The Sunday Baker's Dozen

The Sunday Fact - The first Japanese-born player to play Major League Baseball was Masanori Murakami who played for the San Francisco Giants in 1964.

The Portland Oregonian's Jason Quick writes how Kevin Durant wowed the Trail Blazer brass with his recent workout.... "Portland General Manager Kevin Pritchard was so impressed with the 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Texas, he said the workout might have been the best he's watched at the Blazers' practice facility in Tualatin."

Jason Quick

Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Gary Washburn writes that maybe the Sonics will end up with Greg Oden...."While Greg Oden was wowing the Seattle media with his bright smile, keen sense of humor and engaging personality, the possibility of him becoming a Sonic increased with developments in Portland."

Gary Washburn

The Washington Post's Ivan Carter writes about the importance of a big-time center in the NBA....."The team with the top pick, the Portland Trail Blazers, hasn't publicly stated its intentions, but basketball history suggests that the franchise would be foolish to pass onGreg Oden, who has been compared to a young Ewing."

Ivan Carter

Dallas Morning News reporter Chip Brown writes how former Texas star Kevin Durant will hit it big with endorsements.... "At 18 years old and still too antenna thin to bench press 185 pounds, national player of the year Kevin Durant didn't even have a driver's license until two weeks ago. In the world of product placement, however, those story lines can be developed."

Chip Brown

Terry Hutchens of the Indianapolis Star writes about the funeral of Indiana football coach Terry Hoeppner.... "The silent one came after the service as the more than 80 current players -- wearing their IU jerseys -- lined both sides of a passageway through which Hoeppner's funeral procession drove as the IU Marching Hundred played the Indiana fight song. As Hoeppner's hearse drove past, the players raised their helmets in a salute to their coach, who died Tuesday of complications following an 18-month battle with brain cancer."

Terry Hutchens

Michael Murphy of the Houston Chronicle writes how Houston Cougar basketball player Sam Anderson unselfishly ended his career by donating a kidney to his cousin.... "Sam Anderson never hesitated. Not for a moment. The walk-on forward for the University of Houston knew the decision most likely would end his basketball career, but Anderson knew the man at the other end of the phone — his cousin, Steven Anderson, 46 — was desperate for help, and that's all that mattered."

Michael Murphy

Chicago Sun-Times reporter Joe Cowley writes that Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle may be switching Sox..... "According to a source close to the situation, negotiations between the Sox and Buehrle's camp have been exhausted, with Williams believing he has no choice but to trade the left-hander, who is the face of the ballclub."

Joe Cowley

New York Daily News sports columnist Mike Lupica gives his weekly thoughts on various sports topics.... "For a couple of gripping hours last Sunday afternoon, as Tiger Woods was trying to come back against a career golf plodder named Angel Cabrera, we were once again reminded that Woods is the biggest star in sports."

Mike Lupica

New York Times' John Branch writes about Wimbledon which starts tomorrow... " . . . as Wimbledon begins Monday, the chatter is not so much about whether the top-seeded Federer will win again, but what it really means if he does."

John Branch

John Maynard of the Miami Herald writes how Shaq is taking on another challenge - childhood obesity..... "O'Neal's mission: to transform the lives of six obese children -- none of whom can run a mile -- into fit, active kids with a healthful outlook on life."

John Maynard

The Boston Globe begins a seven part series on the life of presidential hopeful Mitt Romney

Boston Globe

On Friday I wrote about Nikki Giavasis and Shawn Kemp and how their name came up when the pregnant woman from Canton, Ohio went missing....on Saturday, authorities found the body of Jessie Marie Davis....the father to her unborn child - Canton police officer Bobby Cuttts Jr. was arrested and charged.....Cutts is also the father to one of Giavasis' children...

Jessie Davis Murder - Akron Beacon Journal

The following is a timeline of the case....

Jessie Davis Murder - Akron Beacon Journal

Five Good Questions with . . . Norm Maves of The Portland Oregonian about Oregon State Baseball

The Championship Series of the College World Series begins today at 7:00 p.m. (EST) on ESPN....the best of three series is a rematch from last year when Oregon State beat North Carolina....last week I previewed the Tar Heels....today, Norm Maves of The (Portland) Oregonian provides the lowdown on the Beavers....I want to thank Norm for taking the time to respond during a very busy week in Omaha....

Q1. Oregon State is going back to the championship series - a year after winning the whole thing. How would you compare this year's team to that of last year's?
You really can't compare this year's team with last year's -- six position starters, two starting pitchers (Dallas Buck and CWS MVP Jonah Nickerson) and the best closer in the school's history (Kevin Gunderson) left after the 2006 season. The players who filled the spots give it a brand-new look. Last year's team had more power from Cole Gillespie, Shea McFeely and, in the CWS, first baseman Bill Rowe, but the offensive production came with bigger numbers from fewer people. This year's team distributes the offense wider, but thinner. It doesn't have a lot of big innings, but picks teams to death one and two runs at a time. That's good enough because one of the three things the 2006 and 2007 teams have in common: good pitching.

Nobody but Casey and pitching coach Dan Spencer knew that the pitchers coming back were pretty talented, too. The addition of freshman Jorge Reyes and the development of left-hander Joe Paterson and some very good coaching has made this a well-rounded, effective staff -- just like last year. The other similarity is in team speed. The last three OSU teams have been very, very fast. They don't always use it to steal bases, but it puts pressure on other defenses to play clean defensive games. The third similarity is defense. This OSU team hasn't made an error since the regionals and led the country for most of the year; last year was just as good.

Q2. What are the strengths of this team? What areas are they weak at?
I mentioned most of the strengths of this team in the previous question, but one unmentioned strength is team chemistry. Shortstop Darwin Barney and catcher Mitch Canham, the two holdover starters from last year, are extraordinary leaders, and the entire team is focused and headed in the same direction. This makes them a much more dangerous team than the sum of the parts. Right now the weaknesses are few, but during the year the Beavers were occasionally hurt by a lack of power and would occasionally get burned by a left-handed pitcher. Arizona State, for instance, limited them to three hits in two consecutive games -- a one-hitter and a two-hitter -- but all that seems to have been cured. They've hit .333 with five home runs and 22 runs in three CWS games, so Oregon State is peaking at the right time.

Q3. What type of coach is Pat Casey? Does he manage "by the book" or is he a "gut-type" of manager?
Pat Casey looks like a by-the-book coach, but he will throw it away now and then. He likes the bunt and the left-right matchup page and uses it effectively, but I've seen him change his starting lineup based on who hits best in pre-game hitting. He will also bench a cold hitter and give up a matchup just to get a hot hitter into the lineup, and occasionally green-light a hot hitter to swing away in an obvious bunt situation. He's also patient: he created a huge offensive weapon in freshman second baseman Joey Wong, a left-handed hitter, by sticking with him when it was apparent he was overmatched against left-handers early in the year. But the experience got Wong, a superior defender, the stick time he needed to solve the problem. He's now hitting .417 in the CWS and .350 in 10 playoff games.

Q4. What Oregon State players should people keep an eye on not only in the championship series, but possibly in the majors?
According to the draft, the players to watch are relief pitcher Eddie Kunz (supplemental to the Mets), catcher Mitch Canham (supplemental to the Padres) and shortstop Darwin Barney (third player, fourth round, Cubs). Kunz is 6-5 and 250, throws in the mid-90s and is a pure power pitcher in the mold of Lee Arthur Smith, Armando Benitez, Goose Gossage (if you're old) or Dick Radatz (if you're REALLY old). Canham is 6-2 and 215, a left-handed power hitter and a terrific athlete behind the plate. He's excellent to second base. Barney is small (5-10, 170) but has extraordinary range and phenomenal baseball instincts. He could also wind up at second base, but he'll have to be a dependable two-hole hitter if he's going to make it. Wong will take over at shortstop the next two years and will probably be drafted as high or higher than Barney in 2009. If Reyes (6-2, 170) continues to develop as a pitcher, he should wind up as a first-round draft choice. Want a longshot? Joe Paterson, left-handed middle reliever, San Francisco Giants. Just a hunch.

Q5. What is up with the team going fishing before the games? Can you explain this a bit?
Fishing? Are you kidding? We're from the Northwest, where just about everybody fishes. Bass, trout, cod and all the salmon you can fit on a hook. Oregon and Washington -- where most of the players come from -- are very outdoorsy places. Just about everybody is a fisherman or hunter, hiker, camper, mountain climber or bicyclist and most are combinations of many of the above. Oregon State is on the Willamette River and 45 miles from the Pacific Ocean, so you can practically cast a baited hook out of your dorm window and catch breakfast. OK, that's an exaggeration, but fishing is a big part of the Northwest tapestry. The fishing thing in Omaha is just one of the many activities the people who run the CWS offer for off-day activities, and yesterday happened to coincide with a victory. These guys know how.

Once again, I want to thank Norm for his time....here are some other previews of the World Series...

ESPN

The Charlotte Observer's David Scott writes how Carolina head coach Mike Fox has adapted his style of coaching now that he is in Division I...

David Scott

The (Portland) Oregonian sports columnist Rachel Bachman writes how the World Series is a hot ticket around Omaha....

Rachel Bachman

Here are two interesting links which appeared on ESPN.com about Rosenblatt Stadium and the World Series going to other venues....

David Albright

Elizabeth Merrill

PROBABLE LINEUPS:
North Carolina Tar Heels
Batter (No.) Pos. AVG HR RBI
1. Reid Fronk (7) LF .319 11 56
2. Tom Fedroff (16) RF .342 5 40
3. Josh Horton (12) SS .335 9 53
4. Tim Federowicz (19) C .339 4 64
5. Dustin Ackley (13) 1B .403 9 72
6. Chad Flack (34) 3B .251 7 46
7. Kyle Seager (10) DH .314 2 30
8. Seth Williams (27) CF .289 9 42
9. Garrett Gore (4) 2B .325 22 7
Pitcher (No.) ERA W-L SV SO
Alex White (6) 4.74 6-6 0 81

Oregon State Beavers
Batter (No.) Pos. AVG HR RBI
1. Chris Hopkins (20) CF .260 22 5
2. Joey Wong (1) 2B .288 0 19
3. Mike Lissman (3) DH .325 10 61
4. Mitch Canham (11) C .321 10 57
5. Darwin Barney (6) SS .301 4 53
6. Jordan Lennerton (37) 1B .313 8 48
7. Scott Santschi (21) RF .280 1 10
8. John Wallace (35) LF .267 1 24
9. Lonnie Lechelt (15) 1B .223 2 11
Pitcher (No.) ERA W-L SV SO
Jorge Reyes (23) 3.00 6-3 0 61

Shawn Kemp - One of the mothers of his children - Nikki Giavasis

Currently in northeast Ohio there is an unfortunate incident ongoing where a pregnant woman named Jessie Davis has been missing.....one of the possible suspects is Canton, Ohio police officer Bobby Cutts, Jr who is the father of the child that Davis is carrying.....Cutts also has three other children with three other women....one of those women is a hot looking model named Nikki Giavasis (photo below), who is also from northeast Ohio....

To take it a step further, when Cutts and Giavasis broke up, Cutts went to her apartment, but when she did not answer, Cutts then broke down the door....and who was inside with Giavasis - none other that former Cleveland Cavalier Shawn Kemp....

Back in 2001, Giavasis admitted that Kemp was the father to her second child....she was interviewed by WEWS and stated, “"I could have cared less about his (Kemp) money, I loved him and he said he loved me," she said. "Getting pregnant, I wouldn't say I regret it because I love my son and he deserves a good life." At that time, in 2001, she was getting $2,500 a month from Kemp for child support, but wanted more....

If you want to check out more about Nikki Giavasis, here is her website....

Nikki Giavasis

Five Good Questions with . . . Erwin Ong of TennisServedFresh with a Wimbledom Preview

Today we have another preview of Wimbledon....Erwin Ong from TennisServedFresh gives us his preview of the big tournament....throughout Wimbledon, you can get Erwin's updates on his website at

Tennis Served Fresh - Wimbledon

Q1: I know you monitor the new trends in tennis wear. What isyour opinion about the tradition of players having to wear white at Wimbledon? What did you think about the white sports coat worn by Federer last year?
I have to admit it took me a few rounds to warm up to Roger's blazer last year. My initial thought was that he agreed blindly to a stylist's (or, gulp, publicists's) suggestion. The delivery was much more awkward than in concept (a blazer paired with tennis shorts and shoes -- yikes!). Instead, I argued for a button-up cardigan: much sleeker, much easier to pair with on-court attire, and the "RF" crest would have worked just as well. Ralph Lauren does it all the time. In the end I did enjoy the jacket. I'm all for mixing up what you wear on the court. Wearing white is a great tradition that we should keep around.

First, there's so much change going on with Wimbledon in the last few years: the players no longer need to bow/curtsy after every match, men's and women's winners get equal prize money, they've installed HawkEye technology on the show courts, and Centre Court will get a retractable roof. With all this going on, it's nice to have some things stay constant: strawberries and cream, Henman Hill, and tennis whites.

Second, I'd rather not leave it to players to find colors that complement the green grass. (My eyes are still adjusting from all the weird colors worn on the red clay courts at the French.) White is clean and appealing to the senses. And for us tennis fashionistas, consider Wimbledon our version of "Iron Chef": each player has to come up with a well-designed predominantly-white ensemble. So out of the closet come the accent colors, the accessories, the varying cuts, fabrics, and patterns of dresses. It's awesome. This year, look out for Roger's purple-trimmed shirt (with gold shoes), Serena's halter dress with an aqua trim on the hem (which she'll accessorize with a new Wilson racket laid with 22-carat gold leafing), and Stella McCartney's design for Maria Kirilenko: a sleeveless top with a point collar and ruffled front. Reebok designed a new dress for Mauresmo (part of a new collection), and adidas has also shown pictures of Ana Ivanovic's dress.

Q2: Andy Roddick traditionally plays well on grass as he was the runner-up twice at Wimbledon. What does he have to do this year in order to break through at Wimbledon?
Andy Roddick, along with every other ATP player NOT named Roger Federer, will have a huge uphill battle to win this year's title. All Roddick can do is play his game and hope for the best. His game works well on grass, he's still improving under the tutelage of Jimmy Connors, and he turned around his dismal first-round doubles loss at a Challenger (!) tournament with a title at the (Stella) Artois last week. He'll come into Wimbledon with confidence, which will be his best weapon against Federer.

Q3: Who are some "grass-court sleepers" with the gentlemen and ladies who can possibly make some noise at this tournament?
For those unfamiliar, Wimbledon seedings do not follow ATP Entry rankings. with the re-jiggering, 11th-ranked Czech Tomas Berdych was bumped to 7th, which means he wouldn't face anyone ranked higher than him until the quartefinals; I expect to see him through the second week. Australian (and 2002 men's winner) Lleyton Hewitt benefitted with a bump up to 16th seed, steering him clear of trouble until the 4th round; I expect him to make the second week as well. Up until Andy Murray's (photo) wrist injury two weeks ago, I would have expected the Scot to shine on his home court this year. Alas, the United Kingdom needs to wait until 2008 to crown a hometown hero, since Andy likely won't recover in time. On the women's side, I expect Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova to quietly get through the second week while the world continues to roll out the red carpet for the Serbians (Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic).

Q4: Being that Roger Federer is so dominant on the grass surface, do you think he is "ripe" to get picked off by someone in this tournament? If so, who could be that someone who does "the impossible?"
The only person that can beat Roger is Roger. If he's done rueing his loss in the French Open finals ("I couldn't care less how I played the last 10 months or the last 10 years. At the end of the day, I wanted to win that match.") and he's done wearing his clay insecurities on his Nike sleeve, then Wimbledon is a lock.

Q5. What's your predictions for the gentlemen and ladies champions and why?
As I'd said, I don't foresee anyone upending the folks we've generally seen at the top. Roger Federer will march his way through another title. While he might have been hampered with a thigh injury (forcing him to withdraw from last week's Wimbledon tune-up in Halle), he should be roaring to go. And he still has an edge over EVERYONE on grass, meaning, his weaknesses, which were so grossly exposed on clay, disappear on this surface.

And for the women, Justine Henin will take the crown again. She has put herself together after both missteps in her health, private life, and her dealings with the tennis public. While the bigger babes like (Ana) Ivanovic, (Jelena) Jankovic, and Serena might give her some trouble, Henin will be able to match them pound for pound. For men's doubles, I'm choosing (Daniel) Nestor and (Mark) Knowles (photo) over Mike and Bob Bryan. For women's doubles, Serena and Venus, who took a wildcard (and won this tournament in 2000 and 2002) likely won't win this time around.

I want to thank Erwin for his time and we will hear back from him as Wimbledon rolls on....

Five Good Questions with . . . Rick Vach of Tennis-X about Wimbledon

June 25th, the grass courts at Wimbledon will be open for another year....today one of our resident tennis experts, Rick Vach of the website Tennis-X, gives us his thoughts about what is going to go down at the All-England Club....

Tennis-X

Q1. Now that the clay court season is over, Rafael Nadal has to play the next two majors on surfaces (grass & hard court) that favor Roger Federer. What has Nadal done over the last year to improve his game on grass?
The better question is, what has Wimbledon and the ATP done to improve Nadal's game on grass and hardcourt? A lot. The grass is so slow nowadays in Wimbledon's effort to product more rallies, it plays like a hardcourt. Some of the hardcourt events are so slow, they play like a fast claycourt. Nadal is right at home in the new "Let's-slow-everything-down" scheme of things. Pete Sampras would have a problem if he were playing Wimbledon these days -- he'd see a lot more passing shots go by. That's why Roger Federer plies much of his trade at Wimbledon from the backcourt, which is ruining the grasscourt game.

I long for the days when Goran Ivanisevic and Mark Philippoussis served people off the court. Those were two guys with mediocre volleys who still came in all the time because when the lawns were slick, even crappy volleys worked wonders (see: Bjorn Borg). Players were encouraged to volley. Now even Tim Henman says he can't serve and volley at Wimbledon. Grasscourt play has been sanitized to the point where Tim Freaking Henman, the guy event organizers have wanted to see win all these years, says All England Club officials have screwed up the lawns and changed grasscourt tennis. Nadal has lightning-quick hands and feet and a champion's mentality, and that's all he needs to beat Federer on grass or hardcourts. With today's surface changes he can get away with a less-than-outstanding serve, and scamper around the baseline to win on the clay-like, high-bouncing slow lawns.

Q2. After that embarrassing performance by the American at Roland Garros, what do you expect from the top United States men, Roddick, Blake, and Fish, at Wimbledon?
There is no reason why Roddick and crew won't go deep at Wimbledon. As Roddick showed by his fourth Queen's Club title in a row last week, his confidence is always high on the grass and he's a pretty good bet to square off against Roger Federer in the final or semis. Blake is not great on grass but could go deep, same with Ginepri. Fish has no excuse not to go deep with his serve-and-volley skills. Grass is the surface for the wham-bam American-type game. On the women's side, no reason not to put Venus and Serena Williams among the title favorites, but the U.S. women's threat stops there.

Q3. The Williams sisters seem to thrive on grass and Sharapova already has a Wimbledon title under her belt. However, on the ladies side, is this tournament Justine Henin's to lose being that she never won at Wimbledon?
The world No. 1 Henin is not the favorite some think she is, though she is coming off a runner-up effort last year to Amelie Mauresmo. Depending whether the conditions are wet (as they have been in the run-up to Wimbledon) or dry this year, Henin will have a shot, but will have to deal with a lot of firepower to reach another final. So many of the top women just bang the ball off the forehand and backhand sides with little want for slice or volleying or dropshots or touch (Mauresmo was a refreshing departure last year), and that makes it a craps shoot on grass -- hard to call.

Q4. On the gentleman's side, can anything stop Federer at Wimbledon?
Injury maybe? Bronchitis? Mirka dumping him for Rafa? Two weeks of rain? Federer lost a couple claycourt matches to lower- (much lower-) ranked players during the beginning of the claycourt season as he was trying to mentally come to terms with breaking up with coach Tony Roche. Some outside influence or injury or bad clams or too-tight Nike underwear would have to come into play for Federer to exit Wimbledon without a title.

Q5. I have read there will be no roof at Wimbledon this year as they continued to refurbish the holy ground of tennis. What is your opinion about refurbishing Wimbledon? How do you feel about the traditions, such as players wearing white? When is that roof due, 2009? When did they start construction, 1984? No hurry All England Club Committee, try and finish it before you guys finish your term, or pass on. No, they do things slowly at Wimbledon, that's part of the scene and tradition -- there don't seem to be many traditions that hold up today in tennis, besides fans getting violently drunk during US Open night matches, so thumbs up to Wimbledon tradition.

Seeing players in white is a nice break from a lot of that ugly-ass Euro-wear (see: Tommy Robredo, who many times looks like he wears just whatever is clean) you see during the claycourt season. Note to European players: orange and black and blue and purple are colors, but aren't necessarily meant to be worn together. Yes, Wimbledon traditions such as all-white are wonderful I expect to most fans and players -- except for Frenchman Gael "Force" Monfils, who for two weeks has to refrain from dressing like a red and black Air Jordan shoe. And if Roger walks out on court in another crazy-ass suit coat and tennis shorts, more power to that -- except maybe this year he should wear black socks with his tennis shoes to complete the today-I-forgot-to-wear-pants look.

I want to thank Rick Vach for his time....we will hear from him again at the mid-point of Wimbledon....

Kobe Bryant - Is he bipolar?

I have come to the conclusion that Kobe Bryant is bipolar.....he does not know what he wants....he has mood swings.....first he wants to be “the man”....now he is crying that he needs help.....then he wants to leave the Lakers.....no wait, he changed his mind - now he wants to retire a Laker.....hold up, he just met with owner Jerry Buss and he now demands a trade....

It was determined by the “experts” and analysts on Sports Center and the sports talk shows that the Lakers should not trade Kobe because they would not get anyone in return of marquee value....that is true....Kobe is 28-years old, in his prime, and is one of the five best players in the game....but these analysts did not take into account the distraction that Kobe brings to the team.....

Kobe Bryant is another Terrell Owens - he is a cancer on a team....he is an egomaniac who wants all the attention and accolades but will not accept any blame if his team loses....a logical choice would be for him to be traded to Chicago....the Bulls have enough young players to pull off the trade, yet still keep enough quality players to help Kobe...but will that move take the Bulls to the next level?....I question that.....

I wrote in a previous blog entry that Kobe has not proven that he could carry a team through the NBA playoffs....LeBron James, who plays with less talent around him than Kobe does in L.A., was able to will the Cavs into the NBA Finals....yes we all know that Kobe has three rings - but those were because Shaq was the anchor on those championship teams.....

To me, Kobe is another Kevin Garnett or Tracy McGrady....a flashy player who can score a ton of points, but cannot win in the playoffs....maybe the dysfunctional Kobe would fit in well with another dysfunctional organization like the Knicks or Sixers....

This Associated Press article explains about a video that someone shot of Kobe blasting the Lakers....

Kobe video

Los Angeles Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke writes how Kobe has used the Laker fans....

Bill Plaschke

In an article written on May 31st, N.Y. Post reporter Marc Berman writes that a Kobe deal to the Knicks is unlikely....

Marc Berman

Terry Hoeppner Dies

TERRY HOEPPNER

1948 - 2007

National League All-Star Team

Yesterday I gave my selections for the American League All-Star game....today I take my shot at the National League....

Catcher - Russell Martin, Los Angeles - the kid is quietly doing the job (.288, 7, 41)
First base - Prince Fielder, Milwaukee - Pujols may be da man, but this year Prince is da king (.290, 25, 54)
Second base - Chase Utley, Philadelphia - quickly becoming the best in the business (.320, 12, 54)
Third base - Miguel Cabrera, Florida - David Wright gets all the press, but Cabrera may be the best player in the league (.332, 16, 51)
Shortstop - Jose Reyes, New York - Reyes is the most dynamic player in the game (.318, 3, 32, 37 sb)
Outfield - Matt Holliday, Colorado - no one outside of the Rockies knows about him (.363, 12, 53)
Outfield - Ken Griffey, Jr, Cincinnati - Junior is having a nice season (.287, 18, 43)
Outfield - Barry Bonds, San Francisco - I may not like him, but the game is played at his house (.287, 14, 31)
Starting pitcher - Jake Peavy, San Diego - the best pitcher in baseball (8-1, 1.82, 103)

The reserves are....
Catcher - Bengie Molina, San Francisco (.295, 6, 33)
First base - Albert Pujols, St. Louis (.305, 16, 45)
First base - Dmitri Young, Washington (.333, 7, 34)
Second base - Freddy Sanchez, Pittsburgh (.296, 1, 23)
Third base - David Wright, New York (.281, 12, 37)
Shortstop - Hanley Ramirez, Florida (.322, 8, 21, 22 sb)
Outfield - Carlos Lee, Houston (.299, 11, 55)
Outfield - Aaron Rowand, Philadelphia (.325, 10, 38)
Outfield - Alfonso Soriano, Chicago (.294, 11, 23)
Outfield - Eric Byrnes, Arizona (.307, 10, 35)

Starting pitcher - John Smoltz, Atlanta (R) (8-3, 2.84, 76)
Starting pitcher - Cole Hamels, Philadelphia (L) (9-2, 3.47, 104)
Starting pitcher - Brad Penny, Los Angeles (R) (8-1, 2.18, 61)
Starting pitcher - Ben Sheets, Milwaukee (R) (7-3, 3.31, 61)
Starting pitcher - Oliver Perez, New York (L) (7-5, 2.93, 76)
Starting pitcher - Matt Morris, San Francisco (R) (7-4, 3.21, 48)
Starting pitcher - Brandon Webb, Arizona (R) (7-4, 3.14, 90)
Closer - Takashi Saito, Los Angeles (R) (1-0, 1.61, 19 saves)
Closer - Francisco Cordero, Milwaukee (R) (0-1, 2.45, 25 saves)
Closer - Trevor Hoffman, San Diego (R) (2-3, 2.08, 19 saves)
Closer - Brian Fuentes, Colorado (L) (0-0, 2.01, 18 saves)

Analysis - The National League have a bunch of "clump" players....and by that, I mean there are many quality and deserving players clumped at one position....take for instance shortstop....I went with Reyes and Ramirez, but could have easily taken Edgar Renteria (Atlanta), Jimmy Rollins (Philadelphia), J.J. Hardy (Milwaukee)....the same could be said at first base where Derek Lee of the Cubs and Todd Helton of the Rockies was left off....the Cubs have only 1 representative and I went with Alfonso Soriano because he is starting to swing a hot stick and he is capable of stealing bases, which gave him the nod over Lee....

It was a lot easier getting left-handed pitching in the National League compared to the American League....I have four southpaws, with Oliver Perez being one of the last players to make the team....I went with Perez because #1 he is a southpaw, and #2 last year this time he was down in the minors wondering if he would ever get his head straightened out - and he did....the one player I love on this team is Hanley Ramirez....most people don't know about him....but he was Boston's prize prospect who they traded in order to get Josh Beckett....it looks like it worked out for both teams....

The statistics were through Sunday, June 17th

American League All-Star Team

There are less than 2 weeks left to vote in this year's All-Star Game....voting ends Thursday, June 28th....so I figure this is the best time to give my selections for this year's 30 man roster.....today I am focusing on the American League and tomorrow it will be the National League....here are my starters....

Catcher - Jorge Posada, New York - he is one of the leaders in hitting (.349, 8, 41)
First base - David Ortiz, Boston - even though Papi is usually a D.H. he gets the nod here (.332, 11, 42)
Second base - Placido Polanco, Detroit - how can you deny a guy hitting over .340 (.345, 1, 33)
Third base - Alex Rodriguez, New York - he is having a monster year (.306, 25, 68)
Shortstop - Derek Jeter, New York - he is up there in average, hits, and leadership (.335, 4, 31)
Outfield - Magglio Ordonez, Detroit (photo) - Mags is up there with A-Rod for MVP (.365, 13, 61)
Outfield - Ichiro, Seattle - this guys never slows down (.342, 5, 32, 25 sb)
Outfield - Vlad Guerrero, Anaheim - every year he is predicted to slow down because of injuries - yeh right (.333, 12, 61)
Starting pitcher - Chi Chi Sabathia, Cleveland - fans don't pick pitchers but he would be my man to start (9-2, 3.19, 96)

Now for the reserves.....
Catcher - Pudge Rodriguez, Detroit (.300, 7, 39)
Second base - Brian Roberts, Baltimore (.306, 2, 17, 22 sb)
Second base - B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay (.320, 9, 31)
Third/First base - Kevin Youkilis, Boston (.329, 8, 33)
Shortstop - Orlando Cabrera, Anaheim (.336, 3, 37)
Outfield - Torii Hunter, Minnesota (.312, 14, 54)
Outfield - Alex Rios, Toronto (.292, 15, 39)
Outfield - Grady Sizemore, Cleveland (.286, 11, 32, 20 sb)

Pitchers
Johan Santana, Minnesota (L) (6-6, 3.19, 105Ks)
Brian Bannister, Kansas City (R) (3-3, 2.91, 28)
Dan Haren, Oakland (R) (8-2, 1.64, 84)
Chad Gaudin, Oakland, (R) (6-1, 2.85, 53)
Erik Bedard, Baltimore (L) (4-4, 3.64, 112)
James Shields, Tampa Bay (R) (6-1, 3.30, 85)
John Lackey, Anaheim (R) (10-4, 2.53, 71)
Justin Verlander, Detroit (R) (7-2, 2.79, 68)
Josh Beckett, Boston (R) (9-1, 3.39, 68)
Akinori Otsuka, Texas (R) (1-1, 2.10, 4 saves)
Francisco Rodriguez, Anaheim (R) (0-2, 2.51, 21 saves)
J.J. Putz, Seattle (R) (0-0, 1.19, 19 saves) - photo
Bobby Jenks, Chicago (R) (2-2, 2.52, 17 saves)

Analysis - The All-Star team is comprised of 30 players, but it was still difficult to pick the most deserving....the most difficult part of selecting the pitching staff was to find quality southpaws after Sabathia.....the Orioles Eric Bedard made the team because he leads the A.L. in strikeouts and is a left-hander....Santana is not having a Santana-like year, but I needed another lefty...Andy Pettitte is deserving with his 2.93 era, but just missed out...some may wonder why Fausto Caromona did not make the team....he has more wins than Santana, but they both have similar ERAs - plus Santana has more strikeouts and is a southpaw...Texas and Kansas City do not deserve anyone on this team....I was going to take Mark Texiera as the Rangers representative but he is banged up....Kelvim Escobar and Jeremy Bonderman lost out because of the K.C. and Texas representatives....it looks like A-Rod will have to play the entire game at third....Youkilis is a nice pick because he provides diversity being that he can play either third or first...

I know I went with 3 second basemen, but Roberts and Upton are truly deserving even though I could whack one of them from the team because I have a Baltimore and Tampa representative also on the pitching staff.....many people do not realize that James Shields is throwing some solid ball down in the Sunshine State for the D-Rays.....the last spot was between Grady Sizemore, Manny Ramirez, Joe Mauer, and Mike Lowell....the nod went to Sizemore because he can hit and has speed if needed late in the game....

Note - Statistics were based on Saturday, June 16th

The Sunday Baker's Dozen

Denver Post sports columnist Mark Kiszla writes how Tiger Woods may be on the verge of fatherhood, but the memory of his dad is still there on Father's Day...

Mark Kiszla

Washington Post reporter Les Carpenter writes how former Cleveland Brown Bernie Parrish is fighting for better pensions for retired NFL players....

Les Carpenter

Boston Globe sports columnist is excited that he can listen to the great Vin Scully on his XM radio...

Bob Ryan

Los Angeles Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke is at the U.S. Open and hoping a guy named Bubba who scratches his back with his putter wins the thing....

Bill Plaschke

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel sports columnist writes how Barry Bonds' chase for The Record has slowed down....he only wishes it was over already....

Tom Haudricourt

Newark Star-Ledger reporter M.A. Mehta writes about the legendary blow-up between Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson....

M.A. Mehta

New York Daily News reporter Michael Daly writes how "big time" businesses are using government subsidies to move back to Ground Zero...

Michael Daly

New York Daily News reporter Thomas Zambito writes that Michael Jackson was almost swindled out of his money by friends and family....

Thomas Zambito

Former Atlanta Brave Dale Murphy tells Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Carroll Rogers he believes Barry Bonds took something to help pump upp his homerun numbers....

Carroll Rogers

Miami Herald sports columnist Dan Le Batard writes how baseball's "childish" acts are just part of the game....

Dan Le Batard

Indianapolis Star sports columnist Bob Kravitz writes how Indiana University athletic director Rick Greenspan had to make a difficult decision about the university's football program...

Bob Kravitz

Boston Globe reporter Stan Grossfeld writes how former Red Sox slugger Mo Vaughn is working to help provide low-income housing to people in need....

Stan Grossfeld

St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer tell how Oakland Athletics managing partner Lew Wolff is rooting against his childhood team this weekend....

Rick Hummel

Five Good Questions with . . . Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic about the Diamondbacks

Today "Five Good Questions" is with Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic....Nick is the D-backs beat writer for the paper...

Q1. A few years back the Diamondbacks began a youth movement in which they purged themselves of many veterans. Arizona is near first place about 10 games over .500. How come the youth movement was so successful so fast?
First of all, you have to give a lot of credit to the previous regime that was in place before Josh Byrnes & Co. took over in Nov. 2005. GM Joe Garagiola Jr. and his staff – in particular scouting director Mike Rizzo – did a fantastic job in the draft to stock the system and then held tightly to those coveted young players. Players like Conor Jackson, Carlos Quentin, Stephen Drew, Micah Owings, Justin Upton (who’s tearing up Double A), et al, are all homegrown. Then Byrnes came in and kept the team moving in the same direction, making trades for affordable, younger players like Orlando Hudson and Chris Young and beefed up the pitching staff with trades for Livan Hernandez, Doug Davis and Randy Johnson. The pitching in particular is probably the biggest reason they’ve been able to stay above .500 this season.

Q2. Arizona is the hottest team in the National League and did well on their east coast swing in which they played the N.Y. Mets. However,over the weekend the D-backs have had problems with the Boston Red Sox. What did you learn about the Diamondbacks and are they ready to "play with the big boys"?
It’s hard to really tell much from three games, particularly when Brandon Webb wasn’t one of the starting pitchers – and we all know how important he is to the success of this team – but it did appear as if they were a notch below the Red Sox, who, remember, were playing without the designated hitter. The Diamondbacks lineup doesn’t have the top-to-bottom depth of the Red Sox, and their bullpen had some trouble in two of the games. I’m sure the Diamondbacks are hopeful that their players like Drew and Quentin will be bigger threats as they get more at-bats and experience.

Q3. Who are a few quality players on the team that many people on the east coast have not heard about just because they play in Arizona?
Two young pitchers come to mind: Micah Owings and Tony Pena. Neither get a whole lot of pub, but both have done quite well thus far. Owings, who was a combined 16-2 in the minor leagues last season, has a 3.76 ERA. Although he has all of 52 2/3 major league innings under his belt, looking at the way he attacks hitters and his mound comportment, you’d think he were a 10-year veteran. Nothing fazes him. And he’ll throw pretty much any pitch in any situation. Pena is a guy whom the club converted from a starter to a reliever before last season and he really took to it right away, dominating in the minor leagues before getting a second-half callup. He has been close to overpowering pitching the seventh or eighth inning for Bob Melvin this year, effectively mixing his mid-90s fastball and hard slider. I absolutely agree with the club’s long-term vision of him as a closer.

Q4. What areas must the Diamondbacks improve upon during the season? Do you think they will be active before the trade deadline? If so, who would be someone that the team covets?
Their offense has been hit or miss all season. They’ve got to get more production from guys like Quentin and Drew. They’ve got to stay healthy, too. Quentin, Tracy, Drew, Chris Young – all have had injuries of varying degrees throughout the season. They need these guys healthy and productive. It’s really tough to tell whether they’ll be active at the deadline. They could probably use another solid reliever, but they may feel they have some guys in Triple-A – Medders at the moment, if they can get him straightened out – who can help out eventually. Another bat would help, too, but I just don’t see that kind of trade happening.

Q5. Living on the east coast I have to ask, why did the organization change team colors from purple to red? What do you think of the switch?
The team listed a few different reasons, including television stations having trouble matching their graphics colors accurately to the team jerseys, but I think it had a lot to do with the club’s new ownership group wanting to kind of put their stamp on the organization. Since Jerry Colangelo was forced out in Aug. 2004 and Ken Kendrick and Jeff Moorad have been running day-to-day operations, there have been all kinds of changes, including the team president, the GM, VPs, the PR director, and I kind of lump the color change in with all that. I like the switch. Granted, they look a whole lot like some other teams in baseball, like Houston, for example, but I think they’re pretty sharp.

Q5a. One extra question, what is your opinion about Barry Bonds and "The Record"?
You know, I just sat here and wrote an answer ripping Bonds, then read it and decided I wanted to defend him, at which point I just deleted both answers and started again. I guess I don’t feel strongly about this. It’s a really tough situation, one of those where it seems like any opinion is valid. I can see both sides. A lot of guys were doing steroids and he still hit the home runs. Then again, if there’s so much evidence (granted, no known failed drug test) against him, it’s hard to consider it a clean record. I guess I’m just glad that I’ve got about seven years before I’m eligible to vote for the Hall of Fame. Plenty of time to make up my mind.....

I want to thank Nick for his time....he has been traveling across the country the last two weeks with the D-Backs playing in New York then heading home for a week then coming back to New York for a series with the Yankees....

College World Series Preview - Rice and Arizona State

Today we have another doubleheader.....first up is Moisekapenda Bower of the Houston Chronicle who gives his thoughts about the Rice Owls baseball team......he is followed by Jeff Metcalfe of the Arizona Republic who covers the Arizona State Sun Devils....now batting first, Moisekapenda Bower...

Q1. The Rice Owls are headed back to the College World Series again. Last season they finished third. How would you compare this year's team to that of last year's?
The Owls' pitching depth is superior this time around. Last season, All-American lefthander Joe Savery was unable to take the mound because of lingering shoulder discomfort, and while he hasn't dominated this season, he has been stout on the hill. Toss in Freshman Pitcher of the Year (as named by Collegiate Baseball) Ryan Berry and Matt Langwell, who has been virtually untouchable for six weeks, and the Owls have a strong three-man rotation. Their fourth starter, Chris Kelley, has yet to pitch in the NCAA Tournament, but he closed the season on a roll. Relievers Cole St. Clair and Bobby Bramhall, both lefthanders, have been exceptional, too. Of course, the Owls' pitching wasn't the problem when they were shut out in back-to-back games by eventual national champion Oregon State at the 2006 College World Series. Their offense has less power this season (.466 slugging percentage as compared to .504 in 2006), and the Owls have slumped at the plate in the NCAA Tournament (22 runs and a .275 average in five games).

Q2. Joe Savery is the star of this team. What can you tell the readers about Savery?
Savery has been the focal point of his teams since Little League. He was a two-sport standout athlete in high school, and has shouldered an enormous burden in his three seasons at Rice. He was the most ballyhooed recruit of the Owls' current crop of talented juniors, and is arguably the top two-way player in the nation. When one takes into account what is asked of Savery - shut down the opposition when on the mound, and hit in the heart of the order while producing runs, it's hard to imagine any one player nationally having more responsibility.

Q3. What type of coach is Wayne Graham? Does he manage "by the book" or is he a "gut-type" of manager?
Graham certainly does things by feel. Of course, he, like any other coach/manager, plays the percentages in most situations, but he does occasionally make moves that go contrary to the book. He'll tinker with his lineup depending on the opposing starter, but he doesn't automatically go lefty-vs-righty in every scenario. He shows trust in his players, and that impacts who pitches, who runs the bases, who plays defense, and who takes a bat to the plate.

Q4. What other Rice players, besides Savery, should people keep an eye on?
Junior shortstop Brian Friday may be the most versatile hitter on the team, and when he is in sync defensively, he can be brilliant. Junior catcher Danny Lehmann is an outstanding handler of pitchers and a sound situational hitter - he has only 14 strikeouts in 177 at-bats. Sophomore left fielder/second baseman/designated hitter Aaron Luna is mired in a miserable slump in the NCAA Tournament, but he was scorching at the Conference USA tournament. Junior reliever Bobby Bramhall has an exceptional changeup, and junior closer Cole St. Clair has shown a flair of the dramatic while escaping jams. He missed the first two months of the season with a shoulder injury, and while he hasn't returned to his 2006 All-American form, has been solid nonetheless.

Q5. Rice will more than likely be one of the top seeds, if not the #1 seed. What is your prediction for Rice in the tournament?
The Owls certainly have the pitching to win it all. What remains to be seen is whether they can muster the offense to win five games in Omaha. Their half of the bracket is manageable, but they will need a jolt of offense to beat a team like Arizona State in the championship series.

Now up is Jeff Metcalfe about the Arizona State Sun Devils....

Q1. You wrote that this may be ASU's best team since the 1981 team. Why is that? What are their strengths?
Arizona State hits .350 as a team, not far off the school record .356 set by the 1981 and '99 teams. The Sun Devils don't have as much power as the '81 team, which slammed 110 home runs. But they have 150 doubles to go with 75 homers and lead the nation with a 9.5-run scoring average.

Q2. Brent Wallace was the PAC-10 Player of the Year. What can you tell us about him?
Wallace hit .371 as a freshman only to be overshadowed by (teammate and son for former major leaguer Ron Day) Ike Davis, 2006 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. This season it's been the reverse. Wallace is hitting .423 and dominated the Pac-10 in every significant offensive category. He's a team-first guy from Sonoma, Calif., who grew up wanting to play for ASU. The best thing about Wallace is that no matter how eye-popping his stats, it's never about him but rather about what he can do for the Sun Devils.

Q3. Who are some of the other key players for the Sun Devils who we need to keep an eye on? Who has major-league baseball potential?
Second baseman Eric Sogard, undrafted out of high school, was a second-round pick last week by San Diego. He is a Phoenix-area player who epitomizes the kind of improvement that can occur at an elite level college program. The addition of former major league infielder Andy Stankiewicz turned Wallace (first base), Sogard, Andrew Romine (shortstop) and Matt Hall (among others at third base) into a stellar defensive unit. ASU leads the nation in fielding percentage. Others to watch include outfielder Matt Spencer, who reached the 2006 College World Series championship series with North Carolina; Davis, son of former major league pitcher Ron Davis; Romine, whose father Kevin was on the 1981 ASU title team and is the only regular returning from the Sun Devils' 2005 CWS third-place team; and the pitching foursome of Mike Leake, Josh Satow, Brian Flores and closer Jason Jarvis.

Q4. What type of coach is Pat Murphy? Does he manage "by the book" or is he a "gut-type" of manager?
Murphy, in his 13th season at ASU and going to Omaha for the third time, is a media dream. He's just as likely to go off about Springsteen or boxing as he is about baseball although get him started on respect/the game and the sport's place in the cosmos and be prepared for a long conversation. He can play traditional small ball early in a game to get a lead but certainly can't be labeled as a by-the-book coach. He makes creative use of his entire roster and during the postseason switched to CJ Retherford at third base, who has come through with his first three home runs of the season. The Sun Devils are good enough to win by playing it straight, but Murphy takes chances on the base paths to force action and loves to tinker with defensive replacements. He'll give up the designated hitter at times and let Jarvis hit in that spot, who's come through with four doubles in 15 at-bats.

Q5. What is your prediction for Omaha? Who will win it all?
ASU lost in a regional at Rice last year without getting a chance to play the Owls. The Sun Devils also came within a game of the CWS championship series in 2005, but fell short of playing Texas for the title. I like ASU's chances of getting out of its bracket into the best-of-3 final and hopefully facing Rice to make up for the missed opportunity in '06. Murphy's teams were second in 1998 and third in 2005. This feels like the breakthrough team that puts him into national-championship company with ASU's College Baseball Hall of Fame coaches Bobby Winkles and Jim Brock.

I want to thank both reporters for taking their time to respond.....it is much appreciated....here are some links to check out...

San Antonio News-Express sports columnist Buck Harvey salutes the four-time champion Spurs...

Buck Harvey

It was a day of joy and disappointment for LeBron...

Bill Livingston

N.Y. Daily News basketball writer Mitch Lawrence rips LeBron for his game 4 performance and also takes a shot at the Spurs for being "dull"...

Mitch Lawrence

N.Y. Post basketball columnist Pete Vecsey gives his final thoughts on The Finals...

Pete Vecsey

Washington Post columnist Tom Boswell gives his thoughts on the first day of the U.S. Open...

Tom Boswell

The N.Y. Post previews the big Subway Series between the Mets and Yankees...

Yankees-Mets Preview

For those who like reading about serial killers, the N.Y. Daily News is doing a special on The Son of Sam -- 30 years later...

Son of Sam

The College World Series - N. Carolina & Mississippi State Previews

Today I begin a preview of the College Baseball World Series which begins on Friday at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha.....the first round games are as follows: Rice (54-12) vs. Louisville (46-22); North Carolina (53-13) vs. Mississippi State (38-20); U.C. Irvine (45-15-1) vs. Arizona State (46-13); Oregon State (44-18) vs. Cal State Fullerton (38-23).....Oregon State is the defending champions....

Ken Tysiac of The Charlotte Observer gives us his thoughts about the North Carolina Tar Heels.....also today, Kyle Veazey of the Jackson (Miss) Clarion-Ledger gives us the lowdown on the Mississippi State Bulldogs....I want to thank both reporters for their time.....let’s start off with Ken and his thoughts about the Tar Heels.....

Q1. This is the second straight year that the Tar Heels made the College World Series. What is the difference between last year's team and this year's team?
Last year's team had dominating starting pitching with Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard. Robert Woodard, who befuddled Clemson in last year's College World Series, still is a strong No. 1 starter for the Tar Heels, but Alex White and Luke Putkonen aren't as reliable. This year's team has a better bullpen, though, with Andrew Carignan as a hard-throwing closer and Rob Wooten emerging as a set-up man whose breaking stuff is baffling.

Q2. What is the strength of this team?
In the NCAA tournament, North Carolina's comeback ability has been its strength. The Tar Heels have come from behind in their last four wins, including rallies from six-run and three-run deficits against South Carolina in the super regional. The aforementioned bullpen is one reason for that. Opponents who get leads can't extend them against the likes of Wooten and Carignan.

Q3. Who are some of the key players for the Tar Heels who we need to keep an eye on? Who has major-league baseball potential?
Shortstop Josh Horton is a second-round pick of the Oakland A's. He probably will play a different position as a pro because he's not a wizard defensively, but should be an excellent third baseman or outfielder in the pros. Carignan has been clocked at 97 miles per hour on the radar gun and is a fifth-round choice of the A's. First baseman Dustin Ackley was probably the best freshman in college baseball this season and is a fantastic hitter, though he's been cold at the plate in the NCAA tournament.

Q4. What type of coach is Mike Fox? Does he manage "by the book" or is he a "gut-type" of manager?
It's difficult to place Fox in one of those categories. I would describe him as low-key coach whose greatest asset is demonstrating confidence in his players. They believe they can win no matter how far they get behind now, and that will make them dangerous in Omaha.

Q5. What is your prediction for Omaha? Who will win it all?
North Carolina is the only team I've seen in person, so it's difficult for me to judge. Rice is probably the team to beat, but Oregon State has an edge in experience as defending champion. Just like Florida in the men's basketball tournament, it's tough to pick against Oregon State.

Now Kyle Veazey about Mississippi State....

Q1. This is the first time in nine years that the Bulldogs are going to Omaha. Why is this team so different compared to past Mississippi State teams?
This program had really fallen into a rut of being good enough to get to a regional and that's it, and it had started to show in things like attendance, lack of confidence in (head coach) Ron Polk, etc. But you kind of felt from the get-go that this team didn't care anything about that, and that they're a loose, joking, fun-loving group of guys. I can't even begin to count how many players I've interviewed that have said there are no cliques, no animosity, no arrogance in the locker room. I'm usually not the kind who buys into emotion over execution, but it's hard to deny it with this club.

Q2. What is the strength of this team?
It's a hitting team, no question about it. The pitching is adequate, but as I just got finished writing for a story for tomorrow, there is no ace, and they don't make any bones about it. The team lives and dies on hitting, and it died for a few weeks there in May when it wasn't doing that too well. Once the confidence returned to hitting in Tallahassee -- and Brandon Turner returned, too -- this was the club we saw back in March and April.

Q3. Who are some of the key players for the Bulldogs who we need to keep an eye on? Who has major-league baseball potential?
As for the guys who just got drafted, Ed Easley is going to be wildly successful at the next level. He's a prototypical catcher, and that's a commodity. Don't count out Jeffrey Rea, a hitting machine who is small but has always overcome the odds. As for the young guys on this team, you take one look at how Brandon Turner approaches hitting and swings the bat in BP, and you get the impression he'll be a rich, rich man one day. He's just a freshman right now.

Q4. Over 12,000 fans attended the game on Saturday night against Clemson. What does it mean for the Starkville area and the Miss. State campus for the team to make it to Omaha?
It means everything. Mississippi State has had football success but has never been a sustained power, and the economic disparity in the SEC still has the odds stacked against it. There has been recent success in basketball, but still not at the postseason level. Baseball, ever since the 1980s, has been the sport at which this fan base has been able to poke its chest out. MSU baseball is one of the nation's top programs. And to get back to that level of postseason success that was once so commonplace here, well, it's such a great feeling for MSU fans. The fan support this weekend wasn't a surprise, really. People have been waiting to go nuts over this team for a long time.

Q5. What is your prediction for Omaha? Who will win it all?
I don't let predictions interfere with good, unbiased journalism, so allow me to diplomatically duck this question. I do think Arizona State is a team to watch out for in the other bracket. And unfortunately for the team I cover, my gut says a North Carolina team that's back from the national title series last year is going to be a team to watch out for in the top bracket. But why not Mississippi State? If it plays as hot as it has these past two weeks, it's as good as any of the other seven clubs.

I want to thank both reporters for their time....it is much appreciated...tomorrow we will hear from M.K. Bower of the Houston Chronicle about the Rice Owls and Jeff Metcalfe of the Arizona Republic about the Arizona State Sun Devils....here are a few links to check out...

For the best coverage of the College World Series, go to the Omaha World-Herald at the link below...

Omaha World-Herald

The U.S. Open opens today at Oakmont, which is near Pittsburgh....the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has every eagle, birdie, and bogey covered...

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Cavs do need a miracle to win even just 1 game, and they may have a start with the nuns who cheer on the team...The Plain Dealer's Laura Johnston has it covered...

Laura Johnston

The Washington Post's Michael Wilbon writes how King James needs some more soldiers if he wants a bigger kingdom...

Michael Wilbon

Guest Columnist - Brian from OneMoreDyingQuail gives his All-Star Selections

My newest, bestest friend, Brian, from the blog onemoredyingquail is today's guest columnist as he provides his selections for this year's All-Star Game in San Francisco...I encourage you to check out his blog

1 More Dying Quail

What you see below is proof positive that I should never, ever be in charge of putting together an All-Star team. Two starters for the Yankees, a team that until a week ago was dead in the water? Are you serious? And I'm a Red Sox fan! This should be illegal. Rest assured, it used to be worse – at one point, if you can imagine it, I had two Devil Rays in the starting nine.

Yes, I feel I know a lot about baseball – why do you ask? But anyway…all this crappiness shouldn't stop me from trying to put together the perfect squad, right? Right. So here we go, two teams – first the starters, then the reserves, then the pitchers. In a perfect world, we'll end up with a pair of 25-man rosters representing every team in the American and National Leagues. I refuse, however, to sink so low as including someone the likes of Mark Redman. I'll take a minor leaguer first.
American League - Starters
Catcher – Jorge Posada, New York Yankees (.358 BA, 7 HR, 40 RBI) - (photo)
First Base – David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (.330, 11, 42)
Second Base – B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Devil Rays (.320, 9, 41)
Third Base – Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (.304, 24, 63)
Shortstop – Orlando Cabrera, Los Angeles Angels (.335, 3, 35)
Outfield – Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians (.285, 11, 32)
Outfield – Torii Hunter, Minnesota Twins (.308, 13, 49)
Outfield – Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers (.367, 13, 56)

Bench
Catcher - Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians (.319, 12, 54)
First Base – Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins (.273, 17, 46)
Shortstop – Michael Young, Texas Rangers (.284, 4, 36)
Center Field – Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Devil Rays (.304, 6, 38)
Utility – Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox (.336, 8, 32)

Starting Pitcher – Danny Haren, Oakland Athletics (7-2 W-L, 1.58 ERA, 76 K)
Starting Pitcher – Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox (9-0, 2.88, 67)
Starting Pitcher – John Lackey, Los Angeles Angels (9-4, 2.60, 67)
Starting Pitcher – Gil Meche, Kansas City Royals (3-6, 3.16, 68)
Starting Pitcher – Chad Gaudin, Oakland Athletics (6-1, 2.43, 51)
Starting Pitcher – C.C. Sabathia, Cleveland Indians (9-1, 3.09, 89)
Starting Pitcher – Erik Bedard, Baltimore Orioles (4-4, 3.72, 103)
Relief Pitcher – J.J. Putz, Seattle Mariners (18 saves, 1.23, 31)
Relief Pitcher – Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles Angels (19 saves, 2.36, 37)
Relief Pitcher – Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox (17 saves, 2.59, 23)
Relief Pitcher – Brian Tallett, Toronto Blue Jays (2-1, 1.80, 20)
Relief Pitcher – Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins (14 saves, 1.98, 28)

National League - Starters
Catcher – Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers (.299, 7, 40) - (photo)
First Base – Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers (.298, 23, 51)
Second Base – Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies (.302, 11, 48)
Third Base – Miguel Cabrera, Florida Marlins (.333, 14, 47)
Shortstop – Jose Reyes, New York Mets (.310, 2, 28)
Outfield – Matt Holliday, Colorado Rockies (.352, 10, 46)
Outfield – Ken Griffey, Jr., Cincinnati Reds (.284, 15, 36)
Outfield – Eric Byrnes, Arizona Diamondbacks (.319, 9, 33)

Bench
Catcher – Bengie Molina, San Francisco Giants (.308, 6, 33)
First Base – Dmitri Young, Washington Nationals (.342, 6, 33)
First Base – Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (.299, 15, 40)
Shortstop – Edgar Renteria, Atlanta Braves (.325, 9, 33)
Outfield – Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants (.276, 12, 28)
Outfield – Jason Bay, Pittsburgh Pirates (.286, 11, 45)

Starting Pitcher – Jake Peavy, San Diego Padres (7-1, 1.97, 95)
Starting Pitcher – Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies (8-2, 3.57, 96)
Starting Pitcher – Rich Hill, Chicago Cubs (5-4, 2.71, 74)
Starting Pitcher – Brad Penny, Los Angeles Dodgers (7-1, 2.26, 54)
Starting Pitcher – John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves (7-3, 2.83, 69)
Starting Pitcher – John Maine, New York Mets (6-3, 2.78, 66)
Starting Pitcher – Ben Sheets, Milwaukee Brewers (6-3, 3.21, 54)
Relief Pitcher – Takashi Saito, Los Angeles Dodgers (17 saves, 1.73, 32)
Relief Pitcher – Billy Wagner, New York Mets (14 saves, 1.65, 36)
Relief Pitcher – Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres (18 saves, 2.16, 17)
Relief Pitcher – Jose Valverde, Arizona Diamondbacks (21 saves, 3.33, 29)
Relief Pitcher – Francisco Cordero, Milwaukee Brewers (22 saves, 2.05, 37)

So who comes out of this mess with the win? The counterintuitive choice would be the National League. The Senior Circuit representatives have dropped 15 of 19 since 1988, including the last nine that didn't end in a tie, which I believe is what those folks who believe in statistical analysis refer to as a "trend" (or maybe it's a "fluke" – I really don't know). My heart says that choosing the National League is the way to go – all streaks have to end at some point – but my brain is telling me to take the dominant American League (home field advantage, baby!), so that's the direction I'm headed. AL 7, NL 3, with Upton (photo) announcing his presence with authority and winning the MVP.

I want to thank Brian for his time and effort with his selections....it is much appreciated...

Here are today's links
For one time the referee does not call a foul on Bruce Bowen....

Buck Harvey

Akron Beacon-Journal’s Terry Pluto writes how everything is not going the Cavs way in the series...

Terry Pluto

Detroit Tigers Justin Verlander throws a no-hitter last night against the Milwaukee Brewers...

Detroit Free Press

Washington Post’s John “Junior” Feinstein writes about who is better - Tiger or Roger?...

John Feinstein

Detroit Free-Press’ Mitch Albom writes about his interview with Jack Kevorkian...

Mitch Albom

Blogger gets booted from NCAA event

Here is a new issue for bloggers.....on Sunday The Louisville Courier-Journal’s Brian Bennett was submitting a live blog during game 3 of the Louisville-Oklahoma State Super Regional game in Louisville, Kentucky when he was told by an NCAA representative in the bottom of the fifth inning that blogging from an NCAA championship even is against NCAA policies....Bennett had done live blogging during the previous two games.....the NCAA official then revoked Bennett’s credentials and asked him to leave....

On Monday night I emailed Bennett to get his side of the story.....he responded with the following:
I've been advised by the newspaper not to do any interviews on this subject at this time. Thanks for your interest, Brian
The following links have more detail about the incident including Bennett’s take....

Brian Bennett describes the incident....

Brian Bennett Blog

This is the report which appeared on ESPN.com.....

ESPN

Courier-Journal reporter Rick Bozich reports on Bennett being asked to stop blogging.....

Rick Bozich

Sopranos
Why are so many people upset with the Sopranos ending?....I have heard and read how people were disappointed because there was no “closure” and things were no “tied up”......what????.....I thought the ending was excellent.....the closure was the fact that life goes on for Tony Soprano.....Tony will always have to deal with indictments, the feds, looking over his shoulder as who may be trying to whack him, and just the plain old simple family issues that we all face everyday.....

Even the lyrics indicate that Tony is “the chosen one” and somehow he always survives the problems he faces.....throughout the series, Tony survived two incidents where he was shot, a troubled marriage, partners who flipped on him, etc.....here are the lyrics:

You woke up this morning
Got yourself a gun,
Mama always said you'd be
The Chosen One.

She said: You're one in a million
You've got to burn to shine,
But you were born under a bad sign,
With a blue moon in your eyes.

You woke up this morning
All the love has gone,
Your Papa never told you
About right and wrong.

But you're looking good, baby,
I believe you're feeling fine, (shame about it),
Born under a bad sign
With a blue moon in your eyes.

You woke up this morning
The world turned upside down,
Thing's ain't been the same
Since the Blues walked into town.

But you're one in a million
You've got that shotgun shine.
Born under a bad sign,
With a blue moon in your eyes.

The following link is writer/creator David Chase’s take on the final episode....

Newark Star-Ledger

Five Good Questions with . . . Adam Rubin of the N.Y. Daily News about the New York Mets

Today's "Five Good Questions" is with Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News....Adam has been covering the New York Mets since 2003 and was gracious enough to give us a few minutes of his time.....he is the author of the book "Pedro, Carlos and Omar: The Story of a Season in the Big Apple and the Pursuit of Baseball's Top Latino Stars."....

Q1. Going into the season, starting pitching was a big question for the Mets. However, the staff has been solid. What does the staff have to do in order to hold up all season and into the post-season?
Really, just stay healthy. Orlando Hernandez already has been to the DL once, and Mets fans will remember him coming up lame on the eve of last year's division series with a strained calf muscle. The Mets should receive a jolt when Pedro Martinez returns, which is projected to be sometime in August. He just threw off a mound June 5 for the first time since rotator cuff surgery. Jorge Sosa has done a solid job with that rotation slot in the interim.

Q2. A few years ago Oliver Perez pitched some dynamite ball for the Pirates but had problems the last two years and was even in the minors at one point last season. What have the Mets done to revive his career?
Really, pitching coach Rick Peterson has done wonders with Perez psychologically more so than mechanically. Perez was so confused with the Pirates, his velocity declined to the upper-80s because he was fighting himself on the mound while thinking too much. Also, he's not as prone to combusting when bad things happen. Those high-walk games look like a thing of the past as a result.

Q3. What is the latest on Lastings Milledge? Does he have a place with the Mets this season or do you see him being traded during the season? Also, it was reported last season that Milledge had a bit of an attitude - has that changed?
As far as on-field stuff, Milledge has a sprained foot ligament that's kept him out for about a month. He has the boot he was wearing, but is still probably a couple of weeks away from returning to competitive action. Off the field, Milledge did a great job rehabilitating his image with teammates and outside observers during spring training. I'm afraid he lost some of that when word of his rap project with explicit lyrics came out last month. The Mets aren't going to give him away, but it's not too hard to project that Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez are the Mets' corner outfielders of the future, and that Milledge eventually figures to wind up with another organization.

Q4. What areas must the Mets improve upon during the season? Who are some hot names they may try to acquire during the season?
Bullpen help would be the key, though Guillermo Mota's recent return from a 50-game steroid suspension should provide a boost. It would be easy to throw out names such as the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano, but I'm not sure the cost would make sense for a rental player, especially if Martinez shows he can resume his late 1990s form like he predicts.

Q5. How would you compare this year's Mets team with last season's? After losing Game 7 of the NLCS, has that experience made this team mentally stronger?
The Mets are just as determined, if not more. The teams are fairly comparable, with the exception of the late-inning roles leading up to Billy Wagner. Aaron Heilman had Duaner Sanchez as an eighth-inning tag-team partner early last year, then Mota later. Mota may reassume that role. Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano have done nice jobs, too, to provide an alternative as Heilman struggles to match his success from last year.

Q5a. One extra question I have to ask, what is your opinion about Barry Bonds and "The Record"?
It's hard to celebrate something you believe may be tainted. Hopefully by the time Bonds is eligible for Hall of Fame election we'll be more informed.

I want to thank Adam for his time.....it is much appreciated....now for a few interesting links....
The Cavs are in a familiar position, but the Plain Dealer's Bill Livingston writes that they need a new plan if they want to win four of the next five games...

Bill Livingston

San Antonio Express-News columnist Buck harvey writes about Robert Horry...he didn't need to hit a last second shot, but his all-around effort helped the Spurs go up 2-0....

Buck Harvey

Angry fans flood HBO site after many are disappointed with Sopranos ending...

Deadline Hollywood

Before Mel Kiper there was BLESTO scouting based out of Pittsburgh...after 44 years, the scouting office of two people has closed its doors in the Steel City...Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports columnist writes about the old scouting service...

Ed Bouchette