Happy Tuesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for February 15, 2011 from Len Berman at ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
* The St. Louis Cards and star Albert Pujols agree to a noon deadline tomorrow to work out a contract extension.
* South Carolina high school defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, considered the #1 prospect in the country, commits to South Carolina.
* It was fun while it lasted. Hours after Kansas becomes #1 in college basketball, they get dumped by Kansas State 84-68.
* One of the four men featured in those Visa commercials has died. 79-year-old Milwaukee resident Bob Cook had never missed a Super Bowl until this one, when he took ill.
* Tiger Woods was fined for spitting during the final round of the Dubai Classic. Maybe baseball should adopt that rule?
2. Russ
Bill Russell is one of the more interesting sports figures of the 20th/21st centuries. Today at the White House he'll be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama. Stan "The Man" Musial is another recipient. If it weren't for Bill Russell, the Boston Celtics dynasty would have never happened. From a reporter's standpoint, he could be tough. When he was coming back to face Boston for the first time as the coach of Seattle, I called him and asked if I could interview him when he got to Boston? One word. "No." OK, I said, "can I ask you on the phone how you feel about coming back to Boston to coach?" Answer: "No." That was the sum total of our conversation. I told Red Auerbach about it, and he just laughed. He said, "that's Russ." See how much fun it is being in the media?
3. He's Rather Appealing
I was on WOR Radio yesterday with former New York Governor David Paterson filling in for John Gambling. We were talking about the start of spring training and the Governor said in Mets camp, "lawyers and catchers" are reporting. Who knew the Governor was such a funny guy?
4. The World Wide Web
I was looking at who read last Friday's Top 5. It must have set come kind of record. In addition to the U.S. subscribers opened my email in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela, The U.K., Germany, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. But there wasn't a single reader in Egypt. Oh, suddenly they have better things to do?
5. Can You Field and Think at the Same Time?
Noticing today's sports birthday, I can't help but think of the guy who replaced him at third base for the Dodgers, Pedro Guerrero. He was defensively challenged and in a team meeting manager Tommy Lasorda was fuming. He asked Guerrero what he was thinking at third? Guerrero responded, "I hope they don't hit it to me." Now Lasorda was apoplectic. He implored Guerrero, what else was he thinking? Said Pedro, "I hope they don't hit it to Sax (2B) either."
Happy Birthday: The Penguin. Former Dodgers third baseman Ron Cey. 63.
Bonus Birthday: Actress Jane Seymour. 60.
Today in Sports: The Yankees buy Frank "Home Run" Baker from the Philadelphia A's for $37,500. Who wouldn't want him? He led the Majors in homers in 1914 with 9. 1916.
Bonus Event: Finally some companionship for hot dogs. Mustard rears its head for the first time in the U.S. 1758.
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