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1 week ago | 
itemlive.com | Steve Krause
Did you ever wonder why there’s such a symbiotic relationship between the Boston Marathon and the Red Sox? So have I. The two endeavors (I hesitate to compare them as sports) have nothing in common. Over here, we have finely-tuned runners who torture themselves all winter so they can survive a 26-plus-mile jaunt in and around Boston. And over there, we have… ballplayers – perhaps the worst representatives of the word “athlete” of them all.
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2 weeks ago | 
itemlive.com | Steve Krause
On the face of it, the Harry Agganis Basketball Tournament, held last weekend at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, brings to mind much tragedy. We start with the tragic and untimely death of Agganis himself – an unexpected event that had far-reaching repercussions. Agganis became the starting first baseman for the Boston Red Sox after stellar athletic careers at Lynn Classical and Boston University. His star was still rising when it was shot down.
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3 weeks ago | 
itemlive.com | Steve Krause
One day, in my early years in the profession, a co-worker was talking about Carl Yastrzemski, who was in a horrible slump. It looked as if the end might be near for the future Hall of Famer. “Oh well,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Sic transit gloria mundi. Know what that means, Steve?” he asked. “Nope,” I answered. So he decided to be wise. “It means ‘Gloria got sick on the subway Monday,'” he smirked, looking to gauge my reaction. Lucky for me, I didn’t bite.
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1 month ago | 
itemlive.com | Steve Krause
If you were to take baseball and put it next to any of the other three major North American sports (four if you want to count soccer), it would, admittedly, come up way short. It doesn’t match fútbol for sustained, consistently dull, pointless action, but even devotees of the game have to admit it’s not thrill-a-minute stuff. But it’s not supposed to be. Baseball is a leisurely game from a different era. Its origins stem from people playing on sandlots and town commons.
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1 month ago | 
itemlive.com | Steve Krause
Thirty-four students from around the region will compete Tuesday to participate in the 100th Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington in May. The regional spelling bee is co-sponsored by The Daily Item and Joel and Mary Abramson, and will take place at the Lynn Auditorium at 5 p.m. It is open to the public.
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1 month ago | 
itemlive.com | Steve Krause
LYNN — Bella Owumi may be only a sophomore, but she towered everyone else on the court Thursday night, both physically and emotionally. Owumi got off to a lightning-fast start, and so did her teammates, as the top-ranked St. Mary’s girls basketball team cruised by No. 8 East Bridgewater, 59-37, to advance to the Division 3 state Final Four. The Spartans must wait until the dust settles elsewhere before they know who they play next, or where.
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1 month ago | 
itemlive.com | Steve Krause
LYNN — The No. 8 Lynn Tech boys basketball team got off to a slow start Wednesday night in its state Division 4 Round of 16 game. But fear not. Whatever Tech struggled with in the first two quarters of a 59-49 win over No. 9 Manchester-Essex, the Tigers corrected in the final two quarters. That wasn’t just because Coach Corey Bingham gave his players some pointed instructions, the main one being “play Lynn Tech basketball.” There was also the matter of his team being ice cold from beyond the arc.
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2 months ago | 
groovypost.com | Steve Krause
Back in the early 1980s, after delivering a few million papers on my route, my brother and I pooled our fortune and bought our first computer, the Commodore 64. I would love to say we bought the thing so we could learn how to code and expand our minds through new learnings. But, if I’m being honest, the real reason was to get our hands on the latest and greatest video games of those times. Games like Wasteland, Pirates, Defender of the Crown, Ultima, Bard Tale, etc. You get it.
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Dec 6, 2024 | 
itemlive.com | Steve Krause
Bill Newell, one of the area’s most versatile broadcasters in a long while, has finally stepped away from the myriad of activities in which he was engaged for nearly 40 years. Newell, 70, of Nahant (but who lived in Lynnfield for nearly 30 years), took leave recently of his final duty for the North Shore sports scene: working on the MooreStuffOnline (MSO) website. If you were heavily into high school and college sports in the last four decades. Newell was a soothing presence on your ears.
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Dec 4, 2024 | 
marbleheadweeklynews.com | Steve Krause
DANVERS — Deacon Robillard remembers last year, when St. John’s Prep dropped a heartbreaker to Xaverian on Thanksgiving. He also remembers last week, when a late-game interception he threw cemented Needham’s upset victory over the Eagles in the Division 1 state semifinal. Robillard played the part of the relief ace Thursday at Fred Glatz Field, taking over for freshman starter Chris Vargas in the second quarter with the Eagles behind. Robillard then led The Prep to a 23-6 victory over the Hawks.
