Sports

Tennis, Japanese Style

Posted by golfkat on September 15, 2018
Posted in: Sports, Travel. Leave a comment

Did you see this?

Kei Nishikori rallied to outlast Marin Cilic on Wednesday at the U.S. Open, giving Japan a men’s and women’s semifinalist at the same Grand Slam for the first time, according to the ATP Tour.  I did not think I would ever see this!

Nishikori won the rematch of the 2014 final with a 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4 victory in a match that lasted 4 hours, 8 minutes.  I watched part of it, very painful!

In the match before Nishikori’s, Naomi Osaka moved into her first Grand Slam semifinal by routing Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-1.  She is the one with the big hair.

Only once in the professional era that began in 1968 had Japan had a men’s and women’s player in the quarterfinals at the same tournament. That was at Wimbledon in 1995, and both Shuzo Matsuoka and Kimiko Date lost in that round.

Back in 1975, a friend, Ann Kiyomura won the Wimbledon doubles with a Japanese player, Kazuko Sawamatsu.  Her tennis had some crude beginnings.  People complained when her mother was hitting tennis balls during Relocation Camp.  She was hitting tennis balls against the side of the tar paper barracks where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War 2.  Little did anyone know…….

But fast forward back to today.  Having two Japanese in the semi finals of the U.S. Open is next to impossible, given the amount of funding provided to the European youngsters.  Nishikori is the only Japanese player ever to be ranked in the top 5 in the world rankings.  He beat Marin Cilic in 5 long sets.  He will either play the Joker, Novak Djokovic, or unseeded John Millman, who beat The Fed.

Naomi Osaka has reached No. 17 in the world women’s rankings.  In case you are wondering, her father is Haitian.  She is a dual citizen of both the U.S. and Japan.  She beat Lesia Tsurenko in the quarter finals.  She will play the 2017 US Open runner up, Madison Keys in the semis.

Kind of makes me want to play tennis again?  NO!!!  But I did go to the U.S. Open back in 1982.  It was not nearly the spectacle it is today.  But it was still the biggest tennis show on earth, at the time.  In 1982, Jimmy Connors beat Lendl in the finals.  And Chrissie Evert beat Hana Mandlikova in the women’s finals.  Do you realize that was 36 years ago????

 

 

It seems like yesterday.osaka 10snishikorius open

wimb

NOTE:  Osaka beat Serena in the Women’s Finals, while Nishikori lost to Djoker in the Semis.

It’s a Bike Deal

Posted by golfkat on September 14, 2018
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Health, Sports. Leave a comment

Here are a few bike facts and feats for 2018:

Fastest circumnavigation by bicycle (male)

British ultra-endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont finished an around-the-world trip on his cycle in 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes. He became the first person to achieve the feat in under 80 days.

It is fitting then to take a look at the most expensive bikes ever sold or made around the world.
  • Butterfly Trek Madone – $500,000.
  • Trek Yoshitomo Nara – $200,000.
  • Aurumania Crystal Edition Gold Bike – $114,400.
  • Trek Madone 7 – Diamond – $75,000.
  • Rare Tiffany & Co. …
  • Chrome Hearts X Cervelo $60,000.

I wouldn’t pay that much for a car, why would I buy a bicycle at those prices???

Fastest?  John Howard, Olympic cyclist and Ironman triathlon winner, reset the record to 244 km/h (152 mph), also at the Bonneville Salt Flats, on 20 July 1985. Fred Rompelberg from Maastricht, Netherlands is the current holder of the motor-paced speed world record cycling with 268.831 km/h (166.9 mph) since 1995.  I met John back in the 70’s.

Most Powerful:  Ever wonder what kind of power the top sprinters in the world can generate? After gathering metrics from the top cyclists in the world in 2017, it was determined that Peter Sagan unleashed his best sprint of the year on stage five of the Tour of Switzerland. The three-time world champion rode at 1,220 watts for 18 seconds, topping out at 1,417 watts with a speed of 47.5 miles per hour for the highest output of any professional for the year.  In contrast, I can only do about 19 mph.

But this is totally crazy:  For anyone who watches the Tour de France, you can imagine how grueling riding 2,200 miles over three weeks can be. Two-time cancer survivor James Golding recently put this total in perspective by riding 1,766 miles in one week. Golding slept for five hours each day and averaged more than 250 miles per day.  Crazy man, crazy!!!

I knew about a man, Jim Rogers, who drove an old Mercedes sedan around the world.  But on a bicycle?  Though the previous record was 123 days, 34-year-old Mark Beaumont set a goal of 80 days for his round-the-world trek and knew he needed to average 240 miles per day to reach his goal. By the time he arrived in Paris, he was one day ahead of schedule, cycling the 18,000-mile route around the world in a truly amazing 79 days. Beaumont rode his bike 16 hours per day and slept an average of five hours per night. During his trip, he also broke another record — riding the highest recorded mileage for a month at 7,031 miles on his way from Paris, France, to Perth, Australia.

I have no desire to set any cycling records.  But this one just makes me dizzy:  When Kurt Searvogel broke the 75-year-old annual mileage record by riding 75,065 miles, few thought it would soon be conquered. But in 2017, 24-year-old Amanda Coker rode her bike the equivalent of four times around the earth, smashing the previous record by riding a whopping 86,500 miles from May 15, 2016–May 14, 2017. What makes the record more amazing is Coker rode all the mileage on the same seven-mile loop around Flatwoods Park in Tampa, Florida. She rode the loop almost every day, averaging about 13 hours and 236 miles in an effort to raise money and awareness for those who suffer from traumatic brain injuries.

I have given thought to riding across parts of the U.S.  I no longer have those thoughts, ever.  But this?  Many cyclists complete the annual Race Across America (RAAM), but no one has done it as fast as Christoph Strasser from Austria. Riding from Oceanside, California, to Annapolis, Maryland, Strasser completed the trek in 7 days 15 hours and 56 minutes. Strasser was also the first cyclist to break the eight-day barrier, and his average speed of 16.42 miles per hour is also a record.

So, you see, riding my 25 to 35 miles each day is no big deal.  It gets me moving, and I feel good after.  I have met some really wonderful people on two wheels.  And I have seen some pretty terrific scenery as well.  My favorites?  How about the countryside in Vietnam, the dikes of Amsterdam, the vineyards of Napa Valley, and the red rocks of Sedona?

 

Woman riding bicycle with her legs in the air

My Very First Major League Baseball Game

Posted by golfkat on August 13, 2018
Posted in: Sports. 1 Comment

Written in 2008, a recollection of my first professional baseball game in the summer of 1959.  It was at old Seals Stadium in San Francisco.  Over the years, we went to many games at Candlestick, before ATT Park was built.  We also went to games at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, the LA Coliseum, Dodger Stadium, and Anaheim Stadium.

crabbiecrawcrab 8-10Gians 8-10

The Giants and Dodgers moved to California in 1958 as I recall.  I went to my first game in the summer of 1959 at Seals Stadium, 16th Street and Bryant, in San Francisco.  Seals Stadium was very small, seating about 20,000.  It was right in the middle of a bunch of breweries, like Falstaff.  It was also a pretty rough neighborhood.

My Aunt and Uncle from LA offered to take me and a friend up to San Francisco.  They were going on a night club tour.  My friend Phillip and I would go to the game that night.  We were actually going to stay in San Lorenzo with his relatives.  We even dropped our clothes off there, and headed into the City with my Aunt and Uncle.

They checked in to a Motor Lodge, actually only a few blocks from Seals Stadium.  I think it was called the Franciscan Civic Center Motel.  As things happened, we decided we would try to get seats for the game, and stay with my Aunt and Uncle in the motel room.  So, after a dinner, who knows where, we got in line for bleacher seats outside of the left field pavilion.

As I recall, the wait was not long.  Everyone was talking about this minor league sensation, Willie McCovey, since he was hitting over .400.  We were able to buy two seats, and proceeded to watch the Giants take batting practice.  I do not remember who they played that night.  But they were in the National League pennant race, but did not have much pitching, other than their ace, Ruben Gomez.

During BP, several players hit the ball over the fence to our general area.  One ball came really close.  It hit someone in the aisle, then started rolling on the floor toward us.  I missed it, but Phillip was able to grab it.  Unfortunately, he grabbed it at the same time as the kid next to him.  His parents prevailed and he had to give the ball up to this snotty kid.  What a bummer.  Our first big league game, and we should have had a ball.

Anyway, we saw a great game, but the Giants lost.  McCovey got several hits, and it was fun to watch this big guy hit the ball.  We stayed to the very end.  I do not know how late it was.  We were told to take a cab back to the motel.
But neither of us had ever done that before, so we walked back.

The motel owner was shocked that we walked back in the dark, through a bad neighborhood, at the age of 11 or 12.  We got into the room, locked the door, and fell soundly asleep.  Sometime that night, my Aunt and Uncle came back from their tour.  As they tell the story, they could not get in since I had pressed a button that prevented the key from entering the lock outside the door.  They had to get the manager, take a window apart, and get in that way.  We missed the whole thing since we were sound asleep.!!!

While they were not upset with us, we did hear about it the next morning.  I guess they tried to wake us, but we did not hear them.  All was forgiven, when they took us to the Cliff House for breakfast.  We got to see the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time.  We drove through Golden Gate Park.  It was a glorious day.

Fast forward to today:  There is always some of that boyhood excitement when attending a game.  Even when our home town boys are not having their best season, we still enjoy the ballpark, the food, and the game.  Getting to go with my brother is special, a reminder of all the games we attended with our Dad over the years.
I recall we often took a bus from Kingsburg, up to the ball park.  It was a Moyers bus, who remembers that?  We always stopped at Fisherman’s Wharf on the way home for dinner.  It was a very long day, but the excitement of seeing a game made the day very special.
When our Dad drove us to San Francisco or Los Angeles, it was even more special.  With four kids wanting attention, having a day with our Dad for ourselves was special.  And we always got to stop somewhere fun after the game for a nice dinner.  While we were not rich, getting to stop at a fine restaurant was a real treat.  We learned to sit at a table in a nice restaurant, and behave like little gentlemen.
Living in the central valley, it is a much longer trek to the game.  When I lived in the east bay, it was merely 45 minutes on BART to SF, and a transfer to Muni to Third and King Street.  I often went to games at the last minute back then.  Now, it takes some planning.  Or in this case, a gift of two tickets from one of my brother’s high school friends.
Many times, the highlight of our visit to ATT is the crab sandwich, out in centerfield.  We add a beer, and just revel in the atmosphere of baseball, the City, seafood, and the cool breezes of San Francisco Bay.  Our team will definitely not make the playoffs this year!
While this may not be another “even” year miracle, we will enjoy the game.  Maybe we will see a star of the future, like Austin Slater, or Derek Rodriquez.  Or maybe we will just sit in the cool breezes of the Bay, thinking about how warm it is back home.  While we will not see Willie Mays or Juan Marichal, we both remember the old days with our Dad.  Thank you Dad for introducing us to sports.  We miss you every day, but even more, on days like this!

Been to San Diego? Done That!

Posted by golfkat on August 5, 2018
Posted in: Action, Entertainment, Food, Sports, Travel. Leave a comment

One of my favorite summer trips is San Diego.  We have been driving lately, but I decided to fly down for the short, two game series between the Giants and the San Diego Padres.  One reason:  the traffic between San Diego, and almost anywhere north in LA is simply awful.  Make that really awful.

But once in San Diego, the weather is fantastic, Petco Park is a great place to see a ball game, and I love the San Diego vibe.  The city is easy to navigate with both public transportation, and on foot.  I am staying in the Gaslamp area, walking to the game, and taking the bus to and from the airport to my hotel.

Speaking of Gaslamp, once downtrodden, redeveloped back to life, and now heading back south.  Our last few visits have revealed an ugly under belly, lots of cheap bars and cheesy souvenir shops, and not much quality.  And as with most major cities, homelessness is a growing problem.  To top it off, they had a big Hepatitis scare last year!

Having done all the tourist things, like the famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World, famous Torrey Pines golf course, the beaches of La Jolla, and points in between, this is decidedly a baseball trip.

But I must tell you a funny story.  Skip this is you read it before.  I was working for the California Hospital Association back in the early 80s.  We had a big annual meeting down here, and arranged for Andy Rooney of “60 Minutes” to be the main speaker.  A small bunch of employees were asked to join him for dinner at a famous seafood place near the harbor, Anthony’s Star of the Sea, as I recall.

As the evening progressed, and the wine was consumed, we became quite the most interesting and funny group in the place.  The waiters were playing along just fine, until we finally asked one of them who he thought our guest star was.  His answer?  “Mickey Rooney, of course.”  The place went bonkers, including Andy himself!!!

Needless to say, the week down there was a raucous good time.  We even found a guitar and sang the night away after the bars closed.  Those were some good times!

But I digress.  We must get back to baseball.  I started coming to games down here when my kids were young, back when the Padres played out at old Jack Murphy Stadium in Mission Valley.  You might recall, this is the reason the NFL San Diego Chargers are now in LA.  Petco is a big improvement, a downtown ballpark that has revitalized an old downtown area, much like San Francisco, Denver, Arizona, and Seattle.  Is it coincidence they are on the west coast?

Most people do not know that one of the greatest hitter’s in baseball is from San Diego.  That would be Ted Williams!  The area also produced Craig Nettles, Alan Trammell, Adrian Gonzalez, Cole Hamels, and the Boone family.

I never get tired of visiting this great city.  The weather is great, the attractions numerous, the seafood excellent, and the people are so very friendly.  What more can you ask for?  How about a two game sweep of the Padres?

 

New and Old Giants Fans

Posted by golfkat on July 10, 2018
Posted in: Sports, Travel. Leave a comment

Tuesday (July 10, 2018)crabbiecubs gamehoudiniATT seatsbelt bros, my brother and I are headed up to ATT Park for a Giants and Cubs baseball game.  We are taking his two grandsons, who are big sports fans.  I reminds me of our childhood, when our Dad took us to old Candlestick Park in San Francisco, or to Dodger Stadium down in LA.  What great memories!

As I recall, it was a big deal, though we rarely stayed overnight.  Generally, we went to Sunday day games, and drove each way from our home.  We often stopped for a nice dinner on the way home.  In particular, we enjoyed stopping at Fisherman’s Wharf in the City.  The weather was always cooler than the Valley, and we were always excited to go somewhere with our Dad.

I tried to carry on the tradition with my children, mostly my son, who was an excellent baseball player, though golf became his primary sport in high school.  We went to Giants and A’s games all summer long.  We even went to Spring Training in Arizona about half a dozen times as well.

Growing up here in the Valley, baseball was a big deal.  We all loved the Giants, and the greatest player of all time, Willie Mays.  We listened to the games on the radio every day.  It was part of our childhood, as much as swimming, working on our Uncle’s farm, and playing Little League baseball.

Fast forward to Tuesday, and the Giants game in the City.  We get to sit in perhaps the best ballpark in baseball, in cool weather, and watch the local heroes play the Cubs.  Our favorite players are Buster Posey, and Madison Bumgarner.  And we will have a crab sandwich or “Cha Cha Bowl” before the game.  And it will remind us of some great times in our childhood thanks to our Dad.

Real Boston

Posted by golfkat on July 6, 2018
Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Music, Sports, Travel. Leave a comment

Boston is one of my favorite American cities, along with Seattle, Denver, San Diego, and Chicago.  There are similarities to San Francisco, both surrounded by water, similar population, a certain sophistication, you know the facts.  But here are some additional facts about Boston.

Boston Esplanade, where I will attend the famous July 4th POPS Spectacular, was just a wasteland before becoming a city park and concert venue. The Boston Fire Department, founded in 1678, is the oldest Fire Department in the U.S.  They were helping the police, park rangers, and military police at the concerts.  Uber works well here if the T is not convenient.

Boston also had the first public beach, Revere Beach, now home to the International Sand Sculpting Festival.

Happy hours have been banned since 1984.  Does that date sound familiar, George?  A drunk driver killed a 20 year old girl.

The Fig Newton is named after a suburb of Boston, Newton, MA.

The first Dunkin Donuts was located in nearby Quincy, a mere 11 miles away from Boston.  Yet Boston’s 850 restaurants include only 40 fast food joints.  And the cops get a free donut with their coffee.  Uncle Larry, aka Barney Fife would indulge in that!

Fenway Green is a patented shade of green, and the color of the famous Green Monster at Fenway Park, the oldest in America (1912).  Can you name the three big Red Sox stars who came from California?

The very first chocolate factory (1765) in the United States was build in the Lower Mills section in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston.  Do you know where most of the world’s chocolate comes from?

Massachusetts started issuing driver’s licenses and registration plates in 1903, but didn’t make people take a driving test beforehand. In 1920, Boston began requiring a driving test before issuing someone a license.

America’s first subway, the Tremont Street Subway, was built here in 1897, not in New York City as you might expect.  BTW, I have not seen Charlie yet.  But I did take a bite out of his sandwich!

Contrary to popular opinion, the city’s nickname is Beantown due to the popularity of the baked beans in molasses among it’s early residents.  I intend to try some, lest I keep up with those Chinese national tourists on the plane back home.

The Ted Williams Tunnel is the deepest in North America, running 90 feet below the earth’s surface.  Speaking of Ted, do you know his nickname?

Famous people from Boston include:  Mark Wahlberg, James Spader, Jasmine Guy, Uma Thurman, Chris Evans, Madeline Kahn, Matt Damon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Donna Summer, Amy Poehler, Eli Whitney, Paul Revere, Susan B. Anthony, John F. Kennedy, Emily Dickinson, Samuel Morse, John Hancock, Connie Britton, Leonard Nimoy, Taylor Schilling, and Barbara Walters.

Three of the Boston Red Sox big stars were from California:  Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio, and Bobby Doerr.  Theodore was known as the “Splendid Splinter” during his days here in Boston.

Over 15% of Bostonians walk to work!  Nobody seems to wear a suit in this muggy weather.  A bunch of wimps if you ask me.

Cambridge, home to both Harvard (oldest, founded in 1636) and MIT, is only 3 miles from Boston on the Red Line Subway.  Don’t bother looking for Charlie!

It is also home to the well respected Berklee College of Music.  Some notable grads:  John Mayer, Diana Krall, Quincy Jones, Branford Marsalis, Melissa Etheridge, Aimee Mann, Meghan Trainor, Joe Walsh, Keith Jarrett, Joe Satriani, Rhianna, Don Fagen (Steely Dan), Bruce Hornsby, Roy Hargrove, among others.

Some Boston food you must eat include:  Boston cream pie (invented at the Omni Parker House), Sam Adams beer, Boston clam chowder (never order New England style), Fenway Franks, Boston Baked Beans, and of course, lobstah!!!

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in Boston in 1621, and lasted THREE days!

Incredibly, the John Hancock Tower houses 13 acres of glass.  The building also displays colored lights that tell the weather.

Fully one third of Boston residents are college students.  That leaves only 600,000 regular residents.

The world’s most famous foot race, the Boston Marathon began in 1897 with only 18 runners.

So, yes, I love Boston.  If you have never visited, I strongly suggest doing so.  If I could have afforded grad school at Harvard back in 1975, I would have gone, somehow.

Let’s hope for some cooler weather today, as I head to Cambridge for a meeting of the minds.  No promises, they don’t seem to like outsiders!!!!

 

Amtrak to the City (San Francisco)

Posted by golfkat on July 2, 2018
Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Sports, Travel. Leave a comment

As an alternative to driving up to the Bay Area, I am taking Amtrak from home, all the way to San Francisco.  I leave Fresno at 6:13am, arrive in Emeryville at 10:04am, then board an “Amtrak Thruway” bus to San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal (temporary) at 10:35am.  Why?

I am going to a Giants game (playing the Colorado Rockies) at ATT Park with an old golfing buddy from the Bay Area.  We plan to meet, have lunch (the great crab sandwich on sourdough) at the old ballpark, have a few brews, and brag about our golf games.  Oddly, we met about ten years ago on a golf course, and stayed friends over the years.

Landing Thursday morning for a Giants day (12:45pm) game, I should have enough time to drop my small bag at the hotel, and take the streetcar over to the ballpark.  After visiting with more friends on Thursday evening (dinner), and Friday morning (breakfast), I take Amtrak back home on Friday afternoon at 2:15pm, arriving in Fresno at 6:41pm.

Though we are enjoying our lives in the great Central Valley, I certainly miss attending Giants and Warriors games.  Sadly, I am down to about one game a year for each team, though I do attend road games in places like San Diego, Denver, Phoenix, and Seattle.  But life goes on.

This might be a rather quick trip in some eyes, but with about 4 hours on Amtrak each way, I will have plenty of time to read and relax.  And it certainly beats driving by myself for 3+ hours each way.  Maybe I can do a little shopping while I am in the City.att juneour seatsp cakes 18drake lobby