Garrett Wittels, a sophomore shortstop for Florida International, extended his hitting streak on Friday to 52 games. That's pretty impressive.
But he'll need to keep it going for a little longer to break the NCAA streak of 60, set by Salve Regina University's Damian Costantino in 2003. FIU is a Division I school, and the D-I record is 58 games, set by Robin Ventura of Oklahoma State in 1987.
Wittels has been in the news quite a bit as he chases history, but few of those news outlets - ESPN, the Associated Press, etc. - have mentioned Constantino, which is a bit disappointing. Sure, he did it at the Division III level, but 60 games is 60 games.
Maybe I'm being a little selfish here, but I hope Wittels comes up short. There's nothing like having a bit of college baseball history here in Newport.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Do you believe in Magic?
(KG needs to pull this move on Dwight Howard, just to send a message)
Anybody nervous?
After watching the Boston Bruins blow what seemed to be an insurmountable lead, the Celtics are following suit. Wednesday night’s 113-92 loss to the Magic in Game 5 cut Boston’s 3-0 lead to 3-2, with Game 6 set for Friday night in Boston.
In the words of Vince Lombardi, “What the hell is going on out here?”
The suffocating defense that kept Orlando to a horrid shooting percentage inside and outside of the 3-point arc through three games has vanished. The Celtics no longer are closing out on deep threats, and Dwight Howard — with moderate help from the officials — is having his way in the paint. Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace appeared to be getting to the Magic superstar early in the series, but now the Celtics are the ones who look frustrated.
Offensively, Boston seems a bit out of sorts. Too many options, and not enough open shots. Paul Pierce tried to take the game over in Game 4, and fared pretty well, finishing with 32 points, but he was clearly gassed in overtime, missing two good looks from the top of the key. Rajon Rondo has been held in check, mostly because he’s no longer to dribble into the paint to create shots for teammates.
When they’re out and running, especially with the ball in Rondo’s hand, the Celtics are hard to stop. But in a half-court set, I don’t trust this team to get a must-make bucket.
There was little sense of urgency in overtime on Monday, and pretty much none on Wednesday. One game. One more win. Like Larry Bird in 1984, the Celtics need to grab their opponent by the throat in Game 6.
Because if they don't, expect a finals rematch. No matter how good they were on the road this season, the Celtics won’t win Game 7 in Orlando. And the most forgettable season in Boston sports history will be complete.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Dare to bare
(Keep your pants on, Diego ... seriously)
Diego Maradona, the former Argentinian soccer player known for his "Hand of God," may soon be synonymous for another body part in the near future. Now the coach of Argentina, No. 7 in the most recent FIFA rankings, Maradona said Wednesday he would run naked through the streets of Buenos Aires should his team win the World Cup.
If you've seen the 49-year-old coach these days, he's not exactly in playing shape. I know one team I'll be rooting against when the event begins next month.
Speaking of the World Cup, this is really the only time you can get me to watch soccer. The Beatiful Game is beloved throughout the world, but like most Americans, I find that watching a meaningless match can be like pulling teeth.
The World Cup is different. Every game means something.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Super cold
Some of the more memorable games in NFL history were played in cold, snowy weather. There was the Ice Bowl, the NFL championship game in 1967 between the Packers and Cowboys at Lambeau Field, where the game-time temperature was 13 below zero. And what Patriots fan could forget the 2002 division playoff game between the Pats and Raiders in Foxboro. This game is also remembered as the "Tuck Rule game," in which a Tom Brady fumble wasn't ruled as such, allowing New England to maintain possession with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter. With 27 seconds left, Adam Vinatieri hit a 45-yard field goal through several inches of snow to send the game to overtime. He kicked another one in overtime to win it.
Of course, given the plays that were made and what was on the line, these games would be pretty memorable regardless of the weather. But the cold and snow is, no pun intended, the icing on the cake.
What if we had memories like those of a Super Bowl?
According to reports from the NFL owners meetings, the 2014 Super Bowl is expected to be played in the Giants' and Jets' soon-to-be-built $1.6 billion stadium. There will be no roof, so the team that wins Super Bowl XLVIII (48) likely will have to do so in cold, winter weather.
The fear for some, who oppose holding the Super Bowl at an outdoor stadium in a cold-weather city, is that this could set precedent and open the door for other cold-weather cities to campaign for the NFL's title game. If that's the case, this is good news for Patriots and Packers fans, among others.
In all likelihood, the Super Bowl is never coming to Green Bay, simply because the city is probably too small to accomodate the tremendous influx of people. But a guy can dream of the NFL's biggest game being played at its most historic stadium, can't he?
The chances of New England playing host is more of a legitimate possibility. But in any case, being fans of cold-weather teams, how great would it be for the Packers or Patriots to have the advantage of playing the Super Bowl in cold weather? Of course, if two cold-weather teams ended up meeting in a cold Super Bowl, said advantage is nullified.
Still, while some will whine and cry about how it's not fair to play the Super Bowl outdoors anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line, this is a great move by the NFL. Hopefully XLVIII in the Meadowlands goes well and places like Foxboro, Chicago, Philly, and maybe even Green Bay will be considered in the future.
Of course, given the plays that were made and what was on the line, these games would be pretty memorable regardless of the weather. But the cold and snow is, no pun intended, the icing on the cake.
What if we had memories like those of a Super Bowl?
According to reports from the NFL owners meetings, the 2014 Super Bowl is expected to be played in the Giants' and Jets' soon-to-be-built $1.6 billion stadium. There will be no roof, so the team that wins Super Bowl XLVIII (48) likely will have to do so in cold, winter weather.
The fear for some, who oppose holding the Super Bowl at an outdoor stadium in a cold-weather city, is that this could set precedent and open the door for other cold-weather cities to campaign for the NFL's title game. If that's the case, this is good news for Patriots and Packers fans, among others.
In all likelihood, the Super Bowl is never coming to Green Bay, simply because the city is probably too small to accomodate the tremendous influx of people. But a guy can dream of the NFL's biggest game being played at its most historic stadium, can't he?
The chances of New England playing host is more of a legitimate possibility. But in any case, being fans of cold-weather teams, how great would it be for the Packers or Patriots to have the advantage of playing the Super Bowl in cold weather? Of course, if two cold-weather teams ended up meeting in a cold Super Bowl, said advantage is nullified.
Still, while some will whine and cry about how it's not fair to play the Super Bowl outdoors anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line, this is a great move by the NFL. Hopefully XLVIII in the Meadowlands goes well and places like Foxboro, Chicago, Philly, and maybe even Green Bay will be considered in the future.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Road to McCoy
Could we have has asked for a better local high school baseball season? The top two teams - Middletown and Portsmouth - split their two games in a very-fun-to-watch fashion, and after a wild weekend, the Division I-East title is up for grabs.
Should Middletown, which closes the regular season today, beat visiting East Providence today at 4 at Gaudet Middle School, the Islanders take the title solo. If they lose to the Townies, the Islanders and Patriots share the division.
Either way, both teams will be in good shape when the tournament seeds are announced later this week. Tiverton, which finished 8-10 in division play, will hope to give some of the higher seeds fits, while Rogers - despite a winless campaign - played in some pretty tight contests.
So we have three teams out of 24 with a shot at state title glory. Just so you know, the last local team to win a Division I championship was Tiverton in 1982. Middletown and Portsmouth each will be looking for its first.
Should Middletown, which closes the regular season today, beat visiting East Providence today at 4 at Gaudet Middle School, the Islanders take the title solo. If they lose to the Townies, the Islanders and Patriots share the division.
Either way, both teams will be in good shape when the tournament seeds are announced later this week. Tiverton, which finished 8-10 in division play, will hope to give some of the higher seeds fits, while Rogers - despite a winless campaign - played in some pretty tight contests.
So we have three teams out of 24 with a shot at state title glory. Just so you know, the last local team to win a Division I championship was Tiverton in 1982. Middletown and Portsmouth each will be looking for its first.
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