========Hacksaw’s World Series Podcast…Monday 1:30pm
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Hot Topics on Table..Stay for Fans Forum
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“DODGERS = DYNASTY”
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What a week of baseball.
1-for the record books and remember the World Series started in 1903
Pick any moment and it is something to remember forever

..The 18-inning Monday Night Dodger victory
..Showtime..Ohtani reaching base 9-times in one game
..Yosh Yamamoto 2-wins as a starter..then on 17-hours rest-3 innings relief
..Kike Hernandez game ending-winning double play flyball catch
..Andy Pages crash into the wall to end a rally with a flycall catch
..Will Smith’s game winning HRs
..Miguel Rojas-utilityman-game tying HR..bases loaded throw-double play
..Freddie Freeman’s clutch game winning home run
..Dodgers defense double plays every game
..Roki Sasaki’s emergence as a closer

..Tres Yesavage 12-strikeout game
..Kevin Gausman ace of staff starts
..Vlad Guerreero’s (.419) post season average
..Ernie Clements hero status
..George Springer’s heroics
..Jeff Hoffman-Gus Varland workmanship out of the bullpen
..Base hits-Men on Base-Never Say die batting order
..Devastating (3-17) (1-9) runners in scoring position-last two games
..Hitting (.284) in the playoffs but losing
..Everything but the final inning wins.

..Bench clearing incident
..Ball stuck in the fence killing a rally
..Cross border travel delays both teams

..A Dodgers postseason stretch where they were hitting (.201)
..A collapse of nearly everyone in the bullpen
..Blake Snell giving up 10-runs in 11-innings as a starter
..Ohtani getting battered while pitching on fumes.

The Dodgers have won 11-National League West Division titles in 12-years.
They now have 3-World Series titles in a 6-year window.

The stats are staggering and the success needs to be honored.

The biggest intangible..Dave Roberts ability to merge analytics from upstairs, especially in the pitching categories, in post season play.

The other intangible..Roberts ability to take a clubhouse of millionaires, from diverse cultures, and meld the personalities and egos and agenda, into an amazing roster.

End result..another World Series ring.  End result..a dynasty.
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Hacksaw’s Great Sports Weekend Podcast
You Tube-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
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“QUESTIONS WORTH ASKING”
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DODGERS..Pretty shocking week of baseball.  Money can buy you lots of things, but obviously not base hits nor trustworthy outing from a bunch of relief pitches.  Hard to believe LA has a (201) batting average in their World Series.

Should Dave Roberts move Shohei Ohtani out of the leadoff spot-drop him to 4-or-5 where he would have the chance to hit with guys on base?

How concerned should the Dodgers be about a roster that really looks old…six players age (31) to (37) in the lineup?

Which is the biggest shocker..Mookie Betts (3-23) in the Fall Classic…Max Muncy (3-20)..Tommy Edman (3-21)?

Which pitcher do you go to if Yosh Yamamoto gets in trouble in game six, or if there is a  Game seven, and Tyler Glasnow is in hot water, do you trust Shohei Ohtani or Blake Snell or Clayton Kershaw in long relief?

Do the Dodgers change their mindset and start first pitching swinging rather than being in 0-1 or 0-2 holes most every at bat?

TORONTO…A no fear batting order, that does not strike out, does not chase, always gets bat on ball and is hitting (.261) with 8-home runs in the Fall Classic.  That the surprise story of the week?

Or is it the maturity of the young minor league starter Trey Yssavage and his strikeout stuff.  An American League version of Paul Skenes?

It’s taken awhile and he is a different player, but Vlad Guerrero-Junior is reaching slugging heights we saw from his dad, the ex Monreal-Angels star Vlad-Senior isn’t he?

How many innings and batters do Gus Varland-Jeff Hoffman have left in them considering they are on the mound most every night?

What a series of highs-and-lows.  And we have another game of fireworks on Friday night.

No more questions.  Just waiting for answers.

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Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast…1:30pm
You Tube-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Hot-Topics..Stay for Fans Forum
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“UCLA-BAD LOSSES-BAD DECISIONS”
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The great players of the past have spoken out about what UCLA football has become at this hour..and they want change.

Players dating as far back as the 1970s have signed a letter demanding the Chancellor remove current Athletic Director Martin Jarmond, as the Bruins program drifts into obscurity, following its move to the Big 10 Conference.

A mountain of debt, blowout losses, and bad hires fall at the front door of Jarmond, who came here from Boston College.

The most vocal, legendary QB-Troy Aikman, but a chorus of voices from all eras are now part of the clamoring, that wins cannot come without a change.

Damage done.  How can things get better, if the same people are allowed to make all the same decisions.  Sounds like man off shoot of the USC-Mike Garrett era.  And we know how all that ended up, losses, bad hires, and the Reggie Bush-driven NCAA probation.

A summary story from the LA Times:
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A large group of former UCLA football players sent a letter to chancellor Julio Frenk earlier this month asking for besieged athletic director Martin Jarmond to be replaced “to reestablish the university’s commitment to excellence, both on and off the field.”

The 64 players, who represent multiple eras of UCLA football spanning coaches Bob Toledo to Chip Kelly and include several who went on to play in the NFL, wrote to “express deep concern with the current direction of UCLA Athletics under Martin Jarmond. Despite the resources, history, and opportunities at his disposal, Mr. Jarmond has not demonstrated the level of leadership or vision consistent with UCLA’s proud legacy. Rather than building on the foundations of greatness established by those before him, his tenure has fallen short of advancing UCLA to its rightful place among the nation’s premier programs.

“UCLA deserves an athletic director who understands that this role is not merely about administration, but about stewardship of a legacy — one rooted in excellence, historic achievement, and national leadership. Unfortunately, Mr. Jarmond has not embodied these values, nor has he positioned UCLA Athletics to rise to the standard its history demands.”

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Letter to Chancellor Frenk
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The letter went on to call for new leadership, saying it was part of a movement “bigger than any one of us. Former players have joined forces — through countless calls, texts, and meetings — to push this cause forward. We are united in our commitment to protecting the proud legacy of UCLA football and athletics.”

In a statement to The Times, Frenk said the university will continue to stand behind Jarmond: “At a top university like UCLA, a successful athletics program plays a powerful role in building community and strengthening connections. We deeply value the views of our Bruin alumni on how to maintain and elevate our legendary athletics program across all sports. Athletic Director Jarmond has UCLA’s support, and we will continue to work with him to build a successful program that embodies the greatness of Bruins, on and off the field.”

Jarmond has come under fire since the dismissal of coach DeShaun Foster after only 15 games illuminated the athletic director’s stewardship of the football program. Jarmond’s refusal to fire Kelly before Kelly abruptly left in February 2024 to take a job as offensive coordinator at Ohio State led to the whirlwind hiring of Foster, a position coach whose deficiencies as a head coach were on full display while posting a 5-10 record that included an 0-3 start this season.

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Others have since criticized Jarmond for a broad range of shortcomings, including an insufficient response to leaked donor data, lowered expectations for success involving a once-proud football program and carte blanch spending that has led to staggering athletic department deficits.

 

A petition seeking Jarmond’s removal or resignation garnered 1,462 signatures and a mobile billboard truck circled Westwood with messages such as “UCLA Football Deserves Better Fire AD Martin Jarmond” and “$7 Million Buyout for UCLA’s AD? Failure Never Paid So Well.”

Some have questioned why Jarmond was granted a contract extension in May 2024, at a time when UCLA was transitioning from outgoing chancellor Gene Block to Frenk. According to the terms of that extension, Jarmond would be owed roughly $7.1 million, or the full amount of a contract that runs through June 30, 2029, if he was terminated without cause.

Many appear to want him gone before then. Before each of the football team’s last two home games at the Rose Bowl, an airplane has flown over the stadium pulling a banner calling for his dismissal.

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‘WORLD SERIES & BASEBALL WORLD’
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Sitting and watching the Fall Classic.

I thought the greatest thing I had ever seen in the World Series, was Don Larsen’s perfect game, NY Yankees-vs-Brooklyn Dodgers on my black and white TV as a kid growing up in the 1950s.

Sure we have seen great things, the Bronx Bombers of yesteryear, the Big Red Machine, Drysdale and Koufax, the Carlton Fisk HR, the end of the Curse of the Bambino or the Curse of the Billy Goat-Cubs, or Bob Gibson and the Runnin Redbirds.

Have seen alot, but what we have seen in this Dodgers-marathon win over the Blue Jays, signs and seals the phrase ‘CLASSIC FALL CLASSIC’ game.

Tension filled.  Electric.  Must made big plays.  Big hits.  Courageous pitching from the bullpen.

It was more than Freddie Freeman’s 18th inning home run to give LA the game 3-victory.

But it was each incident, big play, big pitch, big mistake along the way.

Ohtani getting 4-hits in a row, then being walked 5-straight times.  Do you know it’s never happened in a Wold Series game?  You have to go back to 1942-to find Stan Hack reaching base 9-times in a game.

How about career minor league relief pitcher Will Klien throwing 72 pitches in 4-innings of 1-hit relief, the last guy standing the Dodgers bullpen.

Clayton Kershaw’s 1-batter outing with the bases loaded coming out of the pen to stifle Toronto…but before that warming up in 4-different innings before they called him into the game.

How about Eric Lauer-career journeyman going 4.2 shutout innings for the Jays.

Heroes everywhere, Tommy Edman’s two amazing throws to cut down runners.
Ditto the gun of an arm throw from Teo Hernandez.

In the World Series, that began in 1903-we have never seen this, but we saw it in 2025 on a Monday night.

18-innings.  A total of (6:39) minutes of baseball.
19-pitchers used.
699-pitches thrown
37-left on base
(4-for-26) with runners in scoring position
31-hits..19-walks..29-strikeouts

Freddie Freeman thrown out at the plate.  Teoscar taken out at 3rd.  Ohtani gunned down at 2nd.

Not to be outdone, the Jays had runners nailed at 1st on a pickoff…-at 3rd-at the plate, and had the bases loaded but failed to score in the 12th

Blake Snell and Yosh Yamamoto going to Roberts saying they’d be willing to pitch in the 17th-18th or if there was a 19th inning.

it was electric, tension filled, exhaustive.

A superb job by Joe Davis-Jon Smoltz on Fox 5-adding the right touch of big voices, background stoies, and then staying silent thru it’s biggest HR moment.

Show me scoresheet-it will wind up in the Hall of Fame.

How about those umpires, on their feet, standing for nearly 7-hours-no breaks.

Felt bad looking at the LA Times sports sections in the morning.  Early deadlines make it impossible to do game stories.  I get that.  But you could have given us notes columns, and historical items.  Instead, a full blown story about disgraced owner Frank McCourt, who owns the parking lots at Dodger Stadium.  The man, who took the team to bankruptcy, gets that covetage on that kind of day.  The LA Times-used to be good-now it gives us yesterday’s news tomorrow, and they miss the key stories they could have covered.

Dave Roberts best quote…’Today got here quick’

Jays boss John Schnieder reminded us..’The Dodgers won 1-game..not the Series’

So before you could catch your breath, we have to be ready for more heroics, all wrapped about Showtime, as we all await to see what Ohtani brings next to Dodgers Stadium.  Tuesday was a disappointment in LA.  Wednesday brings new day before they head back to Toronto and play Friday

As the ump would say ‘Play Ball’.  Don’t know if they can top Monday night..we wait to see what is next

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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast
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“SDSU–A BUSY DAY”
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Quite a day at San Diego State.

Aztecs football is (6-1) in a first place tie in Mountain West football.
Aztecs basketball is about to begin
And a legendary Aztecs pitcher is coming home.

Sean Lewis has a nationally ranked defense.
Brian Dutcher’s basketball team is the unanimous pick to win the MWC.
Stephen Strasburg, retired from baseball, is coming back to SDSU as an assistant.

Pretty interesting times up on Montezuma Mesa.

Up next for football, Wyoming here.
Up next for basketball, the season is about to begin.
Up next for a rebuilding baseball program, Strasburg comes in as the special assistant to the new head coach Kevin Vance, working with pitching, fund raising and other alumni projects.
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Coach Sean Lewis:

Homecoming week..really special
Win at Fresno State…a unique journey
Keep roster intact is important
We are excited

Flipping program..not surprised..character we have
Work works..finds solution …
This is Aztec fast

Offensive line-growth-continuity this year
We had 7-8 different combinations last year
Biggest piece keeping all 5-healthy
Christian Jones took great strides as a LT in one year-has great length
3-inside guys are big humans..big people beat up little people
Joe Borgon weathered injury obstacles..emotionally-mentally tough
Our bookend tackles are special

Speed-conditioning is everything we have
We invested in alot of special equipment for our weight room
Strengths coaches work with each guy individually
Build specific needs of each player with our strength coach
We created alot of culture in that weight room
We do sports science…we peak them at max value at right time
Strong guys are more resilient-they don’t break

Gabe Placencia-25 field goals in a row…’hefty lefty’
It is uncommon what he is doing
Secret weapon-such fortitude-concentration

Special teams coaches-wear different hats
Need knowledge of schemes-protection
Alignments are huge for Placencia
Let my special team coaches deal with him

Defense metrics…we do things really well
Brilliantly boring basics
Passion-Pride-Connection

Lucky Sutton-growth-worked tremendously..proven it
He gets stronger as the game gets longer
He has become a workhorse
Moments never too big him
He finishes run-great physicality

Play to our standard each week
Embrace the hard…higher you climb..higher the challenge
They have done the training-now learned hard lessons we have learned

Wyoming has strong inside run game-they dictate on schedule
Stay ahead of the schedule-downs and yards
We must stop the run
Put them in passing mode
Won Border War game with Colorado State
They are starting to play well-very physical
This will be a trench warfare game
QB-Kade Anderson has built a lineup to fit his game

Believe we now have ‘Home Field Advantage’..fans fired up
We embarassed the program last year
Now there is a buzz in building and on campus

There is leadership in Athletic Department..seems greatness everywhere
We have ambassadors everywhere
Feel it every single day.

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