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BY JIM DAWSON

JUNE 1, 2020

WILL SPORTS BLOOM IN JUNE?

Well if you’re into soccer in Germany, stock-car racing in the US or baseball in Japan…

Actually there are more things about to bloom – horse racing (Belmont Stakes) June 20, golf (PGA Tour on June 11), Premier League soccer in England (June 17) and Spain (June 11), Indy Car/NASCAR (June 6) – Source – NY Times (Victor Mather-5/31).

MLB and the NBA aren’t expected to start in June. The NHL has plans for a 24-team playoff. It is not clear when that would start or when players would return to the ice to get in shape. The NFL still thinks that the regular season will begin September 10, but I have my doubts. The tennis US Open is still questionable.

MLB is still pitting players versus owners regarding money and the number of games to be played. They hope to start in July with three weeks of workouts beginning in June per Peter Abraham (Globe - 5/31).

As for the PawSox and minor league baseball, Abraham stated “The minor league season hasn’t been officially canceled yet. But that seems to be just a formality.”

Considering how fans are starved for any sports (witness the record-breaking TV audiences for the NFL draft and the charity golf tournament), the MLB draft is June 10-11. Unfortunately there will only be 5 rounds instead of the usual 40.

BULLETS

• First, let me note that the baseball quiz about the only MLB pitcher to win World Series games in 3 decades and never give up a grand slam in his career (Jim Palmer) was answered correctly by not only Bob Kumins but also Jim Dwyer. My apologies to Jim.

• Per the Globe’s Peter Abraham, MLB teams have been paying their minor leaguers $400 a month but the Oakland A’s stopped paying them. The A’s and the Angels just furloughed their development staff, minor league coaches, and most of their amateur scouts. This before the MLB draft! Picks already made? The A’s owner John Fisher and the Angels owner Arte Moreno are both billionaires.

• Meanwhile majority owner John Henry will pay minor leaguers thru August 31. He did furlough some non-playing staff of the Liverpool Football Club. The government will pay 80% of their salaries and John Henry 20% (Jason Mastrodonato/Herald - 4/4).

• The Red Sox cut 22 minor leaguers last Friday. The only name I recognized was Torey Lovullo’s son Nick, an infielder.

• If you build it, they will come. Maybe. How’d you like to be the Worcester Woo/Woe Sox, who are on the hook for close to $90 million for the stadium that’s being built?

• Brockton Enterprise’s Jim Fenton (5/30) reported that Celtics players have been cleared to begin practicing at the Auerbach Center on June 1 for individual shooting and strength conditioning.

• Rod Carew (with Jaime Aron) has an autobiography out: One Tough Out: Fighting Off Life’s Curveballs. The Boston Herald/Tribune News Service gave it an A. There’s a poignant story about Carew’s daughter Michelle, who died from leukemia in 1996 at age 18. She had told her Dad she always wanted to see it snow. So Carew took his daughter back to Minneapolis where he was born and she was buried there (Richfield). Tony Oliva and Kirby Puckett were pall bearers. During the burial, it started to snow.

EMAIL

Hi Jim -
Love the 'zine - as always. Gotta take a stab at the quiz: Janis?
Steve Lenz

Hi Steve, very good guess but no not Janis Joplin. - Z

I believe answer to trivia question: Dusty Springfield.

Side note: she was 1st artist or one of 1st to be openly Gay.

Ken Forestal

Hi Ken, yes, the answer is Dusty Springfield, a Brit who died way too early. First heard her with her brother Tom in the Springfields doing Silver Threads and Golden Needles. RIP Dusty. Thanks for the great music. I did not know that she was a lesbian nor would I care. According to Wikipedia, she started talking about her sexual orientation in 1970. She lived with Norma Tanega (singer of Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog) from mid-66 to early ‘70’s. - Z

Jimbo, sorry I didn’t see the golf thing! I play the game and I mean play! I enjoy it albeit not a serious thing with me. The first game I played in quite a while was when Jo-Ann and I were in Florida this winter. I emailed my daughters that I played that day and shot a 66! They wrote back how great that was and I was happy as well! I love my girls and still haven’t had the heart to tell them it was for 9 holes, and I cheated on 2 drives and 3 putts! 

What’s up with baseball? Pretty much bombed for the season? A game here or there? Playing in empty stadiums? I was looking forward to a few games with you this year at McCoy, it being the last year and all.

Keep up the excellent reporting, I love it and it lets me think of when times weren’t quite as crazy!

Ted, my Dad was the golfer and pretty good for a weekend golfer. Being the competitive sort that I am, this was not my sport. Three ways to screw up - tee shot drives, pitch shots and putting. Plus no one else to blame. A friend who felt the same way said "A fine walk spoiled." LOL.

As for baseball, I'll believe it when I see it. If the PawSox ever start up, it should be with season ticket holders - no problem keeping your distance. Otherwise my season tickets will be collector's items. My brother Brad and I caught two Red Sox spring training games in April at Ft. Myers. Little did we know that might be it for baseball. Thanks for the kind words about the Sportzine. Just plugging away with what's available. - Z

Jim, 

I didn't get to see the GOAT and Peydirt event, which I dearly wanted to see. Since Sunday evening, I've read 3 or 4 articles on it; yours was the best. The other columns seemed to focus on a single aspect of the event, e.g., TB12's golf was worse than Peydirt, the competition between Tiger and Phil, the weather, etc. You covered it all; it was a fun read!

The Zine quiz has me stumped, but when I see the answer, I'll surely be slamming my palm against my forehead.

Bill Shea

Bill, thanks for the kind words about my coverage of the charity golf match.

One thing I left out was when Peyton busted Brady about who Tom's caddie might have been and said something to the effect that it would have been Gronk because he does whatever Brady tells him - Gronk, go out for a pass. Gronk, go wrestle. Take a year off. Gronk, join me in Tampa Bay. LOL. - Z

Ken Forestal emailed about the many minor league players cut, and stated that it didn’t seem likely that there would be a PawSox season, I wrote: Yes, Ken. It doesn't sound like there'll be a PawSox season. They are now doing dining on the infield at McCoy.

Who's dining in the infield?

Ken Forestal

Not sure if the novelty of dining in the infield at McCoy Stadium will last long, Ken.

My PawSox season tix may be some sad souvenir of the last season of the PawSox in Pawtucket. - Z

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

THE HOT CLUB

Special K had wisely booked a Hot Club reservation for Friday after hearing Sarah say that they were booked thru Thursday. As it was, all of the Magnificent 7 wanted to be there so I managed to get a reservation for 2 at the same time. Dr. John and I were at the two seater which actually had 4 chairs, so Professor Peter was able to join us. That allowed Making His Mark to invite a friend – Peter B. Some at table 5 stopped by.

Starting Monday June 1, the 2^nd phase kicks in and the Hot Club will allow reservations for inside tables of 5 max, but not seats at the bar.

Dr. John mentioned that Brown University is cutting 11 varsity sports (reduced to club status). He wasn’t sure if Brown would have football (he has season tix).

AXS TV had a great doc on Prince Thursday called Slave Trade. I noted that Prince did a big favor to other musicians when he fought Warner Brothers to get out of his contract (a 10 year $100 million contract that wasn’t). Prince was able to publish his own music without Warners, used new ways of product distribution, kept the money from concerts and merchandise sales and got back his intellectual property rights (his masters). He also realized how the Internet would change the music business. R.I.P. Prince Rogers Nelson

Thanked Professor Peter for telling me that there is still good music out there, you just have to find it. I said that my friend Al Vallese had turned me on to WRIU (90.3FM) weekdays (except Tuesdays) from 4-6 when ex-WBCN DJ Sam Kopper plays ‘eclectic rock’. Sam has included new music like Randy Newman’s Stay Away, the Stones’ Living in a Ghost Town and songs from Vermont’s own Grace Potter and Edie Brickell.

ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE’S TRIVIA QUESTION

Who once was the top selling female singer with her blue-eyed soul, had 6 Top 20 singles, but died two weeks before her induction into the Rock HOF? Only Ken Forestal knew it was Dusty Springfield (née Mary O’Brien). Her album Dusty in Memphis is in the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. She received her Order of the British Empire award in the hospital just before she died.

THIS ISSUE’S TRIVIA QUESTION

This female singer with an angelic voice started with one of the first interracial rock bands. She had a 5 octave range. As a solo performer, she had a #1 single and a gold album. Tragically, she died way too early. She also has a famous daughter. Name?