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05/21/2018

One More To Go....

[Posted Sunday p.m.  I had a long weekend with friends at the Jersey shore, a great break for me after the activities of the past month on the home front.  But this meant I got virtually zero work done.  Back to normal, on many levels, this coming week.]

Baseball Quiz: The other day Mets broadcaster Keith Hernandez was talking about the Reds’ outfield in 1963 of Frank Robinson, Tommy Harper and Vada Pinson as being the first All-African-American outfield in the National League and I thought that was a good quiz.  But in double-checking, the first such outfield was actually back in 1951.  Name it.  [Yes, it’s hard, but a clue is one of the members of this outfield became the first black to lead the league in RBIs that same season.] Answer below.

Justify

I watched the race with my friends, a wager on it, and with the horses emerging from the glom at about the ¼-mile pole, I was confused whether Justify had held on.  It didn’t seem he had.

John Cherwa / Los Angeles Times

“Justify’s win in the Preakness Stakes added a lot of intrigue to the Belmont Stakes. I was among the ones who thought he was invincible and would handily put away this field. But, when he emerged from the fog, he looked vulnerable.

“Winning trainer Bob Baffert watched the race with his family and a handful of reporters on a 24-inch monitor in the paddock area. But the view on television was only slightly less obscured than to the naked eye. NBC had to change several camera positions because any long shot was all fog. Even then, it was extremely difficult to follow....

“As they emerged in mid-stretch you could see Justify in front but there were other horses near him for the first time in his five-race career. Jockey Mike Smith switched to a left-hand whip, which is usually a sign a horse is tiring. Baffert let out an ‘Uh, oh.’

“Baffert then started yelling ‘C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, Mike’ waiting for the finish line to arrive.

“Then, Bravazo appeared in the picture with a big move, closing ground with every stride.

“But the finish line soon brought cheers and hugs among his family.

‘It was Baffert’s seventh Preakness win, tying him with Robert Wyndham Walden, who won all his races in the 1880s. It’s also the fifth time that Baffert has brought the Kentucky Derby winner to Pimlico and the fifth win. A victory in the Belmont would make him two for five.”

Dan Wolken / USA TODAY

“He emerged out of the fog, and the crowd at Pimlico roared.  From where most of the 134,487 people were watching the 143rd Preakness, it was unclear exactly what had happened.

“When Justify vanished into the abyss leaving the first turn, he had been locked in an eye-to-eye duel with Good Magic, the same horse that challenged him at the top of the in the Kentucky Derby.  And when Justify finally emerged, it was obvious that nothing had changed, the match race still ongoing.

“At that moment, it seemed we were going to learn far more about Justify in the last quarter-mile than we had in any of his previous four races, all won rather easily. Was he going to sprint away from the field like American Pharoah and romp his way to the Belmont? Was he going to have to gut it out for the first time in his life?  Might he actually lose?

“ ‘It was like the longest race of my life,’ said Teo Ah Khing, chairman of the China Horse Club, which co-owns Justify. ‘Twenty seconds without seeing the horse felt like years.’

“If those 20 seconds felt like a long time, imagine how he’ll feel for the next three weeks. Because now, after holding off Bravazo to win the Preakness by a half-length, Justify ascends to superstar status with a chance to become the 13th Triple Crown winner in horse racing history.

“Though that might not invite the frenzy it used to now that the soul-crushing Triple Crown drought ended in 2015, it’s still a very big deal. And yet, in many ways, there’s even more suspense for Justify as he leaves Pimlico than when he arrived.

“Justify, now 5-for-5 in his career, is undoubtedly a terrific horse. But his win in the Preakness did not evoke memories of previous Triple Crown winners, nor will it intimidate any of his potential rivals from trying to beat him in the Belmont.

“It did not look like a young superstar getting better, but rather a horse that has raced five times in 91 days and regressed for the first time in his career.

“ ‘I was never relaxed during the race,’ trainer Bob Baffert said. ‘He was in for a fight. I was just praying for the wire.’

“Indeed, the wire came just in time for Justify, who finally shook free of Good Magic with 3/16ths of a mile left but then had to hold off charges from Tenfold, who wound up third, and a fast-closing Bravazo, who was still making up ground with every stride as they crossed the wire.  In the immediate aftermath, the trainers of both horses sounded excited about getting another chance on June 9.

“ ‘We were three-quarters of a length away from where we want to be, so let’s figure out how to get it,’ said Tenfold’s trainer, Steve Asmussen.  ‘Heck yes (we’re going to the Belmont).’....

“Usually, though, the Belmont is the hardest of all – and for good reason. Only the true greats get admitted to the club, and we’ll find out soon if Justify belongs.

“But on Saturday, he was more Silver Charm than American Pharoah, which won’t scare anyone away from trying to stop him.”

But winning jockey Mike Smith said he never felt threatened by the late-charging horses. “Although he got a little tired today, he was also looking around a bit at the end,” Smith said.  “A bit of greenness came out today but he also got pushed pretty hard early on.”

So now it’s three interminable weeks for Baffert and his horse.

NBA Playoffs

--Cleveland took Game 3 of its series with Boston on Saturday night, whipping the Celtics 116-86 as LeBron James had an efficient 27 points on 8 of 12 shooting from the field, including 3 of 3 from beyond the arc, while also dishing out 12 assists.

So it’s 2-1 Boston, Game 4 in Cleveland on Monday night.  Only 19 of a possible 300 teams have ever overcome a 2-0 deficit in the playoffs.

--I’m posting prior to the conclusion of Golden State-Houston tonight.

Stanley Cup Playoffs

--After taking the first two games of its series with Tampa Bay, on the road, Washington suddenly finds itself on the brink of elimination after losing the next three, including a 3-2 defeat to the Lightning in Tampa yesterday.

So superstar Alex Ovechkin faces another season of disappointment if the Capitals can’t keep the series going Monday in Washington.

--Meanwhile, the astounding Las Vegas Golden Knights went into their game today up 3-1 on Winnipeg, on the road, and came away with a 2-1 win to wrap it up and head to the Stanley Cup finals.  Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who the Penguins let go after he played on three Stanley Cup championship teams, is the MVP of the playoffs thus far.

The Vegas tale is one of the great sports stories in U.S. history, especially if they are able to close the deal against the winner of Washington-Tampa Bay.

An expansion team in its first season!

MLB

--Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a 19-year-old in the Toronto farm system who is no doubt making his famous father rather proud, as well as exciting every fan of the Blue Jays.  All this kid (who doesn’t turn 20 until next March) has done at AA New Hampshire is hit .407 through Saturday, 59-145, with 7 home runs, 41 RBIs, just 15 strikeouts, and a 1.131 OPS.  As a piece in Baseball America put it the other day:

“Guerrero is performing at ludicrous levels so regularly that it becomes easy to become numb to just how unusual and special this is. No one hits .415 (his average when the article was written) for a season, but even if his numbers return to the realm of reality, he’s producing at a level that simply isn’t seen from 19-year-olds in the upper levels of the minors, ever.”

--The Mets appeared to right the ship, at least temporarily, with their first 3-game sweep at home since 2016 this weekend, despite Yoenis Cespedes being on the disabled list with his balky quad (and now a hip issue), and despite losing outfielder Juan Lagares for the season (most likely) to a toe injury.  Today, Noah Syndergaard improved to 4-1 with seven solid innings, while on Friday, Jacob deGrom, 4-0, threw seven shutout innings with 13 strikeouts.

As for Arizona, they started the season 21-8 but are a putrid 4-13 since.

--The Yankees improved to 30-13 today with a 10-1 win over the Royals in Kansas City, Sonny Gray with his best start of the season, 8 innings, one run.

And the Red Sox kept pace with New York at 32-15 after a 5-0 win over Baltimore, despite the Orioles banging out 13 hits.

Baltimore is a miserable 14-32, but don’t blame free-agent-to-be Manny Machado, who has Triple Crown potential with his 14 homers, 42 RBIs, and .343 average.

Of course then there is Boston’s Mookie Betts, a cool .365, with 15 home runs and 32 ribbies.

[Speaking of monster free-agents-to-be...Bryce Harper’s batting average is down to .224.]

--Saturday, in a 5-4 loss to the Dodgers in which he received a no-decision, the Nationals’ Max Scherzer went 7 innings, allowing 2 runs, striking out 13...in the process becoming the fastest to reach 100 strikeouts for a season, doing so in 63 innings. Scherzer now has 104 in 65 2/3, to go along with his 7-1 record, 1.78 ERA.  [Plus the guy is hitting .308...8 for 26.]

--It really is remarkable that Houston’s Justin Verlander, in 15 starts as an Astro going back to the midseason trade last year, is 10-2 with a 1.05 ERA, allowing just 52 hits in 102 2/3.  How can this be?  A probable future Hall of Fame pitcher better than he ever has been at age 35.

--Finally, I think we can all safely say the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani is for real.  Ohtani improved to 4-1, 3.35, today after throwing 7 2/3 of 2-run ball, 9 Ks, in a 5-2 L.A. win over Tampa Bay.

Stuff

--Chelsea picked up its eighth FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Wembley on Saturday; the only goal a first-half penalty by Eden Hazard.  Man U manger Jose Mourinho said after that Chelsea did not deserve to win, accusing them of “defending with nine players.”

Mourinho said: “I think we were the best team, but that is football.  I am quite curious to know what you say or what people write because if my team plays like Chelsea did, I can imagine what people would say.”

--Ed Carpenter captured the pole for next Sunday’s Indy 500, the third time he has accomplished the feat, though victory has eluded him.  Danica Patrick, preparing for the last race of her career, and first time at Indy since 2011, startlingly qualified seventh.  I’ll be tuning in next week.  I hope she does great.

--Irish Independent: “Two friends on a morning mountain bike ride near Seattle have been attacked by a cougar, killing one of the men and leaving the second in the hospital.

“The cougar was later found up a tree near the dead man’s body, where agents for the state’s Fish and Wildlife police shot and killed it hours after the Saturday attack, the Seattle Times reported.

“The injured man was said to be in satisfactory condition.

“Authorities say the cougar initially attacked him before running away.  Moments later, it returned with deadly results.

“ ‘He jumped the first victim and attacked him,’ said Sgt Ryan Abbott, of the King County Sheriff’s Office.

“ ‘The second victim turned and started to run away. The cougar saw that and went after the second victim. The first victim saw his friend being pulled by the cougar. He got on his bike and started to bike away.’

“The injured man rode for about two miles before getting mobile phone coverage and calling 911.  Sgt Abbott said when rescuers arrived it took them about 30 minutes to locate the second victim, who was dead with the cougar standing on top of him.

“ ‘The deputies shot at him and spooked him, and he ran off,’ he said.

“It took several hours before authorities found the cougar up a tree 50 to 200 yards away and killed it.  While the cougar was being hunted, rescuers had to wait to retrieve the dead man’s body.

“Rich Beausoleil, the state’s bear and cougar specialist, said it was only the second fatality in the state in the last 94 years. ‘But it’s one too many,’ he said.

“Cougars (pumas/mountain lions) are a protected species, though each year, the state allows 250 cougars to be hunted and killed in 50 designated zones.”

Ironically, in that other column I do, I noted how the Black Hills of South Dakota have a lot of mountain lions and you should never hike alone. Then hours after I posted, this story emerges.

--Houston Texans star JJ Watt has stepped up again for his area, promising to pay for the funerals of all 10 victims who died at Santa Fe High School on Friday.  Watt helped raise $37 million for those affected by the flooding from Hurricane Harvey.

--The Rolling Stones performed at Dublin’s Croke Park the other night and the reviewer in the Irish Independent was just raving about the performance.

But I loved this bit:

“Stones guitarist Keith Richards once declared: ‘If you are going to get wasted, then get wasted elegantly.’

“A message that seemed to chime with the crowd who began streaming into the historic GAA stadium well after the gates opened at 5pm yesterday.

“It was all very leisurely and civilized, in stark contrast to the bad boy image of the band when the majority of their audience were growing up.

“So it might not have been a sell-out, but can anyone name a 76-year-old (Charlie Watts), two 74-year-olds (Jagger and Richards) and a mere 70-year old Wood, who could still carry it off and create mayhem in the process?”

Top 3 songs for the week 5/24/75: #1 “Shining Star” (Earth, Wind & Fire...this was such a unique sound for its time...when this tune hit the airwaves...I was immediately hooked on EWF...)  #2 “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” (Freddy Fender)  #3 “Jackie Blue” (Ozark Mountain Daredevils)...and...#4 “Only Yesterday” (Carpenters)  #5 “Thank God I’m A Country Boy” (John Denver) #6 “How Long” (Ace) #7 “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)” (Tony Orlando & Dawn)  #8 “I  Don’t Like To Sleep Alone” (Paul Anka with Odia Coates) #9 “Bad Time” (Grand Funk) #10 “Old Days” (Chicago)

Baseball Quiz Answer: First All-African-American outfield in baseball was with the New York Giants in 1951...Hank Thompson (darn good player), Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, and rookie Willie Mays.  Irvin, with 121 RBIs, became the first black to lead the league.

Next Bar Chat, Thursday.



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Bar Chat

05/21/2018

One More To Go....

[Posted Sunday p.m.  I had a long weekend with friends at the Jersey shore, a great break for me after the activities of the past month on the home front.  But this meant I got virtually zero work done.  Back to normal, on many levels, this coming week.]

Baseball Quiz: The other day Mets broadcaster Keith Hernandez was talking about the Reds’ outfield in 1963 of Frank Robinson, Tommy Harper and Vada Pinson as being the first All-African-American outfield in the National League and I thought that was a good quiz.  But in double-checking, the first such outfield was actually back in 1951.  Name it.  [Yes, it’s hard, but a clue is one of the members of this outfield became the first black to lead the league in RBIs that same season.] Answer below.

Justify

I watched the race with my friends, a wager on it, and with the horses emerging from the glom at about the ¼-mile pole, I was confused whether Justify had held on.  It didn’t seem he had.

John Cherwa / Los Angeles Times

“Justify’s win in the Preakness Stakes added a lot of intrigue to the Belmont Stakes. I was among the ones who thought he was invincible and would handily put away this field. But, when he emerged from the fog, he looked vulnerable.

“Winning trainer Bob Baffert watched the race with his family and a handful of reporters on a 24-inch monitor in the paddock area. But the view on television was only slightly less obscured than to the naked eye. NBC had to change several camera positions because any long shot was all fog. Even then, it was extremely difficult to follow....

“As they emerged in mid-stretch you could see Justify in front but there were other horses near him for the first time in his five-race career. Jockey Mike Smith switched to a left-hand whip, which is usually a sign a horse is tiring. Baffert let out an ‘Uh, oh.’

“Baffert then started yelling ‘C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, Mike’ waiting for the finish line to arrive.

“Then, Bravazo appeared in the picture with a big move, closing ground with every stride.

“But the finish line soon brought cheers and hugs among his family.

‘It was Baffert’s seventh Preakness win, tying him with Robert Wyndham Walden, who won all his races in the 1880s. It’s also the fifth time that Baffert has brought the Kentucky Derby winner to Pimlico and the fifth win. A victory in the Belmont would make him two for five.”

Dan Wolken / USA TODAY

“He emerged out of the fog, and the crowd at Pimlico roared.  From where most of the 134,487 people were watching the 143rd Preakness, it was unclear exactly what had happened.

“When Justify vanished into the abyss leaving the first turn, he had been locked in an eye-to-eye duel with Good Magic, the same horse that challenged him at the top of the in the Kentucky Derby.  And when Justify finally emerged, it was obvious that nothing had changed, the match race still ongoing.

“At that moment, it seemed we were going to learn far more about Justify in the last quarter-mile than we had in any of his previous four races, all won rather easily. Was he going to sprint away from the field like American Pharoah and romp his way to the Belmont? Was he going to have to gut it out for the first time in his life?  Might he actually lose?

“ ‘It was like the longest race of my life,’ said Teo Ah Khing, chairman of the China Horse Club, which co-owns Justify. ‘Twenty seconds without seeing the horse felt like years.’

“If those 20 seconds felt like a long time, imagine how he’ll feel for the next three weeks. Because now, after holding off Bravazo to win the Preakness by a half-length, Justify ascends to superstar status with a chance to become the 13th Triple Crown winner in horse racing history.

“Though that might not invite the frenzy it used to now that the soul-crushing Triple Crown drought ended in 2015, it’s still a very big deal. And yet, in many ways, there’s even more suspense for Justify as he leaves Pimlico than when he arrived.

“Justify, now 5-for-5 in his career, is undoubtedly a terrific horse. But his win in the Preakness did not evoke memories of previous Triple Crown winners, nor will it intimidate any of his potential rivals from trying to beat him in the Belmont.

“It did not look like a young superstar getting better, but rather a horse that has raced five times in 91 days and regressed for the first time in his career.

“ ‘I was never relaxed during the race,’ trainer Bob Baffert said. ‘He was in for a fight. I was just praying for the wire.’

“Indeed, the wire came just in time for Justify, who finally shook free of Good Magic with 3/16ths of a mile left but then had to hold off charges from Tenfold, who wound up third, and a fast-closing Bravazo, who was still making up ground with every stride as they crossed the wire.  In the immediate aftermath, the trainers of both horses sounded excited about getting another chance on June 9.

“ ‘We were three-quarters of a length away from where we want to be, so let’s figure out how to get it,’ said Tenfold’s trainer, Steve Asmussen.  ‘Heck yes (we’re going to the Belmont).’....

“Usually, though, the Belmont is the hardest of all – and for good reason. Only the true greats get admitted to the club, and we’ll find out soon if Justify belongs.

“But on Saturday, he was more Silver Charm than American Pharoah, which won’t scare anyone away from trying to stop him.”

But winning jockey Mike Smith said he never felt threatened by the late-charging horses. “Although he got a little tired today, he was also looking around a bit at the end,” Smith said.  “A bit of greenness came out today but he also got pushed pretty hard early on.”

So now it’s three interminable weeks for Baffert and his horse.

NBA Playoffs

--Cleveland took Game 3 of its series with Boston on Saturday night, whipping the Celtics 116-86 as LeBron James had an efficient 27 points on 8 of 12 shooting from the field, including 3 of 3 from beyond the arc, while also dishing out 12 assists.

So it’s 2-1 Boston, Game 4 in Cleveland on Monday night.  Only 19 of a possible 300 teams have ever overcome a 2-0 deficit in the playoffs.

--I’m posting prior to the conclusion of Golden State-Houston tonight.

Stanley Cup Playoffs

--After taking the first two games of its series with Tampa Bay, on the road, Washington suddenly finds itself on the brink of elimination after losing the next three, including a 3-2 defeat to the Lightning in Tampa yesterday.

So superstar Alex Ovechkin faces another season of disappointment if the Capitals can’t keep the series going Monday in Washington.

--Meanwhile, the astounding Las Vegas Golden Knights went into their game today up 3-1 on Winnipeg, on the road, and came away with a 2-1 win to wrap it up and head to the Stanley Cup finals.  Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who the Penguins let go after he played on three Stanley Cup championship teams, is the MVP of the playoffs thus far.

The Vegas tale is one of the great sports stories in U.S. history, especially if they are able to close the deal against the winner of Washington-Tampa Bay.

An expansion team in its first season!

MLB

--Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a 19-year-old in the Toronto farm system who is no doubt making his famous father rather proud, as well as exciting every fan of the Blue Jays.  All this kid (who doesn’t turn 20 until next March) has done at AA New Hampshire is hit .407 through Saturday, 59-145, with 7 home runs, 41 RBIs, just 15 strikeouts, and a 1.131 OPS.  As a piece in Baseball America put it the other day:

“Guerrero is performing at ludicrous levels so regularly that it becomes easy to become numb to just how unusual and special this is. No one hits .415 (his average when the article was written) for a season, but even if his numbers return to the realm of reality, he’s producing at a level that simply isn’t seen from 19-year-olds in the upper levels of the minors, ever.”

--The Mets appeared to right the ship, at least temporarily, with their first 3-game sweep at home since 2016 this weekend, despite Yoenis Cespedes being on the disabled list with his balky quad (and now a hip issue), and despite losing outfielder Juan Lagares for the season (most likely) to a toe injury.  Today, Noah Syndergaard improved to 4-1 with seven solid innings, while on Friday, Jacob deGrom, 4-0, threw seven shutout innings with 13 strikeouts.

As for Arizona, they started the season 21-8 but are a putrid 4-13 since.

--The Yankees improved to 30-13 today with a 10-1 win over the Royals in Kansas City, Sonny Gray with his best start of the season, 8 innings, one run.

And the Red Sox kept pace with New York at 32-15 after a 5-0 win over Baltimore, despite the Orioles banging out 13 hits.

Baltimore is a miserable 14-32, but don’t blame free-agent-to-be Manny Machado, who has Triple Crown potential with his 14 homers, 42 RBIs, and .343 average.

Of course then there is Boston’s Mookie Betts, a cool .365, with 15 home runs and 32 ribbies.

[Speaking of monster free-agents-to-be...Bryce Harper’s batting average is down to .224.]

--Saturday, in a 5-4 loss to the Dodgers in which he received a no-decision, the Nationals’ Max Scherzer went 7 innings, allowing 2 runs, striking out 13...in the process becoming the fastest to reach 100 strikeouts for a season, doing so in 63 innings. Scherzer now has 104 in 65 2/3, to go along with his 7-1 record, 1.78 ERA.  [Plus the guy is hitting .308...8 for 26.]

--It really is remarkable that Houston’s Justin Verlander, in 15 starts as an Astro going back to the midseason trade last year, is 10-2 with a 1.05 ERA, allowing just 52 hits in 102 2/3.  How can this be?  A probable future Hall of Fame pitcher better than he ever has been at age 35.

--Finally, I think we can all safely say the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani is for real.  Ohtani improved to 4-1, 3.35, today after throwing 7 2/3 of 2-run ball, 9 Ks, in a 5-2 L.A. win over Tampa Bay.

Stuff

--Chelsea picked up its eighth FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Wembley on Saturday; the only goal a first-half penalty by Eden Hazard.  Man U manger Jose Mourinho said after that Chelsea did not deserve to win, accusing them of “defending with nine players.”

Mourinho said: “I think we were the best team, but that is football.  I am quite curious to know what you say or what people write because if my team plays like Chelsea did, I can imagine what people would say.”

--Ed Carpenter captured the pole for next Sunday’s Indy 500, the third time he has accomplished the feat, though victory has eluded him.  Danica Patrick, preparing for the last race of her career, and first time at Indy since 2011, startlingly qualified seventh.  I’ll be tuning in next week.  I hope she does great.

--Irish Independent: “Two friends on a morning mountain bike ride near Seattle have been attacked by a cougar, killing one of the men and leaving the second in the hospital.

“The cougar was later found up a tree near the dead man’s body, where agents for the state’s Fish and Wildlife police shot and killed it hours after the Saturday attack, the Seattle Times reported.

“The injured man was said to be in satisfactory condition.

“Authorities say the cougar initially attacked him before running away.  Moments later, it returned with deadly results.

“ ‘He jumped the first victim and attacked him,’ said Sgt Ryan Abbott, of the King County Sheriff’s Office.

“ ‘The second victim turned and started to run away. The cougar saw that and went after the second victim. The first victim saw his friend being pulled by the cougar. He got on his bike and started to bike away.’

“The injured man rode for about two miles before getting mobile phone coverage and calling 911.  Sgt Abbott said when rescuers arrived it took them about 30 minutes to locate the second victim, who was dead with the cougar standing on top of him.

“ ‘The deputies shot at him and spooked him, and he ran off,’ he said.

“It took several hours before authorities found the cougar up a tree 50 to 200 yards away and killed it.  While the cougar was being hunted, rescuers had to wait to retrieve the dead man’s body.

“Rich Beausoleil, the state’s bear and cougar specialist, said it was only the second fatality in the state in the last 94 years. ‘But it’s one too many,’ he said.

“Cougars (pumas/mountain lions) are a protected species, though each year, the state allows 250 cougars to be hunted and killed in 50 designated zones.”

Ironically, in that other column I do, I noted how the Black Hills of South Dakota have a lot of mountain lions and you should never hike alone. Then hours after I posted, this story emerges.

--Houston Texans star JJ Watt has stepped up again for his area, promising to pay for the funerals of all 10 victims who died at Santa Fe High School on Friday.  Watt helped raise $37 million for those affected by the flooding from Hurricane Harvey.

--The Rolling Stones performed at Dublin’s Croke Park the other night and the reviewer in the Irish Independent was just raving about the performance.

But I loved this bit:

“Stones guitarist Keith Richards once declared: ‘If you are going to get wasted, then get wasted elegantly.’

“A message that seemed to chime with the crowd who began streaming into the historic GAA stadium well after the gates opened at 5pm yesterday.

“It was all very leisurely and civilized, in stark contrast to the bad boy image of the band when the majority of their audience were growing up.

“So it might not have been a sell-out, but can anyone name a 76-year-old (Charlie Watts), two 74-year-olds (Jagger and Richards) and a mere 70-year old Wood, who could still carry it off and create mayhem in the process?”

Top 3 songs for the week 5/24/75: #1 “Shining Star” (Earth, Wind & Fire...this was such a unique sound for its time...when this tune hit the airwaves...I was immediately hooked on EWF...)  #2 “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” (Freddy Fender)  #3 “Jackie Blue” (Ozark Mountain Daredevils)...and...#4 “Only Yesterday” (Carpenters)  #5 “Thank God I’m A Country Boy” (John Denver) #6 “How Long” (Ace) #7 “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)” (Tony Orlando & Dawn)  #8 “I  Don’t Like To Sleep Alone” (Paul Anka with Odia Coates) #9 “Bad Time” (Grand Funk) #10 “Old Days” (Chicago)

Baseball Quiz Answer: First All-African-American outfield in baseball was with the New York Giants in 1951...Hank Thompson (darn good player), Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, and rookie Willie Mays.  Irvin, with 121 RBIs, became the first black to lead the league.

Next Bar Chat, Thursday.