Houston...We Have A Winner.

     The World Series is over. The parade was yesterday. Justin Verlander did go to Italy to marry Kate Upton as a winner. For the Houston Astros have finally won a World Series in their 56th year.

     The team which came into existence in 1962 along with the New York Mets, in the first wave of National League expansion, put together a roster which is young, talented and resilient. Suffering through a bevy of painful losing seasons, which allowed the Astros the chance to build a team with high draft choices. By losing so much in those previous years, it created the Astros an opportunity to become winners. The team, which was first known as the Colt .45's and played in hot, humid conditions prior to moving into owner Judge Roy Hofheintz's Eight Wonder of The World, the Astrodome, baseball's first indoor stadium, now can be recognized for greatness.

     They are led by probable American League M.V.P., Jose Altuve, the diminutive second baseman who can flat out hit as evidenced by his batting title and his homers which repeatedly deflated their opponents during this post-season. Shortstop Carlos Correa, the young, extraordinarily talented shortstop, is the co-leader of this team--an All Star who proposed to his girlfriend, Miss Texas USA 2016, on the field after the victory in Game 7. Signed as a free agent, George Springer showed us he hits with power and in the clutch; that he can run down fly balls in spectacular fashion; and that he is another superstar whose power hitting rightfully earned him the World Series M.V.P. designation. Then there is the tough, gritty third baseman Alex Bregman, an integral part of the youth movement which propelled the Astros to great heights. Add Cuban defector Yuli Guriel  to the homegrown talent. Then factor in catcher Brian Mc Cann, Marwin Gonzalez, veteran Carlos Beltran and outfielder Josh Reddick, all who were acquired by trade or through free agency The lineup is replete with power, speed and when in the field, stellar defense. It is no coincidence that the Astros were first in the A.L. in runs scored, hits, doubles, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS, while finishing second in homers with 238.

     Let us not forget the starting pitchers. Premier lefty Dallas Keuchel had an up and down year due to injuries, yet he still managed to record a 14-5 mark with a 2.90 E.R.A. Lance Mc Cullers, Jr. recovered from his injuries to regain his All Star form in time for the World Series. Brad Peacock shined with his 13-2 record. Charlie Morton, signed as a free agent and who once was a tough starter with Pittsburgh, ran up a 14-7 year. Plus Colin Mc Hugh filled in for the injured starters with a 5-2 record.

     Still, the starting pitching was not enough in the minds of the Houston brass. In a virtual last second deal in July, the Detroit Tigers shipped Verlander, who did not oppose the trade, to the Astros. He merely went 5-0 down the stretch, with a 1.06 E.R.A. and 43 strikeouts in 36 innings.

     The bullpen was anchored by closer Ken Giles and his 36 saves. Another free agent acquisition, Luke Gregerson, along with Chris Devenski added to the strong arms capable of shutting down the opposition via strikeouts or hitting to the sharp fielders of the Astros.

     It is no wonder that the Astros rung up 101 wins this season, second to the Cleveland Indians. This team was solidly built, ready to make a deep run into the playoffs.

     The Astros drew the Boston Red Sox, the winners of the A.L. East. Houston slugged 8 homers in defeating Boston 3-1. Identical 8-2 romps, a 10-3 loss in Boston, then a 5-4 come-from-behind victory utilizing Verlander's clutch relief appearance and a key Bregman home run in Game 4, sealed the victory for the Astros. During the A.L.D.S., Houston twice defeated Boston ace Chris Sale while batting .333 overall.

     The upstart Wild Card-winning New York Yankees, victors over Cleveland, the team with the A.l.'s best overall record, were up next in the A.L.C.S. Impressive pitching by Keuchel and Verlander shut down the Yankees' power hitters, limiting the Bombers to 1 late homer by Greg Byrd and 5 hits in each in Games 1 and 2. When the series shifted to New York, the Yankees and powerful rookie Aaron Judge awoke, using good pitching and hitting to take a 3-2 lead when the A.L.C.S. returned to Houston.

     Combining more dominant pitching by Verlander, Morton and starter-turned-long reliever Mc Cullers, Jr., who together held New York to 1 run while recording 21 strikeouts, the Astros were headed to the World Series.

     Poised to face Houston were the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team with the best record in the majors leagues. As tough a test as the Yankees offered, Houston would be facing certain Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw, the probable N.L. Cy Young Award winner for the fourth time, plus a vaunted Dodger lineup and bullpen.

     What transpired was a 7 game series that topped the A.L.C.S. and rivaled last year's riveting 7 game match between the Chicago Cubs and the Indians. For good reason. Houston had its 101 wins and the Dodgers amassed 104 victories, and despite a horrible losing stretch in August, they sported the best home record in baseball. Los Angeles handily defeated a very talented Arizona Diamondbacks team, then put away the defending champion Chicago Cubs to make it to the World Series.

     Hence we had two teams that hadn't won it all in a while--Houston had never won the World Series and the Dodgers' last Series victory was in 1988 when Tommy Lasorda managed Los Angeles. Probably the two best teams--no offense Cleveland or New York--ready to get it on.

     Which they did. In a gripping, dramatic 7 game series, Houston prevailed. There were 5 games where the run differential was 2 or less; 2 extra inning games (both won by Houston). A World Series record number of home runs was hit--totaling 25 (15 by the Astros and 10 by the Dodgers). Verlander's dominance was broken by the Dodgers and Kershaw reverted back to prior years of inconsistent form in the playoffs during Game 5--although he was superb in Game 1 and he pitched outstanding in relief in Game 7 of the mediocre Yu Darvish, the highly sought after Texas Rangers' hurler Los Angeles picked up in mid-season expressly for the playoffs and the World Series. Houston won 2 games in Dodger Stadium, with the Dodgers winning once at Minute Maid Park.

     Game 2 was the harbinger of how good this World Series was. Verlander and the Dodgers' Rich Hill battled it out early in this contest. Verlander did allow two homers. Hill only lasted 4 innings but the Dodgers cobbled together some fine pitching to lead 3-1 into the 8th inning. Houston managed a run in the top of the 8th inning. Then in the top of the 9th inning, Gonzalez homered off usually reliable Dodgers' closer Kenley Jansen to tie the game. Altuve and Correa then homered in the 10th inning off of Josh Fields. Los Angeles tied the game with the help of Charlie Culberson's homer. Culberson had spent much of the year in Triple A. Naturally, Astros hero Springer launched a 2 run homer in the 11th inning to provide the winning margin.

     As good as Game 2 was, it was nothing compared to Game 5 in Houston. This game featured 25 hits. Both Keuchel and Kershaw did not last very long, and each absorbed a pounding by the opponents' bats. There were 7 homers hit--5 by the Astros and 2 from the Dodgers. Heading into the 9th inning, Houston held a 12-9 lead. A 2 run shot by the enigmatic and mercurial Cuban outfielder for Los Angeles, Yasiel Puig, helped the Dodgers tie the score. Bregman's single off the Dodgers' closer, Jansen, scored pinch runner Derek Fisher and ended the 5 hour and 17 minute marathon.

     Houston flew to Los Angeles with a chance to finish the World Series in Game 6. Puig had guaranteed that the Dodgers would win--and they did. Despite pitching very well, Verlander took the loss while 5 Dodgers' pitchers held Houston to 1 run.

     Which set up a winner-take-all Game 7. The game was over in the top of the first inning when Houston struck for 2 runs in the 1st inning followed by 3 more in the 2nd inning, all off of Darvish. Springer was the catalyst for the Astros, hitting a double and a home run. When starter Mc Cullers, Jr. faced trouble in the 3rd inning, Houston manager A.J. Hinch inserted starter Peacock and later used Morton for 4 relief innings to quell the Dodgers' bats. That unorthodox maneuver by Hinch, employed also in the A.L.C.S., worked again and proved to be enough to give the Astros the crown.

     The Series was a reward to the flood-ravaged Houstonians, as dedicated by the team to its fans. There was drama and stupidity--i.e. Guriel's racially insensitive gesture after homering off of Japanese native Darvish in Game 2. Plenty of action from both teams and plenty to watch.

     It was a really good World Series, capping off a really good regular season and some tight playoff series leading up to the Astros-Dodgers 7 game classic. This was a fitting way to end the long campaign which was replete with surprises throughout the season. With a newly-minted champ there is reason to expect great things to come in Major League Baseball in 2018 and beyond.

     So now it's time for football, hockey and basketball to take the stage without the distraction from baseball. Good luck in capturing the magic that the 2017 MLB playoffs produced.

A Parliament of Owls and a Litter of Bulldogs

     There is a lot of craziness going on in sports this weekend. Final drives producing miraculous victories for teams like Ohio State, who came from behind to beat #2 Penn State. Or Arkansas, coming from 24 down, to blind side Ole Miss (Sandra Bullock movie reference allowed). How about Iowa State upsetting TCU? Notre Dame defeating two ranked teams in 2 weeks, thereby interjecting themselves into the FBS Playoff picture?

     The Texans and the Seahawks dueled to the end with Seattle winning in a shootout. Houston played extraordinarily, notwithstanding the inane and insensitive comments made by Texans' owner Bob Mc Nair. Then there was the madness that the Dodgers and Astros have shown, redefining the World Series drama seemingly every game as Houston is on the verge of winning it all. Plus Florida sacked its beleaguered head coach after being shellacked by Georgia.

     So many stories this week. But one that has bothered me for awhile is oe far away from the world of college and professional sports. It involves high school football in New Jersey and, specifically, the two schools I have the most interest in--my alma mater, Highland Park, and my children's school, Jonathan Dayton High School.

     Dayton and Highland Park have lost all but one game--and that one win came in Springfield on September 28 when Dayton soundly defeated Highland Park 42-17. Dayton opened the season with a close loss at home to Belvidere High School. Otherwise, in the other 5 games the Bulldogs have played,  they have surrendered at least 41 points and as much as 61. Dayton has not scored in its last 2 games. South Hunterdon is left on the Bulldogs' regular season schedule this Friday night in Lambertville; they sport the same 1-7 record that Dayton has.

     Highland Park has had similar results to that of Dayton and South Hunterdon. The Owls have experienced big losses, but in the 6 games they have played, the team has been only been shut out once. Arch rival Metuchen awaits in the annual Thanksgiving Day match up.

     Why do I point these game out when the glamour of college and pro sports beckons? First, it is to show the disparity of even high school sports when football is played on a minimal level as opposed to when it is recruited. The focus of The Star-Ledger, New Jersey's biggest newspaper, is not on the world of small Group 1 schools. Instead, the headlines go to the big parochial schools like Bergen Catholic, St. Peter's Prep and Don Bosco Prep and the larger public schools like Montclair and Timber Creek. Perennial power Paramus Catholic, in the midst of a rare down year and sporting a 3-5 record, still remains ranked in the Top 20.

     Private schools recruit players who might normally have remained on their local high school rosters. This goes on in football and basketball, where the rankings are rarely including public high schools. It is the systems who have large populations to draw from and organized youth football to teach the kids at an early age who attain success season after season. Unfortunately, even some public schools have cheated by recruiting out-of-district athletes to obtain an advantage.

     I see Dayton practicing a couple of times per week. The team barely has enough bodies to conduct a practice. At the start of the season, the team had 34 players. Visually, that number is less.

     Lately, Highland Park has dressed 17 players for its games. Only a precious few players had much experience. The quarterback is a transfer from Group 4 Woodbridge High School, where he was a tight end. A girl plays on the line for the Owls, so desperate to field bodies. South River graduate and former NFL star QB Joe Theisman praised the efforts of the Owls, urging them to continue the season with the same kind of fortitude and resolve they showed when South River handily beat Highland Park.

     While I was living in Highland Park, football was synonymous with winning under legendary coach Jay Dakelman. Routinely, undefeated seasons were the norm. College players regularly emerged from the program. Rarely were there losing seasons, and the freshman teams were sizable and the varsity abounded with talented players. The school was bigger than the 300 plus students now attending HPHS. Talented multi-sport athletes were the norm. This aura was perpetuated under Joe Policastro, who played for Dakelman.

     It has been a struggle for Highland Park and Dayton. Dayton has recently been more known for its soccer teams, and indeed, Highland Park has had success with boys' tennis and this season with girls' soccer. While Highland Park had its all-time leading TD passer graduate last year, it appears that it will take a long time before they become competitive again--if ever.

     Same thing at Dayton, who has had some talented players through the past few years, including one who started as a defensive back at Rutgers and who was a final cut by the Oakland Raiders this year. For a lengthy period, due to swindling numbers, Dayton did not even field a football team, instead sending its players to nearby David Brearley High School in Kenilworth. Despite a youth football program in town, the vast numbers of kids playing on the multi-surface field at the high school are participating in soccer.

     In New Jersey, a couple of public high schools suspended their programs this season because there simply was not enough numbers to justify having a team and jeopardizing the health of those who played. Theisman and Highland Park may be enthusiastic about an undersized but determined team; being perpetually undermanned in a small talent pool necessarily is recipe that may not be very good at all. Dayton, with its glistening turf field and the lights and stands surrounding this gem, probably feels compelled to keep on competing in football--even with very little opportunity to have winning squads.

     Where do small schools draw the line about football? What will it take to have them reconsider continuing to lose and expose kids to injury when they are called upon to play more than their bodies can handle? As much as the present HPHS coach talks about the numbers being cyclical and that 30-34 participants is the norm, is tradition paramount in still fielding a team this and in future years when the numbers of players, no matter how much heart they demonstrate, are not supportive? Those questions, and the answers therefrom, are left to the townspeople, the respective Boards of Education and the administrators to be responsive to the children and their safety.

     Football is a violent sport. The targeting of defenseless players, while being cracked down in both college and the National Football League, invariably has led to a multitude of concussions and broken bones. Look what happened on Thursday night when Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco, a South Jersey native, was knocked out of the game by a vicious hit from a Miami Dolphins' defender who ran full speed at Flacco while the QB was trying to slide in order to not be hit. Flacco was dazed; he now is in concussion protocol and received several stitches, the result of his helmet flying off when he was hit so hard in the head area.

     High school players are not immune to these kinds of hits. But when the numbers dwindle, the risk factor for injury dramatically increases when smaller, less gifted athletes are placed in harms way against more talented and larger squads who can routinely put fresher personnel onto the field. At the collegiate level, both Swarthmore College and Haverford College, two prestigious small, liberal arts institutions  gave up football for many of the reasons which must be considered today.

     Thus, when watching the NFL or FBS or FCS college games, take a moment to think about the student athletes at Dayton and Highland Park playing the game they love, not for glory. Say a little prayer for their continued safety as they progress towards the end of the season. That is the least we can do at this time.

My sunny weekend in October

     Those expecting a melodramatic write up of the Yankees A.L.C.S. loss to the Houston Astros should remember this--NYY won 91 games this season while Houston topped out at 101 victories and almost caught the Cleveland Indians for the best record in the American League. While the Yankees failed to catch Boston on the last weekend of the regular season, they did remarkably better against the Astros than did the Red Sox. New York had the best home record in the A.L., played with a number of rookies or second year starters and still managed to overwhelmingly reserve home field to their advantage for the A.L. Wild Card game. They did have the A.L. Rookie of the Year in Aaron Judge, and he may well be either first or second the the A.L. M.V.P. voting. Greg Byrd made it clear that, after his recovery from ankle surgery, that he will be the starting first baseman for years to come. Didi Gregorious had a career year at shortstop. Todd Frazier, Tommy Kahnle and David Roberstson all had significant impacts on the team once they arrived via trade from the White Sox. Aaron Hicks improved measurably. Starlin Castro batted .300. Gary Sanchez followed his incredible rookie season with 33 homers. Luis Severino is in the top 10 of A.L. starting pitchers. Jordan Montgomery is a very promising lefty. Masahiro Tanaka became the clutch pitcher we all expected. C. C. Sabathia outraced Father Time by the way he pitched. The list goes on and on.

     Remember this--the Astros may have the A.L. M.V.P. in Jose Altuve, and he showed how good he is in the field as well as a hitter. Carlos Correa is one of the top two shortstops in the A.L. if not in Major League Baseball. George Springer made catch after catch in center field and is a very, very good batter. At every position, the Astros are loaded. Plus their pitching is unreal. Justin Verlander at age 34 showed us why he is a Hall of Fame candidate. Dallas Kuechel and Lance Mc Cullers, Jr. will be All Stars for years to come. Charlie Morton is a poor fourth on the Astros' starting pitching list--and look how he pitched in Game 7. And I like A.J. Hinch as a manager. This, in summary, is a great team which will be in contention for World Championships for years and years. Losing in 7 games to this bunch is a solid accomplishment.

     So what if the Yankees looked like they could have auditioned for the movie Trouble With The Curve. For a youthful team with the exception of a few veterans like Sabathia, Brett Gardner and Todd Frazier, the upside is enormous. As FOX broadcaster Joe Buck reminded us, the Yankees contended ahead of schedule. The blend of so many young stars and a stocked minor league farm system bodes well for this team. There are plenty of decisions to be made starting with the rehiring of Joe Girardi and what to do about Sabathia and Tanaka among others. General Manager Brian Cashman was extraordinarily successful this season in the moves he made, so there is a budding confidence he will engineer this team to a place where success can be continued in 2018.

     Enjoy the moment, fellow Yankees fans. Do not lament on what could have been. The future is the brightest we have seen in years.

     So even if I would not be extolling about the Yankees in Game 7, then surely I would be spending my time on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights "upset" of the Purdue Boilermakers at High Point Solutions Stadium. Rutgers--on a winning streak of 2! In the Big 10 no less!! Maybe they can beat #2 Penn State in a couple of weeks? If they just had defeated Eastern Michigan and/or Nebraska, would a bowl bid be on the horizon??

     "Not so fast," as the iconic ESPN broadcaster Lee Corso likes to repeat on Saturday mornings. Baby steps for RU, PLEASE!! At least they are starting to be more competitive with the lower to middle part of the Big 10 hierarchy.

     But this was anything but a thumping of Purdue. The margin was difference of a failed 2 point conversion coupled with Purdue also not recovering the ensuing onside kick. It wasn't as if RU outplayed the Boilermakers. Instead, RU scored at the right time, and played just enough defense to win this game.

    The upcoming schedule is unquestionably not very easy. Next up is a trip to Ann Arbor where Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and 100,000 of his friends in attendance will want blood after Saturday night's humiliation on ABC in State College at the hands of Penn State. The Maryland-RU game has been moved from Yankees Stadium, citing Yankees' playoff concerns, which are no longer valid (see above). Notwithstanding the $750,000 RU now gets to keep given its cash-starved status withing the Big 10, this becomes another winnable contest at High Points Solution Stadium. Unless the unimaginable happens at Penn State on November 11, RU ends the season with 2 more games they can win--at Indiana and home to Michigan State.

     Win 3 and the Scarlet Knights are bowl-eligible. Win 1 or more and the season has become relevant and the future is brighter. There are recruits de-committing and the quarterback position, among others,  is unclear. Yet there is once again promise in Piscataway. The days of upsets like they pulled on a Thursday night against a really good Louisville squad in 2006 might start to happen on a more regular basis. Those pre-game tailgates and post-game dinners will be a lot happier, RU fans, when the wins start coming in droves.

     We spent a large portion of our Saturday journeying to Lancaster to see the unveiling of Shadek Stadium on the campus of my alma mater, Franklin and Marshall College. The Shadek name goes deep into the last 45 or so years of F&M history. Starting with my classmate, Larry Shadek, our football quarterback and my teammate in baseball who played shortstop, the Shadek family has played a critical role in sustaining and moving F&M into the 21st century.

     So it was no surprise that Larry, his family and the Shadek Foundation were the big donors when F&M decided to upgrade its venerable, old, worn down Sponaugle-Williamson Field, which was directly next to Mayser Center, the F&M multi-purpose gymnasium and part of the major portion of campus. A lengthy campaign culminated in the building and opening of the gleaming new edifice where factories and rail yards  recently still were eyesores. The over $15 million in donations appears to be well-spent.

     As a disclaimer, I lettered in football at F&M, not as a player, but as the statistician and news reporter for 3 years; I attended the Washington Semester at American University the fall of my senior year. I worked under two coaches--Bob Curtis, the tough yet caring linebacker from St. Lawrence University, and Dave Pooley, whose two years of losing led to the elevation of Frosh Coach Curtis, who led F&M to a myriad of success. It was a no-brainer for me to help underwrite, in a small way, the spectacular, state of the art, brand new Press Box, which was named for the late Coach Curtis.

     We went on a tour of the facility--it really is beautiful. The home stands and boxes are top notch. Underneath the stands, the locker rooms and other rooms were first class. Inside of the football locker room was a reserved space for the Conestoga Wagon Trophy, which F&M and arch rival Dickinson College were playing for. All of the amenities, including the lights, scoreboard with video screen, and the colorfully-alternating green shades of the AstroTurf field were as good as it gets.

     This is a gem, the next step in the transformation of the athletic facilities at F&M. Eventually, the Sponaugle-Williamson Field track will be relocated nearby. Both the baseball and softball fields will be uprooted to near Shadek Stadium. And many of the sports housed in Mayser Gym will be installed in a new building attached to the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center (ASFC), thereby placing all of F&M's athletic teams in a strategically and centrally located area across Harrisburg Pike from the main residential and academic campus.

     Thus, on a sun-splashed day with a high near 80 degrees, after attending the ceremonial dedication and ribbon cutting, we watched F&M dismantle Dickinson 56-0, accumulating a 49-0 halftime lead and limiting the Red Devils to very little yardage in total. The overflow crowd of 3,722 in attendance (I don't know how they come up with the figures given that fans are not charged to attend) at the 2,500 seat venue saw the Diplomats rebound from being stomped by #23 Johns Hopkins and tie the Blue Jays for first place in the Centennial Conference with a 4-1 record as co-leader Ursinus lost to Susquehanna. While new policies were imposed regarding bringing food and drink into Shadek Stadium (there now is a full-fledged concession stand and somehow the water fountains were not working so that one could not  refill the one bottle allowed into the arena), leading to a cadre of grease trucks parked behind the ASFC; that nets are needed to keep kicked balls inside the stadium grounds; and that it was patently unfair to have the visitors trek at least the length of three football fields from the ASFC; there was precious little to grouse about the new home to F&M football and men's and women's lacrosse. No more dogs loose on the turf. The new toilets were glistening, clean and eco-friendly; far better than the troughs still in use downstairs in Mayser. I even enjoyed the party held by the Turner Company in their construction office, for a job well done. What more could this alum have wanted?

     Leave it to the Jets to finish my sports weekend. Which they did. In grand fashion...after blowing a 14 point 4th quarter lead. By throwing an ill-advised pass into double coverage on the sideline. In NYJ territory, no less, thereby giving Miami's place kicker, who hasn't missed a field goal attempt this season and had 2 winning FG's in his resume, all the opportunity to win the game. Which he did.

     My expectations for this team were dreadfully low coming into the season. The fact that they have won 3 games is a mini miracle. They even should have beaten New England last week. This game was destined for overtime had the Jets played things more conservatively. Alas, that was not the case. Another Dolphins win at the end of the game. How appropriate that there was a shot of Dan Marino, the Hall of Fame QB who routinely made life miserable for the Jets including the infamous fake spike play for a TD, which haunts Jets fans to this day. And for good measure, WR Richie Anderson tossed his helmet in frustration with the interception thrown by Josh Mc Cown, which resulted in a 15 yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after the kickoff.

     What a team!! My team no less. We'll brace ourselves for the Atlanta Falcons coming to East Rutherford next Sunday; the Falcons need a win to end the hangover that occurred as a result of the dramatic loss in the Super Bowl to Tom Brady, With this Jets team, we never quite know what direction they are headed. Yet a win would make them 4-4, a feat no one could have foreseen. I want to say they are a glass half full, but I think that they are nearly all or nothing by the way that the Jets play. The bigger questions are twofold--when will die hard fans give up on this team? And has management endangered any chance to obtain a really good QB through the draft or even in free agency?

     Finally, don't look now, but perennial doormat in the Ivy League, Columbia University's football team is 6-0 overall, and 3-0 in the league after handling Dartmouth on Saturday in Hanover. Sure, they play at Yale on Saturday in the historic but dilapidated Yale Bowl, a house of horrors for the Lions. Then a 3-3 Harvard squad travels to Robert K. Kraft Field (yeah, that's the New England Patriots owner who is a major CU benefactor). And Columbia has to travel to Ithaca to take on Cornell before ending the season in New York with cellar dwelling Brown coming to town.

     If ever there is a team to show all Yankees, Rutgers, F&M and Jets fans that there is hope--it is Columbia. From here on, I am rooting for them to win the Ivy League. It probably is simply a feel good story and Yale will win the Ivies again; I just want to say great job, Lions...we long-suffering New York fans all understand what you have gone through and express our gratitude for giving the downtrodden in the NYC Metropolitan area reason to believe...

   


   

Striking Out

     It is the 2017 baseball post-season. Aaron Judge is at the plate. The first pitch is thrown. The ball races past him--at or below the knees. Strike one looking, as Judge does not move or make an attempt to swing at a ball he clearly believes is out of the strike zone. Sometimes the pitcher follows up with a pitch thrown above the letters. Again, no swing by Judge at a pitch once more outside of the strike zone. Strike two. Which now leaves Judge vulnerable for the breaking ball that is low and outside, or another fastball which is once more closer to his ankles than his knees. Strike three. Number 99 returns to the dugout. Bemused. Baffled. But definitely with the at bat taken away from him by umpires who do not know or care about the properly enforcing the strike zone--which is even more egregious when it comes to a quiet and unassuming kid like Judge.

     And if you dare to complain about a low strike three as veteran third baseman Todd Frazier did yesterday, prepare to be summarily threatened to be tossed from the game by an umpire such as the man behind home plate on Saturday, Hunter Wendelstedt--I could clearly read his lips on the close up of their exchange. Which is Exhibit 1 as to why the umpires are taking control of the games rather than just calling them correctly. Strikes are balls and balls become strikes.

     It is maddening and does not make for great baseball if Aaron Judge is rung up 16 times and is forced to swing at lousy pitches out of the strike zone. How is a budding star with enormous power going to hit long home runs like he did in September, to the tune of 13 homers, when he cannot see pitches in October like he did in September. Or that Greg Byrd, who hit the second most homers in September, looks out of sync because he cannot get good pitches to hit after two strikes have been called. The Cleveland Indians beefed right up to the eliminating strike out of Austin Jackson. Are Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander THAT good, or are they unfairly aided by the inconsistent, showboating umpires. Pitchers and batters stare down the umps, who glare right back at the players as if they are juvenile offenders. Is this how Major League Baseball wants to have the playoffs proceed--with the umpires as the focus and very few homers and too many strikeouts?

     Strike two on my list is the game I witnessed today at Met Life Stadium. The New York Jets put 14 points on the score board versus the defending World Champion New England Patriots. Then the proverbial roof caved in on the home team. Tom Brady, perhaps the G.O.A.T. quarterback, took charge. Despite a missed field goal by All Pro kicker Steven Gostkowski, Brady and his receivers managed to record 24 unanswered points. A lot of the Jets' failure was bad defense by the Jets or missed plays where the Jets could have easily capitalized.

     But, once again the officiating was questionable as to a number of very dubious pass interference calls that went against the Jets defensive secondary. Which kept the Patriots' drives alive or placed them in scoring position.

     Then there was the apparent fourth quarter touchdown scored by New York tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins after he caught a pass from Jets' QB Josh McCown. As Seferian-Jenkins was crossing the goal line, the ball is juggled but he seemed to recover it and complete the play before he hit the ground and out of bounds.

     However, the officials overruled the original call of a touchdown, stating that Seferian-Jenkins did not regain control sufficiently to merit the touchdown and thus he had fumbled the ball thought the end zone sideline. No TD. New England ball, 1st and 10 on their 20 yard line.Ball game over--even though New York would later kick a field goal and have a very slight chance to drive for the tying TD. Again thwarted by a penalty called by the refs.

     I don't know if the TD by Seferian-Jenkins would have altered the outcome of the game. Perhaps both teams would played out the last 5 minutes differently. But the critical calls by this officiating crew--even with the aid of instant replay made a difference as to who won and who lost. Is this what the National Footbal League desires--competitiveness overshadowed by bad officiating? And by the way, FOX analyst Mike Periera, a former NFL referee, said he didn't think that there was enough evidence to overturn the call on Seferian-Jenkins' TD. Wrong.

     My personal strike three involves the University of North Carolina getting a free pass on bogus classes which were tilted towards their football and basketball players. An NCAA investigation exonerated the Tar Heels from any academic fraud dating back to 1997, in an investigation which ran over 7 years--4 of them being very intensive. The Committee On Infractions bought North Carolina's explanation that these paper courses in the Afro-American Studies curriculum were not solely designed for athletes and they were, in fact open to the general population at the University--thereby not becoming an "extra benefit" for the Carolina players who took these courses. And indeed, these courses were overpopulated by student-athletes who padded their G.P.A. to maintain academic and athletic eligibility

     The COI's abject failure to find that anyone besides the chair of department, who would not cooperate in the investigation and thus received the only punishment meted out--a 5 year show cause order, is atrocious. This is from a fan who always liked and respected the teams of Dean Smith, the Tar Heels' Hall of Fame basketball coach. Yet these courses began during Smith's tenure in Chapel Hill, thereby raising some question about how much integrity the deceased, revered and honorable coach may have had.

     The allegations were unprecedented in NCAA history. The apparent cheating was noticed by the NCAA in passing judgment. The COI was severely troubled by the shifting stances UNC took in defending what was going on. But in the end, they could not punish the University because they could not specifically point to a lack of institutional control when the courses were allegedly devised to benefit all who took them, athletes or otherwise.

     Instead, the COI opted to take the University's word that they had not intentionally violated their own academic policies or those of the NCAA; ..."NCAA policy is clear.  The NCAA defers to its member schools to determine when academic fraud has occurred and, ultimately, the panel is bound to making decisions within the rules set by the membership".

     Lots of lawyers billed lots of hours and behind the scenes maneuvering within the UNC hierarchy ultimately defeated the NCAA. The demonstration by the school that its athletic department and the coaches and other staff therein did not have direct involvement with this scam is preposterous. The COI could "infer motives based on the large number of student athletes who took the courses and received high marks. Thus ..."the record, however, does not establish specific, systemic or intentional efforts tied to athletics motives."

     Even at a small liberal arts college like Franklin and Marshall in the late 1960's and early 1970's, there were courses, while open to the general student population, which athletes readily took. The athletes learned about the courses from the coaches, who implored the athletes to take them. I am certain other schools have done this or even what North Carolina blatantly did in Afro-American Studies.

     No one seems to get punished for this greed and avarice. The NCAA defers to its members to self-establish and patrol the member institution, and to maintain academic integrity, especially when athletes are involved. And as such, the NCAA whiffed on this abomination that did exactly what it could do--convey extra benefits to UNC student athletes without getting sanctioned. Is this what the NCAA really wants?

     Given the smell test, and asserting the rules the NCAA set up, this stinks throughout the NCAA membership, who now knows that it can have those cake courses that are academic frauds and open them to the entire student body, who will not be able to partake in these courses because they are so overrun by athletes. For the failure to hold UNC accountable, the UNC academic saga is the final strike on my weekend.

Joe Girardi, the man--Manager of the New York Yankees

     Joe Girardi. the Manager of the New York Yankees. He wears number 28, to represent how many World Series championships this esteemed franchise has won.

     Joe Girardi, who had a 15 year career as a catcher for the Chicago Cubs (7 years), Colorado Rockies (3 years), St. Louis Cardinals (1 year) and New York Yankees (4 years). An All Star once, for Chicago, in 2000. He had a lifetime .267 average with 36 home runs and 422 R.B.I. In 15 seasons, he was paid just over $21 million. His current compensation as manager is $16 million in 4 years.

     Joe Girardi, the 5' 11"man, still with the imposing forearms and the build of a linebacker. He grew up in East Peoria, Illinois, where he excelled in athletics and was coached in basketball by his father before attending high school, where he was the quarterback in football and the catcher in baseball.

     Joe Girardi, remembered as the Yankees catcher who preceded the lengthy career of Jorge Posada and became Posada's mentor. In his 4 years in New York as a player, he batted .272 and was an integral player on the 1996 team which won the World Series. The image still persists of Girardi galloping around the bases against the Atlanta Braves, pulling into third base with a triple off of Braves' Hall of Fame ace Greg Maddux to start a Yankees' rally. He also was on the 1998 and 1999 Yankees World Series teams. Girardi was the catcher for David Cone's perfect game.

     Joe Girardi, a graduate of Northwestern University, with a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering. He was the first freshman elected as President of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity at Northwestern. And he was a star baseball player, who was drafted by the Cubs.

     Joe Girardi, the Manager for the Florida Marlins for one tumultuous season in 2006. He was the National League Manager of the Year despite having a minuscule payroll of $15 million for his roster. Girardi was fired by mercurial owner, Jeffrey Loria at the end of the season. Loria disliked his manager after being told by Girardi and his bench coach to stop heckling home plate umpire Larry Vanover during an August game, after Vanover had warned Girardi to get Loria to stop his harassment.

     Joe Girardi, the broadcaster. He worked for the YES Network in 2004-05 and again in 2007, where he worked in the broadcast booth as an analyst for 60+ games. In 2005, while being the bench coach for Manager Joe Torre, he hosted a children's program for YES, which was taped during spring training. Girardi did studio work for FOX during the 2006 World Series and he was a part of the No. 2 broadcast team for FOX in 2007.

     Joe Girardi, the man. On his way home from celebrating the 2009 World Series win, he risked his life and saved a woman who had crashed her car on the Cross County Parkway in Westchester County. The driver did not know who had helped her until the responding officers told her. He gives countless hours of charity for the Yankees. He is a devout Catholic and he is an exercise and health conscious individual.

     Joe Girardi, the family man. He and his wife Kim have 3 children. He is devoted to them. Just like he was devoted to his mother, who died from cancer while he was at Northwestern, and his father who passed away during the 2012 ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Girardi turns 53 on October 14. He stands erect during the National Anthem as well as when a service member or veteran is brought to the field for recognition in the middle of the 7th inning and "God Bless America" is played. Probably as a result of his father having been an Air Force veteran.

     Joe Girardi, the manager with a 910-710 record with the Yankees since 2008. His post-season record is 22-19. He has won one A.L. pennant the team's 40th along with the 27 World Series title in 2009. He answers the media's questions after every game and he is known to have bristled at some inquiries. Girardi performs his weekly YES show duties as well as any network in-game obligations.

     Joe Girardi, the tactician. He can tinker with lineups on a regular basis until he feels most comfortable about his personnel. He has adopted Sabermetrics to a degree. Sabermetrics is defined as the empirical analysis of baseball. especially utilizing statistics measuring in game activity, to decide who bats against what pitcher or how long a pitcher can stay in a game. Girardi has been known to pull a pitcher early from a game, even if ahead, based on history and statistics. He regularly brings in relief pitchers to a point close to overuse, although he has a rule not to use his top relievers more than 2 days in a row unless there are unusual or extenuating circumstances. Girardi believes in bunting when necessary, letting his top base runners steal on their own, and pinch hitting based upon a batter's history against a certain pitcher. His critics say that he interjects himself into games way too much. His fans are more than satisfied with his style, which readily translates into wins.

     Joe Girardi, perched along the railing of the dugout, seemingly always deep in thought. He does not show too much emotion, but shakes hands with a batter who hits a homer or pats the pitcher he has to remove from a game. He will passionately argue for his team when he feels that the umpires have wronged it. He is good at winning replay challenges.

     Joe Girardi, by his record as player and manager, is a fierce competitor. He is smart, he is responsible and his teams win games. A lot of wins, even if the last Yankees' World Series appearance was in 2009. His contract with the team ends with this season.

     Joe Girardi, 2017 candidate for A.L. Manager of the Year. He took a team which experts believed was maybe a third or fourth place team, to second place in the A.l East, nearly topping the East winners, Boston Red Sox, and in the process securing the home field for the A.L. Wild Card game. He overcame significant injuries to pitcher Michael Pineda, first baseman Greg Byrd, outfielders Jacoby Ellbury, outfielder Aaron Hicks, catcher Gary Sanchez, designated hitter  Matt Holliday and shortstop Didi Gregorious among others. He rode the hitting of all-everything rookie sensation Aaron Judge and pitching from starters Luis Severino and C. C. Sabathia along with his great bullpen to get to where the team is today. He survived the in-season meltdowns of his two top relievers, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman. He successfully integrated the players acquired in multiple trades into his core groups.

     Joe Girardi is the reason why the Yankees take the field tonight at Yankee Stadium versus the white hot Cleveland Indians, behind 2-0 in the best of 5 series, and facing elimination. He is responsible for the staggering loss in Game 2, a game they led 8-3 in the 6th inning. A game where they had handled probable Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber with relative ease.A game where they had rebounded from a 2 hit performance in Game 1.

     Let's turn back the clock a little bit. Let's return to the A.L. Wild Card game on October 3, 2017. The Minnesota Twins shocked the Yankees in the first inning with 3 runs, two of them come from home runs against ace Severino. Girardi replaces Severino after he completed only 1/3rd of an inning--the shortest start by a pitcher in Yankees' post-season history--in this winner take all contest. Chad Green is called upon to rescue the team. Which he did in the top of the first inning by setting down the Twins. In the bottom of the first. New York responded with 3 runs of their own on a Gregorious home run, to tie the score. Brett Gardner hit a solo homer in the second inning to put New York ahead by 1. Green got into trouble in the third inning and was replaced by David Robertson, who allowed a run to score. Robertson went 3 1/3 scoreless innings, the longest stint he had pitched  in his MLB career. The Yankees took the lead for good on an R.B.I single by Byrd then via a 2 run homer from Judge. Tommy Kahnle came in and shut down the Twins, handing the game over to closer Chapman to finish off Minnesota.

     By bucking all trends and defying the odds, Girardi patched together an unusual pitching performance and banked on his hitters to come through. In the process, he rendered his venerable relief corps unusable, even if they had a day's rest before Game 1 of the ALDS. Which cost him and the Yankees dearly in Game 2.

     New York had jumped out to that 8-3 lead. Girardi then made some very bad moves. He took out Sabathia after 5.1 innings when he had walked a batter and had retired lefty-hitting Jay Bruce. Green was brought in. He was pitching on fumes, and he allowed a double. So there were runners at second and third with two outs when pinch hitter Lonnie Chisenhall came to the plate. Chisenhall worked the pitch count to 3-2 when, on the next pitch, the home plate umpire said that Chisenhall was hit on his hand to make the bases full.

     Chaos ensued within the Yankees. Catcher Sanchez motioned to Girardi that Chisenhall had not been hit on the hand with a pitch. Instead, the ball struck the knob of the bat and caromed into Sanchez's mitt for strike 3 and 3 outs. Sanchez adamantly wanted Girardi to challenge the play.

     But inexcusably, Girardi felt he did not have conclusive proof using replays to overturn the call in the allotted 30 seconds. So he did not heed Sanchez and he did not challenge the call. Just past the 30 seconds mark, slo-mo replays, not available to the Yankees' own video reviewer who has had a high rate of success this season, showed that Sanchez was correct and that the ball had in fact hit the bat knob.

     Instead of just relying on Sanchez, Girardi inexplicably deferred to his video replay man who did not have a complete picture of the play and let a spent Green pitch to Indians' shortstop Francisco Lindor. Lindor blasted a grand slam home run on the next pitch. Instead of ending the inning at 8-3, Cleveland was resuscitated with the score being 8-7.

     Robertson, coming off of that long Wild Card experience, managed to get Cleveland out in innings 6 and 7. But Jay Bruce homered off of a tired Robertson in the bottom of the 8th inning, tying the score at 8-8.

     In the top of the eleventh inning, third baseman Todd Frazier, having a solid night at the plate, was safe and on second base on a throwing error by the Cleveland third baseman. Girardi elected to pinch run for Frazier with the speedy Ronald Torreyes. Girardi then asked Gardner to bunt; Gardner pulled his bat away from the ball; Indians catcher Yan Gomes made a snap throw to second base; Torreyes  was called safe. The Indians did challenge the play and on replay, it showed Torreyes to be out by a hair. End of the Yankees' threat. The TV cameras caught a disgusted Frazier, now finished for the night and with nothing to show for his being replaced,  cursing and tossing his water cup angrily into the trash. Cleveland subsequently won the game in the 13th inning, to take that 2-0 series lead.

     Girardi has been vilified since the game ended by Yankees' fans and a ton of the media. Girardi's post-game explanations were unacceptable. His over managing in Game 1 along with his quick hook of Sabathia and over reliance on a wasted Green and Robertson essentially cost New York the win. Even with his necessary Saturday admission that he blew the replay opportunity, nothing could change the outcome of Game 2 in the minds of the players and the fans.

     I doubt that New York can thwart Cleveland and do the unthinkable--win the series. The sting from these gaffes will remain over the team--but for how long? The inevitable second question thus arises--should Girardi remain as the Yankees' skipper? Does his overall record warrant another shot at a World Series title with a team, a mix of veterans and young stars, which has the capability to reach that goal? Is he the one to lead New York for the future--and how long a contract should he have given the fact that his overall post season record is 22-19 heading into tonight and the Yankees have not been to the ALCS since 2012?

     These questions are for General Manager Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenners, owners of the team, to answer. Will they heed the fans who want Girardi's head and the media frenzy that will obviously ensue? Or will they continue to be patient and overlook these Game 1 and 2 moves and reward Girardi for his regular season managing? If Girardi is to be brought back, will he and the Yankees be able to reach a meeting of the minds as to compensation and length of contract?  This will play itself out in the upcoming weeks.

     One thing I do know--Game 2 was a bitter loss and hard to fathom.
   

Just another late September week

     This week's sports calendar began with a Monday afternoon makeup game between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees. KC came in from Boston, while the Yankees arrived fro

   

     

   

Streakers

     Immediate disclaimer--this is NOT in any way an expose about those young women and men who shed their clothes in the mid-1970's and ran amok around college campuses. This included the University of Delaware, where a raucous, beer-infused Thursday night campus quad became even more interesting for this aspiring law student when I abandoned the tedious studying inside the library to survey the tumult.

     Instead, the nature of the streak in Major League Baseball has been one of the great topics of the season. Heading the list is the remarkable streak of the defending American League champion Cleveland Indians, who won 22 straight games. At the bottom of the list is Aaron Judge's 37 game streak of at least 1 strikeout per game, setting a single season record, yet avoiding by 1 game the all-time record of consecutive games with a strikeout which was set by a pitcher, Bill Stoneman, in 1971-72.

     Then there is this season's schizophrenic team--the Los Angeles Dodgers. This team had managed to go 91-36, which included three winning streaks of at least 10 games. They had a 53 game streak of winning games that they had a lead at some point during the contest. Only to be outdone by an incredible 11 game losing skein, which really was 16 out of 17 games with a loss. But not to despair, Dodger faithful, this is the 5th year in a row that the team has won the N.L. West.

     Just as we are not to be too upset about Aaron Judge's performance in this, his rookie season. After all, even if he set another dubious record in striking out a total of 200 times--the most by a rookie, his proclivity for striking out hardly diminishes his incredible accomplishment--the first rookie ever to amass 45+ home runs, more than 100 R.B.I. and 100 runs scored.

     Speaking of sluggers, Giancarlo Stanton had a 6 game homer streak in August as he makes an assault on Roger Maris' 61 total. That is 2 short of the MLB record, held by 3 people--including his manager, Don Mattingly.  Given that Stanton is not associated with steroids and home run hitters like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire are, should the Miami Marlins' star break Maris total, it would be a feat.

     Let's also return to the Indians. They have 29 out the last 31 contests. Cleveland has won 28 straight games while allowing 4 or less runs. Moreover, the Tribe has not lost 2 games in a row since July. On Friday, when Seattle beat the Indians 3-1, the Mariners stopped a modest 5 game Cleveland winning streak and a more impressive 14 game road winning streak, while Seattle ended a 6 game losing streak of their own. Cleveland is the first team since the 1935-36 Chicago Cubs to have two consecutive seasons with winning streaks of 14+ games. Additionally, the Indians became the first team to have +100 run differential in 19 consecutive games AND were the first team since the 1923 New York Giants to hold the opposition to 32 or fewer runs over a 19 game span. No wonder Cleveland has the best record in MLB and is trying to secure home field advantage all the way through the World Series.

     Cleveland's ace pitcher and 2016 Cy Young Award winner, Corey Kluber, has fashioned some streaks of his own en route to a 17-4 record in 2017. Kluber has had two 5 game win streaks, and he was victorious today, in addition to raising his record to 18-4, he now has a 6 game winning streak and a 5 game winning streak.

     Other pitching streaks of note included the fact that when almost-certain Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw surrendered a grand slam home run to the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this month, it represented the first time in his illustrious career that he had given up a bases full homer. Baltimore Orioles left-handed closer, Zach Britton, saw his MLB record 60 game save streak come to an end in August. Boston ace starter, lefty Chris Sale, set an MLB record with 10 straight double digit strikeout performances; he is also the fastest to reach 1,500 strikeouts in MLB history. Alex Wood of the Dodgers opened the season with 11 straight victories. The surprising Arizona Diamondbacks, the probable NL Wild Card Game host, had a streak of 9 consecutive games where D-backs pitchers recorded 10 or more strikeouts of their opponents.

     Pitchers with ongoing streaks of 200+ strikeouts in a season are Max Scherzer of Washington (6) and Sale (5). This will be Kershaw's 9th straight season with an E.R.A. of under 3.00. Justin Verlander, the former Detroit Tigers' ace now pitching for the Houston Astros, has manufactured a 6 game winning streak, including 4-0 since the trade to Houston, accompanied by a minuscule 0.64 E.R.A.; he has had 200+ strikeouts in 11 of 12 years, interrupted only in his injury-plagued 2015 season. Verlander's dating Kate Upton is in another, very different category.

     The longest consecutive game hitting streaks in the AL was 21 games by Whit Merrifield of Kansas City and 19 games in the NL from Odubel Herrera of Philadelphia. Team streaks to offer are the 13 consecutive wins by the D-backs and the 69 consecutive days in first place in the NL East by the Colorado Rockies, who are battling Milwaukee and St. Louis for the final NL Wild Card spot. In a 16-0 rout of the San Diego Padres, the Minnesota Twins became the first team to hit homers in the first 7 innings of a game.

     Those are impressive streaks. But 2017 has been more than just the aforementioned MLB and league records and achievements I have chronicled. There have been numerous records set, both on a team and individual levels which do not involve streaks.

     The Yankees and Cubs set the MLB mark for strikeouts in a game at 48 in an 18 inning game. In a 12 inning game, the Dodgers and Brewers set the NL record for strikeouts in a game at 42; Milwaukee tied its own MLB record of 26 strikeouts in a game.  On June 3, an MLB mark of 7 grand slams were hit in a single day. On June 24, three Oakland A's rookies hit their first career home runs in the same game, another MLB record; all 3 homers came off of one pitcher, James Sheilds, who also recorded his 2,000 strikeout in that affair. The Shields involvement is a de facto MLB record--most homers by a rookie off of a pitcher who has 2000+ career strikeouts.

     George Springer of the Astros hit 4 lead off homers in his first 9 games of the season, a record. Trey Mancini of Baltimore hit 7 homers in his first 12 career games, tying an MLB record. Angels slugger Albert Pujols became the all-time Dominican-born record holder for R.B.I's and became the first player to hit a grand slam for his 600th homer. Aaron Judge is the first player to hit 13 homers in his first 26 games; Judge joined McGwire as the only two players to have hit 30 home runs in his first season before the All-Star Game. Scooter Gennett of Cincinnati is the first player to have 5 hits, 4 homers and 10 Runs batted in during a game. Dodgers' rookie sensation Cody Bellinger was the fastest to have 4 multi-homer games, doing that in just 45 contests and when he hit his 21st home run in his 51st career game, that, too, was a MLB record. In recording his 3,000 hit, Texas Rangers' third baseman Adrian Beltre was the first Dominican-born player to do so. Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts tied a record with 8 R.B.I.'s in a game while batting leadoff. Ichiro Suzuki, currently playing for Miami, established the record for most career base hits by a foreign-born player. Toronto Blue Jays' Steve Pearce hit 2 walk off grand slams, which tied the MLB record. Rhys Hoskins of the Phillies hit 11 homers in 18 games, which is the fastest since 1913; Hoskins did it in a record 17 less at bats. San Francisco pitcher Madison Bumgarner is the first hurler to hit 2 homers on Opening Day.

     So now, when you have had enough numbers for one season, I leave my readers with 2 thoughts. First, the MLB record for the most homers in a season was set on September 19. Second, how many more homers and records will be broken or tied in this last 8 games of the regular season?