.

I don’t know if Portland on the road can overcome Denver on Sunday. The matchup of the two Curry brothers would be interesting. If Denver does win, Golden State will encounter defensive problems. Will their offense be enough to deny Denver a spot tin the Finals? What I do know is the the Warriors earned themselves some needed rest and the series opens on Tuesday in Oracle. And I will be watching.

I have said this before, but it bears repeating. There are certain athletes who I felt were must see individuals. Aaron Judge and Derek Jeter. Sandy Koufax. Tiger Woods. Muhammad Ali. Tom Brady. Michael Jordan. Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. And of course, Steph Curry.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t or weren’t other brilliant athletes—I loved watching Martin Brodeur, the greatest goalie ever. Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Guy Lafleur in hockey. Tom Seaver and Mickey Mantle. Golfers Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Lebron James, Kareem Abdul Jabbar are and were exceptional basketball players.

Yet only those I mentioned first were the ones who captivated me, who made their games must see TV. The ones who could orchestrate great theater and repeatedly come through in the clutch. They are the special ones—the athletes who mesmerized you with their incredible talent—the ones you could not wait to see again and for who you would stop what you were doing or plan your day around the events they were in.

Which is why I so vociferously root for the Warriors. It is an incredible team, especially with Kevin Durant. But if he should leave in free agency, will he be a draw for me to watch? Not really.

This is why, to me Steph Curry is so unique. A smallish guy on a court with other talented players, who can do things no one else can—win again and again. He get repeatedly maligned for his defensive deficiencies or his excessive ball-handling not measuring up with other talented guards. 

Make no mistake—he is one of the all-time greats. His grace on the court, his fearlessness, his ability to play with a significant hand injury suffered earlier in this series are what defines the player and the man. I love to watch Steph Curry and I love to watch the Warriors team because of him, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shane Livingston, Kevon Looney, and the coaching of Steve Kerr, a very smart man who was a talented player on championship teams with Jordan in Chicago and Duncan and Popovich in San Antonio.

Still, what makes this team so magnificent to watch is the play of Steph Curry. Just like the years that Derek Jeter played, they led and willed their teams to victories with heroic plays which defied explanation. 

I have been most fortunate to have seen so many great athletes in the over 60 years I have watched televised sports. With players like Aaron Judge and Stephon Curry out there, I know that I will still be working my schedule around their exploits. With pleasure.

I may tune into the two remaining games that the Yankees play against the Rays. I might check out the two NBA Game 7’s. 

For certain I will be wearing my Golden State T-shirt on Tuesday night, watching the Warriors play for the right to get into the NBA Finals again. Led by Steph Curry. 

If only Aaron Judge can get rid of that oblique injury…

One last bit of TV sport to critique. The craziness which related at last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby and that made history was lengthy, suspenseful and in the end, the right decision was made. It wasn’t racing’s finest moment, and the ensuing response of the public and sportswriters was expected. Maximum Security’s disqualification has led to no Triple Crown winner this year, as declared winner Country House is ill and Maximum 

Security will sit out the Preakness.

NBC got a ratings bonanza, then suffered a great loss with the ensuing decisions. The Triple Crown is one more event that captures the imagination. Just not this year.

Besides, I have my hands full with Stephon Curry and his band of Golden State survivors making it to the next round. That is why I am enamored with sports—because athletes can compel us to watch them perform under extraordinary circumstances and excel. Sometimes horses, too.

This means another weeks delay viewing “House of Cards.” I will have to find some time in this busiest of seasons to start watching…yeah, right. I won’t make Slow Cooker Chicken Curry for extra good luck..unless I have to.

Pride Of The Yankees--Part I?

Looking at the sports world this Kentucky Derby weekend, there is a lot going on. Much of it I have not seen, except in little bits.

The NBA Playoffs are in the second round. Golden State is ahead of Houston 2-0 with Games 3 and 4 in Houston. The Rockets complained bitterly about the officiating in Game 1, with star point guard Chris Paul getting ejected with 4.4 seconds left. Kevin Durant again led the Warriors, but the revived and controlled mayhem created by Draymond Green has baffled Houston. 

In Game 2, Houston worried about getting hosed again by the refs—which they didn’t. Instead, in a bizarre first quarter, Steph Curry dislocated his middle finger on his left hand, while Houston’s star, James Harden, was accidentally raked across the face by Green when going for a rebound. Both returned to the action, with a squinting Harden ending up with 29 points while Curry contribute 20 points to the Warriors’ win.

From what I have observed, the Rockets rely, perhaps too much, on Harden’s excellence in scoring off of the dribble and getting to the foul line. Not getting the calls for him in Game 1 threw him slightly off of his game. In Game 2, Harden did make it to the line, but he was plagued by the lacerated eyelid and the glare of the Oracle Arena lights. Plus the Warriors defensive effort has improved greatly from the series against the Clippers.

Houston needs superior games from Paul and the supporting cast to augment the ailing Harden, who may not be able to score 40+ points. Coach Mike D’Antoni must find a way to throw Durant and the “Hampton Five” off their game. Otherwise Houston could go down quickly in this series.

A side note here—the moniker “Hampton Five” does not refer to accommodations within the Hilton chain. It is a name given by a reporter from the Bay Area to the four people plus Kevin Durant who flew East a couple of years ago to recruit Durant to play for the Warriors. That would be Curry, Green, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala, all inside the door of the place the group was to meet. So whenever they are together on the court, announcers and scribes refer to them as the “Hampton Five.”

Denver and Portland played the second 4 OT playoff game in NBA history on Friday night. The Trail Blazers won at home by 3, putting them up 2-1 with Game 4 upcoming on Sunday. I picked Portland to win this series and if the Warriors survive their test with Houston, this will be an even tougher series if Portland advances as the Blazers are excelling on offense.

Boston and Milwaukee have battled, with the two teams splitting the contests in Wisconsin. On Friday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered again to lead the Bucks over the Celtics in Boston, as he did in Game 2. If the Celtics can control “The Greek Freak” as they did with Al Horford in Game 1, then they have a chance—albeit a slim one.

The final series is between Philadelphia and Toronto. The Raptors easily own Game 1. In Game 2, Jimmy Butler’s strong all-around game crushed Toronto. His encouragement of the oft-injured enigmatic Joel Embiid has led to a resurrection of the Sixers. Despite the outstanding play of Kawhi Leonard, Philadelphia has dominated the remainder of Toronto’s players, especially the Raptors’ second best player, Kyle Lowry. If the Raptors do not win Game 4, it will be another abysmal playoff failure for the franchise, and could lead to Leonard opting not to re-sign up north when free agency occurs.

The so strong looking New York Islanders are now on the sidelines, courtesy of the upstart Carolina Hurricanes, despite their garish Hurricane flag uniforms. I should have known better than to believe in the Islanders. They weren’t playing on Long Island as they had in the previous series, and goalie Robin Lehner had never beaten Carolina, while Thomas Greiss, the Islanders’ other goalie, had a 3-1 record against the Hurricanes. Head Coach Barry Trotz fatefully stuck with Lehner, who set Islanders goaltending records this season and is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the best goaltender in the National Hockey League.

Boston is tied 2-2 with Columbus, and they look strong. I think that the CBJ magic is starting to wear off. This series can still go seven games to decide who meets Carolina.

In the West, Dallas shocked St. Louis on Friday night to take a 3-2 lead into the next game in Texas. Colorado and San Jose are also tied 2-2 and they play a pivotal Game 5. I may have seen a total of 5 minutes of the Western Conference playoffs—only switching away when the Warriors and Rockets went to commercial.

I was happy to see Noah Syndergaard pitch a four hitter against the Reds, striking out 10 in a complete game victory while becoming the first pitcher in 23 years to hit a home run and win a 1-0 game. The Mets returned to form on Friday night losing 3-1 in Milwaukee. 

With teams hitting home runs at a record pace, Baltimore outdid itself. The team set a record for March/April, allowing 72 homers, smashing the old record of 50. If you have a chance to go see our favorite team at home and you like the long ball, go see the Orioles play. You should get your money’s worth. 

The Dodgers are among the elite home run hitting teams, as is Milwaukee, Minnesota Texas and the MLB-leading Seattle Mariners. Which is why those teams are among the better squads in their respective divisions. Tampa Bay leads the AL East by 1.5 over the Yankees;Minnesota leads the Central; Houston has a 1.0 lead over the Mariners in the West. Despite starting to draw the wrath of the Phillies faithful, the Bryce Harper-led Phillies are atop the NL East with good pitching and the hitting of Ryan Hoskins; St. Louis and The Cubs are in another struggle for NL Central supremacy; and the Dodgers have a slim lead over the surprising Diamondbacks, who recently took two games from the Yankees.

Which leads me to this week’s topic—the New York Yankees. How are they doing it? Somehow, with all of the injuries mounting, they have managed to amass a 17-13 record heading into Saturday’s game, placing then in second behind Tampa Bay. The Yankees have been hot of late. Before entering Chase Field to lose two to Arizona, New York was on a 9-1 tear. After the win against the Central Division-leading Twins, New York is keeping pace with the Rays, as both teams have been 7-3 in their last 10 games. 

Who are these Yankees? What makes them so special despite missing many of their starters and some key relievers? Is Aaron Boone that good a manager?

Right now, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, two of the big boppers on the Yankees are sidelined with no return in sight. Set up man Dellin Betances has had some improvement with his right shoulder impingement after a cortisone injection; he is tracked to return in June. Greg Byrd’s plantar fascia tear put him in a protective boot; he may return in June. Jacoby Ellsbury, the forgotten outfielder, may not play this season. Clint Frazier, so scintillating before tearing a ligament in his left ankle on a slide in Anaheim, is expected back on May 6. Will he be able to resume his torrid pace? Shortstop Didi Gregorius is still recovering from his right ulnar collateral ligament tear suffered in last season’s playoffs and which required Tommy John surgery; best case scenario is a return in June. Relief pitcher Ben Heller is starting to face batters in Florida extended spring training; he is a June return. Starting centerfielder Aaron Hicks is starting a rehab assignment with Class A Tampa on Monday, so if there is no more back pain, Hicks will make his season debut in May. Lefty starter Jordan Montgomery is recovering nicely form Tommy John surgery nearly a year ago and is expected back in July. Another left-handed starter, James Paxton hurt his knee while pitching on Friday night; manger Boone thinks it is not too serious and a return after 10 days may be possible. Star starter Luis Severino won’t begin throwing for awhile; while he is showing signs of improvement from his Grade 2 latissimus strain, don’t expect to see Seve until July. Didi’s replacement, Troy Tulowitzki suffered a calf strain in the fifth game of he season; he re-injured his calf this week, so his timetable is now looking like late May or June. 3B Miguel Andujar finally returned this weekend.

That is some M.A.S.H. unit. A lot of money tied up in those players. Along with a lot of homers and R.B.I., strikeouts and wins.

Look at the lineup now—three starters are playing regularly—Brett Gardner, Gleybar Torres and more recently, Gary Sanchez, who had been on the IL. Torres has been playing shortstop instead of second base and Gardner has been patrolling center field instead of being in left field. Luke Voit became the de facto starter at first base. DJ LeMahieu has battled some injuries but has avoided the IL thus far. Call up Gio Urshela has manned third. Mike Tauchman, Tyler Wade, Austin Romine, newly acquired Cameron Maybin, Mike Ford, Thairo Estrada and Kyle Higashioka have all played this season.

The pitching has not been outstanding. Of the current starters and Paxton, only Paxton and Domingo German sport above .500 records, with German at 5-1 and averaging 9.1 strikeouts per 9 innings, while sporting a 2.56 E.R.A. The bullpen has held up, with Aroldis Chapman, Adam Ottavino and Zach Britton, augmented by Jonathan Holder, Tommy Kahnle, Luis Cessa and recluse from the minors like Joe Harvey and Stephen Tarpley have also contributed. The team E.R.A. is 5th and the pitchers are 4th in strikeouts in the A.L. Only Chad Green has disappointed, warranting a stint at Triple A to regain his dominant form.

Luke Voit has twice been AL Player of the Week. He sported a 42 game consecutive on base streak which ended on Saturday, with a .278 BA and 9 home runs and 27 R.B.I. Sanchez has atoned for a miserable start before hitting the iL by hitting mammoth homers—10 in 18 games while cutting down his strikeouts. Torres has been solid offensively, batting .300. LeMahieu is Gold Glove fielder and hits for a .310 mark. Gardner’s .212 average does not project his timely walks and hits. Frazier left hitting .324 while bashing 6 home runs and driving in 17 runners. Tauchman, Wade, Romine all sport low averages but contribute was needed. It is the surprising rookies Urshela and Estrada who have hit well over .300 with their chances with the big club.

So what happens when Andujar, Hicks, Frazier, Didi, Tulo, Judge, Stanton, Byrd come back? Who sits, who goes to the minors? Does proven major leaguer Maybin get a chance to stay? What about Urshela and Estrada—will they remain on the varsity? What should GM Brian Cashman do with the good fielding, poor hitting and injury-prone Greg Byrd? Same with the pitchers. Paxton is assured of returning soon. Betances should resume his spot if all goes well. Montgomery will be a nice addition. Who knows if Severino will return to form or require surgery? German should remain in the rotation; if not, he is a strong arm out of the bullpen. J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka will be steady as the season progresses. C.C. Sabathia nabbed his 3000th strikeout and is cementing his potential Hall of Fame legacy in his final season.

It is either going to be a heck of a story if the Yankees survive the plethora of injuries suffered thus far and do not drop if more occur. Aaron Boone, tossed twice already by the umps early this season, will merit strong Manager of the Year consideration—even if he has been darn lucky about the bevy of replacements. 

Or will the returnees fail to hit and pitch as needed? What if the team suffers more injuries or does not get everyone back as anticipated? Will the wheels fall off of the bus causing the Yankees, who do not sport a sterling record against clubs with above .500 records, plummet into the AL East abyss?

Repeatedly, it is said that this season is a marathon. Well, I don’t see too many elite runners get hurt while running the 26 mile endurance race. Perhaps they train better than this era’s ballplayers. Who knows why so many injuries are happening, especially to the Yankees? And while the pennant races are likened to horse racing, ask Bob Baffert, trainer of the now injured Derby favorite Omaha Beach, if injuries aren’t a part of his sport at the most untimely moments? 

Right now the team has my attention even in the midst of NBA-NHL mayhem. I hope that as spring evolves into summer, the Yankees still have my attention. Otherwise I will be watching much more Netflix than I want.