Just a quick note to let you all know that I won’t be back blogging again until the week of July 13. Vacation is here. Time to melt.
However, I expect to keep updating my Twitter stream during the break. Become a follower at www.twitter.com/dob23.
Month: June 2009
H-W Classic Review
Posted by – June 13, 2009
It was as if the Missouri fans didn’t want it to end. Long after the Show-Me State’s sweep Saturday night at the McDonald’s/Herald-Whig Classic, the Missouri fans milled around the Pepsi Arena floor, soaking in the first Mizzou sweep since 1988 — the last time the boys won a Classic game.
For the record, the Missouri girls rallied past Illinois in the second half to claim a 69-66 victory, the team’s fifth in the last six years. On the boys side, Missouri made an early exclamation point, running out to a 19-point first half lead and cruising to a 109-90 victory.
Here’s a look at the stars from a night filled with them:
1. The Missouri girls
South Shelby’s Elizabeth Russell won the MVP award for her stellar defense down the stretch, but the award could have easily been split up five ways. Monroe City coach Bob Gilliam had to be proud of his two former players — Laura Williams and Whitney Buckman. Williams had 12 points, while Buckman added eight. While Russell made the big plays late on defense, Palmyra’s Danielle Boulware hit the big baskets at the other end. She finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Canton’s Lindsey Lillard had six points to go with a game-high 10 rebounds. Illinois had the edge in talent, but Missouri played more as a team, which lifted it to the win.
2. Jonathon Nutt
The Palmyra star was hot early, canning two 3-pointers early in the game, and never let up in posting the fourth-highest scoring total in Classic history with his 32-point outburst. Nutt canned six 3-pointers, had three steals and was generally a pest for the Illinois offense. He was one of five Missouri players in double figures as the Show-Me State stars hit for more than 100 points for the first time since 1994.
3. Justin Ellison
If I were to give out a “I Didn’t Know He/She Was That Good” award, it would have gone to the Canton star. He gave Missouri a lift with his play off the bench, scoring 17 points. He also had five steals. You’d have to think the John Wood Community College coaching staff liked what it saw out of their future guard.
DOBservations
The Illinois boys were down to seven players by the end of the game after Zach Wood, Mike Hall and Will Carr all fouled out. All were disqualified after collecting six fouls each, a special rule put in just for the Classic. … Illinois boys coach Marty Hull was just the third former Classic player to serve as a head coach in the game. … Liberty’s Lucy Cramsey gave Lady Hawks fans a glimpse of what’s in store with her play on Saturday. She had 10 points, nine rebounds and five steals, but also had eight turnovers. She won’t be able to be so loose with the ball when she gets into JD Gravina’s system. … Thirty-eight of the 40 players in Saturday’s games scored at least one point. … The Missouri boys tied a Classic record with 12 3-pointers. It was the only Classic record set or tied on Saturday.
Slaps of the Week — June 12
Posted by – June 12, 2009
What is it about Iowa high school baseball that brings out the bizarre?
Remember the story from a few months back when a kid was banned for the season for playing in an exhibition game with the Burlington Bees?
What happened at a Thursday night game between West Burlington and Winfield-Mount Union tops that by a mile. According to the Burlington Hawkeye, both coaches were arguing with the home plate umpire over a close play at the plate. The ump, Don Briggs, warned both coaches to cool down and did the same to the crowd.
After some knucklehead in the crowd shouted something at Briggs, he threw the entire crowd out of the park. Yes, the ump told the lot of them that they didn’t have to go home, but they couldn’t stay there.
The West Burlington police, who I’m sure had much better things to do, were called in. Fans were only allowed back into the park with the West Burlington PD in tow.
The game finished without incident as West Burlington pulled out a 12-11 win when a kid stole home in the seventh to win the game. The umpires received a police escort from the field.
I’m praying someone has this on tape for the next “When Fans Go Wild” special on TruTV.
Mid-Week Grades — June 10
Posted by – June 10, 2009
OK, class. The Mid-Week Grades — at least with me as the professor — is going to take a little summer break. I’ll be back with some grades on July 15 — the night after I take in Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game at Busch Stadium. Make sure to listen in Wednesday around 8:20 or so as assistant professor Josh Houchins and I break these down. In my absence, Houchins and maybe a graduate assistant or two will hand out grades. You can catch them here. And remember to listen in every morning to WGEM SportsCenter, the area’s only locally produced daily sports program, every weekday morning from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
A — Bonnie Richardson. You’ve probably never heard of her but she may be the most successful high school track athlete in the history of U.S. track. For the second straight year, Richardson won the Texas small-school track state TEAM championship by herself. From tiny Rochelle High School (enrollment 59), Richardson is headed to Texas A&M on a full scholarship. I can’t imagine something like this ever happening again.
B — Roger Federer. Don’t give me anything about his French Open triumph being cheapened because Rafael Nadal wasn’t in the final. The guy has been the greatest player of the 2000s and certainly has a case to be billed the best ever after finishing off a career grand slam with his 14th grand slam title — tying him with Pete Sampras for the all-time lead. I’m guessing Federer gets slam title No. 15 at Wimbledon.
C — Pittsburgh Pirates. The team took the trade of Nate McLouth a little too hard. Don’t know if holding vigils in a locker room is a good idea, especially after the Angels actually had a player die just two months ago. The Pirates need to look what they have in McLouth’s place now — Andrew McCutchen. McLouth is an all-star, but McCutchen is the future. He can absolutely fly around the bases — as witnessed by his two-triple game Monday at Atlanta, which got a homer from McLouth in its extra innings win. But the Pirates being the Pirates will ultimately trade McCutchen for a lefty reliever or something stupid a few years from now.
D — Kyle Busch. The NASCAR Nationwide Series doesn’t get much coverage, but it’s gotten its fair share thanks to Busch. He made like a rock star over the weekend after winning a race in Nashville. He took a specially-made guitar, which serves as the race trophy, and smashed it like he had just got done playing a set. Dude, you’re a race car driver, and a pretty darn good one. If his intent was to smash a guitar after the win, he could have let the folks that run the race know that if he ever won to set him up with a dummy guitar and keep the nice one safe. A lot of NASCAR fans hate Busch. He gave them more reason with this act.
F — ESPN. From what Brett Favre had for dinner updates to “This Just In” reports of when Terrell Owens talks after having his first practice session with Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards, I’ve had enough. It’s amazing how the NFL is shoved down our throat 12 months a year. The Jay Cutler trade? Sure, report on that. Break that down. Speculation about Favre’s coming back because his family has blocked off some rooms at a hotel near Lambeau Field on the weekend the Vikings are scheduled to play the Packers? Just stop. Stop it now before I start to hate Favre. I’m slowly starting to get there.
Slap of the Week — June 5
Posted by – June 5, 2009
For some reason, I’ve never been a big fan of autographs. On April 12, 1987, I was able to meet Michael Jordan during a Chicago Bulls pregame promotion — “Get your picture taken with your favorite Bull” — at the old Chicago Stadium. Of course, the only Bull anyone knew at this time was Jordan. Although I loved Granville Waiters, but was still glad I hit the jackpot and was actually put in Jordan’s line.
I shook his hand and got my picture taken with him. I had a somewhat fuzzy Polaroid picture of myself with my idol. That was more than good enough for me. But everyone I talked with after that asked if I got his autograph. I didn’t. Didn’t even want to.
Changing the name from King Dons to Ding Dongs was a major error by the Hostess Company if you ask me.
For the record, my first ever autograph was from Camp Point Central product Rick Reuschel, who I met as a 7 year old at a Galesburg shoe store. Got his signature on a slip of paper and my mom put it in a frame along with a baseball card of his I got off the bottom of a box of Ding Dongs. (And how great was it back then to rifle through all of the Twinkies and Ding Dong boxes to find a card you didn’t have. You’d run up to Mom with the grocery cart and plead your case that you just had to get those Suzy Qs because you wanted that Bobby Grich card to complete your set.)
Still, a lot of fans love autographs. I’m pretty sure the last autograph I got was from Pete Myers at a card show when I lived in the Chicago suburbs in 1993. I was probably one of 10 people who got Myers’ autograph that day. I still have it framed more for a lark than anything else.
But if I were psycho enough to have Myers autograph my arm or something I still wouldn’t have done what a Chicago Bears superfan has done. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, a Bears superfan named Glenn Timmerman has autographs of 92 former Bears players and coaches. So what’s the big deal? He wound up getting all of the autographs on his body turned into tattoos. That’s a look at Timmerman’s skull at the right.
Getting autographs on your body is strange. Having them permanently affixed to your body is just downright crazy.
Wonder if the guy has a Rex Grossman tatt? Hopefully there’s a Vince Evans or a Revie Sorey somewhere in there. Not that I’d really care to look.
Mid-Week Grades for June 3
Posted by – June 3, 2009
We never take a break here on Mid-Week Grades. Summer school’s in session. Some people out there really need it. If you have a grade you’d like to submit, let us know on WGEM SportsCenter. You can text us at 217-617-9437, email it to sportscenter@wgem.com. Heck you can even Tweet us on the show. Listen in around 8:20 or so and we’ll let the class know where it stands.
A — Hannibal Baseball Group. The power behind the Hannibal Cavemen did the impossible — they made chicken salad out of chicken, well, you know the rest. In less than a year, they’ve turned Clemens Field from a dump into a baseball shrine. Not even Ty Pennington and his crew could have pulled off what Bob Hemond, Larry Owens and Co. have done in America’s Hometown. If you’re planning on seeing the Cavemen play, I’d get tickets early. The place will be packed on a nightly basis.
B — Liberty softball team. The Eagles’ surprising postseason run ended with Monday’s super-sectional loss to Dupo. If given a vote for last team standing, I would have given it to Griggsville-Perry, which had a sensational season in its own right. Still, Liberty knocked off G-P for the second sectional title in school history. Kudos to first-year coach Steve Buyck and his crew.
C — Phoenix Mercury. There was a time not long ago when news of a pro sports team plastering its jersey with advertising would have made me mad. But in today’s age, you have to think outside the box a bit. If someone’s willing to pay premium money for something, you sell, sell, sell. It’s not like people are beating down the WNBA’s door to sponsor teams. It looks like the LifeLock-sponsored Mercury will be the first of several WNBA teams who will make like MLS and other pro soccer teams. by selling off their jersey space.
D — James Coleman. He gets a “D” as in dummy. The Brit wound up running into a tree while trying to Twitter. The guy got a black eye for his problems. It’s being called the first “twinjury.” I’m a fan of twitter, but this is just plain dumb.
F — JJ Redick and Adam Morrison. Who needs a Kobe-LeBron matchup in the NBA finals when you have Redick-Morrison. Remember when these two were all the rage in college basketball? So much for them being the next big thing — or somewhat medium thing — in the NBA. At least Redick actually plays now and then for Orlando. Morrison likely will be wearing a suit on the sideline. He must like carrying Kobe’s bags. (For the record, I would have picked Morrison to have the better NBA career. Both have been disappointing.)
Cavemen are here
Posted by – June 2, 2009
Hannibal Cavemen manager Jay Hemond, left, talks with Valparaiso outfielder Kyle Gaedele Monday during the team's first practice at Clemens Field. (H-W Photo/Philip Carlson)
The Hannibal Cavemen have several famous names as part of their coaching staff — Jim Kaat, Don Buford and Jeff Juden to name a few.
The Cavemen also have a few players with some famous lineage. One of the team’s outfielder’s — Valparaiso’s Kyle Gaedele — is related to one of the most infamous players in Major League Baseball history. Gaedele’s great uncle is Eddie Gaedel, the diminutive player sent up to bat in a St. Louis Browns game by Bill Veeck in 1951.
Kyle Gaedele is a tad bit taller — 6-foot-4 — than his 3-foot-7 great uncle, who had just one at-bat during his career. The Rolling Meadows, Ill., native also seems to have a bright career ahead of him. He was drafted in the 32nd round of last year’s Major League Entry Draft by the Tamp Bay Rays.
He’s surprised more people don’t ask him about his famous last name.
“We have his game-used bat in our house,” Gaedele said. “The Hall of Fame wanted it, but we didn’t want to sell it to them. We got to go to Cooperstown (N.Y.) a few years ago because they were doing a reenactment of (the at-bat). We got to see all of that, which was pretty cool.”
As a freshman this spring, Gaedele hit .278 with three home runs and 19 runs batted in, starting all 50 games he played in for the Crusaders. He figures to play a prominent role in the Cavemen’s lineup this summer.
Gaedele is one of three Cavemen with famous relatives. Utility player Curtis Ford Jr., a Mississippi Valley State, is the son of Curt Ford, who played parts of five seasons in the Major Leagues. Ford saw spot duty with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1985-88 and finished his career with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1989-90.
Hannibal manager Jay Hemond said corner infielder and outfielder Matt Burton is the nephew of former St. Louis Cardinals catcher Tom Pagnozzi.
