Happy Birthday, Yogi!

Roughly 11 years ago, I had the opportunity to interview that lovable baseball legend and word-smith Yogi Berra at his museum in Upper Montclair, N.J.

The man who wound up in both the Baseball Encyclopeida and Barlett’s Familiar Quotations graciously took me on a tour of his miniature Baseball Hall of Fame.

I remember stopping at the case housing the 10 World Series rings the Yogster won as a catcher with the New York Yankees.

“I have this running joke with Derek Jeter,’’ he told me. “He already has three rings in just four years, and he asks me how many more he needs to catch me. When I tell him seven, he says, ‘That’s ridiculous.’ He says he will keep plugging away because one day he wants to be like me. He calls me the ‘Liberace of Baseball’ because I have a ring for every finger.”

Jeter has since added two more pieces of World Series jewelry to his collection, but it’s doubtful the 37-year-old shortstop will ever supplant Berra as the Bronx Bombers’ Lord of the Rings.

I bring up Yogi on this fine, sunshiny, spring day because it is his 86th birthday.

In honor of this festive occasion, I offer a sampling of some of Lawrence Peter Berra’s more famous malapropisms:

• It ain’t over ’til it’s over.

• I really didn’t say everything I said.

• If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

• A nickel ain’t worth a dime any more.

• You can observe a lot by watching.

• Ninety percent of the game is half mental.

• Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.

• There’s a record that’ll stand until it’s broken.

• If people don’t want to come to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?

• Let’s pair up in threes.

• We won even though we were overwhelming underdogs.

• You can’t think and hit at the same time.

• If I didn’t wake up, I’d still be sleeping.

• It gets late early out there.

• Kid, you ain’t in no slump. You just ain’t hitting.

• It’s deju-vu all over again.


By the way, that photo I took of Yogi is one of my favorites. He's standing in front of a photograph of Jackie Robinson stealing home against Whitey Ford in the World Series. The umpire called Jackie safe, but a half-century later, Yogi continues to insist otherwise.

I'm back after a much too long hiatus

Sorry for the absence folks, but between writing the Jim Boeheim biography, working on two other books, churning out several magazine pieces, contributing to Channel 8’s NFL draft coverage, checking things off of my bride’s mile-long, honey-do list, mowing my daughter’s lawn weekly, doing plenty of charity work and surviving an unexpected kidney stone attack, there hasn’t been a whole lot of time for blogging.

And if you ran out of oxygen just reading that sentence, imagine how I felt writing it. ;-)

So let me play a little catch-up in the world of sports and other matters:

• I thought the Bills did a good job addressing needs in the draft. I especially like the selection of Marcell Dareus. He’ll instantly make Buffalo’s run defense stouter, and, as his 11 sacks with Alabama attest, he’s an underrated pass rusher.

• Regarding the jettisoning of Tom Modrak from the Bills front office, I’m just wondering why it took so long. When Tom Donahoe was sent packing several seasons ago, why was Modrak, his top lieutenant, retained?

• One last positive Bills item: I think Buddy Nix’s luring of Doug Whaley away from the Pittsburgh Steelers 15 months ago may wind up being the general manager’s best free agent signing ever. Whaley was known for his ability to discover great defensive talent in the draft (Troy Polamulu, LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons are just some of his finds.) And Whaley also did a superb job of scouting and game-planing upcoming opponents. The 38-year-old was part of seven playoff teams and two Super Bowl championships during his 12 seasons in the Steel City, and is the heir apparent to the Bills GM position when the 70-year-old Nix retires.

• A recent reader poll in The Buffalo News asked who should be the next person to go up on the Ralph Wilson Stadium Wall of Fame. Linebacker Cornelius Bennett topped the voting with 28 percent, followed by coach Lou Saban (24 percent) and running back Cookie Gilchrist (17 percent). Sadly, Wilson still holds a grudge against Saban, who quit on him twice, and Gilchrist isn’t eligible because he only played three seasons with the Bills and the rules stipulate you need to play at least five. As someone who has studied the team’s history thoroughly and written five books about the Bills, I think it’s a glaring omission not to have both Saban and Gilchrist on the Wall, given the impact each had on the franchise.

• The last two games of Phil Jackson’s illustrious NBA coaching career reminded me of an aged Willie Mays stumbling after a fly ball in a New York Mets uniform near the end of his career. Jackson’s Los Angeles Lakers didn’t even show up in Game 3, then compounded matters by resorting to thug-ball in Sunday’s loss to Dallas.

• So after Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers threw the second no-hitter of his career the other day, a sportswriter suggested that he has a shot at Nolan Ryan’s major-league record of seven no-no’s. Really?

* Kudos to Syracuse athletics director Daryl Gross for hiring former Orange football great Floyd Little to help with fund-raising and other matters. Floyd remains one of the classiest and most accomplished athletes ever to come out of Syracuse. In addition to his Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the Denver Broncos, Little earned a law degree and became immensely successful in the automobile business. At one point, he owned several dealerships in the Los Angeles and Seattle areas.
• Everybody talks about Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. But I believe Johnny Unitas’ record of throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games is even more impressive.

• I think it’s pretty cool that my alma mater, Syracuse, has a basketball coaching staff filled with alums. There’s, of course, Jim Boeheim (1966), at head coach; Bernie Fine (’67) at assistant head coach; Mike Hopkins (’93) as the lead assistant and newly hired Adrian Autry (’94) as the third assistant. And don’t forget Gerry McNamara (’06), who’s a graduate assistant. SU is the only Division I school in the country with an all-alumni staff.

• Belated 90th birthday wishes to my friend and newspaper pioneer Jean Giambrone. She’s a remarkable lady who was among the first female sportswriters in America. And she did it for 41 years at the old Rochester Times-Union.

• One of the great things about being involved with the Rochester Press-Radio Club Children’s Charities group is the opportunity to give money away to deserving organizations and take part in their special events. We had just such an occasion the other day at the School of the Holy Childhood in Henrietta. The best part of the morning was seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces when they came up to receive their awards and the hugs they gave us after the assembly.

* I liked the idea of a commemorative bobble-head chosen by Rochester Red Wings fans to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Frontier Field. But if I had my choice, I would have led a write-in campaign for Zippy Chippy, the lovable thoroughbred loser who wound up winning two of the Man vs. Beast races at Frontier. It still remains one of the best minor-league baseball promotions.

• Still can’t believe that both my children are now over 21. The years really do zip by like a Nolan Ryan fastball.

• Speaking of flying time, I’m going to play in a Tuesday morning softball league for guys 55 and older. Better stock up on the Ibuprofen.

• Finally, my bride and I had the pleasure of attending the local New York State Athletic Administrators Association luncheon today. It was good catching up with Werner Kleeman, Jim Zumbo and Dennis Fries – each of whom has had profound influences on the lives of student-athletes in our area. And I was especially thrilled to see my good friend, Dr. Cynthia Devore, receive the Distinguished Service Award. It would take me several blogs to extol the virtues of her work on behalf of students, coaches and administrators in our area and beyond. Suffice it to say, her impact has been every bit as great if not greater than that of any coach or AD in our region. Congrats, my friend, on a job well-done.

Will Scoop (Jardine) deliver? That's the big question facing SU in NCAAs

Two scoops might be desirable at your favorite ice cream stand, but two Scoops haven’t always set well in the stomachs of Syracuse basketball fans.

We’re talking, of course, about Orange point guard Scoop Jardine, a polarizing player who has been both good and bad this basketball season.

He has made clutch shots with games on the line and he has made bonehead decisions with games on the line. Continuing with the ice cream metaphor, his play been both palatable and ajada-inducing, often within the span of mere seconds.

Consistency has not been a hallmark of the fourth-year junior’s play, and that’s why I can’t agree with Jay Bilas’ assessment that the ‘Cuse will be headed to Houston and the Final Four. I just think that at some point Scoop is going to serve up one of those head-scratching turnovers or low-percentage shots that turns victory into defeat.

I do believe, though, that SU will make a run. On my bracket sheet I have them reaching the Elite Eight before getting bounced by Kentucky, who I have upsetting the East’s top seed, Ohio State. My other Final Four picks: Pitt, Kansas and Duke, with the Jayhawks winning it all.

I also believe there will be several early round upsets. I like 13th seed Belmont knocking off No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 12 Clemson beating No. 5 West Virginia and No. 11 Gonzaga over No. 6 St. John’s.

Interestingly, Bilas, a Dukie whom I think is the best college basketball analyst on television, has three Big East teams reaching the Final Four – SU, UConn & Pitt, with Kansas winning it all.

For Syracuse to go that far, they will need consistency and judicious decision-making by the aforementioned Jardine, take-charge play by Kris Joseph, hot-shooting by Brandon Triche and some contributions from freshmen bigs Fab Melo and Baye Moussa Keita.

Can’t wait to see what unfolds. Let the madness begin.
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If they had a tournament for the all-name team, I believe SU would win hands down. Besides Scoop, Baye Moussa and Fab, you have Mookie Jones. Tough name line-up to beat.

Of course, the best of the interesting names in college basketball belongs to Jimmer Fredette of BYU. Other ‘name-players’ I would include from this year’s NCAAs: Shabazz Napier (Connecticut); Hippolyte Tsafarack (Memphis); Vander Blue (Marquette) and Dash Harris (Texas A&M).
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COMING ATTRACTIONS: I’ll be on Bob Matthews’ radio talk show on WHAM 1180-AM tonight from 7-8, so give us a call to talk about the NCAAs and sports of all sorts at (585) 222-1180.

Will it be Miller Time for Bills on draft day?

Von Miller (not to be confused with all-time “Voice of the Bills” Van Miller) is the latest player projected to be chosen by Buffalo.

A 6-foot-3, 246-pound linebacker from Texas A&M, Miller led the nation in sacks (17) as a junior and managed 10 ½ last fall, despite being hobbled by a recurring sprained ankle. He was a champion hurdler in high school and wowed everyone at last week’s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis with his speed, quickness, agility and strength.

Given Buffalo’s need for a pass-rushing, play-making defender, it appears that Miller might fit the Bills. (In other words, unlike first-round flop Aaron Maybin, he’s supposed to be the real deal.)

While Miller’s stock was ascending in Indy, quarterback Cam Newton’s was declining a tad. Not only was the Heisman Trophy-winning QB from Auburn off target on many of his throws, but his football knowledge was called into question during several of his individual meetings with NFL GMs and scouts.
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I’m still having difficulty understanding a possible work stoppage by a $9 billion industry that’s never been more prosperous. Pretty tough to swallow at a time when so many Americans are losing their jobs and their homes.
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What a delight it has been to listen to Terry Pegula’s fan-like enthusiasm for the Buffalo Sabres. The thing that strikes me is how sincere he sounds. Long-suffering Buffalo sports fans have been waiting for an owner like this for a long, long time.
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You probably heard that Brigham Young basketball star Brandon Davies has been kicked off the team for having premarital sex with his girlfriend, which is a violation of the Mormon school’s honor code. BYU students also are forbidden to drink alcohol, coffee and tea; smoke or chew tobacco and spew profanity. In addition, they must attend church daily and adhere to dress and grooming codes.

Personally, I never would have lasted there. (I couldn't have done without my daily cup of tea ;-). That said, I respect the school for sticking to its principles, even though the decision may cost the Cougars a shot at the Final Four. Most institutions would have looked the other way, sacrificing values and standards for the truckloads of money a trip deep into the NCAAs would have produced.

I do feel badly for Davies, and his teammates, who include college player-of-the-year Jimmer Fredette. But Davies knew what the rules were before he arrived on campus.
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While we’re on the subject of BYU’s honor code: How in the world did party animal/quarterback Jim McMahon not get suspended during his years at the Provo, Utah school?
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UConn’s Kemba Walker and Notre Dame’s Ben Hansbrough appear to be the leading candidates for the Big East Conference Player-of-the-Year Award, which will be announced next week. But I think you can make a strong case that Rick Jackson is every bit as deserving. The senior Syracuse forward/center leads the league in rebounding, blocked shots, field goal percentage and double-doubles for a team that’s ranked 12th in the nation. Not too shabby. (You can read more about ‘Cuse basketball in my weekly Orange hoops column at www.rochesterhomepage.net)