As I begin this piece, my goal is to hit on more than a few topics, and attempt to keep my comments on each as brief as possible. Loyal readers (all three or four of you) already realize that will be no easy task for yours truly.
With that said, let’s see how it goes:
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ROYALS ENJOY SEASON TO REMEMBER – The Mason County baseball saw its season come to an end on Thursday night in a state tournament opener at Legends Field in Lexington.
After the Royals’ surprising run through the 10th Region tournament, they drew 11th Region titlist Lexington Catholic, and the Knights used a superb pitching performance from senior righthander Burkley Bounds to blank Mason County 6-0. Bounds, who is heading to Eastern Kentucky University to further his baseball career, scattered seven hits, did not issue a base on balls, and struck out eight in his route-going performance.
The Royals finished the season with a 20-16 record, and have a great deal to be proud of for their excellent play throughout the region tournament, winning the first regional championship for the school in 30 years. Mason County also dealt with several key injuries throughout the season, but showed their resilience down the stretch.
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WILL THE REDS STAY RED HOT? – The Cincinnati Reds are providing their fans a glimpse of hope with their play in recent days. After sweeping three games in Denver from the lowly Rockies, hopes were high upon returning home to their friendly confines along the Ohio. Even though Colorado is among the worst teams in baseball, come-from-behind wins have a way of spurring on a team, and the Redlegs will be looking to capitalize on the current momentum.
The team has to set its sights on even bigger goals over the next several weeks, beginning with an important four-game set against NL Central
rival Chicago. In the series opener on Thursday evening, the Reds leapfrogged a pair of teams to climb out of the division cellar after lambasting the Cubbies 8-4.
The Reds have put their offensive woes behind them (at least for now), and have won five games in a row, and 10 of their last 13. As of Friday morning, Cincy is in third place at 30-33, one game behind Chicago. The Milwaukee Brewers, who the Reds will see for three games at American Family Field next weekend, lead the Reds by six and a half games.
The series opener on Thursday marked the first of 17 games against division foes over the next several weeks, culminating with four games in St. Louis from June 27-30. The stretch is a perfect opportunity for the Reds to prove to themselves and the rest of the NL Central that they’re for real. Even if they don’t take full advantage and gain significant ground in June, the season is still far from over. Three months will still remain in the marathon campaign, which gives the club more than enough time to make some hay. Even if the Reds are not able to overcome the Brewers and win the division, they should remain in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.
You have to admit the NL Central isn’t exactly the strongest division in baseball, and if the Reds bats stay alive, and the pitching remains steady, they should be in the divisional race for the duration. The Cubs, Reds, Cardinals and Pirates are each battling to get to the .500 mark, and they’re bunched within a game and a half of each other at this juncture. Those four teams are scrambling to catch surprising Milwaukee (36-26), a team that may just be due for a rough patch sooner or later.
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JUNE IS STILL HOOPS SEASON – Summer is in the air, which means basketball season is nearing its conclusion. As we know in the commonwealth however, basketball season really never ends. In Kentucky, we’re either talking about the game, reading about the game, or playing the game in preparation for the next season.
That appears to be the case in the National Basketball Association as well, with the NBA Finals finally getting underway the night before last at TD Garden in Boston. If the series goes the distance, Game 7 will be played in Boston on Sunday, June 23.
If the opener on Thursday night is any indication, the Dallas Mavericks better step it up. The Mavs are in danger of falling behind 2-0 on Sunday after the Boston Celtics manhandled them 107-89 in Game 1. The home team used a balanced scoring attack, led by Jaylen Brown’s 22-point evening. Kristaps Porzingas returned to action after missing the first rounds of the playoffs, tossing in 20 points, and Jayson Tatum added 16.
The best-of-seven matchup is intriguing, to put it mildly. There are numerous storylines accompanying the series, with the head-to-head battles among several superstars –Tatum, Brown and Porzingas for the Celts, and Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving – being integral figures. The primary cogs in the Mavericks’ lineup were held in check in Game 1, but Doncic still managed to get 30 points and haul down 10 boards. Irving appeared out of sorts and was limited to 12 points.
Perhaps an overlooked piece to the puzzle on who will eventually be crowned the world champions is a former University of Kentucky player. P.J. Washington has emerged during the playoffs to become a standout for the Mavs. He could be the most important role player in the finals, and will be counted on to slow both Tatum and Brown down on the defensive end. Washington has also made some key buckets for Dallas in the last several weeks, and scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the series opener.
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HURLEY RUMORS SWIRLING – As this is being banged out on the keyboard Friday morning, word from the West Coast is that the Los Angeles Lakers are about to make Dan Hurley an extremely rich individual.
If Hurley accepts the gargantuan offer, what will happen to the back-to-back NCAA national titleholders? The rumored successor to Hurley will
be UConn associate head coach Kimani Young, and if he doesn’t get the nod, the expected choice would be another Hurley assistant, Luke Murray, the son of actor Bill Murray, and a former Xavier assistant coach.
By the time you read this on Saturday, Hurley’s decision will likely be made public. My belief is that Hurley is more cut out to be a college coach, but he has said in the past he aspires to be an NBA head coach at some point.
Accepting the job in La Land is a risky proposition; after all, NBA coaches are only hired to be fired. On the other hand, even if he doesn’t enjoy similar success in the league, he will have the opportunity to return to the college game. Either way, Hurley will not be lacking for cash anytime soon.
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BELMONT APPEARS WIDE OPEN – The third leg of the Triple Crown will see 10 horses charge out of the gate at 6:41 p.m. today at Saratoga Race Course, which is hosting the Belmont Stakes for the first time in the upstate New York track’s storied history.
The 2024 Belmont Stakes has more than a few legitimate contenders in the field, with both the Kentucky Derby winner (Mystik Dan) and Preakness champ (Seize the Grey) among the favorites. As of the writing of this column however, the overall top pick is Sierra Leone at 9-5.
You may recall Sierra Leone coming up a nose short of Mystik Dan in the Run for the Roses. One reason for its favored status is that he’s seen by some experts as the best distance horse in the mile and a quarter Belmont, shortened by a quarter mile of its usual distance. Currently, Mystik Dan is 5-1 and Seize the Grey has 8-1 odds.
The field includes several other legitimate contenders, including Mindframe, which didn’t run in either of the other Triple Crown events. The colt trained by Todd Pletcher has become a trendy pick at 7-2. Resilience (10-1), Honor Marie and Antiquarian, both at 12-1 are seen
as solid choices as well. As this is being written, the longest odds are on Dornoch and Wine Steward at 15-1, and 20-1 Protective.
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BAT CATS BEGIN QUEST TO REACH CWS – The Kentucky baseball team embarks on a journey this evening at 6 p.m. that the Bat Cats and its fans hope ends in Omaha. UK is playing host to traditional power Oregon State at Kentucky Proud Park, in the first of the best-of-three Lexington Super Regional series for the right to advance to the College World Series.
We have already discussed both teams in recent columns, especially Kentucky, which is enjoying its most impressive season in the history of the program. The real icing on the cake would come with a series victory over the Beavers, who have been there, done that many times in the postseason, including three national titles.
For UK to earn its first-ever trip to Omaha, a key will be how well the pitching staff fares against a strong and balanced OSU lineup. The Bat Cats have proven their offense is a team strength with their aggressive style. The home field advantage should be beneficial, but getting past the veteran Beavers will be an immense challenge for the team in blue.
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“The baseball mania has run its course. It has no future as a professional endeavor.” – Cincinnati Gazette editorial, 1879
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“Alan Sutton Sothoran pitched his initials off today.” – Anonymous, in a St. Louis newspaper
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“I have never seen what to me seemed an atom of proof that there is a future life. And yet – I am inclined to expect one.” — Mark Twain
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