THE DAILY JUDGE REPORT (MORE FUN THAN THE DRUDGE REPORT)
Here’s the update on amazing New York Yankees rookie slugger Aaron Judge:
Tuesday night: 0-4 with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts in a 3-2 11-inning loss at the Los Angeles Angels.
We assume even Superman had some bad days.
Judge’s 2017 season (American League rank in parentheses): .341 batting average (1st))...57 runs (1st)...11 doubles...2 triples...22 HRs (most in MLB)...49 RBI (2nd)...39 walks (1()...72 strikeouts... .448 on-base percentage (1st)... .714 slugging percentage (1st)...1.162 OPS (1st ).
The Yankees team record for home runs by a rookie is 29 by Joe DiMaggio in 1936.
The only rookie to lead MLB in home runs for a season was Mark McGwire (49 in 1987).
Only three rookies in MLB history has slash lines of .300/.400/.600 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage)...Judge’s slash line entering Wednesday night includes .341 batting average/.448 on-base percentage/.714 slugging percentage).
Two were future Hall-of-Famers:
Ted Williams (1940 Boston Red Sox) -- .327/.436/.609, He had 31 HRs and 145 RBI
Albert Pujols (2001 St. Louis Cardinals) -- .329/.403/.610. He had 37 HRs and 130 RBI.
The third was a relatively obscure player – George Watkins of the 1930 St. Louis Cardinals.
In 1929, with the Rochester Red Wings, the left-handed hitting outfielder batted .337 (179-for-531), with 28 RBI, 13 triples, 20 HRs in 139 games.
As a rookie with the 1930 Cardinals, Watkins had by far the best season of his seven-year MLB career: .373 batting average (146-for-391), with 32 doubles, 7 triples, 17 HRs and 87 RBI.
KEVIN DURANT WAS A NO-DOUBT NBA FINALS MVP
Many people were critical of Kevin Durant for walking out on the Oklahoma City Thunder and buddy Russell Westbrook after last season in favor of signing with the Golden State Warriors. Some of those critics have yet to get over it.
Durant had to be very sure of himself to switch teams. His best way to justify the move was to lead Golden State to the 2017 NBA championship. And that’s what he did.
Westbrook minus Durant piled up amazing stats and is the favorite to be voted league Most Valuable Player. Westbrook had to settle for being Finals MVP. I’m sure he’s happy the way things turned out.
By the end of the regular season, it was clear that Durant had become the main man on the league’s best team. He made a very good team a great team.
I’m a huge fan of the Warriors in general and Stephen Curry in particular. I thought Curry was excellent in the Finals and he played a productive second fiddle. He was an adroit passer and even a willing rebounder. But Durant was better overall. He made most of the clutch shots and also played terrific defense.
I’m not ready to give Durant the nod over LeBron James for the best active basketball player on the planet. But he’s closing the gap.
COMPARING THE WARRIORS AND BULLS AS DOMINANT THREE-SEASON TEAMS
Were the 2015 through 2017 Golden State Warriors a more dominant NBA team over a three-season span than the 1995 through 1997 Chicago Bulls?
I’ll provide the numbers. You do the choosing:
Chicago Bulls
1995-96 – 72-10 record; 39-2 home, 33-8 road; 105.2-92.9 (+11.80 point differential); 15-3 record in the playoffs (including 4-2 over Seattle in the Finals)
1996-97 – 69-13 record; 39-2 home, 30-11 road; 103.1-92.3 (+10.70 point differential); 15-4 record in the playoffs (including 4-2 over Utah in the Finals)
1997-98 – 62-20 record; 37-4 home, 25-16 road; 96.7-89.6 (+7.1 point differential); 16-6 record in the playoffs (including 4-2 over Utah).
Bulls totals – 203-43 record; 115-8 home, 88-35 road; +29.60 three-season total point differential; 15-6 record in the playoffs (including 12-6 in the Finals...won all three Finals).
Golden State Warriors
2014-15 – 67-15 record; 39-2 home, 28-13 road; 110.0-99.0 (+11.0 point differential); 16-5 record in the playoffs (including 4-2 over Cleveland in the Finals)
2015-16 – 73-9 record; 39-2 home, 34-7 road; 114.9-104.1 (+10.8 point differential); 15-9 record in the playoffs (including 3-4 loss to Cleveland in the Finals)
2016-17 – 67-15 record; 36-5 home, 31-10 road; 115.9-104.3 (+11.6 point differential); 16-1 record in the playoffs (including 4-1 over Cleveland in the Finals).
Warriors totals – 207-39 record; 114-9 home, 93-30 road; +33.4 three-season total point differential; 47-15 record in the playoffs...won two of three Finals).
WARRIORS BIGGEST PRE-SEASON TITLE FAVORITE IN PRO SPORTS HISTORY
The wizards of odds in Las Vegas wasted no time in establishing the 2017 NBA champion Golden State Warriors as the all-time biggest pre-season favorite in a major team sport in North America.
Westgate SuperBook on Tuesday posted Golden at minus-200 (bet $200 to win $100) to win the 2018 NBA title.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the second choice at 3-to-1, followed by San Antonio (12-to-1) and Boston (15-to-1). Every other team is 30-to-1 or more.
SHORT SHOTS
When does Aaron Judge rate a number lower than 99?
The Golden Nugget Sportsbook in Las Vegas offers odds on every possible Super Bowl LII matchup (256 possibilities). The longest odds: Jets vs. 49ers at 5,000-to-1. A sure waste of money? Leicester City’s soccer team was 5,000-to-1 to win the Premier League in 2016 and DID!
Pittsford’s Dominic Bozzelli is up to 96th on this season’s PGA Tour money list: $832,439. He has missed the cut in 10 of his 18 events but he’s been cashing in on weekends.
My pick to win the 117th U.S. Open: Rickie Fowler at 22-to-1.
First baseman Chris Davis is killing the Baltimore Orioles. He has a MLB-most 95 strikeouts in 217 official at-bats and his .320 on-base percentage ranks 115th in MLB.
Name to remember? TItan Lacaden. The 11-yerar-old, fifth-grade quarterback from Kapolei, Hawaii, has been offered a football scholarship to the University of Hawaii.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Wednesday, June 14 – Sammy Watkins (24)...Bruce Bowen (46)...Steffi Graf (48)...James Patrick (54)...Scott Redecic (55)...Sam Perkins (66)...Eric Heiden (59)...Vince Evans (62)...Tom Matte (78). Boy George (56) and Donald Trump (71) are invited to the birthday party.
Thursday, June 15 – WWE’s Bayley (28)...Jake Locker (29)...Tim Lincecum (33)...Derek Anderson (34)...Andy Pettitte (45)...Tony Clark (45)...Wade Boggs (59)...Brett Butler (60)...Lance Parrish (61)...Cathy Morse (62)...Dusty Baker (68). Ice Cube (48), Helen Hunt (54) and Courteney Cox (53) are invited to the birthday party.