Zanor column: MLB playoffs, college hoop at the Sun, and other thoughts

Just thought I’d empty out my reporter’s notebook before I drive my daughter and her friends to the "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" concert movie in Southington on Saturday night ...

*The “Suzyn, you can’t predict baseball” MLB playoffs has baseball purists up in arms. American League East Division powers Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Toronto went 0-7, the two best teams in the National League (Atlanta and Los Angeles) are out, and 84-win Arizona is four wins away from a World Series appearance. So, what exactly is the problem?

While everyone contemplates changing MLB’s playoff format, I say, why bother?

Baseball has had some major issues over the years (steroids, pitchers greasing up baseballs, teams stealing signs) but having more teams in the playoffs is not one of them. It’s what everyone wanted. Until now.

I refer to Yankees broadcaster John Sterling’s famous line. He’s right. You can’t predict baseball.

It’s rare when the two best teams meet in the World Series anymore. That started when more teams were added to the playoffs. And MLB kept adding and adding. And now you have a fiasco.

Here’s a thought: if this were 1967 - yes, the year baseball started for my fellow Red Sox fans - the 101-win Baltimore Orioles would be playing the 104-win Atlanta Braves in the World Series. But it’s 2023, which means we’re a week away from a potential World Series featuring the 90-win Texas Rangers against the 84-win Arizona Diamondbacks, who finished 16 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West.

*East Lyme athletic director Kevin Marcoux recently announced the hiring of Dan Scheyder as the Vikings new boys basketball coach. Scheyder has spent the last two years on the East Lyme High School staff working as the freshmen coach under Jeff Bernardi in 2021-22 and most recently under Tim Strong in 2022-23. Prior to that, he spent five seasons working in the East Lyme Youth Basketball program serving as head coach at various levels.

Scheyder is a 2011 graduate of East Lyme High School where he played under the leadership of coach Dan Spellman. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Central Connecticut State University in 2016 and currently serves as a Wealth Strategy Associate at UBS Financial Services in New London. Scheyder resides in Waterford with his wife Briana. They are expecting their first child in January.

“Coach Scheyder separated himself from the candidate pool with his passion for the game, his dedication to his players both on and off the court and his willingness to put in the extra effort needed to return East Lyme basketball to where it belongs amongst our ECC and state peers,” Marcoux said in a statement. “It is evident how much he cares and loves East Lyme and what the program means to him.”

*There’s some great college basketball coming to Mohegan Sun Arena. The Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off doubleheader on Saturday, Nov. 18, features Mississippi State versus Washington State, and Rhode Island versus Northwestern. The winners and losers will meet the following day.

Chris Paul’s HBCU Tip-off Tournament Series also arrives at the Sun on Nov. 18 with a doubleheader of Cheyney vs. Virginia Union, and Tuskegee vs. Winston Salem State following the Hall of Fame games.

And how about these matchups for the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at the Sun on Sunday, Dec. 10: Florida State vs. UCLA, South Carolina vs. Utah, and UConn vs. North Carolina.

I’d wager a couple of Greek drachmas on a UCLA, South Carolina, and UConn three-team parlay but alas, you can’t bet on Connecticut teams at the Sun’s gorgeous FanDuel Sportsbook.

*The Huskies Win! The Huskies Win!

The UConn football team snapped a seven-game losing streak dating back from last season with a 38-31 win over Rice last Saturday in Houston. Despite being outgained by a wide margin, there was no “Houston, we’ve got a problem,” for the Huskies as UConn’s defense came away with four turnovers on an interception and three fumble recoveries.

“We'll take a win, it’s been a while for us," UConn Jim Mora said. “These guys have worked hard. They've kept a great attitude. I'm really proud of the players, the coaches, and Rice is a good football team, so we'll take a win on the road. Now we get a bye week to regroup and keep going and see what we can make of this season."

UConn hosts South Florida on Saturday, Oct. 21 on Homecoming Day at The Rent.

The following week the Huskies travel to the mecca of college football in New England: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The Boston College-UConn clash on October 28 is shaping up with the same kind of fervor as Alabama-Auburn, Ohio State-Michigan and Army-Navy.

*Before I declare Taylor Swift's concert movie the best concert film of all-time, friend and loyal reader Paul Woods reminded me of my musical roots. Yup, it's going to be tough topping The Band's "The Last Waltz."

*STUCK IN THE ‘70s: On Oct. 12, 1979, Larry Bird made his NBA debut in the Boston Celtics’ 114-106 victory over the Houston Rockets at the Boston Garden. Bird scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out five assists. Moses Malone led the Rockets with 31 points and 16 rebounds. Cedric Maxwell had 22 points, while Dave Cowens had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Celts.

I was a senior at Boston College High School. I drove a wood-paneled green station wagon. The bumper sticker read: BIRD IS THE WORD.

Jimmy Zanor is a sportswriter for the Norwich Bulletin and can be reached at jzanor@norwichbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter@jzanorNB.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Zanor column: MLB playoffs, college hoop at the Sun, and other thoughts