Lazzari’s Sports Roundup – 7/11/09

Bob Lazzari — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:08:51 +0000

ITEM: American Joey Chestnut wins his third consecutive Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest–consuming 68 wieners to defeat his archrival Takeru Kobayashi. With some nutritional information in hand, try to fathom this, my friends: That translates to approximately 21,000 calories (not counting the buns), 1,367 grams of fat, 2,380 mg of cholesterol, and 46,512 mg of sodium. I sincerely apologize to any cardiologists out there who read this column regularly–i.e. Dr. David Kramer of California–for the shock value contained in those aforementioned numbers……….TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the last Chicago Cubs catcher to hit 30 or more home runs in a season? Answer to follow………..One of the great quotes I’ve come across lately–attributed to former Dodgers star Steve Garvey: “The difference between the old ballplayer and the new ballplayer is the jersey. The old ballplayer cared about the name on the front. The new player cares about the name on the BACK.”……….This week in sports history, July 14, 1991: LPGA golfer Meg Mallon wins her second major title in three weeks–shooting a final-round 67 to capture the U.S. Women’s Open held at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Trailing by two shots entering the final round while playing in 98-degree heat, Mallon made birdies on the 14th and 15th holes–propelling her to a two-stroke victory over Pat Bradley. Mallon had won the LPGA championship two weeks before in Bethesda, MD, to claim the first victory in her four-year LPGA career………..Question: Since Red Sox OF Jason Bay has a daughter named Evelyn, will friends be able to call her “E-BAY” in the future–or will they catch heat from the online auction giant?……….On the final day of competition at the recent Travelers Championship played at the TPC in Cromwell, Travelers announced a commitment by the Travelers Foundation to raise the tournament’s total charitable contribution to $1.08 million for 2009; that now puts the tournament’s contribution on equal footing with the champion’s purse. One of the pleasures of attending this event yearly is knowing that the tournament contributes 100 percent of its net proceeds to Connecticut charities–primarily The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp (which assists children suffering from cancer and other serious diseases) and the Greater Hartford Jaycees Foundation. Yes, folks, when you combine great golf with some great causes, EVERYONE wins……….Yet another terrific Wimbledon final–this time between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick–with “King Roger” winning 16-14 in the fifth set. Yes, Mr. Federer now stands alone at the top of the Grand Slam singles list. But the valiant effort by Roddick–and the class he exhibited following the loss–was almost as impressive. Yes–we definitely learned that there IS an “A-ROD” out there TRULY deserving of accolades and applause……….ITEM: Boston Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis sees his batting average drop about 60 points between June 1st and July 1st. I can only surmise that “Youk” having to look at lovely sideline reporter Heidi Watney each and every game has FINALLY become a bit of a distraction……….One thing’s for sure: When Dr. Phil utters those familiar words “I want you to get excited about your life,” he is NOT directing them toward former Red Sox player/recent NESN guest broadcaster Sean Casey……….Answer to trivia question: RICK WILKINS, who hit an even 30 homers for the ‘93 Cubs–and would never hit more than 14 in a season thereafter……….Speaking of the aforementioned Federer and Roddick: If their performances last Sunday had ANYTHING to do with the fact that they are both newlyweds, then yours truly may be forced to alter his negative opinion on the concept of marriage altogether……….Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league infielder Vic Rodriguez–who blows out 48 candles on July 14th. There may be a legitimate reason why most fans may not remember Vic: He played just two seasons in the “bigs”–1984 with the Orioles and 1989 with the Twins. However, he truly made the most of it–compiling a .429 lifetime average while banging out 12 hits in 28 career at-bats. As a minor leaguer, he appeared in more than 1,700 games and later became a minor league coach/instructor; best wishes, Vic……….Finally, condolences go out to the family of former major league pitcher Hal Woodeshick–who died recently in Houston at the age of 76. In a career that lasted from 1956-1967, Woodeshick pitched for five teams: Detroit, Cleveland, Washington, Houston, and St. Louis. Used mostly in relief while appearing in 427 games, he accumulated 44 career wins and compiled a lifetime ERA of 3.56. His best year came in 1963 while with Houston–a year in which he won 11 games in relief, pitched to a 1.97 ERA, and gave up only 75 hits in 114 innings; he was also named to the NL All-Star team that season. Woodeshick was also a member of the ‘67 world championship Cardinals squad and pitched a scoreless inning in the Fall Classic that year vs. Boston. Sadly, Hal Woodeshick had been beset by health problems a long time before his death; may he finally rest in peace.

Lazzari’s Sports Roundup – 5/27/09

Joe McDonald — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:22:13 +0000

Column reader Dr. David Kramer of California recently chimed in about the greatness of Sandy Koufax–pointing how he came back on just two days rest to shut out the Twins in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series. He also added this: “When Koufax announced his retirement, it was the only time I remember REPORTERS giving an athlete an ovation.”……….TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1979 Minnesota Twins RBI leader was an infielder who played in all 162 games that season. Can you name this individual? Answer to follow……….N.Y. Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett recently told the New York Post that his favorite meal is steak and eggs from the Waffle House. I’m now wondering if the Yanks should have insisted on including monthly cholesterol checks as part of his new 5 year, $82.5 million contract……….This week in sports history, May 25, 1991: Mario Lemieux tallies a goal and three assists–leading his Pittsburgh Penguins team to an 8-0 victory over Minnesota for the team’s first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Joe Mullen added two goals and goalie Tom Barrasso stopped 39 shots as the Penguins dominated Game 6–which was played at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. “Super Mario” finished the playoffs with an amazing 44 points–three less than Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record……….Congratulations go out to the defending national champion Trinity College (CT) baseball squad–who have moved on to the Division III World Series in Grand Chute, WI (along with seven other teams) after beating a terrific Eastern Connecticut team in the New England Region final last weekend. Coach Bill Decker of Trinity is a TRUE class act, and it surely seems his talented player follow suit in that regard. Go get ‘em, Bantams……….If Preakness winner/celebrity filly Rachel Alexandria now lands a commercial endorsement for a women’s product such as Femiron or VIACTIV, I’m giving up following horse racing FOREVER……….Speaking of horse racing, if we had people in Washington, D.C. making decisions as well as jockey Calvin Borel, this country would be in a LOT better shape……….Lazzari’s “Lopsided Score of the Week”: In a Connecticut girls softball game last week, Farmington embarrassed Bloomfield 27-1; the losing squad made NINE errors during the course of this abbreviated, five-inning fiasco. And going into this week, Bloomfield has lost on SEVEN different occasions this season by 15 runs or more–all of those games having been shortened due to mercy purposes. The Bloomfield squad currently reminds me of the Obama administration: not having a lotta luck so far overcoming huge deficits……….Answer to trivia question: ROY SMALLEY–who drove in 95 runs for Gene Mauch’s fourth-place ball club……….To me, the beauty of actress Diane Lane is just as underrated as first-pitch strikes in major league baseball……….Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league pitcher Bob Knepper–who blows out 55 candles on May 25th. An Ohio native, Knepper pitched for both the Giants and Astros in a 15-year career that ended in 1990. A winner of 146 games during his career, Knepper’s best year came in 1978 while with San Francisco–a season in which he went 17-11 with six shutouts and a fine ERA of 2.63. Knepper was named to the NL All-Star team in 1981 and 1988 and won 15 or more games in a season four times; best wishes, Bob……….Finally, condolences go out to the family of former NBA player Wayman Tisdale–who passed away last week following a battle with cancer at the age of 44. A three-time All-American at Oklahoma, Tisdale averaged over 15 points per game over 12 NBA seasons as a member of the Pacers, Kings, and Suns; he was also on the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. He became an accomplished jazz musician after his playing career ended– recording eight albums. Perhaps his greatest legacy will be his positive outlook on life; in the face of a two-year battle with cancer that would eventually take his life, Wayman Tisdale never abandoned the uplifting personality that was his trademark. He is survived by his wife, Regina, and four children; rest in peace, Wayman.

NY Sports Day » David Kramer

Lazzari’s Sports Roundup – 7/11/09

Lazzari’s Sports Roundup – 5/27/09