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STATS and FACTS for Thursday, October 10, 2013

STATS and FACTS for Thursday, October 9, 2013

 

Adam Wainwright 5-0 with a 1.25 in his last 6 home starts, threw 48 curveballs on Wednesday, his most in any start in last 5 seasons.

Other Stats of the Day

• Sonny Gray, who holds a 1.85 ERA in his last 7 starts (including GAME 2 of the ALDS) will start the decisive Game 5 for Oakland A's.

 

• The Boston Red Sox outscored the Tampa Bay Rays 25-12 in the 4 games, while hitting .300 with runners in scoring position compared to the Rays' .179

 

• The Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck is 5 for 5 getting a 1st down when scrambling on 3rd down , a big improvement from last year when he was just 9 for 14

 

• The Kansas City Chiefs are 2nd team in NFL history to have worst record in the NFL, then start 5-0 the following season. The other team was the 1956 Lions.

 

• Eli Manning is completing 53.7% of his passes this year, 3rd-lowest rate in NFL.

 

 

 Calling her one of the nation’s foremost economists and policy makers.” President Obama nominated renowned economist Janet L. Yellen to be the first woman to head the Federal Reserve System.

Interesting profile on her from the Brown Daily Forward, the student newspaper of her alma mater.

``Yellen has a documented ability to predict the direction of the economy — a crucial skill for the Federal Reserve chair position, [John] Kwoka [profesor of economics at Northeastern University] said. According to a July 2013 Wall Street Journal article that “examined more than 700 predictions made between 2009 and 2012 in speeches and congressional testimony by 14 Fed policy makers,” Yellen’s ability to forecast the direction of the economy was the most accurate overall.''

http://is.gd/GA781Q

 

•  The Independent (London) reports: ``Scientists have hailed an historic “turning point” in the search for a medicine that could beat Alzheimer's disease, after a drug-like compound was used to halt brain cell death in mice for the first time.’’

The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, was carried out at the Medical Research Council's (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester.

http://is.gd/NWbXYA

 

• An article from Kommersant, a nationally distributed daily newspaper published in Russia, outlines a gloomy picture for the future of Afghanistan once the U.S. pulls out for good in 2014 based on a classified report.

October 5, 2013 (?)

Report by Yelena Chernenko: "Three Predictions for Taleban"

Some bullet points from the article

 

• Afghan government does not control the situation in the country, while the Taliban movement's positions are becoming stronger all the time.

 

• More than 3,000 militants from Taliban, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Islamic Party of Afghanistan, and the Islamic Jihad Union are already operating in the northwest of Afghanistan from which its groups infiltrate into Central Asia through Afghan-Tajik border.

 

 

• "Neither the USSR (in Afghanistan) nor the Russian Federation (in the North Caucasus) nor the United States (in Iraq and Afghanistan) managed to achieve decisive successes in these kinds of wars."

 

• In to alleviate the threat, the Russian Federation will have to establish collaboration with the United States and other countries

 

 

• Where to get Census data during government shutdown?

Pew Research Center provides a tip sheet.

http://is.gd/iqU3Kn

 

• An unnoticed trend in the downsizing of newspapers has been the slashing of editorial writers and opinion pages.

Pew Research Center Study: http://is.gd/R047Su

 

 

• Plunkett Research, Ltd., the leading provider of industry sector analysis and research, released its annual list of industries with the best potential for job seekers.

Here's their top 30

1.) Personal care aides

2.) Home health aides

3.) Biomedical engineers

4.) Helpers-brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons and tile and marble setters

5.) Helpers-carpenters

6.) Veterinary technologists & technicians

7.) Reinforcing iron and rebar workers

8.) Physical therapist assistants

9.) Helpers-pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

10.) Meeting, convention, and event planners

11.) Diagnostic medical sonographers

12.) Occupational therapy assistants

13.) Physical therapist aides

14.) Interpreters and translators

15.) Glaziers

16.) Medical secretaries

17.) Market research analysts and marketing specialists

18.) Marriage and family therapists

19.) Brickmasons and blockmasons

20.) Physical therapists

21.) Dental hygienists

22.) Bicycle repairers

23.) Stonemasons

24.) Audiologists

25.) Health educators

26.) Pile-driver operators

27.)Medical scientists, except epidemiologists

28.) Cost estimators

29.) Mental health counselors

30.) Veterinarians

Source: Plunkett Research, Ltd.

 

• Today in History

October 10, 1896:, The New York Times begins a book review section, The Saturday Review of Books and Art, based on the assumption books can and should be treated as news.

 

• Word Origin

Hallelujah meaning jubilation is derived from two words in Hebrew: hallelu (praise), and yah (short for Yahweh, the Lord).

 

• Looking for a Good Quote?

``Fugit inreparabile tempus’’

`               ``Time is flying never to return’’

-          Virgil, Roman Poet, 70 B.C.-19 B.C.

 

-Bill Lucey

WPLucey@gmail.com

October 9, 2013

STATS and FACTS for Wednesday, October 9, 2013

FACTS and STATS for Wednesday, October 9, 2013

 

October 9, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson, wearing  a navy greatcoat, became the first U.S. president to attend a World Series game, when he traveled to Philadelphia for a game between the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, accompanied by his soon to be bride Ediith Galt, herself, a rabid baseball fan. The couple were seated in box seats next to the Phillies dugout, which had been decked out with small silk flags. The game started five minutes late due to the president arriving late to the game. Despite his late arrival, the 28^th U.S. president was met with a thunderous roar from the 20,000 fans in attendance at the Baker Bowl. Wilson threw out the first pitch of the second game of the WS.

FACT: In 1924, Calvin Coolidge became the first president to throw the opening pitch of a World Series

FACT: Other presidential firsts: FDR was the first to attend an All-Star Game; Harry Truman, the first to throw out the first pitch at a night game; Richard Nixon threw out the first pitch on Opening Day; and Ronald Reagan became the first to watch a game while actually sitting in a dugout.

STAT: Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush are the only other presidents to have thrown out a World Series first pitch since Wilson.

 

October 9, 1912: The New York Times report on the throng of bystanders gathered to experience the paper's new electric scoreboard at Times Square to watch the New York Giants play the Boston Red Sox during game one of the 1912 World Series. The scoreboard allowed fans outside of the Polo Grounds-- for the first time-- to watch every play of a baseball game. At the time of publication, this was the largest crowd ever to assemble at Times Square.

 

October 9, 1966 – The Rolling Stones record their first LP, "Got Live if you Want It",  a recording of live concerts from October 1st and 7^th in Newcastle Tyne and Bristol while on their last UK tour. The Stones went into the studio on the 9^th to correct some audio imperfections.  They were never happy with the quality of the album and tried to disown it even though it leaped to No. 6 in the US in early 1967 and eventually went gold.

FACT: In August 2002, `` Got Live If You Want It!’’ was reissued in a new remastered CD and SACD digipak by ABKCO Records.

STAT: According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Stones have sold 66.5 million albums in the US. (#13 overall).

http://is.gd/AqMM46

STAT: the Stones have 91 million in worldwide certified album sales (ranking them 12^th), with estimated sales of $ 200 million, placing them in the top ten of all artists.

 

October 9, 1939: New York Times’ writer Meyer Berger introduces a new column: "About New York." Due to wartime paper shortages, Meyer discontinued the column, but it returned in 1953 and continued writing the column until his death in 1959. Meyer was the recipient of a 1950 Pulitzer Prize in local reporting for his 4,000 word story, chronicling the mass killings by Howard Unruh in Camden, New Jersey, who killed 13 people (including three children) during a random 12-minute shooting spree through his neighborhood on September 6, 1949. At the time of the murders, Unruh was 28 years old. Berger reportedly sent the $1,000 Pulitzer Prize money to the mass murderer’s mother.

FACT: After Berger’s death, the ``About New York’’ column wouldn’t be revived by the Times until 1979. A number of prominent journalists were custodians of the ``About New York’’ column, including:  Francis X Clines, Anna Quindlen, Bill Geist, Michael Kaufman, Doug Martin, David Gonzalez, and Dan Barry. Since 2007, the column has been under the capable stewardship of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author, Jim Dwyer.

 

October 9, 1946, the Simmons Company of Petersburg, Va., manufactured the first electric blanket as hit the market with a $39.50 sticker price. The temperature was regulated by an "electronic" thermostatic control.

FACT: The first electric blanket was invented in 1912 by American physician Sidney I. Russell.

STAT: According to the Electric Blanket Institute, about 4.5 million electric blankets and electric mattress pads are sold in the United States every year. What's more, about 25 million to 30 million electric bed warmers are already in use. Europeans also purchase around 4 million pieces of warming bedding with the UK, Italy and Germany leading the way.

http://is.gd/dE7Nk7

 

STATS of the DAY:

• The Cleveland Browns are 3-0 and averaging 94.3 rush yards per game since trading Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts.

 

• The Atlanta Braves have failed to advance a round in their last seven postseason appearances. They last reached the NLCS in 2001.

 

• Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones leads the NFL in receptions (41) and total yards (248) after Monday night’s spectacular catch.

 

October is National Bullying Prevention Month:

 

• According to a CareerBuilder.com survey, 35 percent of more than 3,800 workers surveyed claimed that they had been bullied at their workplaces, 16 percent said they suffered from health problems caused by this bullying, and 17 percent said they were forced to quit because of bullying.

http://is.gd/W3EDfm

 

• At least 50 percent of teens have been bullied online according to the iSafe Foundation.

 

• One-million children on Facebook alone were harassed in 2011 as reported by Consumer Reports.

 

-Bill Lucey

WPLucey@gmail.com

October 9, 2013

Stats and Facts for Tuesday, October 8, 2013

STATS and FACTS for Tuesday, October 8, 2013

 October 8, 1871, a  fire broke out in the barn behind the home of Patrick and Catherine O'Leary at 13 DeKoven Street in Chicago, causing nearly four-fifths of the city to burst into flames in what became known as the ``Great Fire’’ with an estimated 13,200 homes destroyed, leveling more than 18,000 structures, and leaving 350,000 residents homeless. The inferno raged mercilessly for three days, burning the City Hall to the ground, while the city Treasury went broke in providing relief to the homeless and cleaning up the debris of a smoldering city. The fire didn’t die down until October 10, 1871 after rain poured down on the city.

STAT: The ``Great Fire’’ resulted in the deaths of 300 people with $200 million worth of property destroyed.

FACT:  After the fire, a Chicago ordinance was passed that prohibited the construction of wooden frame buildings inside the city limits.

FACT: After the fire, one of the first initiatives undertaken by newly elected Chicago Mayor Joseph Medill (co-owner and managing editor of the Chicago Tribune) was to introduce a merit appointment system within the Fire Department, which had previously operated under a spoils system.

 

October 8, 1957, Walter O’Malley makes the official announcement that the Dodgers, after 68 seasons in Brooklyn, are leaving town for good and heading to the West Coast where they plan to take up residence in Los Angeles. Mr. O’Malley cited a number of reasons for leaving Brooklyn, namely, his frustrating in acquiring a new ballpark for an aging Ebbets Field, poor attendance, insufficient parking; and a New York City amusement tax of 5% on admissions. On April 18, 1958, the Dodgers played their first game in Los Angeles, defeating the Giants, 6-5, before 78,672 delirious fans at the Coliseum.

STAT:  Prior to their relocation, the Dodgers had been in Brooklyn since 1890, where they won 12 pennants and won their first World Series in 1955.

STAT: Taken together, The Dodgers have won six World Series titles and 21 National League pennants.

FACT: Not only did the Dodgers make history by signing Jackie Robinson (in 1947) to break the color barrier, but they’re also known for other notable innovations, including  televising the first baseball game (at Ebbets Field in 1939) and introducing the batting helmet in 1941.

FACT: Brooklyn writer and journalist Pete Hamill in compiling his worst human beings of the 20^th century listed Walter O’Malley after Hitler and Stalin. Hamill once wrote: ``After 1957, it seemed like we would never laugh again. Of course we did. It's just that we were never young again.''

 

October 8, 1985, Les Misérables, a musical based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel that centers on individuals struggling for redemption and revolution in 19^th century France, opened at the Barbican Theatre in London where it played for 7,602 performances at the Palace Theatre before transferring to the Queen’s Theatre on 3th April, 2004. The show originally met with a number of dismissive reviews, including one headline that read: ``Les Misérables has, sadly, been reduced to The Glums.’’  It didn’t take long, however, for some influential theater critics to enthusiastically embrace the production. After propelling to international fame, Les Misérables was dubbed the ``people’s musical.’’

STAT: Les Misérables has been translated into 22 different languages. Productions have taken place in 42 countries and over 319 cities, giving it a total audience figure of more than 60 million people worldwide.

STAT: The Broadway production opened March 12, 1987 and ran until May 18, 2003, closing after 6,680 performances. It is the fourth longest-running Broadway show in history and was the second-longest at the time. It has additionally been nominated for 12 Tony Awards, winning eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.

FACT:  Les Misérables is set to return on Broadway in March, 2014 at the Imperial Theatre with previews beginning March 1, 2014 and an official opening set for March 23, 2014. Casting has not been determined.

 

October 8, 1952, "The Complete Book of Etiquette" (later retiled ``Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette’’) was published for the first time. The book is still in circulation and has long been considered a standard of etiquette writing.

FACT:  The word ``etiquette’’ which literally means ``a ticket or card’’ signifies a system of conventional rules that regulate social behavior. The word dates back to the ancient custom of a monarch instituting ceremonial rules and regulations that were expected to be observed by members of his court.

 

Some enlightening takeaways from Dan Balz’s superb and skillfully written analysis of the 2012 presidential election in

``Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America.''

 

• Romney won just 27 percent of the Hispanic vote in the 2012 presidential election.

 

• President Obama was re-elected by winning just 39 percent of the white vote, which was offset by capturing 80 % of non-white voters.

 

• On Election Day, 2012, white voters made up just 72 % of the electorate.

 

• On the eve of the election, a vast majority of voters still blamed George W. Bush for the for the nation's economic hardship, compared with only 38 % blaming the poor economy on President Obama.

 

 

 New Washington Post-ABC News Poll:

70% of Americans now disapprove of Republicans' handling of budget negotiations http://wapo.st/17cb0vg  

 

 

STATS of the DAY

1.)  24 MLB teams have fallen behind 0-2 in divisional series since 2004, with 23 losing the series. Only the San Francisco Giants bucked the trend when they stormed back last year in the NLDS.

2.)  9 SEC players are projected as first-round prospects in the 2014 NFL Draft.

  3.) The St. Louis Cardinals  Carlos Beltran in recently belting his 16th postseason home run, has passed  Babe Ruth for the eighth spot on the all-time postseason home run list

 

-Bill Lucey

WPLucey@gmail.com

October 8, 2013

 

Remembering 2007, the Cleveland Indians Last Postseason Appearance

Yankees trainer Gene Monahan applies some insect repelent to pitcher Joba Chamberlain  during the 2007 ALDS at Jacobs Field. PHOTO CREDIT: AP

The Cleveland Indians clinched a spot in the 2013 Major League Baseball Postseason on Sunday in Minneapolis, marking the team’s first Postseason berth since 2007.

***

The Tribe are back in business.

For the first time since 2007, the Cleveland Indians live to see October and will host a one-game wildcard playoff against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night at Progressive Field in front of a capacity crowd of 43,000.

Fireballer Danny Salazar, the Dominican rookie, will take to the mound for the Tribe at approximately 8:07 p.m. (EST). The Rays will hand the ball to right-hander Alex Cobb.

Since 2007,  the Indians have undergone a number of significant facelifts.

Names like C.C. Sabathia, Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, Casey Blake, Joe Borowski, Fausto Carmona, Ryan Garko, Franklin Gutierrez, Kenny Lofton and Trot Nixon have either retired, moved on to other teams, or simply faded into the thin night air, having been replaced by the likes of Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jiminez, Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis and matinee idol Nick Swisher. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, the only holdover from the 2007 team, made his major league debut for the Tribe on August 8, 2007 against the Chicago White Sox.

A big reason why the Indians have won 24 more games than last year is attributable to their  new skipper: Terry Francona (`aka `Tito’’) who stormed into town on October 8, 2012 with a highly impressive set of credentials, namely, two World Series rings:, both with the Boston Red Sox. Indian players, during the course of the 2013 campaign, took to their new manager like bees do to honey. In 2007, Eric Wedge managed the Indians. He was fired at the end of the 2009 season.

Even the name of the park has changed. Jacobs Field is now called Progressive Field after its naming rights were purchased by the Progressive Insurance Company after the 2008 season. Die hard Indian fans, though, still refer to it as ``The Jake.''

And the Rays will be glad to notice another mighty big change since the 2007 playoff atmosphere in Cleveland.  The ``Biting Midges’’, those annoying bugs who swarmed and bore down on New York Yankee pitcher Joba Chamberlain as if he were a member of an Evil Empire during Game 2 of the 2007 American League Division Series, are believed to be far away from the shores of Lake Erie.

At least everyone hopes so.

Most importantly, the Tribe faithful are hoping their post season in 2013 turns out differently from their previous appearance. In 2007, the American League Central Division champs advanced to the American League Championship Series, only to lose to the Boston Red Sox in seven games.

For many, it’s hard to remember what was going on in Cleveland and the country last year, let alone in 2007, six years ago. So to refresh your memory, I compiled a brief year-in-review, underscoring some of the most pressing issues and major stories of 2007.

The last time the Cleveland Indians clinched a playoff spot (September 23, 2007, in a 6-2 win over the Oakland A’s), the following events took place:

• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate was 4.6 with 7.2 million Americans unemployed.

• Cleveland Browns kicker Phil Dawson missed a 40-yard field goal on the last play of the game, allowing the Oakland Raiders to hang on to a 26-24 victory, to drop the Browns to 1-2 in the young NFL season.

• The Pittsburgh Steelers under rookie head coach Mike Tomlin thumped the San Francisco 49ers 37-16, giving the Steelers a 3-0 record for the first time since 1992, Bill Cowher's rookie season.

• Brett Favre led the Green Bay Packers to a 31-24 win over the San Diego Chargers, while connecting with wide receiver Greg Jennings for his 420th TD pass of his career, tying Dan Marino's record for the most touchdowns in NFL history.

• Benedictine, the top-ranked team in the Division III state (Ohio) poll, suffered its first loss of the season against undefeated Columbus Watterson on Saturday evening September 22, 2007, in a 31-14 pounding at Bedford's Bearcat Stadium.

• A day before the Tribe clinched a playoff spot, the Ohio State Buckeyes (on September 22, 2007) played their 500th game in Ohio Stadium, improving to 376-104-20 with a 58-7 mauling over Northwestern.

Other notable events in 2007:

• LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. They were ingloriously swept by the San Antonio Spurs in four games.

• Cuyahoga County, including Cleveland and 58 suburbs, posted one of the highest foreclosure rates, with officials expecting the worst yet to come. In 1995, the county had 2,500 foreclosures; in 2006, there were 15,000, due to a weak economy and housing market.

• Rob Chudzinski was in his first year as offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns under head coach Romeo Crennel.

• In January, addressing a national television audience, President George W. Bush announced a ``surge’’ of an additional 20,000 U.S. troops to suppress the sectarian fighting in Iraq.

• In February, 2007, The Plain Dealer report on plans for Cuyahoga County to spend $200,000 on tracking devices for vans used to transport foster children to meet with their parents. The devices were intended to ensure these vans weren’t used for frivolous ``side trips.’’ In a touch of irony, Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, quipped: ``"Make sure one of those don't go on my car."

• February 11, 2007, at the 49th annual Grammy Awards, the Dixie Chicks, an American country music band, took home five Grammy’s, including Album of the Year (Taking the Long Way) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

• March 22, 2007, Elizabeth Edwards announced that her non-curable cancer had returned and that her husband's (John Edwards) quest for the U.S. presidency would go on with her blessing and help. She died of metastatic breast cancer on December 7, 2010.

• April 11, 2007, actor Alec Baldwin, on a voice mail (first disclosed by the website TMZ) called his 11-year-old daughter, Ireland, a "rude, thoughtless little pig,"

• April 15, 2007, Major League Baseball celebrated the 60th anniversary of the debut of Jackie Robinson at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, breaking the color barrier

• April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, a senior-level undergraduate student at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. went on a rampage, killing 32 people and wounding 17 others.

• May 14, 2007, the price of a postage stamp jumped from 39 cents to 41 cents, while post cards rose from 24 cents to 26 cents.

• June 5, 2007, American heiress and television personality Paris Hilton begins what was supposed to be a 45-day jail term at the Century Regional Detention Facility, an all-female jail in Lynwood, California for alcohol related reckless driving and violating her probation. On June 7th, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, however, citing ``medical considerations’’ signed orders reassigning the socialite to 40 days of home confinement with an electronic monitoring device.

• June 10, 2007: The season finale of the HBO television drama series ``The Sopranos’’ airs and was watched by an estimated 11.9 million viewers in the United States, a 49 percent increase from the previous episode and the show's best ratings for both parts of the sixth season.

• In June, 2007, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, Cleveland, Ohio lost nearly seven percent of its residents from 2000 to 2006, ranking it as America's 40th-largest city, down from 33rd. In 1920, Cleveland was the fifth largest city in the nation.  Only New Orleans and Detroit suffered greater population losses. Demographers’ estimate Cleveland’s population will dip below 400,000 in 2015, and below 300,000 by 2033.

• On June 26, 2007, Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio), once a strong supporter of funding the Iraqi war, in a letter to President Bush , calls for "gradually and responsibly reducing our forces" while urging the Iraqi government and its neighbors to assume greater responsibility in stabilizing the region.

• June 29, 2007, the iPhone (which retail for $499 or $599) hit Apple and AT&T stores as hundreds of customers queued up at stores from coast-to-coast.

• July 12, 2007: After 10 years away from the Columbus campus, Ohio State University trustees voted unanimously to reinstate Gordon Gee as president under a seven year contract, which will pay him an annual salary of $775,000, with an additional $225,000 in deferred annual compensation if he stays five years.

• July 21 2007, the seventh and final book, ``Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’’ was released. Deathly Hallows sold a record 8.3 million copies in its first 24 hours in the U.S., while children and adults waited in long lines through the night to snatch the latest installment.

• July 29, 2007, the average price of regular gasoline was $2.66 in Ohio and $2.69 in Greater Cleveland, below the national average of $2.88 a gallon.

• August 7, 2007, Barry Bonds belts his 756th home run, surpassing Hank Aaron's record to become the new home-run king. Bonds historic feat was marred by repeated accusations of steroid use. His home run ball (no. 756) was purchased for $752,467 by fashion designer Marc Ecko, with plans to brand it with an asterisk and donate it to the Baseball Hall of Fame,

• August 10, 2007, the Cleveland Indians paid tribute to Larry Doby, the first African-American to play in the American League at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio with every member of the Indians wearing Doby's no. 14.

• Former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize on October 12, 2007.

• The housing bubble finally burst as defaults (due to predatory lending practices) on subprime mortgages (high and adjustable-interest rate home loans for people who don't qualify for the lowest market rates) rose to an alarming 93 percent from the previous year.

• More than 20 million toys made in China, were recalled for containing lead paint or loose magnets, including products which inflicted third-degree burns on children using a toy oven.

• Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain won the New York City Marathon (November 4, 2007), just nine months after giving birth in a time of 2:23:09.

• December 8, 2007, Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow won the 2007 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first sophomore or freshman recipient of college football's most prestigious award.

- Bill Lucey
WPLucey@gmail.com
September 30, 2013

****

Longest Win Streaks Entering Postseason – MLB All-time

SEASON	TEAM	GMS	DATES
1960	New York Yankees	15	SEP-16-1960 - OCT-02-1960
1970	Baltimore Orioles	11	SEP-20-1970 - OCT-01-1970
1971	Baltimore Orioles	11	SEP-19-1971 - SEP-29-1971
2013	Cleveland Indians	10	SEP-19-2013 – SEP-29-2013
1974	Baltimore Orioles	9	SEP-22-1974 - OCT-02-1974
2002	San Francisco Giants	8	SEP-20-2002 - SEP-29-2002

 Source:  STATS Inc.

***

Cleveland Economic Indicators: 2007 vs. 2012:

•         In 2007, there were 14 million visitors to Cuyahoga County.

•         In 2012, there were 16.9 million visitors to Cuyahoga County.
 
•         In 2007, tourism generated $6.4 billion in direct and indirect spending.

•         In 2011, tourism generated $6.7 billion in direct and indirect spending.

 •         In 2007, tourism sustained 7.5% of Cuyahoga County’s private sector employment.

•         In 2011, tourism sustained 9% of Cuyahoga County’s private sector employment.
 
Currently, the industry is looking at an unprecedented $2 billion in tourism-related development projects, including revenue from the Horseshoe Casino and $275 million from the Flats Redevelopment project.

Source: Positively Cleveland, formerly the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland, Inc. and originally the Convention Board of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce) is the convention and visitor bureau for the Greater Cleveland area.

 

How Will the Red Sox Honor Mariano Rivera?

***

Mariano Rivera’s magical mystery tour continues on Sunday, when his most hated division rival, the Boston Red Sox, honor the relief pitcher during his final regular season game at Fenway Park. After 19 seasons with the New York Yankees, Rivera, 43, plans to retire at the end of the season.

The Boston Red Sox are mum about how they will honor the most feared closer; only that it will be ``big.’’

Since the Cleveland Indians presented him earlier in the year with a gold record from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (of Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’) and the Minnesota Twins followed with a rocking chair made of broken bats-the possibilities are endless.

Here, then, are some suggestions.

• Neil Diamond performing live as he belts out a new rendition of ``Sweet Caroline’’, titled: ``Sweet Mariano line!’’

• The American heavy metal band Metallica will perform live their 1991 smash hit ``Enter Sandman’’, which has become Rivera’s signature song at Yankee stadium when he enters a game.

• A Harvard University diploma complete with a cap and gown with Sir Edward Elgar's ``Pomp and Circumstance’’ ceremoniously filling the air. Written on the diploma, of course, will be all the Red Sox batters he struck out over the last 19  seasons

• Members of the Boston Fire Department will present Rivera with a fire hose (including a fireman’s hat), for being one the best and most courageous ``fireman'' the game has ever witnessed.

• The Sand Man will be presented with a Black & Decker lawn mower, for all the hitters he's mowed down during his celebrated career.

• Award Rivera a Boston Marathon trophy, along with a check for $150,000 (the amount marathon winners typically receive) to be donated to a charity of his choosing for making it to the finish line with such style and grace after 19 spectacular marathon seasons.

• Present Rivera with a super-sized Special K (for strikeouts) cereal box with his name plastered on it.

• Fire off a military 42-gun salute in the honor of the ultimate warrior and indomitable foot soldier.

***

Mariano Rivera Fast Facts:

• 58 of Mariano Rivera’s 651 career saves have been against the Red Sox, 36 of those in Boston.

• Rivera has more victories (13) over the Red Sox than he does any other MLB team.

• Rivera has 16 regular season blown saves against the Red Sox, the most against any team.

• Struck out a career 1170 batters.

• ERA was below 2.0 in 11 of his 19 seasons.

• 42 saves in the post-season, including an 8-1 record with a 0.71 ERA in playoff competition.

• 4 saves during an All-Star Game.

• World Series MVP (1999).

• All Star Game MVP (2013).

• 9 seasons registered 40 or more saves.

• Sandy Alomar, Jr, of the Indians (1997) and Jay Payton of the Mets (2000) are the only two players to belt a post-season home run against Rivera.

• Mariano has led the American League in saves three times — 45 (1999), 50 (2001) and a career-high and Yankee best 53 in 2004.

Bill Lucey
WPLucey@gmail.com
September 14, 2013

 

Some ``Inside Baseball'' with The Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes

Plain Dealer reporter Paul Hoynes walking his beat at Progressive Field.

Photo Credit: Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer

***

After a highly disturbing round of editorial layoffs recently, sinking morale to new lows-including home delivery having been slashed to three days a week-there’s finally some good news to report from the newsroom of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio.

It was announced this week that Cleveland Indians’ beat reporter Paul Hoynes, who has covered the Tribe for 30 years (28 with the PD) has been selected by the Press Club of Cleveland for induction into its Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame. The induction will be held Nov. 14 at Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center.

Hoynes, who most just affectionately refer to as ``Hoynsie’’ has been chronicling the ups and downs (until 1994, mostly downs) of Tribe baseball since 1982, which includes two World Series appearances (1995 and 1997) and the infamous ``Bat Gate’’ incident of July 15, 1994, when a corked bat used by Albert Belle (and confiscated by umpire Dave Phillips and placed in the umpires room) was later reclaimed by Cleveland relief pitcher Jason Grimsley after surreptitiously crawling across the ceiling with a flashlight in his mouth at Comiskey Park in Chicago.

Perhaps Stats Inc. can crunch some numbers to determine exactly how many reporter notebooks and scorecards Hoynes has ripped through over the last three decades. Since he’s easily covered more than 5,000 games, I bet it’s a bunch.

So now that it has clearly been determined by the selection committee that ``Hoynsie’’ didn’t have any ``performance enhancing’’ reporting tools in his background, which might have blemished his induction, the path is now clear to the Hall without an asterisk next to his name.

The integrity of the game, thank goodness, remains intact.

After hearing the great news of Hoynes selection to the Journalism Hall of Fame, I immediately fired off some questions (not all softball questions) in hopes he might reflect on different slices of his distinguished journalism career. To my surprise, the Indians’ beat writer was more than game by returning some revealing ``inside baseball’’ responses.

What follows, then, is my Q & A with the person everyone likes to call``Hoynsie.’’

Q. How successful were you as a baseball player in your youth: little leagues, high school, college?

 A. "I was a terrible baseball player. I played in fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade, but got cut from my high school team. Played in a 30-and-over Sunday morning softball league for a couple of years and it was a blast. But I was still terrible."   

Q.  I hope it’s not anytime soon, but when close your reporters’ notebook for good and hang up your spikes, do you plan to chronicle your years covering the Cleveland Indians in a book?

 A. "I write so much every day during the season that when I think about sitting down and writing a book, it terrifies me. When the season stops, I just want to shut it down and not think or write about anything. When I retire, maybe that will change. I'm not sure."  

 Q.   Do you find yourself longing for the good old days in print reporting before the Internet, smartphones and Twitter; or have you welcomed these innovations, having made your job a little easier?

 A. "I've tried to embrace all the technological changes that I can. It hasn't always been pretty, but to stay competitive and relevant, you have to do it. I don't think the changes have made the job easier; they have made it more immediate. The news cycle never stops. You can write a story at anytime and have it posted within minutes. The biggest difference is that there are no more scoops. You used to own a story for at least a day. You'd write it and go to bed hoping no one else had it. Today you own a story for about two seconds before you post it or Tweet it.’

 Q.  I believe many years ago you were involved in a locker room scuffle with Mel Hall, the former Indians’ outfielder (1984-1988). What were the circumstances for the altercation; and have you faced similar confrontations with any other players?

 A. That's when I was young and dumb. I had written a story about Mel being sued for child support by I believe a former girlfriend. Another part of the story had him suing a club employee with whom he'd been involved in a car wreck during a road trip. It was a double whammy and Mel was not happy.

 Walked into the clubhouse on Sunday morning and manager Pat Corrales told me, "You better get out of here because there's a bounty out for you." I turned around to leave and there was Mel. One thing led to another and I ended up at the bottom of Carmen Castillo's locker with Mel on top of me. Otis Nixon was one of the guys that pulled him off me. Saved my life.

 After that Mel and me were great friends. . .strange.

 "I've had other arguments with players, but nothing physical. John Rocker invited me into the weight room once and shut the door. He was not happy with something I wrote. Rocker scared me a lot more than Mel.’’

 Q. How challenging it is to maintain a personal life and successful marriage by traveling six months every year? Does your wife often travel with you? During the season, do you still watch the Tribe on TV/Radio on your off days, as rare as they are?

 A. I have a great wife, who is strong and independent. She earned her master’s, PHD and raised two kids while I was chasing the ballclub around the country. When our boys were young, they used to come to spring training for several days with my wife or father-in-law. That's when the Indians trained in Tucson.

 My wife is in education and is very busy. She also earns a lot more money than me. But she knows I love this job and that it makes he happy. She does come on a couple of trips a year with me. She likes the beach so Florida is a good trip for her.

 The boys are gown now and I think I missed a lot because it seemed like they grew up and were gone in flash. They both still live near us and they are big Tribe fans. They've also given us four grandchildren, which is a blast.

 When I don't cover a game, I'll almost always watch it on TV. I drive my wife crazy. She thinks I'm nuts. If I'm driving on an off-day, I listen to the game on the radio. I guess I'm addicted.

 Q. Is there a particular city you love to visit every year on the Tribe’s schedule-or at this point in your career-do all the city landscapes and hotel rooms begin to look alike?

 A.`` I love walking around Seattle. I love taking the subway from Grand Central Station to Yankee Stadium. I love coming out of that tunnel on the subway into the sunlight and seeing Yankee Stadium right there on the 161st street stop. I like walking to the ballpark in Boston and Toronto. You can walk along the water in Toronto and that's cool.

 Chicago is a great city to visit. When I go to Detroit, I like to stay downtown near Greektown. There's always a lot of action in Detroit. I like Greek food and they have a great bakery there.’’

 Q.  As a beat reporter, what was your most memorable game covering the Indians; also, were there any particular players (not necessarily Indians) who had profound impact on you or earned your respect and admiration?

 A. "The thing I remember most in regard to games was the whole 1995 season. So many come back. So many late home runs.

 I think the game where Paul Sorrento hit a homer late to beat Toronto was in June, 1995. The Blue Jays had David Cone pitching and were up 8-0 and the Tribe came back and won the game on Sorrento's two-out, two-run home run to cap a three run ninth in a thrilling 9-8 win.  To me that was a signal that something special was happening. ‘’

 "I've like almost all the guys I've covered. A few stick out to me: Brook Jacoby, Kenny Lofton, Julio Franco, Mike Hargrove, Omar Vizquel, Sandy Alomar Jr. Jacoby was a grinder who never complained and just played the game. Kenny Lofton was prickly as a player, but I loved his talent and I loved the way he played at a high level for so long. Wherever he went, he helped his team win. I think he's a Hall of Famer. Liked Julio just because he was so much fun to cover. One of the best pure hitters I've ever seen. Covered Grover as a player, coach and manager. Always the same, always dead honest. He'd get mad at you one day, but the next day it was forgotten. Never held a grudge. Vizquel was just a joy to cover and watch. Stand-up guy. Never ducked a tough question. Alomar is a solid guy. Really like him.

 Q. Are you a strong supporter of MLB introducing instant replay? Does such a change run the risk of extending games to as long as four and a half hours? Are there any other changes you’d like to see in the game?

 A. ``For me, the more replay the better. It drives me crazy when people talk about the "human element' being a part of the game they want to retain. So that means you want to continue having a game where mistakes are made that cost team's games when the means are available to make the right call? Amazing.’’

 Q. What is the most difficult part of covering a baseball game, which most readers might not fully appreciate: deadline pressures, getting players to talk with you, writing a lead that grabs readers’ attention, concern for accuracy, beating your competitors to the punch, etc?

 A. Two big hurdles for me: deadlines and access. The clock is always ticking. With the Internet, we're sending game stories as soon as the game ends. Last out, you hit the send button, even in spring training games. Then you have to rewrite.

 The volume of work has increased as well. You write an early post, a notebook, a running gamer and then a rewrite of the gamer. On the Internet every story can get a headline, so there are times when you can write four to six stories a day. Not to mention Tweeting.

 Access has been a reporter's problem for ages. But now, with how fast the news moves, if you don't have access to general managers, agents or players, you're sunk as far as covering a breaking story. So it's critical that you have sources who will help you.’’

 Q. With so many newspapers, including the Plain Dealer, having slashed editorial positions, including the shrinking of news space at an alarming rate, how concerned are you for younger reporters trying to get into sports reporting; and how concerned are you for the future of print journalism in general?

 A. ``Somebody is always going to have to tell the story whether it's about a fire, public corruption, car crash or a game-winning home run. What vehicle they use to tell it and to send it to their readers is evolving every day.’’

 ``We just went to three days home delivery at the PD. They are still publishing a printed paper seven days a week, but for four days it's available only on the street.’’

 ``I just took a job with the Northeast Ohio Media Group, the digital arm of The Plain Dealer, and will continue to cover the Indians, but everything I deal with now is online. Things are changing so fast. But the job is still the same. At least for now.''

****

 -Bill Lucey

WPLucey@gmail.com

August 15, 2013

 

As the Trade Deadline Looms, Look No Further Than MLB Trade Rumors

As the Major League Baseball deadline approaches, baseball fans, especially those with their favorite team in the playoff hunt, are usually scouring the web, following their favorite beat writer on Twitter and staying glued to ESPN for the latest news of possible trades before the clock strikes midnight on July 31st. The non-waiver Major League trading deadline has been July 31st since the 1986 season.

For the most rabid fans, however, who want to catch wind of trades in the works, there’s really only one source: MLB Trade Rumors , an indispensable site that reports on trades and free agent signings 365 days a year with extensive coverage of all 30 teams. Reports or rumors of trades are conveniently linked to original online stories or reported by their own team of writers. Much like retailers during Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping day of the Christmas season), Christmas comes in July for MLB Trade Rumors, especially the last week of July, when a majority of 11th hour trades are finalized.

Tim Dierkes, the creator of MLB Trade Rumors and a writer and contributor to the site, informs me his site averaged about 600,000 pageviews every day from July 1 through July 21st of this year; and for the last 10 days of this month, leading up the trade deadline, he expects to receive approximately 1.5 million page views per day, with almost six million coming in the last two days.

Last year, MLB Trade Rumors registered 3,485,401 page views on July 31st, baseball's trade deadline. Dierkes, a long-suffering Chicago Cubs fan, who used to work in the search engine marketing field before taking the website full-time in January of 2008, currently lives with his wife and three children in Glen Ellyn, IL..

With practically every baseball beat writer from coast-to-coast live tweeting about anything and everything these days, even if a manager blows his nose, I asked Dierkes if he felt the explosion of Twitter has diverted traffic away from his site?  Dierkes said: ``Beat writers being on Twitter has not hurt traffic...I think a lot of people would like to avoid having to be on Twitter to catch up on the news, so they're happy to have us act as a filter.’’

In addition to a daily feed of trade rumors and transactions, MLB Trade Rumors features a user friendly pull down menu of ``Tools’’, including a ``2013 MLB Free Agent Tracker’’, ``2013 MLB Free Agent List’’, a ``Transaction Tracker’’, and updated database of which agency a major league baseball player is associated with. And for active users accustomed to getting their news on their mobile devices, the site makes available apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Baseball fans are all too well aware that the fast approaching trading deadline can be a wildly exciting time, with a buzz of trade rumors filling the air.

It wasn’t until July 31st, 2007, for example, the last day of the trading deadline, when fans learned that the Atlanta Braves acquired infielder Mark Teixeira and left-handed pitcher Ron Mahay from the Texas Rangers for catcher/1st baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia, infielder Elvis Andrus, left-handed pitcher Matt Harrison, left-handed pitcher Beau Jones and right-handed pitcher Neftali Feliz. And it was July 31st , 2008,  when the Boston Red Sox unloaded their disgruntled cleanup hitter Manny Ramirez in a three-way deal in exchange for Jason Bay from the Pittsburgh Pirates , while the Red Sox paid $ 7 million left on Ramirez's contract, along with sending reliever Craig Hansen and infielder Brandon Moss to Pittsburgh.

Other notable trades on July 31st have included: The Seattle Mariners trading their staff ace Randy Johnson to the Houston Astros in 1998 for left-fielder Carlos Guillen, pitcher Freddy Garcia and a player to be named; the New York Yankees trading outfielder Ruben Sierra and pitcher Matt Drews to the Detroit Tigers in 1996 for 1st baseman/DH Cecil Fielder; and the Oakland Athletics shipping their star slugger, 1st baseman  Mark McGwire, to the St. Cardinals in 1997 for pitcher T.J. Mathews, pitcher Eric Ludwick and pitcher Blake Stein.

From July 2000-2013, based on statistics compiled by Major League Baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates have made a total of 39 trades during the month of July, the most of any major league club, while the club with the least amount of trades during the same time period are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with only 12.

According to Major League Baseball, a trade deadline in the Major Leagues was first established by the National League on August 20th, 1917. After that date, a player had to clear N.L. waivers before being traded. The American League followed suit in 1920, but with a deadline of July 1st. The following year, both the A.L. and N.L. agreed on a deadline of August 1st.   Subsequently, on December 14, 1922, the deadline was changed again to June 15th after securing approval at the Joint Major League meetings held at the Hotel Commodore in New York and it would remain that way until after the 1985 season.

-Bill Lucey
WPLucey@gmail.com
July 25, 2013

Number of Trades in July by Club: 2000-2013:
Pittsburgh: 39
San Diego: 38
Boston: 36
Los Angeles Dodgers: 34
Chicago Clubs: 34
New York Yankees: 30
Colorado: 29
Cleveland: 28
Chicago White Sox: 27
Cincinnati: 27
Kansas City: 27
San Francisco: 26
Texas: 26
Baltimore: 25
New York Mets: 25
Philadelphia: 25
Seattle: 24
Arizona: 22
Atlanta: 22
Miami: 21
Milwaukee: 21
St. Louis: 20
Washington/Montreal: 20
Toronto: 17
Oakland: 16
Detroit: 15
Tampa Bay: 15
Minnesota: 14
L.A. Angels of Anaheim: 12

Source: Major League Baseball

 

All-Star Games Can Get a Little Hairy

Always the trendsetter, Abraham Lincoln.

Rollie Fingers, an All-Star and Hall-of-Famer, best remembered for his handlebar mustache.

***

As we prepare for another mid-season clash between the American and National Leagues in the 84^th annual All-Star game from Citi Field in Queens on Tuesday, some statistics are in order.

But unlike other general baseball stat facts, these might get a little hairy.

It was certainly a hair-raising experience (at least for me) to learn from STATS,  the world’s leading sports statistical analysis company, that facial hair is actually linked with player performance on the diamond; so much so that over the last decade, players with facial hair have clearly outperformed their clean-shaven counterparts during the All-Star games.

Just consider the following All-Star game facts that STATS so skillfully scooped up and fired our way:

• From 2003 through 2012, players with beards have a .287 batting average compared with non facial players who have batted a paltry .226.

 

• From 2003 through 2012, On Base Percentage for players with facial hair is .338 compared with .272 for those without facial hair.

 

• All six All-Star MVP‘s feature facial hair: Melky Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Brian McCann, Carl Crawford, J.D. Drew and Ichiro Suzuki.

 

• In seven out of the last eight All-Star games, players with facial hair batted higher than those without.

 

• Over the last four All-Star Games, clean-shaven players have gone 152 at-bats without bashing one out of the park.

 

Come to think of it, are these statistics really such a surprise?

Looking back through history, would the ``Great Emancipator’’, Abraham Lincoln, really have prevented the country from splitting into two over slavery had not 11-year old Grace Bedell of Westfield, New York, suggested to Mr. Lincoln he grow a beard? Lincoln was actually the real trend setter when it came to facial hair among U.S. presidents as he ushered in what was described as the ``Golden Age of Facial Hair.’’  From 1861 through 1913, all but two presidents (Andrew Johnson and William McKinley) were decorated with facial hair.  Three of those presidents had beards: (Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, and Benjamin Harrison), three mustaches (Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft) and one with sideburns, giant sideburns (Chester Arthur).

In light of this, you might be asking yourself, would the crushing defeats of Samuel Tilden (1876) and William Jennings Bryant (1896) turned out differently if they weren’t clean-shaven?

Beginning with Woodrow Wilson in 1913, facial hair would never be seen on a U.S. president again, most of it attributable to the mass production of the razor blade, beginning in 1901.  Additionally, unlike previous wars, U.S. serviceman in World War I were all required to shave.

Before Lincoln, of course, facial hair planted on prominent historical figures did pop up from time to time.  According to at least one historical account, Sir Thomas More, the Renaissance humanist, before laying his head on the block in 1535, pushed aside his beard and said to his executioner, ``My beard has not been guilty of treason; it would be an injustice to punish it.’’

Even Uncle Sam got with the program by having a beard added to his face by 1855.

Today, facial hair on a Pope is unthinkable; but Popes from Clement VII (1523) to Clement XI (1700) wore beards; and Robert Bellarmine (who died in 1621), was considered one of the last great bearded cardinals. He was eventually canonized as Saint Robert.

So forgive me if I can’t help but wonder how history would have been shaped differently, if the following figures had not sported a beard:

• Would God, for example, really have trusted Moses with two stone tablets bearing the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai, if the religious leader, lawgiver, and prophet weren’t wearing a beard much like the creator and sustainer of the universe?

 

• How much precious pearls of wisdom and Western Philosophy would have been passed on to us through the ages had Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, not grown a beard?

 

• I hate to think of all the magnificent literature we would have been deprived of if such accomplished writers like William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Henry Longfellow, Edgar Allan Poe, and Ernest Hemingway, to name just a few, would have been beardless. Would they have been as imaginative in wielding their pen?

 

• Would we even be talking about the mid-season Fall Classic right now had Christopher Columbus been beardless, beardless at least by some historical accounts?   Would the Italian explorer still have discovered America as a clean-shaven navigator?

 

• Would Rollie Fingers, the Oakland A’s and San Diego Padres flame-thrower have gone on to be only the second reliever elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame without his signature waxed handlebar moustache?

 

To all these questions, I guess we’ll never really know.

 

The real moral of this story, however, is if any of the 30 MLB teams hope to advance to the post-season in October, they might give serious thought to throwing their straight edge razors and Remington electric shavers overboard and start growing out that facial hair. In the heat of a pennant race, any advantage you can muster goes a long way.

 

Ditto for the 2016 candidates, hoping to be considered presidential timber, including Hillary Clinton, who might go down in history as the first female U.S. president with a beard.

 

-Bill Lucey

WPLucey@gmail.com

July 16, 2013

 

Cleveland Indians Fans Don't Despair!: All Good Teams Experience Slumps

The 1951 New York Giants won the NL Pennant despite losing 11 in a row during the regular season.

***

It’s only June and Cleveland Indians fans are already talking to themselves with such familiar refrains as” ``Haven’t we seen this movie before?”

 After beginning the season with a renewed sense of hope, a new experienced manager with two World Series rings (in Terry Francona) and plenty of promise and budding talent-in the blink of an eye- Cleveland baseball fans have been dealt an unexpected setback , having seen their beloved Tribe drop eight in a row. The Indians have now lost 14 of their last 18 games after Monday’s 6-3 loss to Texas in the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

 Despite the threatening skies high above as if Tropical Storm Andrea is about to dump heavy rains over Northeast Ohio, Cleveland fans shouldn’t despair. Turns out, there’s plenty to be optimistic about.

 According to Stats Inc., World Series winners experienced at least one losing streak of seven or more games during the regular season, most recently the 2011 Cardinals. 

 The 2006 Cardinals had three losing streaks of seven or more games, while the longest losing streak by a World Series winner was nine games by the 1953 Yankees.

  In addition, 21 pennant winners had at least one losing streak of seven or more games during the regular season; the longest was 11 games by the 1951 Giants.

 So don’t despair Tribe fans, ``Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.’’

  As the legendary Casey Stengel once said after his 62' Mets finally managed to nail down their first win of the season on April 23rd, (after losing their first nine ) ``We sure was on a long nap.''

Bill Lucey

June 10, 2013

WPLucey@gmail.com 

``My Semi-Retirement is Hell'' George Vecsey Groans

George Vecsey, right, with his arm around New York writer Ray Robinson, author of “Iron Horse: Lou Gehrig in His Time.”
***

For those who might wonder what former New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey has been up to since accepting a company buyout in December 2011,  I’m happy to report he is doing well, although he might take issue with such an upbeat description.

The former ``Sports of the Times’’ columnist tells me he spends a good part of his extra free time going to lunch with friends and has already put on 10 pounds, ``some retirement’’, he tells me. ``My semi-retirement is hell. I need a vacation from it’’, Vecsey says.  Speaking of others like him who retired, Vecsey grumbled, `` most of us get our fingerprints changed and move to Boca Raton and change our names.’’

Aside from adjusting to retirement, and putting on a few well deserved extra pounds, Vecsey continues to write on a number of topics of interest to him on  his website, from Mitt Romney and Roger Clemens to the Beatles, the U.S. Postal Service, to Loretta Lynn and Jeremy Lin. He always did have a diverse range. After all, he was a metro reporter and religion writer before beginning his second stint with the Times’ sports department in 1980.  Vecsey originally landed at the Times in 1968 from Newsday in Long Island.

Devoted fans of the Times’ sports pages know that Vesey hasn’t exactly been put out to pasture. He still contributes two sports columns a month, as a contributor.  In fact, in Thursday’s edition, he has a column about Gilad Shilat, the abducted Israeli soldier who is now turning his attention to sports writing.

In addition to his compelling columns (pure poetry) that he pounded out for the Times from 1982 through the end of 2011, Vecsey has written six national best-selling books, including “Stan Musial: An American Life,” published by Ballantine/ESPN Books in May of 2011.

The Jamaica, Queens native lives in Port Washington, Long Island, with his wife, Marianne Graham, an artist and teacher. They have three children and five grandchildren.  Laura Vecsey has been a sports and political columnist in Albany, N.Y., Seattle, Baltimore and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Corinna V. Wilson, an attorney, is vice president for programming at the Pennsylvania Cable Network; and David Vecsey is a copy editor at the New York Times.

-Bill Lucey

WPLucey@gmail.com

June 28, 2012