Sometimes when you don’t expect things to happen they do. As was the case last week at a remote little league field North of Boston in a heated battle between the Mohing Scrappers and the Tucson Sidewinders as there was friendly banter between the Coaches going back forth me being one. As we were talking to the first base coach of the opposing it happened. It was amazing it was incredible. In this field that’s out of the way even some of the locals don’t know about. It happened a Gabbers name was mention at a little league game. It wasn’t me.

It turns out that the first base coach on the Scrappers and I were only a couple of years apart and we grew up in the same community(not our current one). He starts throwing out names and I start throwing out names than it happens one name we all know and love gets thrown out. That is the one and only drum roll please Kevin Sullivan. So I ask is that the Same Kevin Sullivan  from Charlestown and the reply was one and the same. (After all this is greater Boston and there are a lot of Sullivans around). Sully had lots of family in our community and spent a lot of time there as a kid.

Hey about old Brett Lawrie  sure we know you didn’t mean to throw your helmet directly at the Umpire. We know you didn’t mean to bounce it off the ground and it to hit the umpire. Enjoy your 4 days off. Funny thing was it looked lke a strike just below the letters.

I might be a little optimistic but is there just a little hope that the Pacers beat the Heat. I know one game means nothing but isn’t there a thought a little hope maybe. You know like  just maybe . Frank Vogel has something up sleeve . Maybe he pulls a rabbit out of a hat.

It wouldn’t be any fun unless I had some Red Sox discussion once again last nigt they get called for two Balks. What’s up this ? I mean 4 balks in the past week.They have all been obvious. They seem to be like a High School team worrying about runners on base. Last night  a balk cost them a run against Tampa in a 2-1 game. These guys should know better. Daniel Bard had 2  against the same better in KC.

It was a case of ICY-Hot. The Nationals Steven Strassburg got his first loss. He put some ICY Hot on his shoulders but then he got out  it well we will just say down there.He said he was uncomfortable the whole game. How does this happen. You rub your shoulder than exercise the Arch Bishop.Or was it on his hands and he had to take a leak. Who knows but it’s the strangest story of the year.

Those LA Kings have a 2-0 lead over the Coyotes in the Western Conference.finals on Tuesday they got a hat trick from Jeff Carter. . It looks like this might be  the yea of the Kings. I just find them fascinating being the 8^th seed. I don’t even care that they are an LA Team .

Meanwhile in the East Dave Clarkson scored the game winner last night at 2:31 of the 3^rd period to give the Devils an 3-2 win and tied the series at 1-1.

That’s all folks

As they say anything can happen in the playoffs and this years NHL playoffs are living proof. The Los Angeles Kings are this year's feel good story, knocking off Number 1 Vancouver and Number 2 St. Louis in the Western Conference playoffs. They will play the overachieving Phoenix Coyotes to get into the Stanley Cup finals. It should be a battle.

Meanwhile it could by a battle of the tristate area as the remaining New Jersey Team, (we won’t count the two NFL Franchises who refuse to call themselves New Jersey)  may take on the New York Rangers if the Washington Capitals keep giving away games. It should be interesting either way. I like the Rangers to win that series, they have been the best team all year.

A friend of mine called Friday Night with Tickets to the Boston Cannons. For you who don’t know it’s professional Lacrosse played at Harvard Stadium. I took the three boys minus one who wasn’t feeling well. We replaced him with their friend Bob. It was an amazing atmosphere with kids from youth Lacrosse programs from all over the Commonwealth and new England. The game itself is fast. I have been to high level college lacrosse and some good high school Lacrosse. This was extremely fast; it took about a quarter to read who had the ball. The game keeps moving with few stoppages. I guess what really made it for me was the venue.

Harvard Stadium is a classic old stadium looking like the old roman coliseum. It’s a Classic Football U. The stands are cement steps and it has all the charm and grace of classic old building.  I love the building, have done some football in there and have done some special Olympics events as well. I love classic old stadiums with their personalties and stories, and this one is a gem complete with it’s concrete bleachers. Yes, you sit on numbered concrete seats and yeah your ass gets cold but it’s awesome.

Speaking of Lacrosse I just found out my son is in a Lacrosse video, so for your viewing pleasure here it is..

Oh yeah, he's the one in the helmet. Ok, they all have helmets. He is the one in the burgundy shorts (if you blinked you missed him.). When did maroon become burgundy; probably at the same time the auto mechanic became a certified auto technician.

We have a little rebel on our hands over here.  One of the little Lanz’s had to do a music poster project and presentation for school.  He knew everyone would come up with Beiber (yuck), or some teeny bopper song.  There was some Fun (“We Are Young”), which got the class a lecture about drugs and alcohol, more Beiber, some new British boy band…So he decided to go a slightly, “different” route, since apparently non-conformity runs in our family.  I can thank my wife for that one.  He brings in the CD, hands it to the music teacher, and when someone hit “play”, what they heard was Bullet with Butterfly Wings by Smashing Pumpkins.  (Hey, we raise our kids on the classics, okay?).  Those of you unfamiliar with the tune, here it is.  I’ll wait…… 

Okay, now that we’re all on the same page, my wife jokingly kept waiting for the school psychologist to call, what with bullet in the title and rage references.  One of his classmates said that everyone had gotten kind of bored with the songs, then along comes little Lanz, with his sweet face and mild mannered ways, spewing forth classic alternative rock.  I guess all of the kids just kept looking around at each other as in “wtf kind of song is that?”  He only picked this because we wouldn’t let him do a GreenDay song (the language would have bought him a one way ticket to a certain F).  The wife never did get that call from the psychologist, btw.

I can't write a blog without mentioning this . I heard this tidbit on the Red Sox broadcast last night the Red Sox and the Royals have played 432 times since 1969 when the Royals came in the League. Going into last nights game both teams have won 216 games a piece. We think of todays Royals as a small market team, but they won a hell of alot of ball games back in the days of George Brett and Freddie Patek with the sidearmer Dan Quisenberry . Those teams were fun to watch the speed of Willie Wilson and the sure handed Frank White (now a coach with the Red Sox). They were fun.

Finally on a Sad Note my condolences go out to Sully as the voice of Fenway Park Carl Beane was killed in a single car crash today. Beane was 59 and was a friend of Sully’s. He will be sorely missed at the old ball yard. He had a great voice and did each game as a labor of love. He was the voice of Fenway park and somehow without him the expierience at the old ballyard won't be the same.

That's all for today folks.

The shocking suicide of Junior Seau is eye opening. The twenty yearNFL Vet. did him self in withan apparent self inflicted gun shot to the chest. Although , the autopsy hasn't been done and the appearance of just a kind friendly and happy guy in public. Who knows what his mental status was. I will say I think that there probably be evidence related to brain trauma and multiple concussions. We don't know how much or how long he was thinking about it. I think there is a relationship with him driving of a cliff back in October 2010. What ever it is and whatever the reason it is tragic when anybody takes there own live. Rest in peace Junior.

Is it me or were athletes just dumb this week.like the two dopes from the Nashville Predators getting suspended for violating team rules during the playoffs..Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn . If it’s February who cares . I give Predators Coach Barry Tortz all the credit in the world for not putting up with any crap.

Maybe Doc Rivers should learn from Tortz of course the NBA gave Rejon Rondo a break in only suspended him for one game for bumping a ref.. Rondo should be ever grateful to Paul Pierce for outscoring the Hawks 18-15 in the last 15:08 of the game. Yes that was the entire Hawks team. Rondo's absence wasn't missed.

That brings us to Boston Colleges Montel Harris, who was thrown of the team this week for guess what violating team rules. What the violation was hasn’t become public.

That concludes the I’m stupid in sports show..

The NFL draft (yawn, yawn) is over. I get that some people really get into and it’s their thing and I fully understand and respect that but do we really need days over anaylsis on it. In three years tell me how many of these guys are selling insurance . how many of them washed out due to injury and how many have been cut. The remainder will be the guys that worked out in the draft whether it’s all 253 or of it’s 53.

I have a bone to pick with the NFL and VISA , I was selected to upgrade my season tickets but I was told I had to pay with a Visa Card, funny thing I don’t have a Visa Card. I wrote the Patriots to ask what I should do and to the Patriots ticket office credit. They came up with several solutions including talking to them directly. Any dealings I have had with these guys have been customer service friendly and professional making it always a good expierence.I did check out the upgrades and in my opinion there was nothing that was better than my current seats. I guess the NFL prefers there lucrative sponsors to there hard working dedicated customer alienating customers who choose not to have a Visa Credit Card.

As many of you know I umpire High School baseball so I had a great game yesterday a 2-0 game with 49 degree temps and good pitching on both sides. It’s the top of the 7^th and the visitors are losing  . The home catcher is standing the visiting catcher was getting in the batters box when the home catcher looks of his shoulder and says Oh look at the bunny. I lost it and so did the batter. The batter says I’m playing in the biggest pressure packed game in my life and he is looking at bunnys and then all three of us were laughing as matter of fact the batter was laughing so hard he swing and missed on a pitch that was so outside. He turned quick so the coach wouldn’t see him laugh. These two kids had me going the entire game they were both hilarious. They were both pretty good hard working catchers.

That’s all I have today.

Hello Gabbers

Wow It’s Thursday again , not sure where the week went but it fly bye. Happy draft day as well. Tonight the NFL Draft and they have put restrictions on teams not to let who they are drafted out to the media before the pick so . SHHHH between you and me now keep this quiet the Colts are going to take Andrew Luck with the first pick. I know I’m not supposed to say that so keep it quiet. Maybe I shouldn’t say this but the Redskins are thinking about RG3 keep that quiet as well.

Are you a draft person? I’m not let me know who the Pats took and I’m good to me it's like watching paint dry.. I was talking to a friend at work he loves it. He says if it was in the day he would take the day off. He is taking some post masters classes and said he isn’t going to class on draft night. He says it’s like Christmas for him. I guess to each there own. Like I say I’ll watch some of the first round but there are two NHL game sevens on tomorrow night.

Speaking about game seven is there anything better doesn’t matter if it’s the first series

Or the last game sevens are great. Last night my Boston Bruins went down in game seven on a heads up play by the Capitails Joel Ward popping in a rebound with 2:57 left in OT. It was a tough loss for the defending Stanley Cup Champs. But what a greats eries every game was decided by a goal. Give the Capitails credit with there hot Rookie Goalie Brandon Holtby. Tomorrow the Rangers may bow out to the number 8 seed Ottawa as well as zNew jersey and Florida. It’s anybody’s game.

The NHL must be beside itself with 3 of the 4 Eastern Conference series going 7 in the first round. We talk often about parody in the NFL well what about the NHL. Boston, Vancouver, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Detriot are all out in the first round. This is just a wild set of playoffs this season it’s been a blast and will continue to be right up to the end.

I was talking to some of our Little League Coaches and the age director for our division and I was saying damn I just love the game of baseball. I love being around it watching , coaching, it and umpiring it. The game is just special. Maybe it’s about living in the Northeast once baseball starts it’s a sign of good weather and summer is near. Maybe some of our winters are hard it’s just away to get back outside doing something fun. I just can’t get enough.. I was fortunate enough to get a gem of a High school game yesterday a 1-0 pitchers duel were kids made plays all over the place. I must say the new BBCore bats used in high School Baseball have nade the games in my opinion a lot more competitive. I love when pitchers throw well and players make good solid plays that was the case yesterday. The visitors scored in the first inning and that pitcher settled down. The kid on the other side was pretty consistent. Both kids had a killer curve ball that would hit the outer edge of the plate.. It frustrate the hell out of hitters.

Updates from LIl Lanz

Saturday was opening day it started off with a parade through the middle of our down from the Town common , (I live in New England , Town commons and churches are big here) to the little league field. Every division from TeeBall to Majors and including softball. It’s awesome all the kids in their uniforms waving to parents and grandparents. Who line the streets. The best part of it was the kids walked down Main street and down another Main road that funnels into Main street and the confused look on a line of the drivers in a line of cars trying to get out to I95.

So the kids on my team start waving to these folks  sitting in traffic. The reactions were priceless they kids got some smiles and waves back. They got people looking away and not acknowledging them. They got nervous waves and a few people just looked annoyed. I think one women was pissed when one of the cops on traffic control was waving to the kids. After the parade few pols spoke and to their credit they realized it was about the kids and they kept it short and sweet. After the parade we had the Minor League Tucson Sidewinders playing at 12:15

Tucson Sidewinders had a tough loss to Mohing Valley Scrappers blowing an 8-1 lead and losing in sort of a Red Sox fashion at the end 16-11. It was funny.(Last Night the Sidewinders beatSalem Kieser Volcanoes in a blow out) at 2:30 Major League son had a game for his Blue Jays which I’m the 4^th coach on . (basically, I step-in when one of the other 3 guys can’t) The guy a coach the Sidewinders with is a coach on the Giants who the Blue Jays played Saturday so it was funny to be together and than being in opposite dugouts. The Lil Lanz's did ok. Minor League Lanz walked once aK’d and grounded out. Major League Lanz K’d twice walked and was thrown out stealing second.. Jays beat the Giants 1-0..

That’s all folks enjoy the draft.