MidValleySports.Com

By Joe Torosian

“And I kept on looking for a sign in the middle of the night
But I couldn’t see the light
No, I couldn’t see the light
I kept on looking for a way to take me through the night
Couldn’t get it right
I couldn’t get it right”
—Climax Blues Band

Kick it!

Right off the Top: So how do you feel about my proposed “No Foul Out Rule” now?

…Oh, and I have some great scoop I’m going to share at the end of the column. Life changing…You’ll never hear anything like this…Anywhere else…

***

Question for Dodgers Fans: Joc Pedersen hits a slam and drives in five on Monday…but he’s benched against Padres southpaw Clayton Richard on Tuesday for Kiki Hernandez?

(I mean, Kiki Hernandez…Why not just bring F.P. Santangelo out of retirement?)

Is Joc your everyday guy or not? I would say after three years; he’s not.

Bench him against Mad-Bum…but against Clayton Richard? Reminds me of the Dodgers from 1982 thru 1986 when Tommy Lasorda would declare every spring that Kenny Landreaux would be his everyday centerfielder.

***

Gonzaga played slightly more horrible down the stretch than North Carolina…and that’s why the Tar Heels are national champs.

The only thing wrong with the celebration after was the Officials didn’t get the opportunity to cut down the nets…They were the real winners of a very disappointing Final Four.

Coaches and Officials have told me they think the idea of not having a foul out rule is a bad one…But how do you feel about it now? Especially with all the ticky-tack–unnecessary–whistles that were blown on Monday night?

CBS analyst Bill Rafferty said it best when, late in the second half, he said:
“The refs have taken the fans right out of this game.”

***

Word filtering through the chisme pipeline is that El Monte has tabbed its next head football coach.

He should do alright—provided he washes with Holy Water every morning and comes to campus with garlic strung around his neck.

***

As of right now, the New York Mets are undefeated…If baseball is all about pitching…and the pitching in Flushing remains healthy…then Mets are going to the World Series.

“I’m back! Back in a New York groove!”

***

My apologies to Rio Hondo Prep HC, Ken Drain. I missed Drain in Monday’s column about longest tenured football coaches…We established that Farrar arrived at CO during the Jurassic Period and that His Arroyo Baldness took over at Arroyo a millennium ago…I believe Drain came to be at RHP about the time Noah’s foot touched dry ground on Mount Ararat.

***

Also since I went dark after the Super Bowl, I never followed up on Riley Saxon being named HC at Temple City…I mentioned in one of my January columns that I would tell him NOT to take the TC gig…Well, obviously, he didn’t need my two cents…And it proves—once again—no matter what you think you know…You don’t know…When it comes to sports.

“You don’t have a crystal ball. You can’t look at a kid and predict his future any more than I can. I’ve sat at those tables and listened to you tell those parents “When I know, I know. And when it comes to your son. I know.” And you don’t. You don’t.”

***

Midbits (same as ‘Tidbits’)
Midbits: This is the worst news I’ve heard about Pedro Guerrero since I saw him slide into third in the spring of 1986.

Midbits: Former Temple City running back Jamil Frazier, who rushed for over a thousand yards for the Rams 1998 semifinal team, turns 36 today. By midseason that year Frazier became dominant, his signature move—among many—may have been his open field pirouettes to avoid tacklers. Very Chuck Foreman-like.

Midbits: In the 1980’s I was certain Patrick Ewing would be the NBA’s next great center…Duane Barker had his money on Hakeem Olajuwon… When all was said and done… Ewing couldn’t carry The Dream’s jockstrap… I mean that because I think people have forgotten how great Olajuwon was.

Midbits: “It’s an option not available to every player. Skill and economics factor heavily into how long a player lasts in the NFL, but the decision to retire is often made by MRIs and MDs. Tendons tear, cartilage shreds, the feet slow – and teams realize that the third-round pick can put up the same numbers at a lower cost.”—A line from The Guardian’s article “More than just luck’: the science behind Tom Brady’s preposterous longevity” by Ian McMahan

Midbits: Happy for Tony Romo…Happier still that he’ll be replacing Phil Simms at CBS.
…Now for the life changing news…

…Ooops, sorry…I just got whistled for my fifth personal…I guess you’ll have to wait for that scoop.

The Dude abides…

661

Job 2:10

Contact Joe at joe@midvalleysports.com

Author of “Tangent Dreams: A High School Football Novel” available through amazon.com

Follow Joe on Twitter @joet13b