Lee Lowenfish

For someone dubbed the Prince of Paranoia, things are looking up in my life as a fan who roots ardently for Columbia women's and Wisconsin men's basketball. Over Valentine's Day weekend, Columbia moved into a first-place Ivy League tie with Princeton using a solid second half to thump the Tigers, 70-56.  The next night, oddly by almost an identical score, 69-56, Columbia beat a stubborn Penn team that trailed 30-15 at the half but made life a bit anxious after intermission behind sharp-shooting forward Katie Collins. The lead was secured when the Lions kept their composure against the Quakers press.  Resurgent junior Riley Weiss had a consistent 44 point weekend and co-captain Perri Page, with her father former Pitt star Julius Page and family cheering her on, had a double double against Princeton, including a career-high 25 points. After a foul-plagued first half against Penn, she bounced back with a double-digit scoring second half and all-around play to keep the Quakers from dreaming of another upset like last month's in Philadelphia. Kudos also to the ferocious play of junior guard Fliss Henderson who was in the middle of everything all weekend and a rebounding force. 

 

I love defense and pitching in baseball and defense that creates offense in basketball.  The Lions' recent outstanding play has also been keyed by sophomore guards Mia Broom and Nasi Simmons who I'm beginning to call the Steal Sisters - earlier this season Nasi set a record with 10 steals against Yale.  Sad to say, only one home game is left for the Lions, Sa Mar 7 2P against Harvard always a tough opponent and tied for third with improving Brown who we meet in Providence on Feb 28 also at 2P.  Ahead on Mar 13-14 is the 4-team Ivy League tournament this year at Cornell.  With Penn 3 games behind Harvard and Brown and only 4 games left in regular season, it looks like the 4 tourney teams are set, but seeding is still to be determined.

 

Down in Greenwich Village, the NYU Violets women cagers' Division III winning streak is now up to 84.  They, too, only have a few games left in the regular season: This Fri Feb 20 at 730P against Washington U of St Louis, the school that owned the prior D-3 winning streak early this century. Then Su Feb 22 at noon against U of Chicago followed on Sa Feb 28 at 3P against Brandeis, preceded by a 1045A alumni game.  The Violets are assured of hosting FSa at the Paulson Center on Bleecker Street just north of Mercer the first weekend in March. If they advance, hosting the next round will depend on how far the solid NYU men's team goes in its playoffs. 

 

Here's a shoutout to another local D-3 winning streak, the Montclair State men's team is 24-0 with one regular season game left -  Wed Feb 18 at 7P at College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ.

Montclair State should host first rounds of playoffs at their gym on the Montclair campus, Feb 25-26. 

 

On the bigtime D-1 side of men's hoops in the NYC area, St. John's is 20-5 and ranked #17 in the latest national poll.  There is no doubt that Rick Pitino knows how to coach but I find his arrogant manner off-putting. After a game this past Sat on the road at Providence that was punctuated by a late first half brawl, Pitino commented to the press, "Curfew 5 AM." Pitino's arch-rival Arkansas coach John Calipari also likes to be flippant in his comments. Complaining about the transfer portal and other legal changes enabling player mobility, Calipari wailed the other day, "I have a player who has two kids and is using his NIL money to pay alimony." 

 

My Wisconsin Badgers are a team that has used the transfer portal effectively to achieve national attention after a mediocre start to the season. Last week they knocked off nationally ranked Big Ten rivals Illinois on the road and Michigan State at home. In addition to home grown junior guard John Blackwell and seven-foot junior Nolan Winter, Wisconsin has plucked the transfer portal for two key veteran components, flashy southpaw guard Nick Boyd from northern New Jersey and key reserve the former Minnesota Golden Gopher (and Tulsa Hurricane) Braelen Carrington, a useful sharpshooter.  Boyd can be stopped if you force him to the right and make him take off-balance shots, but when he is on, his speed and daring are electrifying. 

I didn't have great hopes for this year's edition of the Badgers but if nothing else, their competitiveness should mute the critics of coach Greg Gard who is nearing his 20th year with the Badgers, including more than ten as top assistant to retired Hall of Fame coach Bo Ryan. 

 

I've quoted these coaches many times but it never hurts to repeat some of their adages: 

"WE JUDGE OUR PLAYERS BY WHAT IT TAKES TO DISCOURAGE THEM" - Bo Ryan after Badgers knocked off then-#1 ranked Ohio State in Columbus, 2011.

"IF CONSISTENCY WERE AN ISLAND, IT WOULD BE LIGHTLY POPULATED" - Greg Gard quoting a sports psychologist that addressed his team, earlier this decade

 

The Badgers' schedule until the Big Ten tournament (which is really the Big 18 nowadays) is with all times EST:

Tu Feb 17 830P at Ohio State FS1; Su Feb 22 Iowa 4P FS1; Sa 2/28 at U of Washington FS1 4P; W Mar 4 Maryland 8P FSI; Sa Mar 7 at Purdue 4P CBS

 

     AND NOW TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME!

Turning to the hope that the return of spring training always brings, the Prince of Paranoia applauds the Orioles for signing former Met RHP Chris Bassitt to bolster a starting pitching staff that doesn't have a real ace but can always use innings-eaters and gritty gamers like Bassitt. He turns 37 on Feb 22 but knock on wood, he has been durable as a reliable starter most recently for the Blue Jays through their World Series run.  The addition of Bassitt certainly tempered the bad news that the usually durable Jackson Holliday will miss all of spring training and some of the

regular season with a hamate bone fracture located in the palm of his hand.  Two other notable players, the Mets' Francisco Lindor and the Diamondbecks Corbin Carroll, recently suffered the same injury.  Each probably was incurred from overdoing batting practice in preparation for the long season.  

 

I will try and I urge most lovers of the game to appreciate good games and remarkable player achievements during the upcoming season because the specter of an owners' lockout of players looms large after the current collective bargaining agreement expires in early December.   I refuse to believe any forthcoming disaster is inevitable including what is happening to our society during the second term of the 47th president. So I prefer to cite some good news concerning Tomas Lopez, a junior RHP for my Columbia Lions baseball team who will pitch for Brazil in the upcoming World Baseball Classic starting on March 4.  Tomas' mother is Brazilian and she is over the moon in delight for her son's opportunity.  Lopez told mlb.com - and why not capitalize this quote too! 

"BASEBALL JUST BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER ALL THE TIME. . . . I'M JUST EXCITED [TO FIND OUT] . . .  HOW EVERYONE GOT INTO THE SAME EXACT SITUATION THAT I'LL BE IN." 

 

Regardless of the doom and gloom folks bemoaning the MLB labor situation, I insist that there will always be baseball on lower levels and I always try to honor some of the less-recognized lights.  So here's a shoutout to the latest class of inductees into National College Baseball Hall of Fame that were honored last week - Feb 12 - at the new home of the NCBHF in Overland Park, Kansas, near Kansas City.  Among the honorees were former Mets RHP Kris Benson (who starred at  Clemson) and Hubie Brooks (who starred at Mesa AZ JC and Arizona State U). Also inducted was Jack Coffey, the longtime Fordham baseball coach and administrator.    

 

ERRATA from recent posts:

**The real first name of manager extraordinaire Francona is Terry but everyone calls him "Tito" in honor to his father who had a better MLB career.

**James Cagney's closing line as he gets blown up at the end of "White Heat" is "Made it, Ma. Top of the World!"

 

Speaking of old films, here are some TCM tips:

Th Feb 19 1045P Robert Aldrich's "The Longest Yard" (1974).  Aldrich was a member of the Rockefeller family which included former NY governor and Presidential aspirant Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller but he made it up the chain in Hollywood without using any connections. He directs Burt Reynolds, a former gridiron star now in prison, in a football game between prisoners and guards.  Interestingly, Aldrich's first film as director was "Big Leaguer" (1953), filmed in the New York Giants minor spring training base in Florida.  

 

Earlier on Thursday at 145P is "Jammin' the Blues" - a 9 minute documentary by Djon Mili that explains jazz in the simplest most rhythmic way.  Mili was a photographer from the Netherlands who  a few years earlier for LIFE magazine filmed Bob Feller's fastball comparing it to a roaring locomotive. Feller held his own in the comparison.

Also on Thursday at 1:10P most likely on the main NBC network station  - the gold medal game between the amazing US team against their arch-rival from Canada.

 

Sa Feb 22 8P. "Patton" (1970) directed by Franklin Schaffner with George C. Scott in title role. Also Karl Malden. I mention it because many baseball personages like Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and former Phillies pitcher and manager Dallas Green said they were inspired by the volatile WW II general who reportedly counsled his troops, "Be glad you're in my outfit and not shoveling shit in Louisiana."  

 

That's all for now.  I continue to urge you to Stay Positive Test Negativew and Take It Easy But Take It.  Next time I will tell you something about a new book that I wrote the afterword for:

"KNOW YOUR STRIKE ZONE: THE ULTIMATE BLUEPRINT FOR FINDING YOUR SWEET SPOT IN LIFE AND LEADERSHIP" by Paul D. Miller and Milton O. Thompson. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ides of March 15th find me dealing with three aching disappointments in my life as a fan.

 

**Wisconsin's late-season collapse, early exit from Big Ten basketball tournament, and slippage to a #9 seed in "March Madness" tourney. 

 

**The second straight season with no Columbia or any Ivy League baseball because of the pandemic. 

 

**The plummeting of the Orioles into baseball's netherworld.

 

As the Badgers' slide became evident in the last few weeks, I thought often of a great quote by former coach Bo Ryan:  "We judge our players by what it takes to disappoint them."  Sadly, on a heavily-senior team, the Badgers' loss of confidence in themselves and each other was painful to watch.  

 

Supposedly coach Greg Gard, Ryan's former assistant who lobbied hard for him to get the job, has a good recruiting class coming. It will have to be because the Big Ten is the toughest league in college basketball. 

 

Anyone who saw Illinois win the post-season tourney yesterday in overtime over a very resilient Ohio State will attest to that. Kudos to Illini point guard Andre Kurbelo, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, who played high school ball in Bay Shore, Long Island.  So did the valuable Buckeye reserve Zed Key.  

 

Perhaps the most appropriate name for today's world is Buckeyes' talented forward 6' 7" Justice Sueing, a transfer from Cal-Berkeley who comes from Honolulu.  It prompted CBS sportscaster former coach Bill Raftery to bring up the name of Red Rocha, who starred for and later coached the University of Hawaii. I remember him playing in front court with Dolph Schayes on the Syracuse Nationals. 

 

Illinois is a number one seed in the Midwest regional that includes Rutgers, making its first NCAA appearance in 30 years, as a #10 seed against #7 Clemson. They will play games starting this Fri March 19.

 

Michigan will be #1 seed in East regional that includes #10 Maryland against #7 UConn. The likely loss of senior starter Isaiah Livers is a big blow to the Wolverines. Mike Smith, the talented Columbia graduate transfer/point guard, took on more of the offensive load in the tourney loss to Ohio State and it didn't work out. 

 

In the same regional as Michigan, #2 Alabama plays #15 Iona coached by Rick Pitino who after bellyaching about Covid delays all season did lead his team to the tourney.  These games start Sat March 20 and the round is concluded Su Mar 22.

 

A twist in this regional is that perennial powers Michigan State and UCLA will have a play-in game on Th Mar 18 with winner facing Brigham Young on Sat. This will be the first tourney without Duke and Kentucky and their ballyhooed coaches Mike Kryzewski and John Calipari - unless Covid causes another team in their leagues to drop out. Then they could be possible replacements.

 

Ohio State is a #2 seed in a South regional that starts F Mar 19.  #9 Wisconsin plays against #8 North Carolina

with the winner having the unenviable task of playing #1 seed Baylor on Su Mar 21. I presume that Baylor beats one of this year's Cinderella entrants, Hartford. #4 Purdue is in the same bracket playing Winthrop. 

 

The West bracket is headed by #1 overall seed Gonzaga, trying to be first undefeated team to go all the way since 1976.  They impressed me last week by quickly making up a 12-point halftime deficit against a good Brigham Young team, then winning going away.

 

#2 Iowa might possibly stand in Gonzaga's way though the Zags beat Hawkeyes in regular season. I think Gonzaga gets a break by having less in-person press coverage and fewer fans because of the pandemic.  They won't hear as much of the 24/7 litany, "You've never won the Big One."

 

The Big Ten teams may have somewhat of an advantage having played their tourney in the same huge arena where the concluding games will be played.  In a single elimination tourney, though, the unpredictable often happens so there is no sure bet this year.

 

Because there was no tournament in 2020, every senior can return for an extra year of eligibility. No word yet on how many veterans will take care of that opportunity. 

 

I don't think it's likely, but I'd like to see Micah Potter come back to the Badgers.  They desperately need big men who can tangle with the Big Ten behemoths, and Potter deserves another year because the NCAA kept him ineligible longer than most players who transferred - in Potter's case from Ohio State.

 

I think I've gotten so into college basketball this year because my baseball rooting interests have taken a big hit.

Ivy League baseball has been canceled for the second year in a row. I dearly miss going to root on always-competitive Columbia baseball.  PSAL high school baseball is slated to return to NYC in May and that hopefully will be pulled off.    

 

As for the Orioles, the pundits have already determined that they have zero chance of the post-season. So far the Birds' lack of offense and pitching woes in exhibition games are living down to these expectations.  

 

I've been around long enough not to treat early results too seriously. Former Oriole pitching coach (and later Brewers manager) Staten Island-bred George Bamberger once said that a 14-12 record in spring training was acceptable:  An above-.500 record and just enough losses to test one's ability to bounce back the next day. 

 

But the way Orioles look so far - 3-10 record averaging barely a run a game -  they will be lucky to enjoy a two-game winning streak this year.  So let's turn to the memories. Even here they are bittersweet.

 

Nick Markakis, 37, just retired after a 15-year-career marked by remarkable consistency. He played his first eight seasons with the Orioles, compiling a .288 BA, .358 on-base average, .435 slugging average.

In seven seasons with the Braves, the numbers were quite similar:  .288/.358/.403.  

 

A rare new-fangled statistic that caught my attention is that Markakis retired with 2388 career hits and only 1969 swings and misses.  His career BB-K ratio was 891-1230, quite good in the free-swinging age he played in. 

 

In Baltimore, he won three Gold Gloves as a right fielder. He was blessed with an impressive arm and knew how to use it - some scouts even envisioned him as a pitcher (two decades earlier, some scouts had similar thoughts about Cal Ripken Jr.) 

 

Markakis as an Oriole averaged almost 150 games a season. The number would have been higher if he hadn't been hit by an errant CC Sabathia pitch that broke his hand in September 2012 - he missed the Orioles' return to the playoffs after a 15-year absence.

 

In 2019 he finally made the All-Star game.  In 2020 he elected not to play during the shortened season. But when teammate Freddie Freeman came down with a serious Covid case, Markakis un-retired.  He contributed to the 2020 playoff team but looked overmatched in his ABs during the Braves' NLCS loss in seven games to the eventual World Series-winning Dodgers.

 

Markakis was one of those players who was far more than the numbers on his baseball card.    He was a complete player and a quiet team leader.  His professionalism will be missed.  

 

Owner Peter Angelos's decision not to re-sign Nick after the 2014 season certainly was a factor in the slide of the team to its current state of embarrassment. Angelos was hesitant to give him a fourth year because of a neck injury that was ultimately healed by surgery when he was a Brave. 

 

One final note - RIP - Marvelous Marvin Hagler, former middleweight champion of the world, died in New Hampshire on Saturday March 13 at the age of 66.  Born in Newark, NJ, he was raised in Brockton, Mass. when his mother decided to flee the urban riots in the 1960s.

  

I was at the theatre-TV showing of his classic 1985 bout with Detroit's Thomas Hearns.  It remains one of the most amazing bouts in history even if it ended in less than three rounds with a bleeding Hagler knocking Hearns out.

 

After losing a disputed decision to Sugar Ray Leonard for only his third loss in the ring, Hagler moved to Italy to make movies.  

 

That's all for now.  Always remember:  Take it easy but take it!