How about a baseball story that does not center on the World Series?
Nine locally-based military charities shared $24,000 in grants awarded by the OceanFirst Foundation as part of their Home Run for Heroes Program, which was a joint effort of the bank’s foundation and the Lakewood BlueClaws. Each home run hit by a BlueClaws player at FirstEnergy Park this past season saw $1000 donated to a military-based charity that meets the emergency needs of local service men and women and their families whether they are active or retired. This year alone OceanFirst Foundation has contributed more than $1 million to community programs.
The Ocean County College Sailing Team continues to have tremendous success on the water. The Vikings won the Nittany Lion Open last weekend with Cornell placing second and the host school Penn State coming in third. Tyler Kennedy of Pine Beach and Lanoka Harbor’s Autumn Hoover finished first in the A division for the third straight regatta.
This weekend OCC heads to St. Mary’s College in Maryland to compete in the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association championships.
Dana Costello scored on a first-half penalty kick and that’s all Jackson Memorial would need as the Jaguars topped Wall 1-0 to advance into the finals of the Shore Conference Girls Soccer Tournament. Costello, a senior who is headed to Monmouth University has had a tremendous season as
Jackson will now face top-seed Red Bank Catholic on Saturday in Neptune in a meeting of the last two Shore Conference champions.
Calling Jack Lamping “Mr. Ocean County” gives you an idea of the high regard he was held in. An articulate multi-talented renaissance man, he is best known for his long tenure as Ocean County’s Public Information Officer and for the time and effort he gave to many civic organizations. A lover of the arts, music and history, Jack passed away last weekend at age 94. A memorial service will be held on November 11th at First United Methodist Church of Toms River.
Among the guests on tonight’s “Thursday Night Football Show” will be Manchester senior lineman Jimmy Lawson and head Coach Gerard O’Donnell. The show is broadcast live from Boston’s Restaurant in Toms River from 6-8pm and airs on 1160 WOBM AM and is streamed at shoresportsnetwork.com
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Here Comes The Turnpike Series
Whether you call it the Broadway versus Broad Street, the Turnpike Tossup
or Cheese Steaks versus Pizza it seems like the 105th World Series matchup is one that was brewing throughout much of the season. While often you get a team in the Fall Classic that’s really not the best in their league the 2009
showdown between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies pits baseball’s best two teams against one another.
The Yankees of course are rich in history and tradition even if they have moved into a new Bronx ballpark in which the simple name remains the same….Yankee Stadium. Gone to some extent might be the ghosts of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle but the monuments still exist as do their signature pinstripe uniforms. This is the 40th World Series appearance for them, having won their 26th and last title in 2000 followed by disappointing losses in 2001 and 2003. They are a mixture of old Yanks in Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera and new players like Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia.
Then there is Alex Rodriguez who has gone from goat to hero and is poised to win his first championship.
The Phillies have reached baseball’s Promised Land for the second straight October and 7th time overall. They dispatched Tampa Bay in five games last year to win the World Series championship for just the second time in franchise history and first since 1980. Much of their tradition centers on failure and disappointment with the exception of stretches in the late 70’s and early 80’s but that was before this current group was assembled. Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard have fueled a renaissance and turned around the image on an entire city. The Phillies never-say-die attitude has won over old and new fans and made the color red very popular in the city and region.
So who will prevail in this showdown of teams whose ballparks are just over 100 miles apart and two hours away? Well I think it comes down to the fact that the Yankees are probably just a bit better in most areas so I think they’ll prevail in 7 tough games. Should be a lot of fun, especially for those who dislike both teams because somebody will be disappointed at the end.
or Cheese Steaks versus Pizza it seems like the 105th World Series matchup is one that was brewing throughout much of the season. While often you get a team in the Fall Classic that’s really not the best in their league the 2009
showdown between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies pits baseball’s best two teams against one another.
The Yankees of course are rich in history and tradition even if they have moved into a new Bronx ballpark in which the simple name remains the same….Yankee Stadium. Gone to some extent might be the ghosts of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle but the monuments still exist as do their signature pinstripe uniforms. This is the 40th World Series appearance for them, having won their 26th and last title in 2000 followed by disappointing losses in 2001 and 2003. They are a mixture of old Yanks in Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera and new players like Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia.
Then there is Alex Rodriguez who has gone from goat to hero and is poised to win his first championship.
The Phillies have reached baseball’s Promised Land for the second straight October and 7th time overall. They dispatched Tampa Bay in five games last year to win the World Series championship for just the second time in franchise history and first since 1980. Much of their tradition centers on failure and disappointment with the exception of stretches in the late 70’s and early 80’s but that was before this current group was assembled. Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard have fueled a renaissance and turned around the image on an entire city. The Phillies never-say-die attitude has won over old and new fans and made the color red very popular in the city and region.
So who will prevail in this showdown of teams whose ballparks are just over 100 miles apart and two hours away? Well I think it comes down to the fact that the Yankees are probably just a bit better in most areas so I think they’ll prevail in 7 tough games. Should be a lot of fun, especially for those who dislike both teams because somebody will be disappointed at the end.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Remembering Art Harmon
When someone you know dies you often reach out to a family member with the following words “if there is anything I can do please don’t hesitate to ask.” Of course rarely is there anything you can do except offer comfort and support. However I have this unique opportunity to sometimes tell you about a person who has passed away and I’ll admit it makes me feel better because usually you feel helpless at times of great sorrow.
Last spring Art Harmon asked me to serve as Master of Ceremonies for the
annual banquet hosted by the Shore Chapter of IAABO, which is the association for basketball referees. Frankly I didn’t really want to do it but felt an obligation as the year prior they had honored me with an award because of the relationship I’ve built up with them through the WOBM Christmas Classic. I also didn’t want to turn down Art because his son Matt has been my broadcasting partner along with Ed Sarluca on hundreds of games and events over the years on the Shore Sports Network.
So I accepted the invitation to MC the dinner and banquet and frankly had a great time busting Art and others…of course most of it was in good fun. During the evening Art was among those saluted for their service as a 40-year member of IABBO. I of course knew him even before Matt and I began working together as both he and his brother Rick had referred games in the WOBM Classic for many years.
I’ve thought about that dinner quite a bit the last few days. Last week Art,
who always appeared to be in great health suffered a massive stroke. While he fought to hang on Matt continued to broadcast games, paying tribute to his father during our high school game Friday and the Monmouth University game on Saturday. The radio was on in the hospital room and Matt was hoping against hope that his father could hear his voice and words one more time. Sunday Art Harmon, retired teacher and coach, lifeguard for more than four decades, ski instructor, father to Matt and Tim, brother, husband and grandfather died at the age of 63. Viewing will be Thursday from 2-9pm at O’Brien Funeral Home in Wall. A life well lived if too short.
Last spring Art Harmon asked me to serve as Master of Ceremonies for the
annual banquet hosted by the Shore Chapter of IAABO, which is the association for basketball referees. Frankly I didn’t really want to do it but felt an obligation as the year prior they had honored me with an award because of the relationship I’ve built up with them through the WOBM Christmas Classic. I also didn’t want to turn down Art because his son Matt has been my broadcasting partner along with Ed Sarluca on hundreds of games and events over the years on the Shore Sports Network.
So I accepted the invitation to MC the dinner and banquet and frankly had a great time busting Art and others…of course most of it was in good fun. During the evening Art was among those saluted for their service as a 40-year member of IABBO. I of course knew him even before Matt and I began working together as both he and his brother Rick had referred games in the WOBM Classic for many years.
I’ve thought about that dinner quite a bit the last few days. Last week Art,
who always appeared to be in great health suffered a massive stroke. While he fought to hang on Matt continued to broadcast games, paying tribute to his father during our high school game Friday and the Monmouth University game on Saturday. The radio was on in the hospital room and Matt was hoping against hope that his father could hear his voice and words one more time. Sunday Art Harmon, retired teacher and coach, lifeguard for more than four decades, ski instructor, father to Matt and Tim, brother, husband and grandfather died at the age of 63. Viewing will be Thursday from 2-9pm at O’Brien Funeral Home in Wall. A life well lived if too short.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday Nightmares
The nightmare has indeed come true with the Yankees and Phillies meeting in the World Series beginning Wednesday night in the Bronx. This is something Mets fans have been dreading since mid-summer and now that its here the question is who do we root for. Well in my case it’s who do you root against the most and for me it’s the Yankees. There is no right or wrong, just a matter of personal preference and comes down to simple arithmetic. For every Phillie fan I know there are at least two Yankee fans so for that reason the Phills are the very reluctant pick. Honestly at the end of the day it does not really matter as both teams are a reminder of what the Mets are not.
On the subject of baseball I received a tour of the recently-completed Volunteer Community Center at the Berkeley Little League’s Moorage Baseball Complex in Bayville last week. The indoor training complex is already a busy place being used by little league players of all ages during the off-season to work on their baseball skills while league officials can hold training for coaches, meetings, registration and more. The facility was built through years of fundraising and volunteer work by the Little League and in conjunction with Berkeley Township. It’s a tremendous asset to the community and a great example of what can happen when people unite to work together. The Volunteer Community Center has been appropriately named after Bob Everett, the league President who spearheaded the effort and refused to give up despite numerous obstacles along the way.
The Beachwood Soccer Club is holding a gift auction on Saturday, November 14th at Toms River Intermediate School South. Tickets for the event are $15 and include coffee and desert. For tickets and more information you can call Dawn Caruso at (732) 473-0915.
As you have probably heard Shawn and Sue’s Halloween Spooktacular on Saturday night at the Ritacco Center was a smashing success and I want to thank all of those who attended for their patience. When you do something like this for the first time and don’t know what to expect it’s hard to prepare but most people were very understanding and appreciative as it was a great family event and we’ll make it even better for next time. Special thanks to our partner, the Toms River Regional Schools for being great hosts.
On the subject of baseball I received a tour of the recently-completed Volunteer Community Center at the Berkeley Little League’s Moorage Baseball Complex in Bayville last week. The indoor training complex is already a busy place being used by little league players of all ages during the off-season to work on their baseball skills while league officials can hold training for coaches, meetings, registration and more. The facility was built through years of fundraising and volunteer work by the Little League and in conjunction with Berkeley Township. It’s a tremendous asset to the community and a great example of what can happen when people unite to work together. The Volunteer Community Center has been appropriately named after Bob Everett, the league President who spearheaded the effort and refused to give up despite numerous obstacles along the way.
The Beachwood Soccer Club is holding a gift auction on Saturday, November 14th at Toms River Intermediate School South. Tickets for the event are $15 and include coffee and desert. For tickets and more information you can call Dawn Caruso at (732) 473-0915.
As you have probably heard Shawn and Sue’s Halloween Spooktacular on Saturday night at the Ritacco Center was a smashing success and I want to thank all of those who attended for their patience. When you do something like this for the first time and don’t know what to expect it’s hard to prepare but most people were very understanding and appreciative as it was a great family event and we’ll make it even better for next time. Special thanks to our partner, the Toms River Regional Schools for being great hosts.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Giving Back
It’s funny how certain professions carry a stigma associated with them, much of which is not deserved. Lawyers and police officers may top that list and those who sell cars would not be far behind…they are easy targets and often the brunt of jokes. Of course it’s ridiculous to lump those who work in a certain career into one category but we seem to generalize quite a bit. Some of the most generous and philanthropic individuals in our community make their living from selling cars, including Dave Wintrode from the Causeway Family of Dealerships and David Sickle from the Pine Belt Auto Group. They have both been around for a long time and have been deserving recipients of many honors for giving back to the community. Ed Sunday of Gateway Toyota is another and yesterday he was saluted by the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore at their 26th Annual Award Luncheon at Woodlake County Club in Lakewood. I had the pleasure of serving as Master of Ceremonies for the event which was co-chaired by attorney Bob Novy and Jim DeAngelis of the Lakewood BlueClaws.
Honors are nothing new to Sunday and Gateway Toyota, who several years ago were singled out as the Organization of the Year by the Toms River-Ocean County Chamber of Commerce. The dealership does much for the community and Ed, who is the Vice President and General Manager is one who shies away from the spotlight. Sitting with his wife Diana yesterday I know he was almost uncomfortable hearing nice things about himself but the fact is the father of two is a terrific person and an asset to Toms River and the entire community. Not bad for a car guy.
The Manchester Township community is dealing with the loss of one of its favorite sons as brain cancer claimed the life of Rodney Copeland earlier this week at the young age of 44. Rodney was a three-sport athlete at Manchester High School and spent much of his adult life working for the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department. Besides his family and friends, sports were his passion and he was the Girls Basketball coach at his alma mater for several years. I always enjoyed seeing him at the WOBM Christmas Classic and Rodney was someone who always had a smile on his face and greeted you with a warm handshake. He was one of the good guys and he’s been taken from all of us way too early. Condolences to his family.
Honors are nothing new to Sunday and Gateway Toyota, who several years ago were singled out as the Organization of the Year by the Toms River-Ocean County Chamber of Commerce. The dealership does much for the community and Ed, who is the Vice President and General Manager is one who shies away from the spotlight. Sitting with his wife Diana yesterday I know he was almost uncomfortable hearing nice things about himself but the fact is the father of two is a terrific person and an asset to Toms River and the entire community. Not bad for a car guy.
The Manchester Township community is dealing with the loss of one of its favorite sons as brain cancer claimed the life of Rodney Copeland earlier this week at the young age of 44. Rodney was a three-sport athlete at Manchester High School and spent much of his adult life working for the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department. Besides his family and friends, sports were his passion and he was the Girls Basketball coach at his alma mater for several years. I always enjoyed seeing him at the WOBM Christmas Classic and Rodney was someone who always had a smile on his face and greeted you with a warm handshake. He was one of the good guys and he’s been taken from all of us way too early. Condolences to his family.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Bouncing Around Topics
This morning I bounce around a bit and cover several topics:
It is just amazing what nice weather does for your spirits and we’ll have one more day to enjoy this brief stretch which feels more like mid-September then late October. However it would have been better is these sunny 70 plus degree days came over the weekend when more of us could really take advantage of them.
Did you ever get hit with a headache which seems like its right over one or both of your eyes? I got one late yesterday, took two Excedrin migraine and got 8 hours sleep for the first time in recent memory and woke up feeling like a million dollars. Well in today’s economy it’s actually more like $92.70.
If you’re a fan of sushi rolls I have to recommend the new ones recently introduced at The Office Lounge in Toms River. My daughter and I loved the Cindy, Nick and Halloween rolls. Can’t wait for a return trip.
If I were not broadcasting the Howell-Brick Memorial football game tomorrow night then surely I would have returned to my alma mater for a very special evening. Central Regional hosts Freehold and as part of the evening the Golden Eagles will retire the #12 worn by my former teammate Robbie Keyes, who is now a teacher and assistant coach at Freehold. Keyes quarterbacked Central to a perfect 9-0 season in 1971 and earned just about every post-season honor possible. After graduation both he and teammate John Kilmurray attended Florida State University on football scholarships.
Robbie was also an outstanding basketball player and track athlete at Central and the number retirement is a fitting tribute of one of the school’s best ever.
Wish I could be there but congrats #12.
Speaking of football we have a great lineup of guests on tonight’s Thursday Night Football Show which airs on 1160 WOBM AM and is broadcast live at Boston’s in Toms River. Appearing on location will be Coach Tim Osborn and senior running back Matt Filosa from Jackson Liberty High School as well as Monmouth University coach Kevin Callahan and his record-breaking running back David Sinisi. The show airs from 6-8pm
It is just amazing what nice weather does for your spirits and we’ll have one more day to enjoy this brief stretch which feels more like mid-September then late October. However it would have been better is these sunny 70 plus degree days came over the weekend when more of us could really take advantage of them.
Did you ever get hit with a headache which seems like its right over one or both of your eyes? I got one late yesterday, took two Excedrin migraine and got 8 hours sleep for the first time in recent memory and woke up feeling like a million dollars. Well in today’s economy it’s actually more like $92.70.
If you’re a fan of sushi rolls I have to recommend the new ones recently introduced at The Office Lounge in Toms River. My daughter and I loved the Cindy, Nick and Halloween rolls. Can’t wait for a return trip.
If I were not broadcasting the Howell-Brick Memorial football game tomorrow night then surely I would have returned to my alma mater for a very special evening. Central Regional hosts Freehold and as part of the evening the Golden Eagles will retire the #12 worn by my former teammate Robbie Keyes, who is now a teacher and assistant coach at Freehold. Keyes quarterbacked Central to a perfect 9-0 season in 1971 and earned just about every post-season honor possible. After graduation both he and teammate John Kilmurray attended Florida State University on football scholarships.
Robbie was also an outstanding basketball player and track athlete at Central and the number retirement is a fitting tribute of one of the school’s best ever.
Wish I could be there but congrats #12.
Speaking of football we have a great lineup of guests on tonight’s Thursday Night Football Show which airs on 1160 WOBM AM and is broadcast live at Boston’s in Toms River. Appearing on location will be Coach Tim Osborn and senior running back Matt Filosa from Jackson Liberty High School as well as Monmouth University coach Kevin Callahan and his record-breaking running back David Sinisi. The show airs from 6-8pm
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
What's News?
It doesn’t matter if you listen to the radio, watch TV, read a newspaper or log onto your computer because it’s everywhere and you can’t avoid it.
The real question for me is do we care or is it simply because we can’t escape it and it’s almost forced down our throats. I’m talking about gossip or entertainment news or call it what you will but it’s like a bad rash…it just won’t go away.
What’s amazing to me is not the amount of this so-called news but the fact that often it’s treated like it has great importance in our society. At the same time you have impact stories like the economy and health care and more you’ll find more time and space devoted to things like Dave Lettermen’s sexual escapades. With the exception of a handful of people who could possibly be affected and impacted by Lettermen’s infidelities but yet he got more air time that President Obama for those few days.
And it’s not like this is only once-in-a-while because it seems like we’ve become infatuated with lifestyles and the often boorish behavior of celebrities and star athletes and even those who fall into the category of “want to be’s.” But I again come back to the question of whether we really care or just can’t avoid all this garbage and make no mistake about it….this is real trash. The bottom line is most of our lives are fairly routine and maybe even mundane and listening, watching and reading about the famous might be an escape from reality. It just seems like more and more we treat stories about them like its real news. Frankly I don’t care who just entered another rehab program and who was arrested for starting a fight in a nightclub and who just broke up with his girlfriend. I also have no interest in the opinions of celebrities when it comes to politics and national issues. Just do what you allegedly have talent for…whether it’s sing, act or hit a baseball.
By the way have you heard the latest? ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips had an affair with a 22-year old production assistant who later called the wife of the former Mets General Manager and told her what was going on…kind of like “Fatal Attraction.” Don’t worry you’ll hear about it everywhere before the day is over.
The real question for me is do we care or is it simply because we can’t escape it and it’s almost forced down our throats. I’m talking about gossip or entertainment news or call it what you will but it’s like a bad rash…it just won’t go away.
What’s amazing to me is not the amount of this so-called news but the fact that often it’s treated like it has great importance in our society. At the same time you have impact stories like the economy and health care and more you’ll find more time and space devoted to things like Dave Lettermen’s sexual escapades. With the exception of a handful of people who could possibly be affected and impacted by Lettermen’s infidelities but yet he got more air time that President Obama for those few days.
And it’s not like this is only once-in-a-while because it seems like we’ve become infatuated with lifestyles and the often boorish behavior of celebrities and star athletes and even those who fall into the category of “want to be’s.” But I again come back to the question of whether we really care or just can’t avoid all this garbage and make no mistake about it….this is real trash. The bottom line is most of our lives are fairly routine and maybe even mundane and listening, watching and reading about the famous might be an escape from reality. It just seems like more and more we treat stories about them like its real news. Frankly I don’t care who just entered another rehab program and who was arrested for starting a fight in a nightclub and who just broke up with his girlfriend. I also have no interest in the opinions of celebrities when it comes to politics and national issues. Just do what you allegedly have talent for…whether it’s sing, act or hit a baseball.
By the way have you heard the latest? ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips had an affair with a 22-year old production assistant who later called the wife of the former Mets General Manager and told her what was going on…kind of like “Fatal Attraction.” Don’t worry you’ll hear about it everywhere before the day is over.
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