Wednesday, July 25, 2018

 

World Cup, Wimbledon, All Star Game


It's a busy sports world out there, well worth a comment or two.


Alexander Ovechkin, a Russian player who won the Stanley Cup this year, took the opportunity to transport the Cup to Mother Russia in support of his team playing in the World Cup. He raised the trophy to the delight of supporters at a Fan Fest. He ate a little caviar from the bowl, and drank several beverages as well. To no avail.


The Croatian team beat the Russians on penalty kicks (aka “penalties”) and moved on the the semi-finals to play the English on Tuesday afternoon. These are exciting times for the English squad, as they have not advanced this far in many years. The last time the English won the World Cup was in 1966, and the star of the final game was a man named Hurst. No relation.


In the other semi-final game, France and Belgium square off. It should lead to an interesting final. I will be looking for President Putin in the stands.


They are coming down to the crunch at Wimbledon this week. Canadians are pleased that Milos Raonic has advanced to the quarter finals, and is scheduled to play the American giant John Isnor. Raonic got to the final a couple of years ago, and lost to Andy Murray. All of these players are very finely tuned athletes, and they can break down physically at any given moment. Raonic had had his share of injuries, primarily because he plays such a tough physical game, No one serves it harder. He puts tremendous stress on all parts of his body as he stretches to return shots to all areas of the court.


Roger Federer is still in the running, having won more consecutive sets than any other player, ever. Rafael Nadal always plays his best tennis on clay, but he will be tough to contend with down the stretch. Djokovic seems to be in form. The truly great players in the game will battle it out this week. Serena Williams was not listed as one of the top ranked players for the tournament, but she is still in the hunt, playing very well.


Baseball players will be hanging up their spikes for a few days as the stars of the game with show their stuff at the annual All Star Game. It will be interesting to see which players will add their names to the list to play in the “Home Run Derby”. Several players pass on that event, even though they qualify. There is a growing feeling that the activity messes with one's swing, and upsets a player's natural hitting style. More often than not, successful players in the event suffer, power-wise, in the second half of the season.


Here are the players to watch for at the event:
American League: First base-Jose Abreu, Second base-Jose Altuve, Third base-Jose Ramirez, Short stop-Manny Machado, Catcher Willson Ramos....Fielders: Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Aaron Judge. Designated Hitter-J. D. Martinez.

National League: First base-Freddie Freeman, Second base-Javier Baez, Third Base-Nolan Arenado, Short stop-Brandon Crawford, Catcher-Wilson Contreras...Fielders: Nick Markakis, Matt Kemp, Bryce Harper,


The only Blue Jay assigned to the squad is pitcher J. A. Happ. There are strong rumours that he will be traded during the break. He has has a decent season, but has fallen off lately.


And the Canadian Football League season continues to unravel as teams now have four or five games under their belts. I have already purchased tickets for the family for a game in September in Ottawa. Always a treat!!


James Hurst
July 10, 2018



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