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BY JIM DAWSON

JUNE 15, 2020

THIS IS SPORTS?

OK so there was a golf tournament this weekend and I watched a little on Sunday.

Not enough. The one sport that should be making plans to go to bat for a return is MLB. The Players Association led by Tony Clark made a huge mistake initially by not submitting the first proposal for their return, instead tossing the ball to MLB and its owners. In doing so the Players Association lost leverage.

Now here we are half way through June with no agreement in place and owners and players still arguing about player salaries and length of the season.

If you don’t want to be part of the story, then you keep your mouth shut. St. Louis Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt, Jr. opined that “The industry isn’t very profitable, to be honest.” (ESPN/Jesse Rogers – 6/9). DeWitt was echoing words uttered by Cubs owner Tom Ricketts. In Sunday’s Globe, Peter Abraham noted that DeWitt, Jr. bought the team in 1995 for $150 million, and it’s now worth an estimated $2.2 billion. Yeah, that doesn’t sound like baseball is a profitable industry.

While all this ugly back and forth is going on, Michael Silverman (Globe – 6/14) revealed that the NY Post is reporting that MLB just finalized a deal with Turner Sports to extend a playoff package for $1 billion dollars. The length of the deal is not yet known. Yeah, certainly not a profit making sport.

Manfred the Wonder Dog and the owners will come up with some take it or leave it proposal next. As for player salaries, expect this to be resolved in court somewhere down the road.

RED SOX DRAFT PICKS

The Red Sox had 4 picks in the 5 rounds of the MLB draft. With their pick in the first round they took high school SS Nick Yorke which some considered a reach. Yorke was listed as a 2B which may be due to his having shoulder surgery on his throwing arm in his junior year (Boston.com’s Jenna Ciccotelli – 6/12).

With their pick in the 3^rd round, Boston took another high schooler, 1B Blaze Jordan. Jordan, a 17 y/o, is 6’2”, 220 lbs. The Globe’s Peter Abraham (6/14) observed that Jordan won MLB’s home run derby for high school players last year. He also is reported to have hit a couple 500 foot home runs in the past. Jordan has a commitment to play for Mississippi State so we’ll see if the Sox can sign him.

Per Boston.com’s Jenna Ciccotelli, the Sox took college junior LHP Jeremy Wu-Yelland from the University of Hawaii in the 4^th round. The 6’1”, 210 lb. Wu-Yelland was used as a starter and a reliever.

The same reporter had Boston taking LHP Shane Drohan of Florida State with their 5^th round pick. Drohan is 6’3” and 195 lbs.

Since MLB restricted the draft to just 5 rounds (there were 40 last year) ,there were a lot of good players who weren’t drafted.

NESN’s Logan Mullen (6/15) had the Red Sox signing the following 6 undrafted players: Jake MacKenzie, SS Fordham, reliever Jacinto Arredondo, a RHP from the University of Tampa, Jose Garcia C/1B from Florida International, reliever Graham Hoffman, a RHP from University of Southern Florida, Jordan DiValerio a RHP from St. Joseph’s and Juan Montero C out of the Puerto Rican Baseball Academy.

BULLETS

• The NY Yankees have appealed a judge’s decision to unseal a letter from MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred regarding a sign stealing investigation in 2017. The Yankees were never penalized. The class action suit was filed by DraftKings players.

• Yahoo! revealed today that several Cowboys and Texans have tested positive for Covid-19. The only player identified was Dallas RB Ezekiel Elliott, whose agent confirmed that Elliott had tested positive.

• Ben Volin (Globe – 6/14) reported that the Green Bay Packers are sending their season ticket holders team-branded masks. That would be a good idea for Bob Kraft to do also.

EMAIL

Hey Jim
I’m pretty sure Aretha is the 1st woman inductee. Also as an aside, Stevie Nicks is the only woman inducted twice.
Jim Dwyer

Yes Jim, the first woman inducted was Aretha Franklin. Thanks for the extra info about Stevie Nicks. - Z

The woman is Aretha Franklin. The oldest lyrics come from the Bible but I can’t think of a popular tune. I’ll go with the Robert Johnson song Crossroads as done by Cream.

Matt Dawson

Yes Matt, Aretha Franklin was the first woman in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Your analysis of the possible answer to the 2nd question is right on, just not the right song.- Z

Backatcha!

First woman in rock hall I’m thinking Aretha or Ronnie Spector. The other answer I don’t have a clue.

Garry Gillett, Yes, Garry, it's Aretha Franklin. Looks like the only way we see the inside of McCoy Stadium this year is if we do the infield dining and I'm not sure I want to do that.

My sincere hope is that the stadium in Worcester isn't completed in time and we have one more season at McCoy. - Z

Zine Trivia - Q1 pretty sure is Aretha Franklin. Q2 Not so sure - House of the Rising Sun by the Animals perhaps?

Peter B.

Yes Aretha, Peter. House of the Rising Son, No. - Z

Jim,

Thanks for the Sportzine! I will check in on the MLB Draft first round.

Goodell is a hypocrite. And yes, Kaepernick has been blackballed by the NFL...

so the sentence before this one says it all.

I'll go with the Byrds' "Turn,Turn,Turn" as the #1 hit with the oldest lyrics (from the Bible!).

I'm pretty certain this is incorrect...Janis Joplin for first female singer inducted into R&R HOF.

Brad Dawson

Brad, you're one for two. Joplin is incorrect. However you are the first to get the song- Turn! Turn! Turn! Ecclesiastes chapter 3. Way to go! - Z

A Salute to Beer...

"Sometimes, when I reflect on all the beer I drink, I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I did not drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. I think, it is better to drink this beer & let dreams come true, than be selfish & worry about my liver. Babe Ruth 

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.” Paul Hornung 

"24 hours in a day and 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not! H. L. Mencken 

"When we drink, we get drunk When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven. George Bernard Shaw 

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. Benjamin Franklin 

"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, But the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza. Dave Barry 

Beer: Helping ugly people have sex since 3000 B.C. W. C. Fields 

Remember I before E, except in Budweiser. Professor Irwin Corey 

To some it is a six-pack. To me, it is a Support Group. Salvation in a can. Leo Durocher 

"Well, ya see, Normy, it's like this .. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. 
In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But, naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers! Cliff Clavin

Bill Shea

Great stuff Bill. Here! Here! More beer! I raise a toast to you. Slainte. - Z

Taking to Twitter this week, U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy III declared that the NFL should apologize to Colin Kaepernick for blackballing him for the last few years. He then added that the Patriots should be the team to sign him. Ken Forestal Thanks Ken. Saw some pundit suggest that Kaepernick should sign with Tampa Bay to back up Tom Brady. If no team signs him, then Goodell and the owners are hypocrites. Can't see him signing with the Pats. Robert Kraft is starting to come under fire for support of Trump (Shaughnessy last Sunday's Globe). - Z

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

THE HOT CLUB There were 6 of us Friday at a table for 8 so there was plenty of room for self distancing. The Hot Club now is allowing some inside tables for patrons. I mentioned the documentary on Bruce Lee called Be Water that’s on ESPN’s 30 for 30. Bruce Lee, all 5’8” of him, helped to change the image of Asian-Americans. At 32, he died from cerebral edema. His last movie Enter The Dragon was released a month later.

We were talking about the tank movie Fury. Dr. John pointed out that the German Tiger tanks were much bigger than the US’s. Our tanks had to be smaller because they were transported on ships. The Germans could move their tanks via train. John said that the Tiger tanks had 4 inch thick armor plating and rounds bounced off them. Their one weak spot was from the rear, if you could get there. Capt. Jack added that there was a space between the turret and body that was also vulnerable. None of us wanted to be in a tank.

There are many stories on the Internet that have headlines that don’t always support the content. I recounted one I saw this week – Don’t Go to Block Island If You Want to Stay Healthy. It was written by a businessman who goes there this time of year. He decried the packed ferry and the people not wearing facial coverings. It ended with his advice that you should go there via a small plane or have a car reservation and stay in the car.

In 1968, a tumultuous year, I graduated from RIC. Martin Luther King was assassinated in April and Bobby Kennedy in June, days before we graduated. I was in the Air Force when the Chicago police beat protesters at the Democratic National Convention. Now is a tumultuous time. A major difference - cell phones with cameras that can take videos.

ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE’S TRIVIA A two-fer: Jim Dwyer, Matt Dawson, Garry Gillett and Peter B knew that Aretha Franklin was the first female inducted into the Hall of Fame. Only my brother Brad knew that the #1 song with the oldest lyrics was the Byrd’s Turn! Turn! Turn! (Peter B said “Figures.”) The lyrics are from the Book of Ecclesiastes, 3:1-8. Pete Seeger rearranged some of the lyrics and added 7 words. He titled it To Everything There Is A Season and kept all but 45% of the royalties which he donated to a charity. THIS ISSUE’S TRIVIA Three singers, two men, one woman, soared to musical stardom, and yet never wrote a song. Who are they?