2017 sports year had its share of peculiar things
It was less like baseball and more like archery practice. And wherever Stephen Piscotty went he had a bull’seye on him.
In a bruising, battering tour around the bases, the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder could not stay out of harm’s way. He was hit three times in one inning, as if being tracked by a GPS.
The pounding sequence began in the fifth when he was struck on the right arm by Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arietta. Piscotty shook it off and headed to first. It was only beginning. The ball soon got away from the catcher and Piscotty bolted for second, hit on his left arm by Wilson Contreras’ throw.
Then came a slow roller to second base that Kolten Wong overran. Piscotty rounded third and broke for home. Wong’s throw to the plate nailed him on the helmet. A shaken Piscotty walked to the dugout. He would later pass all concussion tests.
Piscotty, since traded to Oakland in the offseason, majored in atmospheric and energy engineering at Stanford. But even he was puzzled by that inning against the Cubs.
“I’ve never seen that before,” he said. “Crazy.”
Piscotty was not the only Cardinal traveling strange byways in 2017. A ball somehow stuck to the chest protector of St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina, who was asked if a foreign substance were responsible. “That’s a dumb question,” he said.
This was also a year in which Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones lost a $100,000 earring while jet skiing, prompting erroneous reports he hired a dive team to find it. (“I did not do that. It was insured.”)
Synchronized swimming changed its name to artistic swimming. Olympic champion shooter Michael Diamond of Australia was convicted on firearms charges, and his gun license was revoked.
A bowler from upstate New York raced from one lane to another and rolled a perfect 300 game in less than 90 seconds. The Saint Louis University basketball team was left waiting for its bus after a game at St. Bonaventure because the driver was some 40 miles away and soon to be charged with drunken driving.
Animal magnetism: Shortstop Zack Cozart, then with the Cincinnati Reds, made the All-Star team, and with it came a gift from teammate Joey Votto that required more upkeep than a watch — a donkey . ... Second baseman Rougned Odor was not wowed by his contract offer until Texas sweetened the deal by throwing in two horses. “I love horses,” he said.
Double faults: The fashion police at all-white Wimbledon were ever vigilant, ordering some junior boys players to change their resplendently colored underwear. Venus Williams, when questioned about the flash of pink beneath her dress, said: “I don’t like talking about bras at press conferences. It’s weird.”
On the grid: Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles posted a 14-minute video on Twitter of her gauze-filled mouth after her wisdom teeth were removed. ... An Indiana high school student won a bet with his teacher to call off a final exam by getting Kobe Bryant to give him a retweet. The retired NBA star said: “Hope you have an A in this class.” ... Canadian tennis star and model Eugenie Bouchard figured she was on safe ground. With the Falcons way ahead in the Super Bowl she tweeted she “knew Atlanta would win.” A University of Missouri student replied with a dare: If the Patriots win, they go on a date. Bouchard said sure, and New England rallied to win from 25 points down. The two went to a Brooklyn Nets game. Said Bouchard: “Never bet against Tom Brady.”
The big sleep: A death notice in The Richmond Times-Dispatch for one Patrick “Pat” Killebrew began by noting he “passed away peacefully at home ... after watching the Washington Nationals relief pitchers blow yet another lead.”
Sunday’s Games Monday’s Game
(At) Rangers 3, Sabres 2 (OT): J.T. Miller scored a powerplay goal 2:43 into overtime to lift New York over Buffalo in the NHL’s 10th Winter Classic at Citi Field. Paul Carey and Michael Grabner scored in the first period for the Rangers, who improved to 4-0 in regular-season outdoor games. Henrik Lundqvist, who has been in goal for all four of the wins, stopped 31 shots to help New York improve to 6-2-3 in its past 11. Rasmus Ristolainen had a goal and an assist, Sam Reinhart also scored, and Kyle Okposo had two assists for the Sabres. Robin Lehner finished with 39 saves for Buffalo, which has just 10 wins this season but is 4-3-5 in its past 12 games.
NHL note
Former NHL player heads U.S. Olympic team: Without the ability to pick from a generation of young American stars, USA Hockey is leaning on a longtime NHL winger as captain and hopes a diverse roster can capture an Olympic medal. At the Winter Classic in New York on Monday, the U.S. named veteran Brian Gionta captain as it unveiled its roster for the Pyeongchang Olympics, the first games without NHL players since 1994. The U.S. men’s hockey team is made up of Gionta, four college players, three from the American Hockey League and 15 playing in professional leagues across Europe. Gionta, 38, has played 1,006 games over 15 seasons.