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Monday Notebook-“This-That-Some of the Other”

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Padres…It has been another disappointing season,but it is fascinating to watch the development of Drew Pomeranz and Christian Freiderich, who have become the trustworthy #1-2 starters in a shoddy rotation. The Padres have used 10-different starting pitchers in the first 11-weeks of the season, and 20-arms in all. It seems like a challenge a day for pitching coach Darren Balsley.

Padres..GM-AJ Preller continues to play maverick. His 3-days at the draft table was full of intrigue, and gambles. Taking 2-pitchers coming off elbow surgery and a third one, who had a season long oblique injury seems a stretch. But he believes what he believes in his scouts, and what they took. Only time will tell. They took 24-pitchers of the 43-players drafted.

Dodgers…Some Sunday night outing from Julio Urias, shutting out the Giants for five innings early, in his second strong outing in a row. Forced to start against the Mets and Cubs on the road in his first two starts, you can see how good this kid is. Next up, Frankie Montas, who had a (1.50-ERA) in rehab starts the last 3-weeks, and may be here before July lst.

Angels..The losing continues, the pitching issues continue, the past contract mistakes of owner Arte Moreno continue. Fans want Mike Scoscia gone as manager. The Halos seem to be wasting, away the career of Mike Trout. The pitching staff is in tatters, the farm system in barren.

Cubs-Nationals…We have lots of baseball to be played but Chicago and Washington appear to be the best teams in baseball, and there’s still a trading deadline day coming to add more talent.

Golden State-Cavaliers…Much made of LeBron James career record of (2-4) in championship series. The Cavs are good, but the Warriors are much more diverse and dangerous. Golden State could clinch it tonite even with Draymond Green sitting out a 1-game suspension.

Lakers..Magic Johnson’s Vice President title removed from the NBA-team directory. As great a player as he was, it has not translated to being much in basketball post-career. Not when he was given the chance to coach the Lakers, a job he wanted, and failed at. Not when he became a VP. And now, because of his continued social media criticism, he is no longer a club exec.

Chargers…That was dome payday for WR-Keenan Allen, the (4Y-44M) extension after he caught (215) passes in two and a half years. That’s 11M per season, highest ever in Chargers history, and makes him the 7th highest paid receiver in the NFL. It’s the same amount the former GM-AJ Smith could have-should have spent to retain Vincent Jackson. That decision drove him off and took away a bullet in Philip Rivers gun The Smith dealings with VJ and Darren Sproles stazggered the offense, and wasted at least three years of Rivers career. Anyone else but me stunned that the Chargers have won just 1-playoff game in the last 7-years?

NHL…saying goodbye to Mr. Hockey-Gordie Howe, Canada’s ‘Favorite Son’. His 801-career goals was remarkable, in an era when players scored 20-a season, he was scoring 40-44-49. He was bigger than an oak tree, tougher than cement, and as loyal a teammate ever. Gentle in public, fierce on the ice. He played till he was 52, and scored 15-goals that final year with the Hartford Whalers, at age 52. You want to see how tough a dude he was, google up the historic pictures of New York Rangers forward Lou Fontinato, and see the end result of a 1950s fight. Gordie’s elbows-always the elbows. We always remember the NHL-historical foot note….”Gordie Howe-hat trick-Goal-Assist-Fight”

Penguins…Some NHL Stanley Cup performance by Pittsburgh…winning cup on San Jose ice….The Pens held the Sharks top scorers, Thornton-Marleau-Couture-Bruns to just 2-goals in 6-games.

Phil Mickelson…For all the junk off the course he has gotten himself involved in in the last month, that was some weekend at the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, a strong second place finish. Now with his game on the upswing, he heads to Oakmont in Pittsburgh for next weeks historic US Open

Belmont Stakes…A rousing finish to the Triple Crown with Exaggerator fading down the stretch, and Desdin being chased down….Nyquist could not run because of illness, giving us an empty Triple Crown summer…but look forward to the Delmar Pacific Classic and the fall Breeders Cup Classic.

Muhammad Ali……Boxing’s royalty and sports and political figures turned out en-masse for the memorial service for the champ. His headstone at the Louisville cemetary faces east towards Mecca. For all the things he accomplished in sport and society, the tombstone simply reads “Ali” and that says it all.

What do you think….Your turn..hit the message box below and reply.

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