Sports: Thursday, June 1, 2023

Nats Hit 5 HRs In Win Over The Dodgers, O’s Lose Slugfest Against Guardians, VBL Season Begins

Here are all 5 Nats’ Home Runs in yesterday’s 10-6 win over the Dodgers. Courtesy Nationals Radio Network…

Sports: Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Dodgers Pull Away From Nats, O’s Score Early And Cruise Past Guardians, Commanders Cut DB

Keibert Ruiz goes deep for the Nats to keep the game tight against LA…courtesy Nationals Radio Network.

It’s Not Midnight Yet, Cinderella

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Greetings From The Booth!

You can’t make up stories like this. If you pitched a script to Hollywood about the week Michael Block just had at the PGA Championship, you would be booted right out of town. Block, who just had a top-15 finish in golf’s second major championship of the year, was “the” story of the tournament. You could make the case that he even upstaged winner Brooks Koepka, who captured the fifth major title of his career on Sunday at Oak Hills Country Club.

The PGA Championship is unique in that a handful of PGA club professionals get to compete. Contrary to popular belief, PGA club pros play very little golf. Just ask your club pro about that. Their time is spent on the putting green with members, making sure the pro shop is stocked with golf clubs and gear, charging up golf carts, and ordering new sand for the bunkers. I just described a day in the life of Michael Block, who is the pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in California.

Not this past week…and maybe not for the foreseeable future.

Block captured the hearts of golf fans around the world by making the cut at the PGA, and for a while was in the top-10 with a chance to win. Surely, midnight would come for this Cinderella on the weekend, but it wasn’t until late Sunday that Block started to fade a bit down the leaderboard. Had the story ended there, it still would have been a good one.

Then came the 15th hole, where Michael Block slam-dunked a 7-iron for a hole-in-one, and became an instant folk hero. It was the cherry on his Sunday, as Block collected over $288 thousand for his top-15, and gets to play in next year’s PGA Championship. But the story doesn’t end there. This week, someone offered Block $50 thousand for that seven-iron he used for his ace on Sunday. Surely, he would have a sentimental attachment to that golf club and not give it away at any price. Nope. In true “everyman” form, he offered to hand-deliver it for that kind of money.

Then, Block’s childhood hero, Michael Jordan, sent him a text congratulating him for his PGA showing. And, guess who the crowds are going to be following this week as Block plays at Colonial Country Club? All pretty heady stuff for a guy who just a few weeks ago was probably giving someone a chipping lesson. But, anyone who thinks all of this newfound fame will change Michael Block didn’t hear the humility in his emotional interviews last week.

At some point, Block may fade from memory and become an asterisk in the annals of professional golf. But for this Cinderella, it ain’t midnight yet.

Until the next visit from The Booth…have a great Memorial weekend!

RW

 

 

Sports: Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Soto Haunts Nats, O’s Lose To Yanks In 10th, Judges Win NW Soccer Title

CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas Tie Things Up For The Nats…Courtesy Nationals Radio Network

Juan Soto Cracks a HR against his old team…courtesy of the Nationals Radio Network

 

Sports: Monday, May 22, 2023

Nats Take 2 Of 3 From Tigers, Koepka Wins PGA, SU Captures NCAA Regional

Riley Adams and Ildemaro Vargas go deep for the Nats in yesterday’s 6-4 Curly W…courtesy of the Nationals Radio Network…

 

Friday Tidbits

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Greetings from The Booth!

Just a few “tidbits” today from the Booth, and I’ll start with my alma mater, Martinsburg High School. The rest of the Mountain State is a bit nervous today because the Bulldogs are welcoming back their legendary football coach Dave Walker, who comes back home after a 3-year stint in the college ranks at D-II Concord. Walker left the ‘Burg after leading the Dogs to 8 state titles, good enough to have the stadium at MHS named after him. It says a lot that last year’s10-3 season with an appearance in the state semifinals was a disappointment, but that is the state of the football program at Martinsburg. Not that things were left in bad hands–Walker’s assistant Britt Sherman, who took over the program when Walker left, was 28-5 with a state championship of his own. He will remain as OC, so it looks like the band is back together. Better make room on that “Welcome To Martinsburg” sign for some more titles…

I wrote several weeks ago about rules infractions and the VHSL’s enforcement of them. This week an otherwise great baseball season at Millbrook High came to an abrupt end in the Northwestern District tournament, when it was discovered that the Pioneers used an ineligible pitcher in their quarterfinal game with Handley earlier in the week. The issue was pitch count, and although there was some question about how many pitches the young man threw in a game against James Wood last week, several electronic devices confirmed that he had gone over the limit and was ineligible to pitch against the Judges. The rule is clear and the issue is black and white. Thus, the Pioneers had to forfeit, and Handley moves on to play in a district semifinal next week. A gut punch, for sure, and  heartbreaking end to the season for Millbrook, who made it all the way to the state quarterfinals a year ago.

Finally, if you want to see some great baseball this weekend, head over to Bridgeforth Stadium in Winchester, where one of 16 NCAA Division-II regional tournaments will be played. The Shenandoah University Hornets, one of the top 5 teams in the country, will be the host team for the 3-day double elimination affair, joined by Christopher Newport, Immaculata, and The College Of New Jersey. The revamped Kevin Anderson Field is incredible and the baseball will be top-notch, so grab a hot dog and enjoy some good old-fashioned baseball this weekend!

See you next time for more Views From The Booth!

RW