"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 9/14/13

Former pitcher Derek Lowe was in the NESN broadcast booth during a recent Red Sox telecast--filling for Jerry Remy. At one point, play-by-play man Don Orsillo remarked how humbling the game of baseball can be. Lowe's response: "That's why I'm sitting up HERE!"..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1999 K.C. Royals--who finished a disappointing 64-97 under manager Tony Muser--DID have three players on the squad with 100+ RBI's. Can you name this trio? Answer to follow..........At one point during the K.C. Chiefs home game last weekend (vs. Dallas), Van Halen's "Beautiful Girls" was blasting over the PA system. I asked myself, "Why would they be playing THAT tune?" The TV camera then focused on some of the Chiefs cheerleaders, and yours truly received his answer..........There's only ONE thing I can think of that will rival the strange feeling of Mariano Rivera not being the N.Y. Yankees closer anymore: The day when my fellow Fordham grad Vin Scully is no longer calling games for the L.A. Dodgers. The man will return next season for his 65th year in the broadcast booth; yes, simply remarkable..........Let's just hope that troubled NBA player Lamar Odom gets the professional help he desperately needs. Ah, what might have been; the talented Odom should have been a MUCH better player than one who's averaged 13 ppg/8 rpg over a 14-year career..........Did you know that the lowly 1999 Cleveland Browns had a TEAM total of just 1,150 rushing yards? Terry Kirby led the squad with 452 as the team finished with a record of 2-14. Just HOW low a total was that by the '99 team? Former Browns great/Hall of Famer Jim Brown exceeded the 1,150 mark seven times HIMSELF during his illustrious career--and that was while playing a 14-game schedule instead of 16..........*Get fit for a great cause: The RUN MS/SPOOKTACULAR 5K race will take place on October 26th at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. There will be cash prizes, trophies to age division-winners, a costume contest, music, refreshments, and a post-race party; proceeds go toward the fight against multiple sclerosis. The entrance fee is $30 ($35 on race day) with the race starting at 9 AM. For more information on this "spooktacular" event, please visit www.ctfightsMS.org..........ITEM: New Jersey high school assistant basketball coach Jimmie Smith is arrested after possessing more than seven ounces of cocaine with the intent to distribute. My first thought? If Smith spent more time concentrating on distributing the BASKETBALL instead of COCAINE, his life might be much simpler at this juncture..........Tim McCarver, on a recent FOX telecast, was recalling how downright MEAN Bob Gibson was while on the pitcher's mound--even to his own TEAMMATES. McCarver--Gibson's catcher in the early 60's while in St. Louis--recalled one day when manager Johnny Keane instructed him to tell Gibson to slow down his pace a bit. McCarver's response to Keane: "YOU go tell him--I'm NOT walking out there!" Tim also relayed that he never remembered (or perhaps didn't WANT to remember) making ANY trips to the mound whenever Gibson was pitching..........I am TOTALLY convinced that if Robinson Cano of the Yankees hustled just a little more--and toned down his cocky approach--he'd be one of the most respected ballplayers of the past 50 years..........O.K.--here goes (by popular demand): Princeton rowing team member Jennifer Hu marries Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, divorces, marries former California high school tennis star Christopher Wen--divorces again--then marries PGA golfer Mike Weir. Her full married name would be Jennifer Hu Watt Wen Weir..........A "Warner Wolf Moment": If you took Hanover College and 68 points last weekend, YOU LOST!!!! Final college football score from the Midwest: Wabash 69, Hanover 0..........Answer to trivia question: JERMAINE DYE (119), CARLOS BELTRAN (108), and MIKE SWEENEY (102)..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former University of Utah assistant football coach Aaron Alford--who died recently of an apparent heart attack at the age of 39. Alford coached running backs/defensive backs for the Utes from 2007-2010; current NFL players such as Brice McCain, Sean Smith, and RJ Stanford benefited from Alford's instruction while playing at Utah. A former DB at Colorado State, Alford also had coaching stops at Southern Utah, Western Illinois, Wyoming, and Akron before arriving at Utah. At the time of his death, Alford was working for Park City High School (UT) as an athletic director/assistant football coach. May Aaron Alford rest in peace.