Ortiz delivers in the clutch, ensures win in extras

David Ortiz is a blessing for the Red Sox. This guy had came through with so many clutch hits late in games this season (as well as last 2 years). Last night against the Phils he got the big 2-out hit in the 12th to lead the Red Sox to victory, 8-7. He went 2-for-4 in the game with his presence having a bigger impact than his performance.

With Ortiz on board Boston is 45-28 while trying to take a commanding lead over the Yankees in the East. Saturday Ortiz also won the game for the Sox by hitting a walk-off homer against Philly. He is the second player this season to have consecutive game-ending hits (the other is Nomar Garciaparra May 5-6). So far, David Ortiz has racked up 22 homeruns, 74 hits, 50 runs, and 68 RBIs. What an impressive totals nearing the first half of the season. Big Papi is the "man" and will help lead the Red Sox to another playoff birth and possibly league championship.

Former Virginia natives, Inge and Shelton provide punch for Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are on a roll this season, boasting a 49-25 record. Coming off a win last night against the Cardinals they remained in first place in the AL Central. The WhiteSox trail them by half a game. Thanks in part to third basemen Brandon Inge and first basemen Chris Shelton the Tigers are having a banner year, looking to make a bigger splash in the second half. With the All-Star game fast approaching I wouldn't be surprised if Inge or Shelton were selected as a reserve.

As of yesterday, Inge has 16 homeruns which leads the team, and 41 RBIs. This guy is still young and can play multiple positions, a real versatile player to have on any team. His teammate, Shelton is having a breakout year. He's exploded in April and May, but has cooled off a bit lately. He still is providing enough offense and power for the Tigers. The slugger has managed 69 hits, 14 homeruns, and 34 RBI while batting .272. As a minor leaguer Shelton quickly accelerated through the Pirates' farm system before being signed by Detroit. He played Single A ball at Lynchburg then Altoona AA.

Looking to help turn the Tigers franchise around after coping with a couple disappointing decades, Shelton and Inge will be key ingredients in the team's success. They've already capulted the club to a better record at this time than last year. Their real competition in the division is the AL champs. In interleague play this week the Tigers sweep the struggling Cubs and took 2-of-3 from the Brewers, and now try to win the series against St. Louis.

The victims awaiting this hot club up next on the schedule are the Astros and Pirates to finish interleague play before heading on the road to face Oakland for a 3-game series. I expect with the recent injury to Ivan Rodriguez, the offense will pick it up a notch and Chris Shelton will get hot again. With Inge and Shelton at the hot corners the Tigers should be a safe bet to keep their winning ways alive.

C-e-le-brate good times, party is underway in Miami.

Mainly in part to the heroics of Dwayne Wade in the Finals, the Miami Heat are NBA champions! The parade in South Florida has already begun. Fans align the streets to cheer Shaq, Flash, and company as they earned their first championship in team history. A lot of credit should go to Pat Riley, who was instrumental from the time he took over, replacing former coach Stan Van Gudy. He put together a great versatile team. The Diesel predicted that he would help bring a championship to Miami 2 years ago. Luckily, for him he had an enormous boost from Dwayne Wade.

Miami put together a dynamic team with star quality veteran talent from top to bottom. The true shining superstar, however stood out on the biggest stage of them all. Dwayne Wade proved his one of the best in the game today, putting together an incredible series of performances in the Finals. He averaged around 37.0 points in the Series, pumping out scoring showcases of two 40-plus point games, 36 points, and 35 points. Without him the Heat wouldn't have made a 4-game run to win the title or came back from 0-2.

What's in store for Wade and Miami in the future? Nothing except gunning for another championship. It was nice to see the old veterans, Zo and Payton win a ring. These guys really deserve this honor especially Mourning. After suffering from a kidney ailment no one expected him to ever play again. His fighting spirit prevailed in the long run. Congratulations to the Miami Heat on an excellent season! They will continue to bring exciting, riveting play in the league next year.

Mark Cuban...what a douche bag!

After a loss to Miami in Game 5 of the NBA Final Mavs' owner, Mark Cuban allegely acted like a pompus jackass. Yelling and hollering at the refs then arguing and crying to Commissioner Stern, showed that Cuban is a sore loser. Yes, he's part of a great team that has much potential to create a dynasty. For his misconduct, Cuban was fined $250,000 by the NBA.

What is this guy's problem? He needs to shut up and let his team play. They've got plenty of talent and are very capable of making a comeback. Rumors are going around that Cuban was trying to rigg some games for the championship. He claims that is untrue. All that is just propaganda and distractions. The Mavericks are up against the wall, feeling the pressure down 3-2 in the series.

The Mavericks must win tonight to keep their season alive and chance at the title. It going to be a real heated, exciting contest back in Dallas. Let's hope Cuban isn't involved or connected to any foul play. Go Heat!

MJ back in the spotlight...so to speak

It's been a while since Michael Jordan graced the sport of basketball. His 2nd retirement was abrupt and disappointed so many fans who envied and idiolized him. There are new plans in Jordan's future. On Thursday he became a co-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. It's something about North Carolina that seems to bring out the best in his "Airness", a place where he played college ball before being drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1986.

Luckily for the Bobcats franchise they now have a admirable leader and intelligent basketball-minded thinker who knows how to win. On the flip side, Charlotte will still need time to grow and prosper. They're far from being a contender in the league. Their main assets are their young, rising talent in Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace, and Emeka Okafor. They're the future of the franchise.

Going back to old roots Jordan will try his hand again at managing a NBA team. After being a co-owner and President of operations for the Wizards from 2000-02 he came out of retirement and played for Washington 2 years. His presence wasn't enough though to enable the Wizards to clinch the playoffs. His tenure there wasn't the most memorable or glorifying part of his career.

With MJ at the helm, playing a major role in team operations things are beginning to shape up well for the Bobcats. After finishing 26-56 this past season things can only get better. Team management looks forward to working alongside Michael, hoping to benefit from his sound advice and instrumental value he'll bring to the table. For fans, the old MJ will return to the game he cherishes, but this time as a guy who works behind-the-scenes.

J.J. Redick's DUI not a factor in NBA Draft

As college students we've all done stupid things one time or another. Luckily, this week for former Duke star J.J. Redick his arrest for making an illegal U-turn while intoxicated won't effect his selection in the NBA draft. I'm sure he's learned from this incident and hopefully will grow to be a smarter, more responsible individual. He was fortunate not to have a serious accident, avoiding injury to himself or anyone else. That is extremely good news.

Redick was scheduled to have tryouts for Orlando, Boston, and possibly New Orleans this week. That will be delayed due to a bad back. Any team in the NBA would be lucky to grab him. Critics feel J.J. won't survive in the pros, claiming his too slow, not big enough, or a great defender. I think they're flat wrong. Over time this guy is going to rack up major points, maybe set 3-point records among others, and gradually become a good defensive player.

Life in the NBA probably won't be sweet at first for Redick. He'll have to deal with being on a struggling team which he's not used to at all. Getting adjusted to the tiresome schedule and being on the road will be a challenge. Redick averaged around 28 points his senior year at Duke. I don't expect him to do that his rookie year in the NBA, however he'll look to make a good first impression and have a positive influence on his team.

MLB hands Jason Grimsley 50-game suspension

I guess it comes as no surprise that another Major Leaguer is found guilty of using steroids. For Jason Grimsley, it's not a crying shame because he brought this upon himself. The Diamondbacks have given him the boot, refusing to tolerate his conduct and negative influence on the team. Bud Selig, despite his bad judgments in the past has actually made a good decision.

With the conclusion of the Grimsley case, I think a lot more baseball players will be getting caught. If they're stupid they will continue to use steroids, amtemphaines, or whatever they can get their hands on in the shady drug market. The problem is keeping intregity or bringing it back to the game. That's why Selig needs to take care of this investigation on Barry Bonds as well as crack down on other players who are still getting away with using illegal performance-enchancing drugs.

Allowing cheating, ignoring or putting it "on hold" is a travesty to baseball. If professional athletes want to continue taking risks by using drugs they'll have to suffer the consequences. They shouldn't be able to run rampit with deplorable behavior, secretly hiding drug supplies, sneaking off to meet their "dealers", and getting freaking high in the clubhouse. Baseball fans and the whole baseball community demand satisfaction and excellency.

Miami's strength: Wade may take a licking, but he keeps on ticking

The first game of the NBA Finals wasn't the best start for a championship series by either team. There were too many turnovers and not abundant offense. The Mavericks are up 1-0, carried by the scoring from Jason Terry, who put up 32 points in Game 1. Due to Dwayne Wade's recent ailment and Shaq's poor free-throw shooting (hey, he's never been more than a 50-60% shooter from line anyway) everyone feels the Heat are in trouble.

I will give credit to Dallas, they have an excellent offensive squad that can hurt any team from the inside and outside. Dirk Nowitzki brings so much to the table, he's a leader, offensive weapon, energy booster, crowd pleaser, and smart all-around player. With that said this doesn't make the Mavs formidable. Miami will still have to dig down deep and pull out some stops on defense and capitalize off turnovers on transition. Out in the open court on fast breaks they're hard to stop.

The central focal point of Miami's scoring attack is Dwayne Wade. I know he may not be 100% now, though he shouldn't be underestimated. When sick he's still a threat. His performance in Game 1 wasn't close to normal, though managed 28 points (11-25 FG, 6-10 FT) with 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. No one else on the team produced more than 17 points. Shaq shot a high percentage inside (8-11 FG), but didn't receive enough touches. The Big Fella and the rest of the gang will need to step it up a notch and relieve Wade from the weight on scoring.

Whether D Wade is completely rested, healthy, or not you can rest assure he will be bringing it with everything he's got in the tank. His speed will be a major factor. If he can get in the lane, split the defense, and rack up points fast the Mavs may have no answers. I don't expect much will slow Wade down. He's a gamer and a spirited competitor that will risk his body for a victory. No matter how many times he falls down he will get back up. It's going to be back and forth exchange Sunday night in Dallas. Wade and Shaq will try to even the series and return home with a brimming ray of confidence.

Ken Griffey Jr. sets record, cranks 2 homers in Reds' win

In the clutch Ken Griffey is one of the best hitters to have at the plate. His comeback to the Majors has been an uphill battle, but on Monday night he showed he still has got the groove by setting a record by hitting a homerun in 43 ballparks. The new Busch Stadium doesn't pose a degree of difficulty for Jr. who blasted a shot off Jeff Suppan in the 5th then won the game for the Reds with a 3-run homer in the 9th with 1 out off Jason Isringhausen (who sounded pissed off at himself after the game).

Thanks to Griffey and company the Reds are now 33-24 and look to take sole possession of first place in Central. The 8-7 victory last night was nothing compared to what the Reds have in store for the rest of the division and National League in the coming months. Griffey still remains one of the top feared hitters in baseball. I think he will fly by the 550th mark on the homerun list and make his way well past 600 barring he doesn't experience any more long-term injuries. At 36, Griffey is still a joy to watch.

The Heat say bring on the Mavs...or Suns

With a deciding Game 6 blow to the former Eastern conference champs Miami showed why they deserved to be the Finals. They took the series 4-2. This will be their first trip to the promise land. The All-Star cast lead by Wade and Shaq can sit back and relax as they wait for their opponent in the NBA Finals. Claiming stake to being the new Beasts of the East, the Heat have time to plan and strategize. It's sure to be a battle for the championship, whomever they face.

At current the Mavs are up in the Western conference series 3-2. They look to pull a victory out and advance to the championship. However, they shouldn't be too cocky or take the Suns for granted. With injuries to key star players I must admit, Steve Nash has been instrumental to this team. His play (along with Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw, and Tim Thomas)has propelled the Suns beyond reasonable doubt and normacy. The guy is always getting his teammates involved, looking to score second. He's averaging 18.8 ppg and 10.5 assists in the playoffs.

If the Heat do play Dallas in the Finals they will have their hands full with Dirk Nowitzki. His 50-point offensive explosion against Phoenix in Game 5 may be a glimpse of what's in store for Miami. I think Shaq will bring another strong scoring performance and crash the boards hard in the opening game of the Finals. I expect Dwayne Wade will be on another scoring clinic as well, since displaying such hot shooting (61% FG) against Detroit and averaging 27.2 points a game in the playoffs. The play of Antoine Walker and Jason Williams will be crucial in the Finals. Look for them to be a factor.

Learning from self-inflicted tragedy: The Doc Gooden saga

Gone are the days when a young, rising star which played on both New York baseball teams in the mid 80s to early 90s wowed packed crowds at stadiums. The pitching prodigy proved to be impressive, recording amazing strikeout totals and superb performances. Now a beaten man, Doc Gooden ponders where he went wrong while sitting in a Florida prison for violating his probation by smoking cocaine. The 41-year-old stated, "I'd rather be shot then come back to jail."

Gooden will serve just over a year in prison for his addiction. It's truly a shame the road the former star baseball player has gone down. Of all his battles and repeat occurrences with the law you would think he would have learned his lesson by now. The real question here is, what the hell is wrong with you Doc?!! Does the allure of crack outweight the importance of your life?

I hate to say it, but Doc is getting to be a charity case. No one should really feel sympathy for him. He has put himself in this uncomfortable position. Obsessions and addictions are tough to break, everyone can agree on that. On the other hand, there still comes a time in every man's life where you have to let things go and snap the hell outta your fantasy world. Doc, try hard to get a grip on your life and return to reality.

Thoughts on Ruth's historic mark being broken

Being a baseball fan is awesome, especially if your favorite team is winning. The best part about the game is it's rich history and the records set by baseball Greats. People, mainly watch baseball to see the long ball. It's always on their minds. Yesterday marked another historic day as Barry Bonds passed the Babe on the all-time homerun list with his 715th career homer. This got me to thinking about what the record means to true baseball fans.

It's no secret that most followers of the game aren't fond of Bonds. Some are adamant about how they feel, expressing themselves with obscene signs and exhibiting crude, blatant heckling. All the time, throughout the whole steroids investigation Bonds pretends the negative reaction in the crowd doesn't bother him on the field. Though, when questioned by reporters, Bonds' attitude and demeanor are clear. So now he has jumped ahead of Ruth to claim second place, only trailing Hank Aaron. Hitting another 40 homeruns isn't out of the question for Bonds, but it's going to be quite difficult. His health is an issue these days plus pitchers walk him so much he may not have a chance to tie or pass Aaron.

Most people really don't care if Barry breaks the record or not. They despise him because they believe he cheated to get where he is today. At the conclusion of the steroid investigation (whenever that may be, Selig doesn't look to get the bottom of this ordeal any time soon) pending he's found guilty, all the statistics and records he obtained will probably be cleared and disregarded. I know fans look for honor, integrity, and sincerity from star players, though Bonds doesn't exemplify any of these qualities. If he is found guilty of using steroids Major League Baseball should clear his name from the record books and recognize Babe Ruth again as the no. 2 career homerun hitter. This would be the righteous thing to do.

A/P Photo/ Kathy Willens

Have the Mets reached early season success?

Considering all the agonizing seasons of old the way the New York Mets have played through this season so far must make them feel proud. The confidence and morale level is up. They have a healthy lineup for the most part (with the exception of Cliff Floyd) with their stars beginning to prove their self-worth to the club. The Mets have jumped out to 29-19, 3.5 games ahead of the Braves. Carlos Delgado's 15 homeruns are helping provide the power on offense.

Today the Mets knocked off Dontrelle Willis and the Marlins 7-4 behind effective pitching from Tom Glavine, who lasted 7.2 innings while allowing 3 earned runs on 6 hits. The crafty left-hander struck out 9 in to gain his 8th win. Wagner nailed down his 11th save. This very well could be the year the Mets triumph in the East. Carlos Beltran (2 hits, 2 RBIs) and David Wright (4-for-4 on Saturday) are swinging hot bats. Jose Reyes leads the team in steals (19) and runs scored (37). The instant offense available can carry this team down the stretch. That's without saying the sterling pitching gems starters Martinez, Glavine, and newly acquired Orlando Hernandez will contribute.

Taking control of the East shouldn't be a problem unless the Braves go on a hot winning streak. The Phillies are an improved team, but they nor the Marlins will pose much of a threat coming down the stretch. The Miracle Mets from the past may be resurfacing though just as another refined ball club in a new decade. Pedro Martinez is considering retirement after the 2 years remaining on his contract are up. Until then the Mets should have few worries if any and put their sole concentration on winning the pennant.

The Tigers continue hot streak at 32-14...what the h---?

It's been smooth sailing for the Detroit Tigers in May, posting victory after victory. Of course this week the competition hasn't overwhelmed them as finished off the Royals last night 6-3 at Kansas City. Jeremy Bonderman (5-3) sealed another win behind sufficient production from the starting lineup. Omar Infante's two homers were all the Tigers needed.

Bonderman went 7 innings and allowed 3 earned runs on 10 hits and a walk while striling out five batters. Closer Todd Jones recorded his 15th save. An impressive statistic considering how no one expected Detroit get off to such a great start in the first half of the season. They're probably predicted to finish 3rd or 4th in the division. If it wasn't for World Champion White Sox they might be able to steal the division title this year.

Leading the team in batting average and RBIs is Maggilo Ordonez (.322 31 RBIs), who's putting together a tremendous season. As for the pitching rotation Kenny Rogers has posted 7 wins already. The team offense has combined for 68 homeruns and 218 RBIs. Chris Shelton is also having a career year, helping fuel the offense. Teams in the East better be aware of the Detroit Tigers this season and not not underestimate them. Otherwise they may get burned.

Pistons vs. Heat: Eastern Conference Finals preview

The Pistons can thanked their lucky stars they triumphed over the Cavs in Game 7 in Detroit. Giving credit where it's do; Lebron James gave the Eastern conference champs a battle. King James stole the spotlight, averaging over 30 points per game in the series. Turning to a new, more straining challenge the Pistons will meet the Miami for another best-of-7 series.

Defense again will be a huge factor in this series. Obviously, Miami has the shooting touch and strength inside. If the Heat can keep composure, not let the partisan Detroit crowd rattle them, and keep their turnovers to a minimum they should be okay. With Ben and Rasheed Wallace dominating the paint on D it still will be tough for the Heat.

Dwayne Wade (averaging 43 ppg in the playoffs) will be the focal point of Miami's offensive attack. Shaq will also get his touches inside, having to deliver some monster performances and play hard-nosed D. The X-factor in the series could be either Antoine Walker or Miami guard Jason Williams. We'll see what happens tonight at the Palace in Detroit.

Interleague baseball weekend

The start of interleague play this weekend has been memorable. Out west, the Giants and the Athletics hooked up in Oakland as Barry Bonds crushed his 714th career homerun, tying the Babe. The record seems to be the only thing Major League Baseball is focused on of late. The Cardinals sweep the Royals, Albert Pujols remains red hot, cranking his 22nd homer of the season. (The folks in K.C. won't have much to cheer about again this year).

In cross-town matchups the Mets got the best of the Yankees winning the subway series 2-to-3. Tom Glavine (7-2) picked up the win on Sunday going six innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 7 hits and 4 walks. Carlos Delgado homered and had 3 RBIs. The club from Shea Stadium looks hungry enough and plenty capable of capturing the East title this season. The Cubs and White Sox hooked up at U.S. Cellular Field. Things boiled over in a heated affair on Saturday as A.J. Pierzenski collided into Michael Barrett at the plate. From there Barrett punched him in the jaw and a short melee ensued. The Cubbies salvaged the series by winning game 3 Sunday 7-4. Zambrano struck out 9 and won his third game. Guess who tied the game for the Cubs? That's right Michael Barrett.

Seattle got their first sweep of the season against the Padres, improving to 20-25. They ignited a 8-run inning behind Raul Ibanez's dinger. The vibe is said to be good in the clubhouse, but it's still a long season yet. The M's will have a lot of catching up to do still in the AL West. The 3-game series in L.A. went the Dodgers way as they sweep the Angels. Besides the aforementioned series nothing extraordinary took place. Interleague Play is always exciting though and gets teams a chance to take on new, evolving talent in baseball.

Mavs' Terry suspended for punch in Game 5

The Spurs and Mavericks series has got fiery. Coming on a monster game from Tim Duncan (36 points on over 50% shooting, 12 rebounds)San Antonio tries to climb back into the series as they face elimination down 3-2. The intensity escalated between the two Western conference contenders Thursday night as Jason Terry and Michael Finley were involved in an altercation.

Going for a loose ball on the floor, Finley reaches down in attempt to gain possession while Terry, sprawled on the court after being knocked down by another player throws a punch to Finley. During the live televised game this footage was not seen. Afterwards through an extended slow replay the NBA saw what actually occurred during the scuffle. The Spurs' Finley was obviously mad about the incident, but officials didn't know about what until later. As a result, Jason Terry got suspended for Game 6 in Dallas.

The two key players for San Antonio in the series are Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Without strong performances from them the
Spurs chances of surviving to force a Game 7 are slim. I think the Mavs have a little more firepower from the offensive end, but like most tight playoff series it will all come down to defense.

Cavs making a turnaround against Pistons

There is no doubt that the wonders of Lebron James are extraordinary. He is helping take basketball to new heights and bounds. His Cleveland Cavailers refuse to quit against the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Too many critics counted the Cavs out from the start of the series. Now look, they've tied the series 2-2, winning both games at home.

The Cavs have discovered that the key to beating the mighty Pistons is taking them out of their game plan and playing tenacious defense. Rasheed Wallace had to eat his own words after the loss in Game 4, guaranteeing or "Guaran Sheeding" a victory for his team. His boasting and cockiness only motivated Cleveland, lighting a fire under them. The rest of the series isn't going to be as easy as Detroit anticipated. You can damn well guarantee one thing: Lebron James will do everything in his power to help the Cavs prevail. Tonight the two teams lock up for what is expected to be a heated, exciting Game 5 back in Detroit. Go Cavs!

The $7,500 man