I cannot tell you what makes someone a good pitching coach. But it seems pretty clear that Mel Stottlemyre was a good pitching coach. He worked as such for a decade on the Mets and a decade on the Yankees, … Continue reading Sports Corner – January 16, 2019
Fifty years ago today, the brash/confident/cocky quarterback for the New York Jets, Joe Willie Namath, made a guarantee: the Jets would win the Super Bowl (the first time that the AFL-NFL Championship had that name). The Baltimore Colts were favored … Continue reading Sports Corner – January 9, 2018
The new year brings the usual litany of major events to look ahead to. The Super Bowl will be in Atlanta, the Final Fours will be in Minneapolis and Tampa, the NBA All-Star Game is in Charlotte, and the golf … Continue reading Sports Corner – January 2, 2019
Yesterday belonged to the NBA. Today, at least in the UK, belongs to the EPL. But the bulk of the week belongs to college football, with the semifinals on Saturday and a slew of bowl games surrounding them. From what … Continue reading Sports Corner – December 26, 2018
Yes, folks, it’s bowl season again, when dozens of college football teams meet for the CFB version of friendlies, sometimes in exotic locales and sometimes in the Bronx, often with rather unlikely names. No bowl game has ever captured this … Continue reading Sports Corner – December 19
Congrats to the newest additions to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Lee Smith and Harold Baines. The latter’s election has caused quite the stir as very few, even Baines, actually thought his numbers were good enough. And some are once … Continue reading Sports Corner – December 12, 2018
It’s a given that if you coach or manage a team, you will probably get fired sooner or later. The revolving door of sports spins, and spins fast much of the time. Four NHL coaches have been fired this season. … Continue reading Sports Corner – December 5, 2018
Is this the end for Blake Bortles? No doubt experts are debating this. Debate this and many other topics from the world of sports! Continue reading Sports Corner – November 28
A tip of the hat to Adrian Beltre on the occasion of his retirement. That is just one of many sports topics I hope you discuss. Continue reading Sports Corner – Nov 21
Still can’t type much due to my broken shoulder blade, but that doesn’t mean you can’t tell me what you think of the Butler and Bell sagas. And everything else in sports. Lay it on me! Continue reading Sports Corner – Nov 14
We note the passing of Willie McCovey, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and San Francisco Giants legend. McCovey is perhaps best remembered for having a chance to win the World Series in 1962, when with runners on second and third … Continue reading Sports Corner – November 7
It hardly seems like 14 years ago. But in September 2004, the Red Sox’ inability to win the World Series was so ingrained in our expectations that it was a small but important element on Lost. The idea of fate … Continue reading Sports Corner – Halloween 2018
With the World Series off and running, it’s time for this New Yorker to admit that we are lagging far behind Los Angeles and Boston as a sports center. Even as the Dodgers and Red Sox square off, the rest … Continue reading Sports Corner – October 24
As the month of October nears its climax on Halloween, it also becomes a sports fan’s dream. With the NBA season starting earlier now, we can look forward to games that count in pretty much every major North American team … Continue reading Sports Corner – October 17
On Monday night, Red Sox utility player Brock Holt became the first man to hit for the cycle in a playoff game. The cycle happens about as often as a no hitter, and just like there are pitchers with no … Continue reading Sports Corner – October 10
I join with my fellow Mets fans to say goodbye to David Wright. Thanks for everything, David. Here’s to a great retirement. Elsewhere… MLB playoff season kicks off under the cloud of a major federal investigation of bad behavior in … Continue reading Sports Corner – October 3
A tip of the cap to Tiger Woods, whose victory on Sunday marks a great recovery from his ongoing back issues. I don’t think that his days of utter dominance will return, but he is clearly a threat to win … Continue reading Sports Corner – September 24
This column is a day late because of Yom Kippur, the most solemn and important day on the Jewish calendar. So I am reminded of how, in 1965, the great Sandy Koufax chose not to start game one of the … Continue reading Sports Corner – September 20
Welcome to the generic edition of Sports Corner. Feel free to discuss sports in my absence as I do work stuff on Wednesday and as I am drafting this on Sunday. Continue reading Sports Corner – September 12
Yup. At long last, the NFL, in all its tainted glory, starts its season tomorrow night. And as much as many of us want out, want to say goodbye to concussions and coverups, to Jerrah and Roger, to hamfisted patriotism … Continue reading Sports Corner – September 5
Let’s tip out hat to Manu Ginóbili, who announced his retirement Monday after 16 years with the San Antonio Spurs. Manu’s career included four NBA titles, an Olympic gold medal with his native Argentina, a Sixth Man award, and an … Continue reading Sports Corner – August 29
