The Sporting News articles from June 2006

The Sporting News archives from June 2006

To know list: 9 things to make you an instant expert this week.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 2, 2006... 1 THE MAIN EVENT It's a bird. It's a plane. It's the Rocket! After months of sitting on the edge of our sofas scanning the crawl on ESPN for the news, it's time to get excited. Really. Any week--perhaps even this one--a 40-something...

On deck: the week ahead in sports.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 2, 2006... THIS I GOTTA SEE All times Eastern SAT 27 Go Big Break All-Star Challenge crazy on The Golf Channel: At 4:30 p.m., NASCAR drivers Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett and Michael Waltrip drive for show and putt for charity dough; at 9:30,...

Bob Hille's starting 5.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 2, 2006... 1 The playoffs. Both the NBA and NHL have been wild and unpredictable. Lots of upsets. But to put it in strictly hockey terms, Janet Gretzky is a minus-115K. 2 Interleague play. I'm tired of the WBC backlash. Think of it this way: Watching...

The most hated man in America.(MY TURN: 111 percent)
June 2, 2006... You know something is amiss when you enter a ballpark and hand your ticket to the elderly lady with a face like apple pie, only to have her look at you and spit, "Babe Ruth was my hero. Not you." But then, you expect such things when you walk...

Your turn.(KNOW IT ALL)(Letter to the editor)
June 2, 2006... 'One hundred shares of Google to the first person , who can provide video evidence of a competently officiated NBA playoff game.--Steve Jung, Cincinnati * Can someone please explain to me how Isiah Thomas still has a job? He committed the...

Radio star: real talk from a fan on Sporting News Radio.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 2, 2006... 'This has been the best NBA playoffs in years. Games are coming down to the wire, the stars are being stars and we're getting big shots. But they need to fix the times because it's tough to stay up late to watch.'--James in Portland, Maine, on...

Polling place.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 2, 2006... POLLING PLACE If Ozzie Guillen were managing the Yankees this season, they'd be: SPORTINGNEWS.COM SPORTING NEWS USERS STAFF BETTER 28% 14% WORSE ...

A huge week off the ice: the NHL Scouting Combine doesn't get the attention the NFL's annual blowout receives--but It's every bit as vital to the league, its teams and the prospects involved.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 2, 2006... Top NFL prospects routinely skip the Scouting Combine. NBA lottery types wouldn't be caught dead at the various predraft camps. But that attitude doesn't fly in hockey. When the world's best prospects gather May 30 to June 3 in Toronto, every...

A fuel good men.(EXPOSURE)
June 2, 2006... Crew members--except for the one who ran inside for a bag of beef jerky--get their fill after a pit stop at the Nextel Cup race in Darlington. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

2006 NHL awards.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 2, 2006... PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jaromir Jagr: RANGERS How important was Jaromir Jagr to the Rangers' ending a seven-year playoff drought? After Jagr injured a shoulder in Game 1 of the playoffs, his team folded and was swept by the Devils. Not...

First at second: Phillies around baseman Chase Utley has gone from part time to big time in less than 12 months.(MLB)
June 2, 2006... Go ahead and say it: Chase Utley can't be the best second baseman in baseball because... ... he hasn't played long enough. Nice try. He'll be eligible for salary arbitration with the Phillies next spring. ... he doesn't put up the...

Taming T.O.: like other problem guys who have worked for the NFL's master psychologist, Terrell Owens will fall in line. Bill Parcells won't have it any other way.(NFL)
June 2, 2006... Andre Tippett felt he had earned it. He was, after all, a 34-year-old 11-year veteran. As the Patriots' 1993 training camp wore on--and the heat, contact and boredom asserted themselves--Tippett craved a day off. He floated the idea to new...

Bury with care: even in an unpredictable postseason, it's dangerous to start throwing dirt on the Pistons before they're good and gone.(NBA)
June 2, 2006... Lindsey Hunter, a reserve guard for the Pistons, gave a bit of a smirk and turned the tables by lobbing a question at a reporter. "Did you bury us?" he wanted to know. "I know a lot of you bury us before we're dead. That's not a good idea,...

Swinging isn't everything--it's the only thing.(BASEBALL)
June 2, 2006... In an airline commercial that's running in heavy rotation on Braves telecasts, young outfielder Jeff Francoeur hits a fungo that travels from Turner Field to the waiting mitt of a young fan in Copenhagen. If the ad agency really had wanted...

How's that feel ... ... to go horizontal and kill a rally?(BASEBALL)
June 2, 2006... White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen calls the play Tadahito Iguchi made on Bengie Molina "one of the best plays I've ever seen by any infielder." A longtime scout says it's the best play he has ever seen by a second baseman. If you haven't seen it,...

A.L. East.(BASEBALL)
June 2, 2006... BALTIMORE ORIOLES The club says RHP Daniel Cabrera's shoulder inflammation, which landed him on the D.L. last week, did not contribute to his poor control. Cabrera, who began the week tied for the major league lead in walks, hasn't taken...

Scott Kazmir, LHP, Devil Rays.(SCOUTING REPORT)
June 2, 2006... Ht: 6-0. Wt: 170. Age: 22. Third season. 2006 stats: 6-2 in nine games (all starts), with a 2.73 ERA, Has 56 strikeouts and 20 walks in 56 innings. Throws: His best pitches are a cut fastball that tops out at 93 mph and a four-seam...

A.L. central.(BASEBALL)
June 2, 2006... CHICAGO WHIT SOX After a 3-for-38 start, LF Scott Podsednik has raised his average to .284 without making significant changes to his swing. A regained sense of confidence and a more comfortable feel in the batters box have sparked the...

A's closer: Huston Street.(Q&A)(Interview)
June 2, 2006... SN: You won the 2005 A.L. Rookie of the Year award after barely making the team. What was different entering this season? STREET: Coming into spring training I was a little bit more comfortable, figuring I had a spot and knowing my role....

Outside the box: May 16, 2006: it ain't over ...(BASEBALL)
June 2, 2006... Derek Jeter believed--really, he did--that the Yankees had a huge rally in them when they trailed the Rangers by nine runs in the third inning. He still believed when New York was down to its final out in the ninth and was behind by a run. ...

A.L. West.(BASEBALL)
June 2, 2006... LOS ANGELES ANGELS RHP Jeff Weaver, who has struggled this season, believes he is overthrowing. Weaver has natural movement on his pitches, but the harder he throws the more those pitches flatten out. He is working on not forcing his...

N.L. East.(BASEBALL)
June 2, 2006... ATLANTA BRAVES RHP Chris Reltsma worked with pitching coach Roger McDowell to alter his pitching pattern and become more aggressive with his sinking fastball. Reitsma had been throwing too many off-speed pitches. He'll continue to throw...

Bonds' actions might have come back to haunt him.(THE CLOSER)
June 2, 2006... Barry Bonds ran into a ghost from his past last week. Not knowing the particulars, I'm going to imagine that Barry once hit a home run off Russ Springer and Russ somehow took offense to how Barry celebrated his masterpiece of tape measure....

N.L. Central.(BASEBALL)
June 2, 2006... CHICAGO CUBS 3B Aramis Ramirez stuck to his offseason conditioning program, but he seems to be a magnet for injuries. He has hurt his buttocks and strained his back. His problems resulted from swinging too hard.... RHP Jae Kuk Ryu has...

Dream week: May 25-31.(BASEBALL)
June 2, 2006... THURSDAY, 5/25 Athletics at Rangers * Two of the game's emerging sluggers, Oakland's Nick Swisher and Texas' Kevin Mench, go head to head. Mench credits his turnaround this season to proper-fitting shoes; Swisher attributes his...

N.L. West.(BASEBALL)
June 2, 2006... ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS C Johnny Estrada has swung the bat so well in the seventh spot that manager Bob Melvin has been tempted to move him up to No. 2. But Melvin hasn't done so; he figures that because 1B Conor Jackson and RF Shawn Green...

Good company at No. 2.(BASEBALL)
June 2, 2006... Good company at No. 2 Now that Barry Bonds finally has caught Babe Ruth, he's part of an illustrious group of runners-up. HITS 1. Pete Rose, 4,256 2. Ty Cobb, 4,189 AVERAGE 1. Cobb, .366 ...

What a difference a year makes.(NASCAR)
June 2, 2006... In the cruel world of professional sports, athletes can rise and fall faster than Ryan Newman can take a hot lap around Bristol Motor Speedway. But the plunge of several of last year's Chase-contending teams and drivers is disturbing. Take...

Pit box: who will win the Coca-Cola 600?(NASCAR)
June 2, 2006... Fantasy experts Vinnie lyer and Roger Kuznia pick Nextel Cup race winners. Follow their running feud at sportingnews.com/nascar/pitbox. Roger: The ladies adore the love potion No. 9 known as Kasey Kahne, and I believe he will end Jimmie...

Take 5: five reasons the Nextel All-Star Challenge should stay at Lowe's Motor Speedway.(NASCAR)
June 2, 2006... 1 The event originated in Charlotte. 2 The midseason spectacular kicked it up a notch after Humpy Wheeler brought it under the lights. 3 Charlotte is home to the majority of race teams and drivers. 4 The location will provide a...

What's behind these bounce-back seasons?(DRIVER REPORTS)
June 2, 2006... JEFF GORDON Like the No. 8 team, the No. 24 switched crew chiefs before last year's Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup. But the promotion of Steve Letarte to the crew chief role was not popular with the entire crew. Despite Letarte's 11-year...

The new guys--finally--have taken the heat off Riley.(NBA)
June 2, 2006... Vindicated? Probably too strong a word considering Pat Riley insists he never had doubts. Relieved? That better describes the feeling the Heat coach took into the Eastern Conference finals. After his team advanced within 2 minutes of...

A 3-4 can shut the door on draft options.(NFL)
June 2, 2006... The same advice parents forever have given teens also might apply to NFL coaches: Just because something is popular doesn't mean you should go for it. The 3-4 defense, like body piercing, has been gaining in popularity in recent years, but...

Inside the AFC.(NFL)
June 2, 2006... STEELERS RB Duce Staley is in good health and is expected to be a great complement to the speedy Willie Parker in the backfield. Staley, inactive for 11 games last year because of assorted injuries, likely will be a more productive No. 2 back...

Inside the NFC.(NFL)
June 2, 2006... Depth issues prompted the CARDINALS to move Calvin Pace to strongside linebacker from defensive end, the position he played during his first three NFL seasons. Pace has the skills to make the transition: He is smart and runs well enough to...

Focus: minicamp mayhem.(NFL)
June 2, 2006... The Chargers' first-round pick, CB Antonio Cromartie, will be a big project. He stood out at rookie camp for his skills, but he also got lost at times and easily was duped on routes. That wasn't a surprise considering he didn't play in 2005...

There's no buffaloing the Sabres: in a postseason packed with teams that have defied expectations, the Sabres continue to prove their mettle.(NHL)
June 2, 2006... Zip it, you legion of doubters. Too small? Not enough experience? Baloney. There is no problem the Sabres can't outskate. They proved it through the first two playoff rounds and again at the start of the Eastern Conference finals against the...

Underdogged and determined.(NHL)
June 2, 2006... Once you get over the pairing shock, the Western Conference finals become a joy to watch. Two whopping upsets put the Oilers into the series against the Mighty Ducks, who also left pundits slackjawed on their way to the NHUs final four. ...

No experience necessary.(NHL)
June 2, 2006... None of the conference finalists played in the 2004 playoffs, and the Oilers are the only former Stanley Cup champions still alive. They have won the Cup five times, most recently in 1990. The other teams' Stanley Cup finals experience: ...

Rehabbing a BCS dream.(COLLEGE FOOTBALL)
June 2, 2006... This isn't some tear-jerker tale about an athlete who overcame the odds and battled through the lonely world of rehab with grit and determination and all that other sentimental garbage. "There was no sense pouting about it," Brian Brohm...

The rest of the next generation.(COLLEGE BASKETBALL)
June 2, 2006... If all you know about the 2007 recruiting class is O.J. Mayo, well, you know a lot. He is special. He is not quite LeBron James special or Greg Oden special, but he has been good enough to start for any Division I program since the summer of...

Regrets? We have a few.(FANTASY SOURCE)
June 2, 2006... Each Fantasy Source writer has a player who is driving him batty--a guy who is too good to cut but isn't as good as he once was. Roger Kuznia: OF Juan Pierre, Cubs. I believed Pierre's average would bounce back after he hit .276 in 2005,...

Would you trade Albert Pujols in your fantasy league?(COUNTERPOINTS)
June 2, 2006... YES Trade Pujols? It's like one of my favorite wrestlers, Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, used to say: "Everyone has his price." And Pujols' price is higher than anyone else's in fantasy baseball, which means you can command any players you...

Handling Bonds, 1930s-style.
June 2, 2006... It'd be fun to ask Babe Ruth what he thinks of Barry Bonds. As close as we'll come is to ask Elden Auker about the Babe. Auker pitched to Ruth in the 1930s, first in 1933. A rookie with the Tigers, Auker came in from the bullpen at Yankee...

To know list: 7 things to make you an instant expert this week.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 9, 2006... [1] THE MAIN EVENT Toyota: NASCAR's hottest potato yet Not since Dale Earnhardt Jr. said (blank) on national television has an issue consumed Nextel Cup fans as much as Toyota's pending arrival. Problem is, much of the information...

On deck: the week ahead in sports.(KNOW IT ALL)(Calendar)
June 9, 2006... THIS I GOTTA SEE All times Eastern SAT 3 Are you like me? In 1982, were you a budding teen who dreamt of football stardom after watching the Chargers-Dolphins and 49ers-Cowboys megaclassics in the playoffs, only to have your dreams...

Bob Hille's starting 5.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 9, 2006... 1 The NBA playoffs. Frankly, the Pistons just haven't looked like themselves. Must be something about Detroit because you could say the same thing about the Tigers. 2 The NHL Playoffs. June reminds us that the Stanley Cup is the Holy Grail...

Fighting Irish: Notre Dame football star Tom Zbikowski will make his pro boxing debut June 10 on pay-per-view.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 9, 2006... After Notre Dame was thumped by Ohio State, 34-20, in the Fiesta Bowl, Irish fans immediately began dreaming of another shot at the Buckeyes in the 2006 national championship game. But a chance for some revenge will come earlier. Next Saturday...

Your turn.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 9, 2006... 'Is Jim Leyland available to coach the Lions or Red Wings this fall?'--Ken Sarnowski, Lake Oswego, Ore * Mark Cuban annoys me. He is like most people who make overnight fortunes--he is arrogant, self-entitled and pompous. I can't stand...

Radio star: real talk from a fan on Sporting News Radio.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 9, 2006... 'I can't believe how much we are talking about this horse that get hurt. I understand horse racing is business, but come on, it's an animal. We are spending way tee much time discussing the future of this animal. Don't get me wrong--I have...

Blog on.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 9, 2006... RE: PLEASE DON'T GO! Posted by j.hoang301 It's nerve-racking knowing that you might lose a team. I don't understand why we can't rework KeyArena. I really like the way the Sonics are going with Chris Wilcox, Earl Watson and Bob Hill,...

Tom Seaver: he's winding up and throwing out some opinions.(MY TURN)
June 9, 2006... On interleague play I was absolutely against it when it started. I said, "Well, I'm a traditionalist, and this is not the way it's supposed to be." I've kind of done a 180. I think in certain markets it's terrific. It's great in New...

The 2006 World Cup? Because you need to know (even if you didn't know to ask) Don't be an ugly American--get up to speed on the beautiful game before the first gooooooooooal!(WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH ...)
June 9, 2006... The U.S. soccer team is ranked No. 5 in the world. It finished in the elite eight last time around. So there's no possible way the United States can be overlooked this month at the World Cup. Is there? "It's kind of fortunate we're in...

Apple smacks: mets third baseman David Wright works hard and hits hard--a combination New Yorkers won't be able to resist.(MLB)(Cover story)
June 9, 2006... Tom Glavine was a young Brave during the final 3 1/2 seasons Dale Murphy spent in Atlanta, and he was quite taken with the quiet, unassuming gentleman who twice had won the National League Most Valuable Player award. To this day, Glavine speaks...

Adjust or bust: to win in the playoffs, you have to be willing to ditch what you're doing and make alterations.(NBA)
June 9, 2006... Mike D'Antoni, the most innovative arrival to hit the NBA since the fast break, plops down to meet reporters after another heart-thumping playoff game. With his best aw-shucks grin, in his just-noticeable West Virginia twang, the Suns coach...

A lucky bounce: the Raptors defied the odds in claiming the No. 1 pick in the draft. The question now is what they'll do with it.
June 9, 2006... So, this must be why Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo decided to trade in his tanning lotion and golf clubs in Phoenix for the parkas and ice-fishing huts of the Great White North. Here's Colangelo, just three months into what has been...

Gold standard: so what if Mark Martin never gets his Cup title? to many in the garage, he's still No. 1.(NASCAR)
June 9, 2006... Let's play word association, NASCAR style. Ready? Here goes: I say, respected. You say... Mark Martin. Good. Here's another. I say, loyal. You say... Mark Martin. It's OK to have the same answer. We'll do one more. I say, champion. You...

Kris' crossroad: after battling injuries, alcoholism and depression, Kris Jenkins faces two new challenges--reclaiming his role as the NFL's best run stuffer and helping the Panthers get to the Super Bowl.(NFL)
June 9, 2006... It is lunchtime at Bank of America Stadium and Panthers defensive tackle Kris Jenkins is creating what appears to be the ultimate mismatch. The buffet line is waiting and Jenkins' weight looks to be well north of 340 pounds. He fills a...

A little more green for these men in blue.(BASEBALL)
June 9, 2006... Striking minor league umpires have the support of their major league counterparts, who have taken up several collections on their behalf. Joe West, a 29-year big-league veteran, made clear his admiration for the 220 minor league umpires...

Attention, shoppers: offseason bargain hunters will have to be careful not to mistake flea market flotsam for Fifth Avenue Finery.(BASEBALL)
June 9, 2006... It happens every year: Like college students who spend their last bit of meal money on lottery tickets, some teams just can't stop themselves from going nuts when the free-agent market opens. For those clubs lacking self-control, a bit of...

A.L. East.(BASEBALL)
June 9, 2006... BALTIMORE ORIOLES RHP Hoyden Penn (appendicitis) was lost to the club last week before he could throw a pitch. He is expected to return later this season. The club replaced Penn with LHP Adam Loewen, its only other high-level pitching...

A.L. Central.(BASEBALL)
June 9, 2006... CHICAGO WHITE SOX Newly recalled RHP Jeff Nelson, 39, will work in a late-inning relief role; the team is confident his off-speed stuff still is good enough to neutralize righthanded hitters.... OF/IF Rob Mackowiak has been getting more...

A.L. West.(BASEBALL)
June 9, 2006... LOS ANGELES ANGELS RHP Jered Weaver figures to remain in the rotation at least until RHP Bartolo Colon (shoulder) returns from the D.L. Colon might be back this month. Weaver, the younger brother of Angels RHP Jeff Weaver, has excellent...

A few more innings need to be played in the stadium game.(THE CLOSER)
June 9, 2006... Ballparks have undergone a renaissance the past decade or so. The transformation continued this season with the opening of the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis and the approval of plans for parks in Minneapolis, Washington and New York. That...

N.L. East.(BASEBALL)
June 9, 2006... ATLANTA BRAVES 28 Marcus Giles has struggled so far this season. Not only is his uppercut swing leading to too many strikeouts, but it isn't yielding the power he usually produces.... RHP Jorge Sosa's improved pitch selection and location...

N.L. Central.(BASEBALL)
June 9, 2006... CHICAGO CUBS RHP Kerry Wood will be brought along slowly as he continues to come back from arthroscopic shoulder surgory. Wood wasn't able to throw between his first and second starts, and the team gave him an extra day before his...

N.L. West.
June 9, 2006... SNumber The next home run milepost for Barry Bonds now that he has passed Babe Ruth. Hank Aaron hit 733 for the National League record; his final 22 came as a DH with the Brewers. Because of his bad wheels, Bonds might opt for DH work...

You won't find much agony in this defeat.(NBA)
June 9, 2006... If memory serves, this season was supposed to be about the Spurs' coronation--as what, we may never know. A team for the ages, perhaps. Or maybe the last great dynasty until a new era of parity sets in. Or at least "Team of the Decade," given...

The last shall be first: the team least likely to survive at the start of the playoffs, the Oilers became the first to reach the Stanley Cup finals.(NHL)
June 9, 2006... Here's the new NHL in a nutshell: Back to 1980s-style fire wagon hockey, mullets optional. Spotlight skill and speed. Give small-market teams a chance to win. Ladies and gentlemen, the National Hockey League presents the Edmonton Oilers....

Just say no.(NASCAR)
June 9, 2006... Two cars are sitting in the top 17 in points, so it's premature to write an obituary for Robert Yates Racing. But after general manager Eddie D'Hondt's departure last week, Doug Yates needs to take his own words to heart. In his opening...

Poor tackling is an epidemic--but it's curable.(NFL)
June 9, 2006... There is nothing as disgusting on a football field as nonchalant tackling. If football games were cups of soup, sloppy tackle attempts would be hairs. And sometimes there are enough to braid. We've all seen the quivering cornerback. The...

Inside the AFC.
June 9, 2006... JETS WR Wayne Chrebet is expected to retire, which will give Jerricho Cotchery his big chance. Cotchery improved gradually in his first two seasons, and the team is relying on him to make a quantum leap in 2006. He's a big, physical receiver...

Inside the NFC.
June 9, 2006... LIONS LB Boss Bailey (ankle) won't take the field until the start of training camp, and when he does, he'll move from the strong side to the middle. In the cover 2 scheme, it's imperative to have a middle linebacker who gets deep quickly and...

Focus: youth movement.(NFL)
June 9, 2006... The time has come for fourth-year WR Doug Gabriel to become more than a role player. His ability to get open deep and make big plays is intriguing, so look for the Raiders to use Gabriel more in two- and three-receiver sets and view him as more...

There's nothing like Irish pub.(COLLEGE FOOTBALL)
June 9, 2006... The e-mail came about a month ago, and for the life of me I still can't fathom it. The subject line was, in a word, pretentious. Frankly, it made me want to puke. An Afternoon with Brady Quinn at Notre Dame Yes, ladies and gentlemen,...

Don't mess with the success of 65.(COLLEGE BASKETBALL)
June 9, 2006... If I were running the meeting, it would go something like this: Last item on the agenda: Consideration of expanding the NCAA Tournament field. Motion: Let's not and say we did. Can I get a second? All in favor? The ayes have it. Can we...

Squeeze play.(FANTASY SOURCE)
June 9, 2006... Remember when Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols were considered options 1 and 1A in fantasy? Those were simpler times. Americans woke up to Katie Couric on NBC, and Game of Shadows had yet to open our eyes to the idea Barry Bonds might not be...

Itching to get better.
June 9, 2006... To horse lovers, to veterinarians, to everyone who brought flowers to the hospital where Barbaro underwent surgery, the happiest moment in the Kentucky Derby winner's recuperation from a broken leg must have been that moment when... ... ...

To know list: 7 things to make you an instant expert this week.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 16, 2006... [1] THE MAIN EVENT Love Shaq--he's the man One large reason the NBA Finals promises to be as entertaining as any since a certain underwear pitchman was running with the Bulls: Shaquille O'Neal, of course. We're not referring to the Big...

On deck: the week ahead in sports.(KNOW IT ALL)(Calendar)
June 16, 2006... THIS I GOTTA SEE All times Eastern SAT 10 Kentucky Derby champ Barbaro and Preakness winner Bernardini aren't running, which means the Belmont Stakes (6:30 p.m., ABC) is really, really wide-open. How's that for a positive spin?...

Coming at you.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 16, 2006... In the June 23 issue Boys of summer. They're the sloppy rugrats getting their first taste of T-ball. The fresh-faced teens vying for a spot at the College World Series. The overgrown kids playing at your favorite MLB park. We love them for...

Bob Hille's starting 5.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 16, 2006... 1 The playoffs. Can they be more exciting? This, my friend, is why you're a sports fan. OK, this and the chance to root for Kaka in the World Cup and mean it. 2 Summer. Hard to fathom it's June already. I think my calendar got thrown off...

Safe at home: coaching a little league team can take you back, back, way back ...(MY TURN)
June 16, 2006... I'm on my way to my favorite 13-year-old's baseball game. There are approximately 973 fields at this particular athletic complex, and I've started looking for his team at the wrong end. There are kids running, chasing, shrieking in my path,...

Your turn: you rant, we listen.(KNOW IT ALL)
June 16, 2006... 'Finally, we can stop with the daily Roger Clemens watch. The Astros have a good shot to make the playoffs with that rotation.--vslyke via SportingNews.com * Philly fans are no better or no worse than any other fans out there (SN, June 2)....