Touring the Bases With…Gates Brown

This was originally posted almost four years ago and is being re-posted in honor of Gates Brown, who died yesterday at the age of 74. My good friend Bob Lazzari, award-winning sports writer with the Connecticut Valley Times and NY Sports Day, has offered us fantastic material featured at his web sites, Bob Lazzari On […]

Bob Lazzari’s Baseball Predictions: 2013

Yes, it’s that time of the year, folks–time to offer some MLB predictions.  *DISCLAIMER:  If one chooses to use the following as “gospel”, just remember that I picked the Angels and Phillies to play in the World Series last year (ughh).  Here’s how they’ll finish in 2013…… AL EAST T.B. Rays Toronto Blue Jays N.Y. […]

Touring the Bases With Buddy Biancalana

Buddy Biancalana was a first round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals in 1978 who went on to have a major league career as a middle infielder. Used primarily as a utility player, Buddy had his greatest success was in the 1985 World Series when he played in all seven games and hit .278, […]

Bob Lazzari’s Baseball Predictions

Yes, it’s that time of the year, folks–the obligatory crapshoot better-known as making MLB predictions.  Here’s how they’ll finish in 2012…… AL EAST N.Y. Yankees T.B. Rays Boston Red Sox Toronto Blue Jays Baltimore Orioles AL CENTRAL Detroit Tigers Cleveland Indians K.C. Royals Minnesota Twins Chicago White Sox AL WEST L.A. Angels Texas Rangers Oakland […]

Farewell To Mom–A True “All-Star”

Mary Lou Lazzari lost her long, courageous battle with cancer on October 9, 2007–the nasty disease having robbed the world of a once-vibrant, wonderful human being. O.K., you may wonder why a death of a loved one would warrant being the subject of a sports column; I kinda wondered about that, too, but the answer […]

Lazzari’s Baseball Roundup 5

TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1990 Chicago White Sox–who finished 2nd in the AL West under manager Jeff Torborg–had three players who stole more than 30 bases apiece. Can you name this trio? Answer to follow……….There have been many questionable decisions over the years regarding baseball’s postseason awards, but how ’bout this one for pure insanity: In […]

Lazzari’s Baseball Roundup 3

Great quote by WDRC-FM’s Mike Stevens last week following the Red Sox 14-5 loss to Tampa Bay–a game where Daisuke Matsuzaka gave up EIGHT earned runs in just over four innings: “Dice-K was serving up more meat than the Golden Arches.”……….TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1987 Baltimore Orioles–who finished sixth in the AL East under Cal Ripken, […]

Lazzari’s Baseball Roundup 2

TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1990 Philadelphia Phillies–who finished 4th in the NL East under manager Nick Leyva–were led in victories by a starting pitcher with a measly total of just TEN. Can you name this former left-handed hurler? Answer to follow……….I have a new nickname for Bill Hall of the Boston Red Sox: “The Pendulum.” WHY? […]

Lazzari’s Baseball Roundup

In search of some great, late-summer reading? Check out A Bitter Cup Of Coffee by author Doug Gladstone. This terrific publication references the plights of 874 MLB players who were active between 1947 and 1979; due to rules prior to 1980, these players have received NO pension money for their service to the national pastime. […]

Touring the Bases (Again) With…Jack Perconte

After batting .334, .322 and .326 in three of his first five minor league seasons, second baseman Jack Perconte made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 13, 1980.  He was back in the minors in 1981 where he batted .346 for Albuquerque, then was traded to the Cleveland Indians, with […]

Touring the Bases With…Craig Breslow

Relief pitcher Craig Breslow has been referred to as “the smartest man in baseball” because of his degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry earned at Yale University, and his performance on the field has been equally impressive, boasting a 2.78 ERA in 172 career games.  Breslow was drafted out of Yale by the Milwaukee Brewers […]

Touring the Bases With…Roger LaFrancois

Boston Red Sox catcher Roger LaFrancois spent only eight games at the Major League level but made the most of it, batting .400 with a double, a run, and an RBI in 10 at-bats in 1982.  Drafted by Boston in the eighth round of the 1977 amateur draft, LaFrancois spent most of his nine professional […]

Touring the Bases With…Darryl Hamilton

Darryl Hamilton was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round of the 1986 amateur draft and spent seven seasons in Milwaukee before signing as a free agent with the Texas Rangers in 1996.  After only one season in Texas, Hamilton played for the San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, and New York Mets, with […]

Touring the Bases With…Carlos May

Carlos May, brother of major league slugger Lee May, was selected 18th overall in the 1966 draft, which also featured Reggie Jackson, Gary Nolan, and Richie Hebner.  He spent parts of three seasons in the minors, batting .311 from 1966-1968, before making his big league debut on September 6, 1968 with the Chicago White Sox.  […]

Touring the Bases With…Ed Herrmann

The grandson of pitcher Marty Herrmann, Ed, a catcher, debuted with the Chicago White Sox in 1967, then spent 11 years in the majors before ending his career with Montreal in 1978 as Gary Carter’s backup.  In 1972, Herrmann caught all 49 of Wilbur Woods’ starts, the most for a battery since 1884 when Sam […]

Touring the Bases With…Carmen Fanzone

A former versatile infielder turned accomplished musician who once played the “Star Spangled Banner” before a game at Wrigley Field, Fanzone–a flugelhorn player–was originally signed by the Red Sox and spent five years in the majors from 1970-1975, four of them with the Chicago Cubs.  Click here to watch a video of a conversation I had […]

Touring the Bases With…Gene Conley

The winning pitcher of the ’55 All-Star Game and the only person to win championships in two major sports, the man basically went an entire DECADE without a day off; Red Sox Hall of Famer Frank Sullivan told me that kind of streak should be in the same conversation as DiMaggio’s.  A truly remarkable and nice man….Click here to […]

Touring the Bases With…Ron Swoboda

My good friend Bob Lazzari, award-winning sports writer with the Connecticut Valley Times and NY Sports Day, has offered us fantastic material featured at his web sites, Bob Lazzari On Sports and Monday Night Sports Talk, which broadcasts on cable channel CTV-14 in North Windham, Connecticut.  Those of you who are used to reading interviews […]