Good morning!
Blue skies and sunshine accompanied my Sunday drive past ripening apple orchards and corn stalks on the backroads of New York to Saratoga. Earlier on Rte. 9 near Hogback a woman facing traffic ran past holding a torch shoulder high, participating in a Peace Torch relay through the U.S. to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
This was my first trip to the track in two years. The answer was simple when someone asked why I’d abandoned the annual trek. “Because I always lose.”
Watching horses being saddled in the paddock I’ll see a jockey and trainer talking intently or an owner high-five a trainer and darn if those 10-to-1 shots don’t beat the odds-on favorites I invariably put my money on.
This time I found a way to keep my losses at a minimum. Underneath the grandstand near the popcorn booth track officials were registering people for the low roller handicapping contest — low roller as opposed to high roller.
Handicappers choose five races and bet two dollars to win, place and show on a horse. Contestants pony up $40 — $30 to bet and $10 for the prize pool. Whoever wins the most money on his or her bets wins half the pool and four others split the rest.
An hour before post time, PA announcer Frank Mirahmadi asked everyone to remove their hats and stand for the national anthem. Two notes into the recording the music stopped. “Obviously a technical issue,” said Miramahdi. In the grandstand near the finish line, a cheerful group of fellows well met finished the anthem word-for-word, and the railbirds below gave them a rousing ovation.
My friend Joaquin was standing in the kitchen doorway of a concession area next to the track apron. Joaquin makes the Manhattan clam chowder, a track specialty. A few years ago I asked him for his recipe but he smiled and said no. Joaquin was born and raised in Puerto Rico and his parents struggled to make ends meet. He came to the U.S. and began making chowder after his days as an exercise rider ended. In America he changed his name to Billy, after Billy the Kid, but friends still call him Joaquin.
The first two horses I bet were favorites and finished out of the money, but a 12-1 longshot finished second and paid $14 to place and $7 to show. That was the extent of my success, but it was enough to satiate my gambling fix.
“You saved me a lot of money,” I said on the way out. My day at the Spa cost about $75 for admission, program, popcorn, Shake Shack burger, ice cream and bets. On the drive back I followed Rte. 29 to Rte. 22 north on the flatlands past two large, faded Buffalo Bills flags hanging from a rickety porch, and a shuttered farmstand with an ominous message: “Closed for the season. See you in April.”
Ah yes, winter is coming.
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It’s the helmets versus the hardhats at 61-year-old McGuirk Alumni Stadium, where renovations that should’ve started after the spring game remain a work in progress. During Monday morning’s practice alt-rock music blared through the sound speakers while orange-vested workers scrambled to finish before the home opener against Sacred Heart.
Steel reinforcement rods rose out of muddy pools at the bottom of excavation holes near stair ramps and behind the north end zone. Chain link fences and two-by-fours blocked pedestrian traffic and mounds of sand and gravel were heaped on the westside parking lot.
Dump trucks, bulldozers and excavators were ubiquitous and contractors examined blueprints inside the former UMass coach’s office. The new handrails down the aisles are aesthetically pleasing and are an overdue safety feature, but it’ll be interesting to see what the rest of the stadium looks like four weeks from today.
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South Deerfield’s Lauren Galenski and Greenfield’s Krystyn Bates were on the Bentley field hockey team that beat East Stroudsburg (Pa.) University, 4-2, to win the NCAA D-II national title in 2001.
Galenski was coached by the legendary Vi Goodnow at Frontier and Bates by the esteemed Donna Woodcock at GHS. Bates opened the scoring with a first half goal and Galenski’s second half goal proved to be the game winner. Later this fall the school will honor the team by inducting it into the athletic Hall of Fame, date and time to be announced.
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Last month’s Pars for a Purpose Ladies Golf Tournament at Thomas Memorial in Turners Falls raised $14,850. “It was raised through tee sponsors, donations, and funds raised through the raffle,” wrote tourney director Jenn Murphy. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude for our community. People have been so very generous.
“Also, the former Thomas Memorial Board donated $10,000 this year and last year to Cancer Connection from funds acquired from the sale of the course. This year’s total to Cancer Connection is $24,850 and our two year total is $44,150. Simply amazing.”
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On Tuesday in Shelby, N.C., Lincoln (Neb.) Post 500 (55-7) overcame a five run deficit to beat Portland (Ore.) Post 158 (42-9) to win the American Legion World Series. The entire team came from the same high school and committed to play for the Legion after it lost the state high school championship.
Pitch count rules created a chess match for coaches who needed to save their best arms for crunch time, from no time off up to 30 pitches to four days off after a 105-pitch maximum.
The seven inning games showed how difficult the sport is to play. In one game Tupelo (Miss.) and Whitehouse (N.J.) combined to commit a world series record 15 errors. In another, Michigan Post 165 beat Florida Post 316 by a score of 5-4 despite just one hit— a bunt single intended to be a sacrifice. Florida did the rest, walking six batters, making three errors and letting the winning run score on a wild pitch.
Greenfield Post 81 made a good run but was eliminated after two one-run losses at the state tourney in Milford to finish 17-2.
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New York Post baseball writer Jon Heyman called Boston’s deal to get Adley Rutschman “a major overpay.” The Orioles got Anthony Eyanson who was 20-5 at LSU and is 5-0 in the minors, Kyson Witherspoon who was 18-7 at Oklahoma and power hitter Enddy Azocar who at this writing has 25 home runs and 113 RBIs in 795 minor league at bats.
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SQUIBBERS: UMass sports booster Pat MacWilliams nearly had his second-ever visit to the winner’s circle when Hammer’s Nickel finished third at 14-1 in a 12-horse field on Aug. 6. … On Aug. 8, Yankees call-up George Lombard Jr. hit his first big league home run in his first game while an hour earlier in Jupiter, Fla., his brother Jacob also hit a home run in his first pro game. Both round trippers were hit to left field with the same exit velocity and launch angle. … Ross Tucker was flattered by the number of friends and fans who congratulated him on moving into CBS’s No. 2 announcers booth with Ian Eagle. “When I stopped trying to reply to them last night it was over 350 text messages.” … Bill Rasmussen who died this week at age 93 was a part-time sports announcer at WWLP before he co-founded ESPN. Yes indeed, he worked alongside Rollie Jacobs and John Quill. … WFAN’s Joe Benigno on NFL preseason games: “Preseason football is non-alcoholic beer.” … This winter the online sports books had the Tampa Bay Rays at 30-1 to win the AL East. …Retired U.S. Marine Joey Jones on the spirit of Thanksgiving: “The only painful experience on Thanksgiving is being a Cowboys fan and knowing that’s your Super Bowl.” … The fact the Red Sox have only three series left against divisional opponents is proof the balanced schedule has diluted the end-of-season drama. … Rocco Cammarrota, an 18-year-old worker at a Publix Supermarket in Georgia, won the $10,000 Best Bagger Championship in Las Vegas. Baggers were judged on speed, technique, weight distribution, attitude and appearance. … Lefthander Tommy John thought his career was over after he tore a shoulder ligament in 1974, and Dr. Frank Jobe probably thought so too. After Jobe replaced the damaged ligament with the same ligament from his other arm he told John, “At least you’ll be able to brush your teeth with your left arm.”