Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Manhattan Jaspers Win 8th Straight

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Manhattan Jaspers Win 8th Straight: (Photos by Gary Quintal) By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 6- Although the Manhattan Jaspers (11-2, 4-0) are undefeated in all e...

Manhattan Jaspers Win 8th Straight

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 6- Although the Manhattan Jaspers (11-2, 4-0) are undefeated in all eight games they have played away from their home arena, Draddy Gymnasium, they easily defeated the Fairfield Stags (3-11, 0-4), 83-57, at home on Saturday evening.

A layup by Manhattan’s star scorer George Beamon at 15:28 gave the Jaspers an early 11-2 advantage. A three by Rich Williams raised the lead of the Jaspers to double figures for the first time in the game, 21-11, at 11:53. The visitors cut the lead to six, 24-18, at 9:01, but the Jaspers kept a double digit advantage during the final four minutes of the first period. They led 43-28 at the half.

Manhattan shot at a hefty 54.5 precent while holding the Stags to only 30.6 precent during the half. Beamon led all scorers with 15 points. The three Manhattan seniors, Beamon, Rhamel Brown and Michael Alvarado, accounted for 29 of their team’s 43 points.

The teams played evenly during the first seven minutes of the second half with the score 53-39 in Manhattan’s favor. At that point, the Jaspers scored 12 unanswered points to raise their lead to 65-39 with 9:16 on the clock. The lead held to the end as Manhattan was victorious by a score of 83-57.

Manhattan players shot a healthy 50 precent from the floor (23 for 46) and from beyond the arc (8 for 16) during the one-sided encounter. Fairfield’s advantage in offensive rebounding, 14-5, allowed them 15 more shots than the jaspers, but the differential in shooting percentage between the teams nullified the advantage of the visitors. 

Another Manhattan benefit was being able to visit the charity stripe for 29 shots while the Stags only took 12 free throws.  Beamon led in scoring with 19 points, raising his career total as a Jasper to 1,531, 7^th place in team career points. Beamon is one of only seven NCAA players this season who averages 20 points and 7 rebounds per game.

The other two Manhattan seniors are nearing the 1,000 point total at the college. Brown’s 12 points gave him 960 and Alvarado’s 8 brought him to 940. Both should reach the milestone of 1,000 this season. Rich Williams netted 14 in only 18 minutes of action.

The Jaspers have won all eight games they played since dropping a 79-75 game to their Bronx rivals, the Fordham Rams, on November 26. 

Even more importantly, they have won all four of the conference games in the MAAC, putting them at the top of the standings. 

After a road contest, the Jaspers will return to Draddy on January 12 to face Marist, another conference foe.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Baseball Legend and American Hero Jerry Coleman Pa...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Baseball Legend and American Hero Jerry Coleman Pa...: (Photo by Gary Quintal) By Howard Goldin  BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 6- Jerry Coleman, a baseball lifer for nearly 70 years, and ...

Baseball Legend and American Hero Jerry Coleman Passes Away

(Photo by Gary Quintal)

By Howard Goldin 

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 6- Jerry Coleman, a baseball lifer for nearly 70 years, and an American military hero during World War II and the Korean War, passed away on Sunday at the age of 89. Coleman died from head injuries suffered in a fall last month and the effects of pneumonia. 

Coleman was an especially beloved figure in the Bronx and in San Diego. The octogenarian was an All-Star player and popular broadcaster with the New York Yankees and Hall of Fame recognized broadcaster for more than 40 years with the San Diego Padres.

The place of a man nearly 90 currently working in baseball and the respect he has earned elicited the following tribute from MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, “Jerry Coleman was a hero and role model to myself [sic] and countless others in the game of baseball. He had a memorable multifaceted career in the National Pastime- as an All-Star during the great Yankees dynasty from 1949-1963, a manager and for more than a half-century, a beloved broadcaster, including as an exemplary ambassador for the San Diego Padres. But above all, Jerry’s decorated service to our country in both World War II and Korea made him an integral part of the Greatest Generation. He was a true friend whose counsel valued greatly.”

In the 1940’s, the California native was in the minors and served in active combat during World War II. He was brought up to the Yankees in 1949. Two years ago, during an interview at Yankee Stadium, Coleman humorously recalled his first game as a Yankee, “The first play of the game was a ground ball that went right between my legs. The next play was a one-hopper that came to me and resulted in a double play. After that, I said, ‘I’m saved.’”

Coleman’s playing career was far better than he liked to joke. The second sacker’s first season was so good that the Associated Press selected him as American League Rookie of the Year. In his sophomore season, he earned the Babe Ruth Award as the World Series MVP.

Coleman’s baseball career was twice interrupted for military service. He was the only major leaguer engaged in active combat during World War II and Korea. He flew 120 missions in combat. Coleman valued the wartime service to his country far more than his many years in baseball.

The articulate and good humored athlete spent seven years as a broadcaster with the Yankees after his playing career concluded. In this position, he again joined with his double-play partner Phil Rizzuto.

After relocating to California, Coleman broadcast for the California Angels and then for four decades broadcast for the Padres. In 1980, he managed the Padres, but returned to the broadcast booth after only one season. 

His excellence as a broadcaster earned him the Ford C. Frick Award in 2005 and enshrinement in the broadcast wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Anyone who had the opportunity to converse with Coleman was enlightened, entertained and uplifted as I was when I spoke at length with him during the 2012 Old Timers’ Day.

Anyone can learn more about Coleman’s interesting and worthy life by reading his 2008 autobiography “American Journey: My Life on the Field, in the Air and on the Air.”

Rest in peace-Gerald Francis Coleman.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Raptors’ Strong Second Half Leads To 75-66 Road Lo...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Raptors’ Strong Second Half Leads To 75-66 Road Lo...: BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 6- The Maritime men’s basketball team lost to Bard College, 75-66, on the road on Saturday afternoon at the Rapto...

Raptors’ Strong Second Half Leads To 75-66 Road Loss For Privateers

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 6- The Maritime men’s basketball team lost to Bard College, 75-66, on the road on Saturday afternoon at the Raptors’ Stevenson Athletic Center. The defeat drops the Privateers to 2-7 overall on the season, while Bard improves to 5-4.

Four players scored in double-figures for Maritime, led by junior Sean Corley (Harlem, N.Y./Thurgood Marshall), who registered a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. It was his second double-double of the year. Freshmen Bobby Parlow (Bay Head, N.J./Point Pleasant Beach), Brandon Halligan (Durham, N.Y./Cairo-Durham) and Kevin Heine (Frederick, Md./Oakdale) all scored 11 points apiece.

The Privateers opened the game strong, building up a 12-5 advantage early after a jumper by Corley at 15:22 of the first. The lead moved to nine points, 16-7 (the biggest lead of the first half for Maritime), on another good jumper by Corley at 14:22. The Raptors fought back to within one points at 8:10 of the first after an 11-2 run was capped off by a layup by senior Lamar Powell. The Privateers responded with a 9-2 run to take 28-20 lead at 6:00.

With a four-point lead (32-28) with 2:31 to play in the first, Bard went on a 7-2 run to take its first lead of the day, 35-34, on a three-pointer by freshman Harry Johnson with exactly a minute to play in the half. After each team failed to score on their next possession, the Privateers got the ball back with eight seconds left and Corley dished it to Halligan, who drained a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to put Maritime back ahead 37-35 into the halftime break.

Corley scored a team-high 11 points in the first half, while Halligan had eight. The Privateers shot 50.0-percent from the field (12-for-24) and held the Raptors to a 44.4-percent clip (12-for-27). Powell led all players with 11 points for Bard in the opening 20 minutes.

In the second half, it was Bard that got off to a hot start, outscoring Maritime 18-1 over the first seven minutes of action to take a 53-38 lead. The Raptors took advantage of a drop off in Privateers’ shooting and some turnovers. The Raptors’ lead climbed to as high as 18 points, 65-47, at 8:07. However, the Privateers fought back to bring the deficit to just seven points, 66-59, after Halligan knocked down a three with 5:28 to play.

The Raptors’ lead reached double-digits once again when a three by Powell with 2:46 to play made the score 71-61. The Privateers got the game back within seven points two more times, but Bard nailed 4-of-6 free throws late and Maritime could not cash in on their late possessions, resulting in the nine-point loss.

The Privateers shot just 34.8-percent in the second half to finish the game with a 42.6-percent clip (20-for-47). Bard finished with 44.0-precent shooting on the day. Powell led all players with 26 points, while sophomore Brandon Cunningham tallied 10 points.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Traffic’s Plane Crazy

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Traffic’s Plane Crazy: Pilot makes miracle landing on highway Photo by David Greene By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 6- The stars must have...