Sportsman of the Week Ending 3/19/2023

What a week for baseball in a week of the year not usually know for high intensity baseball.  The World Baseball Classic entered it's final stages with the end of pool play, Quarterfinals, and Semifinals to set the stage for an epic championship between the United States and Japan, two of the renown superpowers of the sport.  Team USA had been uneven to date. losing a game to neighboring Mexico and struggling through other pool play matchups.  But they caught their stride in the knock out round.  The number nine hitter in the United States lineup carried the team, that being Trea Turner.  Turner slugged the Americans past Canada, Colombia, Venezuela, then Cuba in epic fashion.  He went 6/15, with 5 runs, and 10 RBI on 4 HR.  He hit a critical Grand Slam to save battling team against Venezuela, his second HR of the game.  Another HR against Cuba to set the tone in the semifinals.  Turner led the American team all the way to the World Baseball Classic Finals and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/8/2022

Peak late Spring sports season, we have three of the four major American Sports (five of six if you throw in MLS and NASCAR) with several in playoffs, weather nice.  Etc.  Oh yeah, it's also horse racing's triple crown season.  The first Saturday in May is reserved for the Kentucky Derby.  For the first time in 3 years, full crowd and it was everything it was billed to be.  Especially if you like upsets.  In a 20-horse field, which expanded to the 21st horse just hours before, the longest shot in over 100 years stunned the field.  Ridden by our Sportsman of the Week Venezuela native Sonny Leon, 80-1 Rich Strike (strangely not "Strike Rich" like his bettors did) looked like a Ferrari amongst Kia's down the last furlong as it outpaced favorited lower odds Epicenter and Zandon to breeze to victory.  Sports.  You can't win if you're not in it.  The Kentucky Derby served as another reminder and inducted another amazing Sportsman of the Week! 

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/19/2018

Young players with unlimited potential are what sports fans dream about. And our Sportsman of the Week fits that bill.  The Atlanta Braves Ronald Acuna has come of age.  Fast.  On a Braves team that has lost 90 or more games the last 3 seasons looks like it is most likely to win 90 this year.  And the NL East.  Acuna wasn't on the Braves roster out of camp, but got here as fast as he could.  By April 25.  In 284 AB he's hit 19 HR for the season.  That's 73 games.  Less than half a season.  Easily 40 for a season.  And we haven't mentioned yet that he's only 20.  But this week, he hit .484 with 4 HR, 9 RBI, and even 3 SB this week (I mean he's young).  Going back to the week before, he homered in 5 straight games, and 7 out of 8.  The Braves are a surprise N.L. East leaders, with the Mets/Nationals fading away, look out for Acuna.  This Venezuelan could be Mr. October 21st Century.  But he's our Sportsman of the Week for sure!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/21/2017

While the NBA and NHL playoffs are in full swing, there just hasn't been a single star show up and dominate.  I'm sure the finals will begin to take over this space.  In the meantime, we go back to Triple Crown horse racing, which is one of my favorite sports.  This time, it was an underdog.  Cloud Computing was given long odds on a short 10 horse field and nipped co-favorite Classic Empire at the wire, primarily due to the brilliant ride by jockey Javier Castellano.  While Classic Empire and Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming were 1-2 the entire race, Castellano bided time and picked his moment down the stretch.  Cloud Computing roared past Classic Empire at the wire, and the 12-1 long shot paid well.  The Venezuelan Castellano is our Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!