Briefly.
The Red Sox are on pace to win 144 games this season.
Trivia: What two MLB teams have finished a season with a winning percentage above .700 (since the beginning of the 162-game schedule)?
So an American woman won the Boston Marathon. Hey, what about the woman who came in second, Sarah Sellers, a virtual unknown? The 26-year old had no sponsors and had only run one marathon before, in Utah in September, to qualify for Boston. How did she do in that race? She not only won it but she set a course record! She said the $75,000 prize for her second place finish will go towards her and her husband’s student loans.
MLB played a game in Puerto Rico last week and native Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians spent the day visiting his old school and mucking it up with the kids there. He later hit the go ahead homerun for the Indians with his friends and family in attendance. Good stuff!
BTW, Puerto Rico lost power again! Not only that, some people have not had their power restored since Hurricane Maria. Think about that the next time you lose power and bitch about not being able to have a bag of microwave popcorn.
The Bruins’ David Pastrnak became just the 3rdBruin to ever get 6 points in a playoff game as he did this past Saturday night. The other two? Espo and Nifty. He is also the youngest player in NHL history to do beating out the Great One.
Did you catch what the NBA is doing with replay? They showed a play and stopped it at a certain point. Kenny Smith then seemingly walked onto the court to explain the play and what was happening next. Wicked cool!
The Vegas Golden Knights became the first NHL franchise to sweep a playoff series in their inaugural season. They are now co-favorites to win the Cup. Go Bruins!
Rusney Castillo leads all PawSox hitters in hits, RBIs and runs.
A little talk this week suggesting a 142-game MLB season instead 162 such that the season can start later into the spring. Brilliant, I say!
44 year-old, 397 lb. Bartolo Colon pitched a perfect game into the 8th inning this past Sunday, against the reigning champion Houston Astros.
Besides, Mookie Betts, the only other Red Sox player to hit three homeruns in a game three times in his career is Ted Williams. Teddy Ballgame did it in 2,238 career games. Mookie has done it in 523. Mookie also joined Ralph Kiner and Boog Powell for the most three-homer games before age 25.
Bertucci’s has filed for bankruptcy. I was never a fan.
Hats off to Whittier VoTech baseball coach, and all-around good guy, Joe Boland who got his 300th win this past week. What a game too as his starting pitcher went the distance striking out 17! Way to go, Joe!
OF Kevin Kiermaier is arguably the Tampa Bay Rays best player. On Sunday he tore a ligament sliding into second base and will miss 12-13 weeks after surgery. In 2017 he fractured his right hip after awkwardly sliding into first base and missed 61 games. In 2016 he broke his left wrist diving for a ball and missed 48 games. He also missed time in 2012 when, in the minor leagues, he fractured both hands. Dude!
Quote of the week: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee
Jack Edwards took a well-deserved shot at the NBA the other night when he said, noting the shutting off and on of the lights in Toronto before the game; “Enough with the lights. This isn’t the NBA!”
Speaking of Jack Edwards, he likes to say “rings the iron!” I guess I’m old-school because I prefer “hit the post!”
Difficult week for deaths. My apologies for not listing everyone.
R.I.P. Barbara Bush (92). Just the second woman to be both a wife and mother to a U.S. President. (No, she did not marry her son!) DYK: Babs was also a distant relative of Franklin Pierce, our 14th president.
R.I.P. Bruno Sammartino (82). WWF (not WWE) champion for a record 11 years reigning from ’63-’71 and ’73 to ‘77. Back in a time when wrestling was real! (or at least I liked to believe) Bruno once benched pressed 565 pounds, as an amateur. Bruno was one of the good guys, period. DYK: Bruno once body-slammed Chick Garibaldi in 1961. Garibaldi did not get up and was pronounced dead. He was later said to have suffered a heart attack. Sammartino was stricken with remorse for months.
Trivia answer: What two MLB teams have finished a season with a winning percentage above .700 (since the beginning of the 162-game schedule)? The 1998 Yankees and the 2001 Seattle Mariners.
“Well did she make you cry,
Make you break down,
Shatter your illusions of love.
And is it over now,
Do you know how,
Pick the pieces and go home.”
Ed's Head On Friday 