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“Dodgers-So Close-Yet So Far”

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I thought this World Series would go seven full games. Said that on Monday, before the opener, and still believe it now.

But what could have been a Dodgers 2-0 lead, disappeared just like that, as the Houston Astros sleeping bats awoke.

When they were done, they powered home runs all over Dodgers Stadium, shellshocked the LA bullpen, stunned the Dodgers dugout, and silenced the noisy fans wearing Dodgers Blue.

Houston, which hit (.273) this year on the road, teed off on any and all of the LA relievers, with bombs in the 9th-10th and 11th innings, getting home field advantage as they head back to Minute Maid Park.

The Astros have had heroes all year long. All showed up when they needed them the most last night. Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa.

And there will be questions now asked of manager Dave Roberts? Were you manging on gut feelings, or on baseball matchup metrics?

Why would you double switch and pull your 39-home run hitting first baseman Cody Bellinger, out of the game?

And why did you burn up your bullpen so early?

Rich Hill, the starter, pulled after just 4-innings. The use of 8-reliefers in all, starting with Kenta Maeda. The decision to yank Brandon Morrow when he was cruising. And asking Kenley Jansen to go get 6-tough outs against their power laden Houston bunch of hitters.

When it was over, the bullpen let LA down, and then Josh Fields, and Brandon McCarthy had to pitch at the end, and that was their pitches flying over the fence in extra innings.

LA could have been on a plane heading to Houston with a 2-0 game lead. Now they have let the Astros back into this series.

Luckily Yu Darvish gets to start game three come Friday, and he won’t get intimidated pitching at Minute Maid Park, because he pitched lots of American League games while with the Texas Rangers.

Two really explosive teams. What looked like a pitchers duel, with LA leading, became home run derby with the Astros winning.

It was heart-stopping, it was a roller coaster ride of emotions.

The Dodgers so close to taking control of this, and now it seems so far away with the next three in the Lone Star state.

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“Aztecs-1 of a Kind”

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San Diego State said goodbye last week to their greatest football fan, Tom Ables, who supported the program since 1946. He passed at age 91, after watching 788-SDSU games. He truly was an “Aztec for Life”

Now they’ve lost the man who started the drive to make the university athletic program big-time.

Fred Miller has passed away at age 86 in Oregon. He was the Director of Athletics for 11-years, who took SDSU on the road back from football desolation.

He was a ‘doer’, who got things accomplished.

He was loud, proud, boastful, bombastic. He was an entrepreneur, a snake oil salesman, a glad-hander. A fan and a fund raiser.

Fred Miller ushered in an era that rescued the program from the abyss. He chased away all those who thought the football program was strictly a money-draining loser to the university budget.

There would be new offices and training facilities behind Peterson Gym, built by friends of the program Miller wanted to develop. No more trailers, but a taste of something first class.

He decided he wanted the Aztecs to be the “Miami of the West”, though sometimes we thought it was Miami of Ohio, not the Miami Hurricanes.

He hired Al Luginbill, from his Pac 10-background.. With those Pac 10-ties, he scheduled home games with USC-UCLA and that Miami football program.

It ushered in the Marshall Faulk era. He was a cornerstone of getting that player, and the games on the early ESPN-Thursday night telecasts.

He took SDSU image wise out of small town America and actually put it on the national recognition map.

His decade plus run had rough patches too. The failed hirings in basketball of Jim Brandeburg, who somehow lost his fire and his recruiting contacts, once he left Wyoming. Failure after failure to elevate hoops and baseball.

It took forever to build something to replace Peterson Gym, the home games at the Sports Arena etc, but it was all part of the Miller blueprint to grow the program.

He had learned his trade well.

Prior to his arrival at SDSU, he had taken Arizona State to new levels. And it was his program there too.

He got rid of legendary coach Frank Kush, the nfiery winning coach, who wound up getting fired in an NCAA scandal that put ASU on probation. An angry, divided Tempe, found there was life after Kush and Sun Angel Foundation.

He led the drive to renovate Sun Devils Stadium, making it big time, probably just behind the USC stay at the LA Coliseum and the UCLA Bruins home at the Rose Bowl.

He was fund raiser and a hell raiser there too, as he guided ASU from its glory days in the old WAC, into the then Pac-10 Conference..

The roots of San Diego State’s athletic and academic success were put in place by Dr. Fred Miller, never afraid to accept a challenge, nor take on the establishment.

He sure didn’t like when I went on a tirade in Phoenix, as a sports-talk host, doing Sun Devils games, asking “why does ASU have to cheat?”

He sure did like me when the Voice of the Chargers became the Voice of Aztecs during the wild Faulk-David Lowrey-WAC-days, as I kept harping on fans to call my “Kiss my Ass-tecs Line”.

SDSU should be thankful, as they lay him to rest in Oregon. He did an awful lot when the program needed guidance, creativeness, and stability.

He was a man in the right place at the right time, with a school that really needed a lot. ..maybe ahead of his time. The Aztecs got there because of all he did here, for that decade plus.

There will likely be noise in heaven today. It’s probably Fred Miller trying to sell something to someone at the gate.

Helluva guy. Helluva a job. Like I said …”1-of-a-Kind”

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“Fall Classic-Will Not Fail”

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There have been so many great World Series in baseball history, it’s hard to imagine what is just ahead, with the Dodgers against the Astros, beginning tonight at Chavez Ravine.

If you love matchups, then this will be a 7-game series that will cover every possible matchup.

Good pitching, Clayton Kershaw-Dallas Keuchel….Justin Verlander-Rich Hill…and waiting in the wings Yu Darvish-Lance McCullers, and the amazing Dodgers bullpen.

Not to be out done, will be the heroes in waiting, the hitters.

MVP candidates Justin Turner and Jose Altuve. The suddenly hot Yasiel Puig and the always steady Carlos Correa. The explosive George Springer and the dynamic Vody Bellinger.

And then the forward thinking managers, AJ Hinch-Dave Roberts, both with Padres connections.

History will write about past Octobers, and how special are the snap shots in your baseball memory bank, from past Fall Classics..

Pirates-Yankees…the legendary Bill Mazeroski home run for Pittsburgh in 1960..

Dodgers-A’s…where were you went Kirk Gibson, on one leg, hit that pinch hit home run in 1988..

Red Sox-Reds…New England folklore has never forgotten Carlton Fisk willing a key home run down the left field line over the Green Monster in Fenway Park.

Cardinals-Yankees..Bob Gibson’s iron man pitching performance in 1964.

Dodgers-Yankees..Don Larson’s perfect game gem in the 1956 series.

Dodgers-Yankees…Johnny Padres 1955 game winning mound stint-Sandy Amoros amazing left field catch that killed a rally for a Brooklyn ring.

Giants-Yankees..Willie McCovey’s standoff series against the M&M boys in 1962.

A’s-Reds..Reggie Jackson-vs-Big Red Machine.

Braves-Yankees..Lew Burdette’s 3-wins in the Milwaukee win in 1958..

Red Sox-Cardinals..the end of the Curse of the Bambino.

Cubs-Indians…Good bye Curse of the Billy Goat.

It’s absolutely the best time of the year in baseball.

I grew up with the “Knothole Gang Club” for kids in Brooklyn. Granted, this is not the Boys of Summer-vs-the old Colt 49’s…but this will be something. Reserve a chapter in the history book for what we will see.

This one goes seven. It will have more mood swings than an insane asylum. Good pitching beats good hitting. Think LA has more of it than Houston.

Dodgers Blue to win the ring.

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“Wins-Losses-Opinions”

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Chargers….They have now won 3-in a row, begting down a cripple (Denver), getting a win against a spiral down team (Giants)….and a victory over a team hoping not to let its quarterback get hurt (Raiders)

The Bolts defense, especially the pass rush, is carrying the team. Not much else impresses me.

Philip Rivers to Hunter Henry looks exceptional, and Keenan Allen may be as crafty as anyone running routes. The rest of the offense is spotty.. There is not much of a run game, and health issues keep springing up.

They failed to punch it in four times from the one yard line to start the game. We had the usual array of two delay of game penalties…a grounding flag….sacks-hits on the QB.

We did have a strong day from the punter. And there was a signing of a punt return for a TD, something we have seldom seen despite all the money they gave Travis Benjamin.

And like other “road” home games, too much orange in the crowd, but ownership must not care, cause Denver’s fans money is just as green as anyone from LA buying a ticket.

Just because some of the teams in the division have come back to the pack, does not mean the Chargers are a calibre playoff team yet. Next up, tough road games, at New England then Jacksonville. See me in two weeks will you.

Another Sunday home game in Carson, and the color of the week was a sea of Broncos fan wearing orange. What an embarrassment Team Spanos has created.

Broncos…The bottom seems to be falling out. QB-Trevor Siemian has guts, is an athletes, takes a lot of hits. His offensive line is really beat up. I don’t see many game breakers at wide receiver, and a pedestrian run game.

Hard to believe the Broncos have 3-touchdowns in the last 16-quarters.

They are wasting a very fine defense, and I don’t think there are other solutions on that offense. John Elway’s team might be headed for a bad season.

Chiefs….I said they’d be good till they got guys hurt. Now Tyreek Hill is nicked up, the run game has slowed down. Alex Smith is starting to take some shots. And the defense is not making big plays any longer.

Not as good as we thought when they stormed out of the gate. The sixteen game season is taking a toll.

Raiders…It is Derek Carr all the time. He has to make plays, has to get the ball down the field, has to be protected. His quick twitch passing game is tough to defend, but he does not have much of a run game.

They will have to throw first to run second, and Marshawn Lynch seems to be a shell of himself. And then there is a young defense, that doesn’t make a lot of plays. Name me anyone on that defense aside from Khalil Mack

Might not be as good a season as prognosticators predicted.

Aztecs….Two tough defeats, the battering at the hands of Boise State, and then the disappointing loss to Fresno State. Scouting reports say load the box and make it tough for them to run, because Christian Chapman cannot beat you down the field with the passing game.

The offensive front, the kids, are really struggling protecting the quarterback, allowing 8-sacks, and 34-hits over two games. Injuries are playing a role in all this.

That defensive front seven looks fatigued, , but it still is what you have to hang your hat on.

The rest of the games are very winnable, and (10-2) is likely, but that is a far cry from what we were talking about two weeks ago.

NFL….Is it me, or is it gruesome what we saw on Sunday?

The Foxboro Fog rolled in, and the Patriots made the Falcons disappear. Atlanta is not the same team that was in the Super Bowl last year for sure, and Tom Brady is Tom Brady. That Falcons losing streak is now 3-in a row, with just 5-TDs from that offense.

Speaking of tanking, as in the Giants case, Eli Manning has nothing to work with now with all those injuries. New York had 47-yards, yes 47-yards at halftime in Seattle.

Andy Dalton was a bright star in the making, but the Bengals let lots of players leave in free agency. End result…he had 44-yards passing at halftime against the Steelers.

Chicago won because of two big turnover touchdowns. Aside from that, they had 5-first downs in all, yet still beat the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Yes, five first downs.

In Minnesota, with backups at quarterback and running back, they needed 6-field goals to win their game.

Baltimore’s offense has gone south, in fact, just 80-yards in total offense in the first half even with big throwing Joe Flacco at quarterback.

The mess in Indianapolis isn’t getting better. Jacksonville sacked QB-Jacoby Brissett 10-times, and do you think Andrew Luck really wants to get back onto the field for that?

It was only one Sunday’s worth of games, but it was not good football.

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“Watching TV-Talking TV”

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What a five hours of watching television.

The Dodgers punch the ticket to the World Series.

The Raiders rally to club Kansas City.

The Lakers, new players, same result, ugly blowout loss.

I was dial switching back snd forth, from a baseball blowout, to a football street fight, to what looked like a basketball preseason game.

The Dodgers are going to the Wolrd Series. I became choked up listening to manager Dave Roberts talk about his feeling in the dugout, thruout the night, as his team stormed to victory at Wrigley Field. Thinking about his dear-departed dad all evening log.

Every night a different hero, and in the Thursday win, Keke Hernandez carried his team. A grand slam home run, and 2-solo home runs. A 7-RBI night launching LA into the World Series. And he too spent time thinking of is ravaged homeland, Puerto Rico, and all the suffering they’ve gone thru.

Clayton Kershaw was typical dominant and dazzling, as was his bullpen.

For the Cubs, a horrible finish to the pos-season, after getting to the Series, and getting a ring last fall.

From that game, on to the Raiders-and-Chiefs. A controversial start, with cheap shot hits on quarterbacks, personal foul penalties, and a bad ejection.

Derek Carr drove the Raiders to the win, as the Chiefs committed back to back holding calls, giving Oakland 3-untimed snaps on the goal line, where Carr threw a 2-yard TD pass to Michael Crabtree to cap the furious comeback.

There was rage everywhere in the stadium. Alex Smith took a brutal hit to the knee. Carr took a late hit to the head. Marshawn Lynch came off the bench to confront KC played about the hit, shoved a ref, and got ejected.

It was bedlam and a street fight of a game, something you’d expect in a game in the Black Hole.

When the Oakland-KC rumble was over, I flipped to watched the street kill that was the Clippers running over the Lakers college team.

There were stretches it looked like a bad preseason game. It was over by the 2nd quarter, but the Clippers, full of veteran players, have nothing to be proud of. They played poorly together, in the first game with an overhauled roster.

It only counts as one loss for the Lakers, but it wasn’t much of a debut for the launch of the Lonzo Ball career. He had 1-basket into the 4th quarter, got some rebounds, created a turnover or two, but looked overwhelmed.

Of bigger disappointment was the play of the so-called young leaders, Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle, who were a combined (4-of-15) shooting before it became a 25-point blowout.

The Lakers, no longer what they once were, look a long way off from being anything to get excited about.

Lot’s to look forward to, with the Dodgers heading to the Fall Classic against the Yankees or Houston, having now won 13-of their last 15-games..

Lots to look forward to for the second half of the AFC-West season, wondering if the Raiders can build off this win, and chase down Denver and KC and holdoff whatever the Chargers are going to be.

Some Thursday night. Have to go put new batteries in the channel changer, just in case I have another five hours of TV watching like this.

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