THIS COLUMN WAS WRITTEN IN FRONT OF A LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE
QUICK QUIZ
The Golden Spikes Award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, is given annually to an amateur player who best exhibits and combines "exceptional on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship." The award is considered the most prestigious in amateur baseball. Who won the inaugural award?
QUOTABLE QUOTES
“When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team’s dugout and they were already in street clothes.” – Bob Uecker.
“If you’re giving Phil Michelson $200 million at age 52 to shoot 74 and 75, God bless you. (Also), all these other clowns, like Sergio, just go to the LIV Tour, but stop blasting something I’ve been a part of for 42 years.” – Fred Couples on Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, and the LIV Tour.
"Success isn’t owned, it’s leased. And rent is due every day." – J.J. Watt
IDLE THOUGHTS
In a Division III college baseball game, Arcadia and Denison Universities began playing on March 13 at 11 a.m. and the game ended on March 14 at 11:10 a.m. It was a 24-hour, 48-run baseball game.
Once again, the Los Angeles Dodgers organization has shown pure class by re-signing Andrew Toles, who hasn’t played baseball since 2018, so he can continue to get health insurance and support for his mental health struggles. Toles tore his ACL on May 9, 2017, and was unable to recover his power stroke when he returned healthy for the 2018 season - physically healthy, that is. He failed to report to Spring Training on time in 2019, ultimately leaving the team. The year prior, unbeknownst to anyone, he'd been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and opted to spend time with his family rather than try to rehabilitate his injuries and find his stroke. Since then, things have only gone further downhill. Toles was arrested in 2020 for sleeping behind a Florida airport, and continues to battle his issues far away from the spotlight. But the Dodgers have continued to offer support.
Congratulations to the Hemlock High School girl’s varsity basketball team for winning the Division 3 state championship with a solid 59-43 victory over Blissfield at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center – the school’s first-ever title. Head coach Scott Neumeyer’s Huskies, whose title hopes in 2021 were thwarted in the state semifinals because of Covid-19, finished the season with an outstanding 26-3 record. Hemlock had a well-balanced effort in the finale with Regan Finkbeiner and Chloe Watson scoring 19 and 18 points, respectively, while Lauren Borsenik tallied 16. During the tournament all of the Huskies wins came against 20-victory teams.
Hemlock senior guard Regan Finkbeiner closed out her splendid four-year prep career with 1,519 points, which ranks seventh all-time in Saginaw County history. Huskie teammate Chloe Watson, another senior, finished her career with 1,396 points, which places her 11th on the county leaderboard. The Hemlock duo are in rarified air. Rounding out the Top 10 career scoring list includes Tori Jankoska of Freeland (2,333), Erinn Reed of Saginaw High (2,185), Robyn Pruitt of Saginaw Arts and Science Academy (1,896), Sarah Miller of Birch Run (1,877), Danielle Kamm of Nouvel Catholic Central (1,851), Annette (Big Job) Babers of Saginaw High School (1,581), Laurel Jacqmain of Nouvel Catholic Central (1,462), Ann Lemire of Frankenmuth (1,446) and Jenny Ryan of Nouvel Catholic Central (1,405).
Steve Young is the only left-handed quarterback in the National Football League Hall of Fame.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently sold his 4 championship rings, 3 MVP Trophies and other memorabilia for $.8 million dollars with the proceeds going to a youth education program.
You may have missed it but Saginaw Valley State University’s baseball team beat Central Michigan University 7-4 last week. Chase Gruno of Birch Run High School picked up the victory for the Cardinals to even his season record at 1-1. Nick Dardas, a Bay City Western product, clubbed his second home run of the season for the Chippewas.
On September 24, 1974, Dr. Frank Jobe performed his now famous surgery on Tommy John. John was 31-years-old with 124 wins before the surgery, adding 164 wins afterward for a career total of 288 victories.
Brown University freshman Olivia Pichardo made NCAA history on Friday. Pichardo became the first woman to appear in a Division I college baseball game. She entered the game at the bottom of the ninth inning as a pinch hitter. “I just hope that young girls can watch and see that this is possible; that it’s not just a dream but it is a tangible goal they can have. I really hope that there is a whole new wave and generation of girls that come around and try to make it as far as I have, and further in baseball,” Pichardo said. She is the first woman to play Division I baseball, but women have played college baseball at other levels. Some of these women include Susan Perabo at Webster University in 1987 and Julie Croteau at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 1989. A total of 24 women have played college baseball through 2023. This list included seven women who are playing this season aside from Pichardo.
With his 117th Ontario Hockey League point Saturday night, Mitchell Smith surpassed Pavel Mintyukov to become the third-highest scoring defenseman in Saginaw Spirit franchise history. Only Patrick McNeill (182) and Marcus Crawford (149) have more. Earlier this season Smith, the son of Tim and Wendy Smith of Saginaw, was named team captain of the Spirit.
The New York Yankees are the most valuable franchise in Major League Baseball, with an estimated value of $6 billion according to Forbes. But even a franchise as rich as the Yankees has to find some change in the cushions from time to time. One place the pinstripes apparently leave their players to fend for themselves is in-flight Wi-Fi. The Yankees do not provide complimentary Wi-Fi to players. The Bronx Bombers charter with Delta, which charges $9 a pop for in-flight Wi-Fi. Covering the entire team's in-flight Wi-Fi for the year would cost the Yankees around $40,000. I have a sneaking hunch that the players can afford it.
I was torn between rooting for or rooting against Antoine Davis of the University of Detroit Mercy in his bid to break Pete Maravich’s NCAA record for most career points. It would have been nice to see a player from a Michigan college in the record book, but I followed Maravich’s career and read a book about his life. Davis, playing on a poor U-D team, was three points shy of tying Pistol Pete’s record. Davis had a chance to tie it in the final seconds of his final game but missed a 3 at the buzzer. Maravich poured in 3,667 career points in 83 collegiate games (without the 3-point line) and Davis recorded 3,664 points in 144 games. Davis does have the record for most career NCAA 3-pointers (588) and averaged over 23 points in all 5 of his seasons at Detroit Mercy.
Details are sketchy but a baseball player from Olivet College was shot after a game at an Ohio school Friday night. In a news release, Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office announced that they have filed initial charges in a shooting on Friday at Muskingum University in Ohio after a baseball game with Olivet College. The alleged suspect, Franklin J. Grayson, has been charged with a count of attempted murder with a firearm specification and a count of felonious assault with a firearm. Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said that the Olivet College baseball player was shot multiple times. The prosecutor’s office confirmed he was shot three separate times. He was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. Olivet College released a statement Saturday following the shooting. “Last night, an incident occurred following the completion of our game at Muskingum University (OH), when a member of the team returned to the dugout to retrieve a forgotten personal item. Upon doing so, an incident occurred involving an individual with a firearm, who we understand is now in custody. A student-athlete on the Comet baseball team received nonlife-threatening injuries, was treated at a local hospital, and has now been released into the care of his parents. The rest of the team is safe, spent the night safely at their hotel, and is now returning to Olivet,” the school said in the statement. Games for Saturday and Sunday were canceled following the shooting. Grayson is currently in custody and the prosecutor’s office said they have requested a $1 million bail. The name of the baseball player has not yet been released. A possible motive or what may have led up to the shooting also had not been released.
Edwin Diaz of the New York Mets was celebrating with his Puerto Rico teammates following a 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic when he was injured in a collision in the post-game celebration. The star closer suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee and may miss the entire 2023 season. Díaz, 29, signed a five-year deal worth $102 million last offseason. It is the largest reliever contract in history in terms of both total guarantee and average annual value. The Mets, however, won’t be on the hook for this year’s salary. Since his injury occurred at the World Baseball Classic, his salary will be paid by Major League Baseball.
Manny being Manny. In 2002, Boston Red Sox star Manny Ramirez was playing a Triple-A injury rehab game for Pawtucket in Syracuse, New York, when he lost a diamond earring sliding into third base. He found the earring’s stud after the game, but the $15,000 diamond was lost forever. If I was a member of the grounds crew, I would have been out there with a flour sifter looking for it.
Jamaal Williams recently signed with the New Orleans Saints and revealed during his press conference that he believed the Detroit Lions' contract offer was “disrespectful.” Despite his love for his former teammates, Williams felt that the Lions didn't appreciate him enough and didn't really want him to stay. Williams signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Saints, while the Lions signed free agent David Montgomery from the Bears for $18 million over three years. I had a feeling he’d go out kicking and screaming.
Whatever happened to Barbaro Garbey?
QUICK QUIZ ANSWER
B. Bob Horner, a third baseman from Arizona State, was the inaugural winner of the Golden Spikes Award in 1978. You could field a pretty good team with past winners of the award, which includes Tim Wallach (Cal State Fullerton), Terry Francona (Arizona),Will Clark (Mississippi State), Jim Abbott (Michigan), Robin Ventura (Oklahoma State), Phil Nevin (Cal State Fullerton), Jason Varitek (Georgia Tech), Mark Kotsay (Cal State Fullerton), J.D. Drew (Florida State), Jered Weaver (Long Beach State), Tim Lincecum (Washington), David Price (Vanderbilt), Buster Posey (Florida State), Stephen Strasburg (San Diego State), Bryce Harper (Southern Nevada), Trevor Bauer (UCLA), Kris Bryant (San Diego), and Andrew Benintendi (Arkansas).
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Mar 20, 2023
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