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Bar Chat

05/18/2020

Sports Returns...in a small way....

[Posted Sunday p.m.]

Los Angeles Dodgers Quiz: 1) Since 1950, name the pitchers who won 23 games in a season. 2) Who holds the franchise mark for most 200-hit seasons with six?  Answers below.

NASCAR…live!!!

They were back racing after 70 days and as Clint Bowyer put it, they couldn’t have picked a better test, storied Darlington, “The Track Too Tough To Tame.”

Darlington’s list of champions reads like the NASCAR Hall of Fame, with David Pearson heading things with 10 wins, Richard Petty 9, and Jeff Gordon 7.

So with no qualifying, or practice runs, and having submitted my DraftKings lineup before they released the starting grid, I was curious how NASCAR was coming up with one and Series officials split the drivers into three groups of 12 based on points, filling spots 1-12, 13-24 and 25-36 with a random draw.  Brilliant simplicity.  Brad Keselowski drew No.1.

The big storyline, the biggest of many, was that Ryan Newman was making his return after his horrifying crash at the season-opening Daytona 500.

And two-time Daytona 500 winner and 2003 Series champion, Matt Kenseth, 48, was returning to the track for the first time since Nov. 2018 after coming out of retirement to replace the fired Kyle Larson for Chip Ganassi’s team.  And picture, again, no practice on the track.

In the end, Kevin Harvick captured his 50th Cup win, 14th on the all-time list, 2 seconds ahead of Alex Bowman.

Ryan Newman finished 15th, Matt Kenseth 10th.

Good going, guys. 

And now a Wednesday night race also at Darlington!  Better than watching Tucker, Hannity, and Cuomo…which is what I otherwise stupidly do every night when there’s no baseball, or NBA and NHL playoffs.

Golf…live!!!

Us common golf schleps, who had heard of the wonders of Seminole G.C. in Juno Beach, Florida, had the opportunity to watch play at this classic Donald Ross course for the first time today and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Plus I loved the idea of a sudden-death playoff being decided by a closest to the pin contest, shortened par-3 17th.  I’d go with it all playoffs, frankly, save for the Majors.  You’re running over TV time and a lot of fans at that point just want to move on.  Totally makes sense.

So good on participants Rory McIlroy (with the clutch last shot), Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff for putting on a solid show for Covid-19 relief.

I’ll watch next week when Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning tee it up for an equally good cause.

MLB

--Major League Baseball told players their prorated salaries would contribute to an average loss of $640,000 for each game over an 82-game season in empty ballparks, according to a presentation from the commissioner’s office to the union that was obtained by the Associated Press.

“Painting a picture of a $10 billion industry shuttered by the contagion, the 12-page document titled ‘Economics of Playing Without Fans in Attendance’ and dated May 12 was an initial step in negotiations aimed at starting the delayed season around the Fourth of July.

“Teams say the proposed method of salvaging a season delayed by the coronavirus pandemic would still cause a $4 billion loss and would give major league players 89% of revenue.

“They contend they lose more money with each additional game played. The players’ union, however, believes clubs would lose less money with more games. In addition, many teams and/or their owners have stakes in their regional sports network that would benefit from additional games.”

Owners voted Monday to propose salaries be based on a 50-50 split of revenue, a structure the players say is tantamount to a salary cap they will never accept. Teams gave the players’ association their virus-testing plan Friday.

The Yankees alone would have $312 million in local losses when calculating their earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, including about $100 million in payments toward the bonds that financed new Yankee Stadium.

The Dodgers were at $232 million in local losses, followed by the Mets at $214 million, Cubs $199m and the Red Sox at $188m.  All of this coming from calculations by both MLB and the clubs.

MLB said 2019 revenue was 39% local gate and other in-park sources, followed by 25% central revenue, 22% local media, 11% sponsorship and 4% other.

Teams fear a second wave of the coronavirus would devastate finances if renewed government restrictions cause cancellation of the postseason, which brings in $787 million in media money.  The document details who pays what: $370 million by Fox, $310 million by Turner, $27 million by ESPN, $30 million by the MLB Network and $50 million from international and other.

MLB and the union agreed to a March 26 deal in which players would receive prorated shares of their salaries during a shortened season.  As part of the agreement, $170 million in salaries are being advanced through May 24.  If the season is scrapped, players are guaranteed service time equal to what they accrued in 2019, a key to gaining eligibility for salary arbitration and free agency.

But now that plans have been formulated to possibly start the season in early July in disinfected stadiums with no gate revenue, at least at the start, MLB says the current economics are not feasible.  Players have said they already made a deal and see no need for change.

But that deal is contingent on playing in front of fans at regular-season ballparks.  Both sides back in March had agreed to “discuss in good faith the economic feasibility of playing games in the absence of spectators or at appropriate neutral sites.”

Part of the problem is that the players have never trusted the numbers the teams present.

Meanwhile, MLB sent a proposal to the union offering a detailed outline on how players, coaches and select staff members would be tested for the novel coronavirus, but it also suggested radical changes to how players would interact if and when conditions are deemed safe enough to stage games.

For example, masked players who aren’t allowed to spit or high-five sitting at least six feet apart in the dugout and even spilling into the stands if necessary.

There are details about the use of baseballs that have been touched by more than one player (not sure on pitcher/catcher exchange) and mask-wearing in the dugout, as well as eliminating common water containers and discouraging showering at club facilities.

Spring training would be held in stages, beginning with small group workouts staggered throughout the day, some at teams’ home ballparks if local laws permit, others at spring training facilities in Florida and Arizona.  The second phase would allow for larger group workouts and intrasquad games, and spring training would conclude with a “limited number of exhibition games between clubs.”

But, again, the ball is in the players’ court now.

--On Wednesday, Tampa Bay pitcher Blake Snell delivered an explanation as to why baseball players may be apprehensive when it comes to playing an abridged season amid the pandemic.

“Y’all got to understand, for me to take a pay cut, it’s not happening, because the risk is through the roof, it’s a shorter season, less pay,” Snell said.  “Yeah, man, I got to get my money.  I’m not playing unless I get mine, OK?  That’s just the way it is for me.  I’m sorry if you guys think differently, but the risk is way higher, and the money I’m making is way lower. So why would I think about that?  So, I’m sorry.”

--The baseball world mourns the passing of Bob Watson, who after a very solid 19-year career in the big leagues (1966-84), mostly with Houston, batting .295 for his career, 1,826 hits and 989 RBIs, the two-time All-Star went on to make history as the first African-American GM, and then the first to run a World Series champion. 

Watson was GM of the Houston Astros from 1993-95 before being hired by the Yankees following the 1995 season and remained in the position until 1998, when he was replaced by Brian Cashman following his resignation.

“Bob was a gentle giant,” Cashman said in a statement.  “He was an incredibly kind person, and a mentor whom I looked up to and admired.  He shared his wealth of experiences and deep knowledge of the game freely and with everyone he came in contact with, and I was one of those beneficiaries.  Bob is the reason Joe Torre became manager of the New York Yankees, and the two of them were instrumental in creating a winning culture that led to remarkable achievement.”

Torre and Watson were teammates on the 1973 NL All-Star team and Watson played for Torre for three years in Atlanta.

But it was in The Bronx where the two made history, with Watson as the general manager when Torre and the Yankees won the World Series in 1996.

Reggie Jackson, who played two seasons with Watson on the Yankees, remains impressed at how Watson dealt with the pressure of being the GM under owner George Steinbrenner.

“When he was working there, George was in full bloom,” Jackson said.  “He was a tough man. Watson got beat up a lot. …if you worked there, [Steinbrenner] thought you were going to be a punching bag. Watson did well.”

[Technically, Bill Lucas, an African-American, handled most of the Atlanta Braves’ trades and contract negotiations in the late 1970s as their vice president of baseball operations, but the Braves’ owner, Ted Turner, formally held the general manager post as well.]

--The Wall Street Journal had a story by Michael Salfino on Saturday that suddenly baseball cards of the 1980s and 1990s, formerly referred to by sports collectors as “junk wax,” are hot.

The face of the new market is Ken Griffey Jr., with his 1989 rookie Upper Deck card doubling in value since March.  In perfect condition, the card that was routinely fetching $700 just two months ago is going for about $1,400 now, according to paid prices tracked by card-grading company Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).

Randy Johnson’s highest-graded rookie card from the same set as Griffey’s has also doubled, to about $100.

But there are a lot of these cards out there, cards that are “perfect” by PSA’s scale, so if demand craters, the supply will overwhelm the market causing prices to crash.

I passed this story on to a former next-door neighbor, Brian D., president of Robert Edward Auctions, and he said he had just sold a Michael Jordan rookie card for $52,000!  I sold some stuff through Brian and while it’s too difficult to describe, let’s just say it was an item that was part of a full box of Topps cards, circa 1967, if I remember, that wasn’t actually a card.  I kept some of them in their original cellophane, while playing with the others, a punch-out game, and sure wish I had kept all of them unopened!  Surprising value as I learned.

If you have baseball stuff in particular go to Brian’s site…lots of fun looking through his auctions.

NFL

--NFL teams were told in a memo from the league Friday that they can begin reopening their facilities next week.

The memo from Commissioner Roger Goodell said that teams can reopen their facilities beginning Tuesday if they are permitted to do so under state and local guidelines and are in compliance with the health and safety protocols previously outlined by the league. Coaches and most players are not permitted to be in the facilities during this initial phase of reopening.

--The Giants have a real mess on their hands.  DeAndre Baker, a 2019 first-round draft pick, faces serious charges for armed robbery and aggravated assault stemming from an incident in the Miami area – charges that could end his football career.

The Miramar Fla. Police Department issued an arrest warrant for Baker, Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar and another man after an incident late Wednesday night.  Baker is charged with four counts of armed robbery with a firearm and four counts of aggravated assault.  The pair allegedly stole $12,400 in cash and four watches valued at $61,100, according to the police report, while armed with semi-automatic weapons, after allegedly losing $70,000 at a card game gone awry at a party two nights earlier.

Attorneys for both Dunbar and Baker issued statements either clearing their clients or questioning the authenticity of the police report.

Baker, a cornerback out of Georgia who was touted as the next Deion Sanders, turned himself into the Miramar police on Saturday morning.

“Police reports are just that, reports of what was told to them or said to them,” Bradley Cohen, Baker’s attorney, posted on his Instagram account.  “Court is what we use to then examine those reports, investigate those claims and allow the Defendant an opportunity to confront the evidence.  Don’t rush to [judgment].”

Cohen said there is “video evidence” that helps exonerate Baker.

If Baker is found guilty of holding a semi-automatic weapon, he could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years on each of the four armed robbery charges, under Florida law.

Steve Serby / New York Post

“DeAndre Baker is innocent until proven guilty, same as everyone else in the country.

“He deserves due process, his day in court, same as everyone else in this country.

“But unless these gun-toting armed robbery charges somehow prove to be fiction, unless this is somehow a case of mistaken identity and the Miramar, Fla. PD has issued an arrest warrant for the wrong man, then DeAndre Baker should not and cannot play for the New York Football Giants again.

“Whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell shelves Baker first on his Exempt List, or whether the legal system metes out its form of justice.

“For financial and/or legal considerations, the Giants, historically conservative and deliberate, will likely let the process play out for now.

“But the second they are fully convinced of the evidence against Baker, there is no reason why they should not tell him Good Riddance, and sooner rather than later if for no other reason than to send a message to their players and to their fans….

“Let us not forget this is a once-proud franchise that has not won a playoff game since Super Bowl XLVI, that has fired the two head coaches who followed Tom Coughlin and one general manager, that has fallen and is desperately trying to get back up still.

“This is a general manager who jettisoned Odell Beckham Jr. less than a year after signing him to a $90 million deal and Janoris Jenkins in no small part because they did not fit his vision of a winning culture.

“This is a rookie head coach who learned at the feet of Bill Belichick and adheres to this conviction: How you do anything is how you do everything.

“If I’m Joe Judge, knowing what we currently know today, I cannot embrace DeAndre Baker as part of the new Giants Way.

“If I’m Dave Gettleman, I cannot allow the fact I traded up into the first round of the 2019 draft to prevent me from eating crow.

“If I’m Dave Gettleman, I do not allow three years of dead-cap charges from deciding that ridding the locker room of DeAndre Baker is addition by subtraction….

“There are some Giants fans who would undoubtedly cut Baker some slack if he had showed up as Deion Sanders during his 2019 rookie season.

“But DeAndre Baker didn’t even show up as DeAndre Baker, or the DeAndre Baker the Giants thought they were getting.  Teammates chastised him for his preparation and for his professionalism.  His next NFL interception – if there is to be a next NFL interception – will be his first NFL interception.

“So if it is proven DeAndre Baker is as troubled and as reckless as it appears he is right now, then he sure won’t be remembered by Giants fans as Prime Time.

“He’ll be remembered as Crime Time.”

Baker’s four-year contract with the Giants is worth $10.52 million with over $9 million guaranteed. The Giants could void a portion of that if he’s found guilty, since they have a conduct clause.

Baker was being held at the Broward County Jail, but he was released today after he posted bail set at $200,000.  The Florida state prosecutor had asked for no bail for Baker.  Dunbar was released with a $100,000 bond.                                                           

--Jarrett Bell / USA TODAY

“The ball is in your hands, NFL owners.  Still.

“Would you really tie draft picks to the hiring of minority candidates for head coach, GM and quarterback coach positions?

“We’re about to find out on Tuesday, when team owners will consider two resolutions during a virtual league meeting – significantly, the measures passed muster and are brought forward by both the league’s workplace diversity and competition committees – aimed to bolster minority hiring.

“What a noble cause. The regressive pattern is reflected over the past three hiring cycles, when just three of 20 head coaching hires were minorities. This year, Washington’s Ron Rivera (who promptly dumped African-American legend Doug Williams as the top personnel executive) as the only minority hired among the five head coaching jobs after being fired in Carolina.  That leaves, in a league where more than 70% of the players are African-Americans, four minority head coaches.

“On the GM side, Cleveland’s hire of Andrew Berry made it 2-for-32 for minorities.

“We’ve heard Commissioner Roger Goodell, like at the last Super Bowl press conference, speak passionately about a desire to see the numbers increase.  He means well.  Theoretically, that would at least suggest there is equal opportunity in the NFL ‘meritocracy.’  But that’s the same Goodell who fumbled the chance to make a strong statement about the teeth of the Rooney Rule in early 2019, when he let the Raiders skate without as much as a slap on the wrist for the sham process employed when Jon Gruden was hired.  Action, you know, trumps words that we’ve heard from Roger and so many other power-brokers over the years on this matter.

“In any event, here we go again.

“One of the proposed resolutions would tweak the anti-tampering policy and remove the barrier that prevents coaches under contract who are designated as ‘assistant head coaches’ from interviewing elsewhere for coordinator jobs.  Makes too much sense to pass this, with Goodell having the final say in determining whether the offer is for a ‘bona fide’ coordinator job.

“Call it the ‘Duce Staley Rule.’  The Eagles running backs coach (also the assistant head coach) had a shot in 2018 to interview for the O-coordinator role on Matt Nagy’s staff with the Bears…but the Eagles blocked him.  That was rather foul.  Maybe this new resolution will pass as a formidable fix.

“The other resolution, I’d suspect, will be tougher to push through – which is why it’s good that these resolutions were not combined into one.

“The radical resolution would incentivize teams to hire minorities by using draft-pick capital,” according to various sources.

“I get it.  Draft picks in the NFL can be as valued as the Holy Grail.  I’m doubting that there are 24 team owners who will sign up for this latest plan to shake up the hiring process – when all that’s really needed is a level playing field.

“As first reported by Jim Trotter of the league-owned NFL.com, here’s the deal:

“If a team hires a minority head coach, it moves up six slots in the third round.  If it’s a minority GM, the third-round pick advances 10 slots.

“So, a minority GM/head coach combo – like the Dolphins have, by the way, with Chris Grier and Brian Flores – could push a team up 16 spots in the third round.  That’s some serious incentive.

“Also, if a minority quarterbacks coach is hired, it would net the team a compensatory pick in the fourth round.  And teams losing minorities to become a head coach or GM would gain a third-round compensatory pick,” and so on.

But no way it’s approved.

Sports…Without Fans….

Rick Reilly / Washington Post

“My TV is completely and utterly exhausted. There’s nothing left to watch.  I even got to the end of Netflix.  All it said was: My God, go outside already.  If I don’t get some sports soon, I may have to take Dr. Fauci hostage.

“That’s why bringing back sports even without fans sounds to me like a big swimming pool full of wonderful.  Listen, speaking for the fans: We don’t need to be in the stands, and we don’t need to see ourselves in the stands.  Carry on.  We beg of you.

“Besides, sports without fans is going to be: So. Much.  Fun.

“Take the PGA Tour, which plans to start up again, fanless, June 11 in Fort Worth.  I’m salivating at the prospect of watching superstars forced to play the same golf everybody else does.  Do you know how many times I’ve seen Tiger Woods hit a lousy shot that’s bounding over the green, headed for trouble, only to carom off a fan and leave him in good shape?  Sometimes his fans do it on purpose.  (They didn’t start it; human backstops used to paint bull’s eyes on their T-shirts to help their hero, Arnold Palmer.)

“For once, the Tour pros are going to have to gouge their balls out of knee-high spinach that hasn’t been conveniently trampled down by fans.  Wait till they discover how hard it is to find a Titleist in an ice plant jungle when there aren’t 20,000 people helping you look for it.  No more free drops from grandstands after hitting a banana 5-iron, either.  But, hey, at least they won’t have to hear the ‘You da man!’ guy.

“Take the NBA, which hopes to open soon, perhaps with all the teams playing in only two cities: Las Vegas and Orlando.  With no crowd noise, you’re going to hear how many F-bombs these guys drop, which is just slightly more than Teamsters on a bender.  You’ll find out whether people screaming themselves blue and waving inflatable bricks behind the basket had any effect on free throw averages.  You’ll even find out what players say when they hear the courtside TV analyst criticizing their skills.  (‘Hey, man, what the hell?  My mom is watching this!’)….

“Take baseball, which is talking about opening up again for an 82-game season without fans on the Fourth of July weekend.  There has been only one other game in baseball history played without fans – not counting Montreal Expos games.  It was in 2015, when the Chicago White Sox played the Orioles in Baltimore during rioting in the city.  The Orioles’ Chris Davis hit a monster three-run homer in the first that wound up settling near a street exit.  And it just sat there, perhaps wondering what a baseball has to do to get some love….

“Now, don’t get me wrong.  I don’t want this forever.  No-fans stinks for all the folks who make a living working these games – the ushers, the car-parkers and the hot-dog slingers.  Nobody wants to see the Phoenix Gorilla on the street corner flipping a Progressive sign.”

Stuff

--We note the passing of an American original and true trailblazer, Phyllis George, 70.  The cause was complications from a blood disorder, her ex-husband, former Kentucky Gov. John Y. Brown Jr., told the Louisville Courier Journal.

“Phyllis was a great asset to Kentucky,” Brown told the paper.  “We had a great partnership.  I think we enjoyed every single day.

George, a former Miss America winner, was the co-host of “The NFL Today” from 1975-84 (with a hiatus in between), the  first female to co-host an NFL show, and also served as the co-host of “CBS Morning News” for eight months in 1985.

Before marrying Brown, who also owned Kentucky Fried Chicken and the Boston Celtics, George was briefly married to a Hollywood producer Robert Evans in the mid-1970s.

George was born in Denton, Texas, on June 25, 1949, attending the University of North Texas for three years, then went to Texas Christian University after earning a scholarship as Miss Texas in 1970, winning the Miss America pageant in 1971.

When CBS hired her in 1974, she was the first female sportscaster to work at a major TV network.

After becoming Miss America, George had moved to New York City to pursue a career in broadcasting. She was first the co-host of “Candid Camera,” a popular TV show at the time, and then soon thereafter, CBS Sports producers approached George.

A year later she joined the popular CBS pregame show “The NFL Today,” working alongside Brent Musburger, Irv Cross and, later, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder.

George responded to her critics by saying that she knew enough about sports, especially football, to get by.

“I’m from Texas,” she told People magazine in 1976, “and down there you follow the Texas Longhorns and the Dallas Cowboys or you don’t belong.”

Ms. George was best known for her interview with athletes.  A noteworthy moment happened in 1975 when Roger Staubach, the Dallas Cowboys’ stoic quarterback, unexpectedly confessed to her: “I like sex as much as Joe Namath. I just like it with one person, my wife.”

George said being a Miss America was both a help and a hindrance in her career.

“It’s been a help in that it’s opened doors.  It’s been a hindrance in that people immediately said ‘BQ’ – you know, beauty queen,’ George once told The Los Angeles Times.  “And you had to prove yourself more than the next person.”

George also said the Emmy’s “The NFL Today” garnered were proof that she excelled as a sports interviewer and was a strong partner on an award-winning team.

“I kept showing up and they kept saying, ‘Hey, maybe she’s here to stay,’” George said.  “Then we won a couple of Emmys for the ‘NFL Today’ show.”

Brent Musburger tweeted his condolences:

“Phyllis George was special.  Her smile lit up millions of homes for the NFL Today.  Phyllis didn’t receive nearly enough credit for opening the sports broadcasting door for the dozens of talented women who took her lead and soared.”

--And the great comic actor Fred Willard died on Friday of natural causes.  He was 86. 

Willard received three Emmy nominations for his recurring role on the TV series “Everybody Loves Raymond.”  He also had roles in the popular series “Roseanne,” “Mad About You,” and most recently, “Modern Family,” which also landed him an Emmy nomination.

Willard, also a writer, was a master of satiric documentaries, or mockumentaries.  He had parts in Rob Reiner’s “This Is Spinal Tap;” Christopher Guest films “Waiting for Guffman,” “Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind,” “For Your Consideration” and “Mascots;” and the “Anchorman” films.

I first became a huge fan of Willard back in 1977-78, when he appeared as Martin Mull’s clueless sidekick and announcer, “Jerry Hubbard,” on the “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” spinoff “Fernwood 2 Night.”  This show was brilliant.  Remember Happy Kyne and the Mirthmakers?

“I like to play the guy that has no self-awareness, kind of the likeable buffoon who will stick his foot in his mouth and say the wrong things,” he told the New York Times in 2008.

Willard appeared dozens of times on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” performing in skits using his improvisational skills.

He hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 1978.

--We learned Saturday that the Preakness Stakes will be held Oct. 3, four weeks after the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. So now we await the date for the Belmont Stakes.

The New York Racing Assn. got the go-ahead from Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday that it can resume racing as early as June 1 but without spectators.  The Belmont was originally schedule for June 6. 

If it becomes the first Triple Crown race in late June, there is a good chance it will be shortened from its usual distance of 1 ½ miles. The NYRA is going to have an announcement on the Belmont in the near future.

--We note the passing of former UCLA football coach Pepper Rodgers, 88.  He died of complications from a fall in his bathroom, according to his son.

Rodgers compiled a 73-65-3 record in coaching stints at Kansas, UCLA and Georgia Tech and mentored several coaches who went on to Hall of Fame careers, including UCLA’s Terry Donahue, Ohio State’s John Cooper and Arizona’s Dick Tomey.

Rodgers’ best success was in his three seasons with the Bruins, where he went from 2-7-1 in 1971 to 8-3 in ’72 and 9-2 in ’73, before he was hired away by Georgia Tech.

--Tottenham star Dele Alli was injured during a robbery at his home in north London. The Spurs’ midfielder was held at knifepoint and punched after burglars broke in during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The 24-year-old was hit in the face during the terrifying incident but has not sustained serious injuries.  Alli has been isolating with his brother and their respective partners due to the outbreak.

The two attackers took numerous items including jewelry and watches.

--I’m watching the golf (flipping back and forth from NASCAR), and the new (I think) GEICO commercial with Ratt is priceless.  GEICO nails it again.

--Finally, I saw the following Q&A in the May issue of Smithsonian magazine.

Q: I know why birds fly south for the winter, but why do they come back in the spring?

--Ron  A. / Allen Park, Michigan

A: It’s pretty nice in the tropics – North American songbirds warm up down there, eating fruits, berries and nectar.  But they get the urge to migrate back for one reason: insects, which provide essential protein to newly hatched chicks.  The densely populated tropics don’t have enough insects to feed both the year-round species and the migratory birds. Northbound songbirds time their return to coincide with an explosion of food resources back home, explains Sara Hallager, curator of birds at the National Zoo.  In northern forests, the birds face less competition and use the long summer days to gather food for their chicks.

And now you know…the rest of the story….

Top 3 songs for the week 5/19/79: #1 “Reunited” (Peaches & Herb)  #2 “Hot Stuff” (Donna Summer)  #3 “In The Navy” (Village People)…and…#4 “Stumblin’ In” (Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman)  #5 “Goodnight Tonight” (Wings)  #6 “Love You Inside Out” (Bee Gees)  #7 “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)” (The Jacksons)  #8  “Take Me Home” (Cher)  #9 “He’s The Greatest Dancer” (Sister Sledge)  #10 “Heart Of Glass” (Blondie… ‘D’ week…I was headed to summer school to make sure I had enough credits to graduate on time the following spring, and wouldn’t you know, I had a blast, which wasn’t the point of summer school…)

Los Angeles Dodgers Quiz Answers: 1) 23 wins in a season, post-1950.

Sandy Koufax, 27, 1966
Don Newcombe, 27, 1956
Sandy Koufax, 26, 1965
Don Drysdale, 25, 1962
Sandy Koufax, 25, 1963
Don Drysdale, 23, 1965
Orel Hershiser, 23, 1988

2) Steve Garvey had six 200-hit seasons for the Dodgers, 2,599 hits in his 19-year career.  But he only had a .329 career on-base percentage, .775 OPS.  So it’s not surprising that the 10-time All-Star, former N.L. MVP, saw his Hall of Fame vote percentage peak in year 3 of his eligibility at just 42.6.  He was only at 21.1% in his final year on the ballot, 2007.

Next Bar Chat, Thursday…or sooner.

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