Summer in full swing with Lifeguard Races and Phillies Hitting

The Summer of 2022 is in full swing and one of the tell-tale signs that we are in the heart of the season is the start of the South Jersey Lifeguard races.  Beach Patrols from Brigantine to Cape May Point compete each year for supremacy as the Top Beach Patrol.  The races are exclusive to South Jersey, a tradition that dates back to 1924 and culminates with the South Jersey Lifeguard Championships.  The first two major races that include the Doubles Row, Individual Swim, and Singles Row are Friday Night in Longport: The Mike McGrath Memorials start at 6:30pm and the Cape May County Championships are in Wildwood Crest also starting at 6:30pm.  The Locker Room with Billy Schweim has been providing comprehensive coverage of the Lifeguard Races over the last decade, featuring interviews with the winners on Saturday mornings!

The Phillies took two of three games from the Nationals and won five of their nine games during this homestand.  Now they start a nine-game road trip, heading to St. Louis to face the Cardinals in a four-game series that could be the key for tiebreakers in the National League Wildcard race.  The Phillies are playing without 2021 NL MVP Bryce Harper, starting Second Baseman Jean Segura, and have two starting pitchers on the Injured List (Zach Eflin and Ranger Suarez) but Kyle Schwarber has a .278 Batting Average since June 1st and he currently leads the National League in Home Runs with 27, just three behind the New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge (30) who has the most in all of Major League Baseball.  Phillies are also getting big contributions at the plate from Rhys Hoskins (Batting .299 with Nine Home Runs and 18 RBI since June 1st) and Rookie Darick "Long Ball" Hall has Four Home Runs plus a .742 Slugging Percentage in his eight games with the Phillies.

The Flyers must be listening to The Locker Room with Billy Schweim, for years I've been saying "Big Guys Beat Up on Little Guys" - On Thursday Night, the Orange and Black drafted with the 5th overall pick a 6'3" and 194 pounds Forward Cutter Gauthier who scored 30 goals with the U.S. National Team Development Program.  But Flyers General Manager Chuck Fletcher was not content just building for the future this week, because on Friday Afternoon the team acquired 2019-20 All-Star Defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who is also signing an extension to stay in Philadelphia for a few years to come.  DeAngelo has two 50+ Points season in the last three years and is not afraid to get physical with 232 Penalty Minutes over his six NHL seasons.

We will react to all the Philly sports teams news and more this weekend in The Locker Room with Billy Schweim:

On Saturday’s show, Mike Carlin joins me in the studio. We will look at the Phillies versus Cardinals four-game series plus recap the week in sports!  The Sports Book Consigliere Dave Sharapan checks in from Las Vegas with his insights on the weekend and the betting trends for the upcoming NFL season. In Hour Two is the Beach Patrol Report brought to you by GroundHogs Moving Company.  We will have all the results of both the Mike McGrath Memorials in Longport and the Cape May County Championships in Wildwood Crest.

On Sunday’s show, Pete Thompson joins me in the studio as we recap a busy week for the Phillies and Flyers.  As we do every Sunday, we go “On The Mound with Tommy Greene” brought to you by Aaron Bada’s GSF Golf & Performance Center. Tommy gives his expert analysis on the Phillies who are now on their nine game road trip.  Then we will talk with former Wildwood Lifeguard Don Rankin; Don will be participating in the 35th Annual “The Ben to The Shore" Bike Tour.  Rankin will be completing the 65-mile trek to Atlantic City in the memory of Norman Inferrera, a 16-year-old rookie lifeguard from Cape May, who lost his life last summer while on duty.

All that and more this weekend in The Locker Room with Billy Schweim, every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to Noon on 97.3 ESPN Radio.