#26

On December, 14, 2012, one of the most tragic events in most of our lives occurred in Newtown, CT. On that day, a deranged, psychotic, spineless, (enter your own description of villainy here) “man” walked into an elementary school and began to take the lives of innocent children and their teachers. Since I haven’t been on here too often in the past several weeks it didn’t seem right to just pick up with another random number. So in honor of the 20 children and the 6 adults whose lives were taken too soon, the number for today is:

26





Mr. Hockey, the NHL's only quinquagenarian



a.) To me, one of the most challenging sports imaginable is ice hockey. Racing around a sheet of ice at top speed with two razor blades attached to your shoes while 200 pound men attempt to knock you into next week is not my idea of recreation. But two men, Gordie Howe and Chris Chelios, competed at the sport’s highest level for an NHL record 26 years. During that time Howe set the record for NHL games played, appearing in 1767 contests. He scored over 20 goals in 22 straight seasons, a credit to his ability to produce even as he neared the end of his career. In 1980, playing for the Whalers, Howe took the ice for the final time in an NHL game at the age of 52 years and 11 days, setting the record for the oldest player to ever play in an NHL game.

b.) After high school, Dominique Davis enrolled at Boston College and took over the third string quarterback slot behind starter Matt Ryan. In his sophomore season, Davis played sparingly as a backup before taking over the starting job and helping BC clinch a spot in the 2008 ACC Championship Game. The start of the 2009 season found Davis suspended over academics, which resulted in his transfer to Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. In 2010, Davis transferred to East Carolina University where, in his first start at QB, he threw for 383 yards with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception as well as running for 29 yards and an another touchdown. Then, on October 22, 2011, the East Carolina QB did not throw an incomplete pass in the 1^st half of a game against Navy. His total of 26 consecutive completions in one game set a new NCAA record. When added to his last 10 consecutive completions from his previous game, Davis’s 36 straight caught passes broke Aaron Rodger’s 2004 record for overall consecutive completions. In 2012, Davis signed an NFL contract as an undrafted free agent. His new job? He’s the Atlanta Falcons third string quarterback behind starter Matt Ryan.



1916 NY Giants 1B George Kelly
(The Hall of Fame website describes
this uniform as an "audacious purple plaid.")



c.) The 1916 New York Baseball Giants under enigmatic manager John McGraw currently own the Major League record for consecutive wins without a loss. From September 7 until September 30, the Giants won an incredible 26 games without dropping a decision. Near the middle of the streak the Giants played to a tie, but tie-breaking rules of the day consisted of a complete replay of the game which the Giants won to keep the streak alive. This record breaking streak came on the heels of an earlier streak which saw the Giants win 17 straight. Despite two winning streaks totaling 43 games, the Giants amazingly finished 4^th in the National League in 1916, 7 games behind the Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers) who would go on to play in the 1^st World Series of that franchise’s storied history.

 d.) Why would a college basketball team which traditionally wears black and white uniforms take the court in all green instead? It was all part of Coach Ed Cooley's plan for his Providence Friars to honor those at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown. When Coach Cooley learned that Sandy Hook's school colors are green and white, he contacted Nike and placed a special order for his team: all green uniforms with green and white sneakers. The front of the new shirts featured the fearsome Friar logo, but players’ names on the backs were replaced with “SANDY HOOK”. Coach Cooley said the game-worn jerseys would be framed and presented to family members of the victims. Providence also left 26 empty seats adorned with green bows in Section 201 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, underneath a large banner. Pure class.

And now as we all prepare to spend Christmas around the tree with our moms, dads, husbands, wives, and especially our children, let us all remember those in Connecticut who will be leaving gifts under the tree which will never be opened. Enjoy your children, marvel at the wonder in their eyes as they see what Santa delivered, and cherish the time you have with them. I hope everyone reading this has a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

#24

Well, I’m back. I must apologize to anyone who has been checking in to see if I had actually written anything. As I sit here in my recliner typing dutifully, I look out across the living room at 5 children (my two plus three extra), none over the age of 4, and realize how family has always been my top priority. So between my crazy work schedule, family parties and emergencies, and life generally getting in the way, I apologize for cutting back on my blog production. Since I’m never really sure what number I’ll type about until I have an introduction in mind, sometimes until I’m halfway done typing out an introduction, I wasn’t quite sure where I was going to go with this one. But then I realized just how long it had been since I had typed a post-- days, weeks even. Twenty-four days to be exact.

#24

a.) Hopefully by now, everyone has heard of Felix Baumgartner. It took millions of dollars and 7 years of planning and research, but on October 14 Felix stepped out of his specially designed capsule and into all kinds of record books. Though technically a research mission to assist in the development of new space suits and other technologies, this was still a sky-dive and that qualifies it for a sports blog in my opinion. Either way, I decide what goes on here and I must say that watching this event live online was one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. I dare say it must have felt like watching man on the moon for the 1^st time. Possibly a little over dramatic, but consider this: Felix set the record for the highest manned balloon flight (128,100 ft.), the highest point of free fall (same height), the fastest speed ever achieved by a surviving human without mechanical means (834 mph, or Mach 1.2), and the 2^nd longest free fall ever (4:19). It’s still hard to believe that a human being fell fast enough to break the sound barrier and survived, plus it happened 65 years to the day after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in an airplane. And how does this fit here today? Well, when you convert 128,100 feet, Felix fell for just over 24 miles.

 

 

 

b.) Hall-of-Famer Carl Hubbell was an outstanding pitcher for the New York Giants teams of the 1930s. He won a World Series in 1933, was a two-time NL MVP, a 9-time All-Star, and once pitched 46 1/3 scoreless innings including 4 shutouts. (Incredibly, 18 of those innings were in a 1-0 extra inning shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1933.) Carl also holds the amazing distinction of once striking out 5 batters in a row during an All-Star game. But it wasn’t so much the number of batters that he struck out, it was the names of the batters he struck out: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin. All five of these men would become Hall-of-Famers, if not synonymous with baseball. Hubbell notched another amazing streak between 1936 and 1937, when he earned 24 wins in a row without a loss. Hubbell later became the 1^st NL player to have his number retired, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947.

Greg Koldziejzyk and his bullet bike.

c.) In July of 2006, triathlete Greg Kolodziejzyk set out to break the 24-hour land distance record. Riding a specially made 70-pound bike equipped with bags for food, water, and, um, his waste, Greg covered 647 miles in 24 hours at a course in Eureka, CA. During the ride, Greg averaged just less than 26 MPH. There really isn’t much to add to this one as the numbers speak for themselves but just for perspective, it is also 647 miles from Albuquerque, NM, to Dallas, TX.

d.) Martin Brodeur is the only NHL goaltender to win over 600 regular season games. Martin Brodeur has played in 1,191 games, more than any other NHL goaltender, and he has done it while playing with only 1 team. Martin Brodeur is the only goaltender to ever score a game-winning goal. Brodeur has won every major award for NHL players except for the Hart Trophy (regular season MVP) and the Conn Smythe Trophy (outstanding player in the playoffs.)  In 2005, a new rule restricting goaltenders opportunities to handle the puck was nicknamed “the Brodeur Rule” because it was believed to be targeting Marty and his excellent puck handling skills. And in April of 2012, Brodeur broke Patrick Roy’s record for playoff shutouts when he logged his 24^th against the Florida Panthers. At age 40, and with the NHL currently in lockout, no one knows if Brodeur will ever have the opportunity to add to his total. But until then, here's a nice tribute to Martin’s Hall of Fame career.

#31

    There’s no doubt that after my last post, with all of its local flavor and sentimentality, I now have a few extra readers of my humble blog. So now, burdened with all of the extra pressure that comes with added exposure, I am forced to present my follow-up piece. Lacking any divine providential inspiration, I decided to just keep doing what I’ve always done: present random numbers and the random statistics that go along with them. So without any further ado, I present to you our guest number of the day.
 
#31

Kenyon swimmers take a break from practice
at the $70 million Kenyon Athletic Center.

a.) When it comes to repeat championships and dynasties, you may think you’ve heard of them all. The Yankees won 5 straight World Series from 1949-1953. The Montreal Canadiens lifted 5 straight Stanley Cups beginning in 1956. Jimmie Johnson chased down 5 consecutive Sprint Cups with his last coming in 2010. John Wooden’s UCLA teams won 7 NCAA championships in a row from 1967-1973, and Red’s Celtics won 8 straight NBA titles from 1959-1966. But perhaps the most amazing dynasty of all is tiny little Kenyon College of Ohio and their swimming team. From 1980-2010, the Lords of Kenyon won 31 consecutive Division III National Championships. Individually, the swimming Lords have combined to claim 169 national event championships in addition to 114 relay event championships. Of the 18 NCAA Division III record times, 7 are currently held by Kenyon College swimmers. After claiming the 2011 title over Kenyon by 1 point, Denison University pulled off a repeat of their own in 2012. Good job, Denison, only 29 more to go!

b.) One of the knocks against professional soccer is that the games are generally very low scoring. But in a World Cup qualifier match in 2001, the Australian national team put that notion to rest. Facing an America Samoan team who lost all but one of its regulars due to passport troubles, the Australians put 31 shots in the back of the net. Since many of its Under-20 players were taking high school final exams, the American Samoan team called up players from its youth leagues which included 3 15-year olds. The average age of the American Samoan team was only 18 years, and almost none of the players had ever played a full 90-minute match. Amazingly, the American Samoans held the Australians scoreless for the 1^st 10 minutes of the match before the wheels fell off. Australia’s Archie Thompson finished with a record 13 goals to go along with David Zdrilic’s 8. Five other players tallied at least 1 goal in the victory. The 31-0 victory was enough to force FIFA, international soccer’s governing body, to change the rules by which qualifying tournaments were set up. They have since added qualification matches to qualify teams for the qualifying tournaments. Incredibly, after finishing their 4 group play matches by scoring 66 goals and allowing none, the Australians did not even qualify for the 2002 World Cup tournament.

c.) On September 14, 1968, Denny McLain became the 13^th and final pitcher of the 20^th century to win 30 games in a season. McLain then won game number 31 on September 19^th against the New York Yankees. In the 8^th inning of that game, McLain faced his idol, Mickey Mantle, who was tied for 3^rd with Jimmie Foxx on the all-time home runs list. McLain served a soft pitch over the plate which Mantle promptly deposited over the outfield wall, putting him all alone in 3^rd place with 535 home runs. As Mantle rounded the bases, McLain stood on the pitcher’s mound and applauded him. By the end of the regular season, McLain had logged 336 innings and an incredible 28 complete games. He only lost 6 games that year to go along with his 31 wins and 1.96 ERA, which was enough to earn him the AL Cy Young Award. McLain was also named the AL MVP, becoming the 1^st AL pitcher in history to win both the Cy Young and MVP awards in the same season. Because of McLain’s feat, as well as Bob Gibson’s miniscule 1.12 ERA and Don Drysdale’s 58 2/3 scoreless innings streak, 1968 became known as “The Year of the Pitcher.” In 1969, Major League Baseball would lower the pitcher’s mound by 5 inches as well as reduce the size of the strike zone to lessen pitchers’ dominance and encourage offensive production.




Secretariat in the final stretch at the
1973 Belmont Stakes.



d.) The 1973 Belmont Stakes was the 105^th running of the Belmont and was one of the most memorable races ever run. It just so happened that this race was also the final race of Secretariat’s Triple Crown run and he did not disappoint. With 31 year old jockey Ron Turcotte on mount, Secretariat would beat out 4 other horses to finish the 1 ½ mile race in 2 minutes and 24 seconds, a record which still stands today, and win horse racing’s 1^st Triple Crown in 25 years. Secretariat’s only “competition” during the Belmont was Sham who had finished 2^nd to Secretariat in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness that year. Secretariat and Sham would jump out to an early 10 length lead over the rest of the field. However, at the halfway point Sham began to tire and would ultimately finish last. Secretariat never slowed, even appearing to pick up his pace as the race went on, and finished with an average speed of 37.5 mph for the entire race. His performance prompted CBS announcer to make one of the most memorable sports calls of all time, right up there with “The Giants win the pennant!” and “Do you believe in miracles?” As Secretariat put the race clearly out of reach, Chic Anderson proclaimed, “Secretariat is widening now! He is moving like a tremendous machine!” Secretariat set another record that day, one that may never be matched. He won the 1973 Belmont Stakes by an unbelievable 31 lengths.

#3

      Last weekend, the 2012 Neville Tigers played their final non-district game of the season. The Tigers are sitting atop 4A with a 5-0 record and the #1 ranking. And with the Chicago Cubs putting baseball season to rest, the Saints continuing their slide back into the early ‘80s, and LSU slipping down the polls with unimpressive win after unimpressive win, I’m thankful to have at least one team I support making me proud. With state titles in 1955, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1972, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2009, AND 2011, the Tigers are geared up to add number 11 to the list. And this season marks the 40^th anniversary of one of the most insane playoff runs in sports history, or at least that’s how the story’s told around here. But as the current crop of Tigers walked off the field in Bossier City last Friday night after trouncing Airline 48-14, I can almost guarantee that none of them realized how important today’s number is to Neville history.

#3

a.) There were at least 2 teams that went undefeated in 1972: Don Shula’s Miami Dolphins and Charlie Brown’s Neville Tigers. But the Tigers accomplished something that, I dare say, no other team anywhere has ever had to achieve in order to win a title. And they did it in amazing fashion. You see the Tigers had won their prerequisite Friday night game to set up a semi-final matchup against Brother Martin High. During the defensive slugfest that ensued, neither Neville nor Brother Martin could carry the ball across the goal line. A desperation pass by Brother Martin was intercepted by James LeBlanc at the Neville 24 yard line to force one of the most interesting tiebreakers in football history. Per Louisiana high school rules of the day, the game was to be decided by comparing…wait for it…statistics! First up was first downs, and both teams had finished with 9. Next up was penetrations, or possessions which crossed into opposing territory, and both teams were tied at 1. Had they gone to total yards for a final tiebreaker Neville would have advanced by outgaining Brother Martin by only about 20 yards, but unfortunately this was not an official tiebreaking statistic. Officials at the game offered to flip a coin to determine a winner but Coach Brown responded with something like, “We’d rather suit up and play again right now.” (Edited to maintain a G-rating.) It was finally decided that the 2 teams would meet up in Alexandria the next Tuesday and play again at a neutral site. The 2^nd time around, Neville was able to score after a blocked punt. A late drive by Brother Martin ended when James LeBlanc intercepted a pass in his own end zone, and Neville hung on to win 8-0 and advance to the State Championship game that Friday against Airline of Bossier City. Once again the Tigers’ defense ruled the day as they won 6-0 and secured the 1^st of Coach Brown’s 3 state titles. (Coach Brown would also finish with 3 state runner-ups.) But the fact that the Tigers played 3 playoff games in 3 cities in 8 days, and shutout both opponents over 12 quarters of football, is beyond incredible. Add to that, their first 8 quarters of shutout football were against the defending state champions and it becomes almost unbelievable. And who was voted Most Valuable Player after Neville’s remarkable playoff run ended with a title? Well, my kids like to call him “Paw.”

'72 Neville Defensive Back/Punter James LeBlanc
To go along with his timely INTs, he also averaged over 38 yds/punt.

***Stay tuned for an upcoming November issue of the New York Times which will feature the ’72 Tigers Championship team.

b.) From 1980-2001, only 3 players won the NHL’s Art Ross Trophy: Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Jaromir Jagr. The Art Ross is awarded each year to the player who scores the most points (goals + assists). During his unbelievable 20-year career, the “Great One” won 10 Art Ross trophies, while Lemieux collected 6, and Jagr 5. During the ’81-’82 season, Gretzky tallied an NHL record 92 goals en route to his 2^nd Ross Trophy. The ’85-’86 season saw him dish out a record 163 assists to bring his point total to 215, yet another NHL single season record. Gretzky also tied Gordie Howe in total scoring titles with #6 that year, going on to break the record by winning his 7^th consecutive scoring title the next season. After winning 7 straight scoring titles, Gretzky was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. He took his 1st 2 years in LA “off” and allowed Lemieux to win his 1^st 2 Ross Trophies, before coming back and winning back-to-back titles in ’89-’90 and ’90-’91. Then, after Lemieux once again won back-to-back Rosses, Gretzky would win his 10^th and final Art Ross Trophy following the ’93-’94 season.

c.) During the 2012 Summer Olympics, Om Yun-Chol of North Korea became only the fifth lifter ever to clear 3 times his own body weight. Standing 5’0” and weighing in at only 123 pounds, Om lifted 369.6 pounds over his head to claim the gold medal and a new Olympic record in the 56kg category. Nothing much more to report here, I just had to include this video because I find it almost unimaginable.



The Cubs' dugout empties after
a win against the Astros on the
final day of the 2012 season.

d.) On Monday, this year’s incarnation of the “Maybe Next Year” squad fell to the Houston Astros to become only the 3^rd Chicago Cubs team to lose 100 games in a season. There aren’t a lot of positives to look back on this season, but there were a few. Their grossly overpaid, 36-year old left fielder showed off by hitting his most HRs since 2007 while his 108 RBI set a new career high and placed him 3^rd in the NL. The Cubs lineup featured 3 young guns who have the potential to develop quickly. Brett Jackson debuted on August 5^th, played in 44 games, and finished with 22 hits and 9 RBI with a .644 OPS. In his 1^st season to play in more than 45 games, Bryan Lahair finished with 88 hits, including 16 HR, and plated 40 RBI over 130 games. Lahair was rewarded with an appearance at the All-Star game in Kansas City along with young Cub Starlin Castro. But by far the most impressive debut this season was that of Anthony Rizzo. He finished the year with 15 HRs to go along with 15 doubles and a .285 BA. Rizzo won Rookie of the Month honors in July, and then had 21 RBIs in his final 32 games to finish with 48 for the season. Oh, and the final score of that game Monday that pushed the Cubs to 100 losses?  Astros 3-Cubs 0.

e.) Not wanting to disrespect the momentousness of the occasion by skipping over it, I must also mention Miguel Cabrera and baseball’s 1^st Triple Crown in 45 years. Cabrera finished with a .330 BA, 44 HRs, and 139 RBI to fend off Curtis Granderson and Josh Hamilton in the HR category on the final day of the season. Granderson homered twice for the Yankees in their final game to finish tied with Hamilton at 43. Cabrera became the 1^st Major Leaguer to lead in the 3 major offensive categories since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

#63

        The past year has been pure torture for most New Orleans Saints fans, myself included.  It all began with a heartbreaking loss to the 49ers in last year’s playoffs which saw the Saints stage an amazing comeback only to have it erased with seconds to go by our defensive backs’ inability to cover the 49er tight end. (I guess I have to note that the 6’3” 250 pound tight end did run a 4.38 40-yard dash, but I digress.) That was followed by an investigation by the Commissioner-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named which decimated the coaching staff and cost the team its defensive captain. This season’s 0-3 start has several NFL analysts ranking the Saints 32^nd out of 32 teams and is bringing back feelings that Saints fans everywhere thought they had moved past. Just 3 short years removed from the Saints’ Super Bowl victory which took them 43 seasons to accomplish, experts and football fans alike have written off the 2012 campaign as just another woeful performance by the NFL’s lovable losers. You see, after being formed in 1967, the Saints didn’t finish .500 until 1979 and didn’t finish with a winning record until 1993. Their 1^st playoff win was in 2000, followed 9 years later by their Super Bowl XLIV victory. But for all the losing seasons, the Saints always had 1 record which was theirs and theirs alone. And it stood alone for Saints fans to cherish for 28 years until it was tied, tied again, and then tied again. So now, at 0-3 and ranked at the bottom of many NFL rankings, I look back at our record and smile. So in honor of Tom Dempsey, his half-foot, and his mighty leg, I present our guest number of the day:

#63

Dempsey's half-shoe on display at the Hall of Fame

a.) It all started during the Saints 4^th season. In a November game against the Detroit Lions, the Saints were losing 17-16 with seconds to play. The previous record for the longest field goal which had stood for 17 years was 56 yards, and Tom Dempsey was lining up at the Saints own 37-yard line to kick a 63-yarder. (And in case you aren’t a student of Saints history, I guess I should mention that Tom Dempsey was born with only ½ a foot with which to kick. His flat-front kicking shoe can still be seen at the Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.) Dempsey made the kick and earned his spot in the record books. Dempsey’s record would stand for another 28 years before being tied by Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos. Three years later the record was tied again by Sebastian Janikowski of the Raiders, followed by David Akers of the 49ers a couple of weeks ago. But for Saints fans everywhere, until someone has the boot to send one 64 yards, our guy will always be the original record holder from 63.

b.) And speaking of football, or futbol, or whatever they call it in Japan, this video from a Japanese J. League Division 2 soccer team taken in November 2011 captures the world record for the longest header struck for a goal. It’s pretty amazing to see the thing go in, especially after watching it bounce over the keeper’s head. So congratulations to defender Ryujiro Ueda of the Fagiano Okayama team for heading a ball into the back of the net from 57 meters and 80 centimeters away—or as we say in America, 63 yards. I’m not sure which would be more difficult, kicking it with half a foot or bouncing it off your head.

c.) The 63^rd U.S. Open saw an 18-hole playoff decide the tournament for the 2^nd consecutive year. The previous year’s champion, Jack Nicklaus, didn’t even make the cut after finishing the second round +11 for the tournament. The 1962 runner-up, who lost to Nicklaus in an 18-hole playoff, would rise to the top once again and find himself in another playoff. History would repeat itself, however, and Arnold Palmer would once again be forced to settle for the runner-up spot. Poor weather conditions wreaked havoc on the professionals and resulted in the highest winning score since WWII. It also crushed the dreams of the many amateur participants as no amateurs made the cut for the 1^st time in Open history. The 3-man playoff consisted of the ’52 Open winner Julius Boros, ’61 top ten finisher Jacky Cupit, and the 3-time Masters and ’60 Open champion Palmer. After bogeying the 2^nd playoff hole, Boros settled in and carried a 3 stroke lead onto the back nine. Palmer’s chance ended when he triple-bogeyed the 11^th hole and took himself out of contention. Boros would go on to finish the playoff -1, with Cupit posting a +2 and Palmer a +5. With the victory, Boros became the 2^nd oldest golfer to win the U.S. Open. And before you feel too sorry for Arnold Palmer, he would go on to win his 4^th Masters the next year to complete his list of 7 Majors wins. And when was the 63^rd U.S. Open played? It was played at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, in June 1963.

d.) On August 20, 2008, Gene Upshaw died at the age of 63, bringing an end to his 41 years working with the NFL, as a player from 1967-1981 and as the Executive Director for the NFLPA from 1983 until the time of his death. During his time as Executive Director of the players’ association, Upshaw presided over the 1987 strike, as well as several lawsuits brought by the players against the league which ultimately ushered in the age of modern free-agency. During his 15 year Hall of Fame playing career, Upshaw only wore the uniform of one team: the Oakland Raiders. Before his retirement, Upshaw would play in 3 AFL title games, 7 AFC Championship games, and 6 NFL Pro Bowls. He would also play in 3 Super Bowls in 1967, 1976, and 1980, making him the only player to play for the same team in a Super Bowl in 3 different decades. (Jerry Rice is the only player to have played in the Super Bowl over 3 decades, but he played with the 49ers and the Raiders.) An imposing figure, “Uptown Gene” stood 6’5” and played at somewhere near 255 pounds. His health and endurance over his entire career led to Upshaw breaking the record for consecutive starts at left guard. From 1967-1981, Upshaw started 207 consecutive regular season games in addition to 24 playoff starts for a record total of 231 consecutive starts at left guard. And what was on that Oakland Raider jersey that played in 231 straight games?

#63

 

#26

Billy Williams

      As the temperatures continue to cool and September draws to a close, so too does my favorite season of the year.  No, it isn’t the Louisiana summer with its oppressive heat, overwhelming humidity, and mockingbird-sized mosquitoes.  It’s baseball season.  And a quick look at the late September standings shows an all too familiar sight as the Yankees sit in 1^st in the AL East, while the Cubs are only 33 games back in the NL Central and already hanging the “Maybe Next Year” signs up in Wrigleyville. So in honor of baseball, pennant chases, and Cubs great Billy Williams, I present to you our guest number of the day:

#26

a.) On September 21, 1986, 26 years ago today, the San Diego Padres defeated the Houston Astros 5-0 in front of 23,385 fans at the Houston Astrodome. The Astros were in 1^st place at the time while San Diego sat 12 games below .500. As most teams do late in a season with no playoffs to contend for, the Padres called up a young pitcher to make his 1^st Major League start. Jimmy Jones, born in Dallas and drafted 3^rd overall by the Padres in 1982, took the mound that day opposite 16-game winner Bob Knepper. While in high school, Jones made a name for himself by once striking out 28 batters on 251 total pitches in a 16-inning game. Jimmy Jones would once again make people take notice as he went on to pitch all 9 innings that afternoon in 1986, striking out 5 and giving up only 1 hit (a 3^rd inning triple to the opposing pitcher Knepper!)  Jimmy also logged his 1^st Major League base hit with a 2^nd inning single, and scored his 1^st run later that inning. By pitching a one-hitter in his 1^st Major League start, Jimmy Jones earned his spot in the record books that day right alongside Juan Marichal who had accomplished the same feat in 1960—26 years earlier.

A $1 bleacher seat ticket to the 1929
World Series @ Wrigley Field

b.) In 1929, the AL’s Philadelphia Athletics met the Chicago Cubs in the 26^th playing of baseball’s World Series. For the Cubs, it was their 6^th World Series appearance and marked the 1^st time the World Series would be played at Wrigley Field. In a World Series which featured 10 future Hall of Famers (8 players and both managers), the Athletics would prevail four games to one. The Cubs appeared a bit rusty right out of the gate as the Athletics’ 35-year-old pitcher Howard Ehmke struck out 13 batters, a record which would stand until 1953, en route to a 3-1 Game 1 victory. The Cubs and Athletics would then split Games 2 and 3 leading up to the pivotal Game 4 matchup in Philadelphia. Athletics’ manager Connie Mack had determined to use only right-handed pitchers in the Series to combat the Cubs right-heavy lineup. Because of this, he was forced to start 45-year-old Jack Quinn in the 4^th game. The Cubs had no problems targeting his pitches as they raced to an 8-0 lead after 6 ½ innings. And then the comeback to end all comebacks, the Mack Attack as it is known, began. In an inning which saw the Athletics plate 10 runs, including 3 on an inside the park homerun after a Cubs outfielder lost the ball in the sun, the Athletics overcame the largest deficit in baseball playoff history. The Athletics would then defeat the Cubs 3-2 in Game 5 to clinch the Series. The Cubs would play in 4 more World Series, winning none of course, with their last appearance coming in 1945. Maybe Next Year!

"The Singing Cowboy" Gene Autry

c.) What do Jim Fregosi, Rod Carew, Nolan Ryan, and Gene Autry have in common? They’ve all had a jersey number retired by the Anaheim California Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim California…or whatever that team is called now. It seems that back in 1960 when Major League Baseball was looking for someone to start up the new franchise in Los Angeles, Gene Autry (AKA The Singing Cowboy) was the owner of several radio stations. Autry took the initiative and contacted MLB in an attempt to secure the rights to broadcast the new team’s games on his stations. Due to his persistence and obvious business sense, baseball executives were so impressed that they offered him first rights to ownership of the new franchise. Autry also served as Vice President of the American League from 1983 until his death in 1998. Because Major League rosters are generally limited to only 25 players and due to his unmatched devotion to both the Angels organization and baseball in general, the Angels retired jersey number 26 in honor of Autry and his role as the “26^th Man.”

d.) And speaking of jersey #26, it was actually worn in games by one of baseball’s greatest pitchers of all-time. Satchel Paige did not make his Major League debut until age 42 due to segregation, making him the oldest debuting rookie in baseball history, but his career in the Negro Leagues had begun 22 years earlier with the Chattanooga Black Lookouts. Paige was 58 years old when he threw his final Major League pitch in 1965 as a member of the Kansas City Athletics. During his 18 seasons prior to breaking into the Majors, Paige was phenomenal. He had an overall record of 100-50 with a 3.22 ERA and 1,170 strikeouts. Satchel Paige threw 89 complete games, 27 of which were shutouts. The 1934 season was arguably the best of Paige’s career in any league. To go along with his 2^nd career no-hitter, he finished that season with a 14-2 record and a 2.16 ERA, striking out 144 and walking only 26. Other than his age, Paige’s Major League numbers weren’t overly impressive but few could have even made a team at age 42. Satchel Paige finished up in the Majors with 28 wins and 31 losses, 288 strikeouts and a 3.29 ERA. And how many career starts did Satchel Paige tally during his 6 seasons in the Majors? You guessed it- 26.  

#37

       Ah, fall is nearly upon us. The mornings are crisper, the air is lighter, and football dominates Southern life from Thursday ‘til Monday. Of course, an 0-2 start by the New Orleans Saints as well as my fantasy team already has me wondering how the Cubs will do next spring. (As if we don’t all know the answer to that one already…) At least my Tigers, Neville and LSU, are 2-0 and ranked extremely high. While not watching or listening to football, I tend to read about it which is how I found an article this week about a high school kid from Florida that caught my eye and led to our magic number for today:
 

#37

a.) Senior running back Derrick Henry of Yulee High is one of the most prolific runners in Florida high school football history. His career total of 8,753 rushing yards places him in third place all-time in Florida, just behind NFL Hall-of-Famer Emmitt Smith and his 8,804 yards. But this past weekend, Derrick tied another impressive record by rushing for over 100 yards in his 37^th straight game. Derrick, all 6’3” and 240 pounds of him, ran over, around, and through the defense of South Lake High to finish with 41 carries for 303 yards and 5 touchdowns. And how many games has Yulee High played since Derrick’s career began? 37. Meaning Derrick Henry has never not rushed for over 100 yards in a game. A kid this good has to have a highlight reel, and here it is.

b.) During the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, this year’s incarnation of the USA men’s basketball team claimed to be better than the original 1992 Dream Team which included Jordan, Magic, Bird, Ewing, Robinson, Barkley, Malone…basically the entire 2nd floor of the basketball Hall of Fame. After everyone threw in their own two cents on the matter, the 2012 team set out to destroy Olympic records. And they apparently decided to do it all in one game against the Nigerians. During that game, Carmelo Anthony took it upon himself to top the record for most individual points in a game, which he did in less than three quarters, finishing with 37 points on 10-12 3 point shooting. The rest of the team chipped in as well as the US broke the Olympic record for team points in a game with 156. (They had over 100 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter.) The US broke the previous total points record of 138 with 4:37 still left to play in the game.  The team also broke the Olympic record for points in a half (78) as well as American records for 3-pointers (26), field goals (59), and shooting percentage (71%). Their dominant performances on the way to the gold medal podium left many still debating which of the two Dream Teams would have won in a head-to-head matchup.

Bronze Medalist Chanatip Sonkham of Thailand
makes the other girl look slightly uncomfortable.

c.) And speaking of the 2012 Summer Olympics, this past summer we witnessed 10,820 athletes representing 204 nations gather to compete in the XXX Olympiad. Of those 204 nations, Great Britain led the way with 541 representatives while 11 different nations sent only 2 athletes. (The US was second to Great Britain with 530.) Israel and Thailand both qualified 37 Olympians who participated in 17 Olympic sports. After sending 4 athletes to the finals in windsurfing, floor gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and swimming, Israel failed to earn a single medal for the 1^st time since the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Thailand fared slightly better by earning 3 total medals in women’s weightlifting, men’s boxing, and women’s taekwondo, although they failed to earn gold for the 1^st time since the 1992 Barcelona games.



Bobby Isaac and his #71 Dodge.

d.) NASCAR driver Bobby Isaac broke into the big time in 1963, seven years after he began full-time racing. It would be another five years before Bobby would win his first race, driving his #37 Dodge sponsored by K&K Insurance. Bobby would beat out 22 other racers in the 1968 Columbia 200 race, including LeeRoy Yarbrough and Richard Petty. His average speed over the 100 mile race that afternoon was a not-so-blistering 71.35 mph. To this day, Bobby Isaac remains the only NASCAR driver to win a race behind the wheel of a #37 car. He would later go on to win the 1970 NASCAR Grand National Championship. Bobby last raced in the 1976 World 600 in Charlotte, NC, and was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1979, as well as the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1996. He was also named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers of All-Time in 1998. And how many wins did Bobby Isaac accumulate during his storied career? 37, of course.

#46

                My first foray into the world of blogging has been, like so many things in my life, inspired by my wife. You see, she has suffered more than anyone due to my obsessive love of sports-related statistics. We met fifteen years ago and have now been married for 9 ½ years. You can only imagine the amount of useless sports trivia that she has been forced to pretend to listen to. So last week when she suggested I choose a slightly more public, if not silent, medium to relay my love for statistical analyses I begrudgingly obliged her. So without further ado, here’s my plan. Each week, month, or whenever I have the time to type, I will be selecting a number at random and then telling statistical tales relating to it. I think it’ll be fun so here we go with Number 1…no wait, number Number 1……well that’s just confusing. Here we go with my first blog entry:

 #46

a.) The last “official” Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash was held in 1979. Better known to everyone as the Cannonball Run, the 1979 race included a record 46 entries. The cross-country race, which was run from NY and CT and finished across the country just outside of Los Angeles, inspired the 1981 blockbuster movie starring Burt Reynolds. While some racers may have only planned to use their speed to outrun any local or state police they encountered along the way, others decided to use brains to outsmart the boys in blue. Of the 46 entries in the 1979 race, several made their way into the film due to their creativity. These included three drivers posing as priests, three young ladies wearing skin-tight suits to distract the cops, a fake ambulance with two male drivers and a female “patient” in the back, and a fake HAZ-MAT truck which most police avoided harassing. Of the 46 racing teams, 42 finished the cross-country trip. The winners were Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough driving their Jaguar XJ-S. They finished the race in 32 hours and 51 minutes, averaging 87 mph.  There was only one minor accident when a racer tapped an exit ramp guard rail and suffered a broken suspension. Police officers were able to pick off a more than a few racers, with over 50 speeding tickets written across the country during the race.

b.)  During the 2011 NFL season, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw a total of 46 touchdown passes, just 4 short of New England quarterback Tom Brady’s record of 50. While completing all of those touchdowns during the season, Drew was also able to eclipse Dan Marino’s 27 year old record for passing yards in a season (5,084). Incredibly he accomplished this in game #15 and finished the season with an incredible 5476 passing yards. Another amazing feature of the 2011 New Orleans Saints was the depth of their pass-catchers. The Saints had 13 different receivers who logged a reception in 2011. Drew’s 46 touchdown passes were completed to 9 different receivers. Through Week 2 of the 2012 season, Drew has thrown only 4 touchdowns to go along with 4 interceptions, after throwing only 14 interceptions in all of 2011.

Eugenio Velez strikes out...again.

c.)  Beginning in August 2010, Eugenio Velez began a Major League streak of going 0-fer that lasted a record 46 games, eventually spilling over into the 2011 season. Because of a bad start with the San Francisco Giants that season, Velez was sent down to AAA in favor of a call-up for Pat Burrell. Velez was then called back up and played alongside Burrell that summer. On July 26^th, Pat Burrell lined a foul ball into the San Francisco dugout which struck Eugenio Velez in the head. After this incident, Velez did a stint on the disabled list before being re-activated later that season. Post-injury, Velez went 0-9 for the remainder of 2011 and then began the 2011 season with an 0-37 stretch leaving people wondering about his quick return to action. Velez wound up back in AAA Albuquerque in 2011 where he finished with a very respectable .339 batting average.

d.) Nolan Ryan. Not much more to be said, right? Over a career spanning four decades, from 1966-1993, Ryan notched a record seven no-hitters and 5,714 career strike outs as well as being an eight-time All-Star and a World Series Champion. Ryan retired at age 46 after his 1993 campaign, during which he started 13 games and finished with a 5-5 record and a 4.88 ERA. And how did baseball’s all-time strikeout leader fare in the season which saw him turn 46? Over 66 1/3 innings, Ryan struck out 46 batters. And while all of these statistics seem to tie so nicely together, perhaps the most memorable moment of Nolan Ryan’s career for both baseball fans and non-fans alike occurred during his final season. The now-President of the Texas Rangers organization squared off on the mound against the now-manager of the Chicago White Sox, Robin Ventura. At the time, Ryan had been pitching in the Major Leagues longer than the 26 year old Ventura had been alive. And when Ryan logged the only HBP of his final year in the Majors, history was made. (Click to enjoy!)