PHOTO BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
In this photo provided by Turner Sports, Kevin Garnett gestures on the set of “Area 21,” his show-within-a-show on TNT’s wildly popular basketball production. In a first for Turner Sports, the segments are geared toward social media first, and Garnett is plunging head-first into the project. (Ted Pio-Roda/Turner Sports via AP)
By STEVE KRAUSE
Idle chatter trying to understand some of softball’s new rules.
Sometimes, pettiness knows no bounds.
While today’s Celtics seem to be a model of all-for-one teamwork and success (their last two losses to the Washington Wizards notwithstanding), the 2008 champions have proven yet again that such camaraderie can be fleeting, and that all too quickly personalities get involved.
You remember 2008. That was the year Kevin Garnett screamed “anything’s possible” to the rafters after the Celtics had pummeled the Lakers in Game 6 to win the NBA title.
Ray Allen had a signature moment in Game 4 of that series — the one in which the Celtics came from 24 points down, IN Los Angeles. He isolated Sasha Vujacic and then blew past him for a basket that put the game out of reach and gave the Celtics a 3-1 lead in the series.
Earlier this week, the Celtics had a “reunion” of that 2008 team and did not invite Allen. There are still hard feelings over his leaving the team to sign with the Miami Heat, and ostensibly ride LeBron James to another NBA title.
It didn’t work out what way, of course. Oh, the Heat won. But far from riding anyone to his second NBA title, Allen sunk the three-point basket that tied up the sixth game with just seconds to go. A loss would have given the San Antonio Spurs the championship.
That is unbelievably childish of these guys. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce go all over the place to squeeze every last dollar out of their careers, but Allen can’t go to Miami?
You know what they say about karma. It does not bode well for the Celtics as they head into a critical game tonight against the Washington Wizards.
—
Maybe someone can explain this to me. In baseball, if you bunt the ball foul with two strikes on you, you’re out.
In baseball, if you step out of the batter’s box during your swing, you’re out.
In today’s softball game, you can slap the ball foul with two strikes and it doesn’t matter. You get another shot. To my way of thinking, there should be some reciprocity on this.
Also, in softball, you can slap the ball and be halfway to first base and nobody says a word. The only baseball player I ever saw get away with this was Ichiro Suzuki, who was already running when he swung at the ball.
Everybody gets away with it in softball.
—
Twenty-one years ago, the New York Yankees fielded a team with a pretty likeable bunch of guys, and they jelled under Joe Torre and won a World Series, defeating the Atlanta Braves in six games.
Still fairly likeable, they did it again in 1998. Before the next season began, the Yankees traded for Roger Clemens and order was restored. We could hate them with glee again.
The Bronx Bombers, as of Tuesday, had the best record in the Major Leagues with a bunch of guys on the team nobody’s heard of. Now, maybe at some point, some of these no-names will end up being bonafide arrogant superstars like their forebearers and order in the universe will be restored once again. But not yet.
And in case no one’s noticed, the Orioles and their manager, Buck Showalter, are worthy substitutes for now.
Showalter’s another one of these guys who’s convinced he invented the game.
—
If you’re one of these people who isn’t easily impressed, I challenge you to go to a St. Mary’s softball game and see Mia Nowicki in action and come away unimpressed.
Nowicki has been blowing hitters away since she was in the ninth grade. She is now a senior, and the only softball pitcher in this area who is close to being her equal is the one she defeated Monday: Logan MacDonald of Austin Prep.
Nowicki struck out 27 Monday in a 1-0 13-inning win over the Cougars in Reading.
Guess who hit the game-winning homer. Yup. Nowicki.
—
Can someone tell me why anyone even cares about this Celtics-Wizards series? Does it matter who wins? Does anyone think that either team has a shot against LeBron and the Cavaliers?
Anyone who does needs an intervention. Now.