By Hal McCoy
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave before departing for the Agonis Club to listen to bracketologist Joe Lunardi talk about the up-down-and-around college basketball scene.
—THE BIG SNUB: Did you know that Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime? If Van Gogh played professional baseball, he’d play for the Cincinnati Reds and be totally ignored.
MLB Network is listing its top ten players at each position and gave the Cincinnati Reds zero respect, almost a complete snub.
Only one Reds player made the Top Ten at any position and Elly De La Crus barely pushed his way in at number eight at shortstop. No. 1 is Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson.
Arizona’s Ketel Marte is the No. 1 second baseman (No Red in Top Ten). Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez is the No. 1 third baseman (No Red in Top Ten). Milwaukee’s William Contreras is the No. 1 catcher (Tyler Stephenson did not make the Top Ten).
Philadelphia’s Zach Wheeler is the No. 1 starting pitcher (Hunter Greene did not make the Top Ten). New Yorks Devin Williams is the No. 1 relief pitcher (No Red in the Top Ten).
Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez is the No. 1 center fielder (No Red in the Top Ten) and, of course, New York’s Aaron Judge is the No. 1 right fielder (No Red in The Top Ten). First basemen and the left fielders will be ranked at a later date. Don’t wait around, no Reds will break into the Top Ten at those postitions, either.
—A REAL ALL-STAR: Newly-minted Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki (a Hall of Famer to all but one voter), knew what All-Star games are all about.
He was an All-Star in All-Star games. In 10 appearances he batted .308. And he hit a game-winning home run in San Francisco in 2007.
But it wasn’t just any ol’ home run. It was inside the park, the only inside the park home run in All-Star history. It gave the American League a 5-4 victory and Ichiro the MVP trophy.
And in those 10 All-Star games, the AL with Ichiro on it was 8-1-1.
About the one writer that did not vote for him, Ichiro said, “I would like to invite him over to my house and we’ll have a drink together, and we’ll have a good chat.” That offer is tempting enough to lie and say, ‘I’m the dumb donkey who didn’t vote for you, now where is your Buchanan’s 18 Special Reserve?’
—QUOTE: From Ichiro Suzuki: “If I’m in a slump, I ask myself for advice. You should seek approval from yourself.” (What better person to ask and he certainly had to approve of himself.)
—TEDDY TALES: When Bill ‘Spaceman’ Lee pitched for the Boston Red Sox, he thought all the tale tales about Ted Williams as a hitter were apochrophyl as espoused by Teddy Ballgame’s former teammates and coaches.
During one ‘bull’ session a coach said Williams once hit a baseball so hard he broke it in half.
Another said, “The year he hit .406 (1941) he never once hit a pop-up all season. Not once.”
Lee shook his head and said, “You guys make Williams sound as if he is God.”
To that, one coach replied, “Oh, that’s silly. God could never hit like Ted Williams.”
Indeed, the Splendid Splinter was the ‘God of Line Drives.’
—QUOTE: From Hall of Famer Ted Williams: “There is only one way to become a great hitter. Go up to the plate and get mad. Get mad at yourself and get mad at the pitcher.”
—A SLIM POSITIVE: The college transfer portal and NIL are, indeed, insidious right now. Some ‘scholar-athletes’ play at four different universities in four years as they chase the next highest paycheck.
There is, though, one thing it has produced. There is a constant ebb and flow about which teams season-to-season are good and which teams are bad.
There was a strong clue last week. Of the AP’s Top 25 teams, 19 lost at least one game.
It was Xavier over Marquette, Creighton over UConn, West Virginia over Iowa State, Santa Clara overe Gonzaga, Minnesota over Michigan, Vanderbilt over Tennessee, Temple over Memphis. . .and a few more.
There is always a glimmer of sunlight on a dark, dismal day.
—IN THE PITTS: Speaking of transfers, Pittsburgh basketball fans got a large dose from two University of Dayton transfers from Pittsburgh schools.
When the Flyers buried Duquesne, 82-62, this week, UD was led by Enoch Cheeks and Nate Santos.
Cheeks, a transfer from Pittsburgh’s Robert Morris University, where he played three seasons, scored 23 points, made 4 of 6 from three, snagged six rebounds, had four assists and four steals
Santos, a transfer from Pitt, where he played two sesons, scored 16 points, made 3 of 4 three grabbed six rebounds and had four assists.
—IS IT MOM’S OMELETTES?: Anybody who likes breakfast at Mom’s in Franklin, OH is a friend of mine.
As I am, Franklin native Luke Kennard is a happy and well-fed camper when he departs a booth at Mom’s.
Don’t know if one of Mom’s awesome omelettes has anything to do with it, but Kennard is the second best percentage three-point shooter in NBA history, behind only Steve Kerr.
While Memphis Grizzlies teammate Ja Morant slashes to the basket as if wielding a machete, Kennard stops and pops on the other side of the arc at a .442 clip.
Kerr is the all-time leader at .454. And in case you wonder about Steph Curry, who shoots from San Francisco Bay, his three-point percentage is .425.
But just wait until Koby Brea lands in the NBA.
—NO SUN BLOCKER?: Of this I am familiar: When you read pool-side under a searing sun, it leaves you well-red.
And did you know that when the smog lifts in California UCLA?
—PLAYLIST NUMBER 140: As Hans Christian Anderson put it, “When words fail, music speaks.”
—The Weight (The Band), Baby I Need Your Loving (The Four Tops), Never Let You Go (Sergio Mendes), Cool Change (Little River Band), Hold Me (Fleetwood Mac), So Into You (Atlanta Rhythm Section), The Heart Of The Matter (Don Henley), Rinky Dink (Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez).
—Magic (Olivia Newton-John), While You See A Change (Steve Winwood), How Much I Feel (Ambrosia), Your Love (The Outfield), Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Tears For Fears), Sentimental Journey (Doris Day).