The Fall of a boyhood Idol

Picture this: 1998, English class, third period. The final exam for my senior year was to write a 10 page paper on a professional figure that had a profound impact on my life. Mark McGwire was my choice hands down. While writing the paper, I made sure to have my 1984 Topps Olympic Rookie card by my side. It was my inspiration to make it to page 10. To this day, I still remember the first line I wrote. “It took Babe Ruth 6 years to accomplish what Mark did in his rookie season; hit 49 home runs” I took that with a grain of salt knowing that in the first six years of Babe Ruth’s career, he had pitched 1,188 innings and had 89 wins.


However, my point was made. Nobody in the history of baseball has hit more home runs as a rookie than Mark McGwire. In 1985, Mark hit 49 long flys to break the mark of 38 set by both Wally Berger and Frank Robinson during their rookie campaigns. It was exciting. Mark McGwire was voted Rookie of the Year and was off to an amazing career. 168 home runs followed until foot injuries limited him to just 74 games. Mark McGwire came back with a vengeance after fully healing from the foot injuries. Mark hit 149 home runs combined from 1994 through 1997, a sure sign he had healed from his injuries. I couldn’t help but brag about my rookie card that was accelerating in price. By the end of the 1997 season, Mark McGwire had accumulated 9 all star selections, including an all star appearance in each of his first 6 seasons, 2 Silver slugger awards and 1 Gold glove.


Then in 1998, the season that will live in infamy, Mark Mcgwire broke the long standing home run record by beating out Sammy Sosa to win the crown. 70 home runs was an extremely amazing feat. Most people were amazed that he could break such a long standing record. Others wanted to find a reason to keep the record safe and sound with Roger Maris. He gathered all of the praise and accolades but couldn’t avoid one major visual, his muscles. The difference between his rookie year and his stellar dream fulfilling year was astounding. When pushed to explain the bulk he added over the years, Mark admitted to using androstenedione. Everyone wanted him to give up the record and admit to further steroid use. They wanted him to just admit to more use even though “Andro” was not on the banned substance list. Mark held firm including pleading the fifth in front of the House Government reform committee. Mark strongly said that he was not there to talk about the past; he was there to be positive about the subject. Again, everyone took that as a sign of guilt. Would an innocent man answer in such a way? He was my idol and he was innocent!


Nearly 5 years goes by with no sign of McGwire. He barely received enough votes to stay active in the Hall of Fame Balloting. He received 23.7% of the writers vote, just enough to be on the ballot next year. I was excited to know that there still were people out there that knew he should be elected to the Hall of Fame. Then, January 11, 2010, the news broke, my soul was crushed, my Idol has fallen. Mark McGwire admitted to steroid use in 1989, 1993, and 1998. Finally the truth came out. So, now what? Wipe out all of his records? Forfeit every single home run he ever hit? What about the RBI’s that came along with them? Forfeit the 12 total all star selections? Forfeit his stats for the entire 1998 season? No. It is time to help the most amazing baseball player of my lifetime. It is time to give McGwire the praise and accolades he deserves. If Bud Selig didn’t care of the rampant steroid use, there is absolutely no reason why McGwire should be the black sheep of baseball. If Alex Rodriguez can continue his baseball career and will ultimately make the hall of fame, McGwire should be no different. In closing, may I say…Elect Mark McGwire to the introductory class of the 2011 Hall of Fame!

-Timothy Beckett

Zumaya out for season with fractured elbow

Joel Zumaya's elbow is fractured. His heart and his head are in surprisingly good shape.

He's perfectly fine admitting that injuries have become a recurring theme in his career. However, so have his comebacks. After getting the diagnosis of a season-ending injury from an MRI exam and X-rays taken Tuesday, he believes he can bounce back from this one, too.

"In the back of my head, I went [back to the team hotel] last night and said I've had enough of it," Zumaya said. "But in the back of my head, I'm just strong-willed like that. I won't give up. I'll fight through that.

"I got some really, really satisfying news today. I left it in God's hands, and I guess he gave me another blessing [that it's] not Tommy John [surgery]."

Tommy John surgery is for torn ligaments. Zumaya has a fracture of his olecranon, the bony tip of the elbow. Because it's a non-displaced fracture, there's hope he can avoid any surgery and let it heal on its own, though follow-up tests will determine that.

"We got probably the best, worst news we could get," manager Jim Leyland tried to explain.

Surgery or no, Zumaya will be out at least four months, which wipes out the rest of the season for him. But head athletic trainer Kevin Rand said he's "very optimistic" Zumaya will be ready to pitch again next year.

As devastating as his latest injury was, sending one of baseball's most intimidating pitchers to the ground in excruciating pain, Rand has seen too much from Zumaya to rule him out now.

"I'll tell you, Joel Zumaya has been through probably three of the most unique injuries a pitcher will ever go through," Rand said. "And he's made it through to get out on the mound. He's done a tremendous job. The shoulder injury he had was significant. The finger he had was significant. And he's been able to overcome those and come back and throw 98-100 mph.


"I mean, it's amazing. It really is. It's literally amazing what he has done up to this point. And as a result of that, I obviously don't count him out. I think he'll do a great job again."

That's the flip side of Zumaya's injury history, the part that often has been so often overlooked. He has wondered aloud the last few years whether he was on his last shot, pondered sometimes whether an arm is supposed to throw a baseball 100 mph time after time, if he'd one day have the catastrophic injury that ends it. But as long as he has a chance, he's taking it.

Zumaya was warming up for an appearance in May 2007 when he felt something pop. He was taken into the training room clutching at his hand, then discovered he had ruptured a tendon in his right middle finger. He was gripping the ball so tightly that his finger gave out.

He made it back for the stretch run of a playoff race, but suffered a more severe injury when he dislocated the AC joint in his shoulder that October in an accident at his family's home in San Diego. It was such a severe injury, such an unusual one in baseball, that the best example the Tigers could find was Ken Caminiti, a third baseman.

"My shoulder's by far the worst injury I've had," Zumaya said Tuesday. "They'll tell you they didn't know if I'd come back with my shoulder."

Not only did he make it back by the end of June, his triple-digit fastball was still intact. But he was back on the disabled list by the middle of August, diagnosed with a stress fracture in the same shoulder. That injury, doctors said, was more common to NFL quarterbacks than Major League pitchers.

"I almost gave up after this one," he admitted last year. "I was tired of going through all the stuff I had to. Rehab, it stinks."

Noted orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews told Zumaya he could avoid surgery and be the same pitcher. Again, he worked his way back to pitching shape, rejoining the team a few weeks into last season. He was back throwing 100 mph by the time his rehab assignment was over at Triple-A Toledo.

Then came a 35-pitch outing at Yankee Stadium coming out of the All-Star break. Somewhere during that outing, his shoulder started bothering him again. He finished out his inning, his shoulder throbbing, came back into the dugout and let it out. He couldn't lift up his arm.

Upon further review, it wasn't the stress fracture itself bothering him, but a hanging bone shard that was causing him pain. He'd need surgery to remove it after all. Back to the DL.

He didn't want to sound too optimistic when he reported to Spring Training this year. But without any major setbacks, even so much as a hiccup, he was finally healthy. And again, the fastball was back.

"That's all I wanted was just one full year of health," Zumaya said, "and I worked hard for it."


Zumaya pitched in 62 games as a rookie in 2006. He hadn't pitched in 30 games in a season since then until he pitched Saturday at Atlanta. His contract for 2010 included a $20,000 bonus if he pitched in 35 games this year. Monday night was his 31st.

Then came his 3-2 pitch to Delmon Young.

"The last thing I remember is delivering a pitch," he said. "I have no clue where the pitch went, didn't even know it was fouled. Instantly I felt very, very sharp pain. I was down for the count. I've never been taken down on the ground like last night."

That's the symptom of the fracture -- sharp, intense pain.

"It felt like my elbow exploded," Zumaya said. "It just felt like someone took a hammer and shattered my elbow. For a minute, I didn't know where the pain was coming from. But when I went to grab my elbow, the way the pop felt, I just instantly thought it was the elbow."

He never had an elbow injury before -- soreness, sure, but never anything serious. The way his elbow felt out there, he felt this was it.

"I've never even flinched an elbow, never thought about an elbow injury," he said. "I've heard people explain to me how things happen with Tommy John [surgery], and that's why when I felt my elbow just go, I instantly thought that my career was over."

He could care less about the contract bonus. He's looking at the bigger question: Why him?

"I think me and my wife talked about this all night last night," he said. "I mean, she was trying to give me an answer, but I think there's no answer. I'm not going to get surgery, but this is another injury. It's a freak thing again.


"I guess I'm a freak, but that's just a part of this game. It's a tough game, and a lot of people don't know what our bodies go through out there. They go through some stuff."

Zumaya has been through more than most. But so far, he has made it back from all of it. On Tuesday, getting back to the park meant plenty for him.

"I cried in front of 40,000 people," he said. "It's pretty weak, but I mean, I was in a lot of pain and I felt like I just had no one on my side. But when these people got up on their feet and started cheering, they knew what was going on. Especially my team after the game, I had the whole entire team in there just comforting me. It meant a lot to me just to be in here.

"I got my uniform on with one arm, so maybe I'll start throwing lefty."

By Jason Beck *This article is from DetroitTigers.com

Michigan signs 10-year deal with M-Den

By Michael Spath, TheWolverine.com Senior Writer

Michigan fans entering The Big House in 2009 may have noticed the lack of an M-Den presence. U-M’s athletic department went in a different direction in 2009-10 but has rectified its mistake, signing a 10-year agreement with the merchandising company after enjoying a 17-year relationship prior to the one-year hiatus …

“For us, this agreement restores some balance to our company,” M-Den owner Dave Hirth said. “We had been serving Michigan for almost 20 years and then last year was a little bit of an earthquake to our company, but we were overwhelmed by the support and loyalty so many people showed us.

“We’re excited to be back in business with Michigan. We took a call 2 1/2 months ago asking us to come in and talk and we were overjoyed about the prospect of becoming a partner with the Michigan Athletic Department again.”
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Dave Hirth and Doug Horning opened the first M-Den store in Briarwood Mall in 1982 and became an official partner with Michigan in 1992. In Bill Martin’s final year as the acting athletic director, U-M, however, decided to open the MGoBlue Shop. Though current Athletic Director David Brandon did not say what had become unfavorable about the situation, there have been considerable complaints about customer service and products offered.

“The M Den has shown incredible loyalty to the Michigan fan base and local community with incomparable customer service, and with the variety and quality of their products,” said Brandon. “I am confident our fans will continue to show that same loyalty to our new official retail partner.”

Most Michigan fans recognize the M-Den name. The company had previously positioned stores on the concourse at the 50-yard line at Michigan Stadium and outside the gates in the Crisler Arena parking lot while its shop on Main Street is frequented often. M-Den officially owns five physical stores, including three in Ann Arbor, and will offer nine locations inside the renovated stadium this fall.

“It’s the perfect scenario for the fan because we will offer a complete game-day experience that is convenient and reliable,” Hirth said. “We’re 360-surround, which means we have everything you’d want as a retail customer to serve your needs. We have convenient store locations in Ann Arbor, in southeast Michigan, we have a diverse Web site, a comprehensive catalog and we’ll be located within the gates and outside the gates on game day.

“Very often colleges will segment their retail business. They might go with a hotshot internet provider, someone else for game day and sometimes they don’t even have a local retailer. The fan feels like a ping-pong ball and suffers, but that’s not the way David Brandon does things. Michigan chose not to segregate, to put everything under one roof to make life easier for the fan.

“No matter where someone purchases our products, he or she will be taken care of. Customer service is a part of our DNA. If you buy from the catalog and need to return something, you can at any physical location or through the internet. We’re 100 percent customer service and you can count on us to provide your every need when it relates to Michigan apparel and other products.”

In addition to five physical M Den stores in the Ann Arbor area and southeast Michigan, fans can also shop at the online store via MGoBlue.com or by going directly to MDen.com. New products are also promoted on the M Den Twitter and Facebook pages.

Baseball's Opportunity for a Big Swing at the Immigration Debate

There is a big debate going on right now reference a law on illegal immigration in Arizona. The aim of the bill is to “identify, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants.” This would be enforced by giving police the power to detain anyone who they believe may be an illegal immigrant until they show their immigration documents. It would be a misdemeanor if you were not carrying your immigration papers with you. This law would affect many people and organizations. Major League Baseball is one of the organizations that would be affected by this law. Latin Americans make up 27% of team rosters in Major League Baseball. Arizona plays a big role in MLB because they host the Cactus League which is one of the two spring training leagues. They also have their own MLB team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are scheduled to host the 2011 MLB All Star game. Economically, MLB is very important to Arizona and this law could create some financial hardships if the MLB decided to take a stand against it. Major League Baseball can and should make a stand in this debate because it affects a culture that a lot of the players are a part of and they could have a significant effect on Arizona's decision whether or not to keep this law in place.


The 2011 All Star game is scheduled to be played in Arizona. This is one point in which MLB and the Arizona Immigration law is going to collide. Some are calling for Bud Selig to pick a a new team to host the 2011 All Star game because of
the law. This one weekend of All Star activities is “expected to generate $60 million for the city.” The manager of the Chicago White Sox, Ozzie Guillen, has called for all Latin Born baseball players to not attend the game in protest of the new law. If MLB were to change the location of the game because of this law, it would speak volumes as far as where they stand on the law and the loss of revenue would make Arizona take notice as to the consequences of their law.

Another economic stand that MLB could take would be to transfer spring training to another state. Approximately $130 million is generated each spring just by the Chicago Cubs fans. This could be multiplied by the other 15 MLB teams who have their spring training in Arizona and it comes out to a sizable sum. That is a lot of money generated from five weeks in the spring. Losing that revenue would be devastating to Arizona's economy.


A lot of MLB's power in this debate lies in the consequence of lost revenue for the state of Arizona. Another important factor in this debate is that Latin American's comprise a good percentage of MLB and their families are directly impacted by this law. Baltimore shortstop, Izturis, stated "Now they're going to go after everybody, not just the people behind the wall. Now they're going to come out on the street. What if you're walking on the street with your family and kids? They're going to go after you." One may argue that professional athletes would not have to worry about this because they seem to be untouchable because of their status but their families and friends would be impacted and this should be important to them. A sportswriter for ESPN stated that “America's professional sports stars reside in a universe that is pure Fantasy Island. Room service is included, flights are chartered, dollars are limitless...” This may be true but it is time for them to take notice of what is going on around them and realize the impact that they could have. Money equals power and they have a lot of it. They could start a lot of positive social change by being aware of the issues that affect the people around them and putting some of their money towards social change rather than continuing to live in a fantasy world. A former MLB player, Brian Johnson, said of his peers, “Are you an athlete who wants to be an athlete? Or are you an athlete who wants to step up and do something bigger than sports?” This question should be posed to MLB's athletes right now. This is a time where they could really affect the history of our country.


MLB is not the only professional sport who this law will affect. Arizona hosts many other sporting events like boxing and golf. They also have professional football, basketball, and hockey teams. I believe that these players and organizations have an opportunity to help make a difference in this debate. If Arizona were to lose the revenue from their professional sports because of this law, they would really take notice. It is time for MLB and its athletes to stand up against unfair laws and make a change. They could create some history of their own and make states consider the consequences of their laws before voting them into law.

Lions' brawl ends minicamp early

By Tim Twentyman / The Detroit News

Allen Park -- A number of Lions players' wallets are going to be lighter once coach Jim Schwartz gets a look at Friday morning's final minicamp practice tape.

Schwartz had to cut the final practice of a three-day minicamp short after a second fight turned into an all-out brawl between the offense and defense. Schwartz stopped practice and screamed at his team at midfield for more than five minutes. He still was steaming as he talked to the media afterward.

"That is not acceptable what happened," he said. "We weren't able to finish a period. It's going to get hot and you're going to get to the end of practice and you are going to have things that come up, but when you can't finish practice and when you have guys entering fights that aren't involved in it, it's unacceptable and they are going to get taxed pretty heavy."

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The Lions were docked two organized team activity practices this past Monday and Tuesday for breaking NFL rules for the intensity and pace of offseason, non-padded practices. Minicamp normally is a bit more physical than OTA practice and the NFL typically is more lenient in doling out penalties to teams during minicamp, but Friday's incidents could get a look from the NFL.

"That was too intense," Schwartz said. " We had that situation come up before on OTAs and we sort of laughed that we can't fine the players, but guess what, there are going to be a lot of fines from today."


It was hard to tell which players started the fights, but it was clear a line was drawn right through the line of scrimmage.

"It's just guys competing," said defensive tackle Jason Hunter, who was fined more than once for fighting last season, but insisted he won't have a bill for Friday's events.

"Guys are out there competing and having fun and that's football," he said. "Guys are trying to make a team and guys are trying to establish themselves, so you are going to have that. I'm sure it's that way with 31 other teams. It's nothing personal. It was all football."

Schwartz wasn't happy when the NFL docked the Lions their last two OTAs and said he wasn't sure what their reaction would be to Friday's skirmish.

"Offseason is offseason. We don't have shoulder pads on. We are governed by a lot of the same rules. I don't think the NFL spells out no fights, but it's just understood that you are a team and you have to act as one," Schwartz said. "We didn't learn our lesson from the first time. We hurt the team from a penalty standpoint from guys being on the ground and guys being at danger and they are going to feel the repercussions of that."


Schwartz had planned to end practice on a high note with a field-goal competition between the offense and defense. He still went forward with the contest and the defense won when rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh kicked a 35-yard field goal for the defense. Center Dominic Raiola and receiver Mike Moore couldn't match for the offense.

But Schwartz said the brawl before the end of practice marred what was supposed to be a fun end to minicamp.

"I had planned it to sort of end on a high note but it's hard to end on a high note after guys were rolling around on the ground," Schwartz said.

"I was tired of it. It's been addressed. It's going to be addressed more and if it happens again it's going to be addressed in a different way."

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100626/SPORTS0101/6260363/1126/Lions--brawl-ends-minicamp-early#ixzz0rvz0kS3I

Pistons 2010 NBA draft

Round 1 - Greg Monroe

Career Highlights: Dished out a career-best 12 assists at Providence, the most by a center in Big East history. Named the Big East Rookie of the Year in 2009 after averaging 12.7 points and 6.5 rebounds. Averaged 14.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in two seasons. Started 65-of-65 games.

Sophomore (2009-10): A First-Team All-Big East selection. Averaged 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks in 34.2 minutes per game. Named to the Big East All-Tournament team after averaging 19.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists on .545 shooting from the floor and leading the Hoyas to the championship game. Had 14 double-doubles during the season, one that covered points and assists. Reached double figures in scoring 30 times. Had 15 games with at least 10 rebounds. Led the team in scoring 13 times, in rebounding 30 times and in assists 15 times. Recorded 24 points and 15 rebounds in win over Butler. Scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds against Harvard. Scored a career-best 29 points and tied his career-best with 16 rebounds at Villanova. Scored 12 points and handed out a career-best 12 assists at Providence; the 12 assists were the most by a center in Big East history. Had 15 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists against Syracuse in the Big East Quarterfinals.


Freshman (2008-09): Named the Big East Rookie of the Year. Averaged 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 30.9 minutes in 31 games. Scored in double figures 27 times. Had a string of 17 straight double-figure scoring games. Recorded four double doubles. Ranked 29th in the Big East in scoring, 19th in rebounding, ninth in field goal percentage (.572), fifth in steals (1.8) and eighth in blocked shots (1.5). Scored a season-high 21 points and had 10 rebounds against Notre Dame. Grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds and scored 16 points at Syracuse. Blocked at least two shots 15 times. Handed out at least two assists 21 times and registered at least two steals on 16 occasions.

Strengths: Highly skilled frontcourt performer with an advanced feel for the game. Can play with his back to the basket or facing. A superb passer for his size, always looking for open teammates cutting to the basket. High basketball I.Q.

Personal: Son of Gregory Sr. and Norma Jean Monroe. Has a sister, Brittany. Uncle Norman Dixon played football at BYU.







Round 2 - Terrico White

Career Highlights: Earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors as a freshman. Voted to the preseason All-SEC First Team as a sophomore. Won a gold medal as a member of the United States U19 National Team in the FIBA World Championship in the summer of 2009.

Sophomore (2009-10): Ranked second on team in scoring (15.1 ppg) and rebounds (4.6 rpg). Started 34 of the team’s 35 games, scoring in double figures 26 times while scoring 20 or more points six times. Scored a career-high 29 points on 11-for-18 shooting to go along with seven rebounds against Jacksonville State. Scored 27 points on 11-for-20 shooting against Troy in the NIT Tournament. Scored in double figures in all four of the team’s NIT Tournament games, including 21 points against Memphis.


Freshman (2008-09): Ranked third on team in scoring (13.7 ppg) and second in assists (2.3 apg). Started 21 of the team’s 31 games, moving to the point guard position in the second half of the season. Averaged 18.4 points per game in SEC play. Scored in double figures 18 times, including nine games with 20 or more points. Scored 20 or more points in the final five games of the season, including a career-high 29 points on 9-for-16 shooting against Arkansas. Dished out a career-high seven assists to go along with 21 points against Kentucky.

Strengths: Sharp-shooting combo guard who excels from the mid-range. Outstanding athlete with phenomenal length for his position. Has excellent defensive potential.

Personal: Son of Delois Martin and George White. Enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts. Brother Shun signed with the NFL’s New England Patriots.

Braylon looking forward to playing at home!

BY CARLOS MONARREZ
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Uh-oh. Watch out, Lions. Receiver Braylon Edwards already is looking forward to his New York Jets visiting Ford Field this season.

But Edwards isn't really predicting any kind of payback or big numbers. The Detroit native and former Michigan star is just anticipating a return to his old stomping grounds Nov. 7.

"I'm excited to play back home," Edwards said Saturday at his charity basketball event in Ann Arbor. "... It'll be fun because I have so much family here that supports me. So I can't wait for them to get a chance to come to the game."

Edwards has only played one game against the Lions. In 2005, as a rookie with Cleveland, Edwards caught three passes for 30 yards in a 13-10 loss at Ford Field.

But the Lions game isn't the only one on the Jets' schedule that is receiving Edwards' attention.

"Seven days later is the game I'm worried about," he said. "We go to Cleveland. You know I've got a little chip on my shoulder the size of the golden nugget. So I can't wait to go out there."

Edwards went to one Pro Bowl with the Browns, but he had a long list of problems on and off the field over more than four seasons in Cleveland.

Making the jump from Erie

By Jason Beck from DetroitTigers.com

The Tigers will replace Rick Porcello in their rotation with another youngster, this one in his first pro season. They'll call up 22-year-old Andy Oliver for his Major League debut against the Braves at Turner Field on Friday.

The Tigers confirmed the move on Tuesday, two days after they sent Porcello to Triple-A Toledo to work out his sinker and slider amidst a classic sophomore slump and the same day that Oliver was named to the U.S. team roster of the XM All-Star Futures Game. Detroit called up reliever Jay Sborz to take Porcello's roster spot, so they'll need to make another move after Thursday's series finale against the Mets.

Oliver is 11 months older than Porcello, having pitched in college at Oklahoma State. Experience-wise, however, he actually has fewer pro starts. The Tigers drafted the left-hander as a second-round pick last year once he dropped down other teams' lists. Though Oliver's numbers last spring at Oklahoma State were disappointing, Detroit saw promise that he could join their ranks of gifted young arms in the system.


Oliver didn't get started until the Arizona Fall League at the end of last season, but once the Tigers challenged him with an immediate assignment to Double-A out of Spring Training, Oliver took advantage. He rebounded from an up-and-down April to post a 3.12 ERA in his next 10 outings, six of them quality starts. He tossed three of those in a row in May, scattering four runs on 16 hits over 20 1/3 innings with four walks and 18 strikeouts.

With seven home runs allowed over 77 1/3 innings heading into this week, Oliver has generally avoided the home run danger that befalls many young pitchers in the smaller ballparks of the Eastern League. He'll try to keep that going in Atlanta, where the summer heat can send balls carrying.

Nebraska to the Big Ten

All signs are pointing to a Nebraska move to the Big Ten.

A source close to the Nebraska program told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that athletic director Tom Osborne informed some staff members within the past 24 hours the Cornhuskers were going to make the move to the Big Ten conference.

A source with knowledge of the Big Ten's plans confirmed to ESPN.com that Nebraska will join the Big Ten by the end of the week or early next week. The source said the formal process of accepting a candidate either has started or would be under way shortly, as Nebraska must formally apply for admission to the Big Ten.

"It's going to happen, unless something crazy happens in the final hours," the source said. "I think by this weekend, it's going to be wrapped up."

Big Ten bylaws state any applicant to the league must receive at least eight votes from the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors to gain admission.

Besides Nebraska, no other candidates are imminent for the Big Ten, which could stay put with 12 members, the source said.

A source close to the Nebraska Board of Regents told Orangebloods.com the regents met informally Wednesday and have agreed to move to the Big Ten and that a formal announcement Nebraska is leaving will come Friday -- the deadline set by the Big 12 for Nebraska and Missouri to state whether they intend to leave the conference.

A Big 12 football coach, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach on Wednesday night that if Nebraska left the Big 12 the conference would dissolve, according to his athletics director and university president. The coach said Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado would join the Pac-10, leaving Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State behind.

"Nebraska is the key," the coach said.

The coach said the Pac-10 favored Colorado over Baylor because of the Buffaloes' presence in the Denver TV market.

Nebraska's executive committee of the board of regents agreed Wednesday to amend the agenda for Friday's meeting to include discussion of realignment.

"We did agree to amend the agenda to add an item regarding conference alignment," said Bob Phares, the committee chairman. "The potential for a resolution of that is we will have a briefing for the board on Friday and that was the substance of the meeting. There was no official action taken."

An executive call does not involve all board members, just the executive committee, which consists of Phares and fellow regents Bob Whitehouse, Howard Hawks and Kent Schroeder.

Phares said the discussion Friday could lead to a vote -- if the board wishes to take action -- after Friday's briefing at the 1 p.m. meeting.

"The board could decide that they choose to do nothing and simply sit on the corner and watch the parade, they could decide that they want to reaffirm their commitment to the Big 12. They could decide they want to pursue affiliation elsewhere."

To amend the meeting's agenda, the executive committee had to make a recommendation to the board by Thursday at 1 p.m., 24 hours before the meeting, which led to Wednesday afternoon's conference call.

"We restructured the agenda so we can move this up the the top," Phares said. "It'll be first out of the chute ... It will be very soon after 1 o'clock."

Phares said he was unsure of the board's attitude toward a move to the Big Ten.

"We're trying to make sure we make a factual decision here, not an emotional one," he said.

Schroeder, a Kearney, Neb., lawyer who has been on the Nebraska Board of Regents since 1998, also said he expects a presentation from university president Harvey Perlman and Osborne at Friday's scheduled board meeting.

"I'm expecting them to tell me the pluses and minuses of remaining in the Big 12 or going to the Big Ten," Schroeder said.

But Schroeder, who served as the board's chairman in 2009, says he has no preference for either conference, because in order to do so, he "has to have data presented in a way that would allow him to establish a preference."

Schroeder told the Journal Star there have been no previous meetings between regents about the topic of conference realignment.

Osborne said in a radio interview Tuesday night that a decision should come soon.

"Hopefully we'll get things put together in the next few days," Osborne told the statewide Husker Sports Network on Tuesday night without indicating Nebraska's preference. "I don't know exactly what the time frame is [that] we'll be able to put this thing to bed. But I'm getting tired of it, you're probably getting tired of it, and the fans are getting tired of it."

Missouri appears to be falling down the list of priorities for the Big Ten.

An athletic director with knowledge of the Big Ten told Orangebloods.com, "Missouri is getting cold shoulder from Big Ten."

The Big Ten announced late last year it is considering adding at least one school, and possibly more, to add a league championship game in football and broaden the reach of its cable television network. Its decision has created a ripple throughout the power conferences, causing the Pac-10 to mull its own expansion and threatening the survival of the Big 12.

A Big 12 source told ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan officials from Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, in a move sensing Nebraska's determination to join the Big Ten, have already met to pledge their solidarity. The first choice is to save the Big 12, but if that's not possible, officials from those schools are prepared to merge with the Pac-10.

The source said the meetings included the chancellors, presidents and athletic directors from the three schools. Not present was a Baylor contingent. Baylor is locked in a battle with Colorado for what is presumed to be the sixth spot along with Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State that would create a 16-team super-conference with the Pac-10 schools.

Texas and Texas A&M are also expected to meet Thursday to discuss their next move. Another Big 12 source said that Nebraska's actions have greatly accelerated talks among officials at Big 12 schools.

The source said that Texas president William Powers and athletic director DeLoss Dodds met with the coaches on Wednesday to update them on the swirling realignment talks.

Texas and the other Big 12 South schools, the source said, continue to work to keep the Big 12 intact.

-ESPN.com

Detroit Tigers 2010 Draft

The Tigers top 3 players taken in this years draft are players that can jump right into the system and make an impact.

- Michigan Sports Guy



Nick Castellanos from Archbishop McCarthy HS

With an athletic frame that looks like it has room for some added strength, Castellanos has become one of the more talked about high school bats in the class. Whether he's worthy of that kind of high consideration remains to be seen, but he does swing a pretty good bat and shows decent raw power. The question is if he'll be able to translate that to in-game pop down the line. That becomes more important considering that most feel he'll move to third base at the next level, where run production is often a requirement. The team that feels he will indeed reach that potential is likely to take him off the board early on.





Chance Ruffin from Texas

He's started and he's relieved for Texas and it seems like the latter is the better role for Ruffin. His stuff won't blow you away outside of a pretty live fastball, but he has the right mentality and makeup to make his stuff play up. He's also got Major League bloodlines as the son of former big leaguer Bruce Ruffin, and that invariably helps, as does pitching in big spots over the course of his college career. He may not close at the next level, but he could be a setup type who moves quickly through a system.





Drew Smyly from Arkansas

Brett Eibner gets most of the pub for arms coming from Arkansas, but Smyly's a viable prospect in his own right. The lefty has a four-pitch mix with a fastball he can run up to 93 mph, an average curve (74-76 mph), a cutter he throws 84-86 mph that grades out as average and a 78-80 mph changeup. He's the type who could fit nicely at the back end of the rotation or as a quality lefty specialist on a big league staff.

Red Wings at Comerica

It is nice to see our sports hero's get excited about other sports!

Boesch named AL's top rookie for May

Tigers slugger follows teammate Jackson in winning honor


By Jason Beck / MLB.com

For the second straight month, a Tigers outfielder has won the American League Rookie of the Month Award. The May honors went to Brennan Boesch, whose torrid start at the plate turned what was expected to be a brief callup as an injury replacement into a full-time job well before anyone expected him to arrive.

Boesch led all Major League rookies with a .345 average (29-for-84), three home runs and 15 RBIs. He hit safely in 13 of his first 14 May contests, including a four-hit game May 15 against the Red Sox at Comerica Park and a 2-for-3, three-RBI game May 10 against the Yankees.


All the while, he has amazingly kept the same aggressive mentality at the plate, generally avoiding the bad pitches that so often trip up rookies after a hot start.

"I got in a little stretch where maybe I was trying to do a little too much, and that's not me," Boesch said after walking three times on Memorial Day. "I went back to just looking for my pitch. A lot of times when you do that, you end up working a walk because you are looking for your own pitch. I didn't change much. I was just trying to be patient and find a pitch I could drive. But in my opinion, you can't ever be too aggressive. You just have to stay in the zone. If you are swinging at strikes, that's your job."

That's the mentality manager Jim Leyland has wanted Boesch to maintain rather than get tentative. The way Leyland sees it, Boesch came to Detroit with nothing to lose, so he let his bat fly.


"I think he's made a big splash," Leyland said recently. "He's made a big impression. This guy has been lightning in a bottle, no question about it. I don't think I've seen anything like it for me."

Not only did Boesch have nothing to lose, he had an award to win. He follows up April winner Austin Jackson to become the second teammates in the past four years to win April and May honors, joining Boston's Hideki Okajima and Dustin Pedroia in 2007. By comparison, only two Tigers had won Rookie of the Month honors period prior to this season -- Justin Verlander in 2006 and Rick Porcello last year.


Ironically, both Verlander and Porcello won their awards in May, so the Tigers have taken May rookie honors in three of the past five seasons. Verlander and Porcello both built upon their awards to enjoy big rookie seasons, something Boesch hopes to repeat.

"It's pretty cool, following Austin," Boesch said Wednesday upon learning he had won. "It's a long season. I'm proud of what I've accomplished, but it's on to the next one. That's the way I look at it."

He'll get a chance to follow it up. Boesch hit so well filling in for the injured Carlos Guillen, who went on the disabled list in late April, that the Tigers juggled their lineup to fit both Boesch and Guillen into the same batting order once Guillen returned from the DL last week. The way Boesch has hit, Leyland said he would've been run out of Detroit had he tried to send Boesch back to Triple-A Toledo.


As it stands, Boesch entered Wednesday leading all American League rookie with 22 RBIs and a .564 slugging percentage. His .318 average ranked second among rookies behind only Jackson.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com

Galarraga was better than perfect

Armando Galarraga was more than perfect on Wednesday night at Comerica Park in Detroit. He gave a master class of gentleness and with a stunning calm he showed to the world how elegant may be a person with principles.

After the wrong decision of umpire Jim Joyce, Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers did not have the perfect game. Galarraga missed but certainly also earned an exclusive place in the history books.

Joyce's decision denied Galarraga the 21th perfect game in baseball history and the first for the Tigers and despite being favorites in the MLB Odds for that game and achieving a victory on Wednesday game, the Tigers feel they lost the game.


Galarraga was not well known outside of Detroit earlier this week and along with Joyce, whose career had passed without any major setbacks, remained as the hot topics in the social network Twitter for more than twelve hours after the game ended.

Despite the reactions that have occurred around this controversial "mistake," Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said the team would not ask Major Leagues Baseball to change this decision.

The dignity and class shown by the organization of the Detroit Tigers in this situation is something to admire and undoubtedly is showing the great sportsmanship of this team. I believe like many that Galarraga and Detroit manager Jim Leyland are worthy of praise for the management gave it to such a difficult situation.


On the other hand, Joyce’s decision has caused discomfort to baseball lovers including all of the Venezuelan territory, in what could be seen as a morale blow for a country that lives with enthusiasm this sport.

No one, absolutely no one, can say that Galarraga did not made all the required to mimic Wilson Alvarez, Anibal Sanchez and Carlos Zambrano as the only Venezuelans with a No hit No Run or to join the Nicaraguan Dennis Martinez as the only Latin American with a perfect game.

Finally players and umpires will make mistakes, but I believe that for baseball and other sports, this kind of referee mistakes can be avoid with the technology and instant replay.

- Michigan Sports Guy

Voting is Open

The Eastern League is pleased to once again give fans the chance to have a say about players they would like to see play in the Eastern League All-Star Game. Fans have the chance to vote for players from each club in the league they would like to see play in the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, July 14th. The results from the fan balloting will be used to select one position player and one pitcher from each Eastern League club for their respective All-Star rosters.

Click here to vote for your favorite Eastern League player!

Imperfect Perfection

Armando Gallaraga. You did it! The 21st perfect game in MLB history (and the 3rd in a month). It’s yours man! Only it isn’t. A terrible call by a well respected 22 year veteran umpire cost you your shot at history. Jim Joyce has called World Series, All Star Games, and in this case, blows a call he gets right 99.9% of the time, in one of the biggest situations you can possibly blow it. It’s heart breaking. This kid has been through so much! Just recently called up from the minors after, seemingly, a total loss of focus. He was incredible in 2008, really carried the staff that year. Today his struggles all seemed in the distant past. He had only 3 Ks, but he threw 88 pitches. He was impeccable. Dominant. Amazing.


The game seemed pretty easy for him. He showed no nerves. He had a great play by Inge in the 5th off a come-backer that hit Armando and Brandon short hopped and got Russell Branyan out. In the 9th, Mark Grudzielanek hit A DEEP shot to center, that was run down by rookie outfielder Austin Jackson. I heard someone say Curtis who after that play.

What a grab! That was followed by a grounder to short and a put out by Santiago.


Then, the final out. A 1-1 count, grounder the the right, Cabrera grabs it, Armando covers and Jason Donald was safe. Safe? Huh? What do you mean he was safe? He was out by a half a step. Armando smiled, looked in disbelief. Cabrera puts his hand on his head. Leyland comes out to argue, but to no avail. The last hitter grounds out and its over, a 1 hitter, Perfect Game. A MLB record 28 outs. This is going to bring up the argument of instant replay in baseball. I say no, this sucked, Bad, But its part of baseball. One thing I will say is that Jim Joyce came into the locker room. He went up to Armando with tears in his eyes and said he was sorry. Armando accepted. He didn’t yell, he wasn’t pissed. He was a class act. That’s one good thing to take away from what can only be called a debacle. Armando sucked it up, he was happy with the win he got for his team, and at least on the outside, he showed a tremendous amount of sportsmanship. Good job tonight Armando. Congrats on your MLB record 28 outs. You deserved it. Class act sir. Class act.

-Bobby Garrott

The worst blown call in the history of baseball?

"I took away a perfect game" Jim Joyce

The first ever 28 up and 28 down!

With a new sense of belonging with the Detroit Tigers after filling the spot in the rotation that was left when Dontrelle Willis was trade Armando Galarraga pitches a perfect game!

With two outs in the 9th inning a bad call at first base will erase this perfect game. It is not going to be considered a perfect game in the books but it was! This is going to be the most controversial call the whole year!

Photo of the day

Leyland cheering on the bird!






A rare interview with Mark!

Tigers get Buckner from D-backs for Willis

By Jason Beck / MLB.com


Dontrelle Willis has a new home -- coincidentally, where the left-hander just bought a new home. The Tigers sent him to the D-backs on Tuesday night in exchange for right-hander Billy Buckner.

Much like the Nate Robertson trade to Florida at the end of Spring Training, the deal nets the Tigers something for a pitcher who was knocked out of Detroit's rotation. The Tigers designated Willis for assignment Sunday morning.

Detroit had 10 days to either trade Willis or release him, given that Willis wasn't going to accept an assignment to the Minor Leagues. Not only did the Tigers need fewer than 72 hours to move him, they found interest from several teams in the National League, where Willis won Rookie of the Year honors in 2003 and was a 22-game winner for Florida in '05.

"We talked with a couple of clubs about him," team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday in announcing the deal. "This is a good fit for him. I know he just bought a home in Arizona. I hope it works out very well for him. The other thing is, by moving him quickly, he's in a position where he doesn't have any downtime as far as not being able to pitch, so he's ready to step in."

Willis threw a side session at Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday under the watch of Mud Hens pitching coach A.J. Sager. The Tigers allowed him to work out there to keep his arm fresh, since he hadn't thrown since his final Detroit start Friday night.

The Tigers are expected to pick up nearly all of the $8.1 million salary Willis still has coming this season, the last year of the three-year, $29 million contract Willis signed soon after joining the Tigers in December 2007. The prorated minimum salary the D-backs would be obligated to pay works out to around $266,000.


That would've been the case, however, had the Tigers released him. In this case, they at least received a player for their trouble.

Buckner -- no relation to former big league first baseman Bill Buckner -- was a second-round pick of the Royals in 2004 and went to Arizona in the trade that sent Alberto Callaspo to Kansas City. He went into the year as the favorite for the fifth-starter's job in Arizona, but as in previous years, struggled with big league hitters. He went 3-1 with a 3.53 ERA at Triple-A Reno this year before being recalled two weeks ago. He has lost all three of his starts with the D-backs this year, giving up 26 hits over 13 innings -- including four home runs.

"He's been an up-and-down guy between Triple-A and the big leagues," Dombrowski said. "He's had three starts at the big league level this year. They have not been good. But he did very well for them at Triple-A. He's a guy that gives us some protection. He can start or relieve."

He'll immediately slot in at Triple-A Toledo, where the Mud Hens were short a pitcher after Armando Galarraga was recalled to Detroit.

The 28-year-old Buckner was caught by surprise by the deal.

"Surprise," Buckner told reporters, "but I mean, I know this team is looking to make a lot of changes and this is one of them. I will just continue to work. Baseball goes on and so will I. It's a good thing, I guess."

It's a better situation for Willis, who gets the fresh start he needed after three rough seasons in Detroit. Willis' agent, Matt Sosnick, told MLB.com on Sunday night that his client could benefit from a change of scenery. Dombrowski, who spoke with Willis on Tuesday, agreed.

Willis went 1-2 with a 4.98 ERA in eight starts and a relief appearance for the Tigers, walking 29 batters and striking out 33 over 43 1/3 innings. He made one start against the NL this year, giving up four runs over 5 1/3 innings against the Dodgers on May 21.

"It's a situation that works great for him," Dombrowski said. "I think that, all in all, it's been a tough situation for him on the field, but everybody's tried."

Willis could still make one more start in Detroit. The D-backs come to town for a three-game Interleague series from June 18-20 at Comerica Park.

"I wish him well all the other times," Dombrowski said, "but I hope we beat him."

By Jason Beck / MLB.com



It is tough to see Willis leave becuase I think if he was able to get over the rough patch with the Tigers I think he could be an amazing pitcher for years to come. I am happy for Dontrelle that he gets a fresh start and hopefully he can put this past him. Good Luck!

- Michigan Sports Guy