SZ663

BY JIM DAWSON

JUNE 5, 2017

A YANKEES – RED SOX SHOWDOWN

Back at the end of April, the Red Sox lost two games to the Yanks with the 3^rd rained out (rescheduled to 7/16). We’ll see if the Red Sox can make amends while adding to an emerging identity of this Papi-less team.

Early on I referred to the Red Sox as a potential juggernaut. That hasn’t happened so far with home runs (yet). Instead it has been the young Yanks that have been the juggernaut, bludgeoning other teams when their starting pitching has faltered (starting pitchers’ ERA – 4.17). NY has 84 home runs (3^rd in the AL) led by 6’7” Aaron Judge with 18 (41 RBI), Matt Holliday 12 (35 RBI) and Brett Gardiner (Huh?) 12 and 26 RBI.

The Yankees are 2^nd in runs scored, 2^nd in runs per game (the ProJo’s Tim Britton had this one) and 2^nd in RBI to Houston, which is leading in all 3 categories in the AL.

Looking at some positives for the BoSox offense – they are 1^st in doubles, and 2^nd in batting average (.267) to Houston’s .277. The Yanks are 3^rd (.265). Boston is 3^rd in OBP while NY is 2^nd.

The Red Sox will throw the Three Pees at the New Yorkers: Pomeranz (4.24 ERA), Porcello (4.24) and Price (3.00). The match ups are Tanaka (6.34 ERA), Sabathia (4.42) and Pineda (3.76). Let’s hope that the BoSox pitchers are throwing Peas against this loaded lineup. Pitching should be the difference. Go Red Sox!

BULLETS

• Who had a higher BA than Joe DiMaggio’s .408 during his 56-game streak? See end.

• R.I.P. Jimmy Piersall. I saw Piersall play centerfield for Boston. There used to be a flagpole in centerfield at Fenway Park. Whenever the Red Sox made a during inning pitching change, Piersall would sit down on the base of the flagpole. One account said Ted Williams thought Piersall was the best CFer with whom he played. Piersall won a gold glove with Boston in 1958. The ‘Waterbury Wizard’ was traded in late 1958 to Cleveland for Vic Wertz and Gary Geiger. Piersall despite problems had a 17-year career

• The Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato noted Sunday that Craig Kimbrel has a strikeout to walk ratio of 15. Dennis Eckersley has the two highest strikeout to walk ratios in a season – 18.33 in 1989 for the Oakland A’s and 18.25 for the 1990 A’s.

• Good news for Sox fans - Mastrodonato added that Boston had the AL’s lowest starting pitching ERA from May 13 – June 1 (3.03 ERA). Starters went 8-1 in that period.

• Minnesota leads the AL Central, Milwaukee the NL Central. Both have losing home records. Minny is 12-18 (17-6 on the road), and the Brewers 15-17 (15-10 on the road). The Dodgers and Diamondbacks (same division) have the best home record (21-8).

• So why do Nashville Predators fans throw catfish on the ice? According to a NY Times piece (AP – 6/3), Bob Wolf was the first Predators fan to throw a catfish on the ice and he did it against the Detroit Red Wings (whose fans throw octopi on the ice) on 1/26/99.

The catfish is a Southern staple. Fan Jacob Waddell threw a catfish on the ice in the 1^st game of this year’s Stanley Cup Finals at Pittsburgh. Waddell was charged with disorderly conduct, possessing instruments of crime (huh?), and disrupting meetings. Later the charges were withdrawn. The Predators are down 2-1 in games with Game #4 tonight (Monday) in Nashville. Expect catfish to be served.

• Answer to baseball quiz: Ted Williams who hit .412 during DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. (Boston Herald/George Will – 4/2/17)

EMAIL

Responses to last issue’s music quiz:
Great quiz question. So many great super groups - CSN&Y, the Traveling Wilburys - but your other 'clues' made me reconsider. I'm gonna go with Blind Faith, definitely an early group. 
BShea 
Nice guess, Bill, but no, not Blind Faith   -  Z 

Jimmy,
Gotta go with "Blind Faith" as that seminal super group of Winwood, Baker, Grech, and Clapton                                                                                                                            Bill LaPlante                                                                                                                   Bill, good try but no, not Blind Faith - it was an earlier group. - Z
Well Jeez Jim, I'll take another shot, my second guess would be the Yardbirds.             Bill LaPlante                                                                                                                Nope, not the Yardbirds though that's a great guess. This group was a couple years later. The key was that two went on to the same super group. Did any duo of the Yardbirds go on to another super group?     -   Z

There's something happening here--what it is ain’t exactly clear ! gotta go with Buffalo Springfield ? Jim Dwyer Yes, Jim, you are quite correct - it is Buffalo Springfield. You are the only one to get it so I owe you a beer. - Z

This came after FootJoy said he’d trade Isaiah Thomas and I was totally against it. So I told FootJoy that I’d ask my brother Brad, the basketball guru.

Brad, what do the Celtics do with that #1 pick? Do they keep Isaiah Thomas? The Celtics still need rebounding, but... - Z

Jim,

I wrote/blogged to Chad Finn (boston.com) today about the pick, as he was questioning fans. My feeling has been that this team will never make it to the next level without some tough, physical players (PF, C) who can rebound their positions. The Celts only lost the rebound battle to the Cavs by 4 last night as Crowder and Jaylen Brown helped Horford, but this has been far from the norm. They have had games this year where they keep hoisting 3s, big men included (and I realize Olynyk was instrumental in that Game 7 win vs. Washington) where they are not in position to rebound their misses.

At the other end of the floor, opposing teams have been getting second and third chances collecting offensive rebounds, to score or go to the foul line.

If the Celts are so enamored with Fultz or Ball, both point guards, and these players do seem to be NBA ready, then something has to give as Boston has Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, and Terry Rozier at the position. I floated the idea (in the blog) of them actually trading Isaiah for an established Big (that is physical and can rebound) and keep the pick, choosing one of the two PGs , who are both much bigger than Thomas and can defend better. This may sound like blasphemy as the Celts would never have gotten this far, this year, without IT. I obviously don’t know the contract specifics that would maybe prevent this kind of scenario.

Another option would be to just draft the best Big you can at that spot (or later in the Second Round as I think they have 3 picks there, including an early one) and hope for the best. There have been good reports about Yabusele (the 6'7" 260 lb. PF they drafted last year and stashed), but he was playing in China of course, not in the NBA and Zizic (C) played in Europe.

I wouldn't like to see them deal Bradley or Smart, both good defenders and physical. And they still need to take a real look at Jordan Mickey (good rebounder/shot blocker in college) and not just give him two or three games of meaningful minutes.

Brad Dawson

Ed’s Note: Sent this to FootJoy who responded “Smart man your brother is.”

Sportzine is available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz

THE HOT CLUB

The Hot Club as the Hotel California – you can check out any time, but you can never leave – Last Wednesday former regular Mario Pitocco showed up. He’s retired now and enjoying doing nothing. He still has the Brussels Griffon. FootJoy spotted Mario and said “I thought you were dead!” Mario said, “I’m trying not to be.”

Mario was very impressed with some of the changes to the Hot Club, especially the Men’s Room. Mario noted that he thought the ‘M’ on the door of the Men’s Room was for him. Sounds like he may visit again.

I had the Bear seated to my left and FootJoy on my right (think Stealers’ Wheel Stuck in the Middle). I blurted out the question, “Why can’t life be simpler?” The Bear said, “Because they don’t use your rules.” FootJoy added, “Nor should they!”

Dr. John went to med school at Temple. During down time, John said they sometimes went to a nearby strip club. The featured stripper was called Penny Cillin. Her tag line - “Just what the doctor ordered.”

ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE’S QUIZ

So what band with a short career had two of its members join a super group and two others that did well with other groups, had a #1 hit and are in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame? Why Buffalo Springfield (1966-68), which only Jim Dwyer got right. Stephen Stills and Neil Young went on to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Richie Furay and Jim Messina joined Poco (Messina was also with Kenny Loggins). Buffalo Springfield was named after a steamroller brand! The #1 hit was For What It’s Worth (about Sunset Strip riots over a 10 pm curfew). Per Wikipedia, original bassist Bruce Palmer asked Neil Young to join the Mynah Birds as lead guitarist in early 1966. About to record their first album, the lead singer was arrested by the Navy for being AWOL. The singer was Rick James (yes that Rick James). Palmer and Young instead joined Buffalo Springfield. I loved the group’s Mr. Soul, Broken Arrow and Rock & Roll Woman.

THIS ISSUE’S QUIZ QUESTION

This is a toughie submitted by reader Matt Dawson (no relation). The degree of difficulty is high, so use any means available to arrive at the answer. The question: this lead singer had one Top 10 hit with two different bands. Both songs were Gold Records. The first came in 1966 with a Cleveland band and the other in 1972 with a band that had Santa Barbara as its base. Who is this singer? Name of the songs and bands?