Primary? What Primary?

Raise your hand if you knew there was an election in New Jersey yesterday.  Okay, now raise your hand if you voted. 

Not too many hands raised out there which pretty much sums up the special primary which saw Newark Mayor Corey Booker and conservative Steve Lonegan romp to easy victories and set up an October showdown to fill the U.S. Senate seat of the late Frank Lautenberg.

The weather might have been a factor, especially in the morning when several areas of the state got hit by severe thunderstorms.  Plus, despite the challenges of others both Booker and Lonegan were huge favorites so there was not a lot of motivation for those on the fence to head to the polls.

But in truth it’s also another sign that the voting public doesn’t really think it matters much who wins as in the end we’ll simply get more of the same whether it be in Trenton or Washington and what we’re getting now is the shaft.

It has been a brutal stretch for Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier, the second-year major league from Toms River.  Frazier’s batting average has sunk to a season-low .230 following a 1-5 performance last night against the Cubs.  Just after the All-Star break he went on a hot streak and by July 25^th was hitting .254 but it’s been a steady downhill spike since then.

Not only has Todd’s average declined but so has his power as he has not homered since July 2^nd and has not driven in a run in his last 17 games.  Manager Dusty Baker moved Frazier up in the lineup last week in the hope that it would get his bat going but despite hitting 2^nd the former Toms River South and Rutgers standout continues to struggle.

Frazier had a terrific rookie season in 2012; batting .273 with 19 homers and 67 RBI’s and was chosen the National League’s Top Rookie by the MLB Players Association.  Here’s hoping a hot streak is coming for the 27-year old.

You know fall is almost here by the site of high school athletes practicing on a now daily basis at schools throughout the Jersey Shore.  Meanwhile, Monmouth University kicks off its 2013 football season in just two weeks as the Hawks will open up on Thursday, August 29^th at powerhouse Montana State in Bozeman.

Montana State was 11-2 last year and begins the season ranked 2^nd in the FCS national poll.  Monmouth, coming off a 5-5 season, is playing an independent schedule this fall before moving into the Big South Conference in 2014.

All the Hawks games can be heard on our Shore Sports Network (WOBM 1160/1310AM) with Matt Harmon and Eddy Occhipinti calling the action.