Sport Slices

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum recently named the winner of the Tip O'Neill Award. It is presented to a Canadian baseball player “judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to baseball's highest ideals”.

Jamie Romak won the award this year. He was selected from an impressive list including Joey Votto, Vladimir Guerrero, Jordan Romano, Rowan Wick, Cal Quantrill, and Brock Dykxhoorn, who pitched in the Chinese Professional League.

Romak, who hails from London, Ontario, played 139 games for the SK Wyverns of the Korean Baseball Organization. “Jamie is one of the most feared power hitters in the Korean Baseball Organization,” said Scott Crawford, the director of operations for the Canadian Hall. He had 39 home runs, and had 91 runs-batted-in. He was also recognized as being a great ambassador of the game for Canada.

That was his fourth season with the team in Korea. He has consistently put up big power-hitting numbers, including 43 home runs in 2018. He had brief major league stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014, and the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015.

The list of previous winners of the award is most impressive. Larry Walker won the award many times, as did Joey Votto and Jason Bay. Last year's winner was Mike Soroka. Also on the distinguished list: Ryan Dempster, Corey Koskie, Eric Gagne, John Axford, Russell Martin, and Rob Butler. The first recipient was Terry Puhl in 1984.

Romak was recognized for his charitable and community work as well. He has been a strong supporter of Baseball Canada, and Boys and Girls Clubs.

The award is named after James “Tip” O'Neill, one of Major League Baseball's first legitimate stars. He played for the St. Louis Browns in 1887 in the American Association. He set big league recors in hits, doubles, slugging percentage, and total bases, while batting .492.

Hockey authorities in Canada are determined to ice the World Junior Tournament over the next couple of weeks in Western Canada. They have already run into problems resulting from the COVID 19 virus. Practices and games have been cancelled. Teams have been changing their lineups. Coaches and administrator have been left behind. It will be interesting.

Brooke Henderson finished well at the final golf tournament of the year in Naples, Florida. She picked up more than $ 50 000 for finishing seventh.

For the first time in 25 years, the Buffalo Bills have finished atop the American Football Conference East Division. Playoffs in a couple of weeks.

Stay safe. The vaccine is on the horizon, for all of us. But in the meantime, please follow the suggestions. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!!

# posted by James Hurst @ 8:34 PM 0 comments

Charley Pride has left us a legacy of fine country music. But it was baseball that took him from his birthplace in Sledge, Mississippi, to take a permanent place in the American mosaic.

Born to share cropper parents, and one of eleven children, Pride and his brother would sneak off to practise their baseball skills after picking cotton all day. His father would have no part of that, administering corporal punishment. But his mother put a stop to that, and thus, Charley began his trek into the outside world.

In 1953, when he was nineteen, he signed his first contract to pitch for the Memphis Red Sox, a Negro League team based in Tennessee. He played professional baseball for five years, mainly in Memphis. He was signed to a minor league contract with a New York Yankees farm team in 1954, but lost his fastball and was traded. He was sent to the Birmingham Black Barons, along with Jesse Mitchell, for a used bus. You did read that correctly.

Charley was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. He has his own star in the “Walk of Fame”, and several Grammy Awards. He has performed for many presidents, at special concerts, and has sung the anthem countless times at Texas Rangers' baseball games, at the World Series, and at the Super Bowl.

But his first love was baseball. He was part of a group that bought the Rangers in 2010. For many years, he attended Spring Training, but not as a fan. He was seen as part of the Rangers' family when he first moved there in 1972. He suited up and took part in all of the training activities, in Pompano Beach and Port Charlotte in Florida, and in Surprise, Arizona.

Former Rangers' outfielder Tom Grieve remembered Pride at the camps. “He took it seriously. He wasn't just some celebrity out there running around. He worked hard, just like the rest of us, and did all the same drills.” Legendary player and manager Billy Martin was a huge country music fan, and decided to put Charley in the starting lineup for a Spring Training game in Pompano Beach. Hall of Famer Jim Palmer was pitching for the Orioles.

Before the game, Palmer saw Charley taking batting practice with the regulars. “Hey Charley,” he shouted, “I'm going to throw the same fastball to you as I throw to everyone else, but I won't throw you any breaking balls.”

Charley replied, “Do what you have to do. Throw whatever you want.” He hit a sharp ground ball to second base his first time up. On his second trip to the plate, he hit the ball up the middle for a single. Martin took him out of the game. He had gone one for two against Palmer, impressing everyone.

For many years, Charley has held a private concert, in the dressing room, for the Rangers players, coaches, and the rest of the staff, something they have always appreciated.

Charley Pride was always considered to be the “Jackie Robinson of Country Music”. He battled racism, from birth. The first time he played Cobo Hall in Detroit was an experience. Most of the audience was familiar with his music, but they had never seen him. They applauded loudly when he was introduced. But when he entered the stage, from the wings, there was silence. Gradually, they warmed to the situation, appreciating his talent.

Charley died in Dallas on Saturday, of complications from COVID 19. He was 86 years old.

James Hurst

December 14, 2020.

# posted by James Hurst @ 12:17 PM 0 comments

The sports world lost one of its iconic characters last week with the passing of Larry Mavety. To most of us, he was simply “Mav”.

As a player in the hockey and baseball and softball world, Mav took no prisoners. That is to say, he always let it be known that he was not someone you messed with.

He was a mainstay behind the plate in his youth in Belleville. I have vivid memories of Mav taking his position behind home plate at the “Alemite” ball field on Pine Street in Belleville. He controlled the game from that position. Runners rounding third base on a ball hit to the outfield knew that they were in for a battle when they neared home plate. Mav would receive the throw from the cutoff man, and would turn to face the runner, blocking the plate. He was able to handle that job with no problem because of his imposing stature. “Solid” is the word that comes to mind.

Mav was an exceptional hitter as well. He was always in the top tier of batters in the leagues he played in before he began his hockey days in earnest. Recently, I had a fine chat with Bill Latchford, Mav's battery mate. They had some fine duels with teams from Kingston, over the years.

In the hockey world, he gained a reutation as being an imposing player as a defenceman. Opposing forwards who went into the corners with Mav expected a struggle for the puck. When they decided to park their butts in from of Mav's goaltender, they knew that he would pass along a message, in a physical way. “You simply don't belong here”, Mav would suggest, with a shove, a crosscheck, a tap with his stick.

After he hung up his blades, and his baseball cleats, Mav moved easily into the coaching ranks. If he did not capture your attention with his size, he did that with his voice. He had a legendary growl, a raspiness that was not to be forgotten. Junior hockey players who skated for Mav will always remember his “instructions” from behind the bench. And yes, there was the odd curse word interlaced with Mav's recommendations.

Larry Mavety played for more than 18 teams in his hockey career which stretched from 1960 to 1978. He played in 248 games in the World Hockey Association including a brief stint with the Toronto Toros in the 1974-75 season. He skated with the Chicago Cougars, the Los Angeles Sharks, the Philadelphia Blazers, the Long Island Cougars, the Denver Spurs, the Ottawa Civics, and the Indianapolis Racers, all WHA teams. All told, he palyed in 8 different leagues.

Mav's first coaching assignment was behind the bench of the Belleville Bulls during their inaugural season in the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey Level. The team spent two years at that level, advancing to the Canadian championships in their second year. The Bulls were defeated by the Prince Albert Raiders in the final game. In 1981, the team moved up to the Ontario Hockey League. With the exception of a couple of years, Mav coached the Bulls until 1997. The two years that he left the team were spent in Kingston.

He moved down the road to coach the Frontenacs in 1997, and remained as coach and general manager until 2009. On a few occasions, he turned over the coaching duties to others: Greg Bignell, Jim Hulton, Doug Gilmour, and Bruce Cassidy. He remained with the Kingston team as a special consultant until 2020.

I would venture to say that Larry Mavety rubbed shoulders with almost every hockey icon in hockey history. He coached thousands of players, and shared his “old school” hockey philosophy with those players. Even when the players broke the rules, sometimes seriously, he would simply say, “They're all good kids”.

Mav was 78 years old when he passed away. 

# posted by James Hurst @ 3:02 AM 0 comments

The sports world is mourning the loss of two of its greatest athletes.

The entire country of Argentina will miss Diego Maradona. Even though he stood at five feet, five inches, give or take, he was truly a giant in the soccer world. He led the Argetines to a World Cup victory. He helped sell the game throughout the world. I have seen several videos, recently, of Diego showing off some of his magical skills. For soccer, he was the entire package.

Unfortunately, he was engulfed with his fame and fortune. He became a drug addict, and spent several years in rehabilitation. He was 60 years old at the time of his death.

Paul Hornung died November 13^th. He was 84 years old. He also experienced great heights and depths in his lifetime. Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, he left high school as a highly prized athlete. He could put the ball in the basket, but his game was football.

He began his career at Notre Dame in 1954 as a backup fullback. The following year he played halfback, and safety on defense. He played basketball in the off-season, but was asked to quit because it affected his grades.

He rose to stardome the following year. The Irish remained quite dreadful, finishing at 2-8. On offense, Hornung led the team as their quaterback. He compiled the best statistics in rushing, passing, scoring, punting, and kickoff and punt returns. On the other side of the ball, he made more tackles and had more interceptions than any of his teammates.

He won the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding college football player in the nation. It remains the only time that a player has won the award, after finishing the season playing for a losing team.

He graduated in business in 1957 and was the first overall draft pick, headed to the Green Bay Packers. His finest season was in 1961, and he was selected as the Most Valuable Player.

He even did a stint in the American Army that year. He was allowed to play on weekends. But when it came to an important game against the New York Giants, Coach Lombardi contacted President John F. Kennedy to “smooth the road” so that Hornung could play the game.

Following that season, he was a special guest at a celebrity sports dinner in Ottawa, Ontario. It was an upscale affair, at the Chateau Laurier. My friend, Bellevillian Allan Stitt, also attended that dinner. He had been chosen as the representative of the Ottawa Montangards, the main junior hockey franchise in the capital at that time. To his good fortune, “Stitter” sat beside Hornung.

“I remember him as being a very charismatic person. He had an impressive smile, and wavy blond hair. He certainly drew a crowd, as expected. A very friendly guy”.

In the early 1960s, he was a teammate of Jim Taylor. They were known as “Thunder and Lightning” by the way they moved the ball on offense.

In April, 1963, Hornung ran into a large STOP sign. He had been living an extravagant life style, perhaps beyond his means. Players were not compensated in those days as they are today. He thought he could finance things with a few well-placed bets. He was suspended from football, along with Alex Karras, a Detroit Lion, for “betting on games and associating with undesirable persons”. He was also told that he could not visit Las Vegas!

He was reinstated the following March, with the promise that he would stay away from Vegas, and that he would not attend the Kentucky Derby.

                                                       Signing Copies of "Golden Boy"

Hornung retired from football in 1966, and spent many years in the broadcast booth, at a variety of levels. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

# posted by James Hurst @ 6:49 PM 0 comments

It was formally announced last week that the Toronto Raptors will start the 2020-2021 National Basketball season playing their home games in Tampa, Florida. That was great news for sports fans in Tampa Bay. Tampa now boasts an NFL team, the Bucaneers, the Stanley Cup winning Lightning of the NFL, and the baseball Tampa Bay Rays.

It is a bitter pill to swallow for Raps fans. They are still basking in the sunset of their 2019 championship, followed by a great season last year. They simply ran out of steam in the playoffs this year.

The expectation is that the move is only temporary, caused by COVID 19. The team was hoping for a special exemption from internation travel quarantine regulations. But that was denied, and the team quickly made the move to Tampa.

I have had some discussions with basketball fans about the impact of the move. Most believe it will have little effect on the fan base in Canada. With respect, I beg to differ. We all remember the packed houses in Toronto for the past several years. Those same fans opened up their wallets and purses to buy all that team-related merchandise. Those that could not get tickets to the games jammed the areas outside the arena to show their support. Complete mayhem.

Tampa is not the easiest town to sell sports. The Rays, an exciting playoff team, often play in front of very sparse crowds. The Bucs have imported Tom Brady to help fill the seats, once the crowds are permitted to fill Raymond James Stadium. The Lightning have drawn well for several years. The Florida Panthers, however, are not an easy sell on the other side of the state.

The Panthers certainly have the talent. They decided a number of years ago to hire Dale Tallon as the General Manager, and have changed coaches several times in recent years. But that has not resulted in bums in the seats. It continues to be a tough sell. For the most part, it has something to do with the climate. There are many teams playing in warm climes in the southern states, often with some financial difficulty.

There have been franchise moves in all major sports, right from the start. The Colts bolted from Baltimore, and broke many hearts. Get used to the Raiders in Las Vegas, home to the NHL's Golden Knights.

There was NHL hockey in Quebec, once upon a time. They are ready to try again, but seem to be ignored by Gary Bettman, and his henchmen. Atlanta has tried hockey, and failed, a couple of times.

The Blue Jays used Buffalo as a home base this past season, because of the pandemic. They should return to Toronto once the scourge has left us. Despite all attempts, the memory of the Montreal Expos continues to fade. Of course it made good sense to keep the team in Quebec, but it was not to be. Politics, money, and many other factors contributed to the demise.

The Raptors did sign fan-favourite Fred VanVleet to stay with the team for the next four years. He is to receive $ 85 million over that span, not bad for an undrafted relatively short player in the big man's game. Serge Ibaka, unfortunately, signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, a two year deal woth $ 19 million. There has been a flurry of free agent signings in the past few days, for incredible amounts of money.

The games will be played. The television revenue is enormous. The programs contain advertisements. We buy the products. And the wheel goes around and around. When and where it stops is anyone's guess.

Home sweet home, wherever it may be. Stay safe. Appreciate small blessings.

# posted by James Hurst @ 6:45 PM 0 comments