Sports Beat column - August 9, 2007

Sports Beat
August 9, 2007

Sports Beat by Bill McCaffrey

It was a big week in baseball what with Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron's home run record, A-Rod hitting his 500th home run and Tom Glavine winning his 300th game. Frank Shore told me he thought Glavine looked like a â¤¦Whiteyâ¤? Ford clone.

The Baltimore Orioles are sputtering again while the Washington Nationals are doing much better. Once again â¤¦Gigglesâ¤? of the Blimp Brothers showed up on the Orioles telecast in a light suit that made him look like a clone of Haystacks Calhoun even the Hoagie Man and his Nutri diet look 100 pounds lighter than â¤¦Gigglesâ¤?. Maybe Giggles looks more like â¤¦Man Mountainâ¤? Dean, what do you think? It's a good thing Tampa Bay is in the same division as the Orioles.

I got a nice letter from Emmett Lanier in which he enclosed a nice note from Virgil â¤¦Fireâ¤? Trucks commenting on what I had written on him and Trucks sent me thru Emmett two autographed baseball cards. You can still get an autographed copy of his great book by sending $24.95 to Virgil O. Trucks, 1016 Waterford Trail, Calera, AL 35040. Great book, great man and you should get a copy. Thanks Emmett!

Maryland Women's Basketball Participate in Jimmy V Game, Face Rutgers
Terps take on NCAA Tournament runner up on ESPN

The V Foundation announced the pairings for the sixth-annual Jimmy V Classic on Wednesday and pits the Maryland women's basketball team against 2007 NCAA Finalist Rutgers on Monday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. in Piscataway, N.J. The game airs nationally on ESPN2 and proceeds benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Tickets for the Classic go on sale October 1 at the University of Rutgers Ticket Office at 866-445-GORU (4678).

It is Maryland's first appearance in the Jimmy V Classic, while the Scarlet Knights are making their second showing. It will be the first meeting between the teams since 1998, as the Terps lead the all-time series, 18-10. Maryland has already announced games against nationally recognized teams and is participating in the prestigious Preseason WNIT, which tips off on Friday, Nov. 9 against Princeton in College Park. Possible opponents are LSU, who has reached the NCAA Final Four four-straight years, 2001 NCAA Champion Notre Dame and 2005 NCAA Finalist Michigan State. The tournament features six 2007 NCAA Tournament teams overall.

Just two games into the 2007-08 schedule, the Terps face Big 12 Champion Oklahoma on Nov. 11 in Chapel Hill, N.C., in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic. That game will also be televised on ESPN2. The ACC announced earlier this summer the formation of the Big Ten/ACC Women's Basketball Challenge, in which Maryland battles Big Ten Champion Ohio State on Friday, Nov. 30 at Comcast Center.

Maryland returns four starters from last year's squad which went 28-6 and welcomes five freshmen. Among the returnees is two-time All-American Crystal Langhorne and All-ACC performers Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver. For information on the team or tickets to home games, visit www.umterps.com. Fans can purchase tickets by phone by calling 1-800-IM-A-TERP.

GOOD TIMES TO HELP A GOOD CAUSE

8th Annual Galway Bay Golf Tournament
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
South River Golf Club
Edgewater, MD

For more information call: Galway Bay at 410-263-8333 or Killarney House at 410-798-8700 The annual Galway Bay golf tournament benefits the Holy Cross Parish in the less fortunate area of Nakhamenya in Malawi. Father Alphie Byrne, uncle to both Michael and Fintan, has spent the last forty years as a missionary there helping the less fortunate in a place where $2000 can buy enough to feed 400 orphans for a year.

The Baltimore Playwrights Festival and Chesapeake Arts Center present...

"Last Night at the Owl Bar"
by local playwright Marc Scharf

Now until August 19 in Studio Theatre at the Chesapeake Arts Center!

WHERE: 194 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park, 21225 Studio Theatre [in the education wing where the offices are located]

WHEN: Now - August 19. Fridays and Saturdays @ 8:00pm, Sundays @ 3:00pm

For tickets call 410-636-6597 CAC members - $12 Non-members - $15 Group of ten or more - $12 per person

Synopsis:
Last Night at the Owl Bar is a drama, laced with comedy, to portray the best and worst of us as the characters struggle with themselves and the ties that bind us all to each other in spite of ourselves. The setting of the play is based on the Owl Bar inside the old Belvedere Hotel right here in Baltimore. Play contains mature content. Visit www.chesapeakearts.org for show and class information

WE GET LETTERS

Bill, My name is Al Herndon and I went to Eastern High School in the 50's. Your newsletter has been forwarded to me by friends of mine (John Linthicum and Charles Sokol). I have thoroughly enjoyed it and would like to be put on your mailing list if possible. My email address is ajherndon@earthlink.net. Al

Dear Al, Welcome aboard. Bill

To Bill and Friends, Thank you Bill, for including my article on DYSTONIA in "McCaffrey's World". I'd like to tell your readers more about Dystonia, the little-known neurological movement disorder that can affect anyone regardless of age, race or gender, and is often difficult to diagnose. Dystonia is characterized by involuntary muscle contractions which force certain parts of the body into abnormal, sometimes painful, movements or positions. Some of the more prominent types of Dystonia are Cervical Dystonia (neck), Writers Cramp (hand), Spasmodic Dysphonia (larynx), Blepharospasm (eyelids), Oromandibular (jaw), and Generalized Dystonia, mostly beginning in childhood. I can provide more information to those who have questions, SUMDMJ@aol.com, or you can go to http://www.dystonia-foundation.org. Thanks so much for promoting awareness of this debilitating disorder. You provide a great service to your readers, with lots of fun added. Keep those columns comin. June

Dear Folks, My cousin who still lives in Riverdale sent me a clipping of one of the old time great or not so great Saloons, the Surf Club. For more info contact Maya who is a staff writer at the Gazette. Email address mprabhu@gazette.net All are not gone and none will be forgotten. Charlie

Dear Charlie, The one year I spent at Bell, our music teacher there Jack Biro had some ownership in it and played piano there. A few memories to remember. Bill

Bill, A follow up to the last item in your column. Dr. Arnold McKnight did indeed pass away yesterday at the age of 68. He suffered from pancreatic cancer. Take Care. Gary "Digital" Williams Feature Writer, Fightnews.com For the latest in DC-area boxing news, visit Boxing Along The Beltway at http://boxingalongthebeltway.blogspot.com

Dear "Digital" Thank you. Bill

SPORTS NEWS

The Sporting News came out with their 99 best sports cities Detroit was number one, New York City number 2, DC 24th, Baltimore 33rd. Do those surprise anyone since 1993 neither Baltimore or DC has been number one. Neither B/W cities won best in food, I guess Boog's Barb-be-que wasn't close. Both the Ravens and Redskins showed nothing in that rip off scrimmage this past Thursday. Ray Lewis is no hero despite last week's cheerleading piece on Raghead.

I am rooting for Buck O'Neill and Mickey Vernon to make the Baseball Hall of Fame. I still like Babe Ruth as baseball's home run king, he hit in less games than Aaron or Bonds and he missed a major part of one season, I guess he ate too many hot dogs and drank too much beer and coke.

Nice article on submarine pitchers in this past Sunday's â¤¦Washington Postâ¤? by Dave Sheinin but hey how could he leave out Ewell Blackwell, Dick Hyde and Ted Abernaty. Oh and how many of you remember Jack Pope of McKinley Tech? He was a submariner also. Same â¤¦Postâ¤? article questioned Lloyd Waner being in the Hall of Fame but â¤¦Little Poisonâ¤? as he was known had 2,459 hits and a lifetime .316 batting average.

Look-a-likes: William Shatner and Colonel Phil Sullivan. I understand that Col. Phil is the new President of the Lindsay Lohan Fan Club (Michigan Branch).

Things that have been good this week: Throw down with Bobby Flay, â¤¦Top Chefâ¤? and â¤¦The Companyâ¤?. I understand that the â¤¦Hoagie Manâ¤? is going to challenge the â¤¦Iron Chefâ¤?. In the debate before the AFL in Chicago I think John Edwards was the winner and Bill Richardson was second. The two front runners were terrible even tho both had their supporters in the crowd.

That bridge collapse was terrible. Local State concerns are how much did the Governor cut in that SHA budget? Why all of a sudden was a six month delay put on the Bay Bridge project, also when the report said that Maryland was the fifth worse State in wasting money on construction, what did the State say in their response. I wonder where we stand on these issues now? How many bridge inspectors do we now have on that type of inspection? One item of interest to all Maryland residents can be found at www.ola.state.md.us.

Irish day at the races, Saturday, September 1st, two packages: $35 includes everything, $10 preferred grandstand seating. To purchase packages call Hibernian Society â¤¦Lindaâ¤? 410-323-3900, AOH St. Brendan Joseph â¤¦Jayâ¤? Norton, 410-296-2236, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick â¤³ John McMaster 443-986-2205.

The Washington DC Boxing Hall of Fame is holding their GREAT Crabfeast on Saturday, August 25th (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.), Its all you can eat and drink for $30 for adults, children under 12 are $10. Its being held at the Marlboro Moose Lodge #1856, 15103 Marlboro Pike in Upper Marlboro. For tickets and information call 410-741-0240, 301-598-3583 or 301-423-9664.

The Orioles were never in the running Mark Teixeira, I wish those no-nothing media types would quit giving Oriole fans false hopes. I heard that "Downtown Brown" is ready to defend his media meal championship against all comers including â¤¦Gigglesâ¤? and the other â¤¦Blimp Brotherâ¤?. They are the worse baseball unknowledgeable announcers I have heard and when Giggles wears his light suit he takes up all of a 35â¤? screen. Watch out â¤¦Downtownâ¤? I think these will give you a run for that food.

One of the greatest State Senators in Maryland is Ed DeGrange. My sources tell me Erik Bedard will fly out of Bird-land at the end of the 2008 season.

Look-a-like Andy McPhail and Chip DePaula. By the way where is Chip hanging out these days? Who remembers the QUAM Club? Whatever happened to Natalie Blackstone's sister Joan Green? How about Anne O'Keefe, Rose Murphy and Ann Latimer?

Our deepest prayers goes out to former Delegate W. Ray Huff who went to MacFarland Jr. High and Roosevelt, he is battling a deadly disease.

I used to really like the 823 at 823 15th St. NW in DC. How many old trolley car barns can you remember? I miss those hot fudge cakes that used to be a really big deal at the Hot Shoppes and Bob's Big Boy. Anybody know where a SONIC is?

How come oil companies aren't using those billions of dollars profit to build some new oil refineries? That would certainly bring gas prices down. When did any oil company last build a new refinery? High school football should really be good in Southern Maryland and P.G. County.

The Secretaries of the Department of Agriculture of Delaware and Maryland had a wager going at this past Wednesday's watermelon seed spitting contest held at the Baltimore Inner Harbour, of course they both had a fill-in and Maryland's choice was Southern Maryland's spitting champ Earl â¤¦Buddyâ¤? Hance and he came through BIG time spitting 27 feet to Delaware's 19 feet. Congratulations to Buddy, you are still the spitting champ of Maryland.

BRAWL AT THE BEACH

Jake "The Snake" Smith's Baltimore Pro Boxing has a big event coming up at the Ocean City Convention Center on August 25th and the Main Event is a big one for the East Coast championship matching Mike "Pounder" Paschell of Pasadena (12-0) against Richard Stewart , New Castle, Delaware (13-3). Others on the card are Tim Coleman (11-0), "The Golden Greek", Mike Tilbert, Jerse "The Beast" Micklow, Ryan Boleanse, Andrew "The Doo Man" Parmer. For information call Jake Smith at 410-375-9175 or 410-675-3967.

SUPPORT LOCAL SPORTS!!