RIP Dom DiMaggio

Former Boston Red Sox All-Star Dominic "Dom" DiMaggio died this morning at the age of 92. Dom was the last surviving member of the trio of DiMaggios who roamed major league outfields beginning when older brother Joe's Hall of Fame career started with the New York Yankees in 1936 and ending with Dom in 1953 in Boston. Older brother Vince, also an All-Star, played 10 seasons in the National League.
Dom hit .298 over the course of his eleven year career which began in 1940 and saw him selected to seven All-Star teams. He served in the U.S. Navy for three years during World War II. The loss of those three years may have cost Dom his own election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Dom was prominently featured in the book "Teammates" by renowned author David Halberstam. The book details the friendship between former teammates Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr and Dom. Like all of Mr. Halberstam's works, it is a read that is well worth your time. I had the good fortune to see Dom interviewed when the book was released in addition to features on ESPN and ESPN Classic about Ted, Joe and/or the Boston-New York rivalry. From all accounts, Dom was a true gentleman who was widely admired.
If you are a prayerful person, please remember Dom's family and friends and take a moment or two today to be grateful for the presence of a good man. Baseball lost a good one today. RIP Dom.

For a more detailed story on Dom, please visit either ESPN.com or the New York Times.

Bill Simmons

Bill Simmons is the best sportswriter/columnist working today. I hope ESPN is smart enough to keep him around for a long, long time. His work is insightful and funny. Either quality is pretty rare today, the combination is as rare as valid Yeti encounters. Read his latest gem on the NBA Playoffs here

Fans of Bill Simmons will also enjoy freebillsimmons.com. This site was founded by five sports fans who bring a non-company line/pc view of the sports world. Visit their site. You will not regret it.

Good luck at the tables everyone.

Winning $40 Million and then losing it

ESPN's Sports Reporters

When Dick Schaap was alive, the Sports Reporters was one of my favorites shows. I really looked forward to it every week. The show just isn't anywhere near as enjoyable as it was. I like John Saunders a lot. He isn't the problem now. A big part of it to me is Mike Lupica and Mitch Albom. I find them almost intolerable now. They both have an overwhelming combination of smugness and arrogance that is intolerable. ESPN now usually brings in a couple of clowns to sit in with Lupica if Mitch isn't there. It is almost to the point where I don't want to watch even if I am watching tv when it is on. Maybe I am being too tough on them because the topics they discuss are usually disected by Around the Horn and PTI well before the Sports Reporters airs, and those two shows need to quit covering almost identical topics on a daily basis if the Horn is to survive.

/rant

Good luck at the tables today!

Donaghy

Former NBA ref Tim Donaghy told federal investigators that players and coaches were involved in altering the outcome of games
Read more at ESPN
Donaghy

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The Olympic Spirit survives

The Olympic hopes of South African double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius were brightened today after it was ruled he would be allowed to compete for a spot on his nation's team.

Read All About it NY Times, ESPN

The sport of Kings

Attached via link is an interview that the Times conducted of Dr. Dean Richardson. Dr. Richardson was the vet who tried to save Barbaro's life after his injury last year at the Preakness.

This is a very interesting talk especially in light of the claims by PETA that the horse racing is a form of cruelty to animals. NY Times

Attached here is a story by William Mack for ESPN about Eight Belles and the use of genetics in predicting injury for horses.
Was Eight Belles' breakdown a predictable tragedy?

Bad day for Charles Barkley

Taking the Steve Martin approach to not paying taxes on a million dollars (first get a million dollars, then pay no taxes, when the IRS comes to the door say "I forgot") and transfering it to his needs, Charles Barkley responded to a lawsuit filed by the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas today saying he forgot he owed the money and would have paid if they casino had bothered to call him before suing.

The rest of the story can be found here Barkley sued for $400K

In another interesting tale, Jayson Stark wonders what might have been had Roger Clemens had responded to the steroid allegations differently.
You can read it here:ESPN