NY Sports Digest

May 17th – This Day in NY Sports History

James Rimmer — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:00:46 +0000

May 17, 1912 – Birthday of football Dodger and Yankee MVP QB Clarence “Ace” Parker.

May 17, 1917 – Yankee Frank “Home Run” Baker steals 4 bases in a single game.

May 17, 1927 – Birthday of Yankee pitcher James “Hot Rod” McDonald.

May 17, 1937 – NBA rule change eliminates the center jump after each basket and giving the ball to the the defending team under their opponent’s basket.

May 17, 1953 – Birthday of former Giants QB Earl Morrall.

May 17, 1953 – The Yankees and St. Louis set an MLB record by using 41 players in a single game. NY wins 6-5 in 10 innings.

May 17, 1957 – Birthday of Yankee pitcher Pascual Pérez.

May 17, 1961 – Yankee Roger Maris hits his 1st HR at Yankee Stadium (his 4th of the year) on his way to his record-setting 61 for the season.

May 17, 1962 – In the top of the 9th, Yankee Mickey Mantle walked, stole 2nd, went to 3rd on a bad throw and scored the winning run on a sacrifice.

May 17, 1964 – Former football Giants player and coach Steve Owen dies at age 66.

May 17, 1970 – Birthday of Knicks guard Hubert Davis.

May 17, 1980 – Islanders defeat Philadelphia 6-2 in the 1st Stanley Cup final game ever played at Nassau Colosseum to take a 2-1 series lead.

May 17, 1983 – Islanders sweep Edmonton with a 4-2 victory and win their 4th consecutive Stanley Cup.

May 17, 1993 – Knick’s coach Pat Riley is named NBA “Coach of the year.”

May 17, 1998 – Yankee David Wells pitches a perfect game at Yankee Stadium. The 4-0 win over Minnesota is the 13th perfect game in MLB history.

May 17, 2002 – Yankee Jason Giambi hits a game-winning grand-slam in the 14th for a 14-13 victory over Minnesota.

Possibly Related Posts:

May 16th – This Day in NY Sports History

James Rimmer — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:00:40 +0000

On this day in NY sports history…

May 16, 1924 – Candy Cummings, a former Brooklyn pitcher and the reputed inventor of the curveball (in 1866), dies at age 75.

May 16, 1927 – Yankee OF Bob Meusel stole 2nd, 3rd and home in the 2nd inning of a 6-2 win over Detroit.

May 16, 1928 – Birthday of Yankee 2B and legendary manager Billy Martin.

May 16, 1932 – Yankees tie an AL record with their 4th consecutive shutout victory.

May 16, 1949 – Birthday of Yankee pitcher Rick Reuschel.

May 16, 1953 – Birthday of Yankee pitcher Rick Rhoden.

May 16, 1957 – Yankees Hank Bauer, Mickey Mantle, Whitely Ford, Yogi Berra, Johnny Kucks and Billy Martin were fined by the club after getting into a fight at a nightclub while celebrating Martin’s 29th birthday.

May 16, 1970 – Birthday of former Yankee pitcher Jim Mecir.

May 16, 1975 – Al Heifer, play-by-play announcer for the Dodgers and Giants, dies at age 63.

May 16, 1982 – Islanders sweep Vancouver with a 3-1 4th game victory to win their 3rd consecutive Stanley Cup.

May 16, 1983 – Met rookie Darryl Strawberry got his 1st MLB HR in a 11-4 win over San Diego.

May 16, 1999 – Knick Allan Houston hits a 10-foot jumper with 0.8 seconds left to defeat Miami in game 5 and win the Eastern Conference playoffs. They become only the 2nd 8th seed in NBA history to defeat a # 1 seed in the playoffs.

May 16, 2006 – For the 4th time in franchise history, the Yankees come back from a 9 run deficit to defeat Texas 14-13. with a Jorge Posada walk-off, 2 run HR.

Possibly Related Posts:

Lundqvist Shines as Rangers Shut Out Devils to Take Game One

Anthony Strait — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:05:59 +0000

A mere 24 hours after the New York Rangers knocked off the Washington Capitals in game seven of their second round series, they were back in action Monday night as the Eastern conference finals kicked off in a electrified Madison Square Garden. Awaiting them was a well rested New Jersey Devils team that has had six full days of rest after disposing the Philadelphia Flyers in five games. In the end, it was the battle-weary Rangers who took it up another notch in the 3^rd period as Henrik Lundqvist stopped 21 shots to lead New York to a 3-0 shut out victory to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals. No team has ever played back to back seven game series in the first two rounds and went on the win the Stanley Cup. New York is aiming to put that statistic to the test.

Lundqvist was stellar from the start as both teams came out flying in the first period. Both teams had their chances, but future hall of famer Martin Brodeur was equally as impressive as the 40-year old turned away the Rangers attacks. Zack Parise felt the frustration of trying to get a puck past Lundqvist. In the first period he had an apparent breakaway only to be caught from behind by Ryan McDonaugh before he could get a shot off. In the second period he had three chances on a Rangers turnover while New Jersey was short-handed. Lundqvist stood tall and stopped all three shot attempts to keep the game scoreless.

To no one’s surprise the game was physical and hard fought as it always is with these bitter rivals. The game remained scoreless in the 3^rd period when the Rangers caught the Devils in a middle of a line change. Dan Girardi received a pass from the blue line and fired a shot that made it through a screen set by Derek Stepan and past Brodeur to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead 53 seconds into the 3^rd period.

The Rangers often woeful powerplay came through when Chris Kreider beat Brodeur to make it 2-0 with eight minutes to play as the crowd taunted Brodeur with chants of “Marty” all night. Kreider and defense Michael Del Zotto were both only three years old when these two teams last met in the 1994 conference final, a seven game series win by the Rangers, when 22-year old Martin Brodeur was in net for New Jersey. Artem Anisimov added the empty net goal to seal the win.

With game two set for Wednesday night before the scene shifts across the river to Newark, the Rangers will try to do what they failed to do in their first two series-protect their home ice advantage by winning the first two games of the series.

Possibly Related Posts:

May 15th – This Day in NY Sports History

James Rimmer — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:00:51 +0000

On this day in NY sports history…

May 15, 1862 – The 1st enclosed ballpark, The Union Grounds, opens in Brooklyn.

May 15, 1898 – Birthday of Ranger right wing Bill Boyd.

May 15, 1909 – Giants pitcher George “Hooks” Wiltse stikes out 4 batters in 1 inning.

May 15, 1919 – Dodgers score 10 runs in the 13th to defeat Cincinnati, 10-0.

May 15, 1926 - The Rangers are granted a franchise in the NHL.

May 15, 1935 – Yankee future HOFer Lou Gehrig steals home for the final time in his career in a 4-0 win over Detroit.

May 15, 1940 – Birthday of former Knicks coach Don Nelson.

May 15, 1941 – Yankee future HOFer Joe DiMaggio begins his 56-game hitting streak with a single against Chicago’s Eddie Smith.

May 15, 1954 – Birthday of Islander defenseman Dave Langevin.

May 15, 1956 – Dodgers acquire pitcher Sal “The Barber” Maglie.

May 15, 1961 – One of the founders of the NHL and the coach of the NY Americans, Tommy Gorman, dies at age 74.

May 15, 1969 – Birthday of Yankee pitcher Hideki Irabu.

May 15, 1970 – Mets future HOFer Tom Seaver throws the teams 3rd 1-hitter in 33 game in a 4-0 win over Philadelphia. It is the 2nd of his career (he will eventually get 5) and is back-to-back with a 1-hitter by Gary Gentry 2 day before.

May 15, 1975 – In the 11th Mayor’s Trophy Game, the Yankees defeat the Mets 9-4.

May 15, 1990 – Knick guard Vernon “Earl the Pearl” Monroe is inducted into the NBA Hall-of-Fame.

May 15, 1991 – Bill Parcells, the Tuna, resigns as coach of the football Giants.

May 15, 1998 – NY street basketball legend Earl “The Goat” Manigault dies at age 53.

Possibly Related Posts:

Revis Needs To Worry About Jets, Not Patriots

Leslie Monteiro — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:08:48 +0000

By Leslie Monteiro

It would have been nice if the New York Jets could go a full year without embarrassing themselves. Apparently, that’s too much to ask.

One would think the Jets would try staying out of the public’s eye until training camp after a terribly disappointing season, a season in which they spoke too often and backed it up too little. After off-season expectations of going to the Super Bowl, not making the playoffs ended what was arguably the most substandard season in the history of the franchise. You’d think this team as a whole would learn a thing or two about humble.

That hasn’t been the case here. Rex Ryan continues to talk about expectations and how great his team is. He also continues to sell hope about his team’s young players. As stupid as it is, he is being paid to hype up his team. At this point, that renders too norm to induce outrage.

Fans should be outraged by what Darrelle Revis has to say. He has done plenty of talking this offseason. He ripped Patriots coach Bill Belichick, calling him a jerk in an interview on ESPN few months ago, and he kept it going last week by talking about how he does not care about the future Hall of Fame coach degrading the Jets at every opportunity. He also complained about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, calling him classless.

Revis shouldn’t be worrying about what an opposing coach has to say about his team. It’s a waste of time and energy. It’s irrelevant.

More importantly, Revis is being blatantly hypocritical. During the week of the divisional round last year, the Jets were openly mocking the Patriots. Revis, after all, is the same guy that called Randy Moss a slouch. His partner in crime, Antonio Cromartie, called Brady an asshole.

The Jets are an unlikable bunch, and it starts at the top, with their obnoxious head coach and attention-seeking owner Woody Johnson. Getting Tim Tebow does not change that perception; if anything, it enhances it. Opposing teams will continue to be fired up as long as this franchise attracts headlines for the wrong reason. Revis needs to get used to it.

Respect should be earned, not given. The Jets have won nothing since Joe Namath led them to a championship in 1969. Despite two deep playoff runs, the reality is that when one thinks about this team, they think of failure, of missed opportunities and unfulfilled expectations.

The Jets like to think they are different now, and maybe they are. But so far, they haven’t proven anything beyond Same Old Jets. So if they want to be viewed as an elite team that has won something (which they haven’t), then they need to win something. Until then, they are nothing more than a pretender. To be a champion, they must win a championship, and they haven’t.

One would think Revis would understand this. He seems a smart enough guy. But for the all-pro corner to get upset about what Belichick has to say shows his priorities are in the wrong place. Everyone knows the Patriots coach love to play mind games with the Jets, and for Revis to respond accomplishes nothing. There is no reason for the Hall of Fame coach to dignify what the Jets cornerback has to say, just as there was no reason for the Pro Bowl corner to dignify what slight he presumed Belichick had committed against him.

Maybe Revis is still upset that Belichick never thought much of him when he was in college. There was an article in Sports Illustrated once that mentioned the Patriots coach saying he wouldn’t draft the Jets cornerback on his team. That has to be the case.

Instead of the smack talk, Revis should adopt an approach centered around doing whatever it takes to win the Super Bowl. He needs to set the example for his teammates, so that they can follow his lead.

Until he changes, it’s going to be more of the same for the Jets.

Possibly Related Posts:

New York Rangers: Team of Destiny?

Anthony Strait — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:12:26 +0000

By Anthony Strait

There may be something magical to these New York Rangers after all.

Facing their second game seven of this postseason, the Rangers once again got stellar goalie play and earned themselves a hard fought game, and series, victory. At the end of a roller coaster seven games that had a little bit of everything it was New York defeating the Washington Capitals 2-1 to win their semi-finals series in seven games. Waiting for them now is a well rested New Jersey Devils team that finished off Philadelphia in five. Game one is tonight at Madison Square Garden.

New York needed just 92 seconds to cease control of what would turn into another nail biter. Brad Richards fired a one-timer pass Capitals credit Braden Holtby to put the Rangers up 1-0 early in game seven. That score held up for two periods as both Henrik Lundqvist and Holtby was spectacular in keeping their respected teams in the game.

“We didn’t expect the first blowout,” said Rangers forward Brad Richards. “We expected another tight game. It came down to that again. It’s just the way this series has gone, and it didn’t change.”

The Rangers managed to do the little things like staying disciplined and not committing penalties, minus one that occurred in the 3^rd period. Michael Del Zotto extended the lead to 2-0 when he beat Holtby glove side as the Capitals were caught in the middle of a line change. The lead lasted all but 38 seconds when Roman Hamrlik scored his first goal on a shot that hit off Rangers forward Derek Stepan and floated past Lundqvist. The Rangers goalie shook his head in disbelief as anxious moments took over the Garden for the final 10 minutes.

Lundqvist made some key stops as the Capitals tried desperately to tie the game. Washington tried to pull its goalie with two minutes left but the Rangers were able to keep the puck deep into the Capitals zone, forcing Holtby to return and stay in net. As time finally expired, the Rangers and Madison Square Garden was sent into jubilation while the Caps could be seen and heard slamming their sticks into the walls on their way to the locker room.

“It’s disappointing,” said Braden Holtby, who made 29 saves. “We really did believe in here that we had the team to do it all. We gave ourselves a great chance. It’s a tough loss. What we can take out of it is that New York is a very good team. We didn’t leave anything on the table.”

For the Capitals it was another heartbreaking end to a postseason. The Rangers, meanwhile, advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1997 while exercising some postseason demons of their own as Washington eliminated New York in two of the last three playoffs (2009, 2011).

Up next are the Devils in another chapter to this Atlantic division rivalry. This will be the six playoff matchup between the two teams, with New York winning four of the previous five, including their classic 1994 conference finals matchup. Rangers fans will remember that ended on Stephane Matteau’s goal in Game Seven, launching the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. The first two games of this series will be at MSG Monday and Wednesday night.

“It feels good to get that win,” Rangers forward Marian Gaborik said. “You have to enjoy it for a little bit, but Monday we start from scratch again. We need to feel good about ourselves and get ready for the next series.”

Possibly Related Posts:

May 14th – This Day in NY Sports History

James Rimmer — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:00:31 +0000

On this day in NY sports history…

May 14, 1890 – Birthday of Negro League executive and owner of the NY Cubans Alex Pompez.

May 14, 1899 – Birthday of Yankee HOF CF Earle Combs.

May 14, 1920 – Giants inform the Yankees that their lease to use the Polo Ground will not be renewed next season.

May 14, 1929 – Birthday of Ranger HOF goalie Lorne John “Gump” Worsley.

May 14, 1936 – Birthday of former Yankee infielder and manager Dick Howser.

May 14, 1947 – For the 4th time in franchise history,Yankees Charlie Keller, Joe DiMaggio and Johnny Lindell hit back-to-back-to-back HRs.

May 14, 1947 – Birthday of Yankee pitcher Dick “Dirt” Tidrow.

May 14, 1948 – Birthday of Yankee pitcher Dave LaRoche.

May 14, 1967 – Yankee future HOFer Mickey Mantle hits HR # 500 off of Baltimore’s Stu Miller in a 6-5 victory.

May 14, 1972 – Future HOFer Willie Mays makes his debut with the Mets with a game-winning HR for a 5-4 win over San Francisco.

May 14, 1972 – Birthday of Jets LB Chad Cascadden.

May 14, 1973 – Birthday of Islander left wing Ken Belanger.

May 14, 1993 – Islanders win the Stanley Cup with an OT goal by David Volek to defeat 2-time defending champion Pittsburgh 4-3.

May 14, 1996 – Yankee Dwight Gooden throws a no-hitter against Seattle for the 2-0 win.

May 14, 1997 – 5 Knicks (including Patrick Ewing) are suspended after a bench-clearing fight at the end of a playoff loss to Miami and end up losing the next 2 games and the series.

May 14, 2003 – Knick HOF forward Dave DeBusschere dies at age 62.

May 14, 2009 – Mets get a franchise record 7 stolen bases in a 7-4 win over San Francisco.

Possibly Related Posts:

May 13th – This Day in NY Sports History

James Rimmer — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:00:47 +0000

On this day in NY Sports history…

May 13, 1911 – Giant Fred Merkle is the 1st MLB player to get 6 RBIs in 1 inning during a 19-5 win over St. Louis.

May 13, 1914 – Birthday of future heavyweight champion, Joseph Louis Barrow aka “Joe Louis.”

May 13, 1950 - “Ed Barrow Day” at Yankee Stadium honors the former team manager and executive who is credited for building the championship teams of the 1920s and 1930s.

May 13, 1953 – Giants Willie Mays and Darryl Spencer each hit 2 HRs and a triple.

May 13, 1955 – Yankee future HOFer Mickey Mantle hits HRs from both sides of the plate and hit 3 HRs in a game for the 1st times in his MLB career. Each HR goes at least 463 feet.

May 13, 1964 – Birthday of Yankee pitcher Jose Rijo.

May 13, 1976 – NY Nets defeat the Denver Nuggets 112-108 at Nassau Coliseum to win the ABA Championship for the 2nd time 4 games to 2. It is the last ABA game ever played; later that year the ABA merges into the NBA.

May 13, 1980 – Islander Denis Potvin scores the 1st OT power-play goal in Stanley Cup Finals history for a 4-3 win over Philadelphia.

May 13, 1985 – Yankees rally from an 0-8 deficit to defeat Minnesota 9-8. Don Mattingly ends the game with a 3 run, 2 out ,9th inning walk-off HR.

May 13, 1991 – Knick guard Nate Archibald and Knick F/C Harry Gallatin are inducted into the NBA Hall-of-Fame.

May 13, 1997 – Yankee owner George Steinbrenner is suspended from MLB’s Executive Council.

May 13, 2000 – Mets release Rickey Henderson.

May 13, 2001 – Yankee Alex Rodriquez becomes the 5th youngest MLB player to hit his 200th HR.

May 13, 2011 – Ranger left-wing Derek Boogaard dies at age 28.

Possibly Related Posts:

May 12th – This Day in NY Sports History

James Rimmer — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:00:27 +0000

On this day in NY sports history…

May 12, 1897 – Birthday of Yankee 3B Joseph “Jumping Joe” Dugan.

May 12, 1916 – Birthday of Yankee pitcher Henry Borowy.

May 12, 1919 – Yankees and Senators play a 2nd consecutive extra inning tie of 4-4 in 15 innings.

May 12, 1925 – Birthday of Yankee HOFer Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra.

May 12, 1956 – Dodger Carl Erskine throws his 2nd MLB career no-hitter over the Giants, 3-0 at Ebbets Field.

May 12, 1962 – Mets reliver Craig Anderson wins both games of a double header, 3-2 and 8-7 over Atlanta.

May 12, 1963 – Yankee pitcher Jim Bouton makes his 1st start of the season and gets a 2 hit, 2-0 win over Baltimore.

May 12, 1968 – Birthday of Mets pitcher Mark Clark.

May 12, 1971 – Former Dodger HOF LF Henry Emmett “Heinie” Manush dies at age 69.

May 12, 1974 – Met Ed Kranepool gets his 100oth MLB hit.

May 12, 1978 – Yankee catcher Fran Healey announces his retirement and begins his broadcasting career the next day.

May 12, 1981 – Islanders Bryan Trottier and Andres Kallur score shorthanded goals within 47 seconds in a 6-3 win over Minnesota in game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals.

May 12, 1985 – Knicks are awarded the 1st pick in the initial NBA lottery and will eventually take Patrick Ewing with the pick.

May 12, 1990 – Met pitcher Frank Viola gets his 7th win of the season and a franchise record 9 in a row, extending from last season.

May 12, 1996 – Yankees come back from an 0-8 deficit to defeat Chicago 9-8.

Possibly Related Posts:

New York Knicks 2012: A Significant Disappointment

Leslie Monteiro — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:52:55 +0000

By Leslie Monteiro

Well, this was a colossal waste of time.

That’s what this first round exit by the New York Knicks was, as they were outclassed by the Miami Heat in four of the five games. This meant this season was a failure. There is no way around it.

Stop with the excuse about the Knicks playing the Heat. Stop whining about the Sixers tanking in their final game of the season just so they received the Bulls as their opponent for the first round. It should have never come down to that.

The Knicks should have won the division or won enough games to be the fifth seed. They have the talent to get it done, but they lost to inferior teams all season. That’s why it’s okay to rip them.

Getting to the playoffs is not good enough. It used to be championship or bust for this franchise back in the 90s, and it’s time to get that feeling back. That’s how this proud franchise should be defined.

The Knicks like to talk about how they are relevant by showcasing Carmelo Anthony around. That’s great, but in this town, winning is the only thing that matters. This team hasn’t done that under him. Melo, notably, is 1-8 in the postseason as a Knicks, and he has gotten past the first round only once in his NBA career.

That shouldn’t get anyone excited.

It’s okay to wonder if the Knicks will ever win a title with this group of players. Amar’e Stoudemire will never be the player he was, with his knees and his back. Anthony does not play defense, and he is not inclined to work well with his teammates as he wants the ball at times. Tyson Chandler is a nice role player, but he is not a star.

If this Knicks team was great, they would have given the Heat a scare by taking it to seven games. Being out in five games shows that team should not be taken seriously. Don’t mention about how the Knicks won a game when they almost blew that lead to the Heat in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.

It’s pathetic that we celebrated the team’s first playoff win for the first time since April 29, 2001. It would have been meaningful had the Knicks cut the deficit to 2-1 against the Heat or take it to Game 7 by winning the next three games. It never happened. This playoff win was meaningless.

This first round exit is depressing. It shows there is no hope for this Knicks franchise. As long as LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are staying in Miami, forget about celebrating a championship in the Canyon of Heroes.

Even if the Knicks get past the first round, it is nothing to be proud of. It is about winning championships. This franchise has given no reason to think it’s going to happen.

For one thing, the Knicks need a head coach that knows how to lead and demand excellence. That means not being a friend to the players. Sorry, but Mike Woodson does not pass the test as the Knicks coach. He is a decent coach at best, but he is not what this franchise need.

What the Knicks need is either Phil Jackson or Jerry Sloan. Odds are that’s not happening. It seems Knicks chairman James Dolan and Anthony prefer Woodson since he is a pushover that will listen to them rather than have those two listen to what a legitimate head coach has to say.

That’s too bad. This shouldn’t be what the chairman and Anthony want. This is about getting a coach that knows what to do in getting a championship. This shouldn’t be about politics.

Until that change, we will have more one-and-outs. That is why there is no reason to get excited about this franchise.

If fans want to be excited about making playoffs, more power to them. Standards should be higher like getting to the Eastern Conference Finals or the NBA Finals. That’s when the Knicks are back.

Until then, that team is a mediocre franchise.

Possibly Related Posts: