Monday, Monday.....

Sporting thoughts......

Hello, friends.

Patrick Reed wins The Masters, A Tradition Like No Other (cue schmaltzy music) (I believe I had that!), and if tradition holds that The Masters always produces great drama on Sunday, yesterday certainly fit the bill.  Leading by three strokes after the third round, Reed played the final round in only one under par and held on for a one stroke win, but the drama was provided by.... 

• Eventual third place finisher Jordan Spieth who was nine shots behind after three rounds, shot -8 on Sunday and was actually tied for the lead after his 16th hole.
• Eventual second place finisher Rickey Fowler who birdied  the eighteenth hole, which forced Reed to sink a tricky three footer for par on 18 to avoid a playoff.
• Rory McIlroy who was looking for a career grand slam and was three shots behind Reed at the beginning, had a chance to tie for the lead when he missed a makeable put for eagle on the second hole.  He seemed to lose his mojo right then, faded (+2 on Sunday) and finished T-5.

And now all of the post-Masters write ups are telling us that Reed is basically an unlikeable guy, and his victory was a rather joyless one amongst the folks at Augusta....the other players don't like him, he's estranged from his parents, he bounced through two colleges and was accused of stealing and cheating.  No word on whether or not he had anything to do with kidnapping the Lindbergh baby, but give it time.

Sometimes you just get to know too much about people.

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We all know that the Pirates, 7-2 and in first place by two games, have gotten off to their best start in a zillion years.  It's been fun to watch, I must say.  Some initial takes on the team.

Good:

• Gregory Polanco with 3 home runs, 13 RBI, and an OPS well in excess of 1.000.
• Six of the eight starters are hitting over .300
• Newcomers Colin Moran and Corey Dickerson both playing really well.
• Jameson Taillon is 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA, and a WHIP of 0.49.  This includes an absolute masterpiece complete game, one hit shut out yesterday.

Not So Good:

• Until Taillon's gem yesterday, no Pirate starter had pitched into the seventh inning, and only one had completed as much as six innings.
• The bullpen, particularly, the middle relievers, has been shaky to awful.
• A limited bench that tells you that if any of the eight position regulars goes down for any considerable length of time, it will spell big trouble for the team.
• Base running continues to be an adventure for the Pirates.  I haven't watched every inning of all nine games, but I have already seen three rock headed blunders on the base paths, one each by Polanco, Starling Marte, and Josh Bell.  I mean, what is it with these guys?

Still and all, the 2018 season, albeit only one week old, has been a pleasant surprise for the Pirates and their fans.

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The 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tomorrow night, so it's time for The Grandstander's Stanley Cup Preview.  Here it is:

The Pittsburgh Penguins to win their third consecutive Stanley Cup.  Probably will sweep all four of their playoff series.  Might be pushed to a fifth game in one or two of them, maybe.

You heard it here first, and, as always, watch, but don't bet.

Seriously, I have no idea how it will all shake out, but I look forward to the "exquisite torture" only Playoff Hockey can deliver. Remember the double overtime game seven in the conference final last year?  Exquisite torture.

And if the Pens somehow fall short this year, well, I'd say they've earned a pass from all of us after the last two seasons.

Enjoy!