SZ625

BY JIM DAWSON
APRIL 18, 2016


THAT'S THE WAY YOU DRAW IT UP
Saturday's game against the Blue Jays was a classic pitching performance by David
Price (7 innings, 2 runs), a scoreless 8th by Koji Uehara and a shutdown 9th by closer
Craig Kimbrel (strikeouts of Bautista, Encarnacion and Tulowitzki). You couldn't draw it
up any better than that.
And while NESN noted the same day that Boston was tied for 2 nd in the AL with Texas
for most runs scored with 53 (Baltimore leads with 56), that didn't help them Sunday
against Aaron Sanchez who shut down the BoSox bats (a no hitter thru 4 2/3), allowing
only 1 run while his mates added to their lead against relievers Noe Ramirez and Matt
Barnes. The Sox miss Carson Smith. Had the bullpen not allowed any more runs, Sox
starter Steven Wright (2 runs allowed) might not have lost the game.
The Patriots' Day game (which friend Peter Goodwin and I always used to attend) was
not how you draw it up as the bullpen, especially Koji Uehara, couldn't preserve Clay
Buchholz's 1-0 lead in the 8 th . This was the real Buchholz – let's see if he can repeat it.
Craig Kimbrel came on with bases loaded and 1 out, a difficult task. Kimbrel's Achilles'
Heel seems to be losing the strike zone, getting behind batters and then giving up walks
or hits. He may be an adventure all year. However the number of saves he's had over the
last few years are nearly unmatched.
We also saw that catcher Christian Vazquez is not infallible as he had 2 passed balls
including one in the 8 th . The 41 year old Uehara had no command of his split finger
fastball, and with Kimbrel warming up, manager John Farrell might have gone to him
sooner. The never say die Red Sox battled back in the 9 th but came up 1 run short.
The decision to bring up Vazquez (rehabbing from Tommy John surgery) after he caught
only 4 games (I checked – Games 1, 3, 5, 7), seems like a panic move (FootJoy and I
agree on this one). For Vazquez's sake and the team, let's hope he doesn't reinjure that
elbow after such a short time in the minors.

BULLETS
• If you haven't seen it yet, try to catch Ken Burns' 2 part PBS documentary on Jackie
Robinson. I just watched the 1 st part and there were elements in it of which I was
unaware. Burns has a knack for finding these gems. What Robinson went through no
one should have to tolerate. He did it for a higher cause, a greater good. I'm glad that on
April 15, everyone in major league baseball wears #42 in his honor.
• The Red Sox actually gave Jackie Robinson a tryout (a sham one) on April 16, 1945. It
was sparked by Wendell Smith, a sportswriter/activist. Per baseballhall.org, Robinson,
Marvin Williams and Sam Jethroe had a tryout the same day. None were even notified
by the club of the decision that they wouldn't be signed.
• In reading about this sham, one reference said that while attendees at the tryout were
limited to management (plus Wendell Smith and Isadore Muchnick, a Boston politician),
that epithets were hurled at Robinson during the tryout.
• A bit of trivia – Jackie Robinson went to UCLA and was one of 4 African-Americans
on the 1939 team. Two of them then joined Robinson with the Los Angeles Rams, the
first black players in the NFL. One of the two other men went on to have a great career
as a movie actor with many backing roles (often as a villain). Who was he?
• Portland Sea Dogs RHP Kevin McAvoy (2-0, 2.53 ERA) was drafted out of Bryant
University in the 2014 draft (4 th round).
• Back when the NCAA Regionals were last held at the Dunk (before this year), I was
walking to the entrance when I spotted ProJo sportswriter Jim Donaldson. He had just
written about Bryant University but called it College. So I yelled to him that it was now
University. Donaldson yelled back that I was lucky that he had written about the school.
• WEEI.com (especially Ken Laird) is doing a wonderful job recapping what is
happening with the Red Sox minor league teams. The Sox have a lot of prospects and it's
a good way to keep tabs on what they are doing.
• If you are wondering what happened to PawSox OF Bryce Brentz, he's on the DL with
a pulled oblique muscle. Brentz is in Florida rehabbing it. He has been snake bitten with
injuries. I'm pulling for him to make it back. and to show what he can do.

E-MAIL
Re: Rico. He was the 1st AL shortstop to hit 40 home runs. Ernie Banks had done it
4 times previously.
FootJoy
Good point, FJ. I should have said AL. - ZThanks Jim, always enjoy the Zine!
For band I am going with Aerosmith!
Ron Racine
Hi Jim! The Doors, Janis Joplin (Big Brother and the Holding Company), Allman
Brothers, J Geils, and the Eagles. The Masters of Reality, a little mentioned band,
were good. The band featured Ginger Baker for awhile during his out of work
years. On a light note, I enjoyed the Monkees as a kid.
Victor Coia
Victor, I loved Joplin but Big Brother wasn't a great band even if they did do Piece
of my Heart with Janis (one of my favorite songs). Never heard of Masters of
Reality. Do you think they were better than Blind Faith? - Z
I would vote for the Allman Brothers, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, James Gang,
Grateful Dead, and the Byrds. Of course, tomorrow it may be Creedence Clearwater
Revival, the Doors, New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Jimi Hendrix Experience,
and Little Feat. On another day all those could be changed. It all depends on the
mood of the day.
Barry Spadea
Glad you weighed in on the best American bands. CSN&Y I would disqualify. While
Canadian Neil Young is OK as an American, Brit Graham Nash would disqualify
the band. I did a full CD comp of the Byrds and there was not a bad song on it. Saw
the James Gang in St. Louis when Joe Walsh was with the band. Yet they were
named for Jim Fox. Little Feat with Lowell George was a great band that could
cook. Saw them before Lowell died. Some very good choices. - Z
Nash became an American citizen on August 14, 1978 and, while Young retains his
Canadian citizenship, that band has been instrumental in the politically charged
climate of the time. So, maybe CSN gets included and CSN&Y does not? And, as
stated at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, “Crosby, Stills and Nash have remained
America’s longest running experiment in vocal harmony and social relevance.”
It is your paper; your decision is yours alone.
Barry Spadea
I checked out the info (see below) and all the major albums of CSN were between
May '69 and early '77. So since Nash wasn't a citizen until '78, I will disqualify
them as a pure American band.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosby,_Stills,_Nash_%26_Young - Z
Sportzine is available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz.My top 5 American Rock Bands (note that I like alternative music and consider
them rock bands):
1. Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. Guns-N-Roses
3. Linkin Park
4. Green Day
5. Nirvana
I know GNR and Nirvana weren't around long, however, their impact lasts.
If you count the Jimi Hendrix Experience as a "band" I'd have to fit him in
somewhere. I consider him solo.
Andrew 'Left Coast' Wright
What no Dave Matthews Band or Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam (I have always
loved Better Man)? Good point about Jimi Hendrix and the Experience. - Z
Jim,
1. Aerosmith
2. Van Halen
3. Bruce Springsteen and E Street
4. Allman Brothers
5. The Ramones
A bit eclectic, granted, but there are some true to the genre.
Bill LaPlante
Interesting band selections. Forgot about Bruce who should definitely be in the top
5 and I would put the Allman Brothers in there too. - Z
Jim,
Good 'Zine. Here's hoping Eduardo Rodriguez is back soon to hopefully help the
Sox' starting rotation. Glad to see the Scott MacKay article and his
acknowledgment to you!
My Top 5 American Bands:
1.Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (longevity, too)
2. Beach Boys
3.Steely Dan
4.The Eagles
5.Crosby,Stills, & Nash....Creedence Clearwater...and the Byrds (tied for 5th!....my
not so sneaky way to pick more!). Also, of course, this was about bands....if
individual performers were included, I imagine Bob Dylan would be in here,
too. For the quiz.....I'll go with the Thompson Twins (the '80s might just be my
favorite decade for music).
Brad Dawson

THE HOT CLUB
There were so many cars around the Hot Club Friday that I had to park up by the
Church. Somehow it had eluded me that April 15 is the anniversary of the HC's
opening in 1983. There were free hot dogs and hamburgers for everyone until they
eventually ran out.
The place was packed and many faces from the past were in attendance. Patti
Quimby was there. Chuck D, Tom Kat, Poly Sci Steve, as well as the usual rogues
(Cap't. Jack and Mark, Charlie Clancy and Matt D, FootJoy and of course, me).
There was even a band playing.
Tom Wallis and his wife Jane also graced the Hot Club with their presence. Tom
pointed out that April 15 was also the anniversary of Abe Lincoln succumbing to an
assassin's bullet, and the sinking of the Titanic. I mentioned to Tom and Jane that it
also was the anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the MLB color barrier,
playing his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Everyone in MLB wears #42 on
the anniversary to honor Jackie Robinson.
I double checked and found out April 15 is also the anniversary of the bombing at
the Boston Marathon as well as the date that Aaron Hernandez was convicted of the
1 st degree murder of Odin Lloyd. So except for Jackie Robinson and the Hot Club
opening, there were a lot of bad things that happened on that day in history.
So Tom Wallis told his wife Jane about my writing Sportzine. I gave her a copy to
read and she laughed when she found the reference to Lou Reed's Sweet Jane. Jane
said that was one of her favorite songs.

LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER
So what was the '80's band with 3 songs in the Top 11 and whose name didn't
reflect the number of people in the band or their names: if you read the E-mails you
know that my brother Brad had it (the only one): the Thompson Twins. Tom Bailey
(Eng), Alannah Currie (NZ) and Joe Leeway (Eng) had a #3 with Hold Me Now
(83), a #11 – Doctor! Doctor! (84) and a #6 with Lay Your Hands On Me (85).

THIS ISSUE'S QUIZ
From 2000-2010 this band sold more concert tickets and earned more money than
any other North American act. Name?