Ruthie’s Weekly Sports Roundup: Oct. 5 – 10
Football
Adrian Peterson’s woes continue as he recently revealed to a drug tester, right before a drug test, that he recently smoked pot. Prosecutors involved in Peterson’s case filed paperwork requesting to have not only his bail revoked, but to have him re-arrested too. Peterson has been out on a $15,000 bond stemming from charges of felony child abuse. His trial has been tentatively set to begin on December 1st. For Peterson to profess that he, ”smoked a little weed,” right before his urinalysis test, is a clear violation of the terms of his bond. Of course in order for his bail to be revoked or for Peterson to be re-arrested, a hearing would have to take place. As of now, a hearing has not been set. Peterson is currently receiving his full $11.75 million salary but he can’t participate with any team activities until his case is settled.
Will the Seattle Seahawks be moving to L.A.? Rumor has it that the NFL is looking to reestablish a couple of franchises to the country’s number 2 media market and they are eyeing the Seahawks as a part of that move. This would be the 3rd time that the team would switch divisions moving them back to the AFC West where they played from 1977- 2001. Seattle has seen much success since joining the NFC in 2002 dominating with qualifying for postseason 8 out of 12 years, 6 division crowns and 2 wildcard berths. They didn’t share the same successes while in the AFC. What a waste of a perfectly good rivalry if the Seahawks were to leave the NFC as one of the most colorful rivalries in football right now is the Seahawks and the 49er’s.
Baseball
Well it is decided who is left in postseason baseball as this week starts the path to the World Series. The ALCS will kick off Friday when Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals pair off on Friday. The MLB released a commercial in anticipation of the series, highlighting some of the greatest plays in postseason by both of the teams. In case you missed out, the commercial is worth a look. And, Saturday will kick off the NLCS with the St. Louis Cardinals and the S.F. Giants at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. These 2 teams have a bit of a “hostile” history going back to the mid 1980’s. Remember Matt Holliday’s hand slide that knocked Giant’s 2nd baseman out of game 1 of the 2012 NLCS? What about the 1987 NLCS when Giant’s Jeffery “Hac Man” Leonard introduced the “One Flap Down” homerun trot by holding one arm at his side with the other arm outstretched in triumph as he rounded the bases after hitting a homerun in game 1 of the series? Regardless of the rivalries, which makes it even more fun, both series should prove to be exciting as baseball fans have witnessed already in this postseason.
NASCAR
After a 5th place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Thursday night, Andy Seuss was crowned the tour champion. It was a very exciting moment as it was the first of his career. But Seuss had another surprise in store as moments after winning, he dropped to his knee and proposed to his girlfriend right there in Victory Lane. According to Seuss, he didn’t let anyone else in on his secret proposal and then to be crowned the winner on top of his planned surprise made it even more special. Congratulations Andy for both of your special moments.
Today in Sports History
We say goodbye to Joe DiMaggio as he played his final game in the major leagues. Joe suffered from a heel injury in 1948 and the pain from that injury led him to retire in 1951. On October 10, 1951, wearing his Yankee’s uniform, DiMaggio’s final game occurred when the NY Yankees defeated the NY Giants with a 4-3 win in game 6 of the World Series, earning the Yankees the championship title. In 1955 Joe was inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame.
A Blast from the Past
Now for a stroll down memory lane. October 9th marked a birthday for one of baseball’s most colorful players. Joe Pepitone celebrated his 74th birthday on Thursday. Although Joe marked a few good years in his time in the major leagues, he is best known as the first player ever to use a hair dryer in the clubhouse. Joe’s life was not without tragedy. In 1957, while attending Manual Trades HS in Brooklyn, Joe was shot in the stomach in a schoolyard dispute. In another story, Joe’s father “Willie Pep,” pressured Joe throughout his life by telling him that he was to be a star player. He would often beat Joe if Joe didn’t hold up to what his father thought he should be. One day, Joe said a little prayer for his father’s demise and the very next day, his father dropped dead. Joe’s big break came when he signed with the Yankees in 1958. After 4 years in the minors, Joe was off to NY to play with the Yankees. It is said that he received a $25,000 sign on bonus and blew it all when he bought a new Ford Thunderbird, a boat and a dog. This was typical of the lifestyle that Joe would lead. He was a ladies man with his Italian heritage and his good looks. He was also known to be the team clown and a swinger. Flashy and colorful, he didn’t take the game seriously. He was traded around in his career to the Houston Astro’s, the Cubs, the Braves and even played in a league in Japan. One of his team mates, Jim Bouton described Joe in his book as “extremely vain.” He claimed that when Joe started prematurely balding, that he would travel with a bag of very expensive hair products. Joe had 2 toupee’s. One for the ladies and one for the game. The toupee that he used for the game was known as his “game piece,” prompting Joe to get a hair dryer in order to maintain it. And that is a trademark that stayed with him throughout his career. Happy 74th Birthday Joe.
