SO CAL COLLEGE BASEBALL 2024: A Look At Selected Teams

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baseball, Big West Conference, Cal State Northridge Matadors, Cal State University Northridge, College Baseball, CSUN Baseball, ESPN, Irvine, Los Angeles, Northridge, Pac-12 Conference, Santa Barbara, UC Irvine Anteaters, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, UCI Baseball, UCLA Baseball, UCLA Bruins, UCSB Baseball, University of California Irvine, University of California Los Angeles, University of California Santa Barbara, University of Southern California, USC Baseball, USC Trojans

UC Irvine ball players showing support from their dugout. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

OUR LOOK AT THE BEST COLLEGE BASEBALL TEAMS THAT SO CAL HAS TO OFFER THIS SEASON, PLUS USC AND UCLA

At a glance…

UC IRVINE ANTEATERS

Current Record: 28-8, 11-4 and tied for first place in the Big West Conference

Rank: 12th

Last Game: Beat San Diego State, 7-5, on April 21st

Next Game: at UCLA on April 23rd

Team Leaders:

• BATTING AVERAGE: Caden Kendle, .408
• HOME RUNS: Thomas McCaffrey, 6
• RUNS BATTED IN: Anthony Martinez, 45
• PITCHING: Nick Pinto, 7-2, 3.05 ERA
• SAVES: Ricky Tribbett, 8

UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS

Current Record: 25-10, 11-4 and tied for first in the Big West Conference

Last Game: Beat UC Davis, 4-1, on April 21st

Next Game: at Loyola Marymount on April 23rd

Team Leaders:

• BATTING AVERAGE: Aaron Parker, .402
• HOME RUNS: Justin Trimble and Ivan Brethowr, 8 each
• RUNS BATTED IN: Trimble and Nick Oakley, 33 each
• PITCHING: Tyler Bremmer, 7-0, 2.93 ERA
• SAVES: Jackson Floro, 5

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE MATADORS

Current Record: 23-14, 11-4 and tied for first place in the Big West Conference

Last Game: Beat Cal State Fullerton, 7-5, on April 21st

Next Game: at Fresno State on April 23rd

Team Leaders:

• BATTING AVERAGE: Kevin Fitzer, .404
• HOME RUNS: Jakob Simons, 14
• RUNS BATTED IN: Simons, 49
• PITCHING: Joshua Romero, 7-2, 1.98 ERA, 6 saves

USC TROJANS

Current Record: 19-21, 10-7 and tied for fifth place in the Pac-12 Conference

Last Game: Lost to Sacramento State, 5-4, on April 21st

Next Game: at Cal State Fullerton on April 23rd

Team Leaders:

• BATTING AVERAGE: Jacob Galloway, .315
• HOME RUNS: Austin Overn, 7
• RUNS BATTED IN: Galloway, 30
• PITCHING: Fisher Johnson, 3-1, 1.50 ERA
• SAVES: Josh Blum, 5

UCLA BRUINS

Current Record: 13-24, 6-15 and 11th (LAST!) place in the Pac-12 Conference

• Currently on a five game losing streak
• Have lost – eight out of their last nine, nine of their last 11, and 11 of their last 14 (!)

Last Game: Lost to Arizona State, 13-1, on April 21st

Next Game: vs UC Irvine on April 23rd

Top Players:

• BATTING AVERAGE: AJ Salgado, .297
• HOME RUNS: Duce Gourson, 5
• RUNS BATTED IN: Gourson and Mulivai Levu, 22
• PITCHING: Michael Barnett, 3-2, 4.91 ERA
• SAVES: Rashad Ruff, 6

“The Surge”, UC Santa Barbara’s Student Section supporting their baseball Gauchos. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

USC Trojan ballplayers giving their “Victory” sign after a win. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

Cal State Northridge players getting instruction from their coach. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

UCLA players taking in the action. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

A Few Thoughts…

This is a statement that I feel I need to make right off the bat…

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SEE A UCLA BASEBALL TEAM THAT IS THIS BAD IN MY LIFETIME.

Or at least, since I was accepted to my alma mater as a student over three and a half decades ago;

Having lost five straight and 11 out of their last 14 contests, including getting their a***s absolutely whipped by Arizona State this past weekend as the Sun Devils toyed with them,

Even though, in fairness, their pitching staff is like a MASH unit for the second straight year with all the injuries,

I feel it’s more than justified to call that bunch the Bad News Bruins, as their semi-namesake from that classic movie series would probably beat them at this point.

Heck,

UCLA is so bad this year, Charlie Brown would probably pitch a no-hitter against them.

Normally in a situation like this I would be calling for coach John Savage to be let go,

But after a little thought, if I were the athletic director I would give him one more year – 2025 – to turn things around,

Or at least show some solid improvement in the name of a winning season and contending for what will be the Big Ten Conference title,

Before giving him the pink slip.

As such,

After doing a little research, I found that their worst record in recent memory was a 15-41 record in 2005, Savage’s first year in Westwood.

With fifteen regular season games left, going 3-12 and avoiding a most dubious kind of history shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve.

I’d like to see them win at least five more contests and finish with twenty wins – that would be a start!

Meanwhile…

That Big West Conference season’s getting quite exciting, what with three teams,

One of which I attended for graduate school (Cal State Northridge) with another school being the one that my mother wanted me to go to (UC Santa Barbara),

Which I applied to and was accepted, only to turn it down for UCLA,

Tied for first place with just a few weeks to go in their schedule.

It’s clear that UC Irvine’s Anteaters are the class of So Cal college baseball this year – I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they blew out the Bruins in Westwood in their next game.

With them being the only ranked team in the area, how could I say otherwise?

I just took a peek at the Big West’s composite schedule on their website,

And found that CSUN will be having showdowns against the two UC schools the last two weekends, Santa Barbara on the weekend of May 17th and Irvine on the weekend of May 24th,

Which if things hold until then will go a long way to decide the conference’s champion.

If ESPN televises any games involving those Anteaters, Gauchos and Matadors,

I will certainly try to check them out, because those will be good clashes.

One of the places where all of these college ballplayers hope to be one day – Dodger Stadium…

SO CAL COLLEGE SOFTBALL: Our Look 2024’s Top Teams

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Big West Conference, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton Softball, Cal State Fullerton Titans, college softball, ESPN, Fullerton, Long Beach, Long Beach State, Long Beach State "The Beach", Long Beach State Softball, Los Angeles, Pac-12 Conference, softball, UCLA Bruins, UCLA Softball, University of California Los Angeles, Westwood

UCLA Softballers during their annual Jackie Robinson Day. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

OUR LOOK AT THE BEST COLLEGIATE SOFTBALL TEAMS THAT SO CAL HAS TO OFFER IN 2024

At a glance…

UCLA BRUINS

Current Record: 27-9, 12-3 and first place in the Pac-12 Conference

Rank: 7th

Last Game: Beat then #5 Stanford, 2-1, on April 21st (part of a three-game sweep)

Next Game: at Long Beach State on April 23rd

Key Players:

• Maya Brady, SS – .370 average, 10 HR, 39 RBI
• Megan Grant, RF – .376 average, 3 HR, 23 RBI
• Sharlize Palacios, C – .347 average, 10 HR, 28 RBI
• Kaitlyn Terry, P: 11-0, 1.97 ERA
• Taylor Tinsley, P: 13-8, 1.99 ERA, 139 strikeouts

CAL STATE FULLERTON TITANS

Current Record: 29-15, 15-3 and first place in the Big West Conference

Rank: None

Last Game: Lost to UC Santa Barbara, 3-2, on April 21st

Next Game: vs Cal Poly (doubleheader) on April 27th

Key Players:

• Megan Delgadillo, CF – .431 average, 0 HR, 14 RBI, 35 stolen bases
• Bailey Wallace, LF – .352 average, 0 HR, 20 RBI
• Peyton Toto, 1B – .342 average, 2 HR, 19 RBI
• Jessi Alcala, C – .294 average, 3 HR, 25 RBI
• Hannah Becerra, 3B – .280 average, 7 HR, 24 RBI
• Hailey Rainey, P: 15-5, 1.69 ERA, 129 strikeouts
• Staci Chambers, P: 12-5, 2.41 ERA, 101 strikeouts

LONG BEACH STATE “THE BEACH”

Current Record: 19-25, 14-4 and second place in the Big West Conference

• Lost 13 of their first 14 games, including their first nine straight
• A 4-22 record to start the season
• A 15-3 record since, winning eight of their last nine games, including a recent seven game winning streak

Rank: None

Last Game: Beat Cal Poly, 8-1, on April 21st

Next Game: vs UCLA on April 23rd

Key Players:

• Makayla Medellin, CF – .348 average, 3 HR, 16 RBI
• Rebekah Durazo, C – .286 average, 3 HR, 21 RBI
• Sara Olson, LF – .282 average, 1 HR, 11 RBI
• Jacquelyn Bickar, 2B – .278 average, 1 HR, 11 RBI
• Sophia Fernandez, P: 10-11, 3.35 ERA

A trio of Cal State Fullerton softball players. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

Long Beach State celebrating what looks like a walk-off win. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

A Few Thoughts…

As I did my research of these three So Cal college softball teams that are having the best seasons this year,

The thing that stood out most to me was the fact that Long Beach State – “The Beach”,

Also known as the “Dirtbags”,

Was essentially two different ball clubs as to say that they completely and totally turned their season around, transforming from being the Bad News Bears to something nearly the opposite of that,

Would certainly be an understatement.

I don’t expect them to beat my alma mater UCLA when the Bruins face them this week – at all.

But I will say that they will have nothing to lose.

Which will make them dangerous.

And I do give them much props for their pronounced turnaround.

Speaking of UCLA…

Bruin Nation owes them an apology for how they reacted to their slow start, losing four out of their first seven games and getting run-ruled in back-to-back affairs during that span, due to the way they righted their ship,

Which (at least to this point) peaked in their three-game sweep of then-top five Stanford.

The Bruins’ main goal right now is to not only win what would be their last Pac-12 title as like all the other UCLA teams, they will be plying their trade in the Big Ten next year,

But to also finish among the top eight teams so they would be able to host both the Regionals and the Super Regionals.

Which is always expected for what is known as college softball’s answer to the New York Yankees.

The biggest showdown in this So Cal softball scene will be coming early next month,

And will not involve the Bruins as Cal State Fullerton’s Titans and The Beach, who are longtime UCLA vs USC-type rivals anyway,

Will be facing off for the Big West championship this coming May 10th, 11th, and 12th in a five game set, which will include back-to-back doubleheaders.

Though I won’t expect it, I certainly hope at least one or two of those games will be televised on ESPN.

A nice shot of UCLA players with Easton Stadium in the background. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

LAKERS, CLIPPERS, & KINGS: My Postseason Predictions For These So Cal Teams

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basketball, Clipper Nation, Clippers, Crypto.com Arena, hockey, Inglewood, Intuit Dome, Kings, Lake Show, Lakers, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, NBA, NHL, playoffs, postseason, pro basketball, Stanley Cup

HOW I SEE THINGS ULTIMATELY UNFOLDING FOR THE THREE SO CAL WINTER SPORTS TEAMS IN THEIR PLAYOFF RUNS

SEASON RECORDS AT A GLANCE…

Los Angeles Clippers: 51-31, Fourth place in the Western Conference

• PACIFIC DIVISION CHAMPIONS, finishing two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns
• FIRST ROUND OPPONENT: Dallas Mavericks, starting Sunday, April 21st

Los Angeles Lakers: 47-35, Seventh place in the Western Conference

• Finished third in the Pacific Division, four games behind the Clippers
• Won three of four games over the Clippers in this season’s Hallway Series
• Beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 110-106, in the NBA Play-In Tournament on April 16th
• FIRST ROUND OPPONENT: Denver Nuggets, starting Saturday, April 20th

Los Angeles Kings: 43-27-11, 97 points, Eighth place in the Western Conference (one more regular season game to go)

• Currently in fourth place in the Pacific Division
• Clinched spot in the playoffs as a Wild Card (as of now)
• REGULAR SEASON FINALE: Chicago Blackhawks at Crypto.com Arena, Thursday, April 18th
• FIRST ROUND OPPONENT: Dallas Stars if the regular season ended today, also possibly the Edmonton Oilers – TBD

L.A. Kings players enjoying a moment…

MY PREDICTIONS:

I’ll give the three winter sports teams,

Who happen to share the same arena in downtown L.A. for their home games – though the Clippers will be moving to Inglewood next season, playing at the Intuit Dome next to SoFi Stadium,

Plenty of credit for having solid seasons that ended with winning records and postseason berths.

However…

From what I’ve seen from those Lakers, Clippers and Kings,

They gave me the impression of teams that weren’t consistent enough in their play;

One night they would be outstanding world beaters, the next night they would be so bad, they’d lose to CIF State Champion Studio City Harvard-Westlake (in the Lakers and Clippers’ case) or the University of Denver, who won hockey’s NCAA title in what is called the Frozen Four (in the Kings’ case)

Because of that, and the opponents those three teams will be facing in their first round,

I feel I have no choice but to officially predict…

First round exits for the Clippers, Lakers and Kings.

In either five or six games.

I certainly hope they prove me wrong, as it would be nice to see a Lakers vs Clippers Western Conference Finals,

Or the Kings hoisting what would be their third Stanley Cup.

But I simply don’t see that happening,

Especially with the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard hurting and the Lakers’ Anthony Davis and LeBron James seemingly being so brittle.

So I’ll just go back to enjoying baseball and softball,

And rooting for the Dodgers to get it together as they haven’t been so great as of late.

A Clipper and a Laker going at it during a Hallway Series game…

JACKIE ROBINSON DAY: Our Annual Tribute To This American Legend

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African Americans, America, baseball, Brooklyn Dodgers, Bruin Nation, Civil Rights Movement, Dodgers, Jackie Robinson, Jackie Robinson Day, Major League Baseball, MLB, Pasadena, Pasadena City College, sports, UCLA, UCLA Bruins, Westwood

SO CAL SPORTS CHRONICLES’ ANNUAL HOMAGE TO NOT ONLY THE GREATEST DODGER AND BRUIN OF ALL TIME,

BUT TO – IN THE VIEW OF ME AND COUNTLESS OTHERS – THE GREATEST HERO IN THE HISTORY OF SPORTS…

The previous post on this blog featured USC’s all-time greatest Trojan.

This post features UCLA’s all-time greatest Bruin as well as the all-time greatest Dodger.

The previous post featured a man who polarized and divided a country by behaving much differently than what he cultivated in his public image and persona,

And not just in murdering his second wife and her friend and getting away with that only to serve nine years for armed robbery either, as he was reported to have beaten his first wife and was – in general – not a very good guy to too many people behind closed doors.

This post will feature a man who, by playing first base for the then-Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947 – exactly 77 years ago today,

Changed the culture of this country in essentially igniting the Civil Rights Movement and making that date the most important day in the history of sports.

Athletes who not only to be Black of African descent, but of color in general as in Latinos, Asians, and all other athletes who are not Caucasian of European descent,

Need to remember this if nothing else…

They are able to do what they do – participate not only on the diamond, but on the gridiron, court, ice, and pitch on a professional level in particular – because of Jack Roosevelt Robinson and what he did on this day in 1947 and for that entire season, as well as the season before that.

They are there because of a Dodger who was also a UCLA Bruin.

Which is a significant reason why I am and have been a longtime Dodger fan and member of Bruin Nation;

Anytime a fan or alum of another team or school, whether it’s USC or the San Francisco Giants or whatever team/school, badmouths UCLA and/or the Dodgers,

I just respond with two words…

Jackie Robinson.

And unless they are completely ignorant jerks, that always shuts them up.

Jackie Robinson in his UCLA football uniform…

My all-time favorite quote regarding this man is from Bob Costas:

“Were there better players? Sure. But were there better men? No.”

But there are other great quotes regarding and from this native of Pasadena’s Muir High School and Pasadena City College, where he attended and starred before his days as a Bruin in Westwood;

Here are just a few…

“Jackie Robinson came into our clubhouse and shook my hand. He said, ‘You’re a helluva ballplayer and you’ve got a great future.’ I thought that was a classy gesture…And when I think of that (1952) World Series, his gesture is what comes to mind. Here was a player who had, without a doubt, suffered more abuse and taunts and more hatred than any player in the history of the game. And he had made a special effort to compliment and encourage a young white kid from Oklahoma.” – Mickey Mantle

“(Jackie) knew he had to do well. He knew that the future of blacks in baseball depended on it. The pressure was enormous, overwhelming, and unbearable at times. I don’t know how he held up. I know I couldn’t have.” – Duke Snider

““I don’t know any other ballplayer who could have done what (Robinson) did. To be able to hit with everybody yelling at him. He had to block all that out…To do what he did has got to be the most tremendous thing I’ve ever seen.” – Pee Wee Reese

“If I were in Jackie’s shoes, I probably never would have made it (been successful at breaking the color line).” – Bob Gibson

“Jackie, we’ve got no army. There’s virtually nobody on our side…And I’m afraid that many fans will be hostile. We’ll be in a tough position. We can win only if we can convince the world that…you’re a great ballplayer (and) a fine gentleman.” – Branch Rickey, in a speech to Robinson

And some quotes from the man himself, as I wear a commemorative Brooklyn Dodgers cap with a #42 on the side while typing this…

“I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”

“Plenty of times I wanted to haul off when somebody insulted me for the color of my skin, but I had to hold myself. I knew I was kind of an experiment. The whole thing was bigger than me.”

“Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion, you’re wasting your life.”

“I’m grateful for all the breaks and honors and opportunities I’ve had, but I always believe I won’t have it made until the humblest black kid in the most remote backwoods of America has it made.”

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

I think one can easily understand why Jackie Robinson is celebrated on this day after reading these quotes.

And why his #42 is not only retired throughout Major League Baseball, it’s worn by all 780 big league players.

In fact,

I’ve always felt that there should be a federal law passed outlawing the wearing of the #42 in all sports where numbers are worn on the back of uniforms, at all levels, from four and five-year olds in Tee Ball on up,

Except for one special day set up during whatever season where everyone wears that number.

And I’ll always have that opinion.

But that’s just me.

HAPPY JACKIE ROBINSON DAY!

The man who broke baseball’s color barrier and the reason for every athlete of color getting to play now…

O.J. SIMPSON 1947-2024: My Thoughts Regarding This Polarizing Legend

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African American, college football, Exposition Park, football, Heisman Trophy, L.A. Memorial Coliseum, NFL, O. J. Simpson, pro football, Santa Monica, Trojan Football, Trojans, University of Southern California, USC, USC Football, USC Trojans

Photo courtesy of variety.com

PERSONAL MUSINGS OF THIS FOOTBALL AND MEDIA STAR AND HIS DIVISIVE LEGACY

At least in my opinion,

This was the greatest athlete in the history of the University of Southern California,

My evidence being that if you compare the Trojans’ eight Heisman Trophy winners,

This man was the only one who starred in a sport alongside football, as he set a world record in the 4×400 relay while wearing Cardinal and Gold.

He also had the best pro football career of any Trojan ever, as he was the first man to ever get 2,000 rushing yards in a season, getting 2,003 yards with the Buffalo Bills in 1973.

It was a foregone conclusion that he would be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which he was in 1985.

And most of all,

In the 1970s and 80s, except for Bill Cosby,

No black man of African descent in this country was more accepted into mainstream American society than this man.

He could go into more or less any conservative white neighborhood in the most conservative areas of these United States and be welcomed,

The evidence being how so many people hardly raised an eyebrow when he married his second wife, Nicole Brown.

All of this despite the fact that,

The African American community knew what kind of person O. J. Simpson really was, as the black press and black publications such as Jet magazine regularly reported his beating his first wife, Marguerite, and getting away with it because he was such a football, media, and movie personality who was everywhere and all over everything.

Because he was “The Juice”.

I don’t think I need to go into detail about how O. J. went through the greatest exposure of one’s true nature of all time in 1994 and 1995 during his “Trial of the Century”, where he was acquitted of murdering Nicole thanks to his “Dream Team” of lawyers, which included Robert Kardashian.

Who happened to be the father of reality household names Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, and Robert, Jr.

Getting some of his many, many yards during his Trojan days. IN CASE YOU DON’T KNOW: He’s wearing #32. Photo courtesy of collegefootballfaniacs.com

Here’s a bit of a surprise regarding O.J…

I actually met the man in the spring of 1987.

It was at Memorial Park in Santa Monica,

I was a little league coach doing something regarding such, and he was watching his older daughter, Arnelle, play softball for Crossroads School.

Of course the general public didn’t know about his violent tendencies regarding his significant others at that time, so after someone pointed him out to me, I approached where he was sitting and asked for his autograph.

Which he gave, writing “Peace to you” along with his name.

While he wasn’t rude or nasty or anything like that, I will say that he gave an impression of being a tiny bit surly and standoffish, not the outgoing, friendly, and jovial guy that was the definition of his pubic persona in those days.

Unfortunately, by the time all that drama happened seven years later – the Ford Bronco chase up the 405 Freeway with his old friend Al Cowlings driving and him in the back threatening suicide and the subsequent trial featuring Kato Kaelin and company,

I had lost that autograph.

Which I kicked myself for a while as I could have sold that piece of paper and made some decent money during that period.

I reckon some of you are wondering this…

Do I think O.J. committed those murders?

My answer: YES.

The evidence was there, including the DNA, which should have made it an open-and-shut case as opposed to those nine months spent in that downtown L.A. courtroom.

But that’s neither here nor there now.

Incidentally, when he was sent to prison in Nevada for that incident in Las Vegas in 2009, one word popped into my mind…

Karma.

In other terms, “What goes around, comes around.”

Which was certainly the case for him as he spent eight years of a thirty-year sentence locked up.

As I type this, two other words are prominent in my gray matter regarding this man and his legacy…

Polarization.

and,

Divisiveness.

I’m pretty sure that’s how O.J. will ultimately be remembered, the way his incidents polarized and divided the bulk of this country,

Even more than his exploits on the football field for ‘SC and in the NFL.

I suppose that’s all I have to say regarding him.

Simpson with iconic USC head coach John McKay (right). Photo courtesy of pinterest.com

MY SPORTS BUCKET LIST, PART ONE: Sporting Events I Wish I Could Attend

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athletic, baseball, Big Ten Conference, bucket list, college football, College Football Playoff, College World Series, contest, Dodgers, El Segundo, football, game, L.A. Memorial Coliseum, Las Vegas, Little League World Series, Los Angeles, Olympics, Pasadena, Rose Bowl, soccer, sporting events, sports, UCLA, World Series

I’ve attended SO many games at this stadium, and not just for the Dodgers either as I’ve been to several UCLA-USC Crosstown Rivalry baseball clashes here, too…

SPORTS EVENTS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHILE I’M BREATHING ON THIS PLANET

Not too long ago…

I was thinking about the various athletic events and games that I have fantasized about attending in my lifetime because they’re so iconic and traditional,

Something that I would remember for a long time, as the biggest sporting event I had ever attended came to pass twenty-five years ago;

The 1999 Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, which involved UCLA in what would be the last time that the Bruin football program would play in that “Grandaddy of Them All”;

Even though those Bruins lost to Wisconsin that New Year’s afternoon, I still had a good time as I camped (and almost froze) on Colorado Blvd the previous night and got to see something that everyone should see in person at least once in their lives – the Rose Parade.

I still have the ticket stub from that contest, on a lanyard hanging from a peg in my closet.

Anyway,

I was contemplating the sporting events that I would very much like to see with my own eyeballs, as opposed to on TV;

To be at such iconic events, soaking up the atmosphere.

Here are the eleven athletic events that are widely known as iconic and traditional, that would be so cool for me to watch in person…

• Army vs Navy Football (#1 CHOICE) – The Nation’s Rivalry. A game where though there’s usually no postseason bowl at stake and no future NFL draft picks are involved as for the players from West Point and the Naval Academy who are obligated to serve in the Army and Navy, respectively, for approximately five to eight years upon graduation, this game means ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING not only to those young men on the field, but for every Cadet and Midshipman attending those academies as the entire student bodies of those two schools go to that game, and are quite emotional one way or another at its end.
• Michigan vs Ohio State Football – The second of five rivalry games that I would love to see and experience; being among over 100,000 rabid Wolverine and Buckeye fans where an appearance in the College Football Playoff – as well as the Big Ten championship – is on the line every year; I’ve wondered if there the security and police presence in Ann Arbor and Columbus is doubled or even tripled to prevent any brawls between the two fan bases. Being that my alma mater UCLA will be in their conference as of this coming August 1st, I’m glad that neither team is on the Bruins’ schedule this coming season!
• Alabama vs Auburn Football – The Iron Bowl. For the same reasons that I stated regarding Michigan vs Ohio State, I would love to experience the atmosphere of this traditional clash; as is the case with Ann Arbor and Columbus, I reckon the security and number of police is greatly multiplied In Tuscaloosa and the Plains during that weekend. Any rivalry where the animosities are so intense, a fan of one team poisons a tree from the town that the other team plays in, is worth checking out.
• Texas vs Texas A&M Football – You know this is a rivalry of pure hatred when one school’s fight song does nothing but bad mouth the other school. Not only that, I remember while a student at UCLA watching this game on TV and seeing the Longhorn and Aggie players get in an all-out brawl during the pregame warm-ups! And the best part of it all is that after twelve years, this most extremely pronounced collegiate rivalry is returning as Texas will join their A&M enemies in the SEC this fall.
• Harvard vs Yale Football – I don’t imagine fans and alums from these two flagship Ivy League institutions brawl or engage in any other blatant animosities when their Crimson and Bulldogs play. But any rivalry that’s been played for nearly 150 years, which has involved players who have gone on to pretty much lead this country, including presidents, is attractive to me as far as experiencing the atmosphere even though like Army vs Navy, none of the players will likely end up in the NFL. Not that they would need it as they would have a better chance of owning a team.
• World Series if the Dodgers are in it – For obvious reasons, me being a lifelong Dodger fan (except for a few years in junior high) and all. Though I’d have to win the lottery or a huge jackpot in Las Vegas for me to be able to afford tickets.
• College World Series if UCLA is in it – I wish I would have gotten that chance in 2013 when those Bruins reached the Promised Land in winning that first baseball national championship in Omaha
• College Football Playoff Championship Game if UCLA is in it – Much like the World Series, I’d have to win the lottery or score at least a million dollars in video blackjack, video poker, or the slots in Vegas for me to see the Bruins try for their first title in what’s now seventy years this season. Not that their chances are good – at all – with them being in the Big Ten with Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State now.
• Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA – Unlike the World Series, the College World Series, or the College Football Playoff, a team from the L.A. area doesn’t have to be involved for me to want to see and experience what is the Mecca of youth sports – thought it would have been very cool to see El Segundo’s dramatically epic triumph last year!
• An English Premier League Soccer (football) Match – Preferably the Merseyside Derby (Liverpool vs Everton) or the Manchester Derby (Manchester United vs Manchester City) as in the case of Liverpool in particular, it would be part of what would be a Beatles pilgrimage for me; Arsenal vs Chelsea in London would be very cool to see and experience as well. I’m always fascinated every time I catch one of those Premier League matches on TV; how could I not be such when 70,000 fans are singing their club’s song at the top of their lungs? “You Never Walk Alone”, sung by the Liverpool FC fans, gave me chills when I saw/heard it on YouTube.
• Opening Ceremonies for the Summer Olympics – I missed my chance in 1984 when the Games were held in L.A. and So Cal, not that I would have been able to go as my grandmother’s best friend’s funeral was held on the same day that Rafer Johnson (RIP) lit the torch in the Coliseum. That torch will be lit again here in 2028, but as the case with the World Series and the College Football Playoff I know I would have to win eight figures in Vegas or in Lotto to have a chance of buying a ticket.

Oh well, a guy can dream, can’t he?

Perhaps I could check off some of these items on this bucket list one day.

But for now,

Watch for Part Two of my sports bucket list, where I mention the things I would like to do, as opposed to merely watching other people doing;

It will appear on this blog soon…

Another place I’ve been to SO many times – roughly 200 or close to it – to see my alma mater’s football team…

WHY BASEBALL & SOFTBALL ARE THE MOST CHALLENGING SPORTS (according to me)

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Angels, Athletes Unlimited, baseball, basketball, college, Dodgers, football, Gymnastics, Major League Baseball, MLB, professional sports, salary, scholarship, softball, sports, UCLA, USC, Women's Professional Fastpitch

AND WHY THEY ARE CONSEQUENTLY THE MOST DIFFICULT, WHICH IS A PERTINENT REASON WHY IN MY OPINION THEY ARE THE BEST SPORTS

BEFORE I START…

I should clarify that when I say softball, I mean fast pitch softball and not the pick-up kind that I play on Saturdays…

The reason why baseball and (fast pitch) softball are the most difficult sports in my view is a straight-forward one…

If you’re a wide receiver in football and drop seven out of ten passes thrown at you,

Or a basketball player who misses seven out of ten shots, particularly from the free throw line,

Or a gymnast who falls off the uneven parallel bars or the balance beam seven out of ten times,

You would universally be seen as a pretty bad football or basketball player or a gymnast.

And you would not be playing those sports for long as even Shaquille O’Neal, who was notoriously bad at making free throws, made over half of his charity shots – 52% – in his career.

However…

If you’re a fast pitch softball player who only succeeds at hitting the ball three or four out of the ten times you’re at the plate,

You’re getting a full ride division one college softball scholarship to UCLA or some other elite program.

And you will most likely get to play professionally in leagues like Women’s Professional Fastpitch or Athletes Unlimited, or overseas as Japan has a well-established pro softball league,

Meaning that you can fail to get a base hit six or seven out of ten times and be considered a studly star.

Meanwhile,

If you’re a baseball player who fails to hit the ball safely seven out of ten times at bat,

If you strike out, pop up, or hit a weak ground ball that a five-year old in a T-Ball league can make a play on 70% of the time,

The Dodgers and Angels, plus any of the other 28 franchises in Major League Baseball, will be paying you…

• A minimum wage of $740,000 a year
• An average wage of $4.5 million a year

and more likely,

• A yearly salary of anywhere between $20 million and $50 million

Putting it another way…

Ty Cobb’s lifetime batting average of .366 is the highest in Major League Baseball history,

Meaning that he failed to hit the ball safely – struck out, popped out, and grounded out – six and a half out of ten times during his career.

And he was the very first player to get elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Ted Williams’ .406 average in 1941 – meaning that he failed at the plate over half the time – was the last time any Major League player has hit so well;

It hasn’t been repeated in 83 years, and counting, with the San Diego Padres’ Tony Gwynn coming the closest with his .394 average in 1994.

And countless people, me included, see Williams as a genius in hitting.

I hope all of this illustrates why I see baseball and fast pitch softball as the most challenging and downright hardest sports to master.

Which is a significant reason why they are my favorite sports and – in my view,

The best sports around.

Just something to think about as the Major League Baseball season has officially started.

OH, BY THE WAY…

I’m fully aware that as I type this, the women’s basketball team at USC has their biggest game in nearly forty years tonight as they play the ultimate elite power and eleven-time national champion Connecticut for the right to go to their first Final Four since 1986.

If those Trojans do win the national championship, I’ll write a congratulatory post for them on this blog.

I’ll have an update on how things are going for So Cal’s winter sports teams – the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Ducks – as well as something on So Cal’s soccer teams as the Galaxy, LAFC and Angel City FC have started their seasons,

Soon.

So be sure to watch for those posts!

LOS ANGELES DODGERS: Our 2024 Season Preview

Tags

baseball, Chavez Ravine, Commissioner's Trophy, Dodger Stadium, Dodgers, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball, MLB, National League, National League West, Shohei Ohtani, World Series

The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts doing his thing during a game in Korea. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

LOS ANGELES DODGERS – 142nd SEASON, 67th SEASON IN LOS ANGELES

2023 Record: 100-62, first place in the National League West, 16 games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks

• NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST CHAMPIONS for the tenth time in eleven seasons and the second straight year
• Won 100 games-plus for the fourth time in that span
• Lost the NLDS for the second straight year, this time to the Diamondbacks, three games to none

First Season: 1883 in Brooklyn, 1958 in Los Angeles

Home: Dodger Stadium, capacity 56,000

Manager: Dave Roberts, ninth season

First Game / First Home Game: Thursday, March 28th vs the St. Louis Cardinals

Top Hitters:

• Shohei Ohtani, DH – .304 average, 44 HR (led American League), 95 RBI, (with the Los Angeles Angels – won the Most Valuable Player award in the American League in 2023)
• Mookie Betts, SS – .307 average, 39 HR, 107 RBI
• Freddie Freeman, 1B – .331 average, 29 HR, 102 RBI
• Will Smith, C – .261 average, 19 HR, 76 RBI
• Max Muncy, 3B – .212 average, 36 HR, 105 RBI
• Teoscar Hernendez, LF – .258 average, 26 HR, 93 RBI (with the Seattle Mariners)
• Jason Heyward, RF – .269 average, 15 HR, 40 RBI
• James Outman, CF – .248 average, 23 HR, 70 RBI

Top Pitchers:

• Clayton Kershaw (injured): 13-5, 2.46 ERA, 137 strikeouts
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 17-6, 1.16 ERA, 176 strikeouts (with the Orix Buffaloes)
• Tyler Glasnow: 10-7, 3.53 ERA, 162 strikeouts (with the Tampa Bay Rays)
• Bobby Miller: 11-4, 3.76 ERA, 119 strikeouts
• Evan Phillips (closer): 2-4, 2.05 ERA, 24 saves

FREEWAY SERIES vs ANGELS, 2024:

• June 21-22 at Dodger Stadium
• September 3-4 at Angel Stadium

The Dodgers’ newest superstar and biggest free agent signing ever. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

Thoughts and Predictions:

I’ll be honest…

After signing the biggest free agent in baseball history this off season,

After this current run of ten division titles in the past eleven years, winning 100 games or better in four of those seasons, and

After shocking Dodger fans with their Division Series exits courtesy of the San Diego Padres in 2022 and the Diamondbacks last year, two teams who finished far below them in the regular season,

Whom everyone expected those Dodgers to be able to name the scores against,

I only have one foremost thing to say regarding that elite baseball franchise which I’ve been a fan of for decades…

NO EXCUSES NOW.

AND NO EXCUSES WHATSOEVER.

IF THOSE DODGERS DON’T – AT MINIMUM – MAKE THE WORLD SERIES, THIS SEASON WILL BE CONSIDERED A FAILURE.

And among Dodger fans, I’m probably being generous in the sense that the bulk of those loyal followers who have packed Chavez Ravine this past decade or so are expecting nothing less than the Commissioner’s Trophy in hand and a victory parade up Figueroa Avenue to City Hall in downtown L.A. in early November.

With no less than three MVPs in the top three spots in their batting order, how could any Dodger fan expect otherwise?

I certainly can’t recall when the expectations concerning these Dodgers have been so high as now, and I’ve been following them since the latter part of the 1970s.

The two things that concern me regarding this team, that could possibly be an Achilles’ heel, are:

• Max Muncy’s defense – or a lack of such – at third base, and
• How the starting pitchers work out as the two new big name acquisitions, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, started the Dodgers’ first two official games vs the Padres in Korea, Glasnow doing well in the first game with Yamamoto pitching worse than Charlie Brown in giving up five runs in the first inning of the second game

Of course you can’t predict how a pitcher will do in a season after just one game, so I’m not too worried about Yamamoto at the moment.

I’m confident that things will be okay on the mound, especially if and when Kershaw and Walker Buehler return this summer.

BY THE WAY: I know you’re wondering what I think about this Ohtani and gambling situation;

He’s making some official statements regarding that issue as I type this.

I recently posted my opinion about the matter on this blog; here’s the link if you want to know what I think…

http://www.socalsportschronicles.wordpress.com/2024/03/23/my-thoughts-regarding-the-shohei-ohtani-situation/

All right,

I’m not going to waste anymore time – here’s my official prediction of the Dodgers and how I see their fate in 2024…

BETWEEN 100 and 110 WINS.

ANOTHER DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP.

AND A VERY GOOD CHANCE OF REACHING THE WORLD SERIES.

Unlike other Dodger fans, I’m not going to go out on a limb and boldly predict an eighth World Series crown – at least not right this second.

Too much has happened in the last few post seasons – the D-Backs, the Padres, and the Washington Nationals in 2019 particularly come to mind – for me to just boldly and automatically predict a championship coronation and parade.

Contrary to popular opinion (seemingly), those Dodgers are going to have to earn that World Series glory that everybody’s predicting for them;

They won’t be able to just show up and have everyone just bow down and run in terror.

As a longtime Dodger fan, I’ll certainly be rooting for them.

And going to a game at Dodger Stadium this year is a decent possibilty,

Though it won’t be later then mid-June as it gets too hot at Chavez Ravine for me in the summer; sweltering in 93 degree heat while watching them play the Toronto Blue Jays with my cousin was proof of that.

Getting their rings after winning the 2020 World Series. Photo courtesy of latimes.com

LOS ANGELES ANGELS: Our 2024 Season Preview

Tags

American League, American League West, Anaheim, Angel Stadium, Angels, baseball, Halos, Los Angeles Angels, Major League Baseball, MLB, Orange County, Ron Washington

The Angels sporting those UGLY red jerseys after a game. Photo courtesy of deactualidad3103wp.blogspot.com

LOS ANGELES ANGELS – 64th SEASON

2023 Record: 73-89, fourth place in the American League West, 17 games behind the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers

• A losing record for the eighth straight year
• No playoff appearance for the ninth straight year

First Season: 1961

Home: Angel Stadium, capacity 45,050

Manager: Ron Washington, first year

First Game: Thursday, March 28th at the Baltimore Orioles

First Home Game: Friday, April 5th vs the Boston Red Sox

Top Hitters:

• Mike Trout, CF – .263 average, 18 HR, 44 RBI (82 games)
• Anthony Rendon, 3B – .236 average, 2 HR, 22 RBI (43 games)
• Brandon Drury, DH – .262 average, 26 HR, 83 RBI
• Mickey Moniak, RF – .280 average, 14 HR, 45 RBI
• Luis Rengifo, 2B – .264 average, 16 HR, 51 RBI
• Logan O’ Hoppe, C – .236 average, 14 HR, 29 RBI (51 games)
• Zach Neto, SS – .225 average, 9 HR, 34 RBI

Top Pitchers:

• Patrick Sandoval: 7-13, 4.11 ERA, 128 strikeouts
• Griffin Canning: 7-8, 4.32 ERA, 139 strikeouts
• Tyler Anderson: 6-6, 5.43 ERA, 119 strikeouts
• Carlos Estevez (closer): 5-5, 3.90 ERA, 31 saves

FREEWAY SERIES vs DODGERS, 2024:

• June 21-22 at Dodger Stadium
• September 3-4 at Angel Stadium

Ron Washington, the Angels’ new manager; his hiring was a step in the right direction. Photo courtesy of ukmovies.yahoo.com

Thoughts and Predictions:

LIFE WITHOUT SHOHEI OHTANI.

With him now playing his home games 31 miles north up I-5, wearing blue instead of red.

On the surface, being that the Angels not only never made the postseason with Shohei, they never even had a winning season with him, either,

I reckon a lot of folks will say that the fortunes of those Halos will be even worse than they already have been these past ten years.

However,

My reaction to that is “not necessarily”,

For this reason:

Ron Washington.

The hiring of this baseball lifer and former Texas Rangers manager to manage the Angels was by far the best thing they did this off season, due to the fact that “Wash” is a known and proven leader who works well with young players and is great both in the clubhouse and at teaching infield fundamentals in particular.

Which is exactly what that ball club needs as except for Trout and Rendon, the brass is finally planning on going with young players like Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel and Logan O’ Hoppe.

If Trout and Rendon actually manage to stay healthy, and…

If the starting pitchers actually manage to keep their earned run averages under four and win more games than they lose,

No, I don’t see them as any kind of contender.

Not with the Seattle Mariners, the Astros, and the defending World Series champion Rangers in their division.

But their chances of finishing at .500 will be that much better.

Now if they would just get rid of those UGLY red jerseys and caps and go back to their 1970s/1980s look, my interest in them would grow.

As such,

My official prediction regarding this Angel team in 2024 is…

BETWEEN 75 and 82 WINS,

As while they will be a little better than they were, they will still have a long way to go before they can achieve relevancy. Or even be seen as on par with their neighbor/rival Dodgers.

Much like I said in their preview last season,

If those Halos from Orange County do win 81-plus games and reach .500 for the first time since 2015,

I’ll be happy for them – especially if they get rid of those NASTY jerseys and caps!

Boy, do those Halos need this guy to stay healthy! Photo courtesy of time.com

MY THOUGHTS REGARDING THE SHOHEI OHTANI SITUATION

Tags

baseball, Dodger Stadium, Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball, MLB, National League, Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani opening the season with the Dodgers in Korea. Photo courtesy of twitter.com

Everyone’s got their one and a half cents regarding this big gambling scandal that Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has been involved in.

Here’s mine…

First of all,

I’m not interested in rehashing how Major League Baseball is opening up an investigation regarding Mizuhara’s gambling addiction and how he allegedly stole over $4.5 million from Ohtani’s account to bail himself out of his debts.

Every other news source in print, TV and online is already covering that to death.

Instead,

I want to offer an opinion on what I see ultimately happening to Ohtani when everything is said and done…

NOTHING.

Even if he did have something to do with helping his longtime friend and interpreter, who the Dodgers fired when these developments came down,

While Major League Baseball rules expressly forbid gambling on MLB contests; there are signs stating such in the clubhouses of all thirty teams,

Nothing is mentioned about gambling on other sports leagues like the NFL, the NBA, or soccer.

And Ohtani did no gambling whatsoever.

Not only that, from what I’ve gathered it seems like he’s the victim here.

So to everyone predicting that he will go the way of Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson,

Calm down and pipe down.

Mizuhara’s history, but Ohtani’s not going anywhere.

While I can’t speak for anyone else,

I am happily looking forward to seeing that two-way superstar from Northern Japan do his thing in Dodger blue.

BY THE WAY: My official preview of those Dodgers (and the Angels) will appear on this blog this coming week.

Ohtani trying on the iconic Dodger cap. Photo courtesy of sportingnews.com