Saturday, August 31, 2019
Rogers Cup-Toronto 2019
As has been
widely reported, especially on our side of the border, a teenager
from Toronto won the Rogers Cup tennis championship last Sunday.
Bianca Andreescu worked her way through opponents to get to the
finals.
She walked
on the court at York University, accompanied by a flower girl and
another carrying a Canadian flag. She waved at the packed house, but
heard very little from the spectators as she was wearing headphones.
Moments later, her opponent appeared, also in impressive fashion.
Serena Williams, the greatest woman tennis player of all time,
sauntered from the lower levels of the stadium, with her flower girl
and flag holder.
In fine
Canadian fashion, a couple of Mounties accompanied the anthem singer,
now starring in “Come From Away” in Toronto. A coin toss, more
photo opportunities, warm up rallies , serves, and smashes, and the
games began.
The day was
sunny, with a pronounced breeze. The wind was much stronger on Friday
and Saturday, affecting the play: awkward ball tosses on serves, lobs
that carried beyond the base line, cross-court forehands that landed
outside the lines.
Because of
the international flavour of tennis, there was a strong contingent of
Romanian-Canadians in the crowd. Flags, shirts, posters, all in
support of Andreescu. Her mother and father sat at courtside, along
with her her tiny dog! Both Briana and her dad had done interviews
for Romanian television. With competitors from around the world,
media types reporting in many languages attend the World Tennis
Association championships.
Serena came
into the final with 72 career titles including 23 Grand Slam
Championships. In previous matches, her serve topped 190 km per hour.
Both forehand and backhand strokes can be winners, any given rally.
Bianca serves at 175 kph, give or take. Mind you, she is not yet
twenty, so I expect that she will hammer her serves considerably
faster in the future.
For the most
part, Andreescu pounds her ground strokes. She often bends quite low,
and springs into her forehands and backhands. When convenient, she
will approach the net. Throughout the week she played some nifty drop
shots as well.
In order to
get to the final, Bianca disposed of the following: Eugenie Bouchard,
Canada: Daria Kasatkina, Russia; Kiki Bertens, the Netherlands;
Karolina Pliskova, Czech Republic; and Sofia Kenin, United States. It
took more than 10 hours to accomplish that. All of those matches went
three sets, with the exception of her semi-final against Kenin.
Andreescu
moved up dramatically in the tennis rankings from # 27 to # 14.
Williams had
won the Toronto tournament three times. She raves about the city on
all occasions. “I love coming here,” she told the crowd after he
semi-final win. Near the end of her match, she stumbled while
pursuing a drop shop and banged into the court post. When asked about
it, she shrugged and said, “You gotta take the hits and keep going.
It just burns a little bit.” As the elder stateswoman in the mix,
she called herself the “Tennis Grandma.”
Had she been
on her game, it would have been an exciting final. Not to be, on this
occasion. Serena withdrew after trailing 3-1 in the first set. A
little more than 18 minutes of tennis for the disappointed patrons.
She indicated after he match that she had been experiencing back
spasms.
Andreescu
had been on the sidelines herself, nursing a shoulder injury.
Obviously, she put that aside when she walked on the court in
Toronto. “I'm happy to be back on the court.” And she reminded
us, unintentionally, that she is still a kid when she blurted out,
“Life is freaking amazing right now!”
Rafael Nadal
won the men's tournament in Montreal. The tour moves on, and will
arrive in New York soon for the United States Open. More great tennis
on the horizon. Not to be missed!
James Hurst
August 12,
2019
-- James Hurst 613.399.2278 sportslices.blogspot.ca
Golf-Canadian Women's Open 2019
Brooke
Henderson may have a problem with Tim Hortons Restaurants. Last
weekend she tied for third at the CP Women's Open at the Magna Golf
Club near Toronto. She played really well, and put a scare into the
leaders on Saturday with a 29 on the back nine.
After all
was said and done, Jin Young Ko from South Korea won the
championship. The week before the tournament, she was having trouble
deciding whether or not she would make the trip from her home to the
tournament. Two things helped her to make the decision. “I like
Canada, and I like ice cappuccino,” she declared after the
tournament. You know where she lines up to buy that product!
As a fine
gesture, Brooke strolled the final fairway to the 18th
green, arm in arm with Ko. She knew she would not be able to catch
Ko. “She's the world's Number One player for a reason. She has had
an unreal season. She has four wins on one of the toughest tours
there is. To get one is hard. To get four is really cool”.
Ko pulled
away from the rest of the field with six birdies on the back nine.
Her winning score of 26 under par is a new CP Women's Open Tournament
record. She has played the last 106 holes without carding a bogey.
She has positioned herself well as the # 1 golfer in the “Race to
the CME Globe”, with one million American dollars as the prize.
Nicole Broch
Larsen, from Denmark, finished second. That was her best LPGA Tour
finish, by five strokes. Lizette Salas tied with Brooke for third
place. Henderson was awarded the Sandra Post Medal as the Canadian
with the lowest score. Anne-Catherine Tanguay, another Canadian in
the field, was tied with Brooke after shooting a 66 on the first day.
She faded as the tournament continued, but did finish 6 under par.
Picton's Casey Ward also competed in the tournament.
One of the
fine features of major tournaments concerns the amount of money that
is raised for charitable causes. Almost $2.5 million was raised at
the event. The majority of the funds was directed to an upgrading of
a Cardiac Operating Suite at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.
Another
Canadian, Corey Connors, from Listowel, Ontario, was involved in the
Men's PGA event. He was one of thirty players who qualified to play
in the FedEx Championship, with $60 million in prize money. Rory
McIlroy played the last few holes in fine fashion, picking up $15
million in winning the tournament. He sunk a few birdie putts on the
back nine, accompanied by a few fist pumps.
Canadian
Football League fans in Toronto and Vancouver are looking for a quick
turnaround as they prepare for the second half of the season.
Quarterbacks on both those teams should be entitled to danger pay.
The United
States Tennis Open got underway on Monday. Serena Williams was in
fine form destroying Maria Sharapova in the first round. Canada's
Jeannie Bouchard fell in straight sets, her 12th loss in a
row.
The Blue
Jays limped home after their western road trip. The games in Seattle
are always fun, with a large contingent of fans wearing the colours,
causing a ruckus. The development process continues, but it will be a
long one!! You knew that!
James Hurst
August 27,
2019
-- James Hurst 613.399.2278 sportslices.blogspot.ca
Jacklyn Hooey-Lacrosse PlaYER
I must
confess that I am always on the lookout for a great story,
especially
one that just lands in front of me. That is the case for this
particular column.
My wife
and
I were doing a short tour of “The County”, and decided on
lunch
at Lake of the Mountain. I imagine I have visited that area
hundreds
of times, and yet I am continually fascinated by the area. The
vista
from the top of the “mountain” is spectacular, including the
coming and going of the Glenora Ferry.
Lunch
was
excellent, and our server, Jacklyn Hooey, took good care of
us. In
fact, once I had asked the usual questions, I knew I had a
column in
the bag. She was spending her summer in the area, but had
finished
her first year at Colgate University, and was returning there
in the
fall.
Jacklyn
attended M.J. Hobbs Public School near Toronto, and played
every
sport imaginable while she was there. She particularly enjoyed
badminton and volleyball. She then moved on to Holy Trinity
School in
Courtice.
When
she was
11 years old, she developed a great interest in lacrosse. She
played
for the Oshawa Blue Knights, under coach Rob Dyment. Part of
her
interest in the sport came from her older brother Garrett. He
went on
to become a fine hockey player, and spent a couple of years
with the
Belleville Bulls.
Jacklyn
spent many hours practising the skills required to play the
game
effectively with her brother and her good friend Julie
Cryderman.
Julie was an accomplished lacrosse player, and was pursuing a
spot on
the Canadian National team.
Jacklyn
entered Grade Eleven at the Hill Academy in Vaughan, an
institution
that specializes in developing athletes. She focused on
lacrosse,
with the intent of obtaining an NCAA scholarship at an
American college or university. She had the opportunity to
travel throughout
the States at that time, under the watchful eyes of scouts and
coaches from the American schools.
Her
“Blue
Knights” team won the provincial championship five times.
While
still in high school, she played on Team Ontario, and won the
Canadian Championship twice. She was on a short list to become
a
member of the national Team, but was the last cut. She is
using that
disappointment to motivate herself to make that team in the
future.
This
fall,
she will begin her second year of studies at Colgate. She is
the only
Canadian on the team, and was fortunate to earn a position as
a
starter last year. She played in al 18 league games, and led
the
school's freshmen in scoring, with 15 goals and 3 assists.
Colgate
plays in the “Patriot League”. Other teams in the league
include:
Lehigh, Bucknell, Army, North American University, Holy Cross,
Navy,
Loyola, Boston U., and Cornell. Last year the team played
Mercer in
Georgia. Prior to signing with Colgate, she visited “about ten
schools” when she was being recruited.
Jacklyn
told
me she normally plays as a “midfielder', but that she tried
out as
an “attacker”because her mobility was limited, due to a broken
foot.
She
comes by
her interest in sports naturally. Her mom played all sports in
high
school, and her dad also played in the Ontario Hockey League
with
Oshawa and Windsor.
Jacklyn
heads off to school in a week, and classes begin on August 27th.
For
many
years, I was led to believe that lacrosse was Canada's
national
sport, coming from an edict in the House of Commons. Not so
sure
about that; however, it is a great game that thrives in a few
areas
in Ontario (Oshawa and Peterborough, in particular), and in
British
Columbia.
Continued
success, Jacklyn!!
James
Hurst
August
15,
2019.
-- James Hurst 613.399.2278 sportslices.blogspot.ca
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Cooperstown Part Two
Babe Ruth and friends. An original Inductee to the Baseball Hall of Fame
Last week I
noted the names of the inductees for this year, as well as a note or
two about “Doc” Halladay. What I failed to do, miserably, was
capture the essence of the weekend. Now is my chance to rectify that
error.
Cooperstown
is a village that lies in the rambling hills of New York State, on
the shores of Otsego Lake. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and
Museum is in the heart of town, near the Susquehanna River. The
induction ceremony takes place just south of the main village, on a
very large field beside the Clark Sports Center. Large enough to take
care of 70 000 fans, and room for more.
There is a
Farmers' Museum and the Fenimore Art Museum on Route 80, just north
of town. The village gets its name from James Fenimore Cooper, noted
American author, best known for his novel, “Last of the Mohicans”.
Main Street
is the prime focus for the induction weekend. The street is lined
with shops of all description, sports memorabilia and a few craft
shops. There are plenty of food vendors and restaurants, with
reasonably priced fare. After all, a hot dog or two goes with the
territory, does it not? There are several tents as well, and under
the tents and awnings, you will find a variety of baseball
personality.
Most of them
are signing autographs for fans, at a price. But they will also pose
for photos, shake your hand, and take some time to chat. I had a
wonderful chat with Jesse Barfield, who was situated under a piece of
tarp beside Bill Madlock on Main Street. He was delighted to meet
Canadian fans. Despite the fact that Doc Halladay was being inducted,
there were very few Blue Jay hats and jerseys in the village. I
chatted briefly with Tommy Lasorda, who was having a great time
entertaining fans. Darryl Strawberry was also most affable, and
wanted to chat about his days visiting Montreal. He was seated with a
former teammate who was a rookie when Strawberry played. He attempted
to stifle Straw's comments about rookie activities on Ste. Catharine
Street.
Lou Piniella
strolled by while we were having lunch at an outdoor patio. He was
taking care of an important call on his cell phone. Ferguson Jenkins
was signing his book in one of the shops. Rollie Fingers sat in the
shade, scribbling his name for those who wished to pay.
The second
most important event of the weekend is the parade of inductees. More
than fifty Hall of Famers participated in the parade. Beautiful Ford
trucks carried the players, and their families. Unfortunately, there
was a storm on the horizon. All of the players and their families sat
in the cabs of the vehicles, even though we did not experience one
drop of rain. I am pretty sure I saw Roberto Alomar's left hand. We
were situated on the wrong side of the street. There were some angry
fans on our side of the street, having waited four hours or more for
the procession.
There were
activities at Doubleday Field, named after Abner Doubleday, the
American who founded the game in the United States. There are folk
around Beachburg, Ontario, who have other thoughts about the location
of the first game ever to be played. Last May, the field hosted the
11th edition of the Hall of Fame Classic game. That would
have been a treat to watch. The game was a match between Team Rollie
Fingers and Team Goose (Gossage). Coaches for the game were Alan
Trammell, Bert Blyleven, Trevor Hoffman, and Tim Raines. The game
ended in a tie, after seven innings.
Orlando
Cabrera won the Bob Feller Player of the Game award. “I can't
believe it! I hit a home run!” he announced after the game. He
ended his career in 2011, and this was the first occasion his
daughters, now 7 and 5, were able to see him play. “It was nice for
them to see me in uniform. They hear people talking about me, so it's
nice for them to see it”.
I recommend
visiting the Museum and Hall of Fame during the year, especially if
you are not fond of crowds.
And now it's
time for tennis, as the Rogers Cup is underway in Toronto and
Montreal. Lucky for us, the best tennis players in the world make a
trip to Canada, but once a year.
James Hurst
August 5,
2019
Cooperstown 2019
One weekend
a year, in the middle of the summer, the baseball world heads to
Cooperstown to celebrate the greatest players ever to pull on a
uniform. It is a time to celebrate the induction of the latest class
to enter the Hall of Fame. But it is also a time to pay homage to the
game.
This year's
inductees: Mariano Rivera, Lee Smith, Harold Baines, Edgar Martinez,
Mike Mussina, and Roy Halladay. All inductees are elected, and must
attain a certain percentage before they are announced to the public.
Understandably, as a Canadian living near Toronto, I was pleased to
see that “Doc” Halladay was to be inducted.
For those of
us who followed his career when he played for the Blue Jays, it was
always a thrill to get settled into a chair at the Rogers Centre, and
watch him go to work. On most occasions, he was successful. There was
no nonsense about his approach. All business. Walk out to the mound,
look in for the sign, and deliver the ball to home plate expecting
good results.
Without
belabouring the point, good results came often to the big guy (Six
feet, six inches) in the 12 seasons that he spent with the Jays. He
won the Cy Young Award as the League's most outstanding pitcher in
2003. He also won the same award as a National League pitcher in
2010, after being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. That same year
he threw a perfect game, the 20th in major league history.
He also tossed a no-hitter in the playoffs against the Cincinnatti
Reds.
We
discovered that many of Halladay's fans from Philly are just as
faithful as are his Blue Jay supporters. He was a workhorse in both
cities, and he led the American League in complete games five times.
He won 148 games for the Jays, and lost 76. His .661 winning
percentage is still the best in the team's history.
It is
against the rules for media types to ask for autographs. I have
always respected that rule, but, on one occasion, I asked for an
exception. It was granted by the head of the Jays' media staff, Jay
Stenhouse.
My son Arty
attended several Blue Jays games one particular season. He took the
opportunity to get a baseball signed by the players. On the last day
of the season, he lacked two signatures, naturally the most difficult
to obtain: Roy Halladay, and Carlos Delgado.
With
permission, I obtained Delgado's autograph. I then approached
Halladay at his locker in the Blue Jays' dressing room after the
final game, with some trepidation. He invited me to sit beside him.
He was such a gentleman, taking the time to chat about my home town,
my love of the game, and the baseball. He rolled it in his fingers,
marveled at the time that it must have taken to get it signed by his
teammates!
I was
stunned when I read about his plane accident. I know that he would
have contributed so much to his family, to his community, and to the
game, had he not been killed, just over a year ago.
His plaque
was installed on the wall in the Hall of Fame following the ceremony.
“Doc” Hallady had entered his rightful place as one of the greats
of the game.
James Hurst
July 29,
2019.
The Canadian Football League 2019
One of the Greatest punt and Kickoff Returners of all Time-"Gizmo" Williams
The Canadian
Football League has just completed its sixth week of play. I know I
am not alone when I admit that I am a football fan. I also enjoy the
National Football League from the United States.
There are
many reasons why the level pf play is better in the NFL rather than
the CFL. That is a given. Most of their players grow up playing
football all year long, in places like California and Florida. They
receive far more coaching, even in elementary school. (You might find
8 to 10 coaches on the sideline.) College football is far more
important to Americans than is the game to Canadian college fans.
That is why
there is an import rule in he CFL. Teams are only allowed to field a
limited number of American-born players. And now we are finding
Mexican-born players in the league, primarily soccer-style kickers.
This is mainly because the television network, TSN, is carrying the
games throughout North America and Mexico. Perhaps world-wide. I am
not sure about that. Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong might have
watched the British Columbia Lions from his spacecraft before setting
foot on the moon.
After five
weeks of play, the Hamilton Tiger Cats Football Club has emerged as
the team to beat in the East. They are 4-1, and they are enjoying
spectacular play, especially from Brandon Banks.
In baseball,
the most exciting base hit is a triple. With home runs, you can sit
back and relax, once the ball has left the ball park. With a triple,
you are on the edge of your seat, most of the time, until the runner
slides safely into the base. In football, the most exciting play is a
kick return. Shame on the NFL for removing most kick off returns from
the game. They have instituted “touchbacks” on most return
situations, supposedly to cut down on injuries. Hogwash.
Hamilton's
Brandon Banks runs back kicks. If you put the ball in his hands, he
will run. Last week he scored three touchdowns as the Tiger Cats
defeated the Calgary Stampeders at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. His
first touchdown was simply spectacular. He grabbed a missed field
goal in the end zone and romped 115 yards for a touchdown. Over his
career, he has returned 13 kicks for touchdowns. Elusive always, he
weighs 150 pounds, just after dinner.
His effort
garnered him an award as one of the top performers of the week in the
CFL. He also had two receiving touchdowns in the game.
The Montreal
Alouettes have surprised more than a few experts recently. They lost
their first two games, but have won the next two, keeping them in
second place in the league. They owe a good deal of their success to
their quarterback, Vernon Adams. He also won one of the top
performers awards. He passed for two touchdowns, and ran for two
more, as the Als defeated the Ottawa REDBLACKS 36-19.
In a recent
game between Western and Eastern teams, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
rocked the Toronto Argonauts 48-21. Toronto has yet to win a game
this season. The Blue Bombers are now 4-0, and are led by Winnipeg
native Andrew Harris, also a CFL Top Performer. As a running back in
the game against the Argos, he had 123 all-purpose yards, 116 yards
from scrimmage, and seven in the air on five catches.
A note of
caution. There are still 14 games remaining for most teams, before
the playoffs to determine the Grey Cup finalists. In the CFL,
anything can happen, (and usually does!). Just plain exciting
football, above the 49th parallel.
James Hurst
July 2019.
