As another busy weekend comes to an end, what better way to start the work week than with sports updates of all sorts, a few items of general interest (hopefully!), and a trivia question or two to challenge your minds!
Let’s begin with the just-completed Masters Golf Tournament from beautiful Augusta National in what has to be the azalea capital of Georgia. Rory McIlroy defended last year’s championship by fighting back on the final nine holes on his way to a one-stroke victory over fast-charging Scottie Scheffler. The Irishman (who hosted the traditional champions dinner earlier in the week and when asked why his choice of menu wasn’t Irish, replied that he wanted to enjoy the meal!) also outlasted Justin Rose and Cameron Young by draining a birdie putt on the famous 12th hole and then getting up and down on the scenic par-3 16th. Meanwhile, a fading Rose and Young couldn’t mount a challenge over the final holes, allowing McIlroy to win another green jacket.
That leads to the first of the trivia questions—what other three golfers have won back-to-back Masters titles?
If you haven’t had a chance to check out the new artificial infield turf at the varsity baseball field at Greenville’s Sater Street complex, do so. Not only is the facility one of the best around the area, but Coach Chad Henry has a young team that’s getting better with each outing!
Major League Baseball is in the third full week of the season, and with one exception, each division is showing an example of competitive parity so far. In the American League East the Orioles, Yankees, and Rays all have 8-7 records, the Guardians at 9-6 set the pace in the Central, and the A’s (yes, the A’s with no first name) head up the West at 8-7.
Over in the National League the Braves top the East with a 9-6 mark, the Pirates have a half-game lead over the Reds at 9-6, and the two-time World Series champions Dodgers with an estimated $413 Million payroll lead the West at 10-3.
Cincinnati has gotten off to a decent start at 9-7, considering that the offense for the most part has been mediocre at best, while the defense and pitching have carried Terry Francona’s squad. And how about Versailles native Craig Stammen, is his first year of managing at any level, leading the Padres to a 9-6 record after getting off to a 1-4 start to the year.
For those of you who care (I usually don’t until the playoffs begin), the NBA post-season starts this week, leading up to the Finals, which are scheduled for a best-of-seven series beginning June 3, making for a longgggg season!
In the Eastern Conference, the top four seeds are the Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, and Cavaliers, while in the West, the defending-champion Thunder will hold home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and are trailed in the final regular-season standings by the Spurs, Nuggets, Lakers, and Rockets. Get ready for some high-intensity basketball full of traveling violations, physical play, dunks galore, and some actual defense after an 82-game season.
One of my favorite items in the Dayton Daily News is the “Today in History” section. Here are three events which happened on April 12th:
In 1861, Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, the opening shots of the Civil War or War Between the States.
In 1945, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt succumbed to a stroke in Warm Springs, Georgia at age 63. The 33rd President of the United States held office from 1933 until his passing, leading the country through a turbulent 12-year period which included the Depression and World War II. His successor was Vice-President Harry S. Truman of Missouri who was the last President to have not attended college. Truman remains one of my favorite leaders, a plain-spoken man of common sense who rises higher in the rankings of presidential scholars as time passes by. Also, he was a casual friend of my mother’s father, A.R. (Pop) Gibson from Unionville, Missouri!! Plus I’m a native Missourian, having been born in St. Louis, one reason why I am sometimes as stubborn as a Missouri Mule!
In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space, orbiting the Earth one time. Can you name the first American in space?
Here’s something I never considered; American furniture stores have seen annual sales declines over 8% in the past three years. High home mortgage rates and home prices have frozen the housing market, which has left fewer people looking to furnish new spaces with thousands of dollars’ worth of dining chairs, tables, sectionals, etc. The slump is wreaking havoc on the industry, with small and large chains bearing the brunt of the downturn.
Finally, Rory McIlroy joins an elite group of consecutive winners of the Masters: Jack Nicklaus in 1965 and 1966; Sir Nick Faldo in ‘89-‘90; and Tiger Woods in both 2001 and 2002.
Also, Alan Shepard became the first American in space in May of 1961, on what was only a suborbital flight. He later became the only one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts to walk on the moon, in 1971, commanding the Apollo 14 mission at age 47, the oldest American to tread the lunar surface. And a tie-in to golf for your information—he was famous in another sense as he hit two golf balls on the moon!! Have a great week!!
