Monday, Nov. 2, through Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020
Issue No. 353
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49ers Stumble in Seattle, 37-27 |
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Backup quarterback Nick Mullens appears to be the likely starter heading into Thursday night's game against Green Bay after a disappointing loss to the Seattle Seahawks, 37-27, at CenturyLink Field. Mullens replaced starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who left the game at the start of the fourth quarter, favoring a likely aggravation of a high ankle sprain which has hampered his season. Mullens quickly picked up the tempo against Seattle's prevent defense, passing for two touchdowns and picking up 238 yards in the final frame. Said Mullens afterwards, “I was really proud of our fight. The receivers, the O-linemen, they'd been battling all game and could have chosen to lay down right there but they didn't. I was proud of that.” Garoppolo wasn't the 49ers' only key player to go down. George Kittle suffered a foot injury in the fourth quarter and didn't return. Mullens is pictured above in a game against the Chicago Bears in December of 2018. The 49ers are now 4-4 and in last place in the tough NFC West. The Packers (5-2) game kicks off on Thursday evening at 5:20 p.m. at Levi's Stadium, with coverage provided by FOX, the NFL Network and Amazon Prime. Photo by Darren Yamashita.
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San Francisco 49ers Schedule |
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San Jose State Spartans 38
New Mexico Lobos 21
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San Jose State Spartans quarterback Nick Starkel threw for 467 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Spartans to a 38-21 victory over the New Mexico Lobos at CEFCU Stadium on Saturday evening, Oct. 31.
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Spartans wide receiver Tre Walker caught nine passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns, which included this 26-yard TD catch while drawing a pass interference penalty on New Mexico cornerback Antonio Hunt.
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Walker's second touchdown was initially ruled incomplete until a video review confirmed that he touched his foot down inbounds during the catch.
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Receiver Bailey Gaither tallied 208 yards on ten catches, including this 69-yard touchdown catch at the end of the third quarter. The Spartans next take their 2-0 record on the road for a game on Friday night against San Diego State, starting at 6:00 p.m. on CBS. To view the game photo album, visit our Facebook Page and be sure to LIKE us or visit www.ultimatesportsguide.net.
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Fans can help decide who makes the 2020 All-MLB Team presented by CohnReznick, which recognizes and commemorates the top performances of the 2020 regular season.
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Vote Hendriks, Diekman, Bassitt and Murphy
for the 2020 All-MLB Team
Fans can help decide who makes the 2020 All-MLB Team presented by CohnReznick, which recognizes and commemorates the top performances of the 2020 regular season.
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Aldon Smith, defensive end, Dallas Cowboys
Yes, he's back. And on fire. After a five year absence from the NFL, former San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders defensive end Aldon Smith is making a comeback with the Dallas Cowboys, and America's Team couldn't be happier. Gone are the court battle stories from 2012 to 2018 that resulted in multiple suspensions by the NFL league office. The 2020 sports headlines coming out of Dallas reflect his dominating play on the field. Following his third game this season, in which the 31-year-old sacked Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson three times, Smith led the NFL with four sacks for Dallas. The former Missouri Tiger was drafted seventh overall in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the 49ers; and in just his 27th career game in 2012, he surpassed Green Bay Packers defensive end Reggie White as the fastest player in NFL history to achieve his 30th quarterback sack. During his six-year professional career, Smith has amassed 51.5 sacks overall. He is currently signed to a one-year contract with the Cowboys under a conditional reinstatement by the NFL.
Caption and photo by Kenny Karst.
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Hardly Trivial by T. Buff |
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Now that baseball is over, we have the Presidential election to focus on.
Just kidding... What President played on a college championship football team (two years in a row, mind you) and then chose Yale Law School over a
(possible) football career with Green Bay or Detroit?
(See answer below...)
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Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash removes pitcher Blake Snell (4) in the sixth inning of game six on Tue Oct 27, 2020 at Globe Life Park in Arlington vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers (AP News photo)
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The Day the Manager became a Computer
By Amaury Pi-González
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Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash will probably be named the Manager of the Year in the American League.
These awards are given for the regular season. Cash managed his ball club to the best record in the American League, 40-20. With a team riddled with injuries during the season, he did a very good job. However, he made one inexcusable move in the deciding sixth game of this World Series.
It was a do-or-die game for the Rays, as the Dodgers were leading the Series three games to two. Cash sent his best pitcher to the mound, lefty Blake Snell, in hopes to get more than a few innings from the 2018 Cy Young award winner. Snell was pitching a great game and after four innings had given up no runs and two hits, while striking out nine. While the Dodgers were celebrating on the field, this is what Blake Snell said to the media, “I wanted to go the whole game.” And why would he not? He was on, executing pitches, and dominating a very dangerous lineup.
Then the sixth inning happened. Snell gave up a soft single to center to Austin Barnes. Manager Cash immediately came out, bringing in his best reliever during the regular season, Nick Anderson, who right away gave up a double to left field to Mookie Betts which advanced Barnes to third base, followed by a grounder by Corey Seager to first baseman Choi who threw to the plate but was late. Barnes scored on a fielder’s choice and the Dodgers, within just a few minutes, had tied the game 1-1. Anderson then threw a wild pitch and Mookie Betts scored. The Dodgers had their first lead, 2-1.
Regarding why he took Snell out of the game who had only thrown 73 pitches, Cash said: “I didn’t want him (Snell) to see Mookie or Corey for a third time.” With that decision by manager Kevin Cash, the game was lost right there and so the hopes of the Tampa Bay Rays to win their first World Series.
Mookie Betts homered in the eighth inning against righty Pete Fairbanks for a final score of 3-1 and the World Series title to the Dodgers for the first time since their huge upset of the Oakland A’s in 1988.
The Tampa Bay Rays' philosophy has always been, right from their front office, is to play all the numbers. Like a milk shake, you put it in a blender and then you have the result.
The problem is that sometimes a manager needs to have a “feeling” for the game and just because Nick Anderson was his best reliever during the 60-game season; it is simply stupid to bring him in a situation where his best pitcher was leading them to a victory and a tied Series. Anderson’s numbers in the regular season: 2-1 (0.55 ERA) in 19 games and he saved six. Anderson’s postseason numbers: ten games, 14 2.3 innings, 16 hits, nine runs, three home runs, four walks, nine strikeouts.
Rays reliever Nick Anderson said after the game: “I take a lot of the blame.”
The Tampa Bay Rays were the first team to do the “experiment” of having a pitcher start a game as an “opener,” with the only mission of pitching the first inning. It was in 2018 and it was used by many teams, including the Oakland A’s during their one-game wild card playoff at Yankee Stadium, which they lost. (Manager Bob Melvin named Liam Hendricks his “opener.”) During this 2020 World Series we saw Kevin Cash use four outfielders a few times, aside from the defensive shift, which is now common in the game.
All this is well and good. Baseball has changed big time, but a manager gets paid to manage the game as it happens and he makes decisions that do not necessarily have to follow the statistics. Just because Nick Anderson is his best reliever, must you bring him in the sixth inning and remove your best pitcher that was pitching a heck of a game? Folks, Anderson is very good, but he is no Mariano Rivera.
You can call it stupid, dumb, without basis, whatever, but for me this move by Kevin Cash in the sixth inning can be criticized and analyzed ’till the cows come home but the bottom line is that the Rays lost the game and lost the Series.
Kevin Cash will now have to live and deal with this decision for the rest of his career. He is lucky. Why lucky? Because he manages a small market team, with a small following and a short history. There were times in baseball when a manager makes such a move and the next day he is fired. In New York city, in the days of owner George Steinbrenner, he would have fired you 30 seconds after you made the decision.
But this doesn’t happen today because of the computer (who was invented by man) is now running man and obviously many in the games of baseball. Some now just look at the “cold blooded numbers” and forget that baseball is played by humans, not robots/computers. It is a game of feeling and that includes the manager. Unless the manager becomes a computer.
Stay well and stay tuned.
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Amaury Pi-Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for Oakland A’s radio on 1010 KIQI Le Grande San Francisco and contributes News and Commentary for http://www.sportsradioservice.com
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The BEST Bay Area sports photos from
Michael Zagaris, Ed Jay, Rich Yee, Darren Yamashita,
Ron Sellers, Alex Ho, Rob Edwards, Kenneth Wong,
Timothy Reynolds and Larry Rosa
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Where The Bay Comes To Play! |
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"It's an ocean planet. As the oceans go, so goes the planet."
-- Bill Carvalho, Wild Planet founder and president
Wild Planet Foods has been honored with TWO awards by Whole Foods Market -- Global Supplier of the Year AND Environmental Stewardship! The annual awards recognize suppliers who embody Whole Foods Market's mission and values through a proven commitment to quality, environmental stewardship, organic integrity, innovation, and partnership.
More Awards and Counting!
Prevention -- 100 Cleanest Packaged Food Awards
Men's Health -- 125 Best Foods for Men
Prevention -- Eat Clean Best Packaged Foods
Every Day with Rachael Ray -- Brand New Buy
Better Homes and Gardens -- Catch of the Day
Clean Eating -- Clean Choice Awards
Natural Health -- 3rd Annual Good Food Awards
Runner's World -- Good Catch
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I'm So Anna (No. 2) wins the $75,000 guaranteed Pike Place Dancer, ridden by Frank Alvarado, trained by Steve Sherman and owned by KMN Racing LLC. The 1 mile turf race went in 1:39.79. Photo credit: William Vassar,
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Baja Sur, with jockey Catalino Martinez, win the El Dorado Shooter $75,000 Guaranteed with a time of 1:08.76. Owned by John and Janene Maryanski and Gerald Schneider. Trained by Blaine D. Wright. Photo credit: Shane Micheli /
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Wondolowski scores twice to lift San Jose to crucial 2-0 victory over RSL
Earthquakes Forward Chris Wondolowski Voted
MLS Player of the Week
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for the 21st week of the 2020 MLS season. It marks his ninth MLS Player of the Week honor, tied for fifth most in league history.
Wondolowski scored twice to help San Jose to a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake at Earthquakes Stadium on Wednesday. The all-time MLS goals leader now has 165 regular season goals in his career, including a team-high six goals this season. San Jose is in seventh place in the Western Conference standings with 27 points (7-8-6 overall record).
San Jose took a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute when Cristian Espinoza missed a shot off the left post, only for Wondolowski to collect the deflection in the box and finish with an open right footed shot ( watch goal).
The Earthquakes advantage grew to 2-0 in the 74th minute when Shea Salinas sent a pass to the left side of the box, where a wide open Wondolowski finished with a left footed shot into the back of the net (watch goal).
San Jose continues action this week when hosting Los Angeles Football Club on Sunday (7:30 p.m. PT, NBC Sports California, KNBR 1050 and 1370 KZSF).
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
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The votes have been counted. Angel Heredia’s goal in the 2020 NISA Fall Tournament is your 2020 Roots SC Goal of the Year |
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Sonoma Raceway
Hendrick Motorsports Signs Kyle Larson
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Team to Reintroduce Flagship No. 5 Chevrolet in 2021
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 28, 2020) – Hendrick Motorsports has signed driver Kyle Larson to a multi-year contract which will see him join the 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions beginning with the 2021 racing season. He will pilot the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, which the organization will field for the
first time since 2017.
Larson has won more than 250 events across a variety of sanctioning bodies and vehicle styles. The Elk Grove, California, native began driving at age 7 and has raced stock cars, winged and non-winged sprint cars, karts, trucks, and sports cars. In 2021, he will be paired with crew chief Cliff Daniels, 32, who currently leads the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team with seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.
“Kyle is unquestionably one of the most talented race car drivers in the world,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “He has championship-level ability and will be a significant addition to our on-track program. More importantly, I have full confidence that he understands our expectations and will be a tremendous ambassador for our team, our partners and NASCAR. Kyle and I have had many, many conversations leading up to today’s announcement. I’m confident about what’s in his heart and his desire to be a champion in all aspects of his life and career. Kyle has done important work over the past six months, and Hendrick Motorsports is going to support those
continued efforts.”
Larson, 28, is half Japanese and the only Asian-American to regularly compete in NASCAR. He is the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate to race full-time at the Cup level and now serves as a mentor for the program. Since 2018, he has been a volunteer with the Urban Youth Racing School in Philadelphia, which helps expose students of color to motor sports. In May, Larson also began working with the Minneapolis-based Sanneh Foundation to advance diversity, equity and community well-being. He and wife Katelyn live in North Carolina with their son Owen and daughter Audrey.
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Hardly Trivial by T. Buff |
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Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. was the 38th president of the United States, from August 1974 to January 1977. Ford was the center on Michigan’s football teams which won championships in 1932 and 1933, was its MVP in 1934 and played against the Chicago Bears in a 1935 college All-Star game. He had the chance to go pro with Green Bay and Detroit but chose to attend law school at Yale, where he helped coach the football and boxing teams. The World History Project says he even coached the JV cheerleading squad because he knew how to do back handsprings. With all that, he should have been given the Presidents Cup. After all, he was a pretty good golfer, too. ~https://bit.ly/322cAWs is a link to a good article about Presidential athletic prowess. President Gerald Ford's #48 jersey has been taken out of retirement by the Wolverines: ~https://bit.ly/3mIEIpy
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In the last seasons of the Oakland Raiders in Oakland, Ultimate Sports Guide photographer Ed Jay collected images and stories of some of the Raiders most passionate and beloved fans. To view and read their stories, click on this link and revisit your all-time favorites. Above, Kathy Sandelin, Skull Lady.
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The 2019 Fall/Winter edition of the Ultimate Sports Guide, a San Francisco Bay Area sports reference publication published twice a year for avid Bay Area and Northern California sports fans, is in the house. The Ultimate Sports Guide is distributed free of charge or may be ordered via subscription. Each seasonal edition provides professional and collegiate team coverage through commentary, photo essays and player profiles. To order, visit www.ultimatesportsguide.net or send $5 to: Ultimate Sports Guide,
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Back Issues
not to be missed!
Offering superb photography and
entertaining chronicles
* Click here for 2019 editions.
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Weekly Bay Area
Sports Calendar
Monday, November 2 through
Sunday, November 8, 2020
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Games for most major and minor league sports, including collegiate and high school teams,
have been cancelled.
Monday, November 2
Tuesday, November 3
Wednesday, November 4
Thursday, November 5
San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers, 5:20 p.m., FOX / NFL Network / Amazon Prime
Friday, November 6
San Jose State Spartans @ San Diego State Aztecs, 6 p.m., CBS
Saturday, November 7
Cal Bears vs. Washington Huskies, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Stanford Cardinal @ Oregon Ducks, 4:30 p.m., ABC
Sunday, November 8
San Jose Earthquakes @ Seattle Sounders FC, 3:30 p.m., NBCSCA
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Enjoy the
Under the ultra-skilled leadership of Cal graduate Ricky Liu, a team of talented Cal students assembled the elegant Ultimate Sports Guide website for your readers. Ricky's team included Natalie Leung, Yafei Liang and Kasey Woo. Visit www.ultimatesportsguide.net
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The vast majority of student-athletes dreaming of athletic stardom won't make it to the pros. Yet, the discipline and skills they've developed while balancing a sport and academics make them ideally suited for satisfying careers elsewhere. In 20 Secrets to Success for NCAA Student-Athletes Who Won't Go Pro, the authors draw on personal experience, interviews, expert opinion, and industry data to provide a game plan for student-athletes through key transitions at each stage of their careers, from high school through college and beyond. Modeled on Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, this book provides a much-needed strategy for achieving career success. Readable and concise, it will be a valuable tool for students, parents, and sports administrators. To order, click here.
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5980 Stoneridge Drive, Ste. 122
Pleasanton, CA 94588-2723
CalBRE License #:01770629
Agent 510.512.2145
Office 925.847.8900
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Many people -- maybe even you -- have been getting out on their bikes more during Shelter-in-Place. "Check for Bikes" clings and bumper stickers are great ways to keep bicyclists safer out there on the road by promoting awareness by drivers to share the road. Keep safe out there and keep your neighbors safe by using or passing along vinyl clings for inside a car window or windshield and
4" circular bumper stickers. We have Youth and Spanish versions, too!
with questions or to order.
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Ultimate Sports Guide
P.O. Box 4515
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-845-2035
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The Ultimate Sports Guide is very appreciative to the ongoing contributions made by former staff photographer Kenny Karst, now retired. Mr. Karst continues to contribute through helpful ideas and his archives.
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