Red Sox versus Dodgers, it just could happen Holland College set to host Canadian college golf championships at Fox Meadow FRED MACDONALD
The Guardian
The American and National League baseball championships got underway on Thursday and Friday, and unless you’ve been hiding out somewhere, you know by now that it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League and the Boston Red Sox travelling to Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the American League final.
To date, the baseball post-season television audiences have been down, but that could change, especially if the Dodgers and Red Sox advance to the World Series.
The NL championship between the Dodgers and the Phillies should be a high scoring series and I expect it could go the limit.
Dodgers bench boss Joe Torre would love nothing better than to make it the World Series, especially after Yankees boss George Steinbrenner asked Joe to take a pay cut. As you know, Torre told George to take a leap, left the Yankees and signed with the Dodgers.
In the American League, I’m not sure if the Red Sox beat the California Angels or the Angels beat themselves, especially in that final game. Having the lead runner 90 feet away in the top of the last inning, the Angels opted for a suicide squeeze against a hard-throwing fastball pitcher. It was a dumb thing to do with one out and a classic example of over-management.
As I said previously, I believe God wears a Red Sox uniform and I think the Bosox will prevail in six games over Tampa Bay.
Last week, I told you that the Phillies have more offence than the Dodgers and I still think they’ll prevail in seven games. From here, it looks like a Dodgers versus Red Sox World Series.
We shall see.
Odds and ends
The 2008 Ping Canadian college golf championships get underway at Fox Meadow, Oct. 13-17, with over 100 golfers participating in the national event.
It’s a big plus for Holland College’s Albert Roche and Paul Murnaghan who have worked hard to secure this event for the Island community college.
Four teams from British Columbia and Alberta, five from Ontario, three from Quebec and two teams from Holland College (men and women) will participate.
In addition to the Ping CCAA/ACSC championships, organizers and host chairman Bobby McGee have landed Bob Weeks as guest speaker for a dinner next Thursday at Fox Meadow. Proceeds for the dinner go to support Holland College varsity sports and with the editor of SCORE golf magazine telling stories about the pro tour, it should make for an interesting evening.
A silent auction will follow which includes a golf package for three with Weeks. For ticket information, call Paul Murnaghan at 894-6823.
In local golf news, ex-Kings County baseball star Len Doucette fired a hole-in- one on the eighth hole at Crowbush Friday while playing in a group that included Kevin Dingwell, Joe Dunphy and Paul MacFarlane.
Doucette has been getting golf tips from veteran Crowbush regular Walter Bradley, who was watching and waiting to play the next hole.
The Guardian newspaper held its annual appreciation day golf tournament last Friday at Fox Meadow and it drew a big audience.
I played with Canadian Tire’s Ken MacEachern, Holland College’s Ken Heckbert and pro Justin Butt and I can tell you, without a doubt, that their shoulders must have been hurting last Saturday morning.
Let’s just say I had an off day and leave it at that.
The Colonel Gray High School’s Wall of Fame induction dinner goes Thursday at the Culinary Centre with the reception at 6 p.m., followed by a three-course meal beginning at 7 p.m.
This year’s inductees are swimmer Jarrod Ballem, hockey standouts Rick Vaive and Dunstan Carroll and basketball’s Dawna Townsend. Guest speaker is colourful NHL referee Paul Stewart, while international recording star Joan Kennedy and Steve Waylon will look after the entertainment. Proceeds towards fitness/
wellness centre at Colonel Gray. There are a few tables left. I’d suggest calling Trent Birt at 368-6860 ASAP.
On the topic of hockey, next Wednesday the P.E.I. Rocket is at home to Saint John, while next Friday, Oct. 17, the UPEI puck Panthers host defending conference champion UNB at 7 p.m. at the UPEI campus.
On the UPEI basketball front, the women’s Panthers hoop squad plays an exhibition game today at 1 p.m. at home against St. F.X.
Make your picks
The National Football League enters Week 6 and there are a number of key games on the schedule.
Dallas Cowboys travel to Arizona to face the first-place Cardinals, who impressed in routing Buffalo last Sunday. The spread on this game is five points. I’d suggest taking the five points and betting Arizona in what looks like a wild, high-scoring game. If you’re brave, bet the Cardinals outright against a banged up Dallas secondary.
Jacksonville visits Denver in what amounts to a must game for the Jaguars. The Jags don’t have a deep threat and defences have been loading up and preventing the run. In addition, their D is not what it was last year, so I’ll take Denver in this one.
Baltimore Ravens have been playing hard nosed and tough for the past two weeks and Sunday they travel to Indy to play the Colts. Indy should have lost to Houston last week, but Peyton Manning was the difference late in the game. The Ravens are 0-3 in their last three trips to Indy and as poorly as the Colts have been, they should have enough to get past Baltimore.
The football prophet’s final game sees Miami at Houston and I love the tough-luck Texans, who should be 2-2 instead of 0-4. Look for the Texans to break into the win column Sunday.
As always, the picks are for fun. Pay the mortgage first.
Around the tracks
In harness racing news, the Breeders Crown weekend always draws a big crown from across the region.
Harness racing cards are set for today at 1:30 p.m. with the Breeders Crown consolation races and Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre with the Breeders Crown finals.
The Breeders Crown banquet goes tonight at the Delta Prince Edward hotel with guest speakers Brent MacGrath and Reg Pettitpas, co-owners of Somebeachsomewhere (p, 1:46:4), the greatest pacing horse ever in the history of the sport.
Sunday morning, there’s the pancake breakfast at the city track.
Dr. Ian Moore’s Shadow Play goes tonight at Balmoral Park in Chicago in in the Windy City Pace. Charlottetown native Ken Ford, alias Lou Forbes and better known as “Shaky Louie”, will be looking after the stall arrangements for the Island-based pacer.
Louie had worked for the powerful Robert Farrington Stable in the 1960s when Grandpa Jim won the Maple Leaf Trot and has been at fixture in Chicago harness racing for 40 years..
Harold (Art) MacInnis, who worked for many years here with the late Buddy Campbell, sends his regards for a successful weekend for Maritime horsemen.
Art drove horses like Lola Hal and Amos Frost for Buddy and had a number of successful years at Foxboro with the top-class pacer Acefast Pick, a Maritime-owned son of Greentree Adios, and with Milton Downey’s horses from the Jimmy Doherty Stable.
See you at the track.
(Fred MacDonald writes a column for The Guardian each Saturday)
