Bill McCaffrey
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Sports Beat
By Bill
McCaffrey |
This year the baseball hall of shame veterans group came out with no selections for this
year's hall of shame class proving once again the hall of shame continues to be a farse!
Gil Hodges came close but couldn't get the gold ring but hey Mickey Vernon doesn't even
get a mention why?
Vernon had more hits, extra base hits, RBI's, runs scored and stolen bases than Hodges
plus Vernon had a career batting average of .286 to Hoadges .273. Both were good
fielding, first baseman but I think Vernon was better. Vernon won two American
League batting titles, Hodges never came close to winning a National League batting title.
Vernon won his two titles beating out Ted Williams then Al Rosen.
In 2001 the shame put Bill Mazrowski in and none of his career totals were even close to
Vernon's or for that fact close to Hodges.
Mazrowski got in because of his game winning 1960 World Series homerun that beat the New
York Yankees.
If Mazrowski warrants inclusion in the hall than why isn't Roger Maris in for his 61
homerun season in 1961? Certainly Maris for his year in the sunshine merits to be in
more than Mazrowski.
But calling the Cooperstown building a Hall of Fame is outlandish if Mickey Vernon isn't
in it that's why I call it a hall of shame.
To further that with all of the mistakes in it why aren't Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete
Rose in it? Like I say Mickey Vernon deserves to be in the Hall of Fame for what he
accomplished when there were only 16 major league teams.
ALLEGANY TAKES MD MENS JUCO
Bob Kirk's Allegany College won the Maryland JUCO Men's Basketball Tournament. Here
are the results:
Opening games Allegany 100 Hagerstown 82
Mont.-Rockville 98 Garrett 93
Chesapeake 93 Cecil 87
Howard 77 Prince George's 74
Semi-Finals Allegany 90 Mont.-Rockville 75
Howard 80 Chesapeake 77
Championship Allegany 95 Howard 76
O'DOUL'S SHAMROCK 5K RUN
March 16th is fun day in Charm City with the annual St. Patrick's Day parade and the
O'Doul's Shamrock 5K Run. The run takes place before the parade and the course
follows the parade route.
For information on entering the race or volunteering on race day contact the race
director, Dave Cooley at 410.377.8882 or via e-mail at dcoolman@charmcityrun.com.
This race is a USATF Certified 5K Course and starts at N. Charles and Centre Streets.
SPORTS NOTES
Former GWU coach Mike Jarvis now coaching the St. John's U men's basketball team could be
out at season's end.
I watched the Wiz edge Houston this past Thursday and here are my comments on the game:
1) Where are the Wiz going to be without MJ next season?
2) When did the NBA do away with three second violations, traveling violations and
treating all players equal?
3) Why didn't the Wiz ever sign Walt "the Wizard" Williams?
Candy Cage is the coach of the Women's Basketball team at Loyola of Maryland. Candy
is the daughter of the late Ernie Cage. Ernie was Morgan Wootens first All-Met at
DeMatha and an outstanding college basketball and football official.
Look for the Dallas Cowboys to sign ex-Washington Redskin running back Stephen Davis.
Hard to believe - Jeff Blake wants five million dollars to return as a Raven quarterback
and what's harder to believe is the Ravens are offering two million. Hey Art forget
Blake and go get Bob Griece or Jake Plummer.
Hey you know I can't get excited about the Baltimore Orioles because they are going no
where at all this season, next season or whenever.
How many of you remember the Browning and Baines Oriental Coffee sign on the right field
fence at Griffith Stadium?
How many of you remember Mike Sklar's Mitchell Sporting Goods Store on 14th Street, NW and
his basketball team "Sklar's Stars"? The team played at old Turner
(Capital) Arena and Uline Arena and featured Cliff Hagan, Dick Groat, Bob Rousy and Ernie
"The Hand" Warlick.
"Fight for a Cure" which was snowed out last week has been rescheduled for April
7th.
Next fight card at Michael's Eighth Avenue is March 20th.
This week's questions:
1) Gunther Beer was a sponsor of a lot of sports in the B/W area, what mid-west beer
company bought out Gunthers?
2) Name the ice cream store that had outlets on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, on
Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda and one in Northern Virginia?
3) George Preston Marshall is known for his ownership of the Washington Redskins but what
was the name of the laundry he owned in D.C. and where did the laundry's basketball team
play it's games.
Last week's answers:
1) Jerry Lester
2) Louise Potter
3) Don Rickles
Several folks got one or two right but the only one who got Don "Glasshead"
Rickles was Bob Simi.
Contact me at bmccaf@aol.com.
SUPPORT SOUTHERN MD SPORTS!
Nice Guys Do Get Honored
It's always super
when one of the nice guys in sports gets honored.
Tommie Scott of Clinton is going to be inducted into the CIAA officials Hall of Fame at
the CIAA basketball tournament this year.
Scott is deserving of this prestigious honor. He has been involved in officiating
for forty years. Tom started in officiating in Columbus, Mississippi doing military
intramual and high school games.
In 1967 he moved to Maryland and in his first year he worked over 300 games (CYO,
recreation, junior high, and JV) for IAABO Board #134. In 1969 he started working
high school and junior college games.
He joined the CIAA in 1982. Other conferences he worked for are: ECAC, Big East,
MAAC, Atlantic Ten, ACC, Colonial, Big South and ODAC.
He worked tournaments in Europe for the military and has worked in many conference
pre-season and post season games including NIT and NCAA playoff games.
Scott worked CIAA playoffs and was in the CIAA championship final in 1996. He
received the "Angie Lawrence Award" in 1994.
Scott retired from officiating in April, 2000 and now is in charge of observers for the
MACBOA Junior College Association and also does observing for the Ivy and Patriot Leagues.
Tommie Scott was a great basketball official and still is super as an observer but as much
of a star as he is in these endeavors he is a great person who always is willing to help
people in basketball and out. Our congratulations and our hats off to Tommie Scott.
JEFFERSON GOING TO MARYLAND
Despite a mini scandal Maryland University came up with a great recruiting class headed by
Gwynn Park's super linebacker Wesley Jefferson who is considered the top linebacker in the
USA at the high school level.
Other top recruits are: DeMatha's Ryan Mitch (QB), and Josh Wilson (DB), 6'6", 235 QB
Dan Groukowski, 6'3", 320 DT Robert Armstrong, 6'6", 310 OL Brandon Nixon,
6'5", 290 OL Donnie Woods and WR Keon Lattimore.
Other local football recruits are:
High School College
T.J. Foley Patuxent Towson
Paul Perry Oxon Hill Towson
John Sutherland Westlake Towson
Anthony Davis Roosevelt Temple
Durrel Davis Friendly Temple
Deyon Williams Suitland Va. Tech
Shaun Allen Crossland Connecticut
Tracy Belton Largo Fork Union/Mass.
Jacob Bender DeMatha Nicholls State
Ken Beverly Parkdale Kent State
Cornelius Campbell DeMatha Syracuse
Barrington Edwards Bowie LSU
Pat Fisher DeMatha LSU
Taros Harris Calvert Kent State
Cornelius Kidwell NW Hampton
Antonio Lewis Thomas Stone West Virginia
Larry McClain Forestville Fork Union/Syra.
Chad Nkang NW Elon
Randy Robinson Lackey Kent State
Marcus Shepherd Parkdale Wm. & Mary
Jahi Smith Suitland Connecticutt
Corey Sobel DeMatha Duke
Harold Stanback McNamara Connecticutt
Anthony Vaughn Gwynn Park Hofstra
Usama Young Largo Kent State
David Ziegler McDonough Marshall
SHARPLESS NOT TO SHARP
Its hard to believe or understand how Maryland (or should I say former) assistant coach
Rod Sharpless could put himself and Maryland in a penny ante situation that may not cost
the Terps a big NCAA penalty but will cost them big time in the area of respectability.
Sharpless is not a new comer to recruiting and certainly had to be well aware of NCAA
regulations and guidelines so how or why did he do this and is it the first time or just
the first time he got caught?
Also a former Maryland football player named Mike Jackson apparently broke thr rules by
taking a present Terps freshman basketball player to a Washington Wizards game. The
player paid back the price of the ticket and no penalty was given to the Terps but the
University is reported to ask Anderson to make himself invisible at College Park and not
talk to any athlete about the University.
Hey and Maryland was suppose to be squeaky clean since the dark days of Bob Wade, eh?
SPORTS NOTES
Patrick Pannella, Executive Director of the Maryland State Athletic Commission, did an
excellent job testifying for the Association of Boxing Commissions before Senator John
McCains Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on the State of
Professional Boxing.
Cecil Community College upset Allegany College 66-62 to snap Allegany's 34 game home court
and 32 consecutive JUCO win streaks.
Maryland's Chrissy Fisher has been named the ACC rookie of the week after shooting a
combined .750 (9-12) mark from behind the 3-point arc in the Terps' two games this week.
>From one of our readers:
Bill,
Good column. Some interesting names in it. The Uconn-Duke women's game on
Sunday night (ESPN2) was so significant in that it opened everyone's eyes to the current
stage of development of women's college basketball. Maryland's program will be a
significant beneficiary of the game's growing popularity and soon Comcast will be rivaling
big programs attendance figures. Wait for the MD-Duke game later this month.
At the NC State (men's game) the students were already canting "Caner....Medley,
Caber...Medley." It will become a regular feature of the home games. Keep
the fiath.
Joel C.
Here's the answers for last week's questions.
1) Delores Pastor
2) Avenue Grand
3) Lt. Roy Blick
I am in the hospital this week and I am hopeful that everything is going to work out.
Stay tuned.
SUPPORT SOUTHERN MD SPORTS!
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