Yankees, Dodgers to meet in World Series?
Published Wednesday October 14th, 2009
Ralph Chambers, the sales and marketing director for the Moncton Mets, is going with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees to meet for the World Series championship. Despite the fact we batted only .500 in the first round, I'll continue to go along with Chambers in the upcoming American League and National League championship series.
Both of us really thought that the St. Louis Cardinals would be the only NL team to give the Yankees a run for their money, but the dropped ball in Game 2 cancelled any chance. "No question that the Los Angeles Angels were deeper than the Boston Red Sox this year, but that was a heart pick and not a head pick," said Chambers.
The second round shapes up as follows:
Dodgers-Phillies: This is a rematch of last year's championship series, which the Phillies won. "I honestly thought the Cardinals matched up best because of pitching, but now that the Dodgers have found their mojo I think they will go on to take the series in seven games," said Chambers. "Cole Hamels needs to find the success he had in last year's playoffs for the Phillies to hang in there. If Brad Lidge becomes the stopper he was in the past, the Phillies' chances get better. However, the Dodgers are swinging the bats and got great pitching in the opening round.'' Joe Torre going back to New York for a World Series and the history of these two teams makes for a great end to the baseball season.
Yankees-Angels: The Yankees proved in sweeping the Minnesota Twins that they are here to play. "Make any mistakes and this lineup takes advantage,'' says Chambers. The Yankees' pitching and hitting are strong. The Angels have a strong lineup, but can't match up for seven games in pitching or hitting. The Angels got the monkey off their back in beating the Red Sox. However, the Yankees have one goal in mind or their season is a failure. No sweep, but look for the Yankees in six. If it becomes a battle of the bullpens, Mariano Riviera will win out.
* Former Major Leaguer Billy Harris; New Brunswick Senior Baseball League star Tom O'Reilly (Saint John Alpines and Moncton Mets) and 54-year-old Craig Hope, who is in his 40th season umpiring, will be inducted in the Baseball New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony Saturday, Oct. 24 at Moncton's Crown Plaza.
Harris operates a tavern/restaurant -- Billy's Bullpen -- in Kennewick, Wash., and this will mark the seventh sports shrine for the former Dorchester resident, who was born in Duguayville.
The personable 78-year-old Harris went on to star with the 1949 Maritime junior champion Dieppe Junior Cardinals and the 1950 New Brunswick Senior Baseball League title-winning Moncton Legionaires before launching a 15-season pro career, which saw him pitch in only two Major League games with the Dodgers. However, he put up great numbers pitching with the Dodgers' (Brooklyn/Los Angeles) minor league teams.
Harris was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame last year as well as New Brunswick (1978), Moncton (1986), Sackville (chartered member in 1989 and with the Sackville Eagles in 2003); Dieppe (2004 individually and with the 1949 Cardinals); and Washington State (2006). Because he is taking treatment for an irregular heart beat, Harris won't be in attendance at the induction.
* Former Moncton Hawks goaltender Jean-Guy Morrisette, who played 36 minutes for the Montreal Canadiens during the 1963-64 season, has his name placed on a statue dedicated to every player who ever played for the team in front of the Bell Centre to mark the National Hockey League team's 100th anniversary. The street in front of the Bell Centre was renamed Montreal Canadiens Avenue. Meanwhile, Morissette, who helped the Hawks reach the Eastern Canadian Allan Cup finals against eventual Cup-winning Windsor, Ont., Bulldogs in 1963, replaced the injured Lorne "Gump" Worsley on Oct. 30, 1963 at Toronto. Morissette, who had one of his lungs removed two years ago, gave up four goals in a 6-3 loss to the Maple Leafs, but had the distinction of stopping "The Big M", Frank Mahovlich, on three clean breakaways.
The next day after the game in Maple Leaf Gardens, Morissette was injured in practice at the Montreal Forum (he suffered a broken cheekbone when a shot from Jean Beliveau deflected off the stick of Bobby Rousseau). He was sidelined for a month, returning to action with the Cleveland Barons and helping them win the Calder Cup (American Hockey League championship). The Barons were 9-0 in the playoffs. Morissette never made it back to the NHL.
While playing for the Maritime senior hockey champion Moncton team in the spring of 1963, the 71-year-old Causapscal native, who now resides in Victoriaville, Que., was one of the main reasons why the Hawks reached the Eastern Allan Cup finals, recording a 10-5 post-season record (3.36). When the Hawks won the opening game of the best-of-seven series against the Bulldogs, he stopped 56 of 58 shots, many outstanding, when the Hawks beat the 'Dogs 3-2 in the Ontario centre. Petitcodiac's Doug Howatt scored the winning goal à la Maurice "Rocket" Richard during the 10-minute overtime period, beating goaltender Wayne Rutledge while falling to the ice after being tripped up. Oscar Gaudet scored the other two Hawks goals.
* Former hockey defenceman Richard Belliveau, who toiled for two seasons with the Moncton Major Midget AAA Flyers of the New Brunswick-Prince Edward Island Major Midget AAA Hockey League and two seasons with the Maritime Junior A Hockey League's Amherst Ramblers, has become a member of the RCMP following his recent graduation in Regina. His first posting is Oxford House, a reservation 100 miles east of Thompson, Man.
The 19-year-old Belliveau, a third-generation family member of the force, follows in the footsteps of his father Jean "Chico" Belliveau; his uncles Gerry and Eugene and his grandfather, Laurie. His father is with the province's Major Crime Unit; his uncle Gerry, a staff sergeant, is with the RCMP District 11; while uncle Eugene, a former Canadian Football League player with Montreal Alouettes and the Calgary Stampeders, is with the Rothesay Police Force. He formerly was with the Calgary Police Force. Meanwhile, grandfather Laurie retired in the mid-1980s in Moncton as a staff sergeant major.
* Notes: Despite being laid up in hospital, 96-year-old Evelyn McManus, an ardent hockey fan, still keeps up with the sport, watching games on television with her family. Her favourite team now is the Los Angeles Kings, namely because her grandson, Scott Pellerin, an honoured member of the N.B. Sports Hall of Fame, is an assistant coach with the Kings' American Hockey League affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs ... Former Moncton hockey star Robbie Atkinson, who played with such teams as the Moncton AAA Midget Flyers, junior Midland Hawks, Vernon, B.C., Vipers, Merrimack College (U.S.), is now working in the Boston area. The 40-year-old Atkinson was in the city recently visiting his father Gordie, who is scheduled for cancer treatment.
Former local batboy Clifford (Gum Gum) Cormier, 67, was one of the happiest people I've seen in a long time when Dave Barley, a star player with the Labatts Softball New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame Moncton Viponds, presented him with his citation plaque at the Goguen Residence on Norwood Avenue. The Viponds were inducted into the provincial sports shrine this summer at Fredericton ... Maurice "Mousie" Dowling, 91, who recently underwent a hernia operation, is back in hospital after falling at his apartment in Riverview.
After 43 years, Dr. Bill Allanach, a general physician who had several athletes as patients, is retiring. An evening for the well-liked doctor will be held at the Club Boishébert in Shediac on Thursday, Oct. 29. However, Dr. Allanach will do some clinical work in Moncton ... Pointe-du-Chêne's René Dupre is back wrestling in Japan. From there he will head for Paris, France next month ... Former Moncton Boxing and Wrestling Commission judge Danny Marcotte is scheduled to undergo heart surgery in the near future.
* Passings: Christina LeBlanc, 84, the mother of Bob "Tipper" LeBlanc, the assistant general manager of the Halifax Mooseheads ... Arthur E. LeBlanc, 90, former president of the now-defunct Acadian Hockey League.
* Eddie St. Pierre is a retired Times & Transcript sports editor. His column appears Wednesday.
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