QUICK QUIZ
The Los Angeles Dodgers retired uniform number 19 after what player?
QUOTABLE QUOTES
“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” – Former tennis great Billie Jean King.
“Life is a full-contract sport, and there’s a score up on the board.” – Dr. Phil McGraw.
“I hate to lose worse than anyone, but if you never lose you won't know how to act. If you lose with humility, then you can come back.” Former Alabama football coach Bear Bryant.
IDLE THOUGHTS
Justin Verlander has notched a victory against every team in Major League Baseball. Verlander has played 18 seasons for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and New York Mets. He has 244 wins, 134 losses, an ERA of 3.24 and 3,203 strikeouts. He has won two Cy Young awards, one MVP award, the Rookie of the Year award, one League Championship MVP award and two World Series. He is sure to be a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection
I finally got around to watching “Air, A Story of Greatness” on Prime Video. The movie deals with Sonny Vaccaro (played by Matt Damon) and Nike’s pursuit of rookie Michael Jordan, creating a partnership that revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture. Phil Knight, played by Ben Affleck, comes across as being a colossal doo fuss.
The NCAA suspended Ferris State University head coach Tony Annese for one future playoff game. The suspension stems from the Bulldogs’ Division II National Championship win back in December, and how they chose to celebrate. Two members of the Bulldogs football team violated stadium rules by smoking cigars in the ISD McKinney Stadium locker room following their 41-14 win over Colorado School of Mines. McKinney Stadium is a tobacco-free high school campus. Additionally, some of FSU’s student-athletes attempted to remove Ferris State University branded temporary wall stickers to keep as souvenirs inside the locker room after the game.
FSU says the actions were addressed and stopped by coaches when they were made aware of them. Ferris State University’s Athletic Director Steve Brockelbank issued the following statement, “I continue to be proud of the Ferris State University football program and Coach Annese. I understand the concerns raised by the NCAA and we accept the responsibility for our actions, and we will work to ensure this does not happen again in the future. I support the efforts that Coach Annese continues to take to improve the football program for the betterment of the students we serve at Ferris State University.”
Annese released a statement of his own and hopes his team can grow from their mistakes. “We are committed to running a program representing the ideals and values of Ferris State University, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and the NCAA. I understand the concerns raised by the NCAA. Immediately after the game, while I was in the post-game press conference, the two issues cited by the NCAA were addressed by my coaching staff, he said. " As a coaching staff, each day leading up to the National Championship game, we had reminded our players that smoking cigars in celebration would not be allowed. My team was fully aware that the actions of the two players were inappropriate. No matter how minor the actions may seem, young people need to understand that there are consequences for their actions. We will address these concerns and continue to have a strong, positive football program that represents Ferris State University on and off the field.”
I really wish there were more businesses like Coonan’s Irish Hub on N. Johnson in Bay City. Coonan’s, owned/operated by Kim Coonan, never says no when a local high school or Little League team is seeking a donation. Helpful Hint: Try the Whitefish Siciliano.
In over 1,200 rounds of golf, Calvin Peete only hit one ball out of bounds. One. This is the most incredible statistic in the history of professional golf.
Standards are being enforced for batboys and batgirls, whose ability to quickly retrieve equipment will help efforts to speed up the game. Major League Baseball will evaluate the performances of batboys and batgirls and could ask teams to replace them if it’s considered substandard. Geez, Louise.
The Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes got their name, in part, from the episode of “The Simpsons” where Homer is saddened to learn of the Springfield Isotopes’ plan to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Today fans can see scattered statues of Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa Simpson at the Isotopes’ ballpark.
Caitlin Clark of the University of Iowa is the only women’s or men’s player in history with a 40-point triple-double in an NCAA tournament game.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen an overflow crowd at Hoyt Park. On Sunday every parking spot on the lower level was occupied as the Saginaw Sugar Beets’ organization was hosting a Mother’s Day Tournament. Simply outstanding.
The head groundskeeper at Boston’s Fenway Park enjoys getting fans involved with the grand, old ballpark. At home games they select a fan to come out on the field to paint home plate white prior to the game.
Just a reminder for when you attend a Great Lakes Loons baseball game. Dow Diamond is cashless.
Florida Panthers forward Eric Staal and defenseman Marc Staal did not wear the team’s Pride Night warmup jerseys prior to a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, citing their religious beliefs. The Staal’s issued a statement through the Panthers’ PR Department: “After many thoughts, prayers and discussions we have chosen not to wear a PRIDE jersey. We carry no judgement on how people choose to live their lives, and believe that all people should be welcome in all aspects of the game of hockey. Having said that, we feel that by us wearing a PRIDE jersey it goes against our Christian beliefs. We hope you can respect this statement. We will not be speaking any further on this matter and would like to continue to focus on the game and helping the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup. The Panthers auctioned the Pride Night jerseys off in support of the “You Can Play Team” and the Florida Panthers Foundation matched dollar-for-dollar all funds raised and will donate that match back to LGBTQ+ nonprofits in the South Florida community. The Staal’s join San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer, who refused to participate in wearing a PRIDE Night warmup jersey, and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov who did the same in January.
The 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue will hit newsstands later this month. There will be several iconic photoshoots in this year's magazine, including one with a pregnant model. Nicole Williams English, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue model, posed for the issue while pregnant this year.
Steve Gromek primarily played with the Cleveland Indians before finishing his career with the Detroit Tigers. He was originally from Hamtramck and he was struggling with his control after feeling misused by Indians’ manager Lou Boudreau and asked to be traded to Detroit after being told to take a salary cut and being regaled to the bullpen. Finally, he was traded to Detroit in 1953. He was used sparingly as a starter before becoming a reliever and only spot started before retiring in 1957.
Hats off to Lansing Community College’s Jenna Morse who has been named to the NCJAA All-Tournament softball team. Morse, just a freshman, graduated from Bay City Central High School.
The University of Michigan basketball team finally got on the board when Grand Rapids Catholic Central point guard Durral Brooks committed to coach the Wolverines. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Brooks is a four-star prospect rated by 247 Sports as the nation’s 101st best player; he’s ranked as the No. 13 point guard nationally and the No. 1 player in Michigan. He announced his commitment via Instagram on Sunday evening.
Whatever happened to Ben Tower?
QUICK QUIZ ANSWER
Answer: A. Jim Gilliam. James William "Junior" Gilliam (October 17, 1928 – October 8, 1978) was an infielder and coach in both the Negro League and Major League Baseball and spent his entire major league career with the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers. He was named the 1953 National League Rookie of the Year, and was a key member of 10 National League championship teams from 1953 to 1978. As the Dodgers' leadoff hitter for most of the 1950s, he scored over 100 runs in each of his first four seasons and led the National League in triples in 1953 and walks in 1959. Upon retirement, he became one of the first African-American coaches in the Major Leagues
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May 15, 2023
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