“Put that coffee down,” Alec Baldwin commanded Shelley “The Machine” Levene, played by Jack Lemmon, in the classic David Mamet film “Glengarry Glen Ross.” “Coffee is for closers.”
We won’t go that far when it comes to the Rockies’ weekend series in Los Angeles, but you may need a cup of joe just to stay up to see tonight’s opener. What’s with these 8:40 p.m. starts anyway?
Or, depending on how the Rockies’ closer fares, you may need to make that coffee of the Irish variety.
Either scenario figures to go a long way toward where our local nine finish in the National League West. Let’s hope, for their sake, the Dodgers continue their disappearing act.They have lost four out of their past five games.
There are two things in the Rockies’ favor — Nomar Garciaparra is on the DL (again) and Grady Little is still the Dodgers’ manager.
Then again, if Jeff Francis pitches Sunday the way he did in San Diego, losing 8-0 this week, the series finale figures to have all the importance of a “The Hills” marathon on MTV.
Here’s hoping for some meaningful baseball as the calendar tilts toward September. And here’s hoping Rockies manager Clint Hurdle purchases some sunscreen. As our in-house dermatologist says, “No tan is a good tan.”
THE COUCH
ON: The Little League World Series kicks off today in Williamsport, Pa., with eight American teams in the field. Columbus, Ga., won it last year, and another Georgia team (Warner Robins) hopes to extend the championship streak for the Peach State.
Other towns represented include Walpole, Mass., where former Red Sox manager Joe Morgan drove a snowplow for years as on offseason job when he managed in the minor leagues.
Also in the field is a team from White Rock, British Columbia — the offseason home to Avalanche star Joe Sakic.
Action kicks off today on ESPN.
OFF: The second annual Fans on the Field 5K/10K is Sunday. Runners/walkers will start and finish at Invesco Field at Mile High, with the 10K circling the Pepsi Center and Coors Field.
A goodie bag, T-shirt and free postrace BBQ dinner are included as part of the registration fee. Click on for more details.
AROUND TOWN
Who wouldn’t want to ride a bicycle at midnight in downtown Denver?
Saturday night (starting times are 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.), cyclists can do just that and not get citations for breaking curfew. The 15th annual Kaiser Permanente Moonlight Classic starts and finishes at the Capitol, with a 15-mile course encircling various city landmarks, including the Cherry Creek area. Let’s hope the course doesn’t include the sidewalk outside the Cherry Cricket.
A shorter, 8-mile course will also be available. A postrace party will take place at the Capitol, in honor of the race’s founder, Irv Berlau.
For more information, check out moonlight-classic.com.
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
Whatever happened to the excellent “SportsCentury” shows on ESPN? They were the sporting world’s answer to the Biography Channel. And they were a rarity in sports TV today — in-depth, detailed chronicles about the people behind the big money and headlines.
Bring them back! And how about getting started with shows on Patrick Roy, Moses Malone, Dave Winfield and Tom Seaver, to name a few?
WEAK IN REVIEW
Is there anything sadder than seeing a former world-class athlete reduced to participating in a bull- riding reality show with D-List celebrities? Raghib “Rocket” Ismail — at one time the most electrifying football player on the planet — is starring in “Ty Murray’s Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge” on CMT. Fellow “competitors” include Leif Garrett, Vanilla Ice, one of the Baldwin brothers not named Alec and Jonny Fairplay. Really, we’re not making this up.
Included in the cast is singer Jewel, who is Murray’s girlfriend. No word if, after the winner is crowned, a worst-song-of-all-time contest among her, Garrett and Mr. Ice will commence.
