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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | April 17

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Enjoys the Pageantry of Baseball

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – This weekend, we’ll delve into the wonderful pageantry of the game of Baseball and its place in the sporting fabric of the City of Boston and the United States of America. There’s nothing quite like it as we work towards a return to our normal lives of pre-COVID virus amidst constantly threatening variants.

First and foremost: Happy Easter and a thoughtful and peaceful Passover to those who celebrate. Our simple wish of peace to people of all faiths as Spring 2022 “Springs Eternal” in the Northeast, USA.

A DAY IN THE LIFE: The Boston Red Sox lost their home opener against the Minnesota Twins, 8-4, on Friday. Aside from some early season/limited Spring Training grumbles (see below), nearly every fan left Fenway Park as happy as could be.

First, because of the fact the home opener came six games into the season, on a 65-degree Boston Friday, the assembled fans at Fenway were downright giddy. It seemed as though the entire City of Boston and Commonwealth of Massachusetts shunned their work obligations and their Tax Man duties and will rely on the fact the true income tax deadline is Tuesday, April 19 (because of Passover and Easter). Even the Pope, the Cardinals (Roman Catholic, not St. Louis) and every Monsignor this side of the Berkshires turned their heads and offered some magical Good Friday dispensation to fans guzzling Sam Wicked Easy by the keg full.

Secondly, there was an indescribable air of normalcy at the park, certainly for the first time since September 29, 2019 which fell – get this – 929 days, as in 9/29 – since that 2019 season finale against the Baltimore Orioles. The Sox defeated the hapless O’s on the final day of the regular season but only after the bullpen blew what could’ve been SP Eduardo Rodriguez’ 20th win of the season. BTW, then-Boston OF Mookie Betts went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to finish his career with the Red Sox.

Maybe things aren’t all that normal, again, as Betts is LONG gone and OF Jackie Bradley Jr. was here-gone-and came back again. But, Friday afternoon certainly beat an Opening Day a year ago with only 4,500 fans in the building.

Of course not to be overlooked, the Red Sox played quite well last season and filled the joint for Postseason games, including a Wild Card win over the rival New York Yankees, a 3-games-to-1 series win over a very good Tampa Bay Rays team, but an ALCS loss to the Houston Astros last October.

At Friday’s opener, the ballpark was packed (36,266) with the sellout crowd enjoying previously mentioned Sam Adams on one outfield deck or some concoction named TRULY on another deck. Progress in marketing, and changing tastes, changing societal norms, changing team personnel amidst this damn global pandemic that just won’t quit, as evidenced by the current lock-down in major cities in China, including Shanghai.

ON SATURDAY: Boston and its Fenway faithful were treated to yet another seasonably-warm late afternoon date – a 4:11pm (ET) first pitch to start the second game of the four-game set between the Sox and Minnesota Twins. The series will conclude Monday, Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth, with the traditional 11:10am (ET) start as the Boston Marathon runs its way from the suburbs of Hopkinton all the way to Copley.

To celebrate the weekend, the Red Sox are wearing their “City” uniforms, depicted ⬇️.

Many fans, outside of Boston, might wonder about the colors, but they are the official colors of the Boston Marathon and Boston Athletic Association. Those colors became the foundation of the “Boston Strong” civic campaign to help the city and the victims of the senseless 2013 marathon bombing incident begin the road to recovery after some severe post Traumatic Stress. As you might recall, the initial blast killed three people Krystle Marie Campbell, 29; Lü Lingzi, a 23-year old Boston University student and 8-year old Martin Richard who were all in direct proximity of the two blasts. An MIT security man, Sean Collier, was shot three days after the bombing when the two suspects tried to rob him and flee the scene and Dennis Simmonds, a local police officer, died almost a year later from wounds suffered during a shoot-out in Watertown, Mass. … We remember them all every year – FOREVER.

PANIC BUTTON: A glance to the Green Monster and the AL East standings show Boston is “next to last” place in the division (3-4) as Saturday’s game was on-going. Only the poor Baltimore Orioles (2-5) trail. … Yes, it is FAR too early to scoreboard watch and the usual frenzy and negative buzz of Boston sports talk radio and thus the fans is palpable, even if it’s eight games into the season. … The bulk of the reasoning is the lack of trust in the Red Sox starting rotation and bullpen, as evidenced in Friday’s home opener when the Twins knocked Boston SP Nick Pivetta off the mound in two innings and the bullpen coughed up another four runs in the Sox 8-4 loss. … With star SP Chris Sale out indefinitely, the likes of Pivetta, Tanner Houck, Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, and relievers Garrett Whitlock, Matt Barnes and Jake Diekman (L) are under immediate pressure to perform. That pressure comes without a proper MLB Spring Training period and stretch-out time for pitchers. The Red Sox will need a resurgence from RP Ryan Brasier and their current ace SP Nathan Eovaldi who finished fourth in the 2021 AL Cy Young Award voting. … Time will tell on both the basic situation and the possible return of Sale and SP Jim Paxton (2021 Tommy John surgery) who was acquired in the off-season. By the way, Paxton will pocket a cool $10m for his rehab efforts in ‘22 … It seems a bit early in the Spring to be hopefully awaiting the MLB All-Star break.

HOUCK TO THE RESCUE: Continuing the news from Saturday afternoon, Red Sox SP Tanner Houck walked off the mound, hopped over the first base lines in a superstitious kind-of-way and departed the game with a 4-0 lead. Houck went 5.2 innings, tossing two-hit baseball with three walks, four Ks on 89 pitches/50 strikes. He left only two runners on base and only Nick Gordonof the Twins reached third base, harmlessly.

The Red Sox won their Saturday game, 4-0, behind the pitching of Houck and Garrett Whitlock’s tidy work out of the bullpen. All is not lost in the Fens.

For the complete While We’re Young (Ideas) Sunday Sports Notebook, subscribe HERE.

Varner Vaults to Lead at RBC

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HILTON HEAD – Following a bogey-free (63) at the RBC Heritage, Harold Varner III holds the 54-hole lead for the second time of his PGA Tour career, but he is 0-for-1 to date in converting it to a win. Varner will attempt to become the eighth Black player to win on Tour.

Reigning FedEx Cup Champion and 36-hole leader Patrick Cantlay trails by one following a 1-under (70) while Shane Lowry and Erik van Rooyen, both T-2, could become the sixth international winner of the RBC Heritage since 2012.

Of 12 players at 8-under or better, Varner III (1st) and Tommy Fleetwood (T-9) are seeking their first Tour victory.

The last two RBC Heritage champions (Webb Simpson in 2020, Stewart Cink in 2021) each held the 54-hole lead/co-lead but prior to 2020, the event featured seven consecutive come-from-behind winners, with all trailing by at least two strokes going into the final round.

One week following a T-3 at The Masters Tournament, Shane Lowry (T-2) at (-10) is in search of his third Tour victory (2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, 2019 Open Championship). He has two Top-10 finishes in four starts at the RBC Heritage.

RBC Heritage Leaderboard | After 54 Holes

Harold Varner III 67-72-63—202 (-11)

Shane Lowry 66-72-65—203 (-10)

Erik van Rooyen 69-67-67—203 (-10)

Patrick Cantlay 66-67-70—203 (-10

Cantlay Takes Lead at RBC Heritage

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The RBC Heritage | Third Round 

HILTON HEAD – Reigning FedEx Cup Champion Patrick Cantlay holds 36-hole lead/co-lead at the RBC Heritage and for the eighth time on Tour. He’s 1-for-7 in cashing in for the win to date.

Of 13 players at 5-under or better, Cameron Tringale, Cameron Young, and Mito Pereira are seeking their first PGA Tour win.

Following 15 bogey-free rounds Thursday, the most in any single round at Harbour Town Golf Links since 2003, only two were recorded in Round-2 on Friday, as Matthew NeSmith, and Cameron Tringale accomplished the task.

Defending champion and three-time RBC Heritage winner Stewart Cinkadvanced to the weekend for the 18th time in his 23rd appearance

Competing on a Major Medical Extension in his first PGA TOUR start since the 2019 Shriners Children’s Open, Morgan Hoffmann missed the cut by one stroke. Other notables to also miss by a stroke: Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and Kevin Kisner.

Brandon Hagy WD during the second round with a back injury.

RBC Heritage Leaderboard | After 36 Holes

Patrick Cantlay 66-67—133 (-9)

Robert Streb 68-67—135 (-7)

Cameron Tringale 69-67—136 (-6)

Aaron Wise 68-68—136 (-6)

Erik van Rooyen 69-67—136 (-6)

Cameron Young 63-73—136 (-6)

Joel Dahmen 69-67—136 (-6)

Twins Spoil Red Sox Home Opener, 8-4

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BOSTON – Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan made his second start of the 2022 MLB season – just his seventh career appearance – and spoiled the Boston Red Sox home opener by throwing six innings of five-hit baseball to anchor the Twins’ 8-4 victory over Boston.

Ryan allowed only one run (earned), struck-out seven Sox batters and walked none. He passed the ball to the Twins bullpen with a 6-1 lead with only a home run to Boston LF Alex Verdugo as his lone blemish. Ryan is (1-1) on the season and he lowered his ERA to (2.70) with the outing.

Boston’s starting pitcher, Nick Pivetta, didn’t fare as well. The Twins scored four runs on five hits over the first two innings to knock Pivetta out of the game after throwing 54 pitches in two innings and leaving on the wrong side of a 4-1 score. Minnesota 1B Miguel Sano did the most damage with a two-run homer off Pivetta in the second inning.

The Red Sox would go on to use six pitchers throughout the game and Minnesota scored a pair of insurance runs in both the fifth and ninth innings, hitting-up RP Hirokazu Sawamura for two runs in the fifth and Matt Barnes for another pair in the top of the ninth, sealing the Twins’ victory.

After rallying for three runs in the eighth inning, including two off the bat of Rafael Devers who homered off reliever Jhoan Duran, the Sox bats went limp in the bottom of the ninth. Both newly acquired infielder Trevor Story and veteran first baseman Bobby Dalbec struck-out to end the game in a whimper before a sellout crowd of 36,266 at Fenway Park.

 

It’s Opening Day at Fenway Park

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox face the Minnesota Twins in their home opener at Fenway Park after a six-game road trip to open the season. Boston split the six games and meet a Twins team that is (2-4) over their first six contests of 2022.

Between the fact it’s Opening Day, along with MLB’s league-wide tribute to Jackie Robinson, the 75th anniversary of NY/MLB’s first game at Ebbets Field, The Hub’s “ONE Boston” day to memorialize the victims of the April 15, 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and a home opening tribute to longtime Red Sox second baseman and TV commentator Jerry Remy, there’s a lot going on at the ballpark.

The Red Sox are in the midst of a stretch of six consecutive games when they play afternoon baseball. Eight of the Red Sox first 10 games of 2022 are scheduled for day games, including this Monday’s 11:10am (ET) start to celebrate Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth and the running of the Boston Marathon.

The next time Boston plays a night game will be Monday, April 19th vs Toronto.

Boston will be playing games on 17 consecutive days (April 15-May 1)

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHERS: Twins: Joe Ryan (0-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, four strikeouts); Red Sox: Nick Pivetta (0-1, 6.35 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, four strikeouts).

 

 

PGA Rookie Smith Leads RBC Heritage

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The RBC Heritage | Second Round | April 15

HILTON HEAD – PGA Tour rookie Cameron Young opened with a bogey-free (63), the lowest first-round score of his Tour career and one stroke shy of his low in any round. Young holds a two-stroke lead, the first lead/co-lead of his PGA Tour career after any round.

Joaquin Niemann has now been T-3 or better after 18 holes five times this season, the most of any player while defending champion and three-time RBC Heritage winner Stewart Cink is T-10. The last player to successfully defend title at the event was Boo Weekley in 2008. Both PGA Tour members from Chile are T-3 or better with Niemann in 2nd at (-6) and rookie Mito Pereira among a group of seven players T-3 at (-5).

Competing on a Major Medical Extension in his first PGA Tour start since the 2019 Shriners Children’s Open, Morgan Hoffmann carded an even-par (71), and is T-71.

Corey Conners is T-3 after posting a (-5) including a hole-in-one (No. 7, 187 yards), his fourth on Tour since the start of the 2019-20 season. He has the most aces on Tour in that stretch with second-most honors going to Martin Laird.

Conners’ holes-in-one have come at the 2020 BMW Championship, 2021 Masters Tournament, 2021 Wells Fargo Championship and 2022 RBC Heritage.

Shane Lowry (T-3) at (-5) has finished in the Top 15 in each of his last four stroke-play starts on TOUR (2nd/The Honda Classic, T-13/The PLAYERS, T-12/Valspar Championship, and T-3/Masters Tournament).

Webb Simpson finished his round with five straight birdies but is six shots off the lead – at a T-32 logjam at (69) after 18 holes.

Reigning FedEx Cup Champion Patrick Cantlay (T-3) at (-5) opened with a (66), snapping a streak of seven consecutive scores in the 70s. Cantlay opened the season with four consecutive Top-10s but has not finished T-10 or better in four starts since losing to Scottie Scheffler in a playoff at the WM Phoenix Open.

Zach Johnson WD during the first round due to illness.

 

RBC Heritage Leaderboard | After 18 Holes

Cameron Young 63 (-8)

Joaquin Niemann 65 (-6)

Seven players 66 (-5)

Will It Be Another First-Timer at RBC?

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The RBC Heritage | First Round Preview – April 14

HILTON HEAD – Will we see yet another first-time winner at this week’s RBC Heritage join a growing list of PGA Tour players securing their first wins on the circuit?

Nine players have earned their first PGA Tour victory this season, including seven in the last 11 weeks. Most recently, J.J. Spaun won the Valero Texas Open, winning on Tour for the first time in his 147th career start.

Over the years, 14 players have earned their maiden PGA Tour victory at RBC Heritage, including: Hale Irwin (1971), Graham Marsh (1977), Doug Tewell (1980), Nick Faldo (1984), Davis Love III (1987), Glen Day (1999), Jose Coceres (2001), Peter Lonard (2005), Aaron Baddeley (2006), Boo Weekley (2007), Branden Grace (2016), Wesley Bryan (2017), Satoshi Kodaira (2018), and C.T. Pan (2019).

There are 97 PGA Tour past winners scheduled to compete this week at Harbor Town, tied for second-most in an event this season (109/The PLAYERS). highlighted by six players with double-digit wins on Tour: Dustin Johnson (24), Davis Love III (21), Jim Furyk (17), Justin Thomas (14), Zach Johnson (12) and Jordan Spieth (12).

Eight-time PGA Tour winner Stewart Cink is back in Hilton Head to defend his RBC Heritage title. With his win in 2021, Cink earned his third title at the RBC Heritage, 21 years and 2 days since his first victory in the event (2000).

Multiple Wins at RBC Heritage (* in the field this week):

Win, Player, Years won

5 Davis Love III* 1987, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2003

3 Stewart Cink* 2000, 2004, 2021

3 Hale Irwin 1971, 1973, 1994

From The Masters to the RBC is always an easy trip that stacks the talent pool at Harbor Town. This year, 42 of the 90 players in the Masters Tournament field made the trip from Augusta to Hilton Head, including seven players who finished in the Top-10 last week: Shane Lowry (T-3), Cameron Smith (T-3), Collin Morikawa (5th), Corey Conners (T-6), Justin Thomas(T-8), Sungjae Im (T-8), Charl Schwartzel (T-10).

RBC Heritage | Tournament Facts;

COURSE: Harbor Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, South Carolina

ARCHITECT: Pete Dye

YARDS/PAR: 7,191 yards/Par 71

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $8,000,000/$1,440,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Stewart Cink

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @RBC_Heritage

LEGENDARY … BC’s Jerry York Retires

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff Report From Official BC News Release) –  Jerry York, the winningest coach in NCAA hockey history, five-time NCAA champion, National Hockey League and US Hockey Hall of Famer, and beloved Boston College ambassador, is retiring after 50 years of Division I coaching, including 28 years as coach of the BC Eagles.

York, 76, met with his coaches and players to inform them of his decision which, he said, was based on a desire to travel more with his wife, Bobbie, play golf for the first time during a weekend in the fall, spend more time with his family, and watch his two grandchildren play hockey, lacrosse, and soccer games in Pittsburgh.

“I have been thinking about the possibility of retiring during the past several weeks and it just seemed to me to be the right time to do so,” said York. “I am so blessed to have been involved with Boston College these past 28 years and to have had the opportunity to coach so many wonderful student-athletes.”

William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Patrick Kraft praised York for his unparalleled contributions to Boston College and the sport of hockey.

“It is difficult to put into words all that Jerry York means to Boston College,” said Kraft in a statement.  “His record as the winningest coach in NCAA men’s ice hockey and BC hockey speak for themselves, but it is his humility, decency, unwavering commitment to his players, fellow coaches, and all of us in the BC family, and the quiet ways in which he contributes to this community that make him so beloved. He is a legend and one of the classiest individuals to ever coach in college sports. It has been a joy to work with him, and on behalf of all of us in the BC community I wish him, Bobbie, and his entire family the very best in his retirement years.”

York, the Schiller Family head hockey coach, was hired at Boston College in 1994 after coaching for 15 years at Bowling Green University (1979-1994) where he won the national championship in 1984.  He began his head coaching career at Clarkson University at the age of 27, leading the Golden Knights from 1972-1979.

One of only three coaches in NCAA history to win an NCAA championship at two different schools, York led BC to the national title in 2001, 2008, 2010, and 2012. On December 29, 2012, he became the all-time winningest coach in college hockey, passing Michigan State’s Ron Mason. He finishes his career with 1,123 wins—including a record-setting 41 NCAA tournament victories. York coached the Eagles to nine Hockey East Tournament titles and 12 regular season championships, including at least a share of five of the last seven league titles. He was named Hockey East Coach of the Year in 2004, 2011, 2014, 2018, and most recently in 2021, and won the Spencer Penrose trophy as NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 1977.

Known as a caring mentor who was ever willing to support his players during and after their time at BC, York coached four Hobey Baker Award winners (given to college hockey’s best player), 17 NHL first-round draft picks, 12 Stanley Cup champions, and scores of players who went on to successful careers in the NHL.  He also coached multiple Olympians and mentored dozens of individuals who went on to serve as NHL coaches, general managers, and presidents of hockey operations. His reputation for treating all of his players equally and holding them to the highest standard on and off the ice solidified his standing throughout the sporting world and endeared him to generations of hockey players and their families, whether in Potsdam, N.Y.; Bowling Green, Ohio; or in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

A star player at Boston College High School before coming to the Heights to play for Coach John “Snooks” Kelley, York was named First-Team All-America in 1967 and won the Walter Brown Award for the top American-born player in New England that same year.  He scored 134 points as a player (84 goals, 70 assists) and led the Eagles to a 60-29 record, the 1965 Beanpot title, and a second-place finish in the 1965 NCAA Tournament.

“The highlight of my career was on June 15, 1994, when BC President J. Donald Monan, S.J., and Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk invited me to meet with them at BC,” said York.  “We toured the campus, and later that evening Fr. Monan invited me to his office in Botolph House to talk. ‘I want you to be the next hockey coach at BC,’ he said. ‘I know you will make us proud.’  It has been an honor to serve my alma mater, to work for Fr. Monan and Fr. Leahy, and to coach with so many terrific assistants and fellow BC coaches. I leave knowing that it is the right time to go. The book hasn’t closed, but it is time for me to start a new chapter.”

“Green Hot” Scheffler Takes The Masters

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AUGUSTA – FedEx Cup leader and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the 2022 Masters Tournament, earning his first major championship title and fourth career PGA Tour victory. Amazingly, all four wins have come in his last six starts.

Scheffler became the first player to win four times in a six-start stretch on the PGA Tour since Jason Day in 2015 and the sixth player to win in his first PGA TOUR start as World No. 1 and sixth World No. 1 to win the Masters

Paying tribute to Augusta National, 82-time PGA Tour winner and five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods finished 47th in his first start on the PGA Tour since the 2020 Masters. He said he was “grateful” to be able to compete after suffering leg injuries in a terrible car accident sidelined him all this time. Woods walked with a noticeable limp on Saturday and Sunday and posted his highest scores ever at The Masters.

Players to win the Masters Tournament as World No. 1:

  • Scottie Scheffler, 2022
  • Dustin Johnson, 2020
  • Tiger Woods, 2002 and 2001
  • Fred Couples, 1992
  • Ian Woosnam, 1991

Red Sox Head to Motor City

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox will depart New York after the first ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game against the Yankees, can chill-out in Detroit for a three-game set against the Tigers Monday to Wednesday (two afternoon games) before heading home Thursday for the Friday, April 15, 2:10pm (ET) home opener against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park.

This Friday, Minnesota’s SP Sonny Gray is scheduled to throw against Boston SP Nick Pivetta unless the weather forecast throws a change-up. The four-game set against the Twins concludes with the 11:10am (ET) start on Patriots’ Day, Monday, April 18th – the holiday in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts known best at the day of the famed Boston Marathon.

Reading the Boston Red Sox Tea party leaves this early in the season is nearly as impossible as forecasting the weather. After all, when the Red Sox were playing the New York Yankees on Saturday, Boston saw sunshine and spring-like settings turn to ominous skies, snow, hail, thunder and rain before returning to a beautiful spring evening.

That unpredictable weather pattern might equate to the Sox pitching roster, once again, as Nathan Eovoldi, Pivetta, Tanner Houck, Michael Wacha and Rich Hill could prove to be a formidable staff which can be super-sized if Sox star Chris Sale can return to form at some point mid-season. Currently, Sale is on the 60-day Injured List with rib injuries. He’ll begin throwing next week.

James Paxton, acquired by Boston for a single year deal for a lofty $10m, is recovering from Tommy John surgery last April when he was a member o0f the Seattle Mariners.

One-time Sox closer Matt Barnes is already banged-up as the season begins but could return soon. Until then, it’s bullpen by committee with newly extended four-year contract holder Garrett Whitlock carrying the load with Ryan Brasier and Hansel Robles. Matt Strohm andJake Diekman round out the relievers from the southpaw side. Josh Taylor, a 61 game reliever last season, has been out on the IL with a bad back but could return within weeks.

If you’re scoring at home, that pans out to create uncertainty every time Eovaldi, Pivetta, Hill, Wacha, Barnes and eventually Sale and Paxton take the pitching mound to start a game, whether it be at Fenway or on the road.

Of course, pitching is the key element for all teams to contend in the American League East as the Toronto Blue Jays, Yankees, and Tampa Bay Rays are all worthy to compete for playoff berths while the Baltimore Orioles are likely to hold up the rear in the division but are fast improving.

Lets take a look at the Vegas odds for the American League title as of Opening Day:

  • Toronto Blue Jays | +400
  • Chicago White Sox | +500
  • Houston Astros | +500
  • New York Yankees | +500
  • Tampa Bay Rays | +850
  • Boston Red Sox | +1000
  • Los Angeles Angels | +1000
  • Seattle Mariners | +1000
  • Minnesota Twins | +1700
  • Detroit Tigers | +2300
  • Cleveland Guardians | +4200
  • Texas Rangers | +4800
  • Kansas City Royals | +5000
  • Oakland Athletics | +6000
  • Baltimore Orioles | +16000