Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 14, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Fire Sale! The Miami Marlins are shipping Jose Reyes, and pitchers Mark Buerhle and Josh Johnson to Toronto in a 12 player deal. Is the American League East stacked or what?
- Washington's Davey Johnson and Oakland's Bob Melvin are voted the managers of the year.
- In college basketball, Duke beat Kentucky 75-68.
- No texting and driving, even in NASCAR. Electronic devices are now forbidden in cars. Texting was going on during stoppages.
2. The Public Be Damned
Now that they've stopped counting votes in South Florida, the local residents can turn their attention to being slightly miffed with their local baseball team. Once again they've blown up the team. This is what they normally do after they win the World Series. Only this one is worse. The public financed a brand new spiffy stadium in Miami and now their team is basically sold out from under them. Oh well, they've still got that pretty aquarium behind home plate.
3. Tebowmania
It seems that Tebowmania has cooled in the Jets locker room. (Hasn't everything?) The Daily News sampled players who anonymously ripped Tim Tebow. One defensive starter claimed "he's terrible." Maybe it's true, but in such a macho sport it's time for players to man up. If they've got something to say put their name on it, or else just shut up and play.
4. PSL
Nothing is an onerous to sports fans as personal seat licenses. Actually, rich fans probably don't find them as onerous as the rest of us. Anyway, the Governor of Minnesota, Mark Dayton is hopping mad. The public is helping to fund the new Vikings Stadium and the Governor says he will fight any attempt by the team to stick the fans with personal seat licenses. He says if the public trust is betrayed, he'd rather they don't build the stadium. Good for him. Now if you're wondering why the Governor of New Jersey doesn't stand up for Giants and Jets fans the same way, Met Life Stadium was privately built by the owners.
5. Jimmy Piersall
There are precious few athletes who just the mention of their names brings a smile. One of those is Jimmy Piersall. He was the subject of the movie Fear Strikes Out, the true story of the Red Sox outfielder who battled mental illness. But when I think of Piersall, June 23, 1963 comes to mind. He hit a homer against the Phillies, the 100th of his career. To mark the milestone he trotted around the bases backwards. No, he didn't run to third. He ran to first and the rest of the way backwards. Other than the fans, nobody was amused. The Casey Stengel and the Mets cut him two days later. Jimmy continued his playing career with the Angels before retiring in 1967. In the '80s he teamed with Harry Caray on White Sox broadcasts. Now that's a broadcast team. Happy 83rd to an original, Jimmy Piersall.
Happy Birthday: Former Red Sox (and four other teams) outfielder Jimmy Piersall. 83.
Bonus Birthday: Prince Charles. 64.
Today in Sports: Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula becomes the winningest coach in NFL history. 1993.
Bonus Event: There goes the neighborhood. Yale goes coed. 1968.
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