By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI Sports and Commentary

ADD 1 — Tonight, tune into PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION, featuring another round of guest-host Terry Kinnas, with Special Guests. The fun begins at live 7 p.m. channel 16 Time-Warner cable from the PCTV studios.

Also tonight, our Right Honorable Good Friends on the city council preside over the coronation and approval of the $100+ million school department budget, which they will say is $58 million or so. The agony begins this evening from council chambers.

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(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015) — The Pittsfield Suns won their third game of the season Wednesday evening when they beat the Worcester Bravehearts 4-2 at Wahconah Park.

Matt Morales got things started for the Suns with a lead off double in the third inning. He advanced to third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jeremy Giles. Ryan Olmo then stepped to the plate and smacked a RBI single to plate Morales to give Pittsfield a 1-0 advantage.

Worcester evened the score at one in the fifth inning. An error by Suns shortstop Giles, a walk to Mike Coggeshell, and a single by Dante Ricciardi loaded the bases for Logan Brown, who singled on a 0-1 pitch to tie the game. The Bravehearts would score only one run that frame, keeping the score tied at one run apiece.

Suns Hold On

Two runs would cross the plate for the Suns in the sixth inning after a pitching substitution by Worcester. Luke Brennan issued back-to-back walks to Olmo and Dan Palazzo before tossing two wild pitches, plating Olmo and allowing Palazzo to move to second. Brendan Geary then singled to score Palazzo, giving the Suns a 3-1 advantage.

The Bravehearts would attempt a comeback in the seventh inning as Gavin Tristan doubled and would come around to score to make it 3-2 Suns, but an insurance run for Pittsfield in the bottom of the frame sealed Worcester’s fate with the game’s final 4-2 tally.

Winning pitcher Adam Erkis threw 6.1 innings, giving up only two hits and one run while striking out four. Gus Culpo recorded the loss after being charged with two runs, two walks, and one strikeout in 2.1 innings pitched.

Matt Van Riper takes the mound tomorrow night at Wahconah Park for the Suns as they face off for the first time this season against the Nashua Silver Knights. First pitch is scheduled for 7 PM on Pittsfield’s Got Talent Night, with gates opening at 6.

For tickets or for more information on the Pittsfield Suns, please visit pittsfieldsuns.com or call (413)445-SUNS.

(coverage provided by Morgan Powell of the Suns staff, edited by THE PLANET).

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#44 and Out

In response to a decision by Syracuse University to return the school’s famed jersey #44 to active-status on the field, the greatest to have worn the number seems to be less-than-thrilled with his alma mater.  Cleveland Browns‘ Hall-of-Fame running back Jim Brown, the greatest running back of all time, told NFL Network‘s Rich Eisen he never gave the school his blessing to un-retire the number.

“I just didn’t complain,” Brown said.  “I didn’t talk to anyone before they decided to do it, so they couldn’t have my blessings.”

Oops.  Syracuse reportedly received permission from one other “44” to have worn the jersey for the Orange, Floyd Little.  The late Ernie Davis also played with the #44, as did Larry Csonka. Brown, Little, and Davis are enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, with Brown and Little also enshrined in the NFL Hall in Canton, OH. Jersey #44 hasn’t been worn by any player at Syracuse since 1998, and was officially retired in 2005. (coverage from patriots.com, edited by THE PLANET).

THE PLANET ADDS: We disagree with the decision to un-retire #44, and we have made our displasure known to Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud. Jimmy Brown occupies a special place at this address. He was our first football hero. Prior to 1960, we didn’t have the Boston Patriots in the old AFL. Our oldest brother Pete was a Brown fan, and we inherited the predilection. Thus we became Cleveland Browns rooters, all the way to the NFL Championship in 1964 (27-0 over the Baltimore Colts).

Coleman, Garivaltis Connect the Brown Dots

THE PLANET also enjoyed two other interesting, odds-defying connections to Jim Brown and the Cleveland Browns. The first was Ken Coleman, known and beloved in New England as the long-time voice of the Boston Red Sox. We were business partners with Coleman for 20 years on various publishing and broadcast projects. Prior to coming to Boston in 1966, Coleman served as the voice of the Browns and Indians since the early 50s. Ken Coleman was the only man to have seen and broadcast every play of Jim Brown’s career, and we can remember many a night spent with Ken reminiscing about his time there.

The other connection is through Pittsfield’s own Charles Garivaltis, the man THE PLANET considers the best pure hitter ever to come out of the city’s baseball sandlots and leagues. Prior to his stint in the New York/SF Giants‘ farm system, Garivaltis played football for Colgate. There’s a famous picture of Chuck about to bring Syracuse’s Jimmy Brown to the turf with a solo tackle. Let us tell you: When Brown turned the corner and got up a head of steam, virtually no one could tackle him. Chuck did. We’re sure to bring up this play when we meet Chuck and Carousel daddy Jim Shulman for breakfast later this month at the Red Lion Inn.

(from patriots.com) NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown has dedicated most of his life to helping the dispossessed, including inmates, gang members, and needy children. He said two men have distinguished themselves with their shared commitment to humanitarianism: New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Boston Celtics great Bill Russell.

Belichick has visited prisons and gangs with Brown and has financially backed his Amer-I-Can program. In 2006, Belichick surprised Brown at his 70th birthday party in Los Angeles. And when Brown least expected it, he received a gift from Belichick last Christmas.

‘‘I respect Bill, I trust him, and I love him,’’ Brown said. ‘‘There are very few people I can say those things about.’’

The whole article can be found at https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/02/05/pals-know-different-belichick-than-fans/mImGr898qGotzdVNyVGUBJ/story.html

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“Has anyone supposed it lucky to be born?” — Walt Whitman, Section 7, “Song of Myself,” (1881).

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.