Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Hockey Hall of Fame 2017 Inductees
This year's
induction ceremony for the Hockey Hall of Fame will take place on
Monday, November 13th in Toronto. Five great hockey
players, one coach, and one owner will be inducted at that time.
Danielle
Goyette played for Canada for many years on the international
circuit. She accumulated many medals during her career: one silver
and two gold medals at the Olympics, and seven gold medals at the
Women's World Championships. She is delighted with her selection to
the Hall. “The Hockey Hall of Fame is where the people I have
looked up to all my life are enshrined. It will be an amazing honour
for me to be with them.”
Coach Clark
Drake won six national championships as head coach with the
University of Alberta Golden Bears. He also won a national
championship as the school's football coach.
Jeremy
Jacobs purchased the Boston Bruins in 1975. He became the chairman of
the board of governors of the NHL in 2007. In 2015, he won the Lester
Patrick Award for service to hockey in the United States.
Lanny
McDonald is the Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame. John Davidson is
the Chairman of the Selection Committee. Their announcement on Monday
is always controversial; nonetheless, they did announce the names of
four other great players who are recognized as superstars, and are
now Hall of Famers.
Paul Kariya
played most of his career with the Anaheim Might Ducks. He also had
stints with Colorado, Nashville and St. Louis. He is generally listed
at 5' 10”, but was a brilliant playmaker. He played 989 regular
season games in the NHL, and recorded exactly 989 points, with 402
goals. His career was cut short by the number of concussions he
received, and the effects of those concussions.
Kariya
noted: “ I have to thank all of the countless people in my life who
helped me get here.” His father was Japanese-Canadian, and was born
in an internment camp in British Columbia during the Second World
War. Kariya added, “My parents sacrificed so that I could play the
game.”
The other
three male inductees played considerably more games than did Kariya:
Dave Andreychuk-1639 games, Mark Recchi-1652 games, and Teemu
Selanne-1451 games.
Andreychuk
was a towering forward who used his size to his advantage. At 6' 4',
he took up a lot of room in front of the opposition's net. He netted
640 goals in his career, burning out a few red lights.
Recchi
notched 677 goals in his days in the NHL, after being drafted in the
4th round in1988. He began his career with the Penguins,
then moved to the Flyers in 1991. He also spent time with the
Canadiens, the Hurricanes, the Thrashers the Lightning and the
Bruins.
Teeme
Selanne, the “Finnish Flash” burst onto the NHL scene in 1991,
scoring 76 goals in his rookie season with the Winnipeg Jets. He
spent several years with the Ducks, three seasons with the Sharks,
and one year with Colorado. His ended his career with 684 goals.
Great
careers, now recognized by the Hall of Fame! Congratulations, one and
all.
James Hurst
June 27,
2017,
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Keeping Score, and Modern Technology
Nothing is certain, but
I think that I will be able to live out my days without a cell phone.
It is a matter of convenience, and expense.
We have a land-based
phone here in Wellington, and one in Florida. When we are absent from
either location, we subscribe to a “Holiday” rate, much cheaper
than the normal rate. Joanne has a cell phone, and she does not go
too far without it.
There is a chance that
I may have to get a cell phone as part of a “package” that will
be much cheaper than the land-based phone. That will be determined
when Joanne's current plan expires. I really do not understand all of
the nuances of the cell phone plans, nor do I care.
Naturally, if I do not
have a cell phone, I cannot “text”. I assure you, that does not
bother me. I do not send out “Tweets” from a cell phone. I do
have a “Twitter” account, but I don't use it.
During a recent Blue
Jay telecast, I noticed that a fair number of fans were busy with
their cell phones, in some way or another. Obviously, it is a
distraction from the game. Then again, not everyone goes to the game
to watch the game. Many could care the less about what is going on
between the lines. The day at the ball park is more of a social
outing.
For those of you who
really enjoy the game, but find there are moments when you have
little to do, I recommend keeping score. There are a fair number of
folks scateererd around the park, keeping score. There is no specific
rule about how you keep score. But at the end of the game, you should
be able to tell what each player did throughout the game.
When I attend a game, I
do not use a laptop computer. I use a score sheet to record the
information. I also use a pencil, and have an eraser handy. Official
scorers tend to change their minds occasionally. Usually, it involes
a batted ball that might be construed as an error. The judgement of
the official scorer is important for those who are keen on
statistics. Keep the eraser close at hand.
I have my score sheet
in front of me from the game I attended a week ago. In the eighth
inning, the Rays scored three runs. It is easy to see how they scored
their first two runs: Evan Longoria singled to open the inning, and
Logan Morrison hit a home run. Two runs scored.
Steven Souza Jr.
followed with a base on balls, and moved to third on a single by
Daniel Robertson. Derek Norris flied out to right field, deep enough
to score Souza Jr. That tied the game. Score that as a sacrifice fly.
Russell Martin led off
the bottom of the eighth, facing relief pitcher Jose Alvarado. His
home run stood up as the GWRBI (Game winning run batted in), and
Roberto Osuna shut the Rays out in the ninth.
Not everyone's cup of
tea, keeping score. Most of the marks on my page were learned in high
school, Homer “Red” Townsend used some of the time in our health
cl;asses to teach us the art of scoring. I am certain he was more
comfortable with that, than dishing out pointers of sex education.
June 21, 2017.
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
The Tools of Ignorance
As a member
of the Chicago Cubs, David Ross won the World Series last year.
Following the victory, he cleaned his locker and retired from
baseball. He played primarily as a catcher, starting in 2002. He
toiled behind the plate for the Dodgers, Pirates, Padres, Reds, Red
Sox on two separate occasions, Braves and Cubs.
His career
batting average was .229, not the highest in history. He stood six
feet, two inches, and weighed 230 pounds, a fair target for any
pitcher. He had a strong arm, and threw out 35% of base runners
trying to steal. One year, he threw out 48% of the runners, leading
the league.
Ross now
sits behind a microphone, sporting a headset. He follows a long list
of former catchers who became announcers. Joe Garagiola was one of
the best. Buck Martinez works the games for the Toronto Blue Jays. I
really enjoy Ross's commentary during the game. He shoots straight,
and does not play favourites.
During a
recent telecast, Ross was asked about foul balls that hammered him on
the mask. He did not pull any punches. He said that he often had
headaches for three or four days after taking one to the head. At
that time, there was no “protocol” for concussions. A catcher was
expected to “shake it off”, and get ready for the next pitch.
Ross then went into detail about a new type of mask.
Blue Jays'
catcher Russell Martin has been tagged many times with foul tips. In
a recent game, his mask was violently wrenched from his head with a
foul tip. Some of these pitches are moving at more than a hundred
miles an hour, and the blow is not softened by a tip from the bat. As
is the case with all veteran catchers, Martin has had his share of
broken fingers, and bruises on every unprotected part of his body.
Catching requires special skills. The ability to take serious
punishment is one of them.
As is the
case of many Blue Jays games recently, the one I attended a week ago
was no cake walk. The Tampa Bay Rays put up three runs in the top of
the eighth inning to tie the game at six runs apiece. Martin led off
the bottom of the inning for the Jays, and smacked the ball into the
seats. The run held up as the winning run.
Football
helmets are designed to protect players. Air is pumped into the
helmet to help cushion the blows during the game. Hockey helmets
protect players as well, and are constantly re-designed to better
absorb the blows. After many years, the catcher's mask is now
undergoing serious transition.
The new mask
has several small springs on both sides. It also has foam pads, lined
with Kevlar. It was designed by Jason Klein, a former minor league
umpire. It has been approved by major league baseball. One MLB
catcher, Tyler Flowers of the Atlanta Braves, recently raved about
the mask. Flowers has been behind the plate for more than 500 games.
“It's astonishing when you see how much it absorbs the ball. It
just falls down to the ground”.
David Ross
loves the newly-designed mask. I am certain the mask will be adopted,
and will change the game, a better tool for those behind the plate.
James Hurst
June 20,
2017
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Tennis, Anyone?
That was a
very common expression in the Sixties. I can neither tell you its
roots, nor its true meaning. But I do love the game, and I am more
than happy to write about it.
Rafael Nadal
won the French Open last weekend, for the tenth time!
None of the great players from the past has come close to that total.
One of the main reasons that he has done so well at the French has to
do with the surface of the court. The courts at Roland Garros are
based on clay. Players slide back and forth across the court, chasing
shots. One commentator indicated that no one has ever understood clay
courts as Nadal does. He hit many forhand and backhand winners right
to the corners, often smudging the tape.
The
Australian Open and the U. S. Open are played on hard surfaces.
Wimbledon is played on grass. Understandably, balls bounce
differently on each surface. Players often tap their sneakers in a
manner similar to a batter approaching home plate to clean the bottom
of their shoes. Clay courts generally play much “slower” than the
hard courts. Players tend to play from the base line, whereas on the
hard courts there is more “serve and volley” tactics.
Nadal's
opponent in the final was Stan Wawrinka from Switzerland. Stan was
exhausted after his semi-final victory over Andy Murray. It was a
five set affair that went on for several hours. Nadal, on the other
hand, breezed into the final, and easily disposed of Wawrinka in
three straight sets: 6-2, 6-3, 6-1. There was a major upset in the
women's singles' final as Simona Halep fell to her unseeded opponent
Jelena Ostapenko, from Latvia. Halep won the first set 6-4, then
dropped the next two 6-4, 6-3.
Nadal
has victories in 15 major tournaments, one more than Pete Sampras.
Roger Federer has won 18 major titles, and is still playing very
well. They could conceivably meet at Wimbledon.
Gabriela
Dabrowski, a Canadian player from Ottawa, won the mixed doubles title
with her partner Rohan Bopanna. She is the first Canadain woman to
win a major title. Quite an accomplishment! Previously, her best
finish in a major event was an advancement to thr third round at the
Australian Open in 2015. They lost the first set, but went on to take
the title, winning 12-10 in the fianl set.
Three
Canadian men have won doubles titles: Daniel Nestor, Sebastien
Laureau, and Vasek Pospisil. No Canadian has ever won a singles event
in a major championship.
The
Toronto Blue Jays returned home from their west coast trip with more
victories than they normally have on those tough coastal trips.
Canadian fans showed up in big numbers in Seattle to add support.
They began a five game home stand last night at the Rogers Centre.
The
Pittsburgh Penguins captured their second consecutive Stanley Cup on
Sunday night. There was a disputed goal called back on the Predators.
But the official had lost sight of the puck, he had blown the
whistle, and that was all she wrote. Sidney Crosby continued his
stellar play, winning the trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. Hia name
should be mentioned in the top ten best players ever. He is that
good.
And
the Golden State Warriors returned home Monday night to continue the
series with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Game, set,
match. That is now finished for another year.
James
Hurst
June
13, 2017
Wednesday, June 07, 2017
Stanley Cup Finals-2017
With their
win on Monday night, The Nashville Predators have evened the seriers
with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The series now moves on to Pittsnurgh
for one game, then back to Nashville. It is now a “Best out of
three” series, and the the first team to win two games gets to
hoist the Stanley Cup.
With their
two convincing wins in Nashville, the Predators have taken the
momentum away from the Penguins. They have a massive following in
Nashville; it was reported that almost 50 000 fans stood outside
the arena to catch the flavour
of the game. Keep in mind that they are not exactly experiencing
Ontario weather at this time. The city is in Tennessee, warm, sunny,
free of pounding rain.
The
Preds have gained one new and very prominent fan: Charles Barkley,
from the basketball world. On a recent NBA telecast, I heard Barkley
announce that he was leaving the booth to go back to his hotel room
to watch hockey. It was a bit of a slap in the face to his game, and
an endorsement of hockey.
On
last night's telecast, Barkley was interviewed by a somewhat giddy
Scott Oake. Oake was impressed by “Sir Charles”, and his interest
in the game. The conversation ended when Barkley stated that of all
the major sports, he loved the way hockey playoff games end: sudden
death. No coin flip, no last bats, no running out the clock. The puck
crosses the goal line, legitimately, and everybody goes home.
Distractions
have become more pronounced in the year's playoffs. There is the
usual bickering and whining. But other ingrediendts have been thrown
into the mix this year. Take Listerine, as an example. Huh?
Sidney
Crosby of the Penguins supposedly accused P. K. Subban of the Preds
of having bad breath. I assume he ascetained this during a heated
argument. Naturally, Crosby denied the allegation, with a smile.
Subban was last seen lugging a bag full of Listerine down the hall in
the arena. Talk about subliminal advertising!
Distractions
have been part of the process for time immemorial. I vaguely remember
an Aesop fable when a crow talked a fox out of a piece of cheese, by
telling him how beautiful he looked. There are so many instances in
hockey involving split second timing, and intense concentration.
Getting the jump in a face off is so important, as an example.
Rick
Meagher once told me the most difficult opponent to face off against
was the Los Angeles Kings' Bernie Nicholls. “When we were getting
ready for the puck to drop, he would start talking about all the new
rides and attractions at Disneyland. He was just being sociable, but
it was most distracting!”
They
now have coaches being interviewed at stoppages in play. They have
reporters in between the benches to “capture the flavour of the
game”, with a delay on the audio, hopefully. There are players
being “Mic'ed up” during the game. There are cameras running in
dressing rooms before the games, in the intermissions. All of these
things are unnecessary distractions. Not required.
But
a little input from “Sir Charles” never hurts.
James
Hurst
June
6, 2017.
Thursday, June 01, 2017
Joey Votto Wins Award for the Sixth Time
For the
sixth time in the past eight years, Cincinnati Reds first baseman
Joey Votto has won the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame's Tip O'Neill
Award. The award goes to the Canadian player judged to have excelled
in individual achievement and team contribution, community and
charitable endeavours, and support in fan voting.
Scott
Crawford, the Hall's director of operations, was proud to announce
Votto as the award winner. The Reds are in Toronto this week, part of
the inter league play of Major League baseball. He received the award
prior to the game on Monday. “Joey Votto had another outstanding
year on the field in 2016. But he also continues to be very active in
charitable endeavours away from the field. He's an excellent
ambassador for the game of baseball in Canada,” Crawford added.
An native of
Etobicoke, Votto put up impressive numbers last season. His .326
batting average was third in the National League. More impressively,
Votto batted .408 after the All Star break. Only six other
players in major league history have batted over .400 after the All
Star break in a season. He led the National League in several batting
categories, and had 181 hits last season.
Votto is
heavily involved in the Reds' community affairs. He reularly visits
the Children's Hospital Medical Center, and greets with patients and
staff at the ballpark throughout the season. Previously, he helped
raise funds for the construction of the training centre at the MLB
Urban Youth Academy. He has also participated in “Make A Wish”
experiences in Cincinnati at the Great American Ball Park.
In his acceptance speech on Monday, Votto referred to the fact that he and a few others have been successful as Canadians from Eastern Canada.
Most Major league players from the Great White North hail from the more seasonal climates of the west. He offered that as an example to younger players.
“Tip”
O'Neill, a Woodstock native, was one of the early pioneers in
baseball. In 1887, with the St. Louis Browns of the American
Association, he set records in hits, doubles, slugging percentage,
and total bases.
The first
Canadian to be recognized with the award was Terry Puhl, when he
played in Houston. Other notable Canadians who have been honoured
include: Russell Martin, Rob Ducey, Rob Butler, Jason Dickson, Corey
Koskie, Jeff Zimmerman, Jutin Morneau, Jason Bay, and Eric Gagne.
Larry Walker, perennial All Star who played most of his career in
Montreal, won the award nine times!
The Canadian
Baseball Hall of Fame is in St. Mary's, Ontario. It contains
wonderful artifacts, and information about the Canadian presence in
baseball. Its hours of operation are:
May
– weekends only
Saturday 10:30am – 4pm and Sunday 12pm – 4pm
June 1 to August 31 – open dailySaturday 10:30am – 4pm and Sunday 12pm – 4pm
Monday – Saturday 10:30am – 4pm and Sunday 12pm – 4pm
September 1 to October 7 – open 4 days a week
Thursday – Saturday 10:30am – 4pm and Sunday 12pm – 4pm
October 8, 2017 to May 4, 2018 – open by pre-booked group tours only. Minimum 6 people or $30 for a one-hour tour.
The Hall is a 30 minute drive from London. It is also 15 km from Stratford. You can catch a play or two in the theatre, then enjoy the baseball experience in St. Mary's. Culture, the Canadian way!!
James Hurst
May 29, 2017
