Sports
November 11, 2007
Ironically, Michaela's nickname is "Mooky," a name in Red Sox Nation which symbolizes horrific luck. That's strange considering how lucky the name "Hatem" has been for the Sox.
Michaela assured the name has nothing to do with Mookie Wilson, who hit the slow roller that went through Bill Buckner's legs in the 1986 World Series.
"When I was little," she began, "I used to mooch off my parents' plates. I was 'Mooch-kayla,' then Moochie then Mooky."
Winning another Windham title was one thing this year. Then she had to coax the Olde Towne team past the Angels, Indians and Rockies.
"I wore my Matsuzaka shirt whenever he pitched," she said. "And I wore my red-striped socks. I wanted to watch as long as I could, but my parents would yell at me that I have to go to bed. I'd wake my sister up when she shouldn't be woken up."
Hoop stars flock to Lowell
UMass Lowell will play host to the 20-team National Prep School Showcase Nov. 16 to 18 with action Friday from 1 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. According to organizers, 15 of the top 100 players in the country will be there, including 7-2 John Riek from Winchendon Prep via the Sudan.
Dialing long distance
ESPN announcer Andre Ware misspoke last week when he referred to North Carolina A&T; as North Carolina AT&T.; They must have a terrific telecommunications department at good old AT&T.; ...
Cards are in the mail for two modern area greats: Ex-Dolphins fullback Rob Konrad of North Andover turns 31 tomorrow, while fireballer Jay "The K" Yennaco of Windham will turn 32 on Saturday.
Familiar name
Worcester Academy senior Gordie Lockbaum Jr. ran a kickoff back for a score last week in the loss to Phillips Academy. Perhaps better known for his wrestling prowess, Lockbaum was a star on the Worcester Jesse Burkett Little League team which made the 2002 Little League World Series. His father is the former Holy Cross football great.
Michael Muldoon is sports editor of The Eagle-Tribune. E-mail him at mmuldoon@eagletribune.com.
Strange but true: Windham sisters determine who wins World Series
You can have Alex Rodriguez or Barry Bonds. If I were a major league GM, I'd be waving my millions at Michaela and Gabrielle Hatem.
True, Gabrielle is just 9 and Michaela is 11, but unlike free agents A-Rod and Bonds, these girls can win the big one.
The sisters have combined to win five straight Windham youth softball titles, but what is bizarre is the names of their championship teams.
In 2003, Gabrielle was on the championship Marlins T-ball team and Michaela has won titles with the Red Sox in the Instructional League in 2004, the White Sox in the Minors in 2005, the Cardinals in the Minors in 2006 and the Red Sox in the Majors this year.
You seamheads out there might notice the trend: The major league teams with the same nicknames won the World Series all five of those years!
Michaela's father and coach, Michael, let the other coaches know about the streak this year.
"He told them at the draft, 'I'd like to name the team the Red Sox,'" explained his wife, May. "Of course, everybody wants to be the Red Sox. But because of the (girls') streak, everybody said, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's see what sort of voodoo they have.'"
The voodoo apparently worked again.
As a lawyer - he's a partner in the Salem firm of Hatem and Donovan - Michael Hatem knows a bit about the art of the deal. He realizes with the Hatem clan's Midas touch, a superstitious major league club might want to have the family playing for a Windham softball club sporting their nickname.
"He e-mailed the Cubs!" said May with a laugh.
I asked Michaela, a promising shortstop/pitcher, if she did play for the Cubs next year, who should I bet to win the World Series.
"The Cubs," she said matter-of-factly.
Only the Hatems could snap the Curse of the Billy Goat, which will be a century old next season.
The Yankees are in a prolonged postseason slump and they have plenty of money, but the Hatems, well, hate 'em.
May, a native New Yorker, attended a Sox-Yankees game with Michael early in their marriage.
"The Yankees hit a homer and I went, 'Woo-hoo!'" she recalled. "He said, 'Listen, if you want this marriage to work, I can't be married to a Yankees fan.'"
True, Gabrielle is just 9 and Michaela is 11, but unlike free agents A-Rod and Bonds, these girls can win the big one.
The sisters have combined to win five straight Windham youth softball titles, but what is bizarre is the names of their championship teams.
In 2003, Gabrielle was on the championship Marlins T-ball team and Michaela has won titles with the Red Sox in the Instructional League in 2004, the White Sox in the Minors in 2005, the Cardinals in the Minors in 2006 and the Red Sox in the Majors this year.
You seamheads out there might notice the trend: The major league teams with the same nicknames won the World Series all five of those years!
Michaela's father and coach, Michael, let the other coaches know about the streak this year.
"He told them at the draft, 'I'd like to name the team the Red Sox,'" explained his wife, May. "Of course, everybody wants to be the Red Sox. But because of the (girls') streak, everybody said, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's see what sort of voodoo they have.'"
The voodoo apparently worked again.
As a lawyer - he's a partner in the Salem firm of Hatem and Donovan - Michael Hatem knows a bit about the art of the deal. He realizes with the Hatem clan's Midas touch, a superstitious major league club might want to have the family playing for a Windham softball club sporting their nickname.
"He e-mailed the Cubs!" said May with a laugh.
I asked Michaela, a promising shortstop/pitcher, if she did play for the Cubs next year, who should I bet to win the World Series.
"The Cubs," she said matter-of-factly.
Only the Hatems could snap the Curse of the Billy Goat, which will be a century old next season.
The Yankees are in a prolonged postseason slump and they have plenty of money, but the Hatems, well, hate 'em.
May, a native New Yorker, attended a Sox-Yankees game with Michael early in their marriage.
"The Yankees hit a homer and I went, 'Woo-hoo!'" she recalled. "He said, 'Listen, if you want this marriage to work, I can't be married to a Yankees fan.'"
Ironically, Michaela's nickname is "Mooky," a name in Red Sox Nation which symbolizes horrific luck. That's strange considering how lucky the name "Hatem" has been for the Sox.
Michaela assured the name has nothing to do with Mookie Wilson, who hit the slow roller that went through Bill Buckner's legs in the 1986 World Series.
"When I was little," she began, "I used to mooch off my parents' plates. I was 'Mooch-kayla,' then Moochie then Mooky."
Winning another Windham title was one thing this year. Then she had to coax the Olde Towne team past the Angels, Indians and Rockies.
"I wore my Matsuzaka shirt whenever he pitched," she said. "And I wore my red-striped socks. I wanted to watch as long as I could, but my parents would yell at me that I have to go to bed. I'd wake my sister up when she shouldn't be woken up."
Hoop stars flock to Lowell
UMass Lowell will play host to the 20-team National Prep School Showcase Nov. 16 to 18 with action Friday from 1 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. According to organizers, 15 of the top 100 players in the country will be there, including 7-2 John Riek from Winchendon Prep via the Sudan.
Dialing long distance
ESPN announcer Andre Ware misspoke last week when he referred to North Carolina A&T; as North Carolina AT&T.; They must have a terrific telecommunications department at good old AT&T.; ...
Cards are in the mail for two modern area greats: Ex-Dolphins fullback Rob Konrad of North Andover turns 31 tomorrow, while fireballer Jay "The K" Yennaco of Windham will turn 32 on Saturday.
Familiar name
Worcester Academy senior Gordie Lockbaum Jr. ran a kickoff back for a score last week in the loss to Phillips Academy. Perhaps better known for his wrestling prowess, Lockbaum was a star on the Worcester Jesse Burkett Little League team which made the 2002 Little League World Series. His father is the former Holy Cross football great.
Michael Muldoon is sports editor of The Eagle-Tribune. E-mail him at mmuldoon@eagletribune.com.
- Sports
-
-
Murphy ready to carry the load for North Andover
Jack Murphy has a nose for the holes, which is the key to his success as the new starting running back for North Andover.
NORTH ANDOVER — Jack Murphy is well aware of the two North Andover backs who came before him.
Continued ...
He knows about the 7,578 combined yards and the 120 combined touchdowns that two-time Eagle-Tribune Player of the Year Andrew Foote and 2009 Eagle-Tribune All-Star Zac Iovanella accumulated during their prolific careers. -
White Sox walk away with 7-5 win over Red Sox
BOSTON (AP) — If the Chicago White Sox end up winning the AL Central, Sunday's victory may be a game that's talked about as the key to their late-season run.
Continued ...
Gordon Beckham's bases-loaded walk with two outs pushed Chicago ahead in a four-run ninth inning that lifted the White Sox to their sixth straight win and an improbable 7-5 comeback victory over the Boston Red Sox last night. -
CAL Boys Soccer: Boudreaus power North Andover
Georgetown
Continued ...
2009 record: 4-10-4, didn't make state tourney
Returning starters (5): Matt Bitchell, Jr., forward; Ryan Browner, Jr., center-midfield; Andrew Savage, Jr., defense; Ben Warren, Jr., keeper; Andrew Nowak, Soph., defense - Commonwealth Conference Football: Reggies aim to dethrone Whittier
- MVC Boys Soccer: New coach begins Methuen rebuilding process
- local notes
- Worst season in Spinners' history ends with another loss
- Pino scores for Merrimack in tie with Molloy
- Sunday, September 5, 2010
- Area Games
- 10 steps for the Pats to reach the Super Bowl
- Patriots in dire need of go-to players on defense
- Disastrous second-half sinks Salem's chances against Bishop Guertin
- Underclassmen lead Pinkerton to lopsided win over Timberlane
- Fatherhood hasn't cut Brady's football passion
- Andover's Farnum cut by New England
- Around the Horn with ... Nicolette Pelrine, Central Catholic soccer
- Lowrie would rather play elsewhere than sit in Boston
- Ramirez, Floyd helps Chicago sweep Boston
- Under the Lights
- Eagles soar in Herzlich's return
- Capra overpowered by Sharapova in straight sets at U.S. Open
- Woods holds on as Snedeker leads at Deutsche Bank Championship
- Rizzo blast helps Portland down Fisher Cats
- Merrimack roundup: Freeman leads huge ULowell comeback
- Local Notes
- Road Race Calendar
- Area Games
- Saturday, September 4, 2010
- Doubly elated father
- Golden Warriors hoping to reload
- Kovalchuk's new $100M Devils deal approved by NHL
-
