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Bar Chat

06/29/2017

Jackson Out!

[Note: Posted Wed. a.m.]

Baseball Quiz: Since 1950, a pitcher has thrown 340 innings in a season 8 times, two doing it twice.  So, name the six pitchers to throw that many.  Answer below.

MLB

--After sweeping the lowly Giants in San Francisco, the Mets resumed their losing ways on Tuesday in Miami, 6-3, and they lost another starting pitcher in the process; Robert Gsellman pulling a hamstring as he tried to reach first safety on an infield roller.  Onto the disabled list he goes.

Which means that what was thought to be the deepest starting rotation in baseball in spring training, seven hurlers battling it out for five spots, instead has seen six of the seven end up on the disabled list at one point or another this season and we aren’t even in July. Staggering.

But there are some who have had it with the Mets training staff and many inside and outside the organization are pointing fingers directly at senior strength and conditioning advisor, Mike Barwis, who was brought on board this year, Barwis also the director of strength and conditioning for the Michigan football team. 

Barwis employs a heavy weights regimen and this clearly has been the culprit behind the numerous leg muscle injuries the team has suffered, such as with outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.

Tuesday, after watching Gsellman come up lame, Mets broadcaster Ron Darling blasted the training staff, saying, “It’s a joke to watch this happen every night.”

Heck, New York baseball fans saw it the night before in Chicago, the Yankees’ Starlin’ Castro going on the DL after he also pulled his hamstring running to first.

Darling said it was time for today’s baseball teams to get their trainers to talk to the old-time trainers from 30-40 years ago and gain their wisdom because players simply didn’t have the muscle tissue issues they have in today’s game.

--Speaking of the Yankees, they continue to struggle, splitting their first two with the White Sox Monday and Tuesday, including another bullpen implosion last night, New York taking a 3-2 lead into the ninth, only to have Dellin Betances blow it, the White Sox getting two for the win.

The Yankees wasted a superb effort by starter Luis Severino, 7 innings, one earned, 0 walks, 12 strikeouts.

Boston now leads the A.L. East by a game.

Boston 43-34
New York 41-34

--The Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer moved to 9-5, but with a superb 2.06 ERA as Washington defeated the Cubs 6-1 in D.C., Scherzer giving up the lone run in six.

Jake Arrieta was shelled again, 4 innings, 5 earned, as he fell to 7-6, 4.67.

--I forgot to note Sunday that the Dodgers’ sensation, Cody Bellinger, in slamming two more home runs, Nos. 23 and 24, already has the most homers by a rookie in the N.L. before the All-Star break, with 13 games remaining.  And it was his sixth multi-homer game of the season.

In 1987, Mark McGwire had 33 homers in Oakland’s first 80 games and ended up with 49.

[Bellinger was homerless Mon. and Tues.]

--Ah yes, The Tebow Effect.  In Low-A ball at Columbia, a Tebow appearance meant 2,210 extra fans and $44,000 per night, according to Josh Norris of Baseball America.

In the Florida State League where Tebow has been promoted (the Mets’ High-A St. Lucie club), the average game has drawn 1,404 fans, but the lowest of Tebow’s games in the Sally League was 2,645, nearly double the average FSL game.

Now, with Tebow being a legend in Florida for his Heisman Trophy days with the Gators, watch the Tebow Effect take off to new heights.

--Former Mets pitcher Anthony Young died at his home in Houston on Tuesday, losing a long battle with an inoperable brain tumor.  He was just 51.

In a statement, the Mets said Young “never let his losing records with the Mets rob him of his sense of humor or his grace.”

You see, Young was just about the most popular loser in New York sports history (individually), A.Y. losing 27 straight games, a major league record, from 1992-93.  But he used the misfortune to his benefit and even appeared on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno during the disastrous run.

Young was legitimately the victim of a lot of bad luck, too. In 1992, he was 2-14, 4.17 ERA, but with 15 saves, and then went 1-16 in 1993, 3.77.

For his career, A.Y. was 15-48, 3.88.  RIP.

--College World Series

Florida took Game 1 of the finals against LSU, 4-3, on Monday, and then clinched its first national championship with a 6-1 victory Tuesday in Omaha.

Pretty amazing in their 103-year program history they hadn’t won it all before, having played now in 11 College World Series.

And, yes, it gives me a final chance to say, Wake Forest gave the Gators all they could handle in the super regionals.

NBA

--The stories started bubbling up Tuesday afternoon, the Knicks were trying to engineer a buyout of Carmelo Anthony’s remaining years on his deal so he could pursue something else.

But then things escalated overnight and when I read all the headlines first thing this morning, suddenly the story was that owner James Dolan was going to fire team president Phil Jackson within hours!  Yesss!!!

Knicks fans, our long, local nightmare is over.  Thank god.  I mean it has us all giddy as a schoolboy.

“Hey kid, you know that big goose in the butcher’s window?”

“The one as big as me?”

“Yeah, go fetch it...here’s a farthing.”

“What’s a farthing?”

Anyway, apparently Dolan has been wanting to pull the trigger on Jackson since about mid-season.

Needless to say, much more on this next time, including the fact NBA free agency commences at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, and now New York has zero direction.  [You know who would be a solid point guard option for the Knicks until 18-year-old Ntilikina develops?  Jeff Teague.]  And summer league is about to start.

Jackson’s Knicks have gone 17-65, 32-50 and 31-51 in his three full seasons after he took over in March 2014.

But perhaps the best thing about Jackson’s departure is we won’t have to hear about his freakin’ triangle offense anymore!  [That was driving the players nuts, too.]

--Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, the first to average a  triple-double since Oscar Robertson in 1962, won the MVP award.

“It’s amazing,” said Westbrook during the first made-for-TV awards show for the league, which yours truly blew off.  “I remember growing up just being home, playing the video games and stuff with my Pops, and my mom sitting there and my brother and just talking about maybe one day I could be the MVP.

“Obviously, I was joking at the time.  But now to be standing here with this trophy next to me is a true blessing, man, and it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

But in a report for the event on TNT, I just read that I missed a performance by Nicki Minaj, “complete with the singer being carried onto the stage by four shirtless men and wearing a flowing white fur jacket.”

Meanwhile, Malcolm Brogdon of the Milwaukee Bucks was named rookie of the year, the first player picked outside the first round of the draft to win this award since the common draft era began in 1966.

Brogdon, the former Virginia standout, averaged 10.2 points and 4.2 assists, after being selected 36^th.

Houston Rockets Coach Mike D’Antoni was coach of the year, and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was selected defensive player of the year.

With the award ceremony being held in New York, where D’Antoni was a miserable 121-167 with the Knicks, 2008-12, he said: “I never thought I would be in New York and have to thank the sports writers for winning Coach of the Year.”

Golf Balls

--Tiger Woods announced he would miss this week’s Quicken Loans National, a PGA Tour stop that benefits his foundation; Tiger currently receiving in-patient treatment to help manage his pain medications, while also dealing with a sleep disorder.

Jack Nicklaus, appearing at a charity event on Monday, said, “I don’t know whether Tiger will play much golf anymore.”  But Nicklaus was quick to point out, “Whether he plays golf or not, I think he’s got an awful lot to offer the youth of the country and the game itself....I hope he gets his life straightened out with the problems he’s had and be able to lead a normal life.”

--Brooks Koepka made a decision two years ago that if – or when – he won a major championship, he was not going a media tour, thus the reason why he laid low after winning the U.S. Open.  “That’s just not me,” said Koepka.

Instead, he celebrated with the U.S. Open trophy in Las Vegas with Dustin Johnson, Paulina Gretzky and a collection of close friends.  Koepka isn’t playing again until the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, having long-planned a four-week break.

--In catching up on some reading material, I have to note the July Golf Digest and the column by Mr. X (the undercover Tour Pro with Max Adler).

Commenting on how earlier in the year, Phil Mickelson said in a press conference, “I know a number of guys on tour that are loose with how they mark the ball and have not been called on it.  I mean, they’ll move the ball two, three inches in front of their mark, and this is an intentional way to get it out of any type of impression and so forth, and I think that kind of stuff needs to stop.”

Mr. X said:  “Now, if there’s anyone prone to hyperbole, it’s Phil.  The truth is, there’s exactly one guy who is known to mismark his ball by two or three inches. Ask any player about cheating, and they’ll all tell you the same name.  I was paired with this notorious individual recently, and I witnessed it.  Using his hand to obscure the distance behind the ball, he picks up his coin so fast that you almost can’t be certain of what you’ve just seen.  But when you see it enough times, it becomes pretty obvious. What’s more, this was just after the anchor ban, and he was using a long putter.  He wears baggy shirts, but I could tell that he was anchoring.  After the round, we got into a heated debate in the scoring trailer when I refused to sign his card.  He claimed that if the end of his grip touched his chest, it was accidental. The way the rule is written, it’s all about intent, and an official signed his card.

“This dude knows he’s a cheater, and he knows that everyone knows he’s a cheater. No one wants to be paired with him or play practice rounds with him.  Often you see him dining alone.

“Back to what Phil said.  I’d say there are maybe 20 guys who deliberately fudge their marks within a half-inch....

“Just the other day, a buddy told me one from a recent weather delay. The horn sounds, and my buddy and another guy elect to finish the hole. The third player, whose ball is in a gnarly divot hole in the fairway, chooses to stop. The next morning, when they resume the round, my buddy is waiting by the green and says to his caddie, ‘No way this mother------ puts the ball back where it was.’  Sure enough, the shot comes sizzling into the green and spins back 10 feet – which is impossible from a divot.  The guy goes on to finish well that weekend and rakes in a bunch of money and FedEx Cup points that should’ve gone to someone else.”

--Jeffrey Toobin, the CNN legal analyst, has a terrific piece on how Phil Mickelson escaped major trouble in the insider trading/Billy Walters case, that was just posted on Golf Digest and Golf World, easily findable, though there is nothing there I haven’t written in this space before concerning the case, it’s just that Toobin puts it together now that we have all the facts.

Let’s just say, again, that Phil is very, very lucky.  There are solid legal reasons why he got off, namely a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit throwing out one of the Manhattan prosecutors’ most important convictions, where the defendant traded on inside information that he received second-hand, just like Phil did. 

What it came down to, as Mr. Toobin writes, is “a tippee (like Mickelson) could only be found guilty of insider trading if he knew that the tipper (Dean Foods former board member Tom Davis) benefited in some way from giving the information to (Billy) Walters.  Because there was no evidence of what Mickelson knew about Davis’ motivations, Mickelson could not be charged, under the law of the (Todd Newman case that was thrown out).”

So as a friend who knows Newman told me Tuesday when I alerted him to the article, Mr. Mickelson owes Newman a drink.

Stuff

--Serena Williams was none too pleased after John McEnroe said that if she played on the men’s circuit, she’d be “like No. 700 in the world.”

In an interview on NPR, McEnroe told the host that Williams has earned the designation as the greatest woman to play tennis, but he wouldn’t put her in the category of greatest to ever play tennis.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t think Serena is an incredible player. I do, but the reality of what would happen on a given day is Serena could beat some players, I believe, because she is so incredibly strong mentally,” he said.

“But if she had to just play the circuit – the men’s circuit – that would be an entirely different story.”

Serena basically said, ‘Leave me alone...I’m trying to have a baby.’

--There was a big dustup in Formula One racing last weekend, as Lewis Hamilton called title rival Sebastian Vettel “a disgrace” after the Ferrari driver drove into his car in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.

The two clashed before one of three restarts in a chaotic race, Vettel hitting the back of Hamilton’s Mercedes and then swerving sideways into him.

Vettel said Hamilton had deliberately slowed – or “brake-tested” – him.

Hamilton denied this and added that it was “disgusting driving” and “not sportsman’s conduct.”

Vettel was given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty in the race which was won by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, Vettel being adjudged guilty of dangerous driving, though he still finished ahead of Hamilton and extended his championship lead to 14 points.

Hamilton wasn’t assessed any penalty as the data (race officials have access to everything imaginable for these cars) showed Hamilton was not decelerating or braking.

Yes, these two hate each other and it sets up some interesting final races.

--Yippee! Kind of out of nowhere, because it wasn’t supposed to do so, the U.S. Supreme Court announced on Tuesday it will hear arguments in my state of New Jersey’s quest to legalize sports gambling!  You go, Supremes!!!  Plus, they overruled the U.S. Solicitor General’s opinion that the case wasn’t worthy, us Jerseyans following the topic knowing this beforehand.

In your face, Solicitor General!

There is zero reason for N.J. not to have sports gambling, what with our long-established casino and horse racing industries, the latter seen as potential parlors.

I have taken up a ton of space in these columns on the topic, and with the support of the likes of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who has long supported federally regulated sports gambling, while the NFL and NHL are about to have franchises in Las Vegas, it’s like, c’mon, guys!

I’m satiated these days with very minor bets on DraftKings, but I should be allowed to go to Atlantic City, or the track at the Meadowlands, and place a bet on the Mets to win it all in 2018.  Cough cough...ahem ahem....cough.....

As New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone (Dem.) who has been spearheading the federal legislation, along with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, said:

“I applaud the Supreme Court for taking on this case and potentially resolving a long history of hypocrisy and unfairness in federal law.  The citizens of New Jersey overwhelmingly support legalized sports betting and acted in a referendum to show that support.  Both Congress and the Supreme Court should respect these actions.”

Hear hear!  If the Supremes don’t rule in our favor, we’re taking up arms against the rest of the United States.  I have my Swiss Army Knife with the hacksaw extension at the ready.

I do believe, however, the High Court will grant us the right in a unanimous decision.

--Finally, Brad K. passed along the following horrifying tale from New Hampshire, via Valerie Edwards of the Daily Mail:

An 80-year-old woman was able to fight off a rabid bobcat using a sickle when she was attacked while out gardening.

“Elsie Dabrowski, of New Hampshire, was out trimming her roses and was making her evening trip to lock up her chicken coup when she decided to do some weeds with a sickle.

“She was then attacked by the bobcat.  Dabrowski said that out of nowhere, the beast jumped on her and began slashing away with its razor sharp claws.

“ ‘All I could think of is ‘why is he doing this, why is this stupid cat attacking me?’ Dabrowski told a local television station.

“Dabrowski then turned her sickle on the wild cat before some of her five dogs rushed over to scare the animal off.”

Elsie’s boy heard her screams and rushed out with a gun and killed the offending cat.

But get this.  The bobcat had sunk its teeth into Elsie’s face, which resulted in 60 stitches! 

Elsie and every other resident of the state were given rabies shots, ditto her dogs, after the bobcat tested positive.

Photos of the cat revealed a previous battle with a porcupine as its face was full of quilts.

‘Bobcat’ is No. 218 on the All-Species List.  ‘Porcupine’ is No. 114, and probably underrated, come to think of it.  The ASL Board will be convening on this issue.  The ASL High Court in Kazakhstan has no jurisdiction over such a matter....in case you were wondering.

Top 3 songs for the week 6/30/73: #1 “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” (George Harrison)  #2 “My Love” (Paul McCartney & Wings)  #3 “Will It Go Round In Circles” (Billy Preston)...and...#4 “I’m Gonna Love You Just  A Little More Baby” (Barry White)  #5 “Kodachrome” (Paul Simon)  #6 “Pillow Talk” (Sylvia...ahhh....ahhhhh.....)  #7 “Playground In My Mind” (Clint Holmes)  #8 “Long Train Runnin’” (The Doobie Brothers)  #9 “Right Place Wrong Time” (Dr. John)  #10 “Shambala” (Three Dog Night)

Baseball Quiz Answer: Since 1950, 340 innings in a season:

1953: Robin Roberts, Phillies, 346 2/3
1971: Mickey Lolich, Tigers, 376
1972: Wilbur Wood, White Sox, 376 2/3; Steve Carlton, Phillies, 346 1/3; Gaylord Perry, Indians, 342 2/3
1973: Wilbur Wood, White Sox, 359; Gaylord Perry, Indians, 344
1979: Phil Niekro*, Braves, 342

*Phil Niekro won 16 games in each of 1984 and ’85 with the Yankees at age 45 and 46.  As Ronald Reagan was no doubt heard saying in the halls of the White House back in those days, ‘Not bad, not bad at all.’

By the way, the last two pitchers to throw for 250 innings are Justin Verlander, Tigers, 251 in 2011, and Roy Halladay, Phillies, 250 in 2010.

Speaking of when men were men, Johnny Mac sent me an anniversary note the other day I forgot to include...6/14/74.  California defeated Boston in 15 innings, 4-3; Carl Yastrzemski tying it at 3 in the ninth with a 2-run homer.

Luis Tiant went 14 1/3 for Boston, the whole game, 11 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts.

Nolan Ryan went 13 innings for California, 8 hits, 10 walks, 19 strikeouts!

How many pitches did Ryan throw in this game?!  I mean just take the minimum for the 10 walks and 19 strikeouts, that’s 97 pitches right there!

And going back to my last chat and the pace of play issue, I’ve written a ton on Warren Spahn over the years, and the historic 16-inning matchup against Juan Marichal, and how if he hadn’t been serving his country for three years during World War II, he may have ended up with 400+ wins rather than 363, but on pace of play, I just picked at random 1963, when he went 23-7 at age 42!

Using baseballreference.com, I went to June 9 of that year when he defeated the Pirates 5-3 in the second game of a doubleheader, played in 2:15.  The first game, where my man Bob Friend (he of the greatest baseball card of all time) shut out the Braves 4-0, was played in 2:32.

So, kids, get out your official “Bar Chat Beer Decoder Ring” (send in those proof of purchase tabs from your Funny Bones’ boxes) and that’s about [X] beers.  Still more than enough for 4:45 of playing time, 30 minutes between games.  A very solid afternoon of entertainment.

By the way, in that doubleheader, Willie Stargell, just getting started with his career, played center field for the Pirates and batted eighth in both games.

And to complete my little story, on June 14, Spahn then shut out the Phillies, 3-0, in 2:01.

Next Bar Chat, Monday.

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