TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for October 9, 2009 from
www.LenBermanSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
The Dodgers took a 2-games to none lead over St. Louis. The Rockies
evened things with the Phillies one game apiece. The Angels beat the
Red Sox 5-0 in game one in Anaheim.
Today's Schedule
Game 2 Minnesota @ Yankees 6:07pm ET TBS
Game 2 Boston @ Angels 9:37pm ET TBS
Are you really ready for Olympic golf and rugby? The IOC voted today
to include them in the 2016 Olympics. Olympic golf? We don't have
enough international competitions?
2. Sudden Death
Joe Torre used to say about the 1996 Yankees that "everyone wants to
be the hero, but no one wants to talk about it." Left unsaid in
sports is that nobody wants to be the goat. Just ask Matt Holliday of
St. Louis. He dropped the final out of a Cardinals win last night when
he lost the ball in the lights. And the Dodgers took the gift and
parlayed it into two runs in the bottom of the 9th. So instead of the
series being tied at 1, the Dodgers have a two games to none
stranglehold. Holliday's mid-season trade helped the Cards win the
division. His error may have torpedoed their season. Somewhere Bill
Buckner is smiling, or not.
3. Epic Collapse
When the Tigers lost that playoff game to the Twins they became the
first team to blow a 3 game lead with 4 games to go. Well, not exactly
true. As a couple of astute Top 5 readers pointed out, that's exactly
what the Yankees did with the Red Sox in the 2004 playoffs.
4. Friday Mailbag
M.W. writes: " My wife and I were watching the Giants and Jets
yesterday and noticed the pink cleats and she was touched by the
gesture but wishes the NFL Players would just donate the money spent
on the pink cleats and promoting them to breast cancer research."
As for various sports organizations banning handshakes for fear of
spreading the swine flu, An Atlanta doctor, E.G. writes: "Len, the
no-touching thing is amazingly stupid. I hope that there is no health
care professional involved in the decision-making process...if they
are, they'd be laughed right out of any professional association that
I belong to. I think they should shake hands at center court, and then
whip out their Purell pumps right there and schmear it all over
themselves, and the ball!"
Editor's Note: Is schmear an official sports term?
And from R.B. "Rumor has it that since the Mets won't be in the
playoffs, their players are auditioning for a new TV show...Dancing
With the Scars."
Editor's Note: Ouch.
5. Athlete of the Week
They'll run the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. David Kuhn will in the
race. He is legally blind after being struck by a drunk driver, so he
needs a guide to run along with him. When his guide backed out, he put
out the word asking if anyone could help him. Over 100 responded. He
only needs one, but several will run along side anyway. He's running
to raise money for homebound seniors. Talk about a win/win/win
situation.
Happy Birthday: Mr. Hairdryer, Joe Pepitone of the Yankees. 69.
Bonus Birthday: John Lennon would also have been 69 today. His son,
Sean Lennon, is 34 today.
Today in Sports: The Cincinnati Reds won the World Series against the
Chicago "Black Sox." Several Chicago players "threw" the World Series.
1919.
Bonus Event: Cuddle up. The first electric blanket is sold in
Virginia. (No wonder that state is for lovers.) 1946.
Radio daze. I'll be on with John Gambling on WOR Radio Monday's and
Friday's at 8:10AM. (I told you I wasn't retiring.)