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October 2009
Categories
| June 2009Washington softball star Danielle Lawrie has added another honor to a long list as she has been nominated for an ESPY Award. Lawrie, a senior-to-be from Langley, B.C., led the Huskies to the NCAA softball national championship earlier this month. She was named the national collegiate player of the year, the MVP of the Women's College World Series and won the Honda Award as the nation's top softball player. Lawrie was nominated for the Best Female College Athlete ESPY, alongside four other nominees. It's happened. Adrian Beltre had surgery to fix his shoulder today. The doctor called it a success. He is officially on the disabled list. The Mariners then called up OF Ryan Langerhans. He was acquired a few days ago for Mike Morse. Plus, catcher Jamie Burke cleared waivers. He's back in Tacoma. The M's official release is after the jump. ...The Seattle Seahawks will open 14 training camp practices at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center beginning August 3 and concluding August 20, the team announced this morning. Fans interested in attending training camp must register through the team's web site, seahawks.com, beginning July 16 at 10 a.m. Registration will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Only fans that register through seahawks.com will be allowed to attend practice. The VMAC parking lot will be closed to the public. Fans will be bussed to and from VMAC before and after each practice and will pay a $5 per person transportation fee through an online training camp reservation system. The Seahawks have partnered with The Landing Shopping Center in Renton, serving as the Seahawks Training Camp Parking and Transportation Center. Guests will receive transportation transfers and training camp passes upon check-in at the Seahawks Training Camp Guest Services location, located on the south end of the shopping center at 915 North Landing Way. Practice times, bus schedules and maps will be available on seahawks.com at the time of registration. The team will also host open practices at the University of Washington on August 7 and August 18. Parking will be available on the UW campus. ...CBSsports.com's Pete Prisco put out an NFL top 50 list for 2009. No Seahawk made the list or even his version of an honorable mention. Prisco's "just missed" list adds another 24 players. So he's basically saying of the top 74 players in the league, Seattle doesn't have a player good enough to crack the list.
Sounders forward Nate Jaqua wins the MLS Player of the week award. He scored two goals and assisted on the Sounders third goal, first of the game. Jaqua is also up for the Goal of the Week. The goal in question was his first of the game. You can vote for Jaqua right here. ...It's not a big one, but one-time promising prospect Mike Morse is gone. Morse was traded to the Nationals for OF Ryan Langerhans. He's got a little MLB experience. Right now, he's hitting .278 in AAA. As for Morse, he came over in the Freddy Garcia trade. Morse set an M's spring training record for batting average in 2008. He made the club, but then separated his shoulder. Morse had been playing the infield in Tacoma and hitting .312. But he wasn't on the MLB 40-man roster. Morse ran out of options last year. The M's official news release is after the jump. ...
I recently had the pleasure of catching up with a defenseman who gave the Everett Silvertips and Seattle Thunderbirds quite a bit of trouble during his four years with the Tri City Americans. Logan Stephenson used his hulking 6'3" frame, speed and vision to deliver punishing hits, set up plays and score on opposing teams. ...The Mariners will miss Adrian Beltre for 6-8 weeks. AB is going to have shoulder surgery after today's game with the LA Dodgers. He's got bone spurs in the same shoulder he had repaired in the off-season. Now Seattle has a tough decision ahead. Who's going to replace Beltre? They just put Yuniesky Betancourt on the DL with a bad hammy. Should they call up Chris Shelton (Rainiers starting 3B), Mike Morse, or move Russell Branyan to third and start Mike Carp? ...
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft saw few surprises. The Western Hockey League (WHL) was fairly represented, with 35 players drafted in 7 rounds, including two from the Everett Silvertips. The Seattle Thunderbirds did not see any players drafted this time. The North American Hockey League's (NAHL) Wenatchee Wild also landed a player in this draft. ...Had a chance to chat with 49ers QB Damon Huard the other day when he was interviewed by Chris Egan for our Northwest Sports Tonight Show. He is looking great and is ready to hit camp with SF's returning Alex Smith and Shaun Hill. Like his brother Brock, I think Damon would be a hit in the sports broadcasting business. He even filled in for Brock on 710ESPN Seattle the other day. His family is back in Seattle and playing in San Fran is a lot better place to be than KC. Oh, and one other note, Dave Wyman will be our co-host this year on "Seahawks Fone Zone," starting on NWCN right after the first game of the regular season on Sept. 13th. Dave is doing some great work on the Kevin Calabro Show on KIRO radio and will be part of the Seahawks radio team this year as well. We welcome him to the show as he teams with NWCN's Chris Swanson and gets a taste of TV. ...Well, less than 24 hours after the Blazers drafted former UW Center Jon Brockman with the 38th pick, they sent him to the Sacramento for the Kings 31st pick. Would have loved to see this young man stay on the Northwest roundball scene with a rapidly developing and contending team like Portland, but expectations will be lower in Sacto and he should get more minutes. Met this guy at a careers event at the UW and was very impressed with him as a person. We know he has talent on the floor. ...Seahawks Fullback Owen Schmitt who was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of drunken driving issued a statement today. "I sincerely apologize to the team, the NFL, the fans and my family and friends for my actions and my poor judgment. I fully understand the seriousness of this matter, and I am disappointed in myself. I am committed to earning back the trust of everyone affected," Owen Schmitt. Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jack Zduriencik announced the following roster moves today: Infielder Jose Lopez has been re-instated from the bereavement list and Yuniesky Betancourt has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring. Lopez will be in uniform and available for today's 1:40 p.m. game vs. San Diego. Betancourt injured his right hamstring in the 8th inning of last night's game vs. the San Diego Padres. He pulled up running to first base on a fielders choice and was replaced by a pinch-runner. Betancourt is hitting .250, with 10 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs and 22 RBI this season. ...
The calendar may say June, but Everett Silvertips and Seattle Thunderbirds fans are already looking ahead to September. Both teams released their pre-season schedules, as well as information about their home openers. ...Ken Griffey Junior hit his 619th home run last night, which just happened to be the 5,000th HR in club history. The question now, can the 39-year-old catch Willie Mays on the all-time home run list. Willie Mays currently ranks 4th of the HR list with 660 career home runs. Griffey, who currently has 8 HR's this season is on pace to hit around 20 home runs this season. If he is too pass Willie Mays, I think he needs at least two more seasons with the M's to move up to 4th on the All-time list. I'd love to see it happen, just not sure if Griffey has two more seasons beyond this year left in the tank. What do you think? ...Is it bizarro world? In what world does one's hated rival cross state lines and play for the other team? Especially a legendary one. A Minneapolis TV station confirms Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings has a contractual agreement in place. Plus, the Vikes have already ordered the #4 Brett Favre jerseys to sell to fans.
UPDATED with additional quotes.
The Mariners have activated Ryan Rowland-Smith from the 15-Day DL and then sent him down to Tacoma. Either RRS's arm needs a little more time or the M's are waiting on other things shaking out, like a trade (or trade rumor). You can read the official M's news release after the jump. ...If you've always wanted to ask a pro athlete a question, but never could? Well now is your chance to do it. We call it "Ask the Sounders." It's your opportunity to ask the coaches or players a question about the game or anything else. We will take the top 3 questions. So put your questions in the "Comments" section.
The hoopsreport.com reports Huskies forward Jon Brockman has been give a promise to be drafted early in the second round. According to the article, Brockman has shut down until the draft. They think the rebounding machine received a promise from the Blazers or Pistons. Could you imagine him with Portland? Reunited with Brandon Roy? I could see Nate McMillan grabbing him for his character and hustle alone. Brockman has been laying low, but on his twitter account, he says he's golfing at Echo Falls.
The Seattle Mariners enjoyed their day off by playing golf at Newcastle for a great cause. The M's were hosting their annual charity event which benefits the cystic fibrosis foundation. Before the team teed off, I had the chance to catch up with several of the guys inlcuding Ryan Rowland-Smith. Rowland-Smith who is slated to pitch for Tacoma on Tuesday and spent the past two months rehabilitating from a case of triceps tendinitis says he is ready to go, "I'm feeling 100 percent, my velocity is back up, I'm just feeling myself again, feels like I'm trusting myself as far as decision making and I'm ready to go, I'm ready to get my spot back." I asked General Manager Jack Zduriencik to give me an update on Rowland-Smith and Kenji Johjima and he said, "Kenji is ready to roll, he's a day or two away and Ryan Rowland-Smith is excited about getting back and what we have to do is let the next few days unfold and make some decisions." Sounds to me, that Rowland-Smith needs to have a good start tomorrow in Tacoma if he wants to get back with the Mariners. ...
Huskies golfer Nick Taylor is having a weekend to remember. Until Sunday's 3rd round, Taylor was in the mix for the U.S. Open as an amateur. He shot 2 under through 36, good for a tie for 7th place. The Huskies golf coach can breathe a little easier if the Toronto Sun is correct. "I'm planning to go back (to school) and that's been the plan the whole time, to finish my last year," said Taylor, who was in seventh after the second round, six shots back of leader Ricky Barnes. But the Canadian says don't hold your breath too long. "If I won the Canadian Open or something like that, then obviously, I would turn pro," said the 21-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C. "Something that extreme would have to happen. Staying in school is what I want to do." So maybe not the U.S. Open, but possibly the Canadian. Hmmmm. I think, much like Puyallup's Ryan Moore, we'll be hearing Taylor's name regularly on the tour. ...Former Seahawks receiver Peter Warrick wants to play in the NFL again. But the 32-year-old has a mighty task ahead of him. It's been four years since his last NFL game. He's had 4 knee surgeries. And Warrick is toiling in the Indoor Football League. He made $10 million in the NFL. Now he makes $200 per game. OUCH! But you gotta love his passion for the sport. Anyone who plays for that, while battling through all his injuries, has to love football. ...Profootballtalk.com reports that there's a rumor out there that Brett Favre has signed a contract with the Minnesota Vikings, but the Vikes are sitting on the contract and waiting to send it into the NFL. One of their sources wouldn't confirm or deny the rumor. The other bit of information, which we also posed to the source who declined to confirm or deny the rumor, is that the Vikings already have green-lighted the production by Reebok of purple jerseys bearing the number 4 -- and the five-letter name that isn't pronounced like it's spelled. According to their report, they're putting 2 + 2 together. The Vikings' trainer has gone and helped Favre with his recovery. Plus, head coach Brad Childress plans to take a closer look at the future #4 in purple soon. ...M's left fielder Endy Chavez tore his ACL on Friday. He collided with Yuni Betancourt on fly ball to shallow left. Yuni made the grab and then hit Endy's right leg. Chavez layed there in pain, before the strectcher took him off the field. The M's say they'll wait for the swelling to go down before the perform surgery. It's common for them to let the swelling subside before ACL reconstructive surgery. Most ACL surgeries take 4-6 months to heal. That means his season is over. You can read the M's official news release after the jump.
Alberta Bantam Defenseman of the Year Nicholas Walters is excited to be a Silvertip
(Note: Special thanks to Mick White from Kent Valley Sports for action photos of Greg Scott. Check out Mick's work by clicking here.)
The US Senior Open is coming to Sahalee next year. Right now, if you buy tickets for the tournament, you'll be first in line to buy tickets for the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay. The offer ends June 30th. For more information, or to buy tickets, go to 2010USSENIOROPEN.COM.
Everett Silvertips News Release
USA Hockey Invites Tyler Maxwell to WJC Tryout Camp
It's a sight that can be found at ice rinks all over the world: pint-sized hockey players gliding en masse toward the same net. The kids skate at different speeds, many going just a short distance before they fall, seemingly in slow motion, to the ice. And it doesn't matter where the first player falls, you can bet that others will follow suit. I remember watching this scene unfold during the first intermission of every University of Alabama Huntsville home game when I was a student there. My friends and I would wait until the kids had played before rushing to the snack bar. ...What a difference a year makes. Last season, thanks to injuries, the Seahawks were desperate for wide receivers, this season, they are loaded up with plenty of talented receivers. So what should they do? Who should they keep? Who should they send to the practice squad? Who should they send packing? T-J Housmandzadeh, Deion Branch, Nate Burleson, Deon Butler (3rd round pick), Logan Payne, Courtney Taylor, Ben Obomanu, Jordan Kent, Mike Hass, Billy McMullen and Michael Bumpus ...The Seattle Seahawks will open up two and a half weeks of their training camp practices to the public this summer at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, but fans will be required to register through the team's website before gaining entrance. Day one of the Seahawks June Mini-Camp ended with a disscussion about Michael Vick. Vick's former coach and now Seahawks head coach Jim Mora says, Vick deserves to be reinstated to the NFL, though it seems unlikely he'll get that second chance in Seattle. Mora went on to say that Vick has paid his debt to society. When asked if he'd welcome Michael Vick to the Seahawks, Mora said Seattle is not adding any more quarterbacks and the Hawks do not have a need at that position.
(UPDATE: Silvertips stars Kellan Tochkin, Thomas Heemskerk among those attending tonight's Game 7 party at Sporty's Beef & Brew. More info below)
Multiple reports say the Seahawks have signed a few draft picks. They've agreed to deals with Rutgers quarterback & 6th round pick Mike Teel and with 7th round pick DE Nick Reed. UPDATE: Hawks official news release after the jump. ...Just back from vacation and my yearly sojourn to Dover, Delaware. How 'bout Jimmie Johnson? He dominated the Dover race. But a late race yellow forced the cars to pit and Johnson came out in the 8th spot. Not to worry. Johnson made his way through leader and lap traffic and eventually pulled into the number 2 spot behind Tony Stewart. Stewart can drive wide, but couldn't hold off Johnson, who passed him with a few laps to go. Johnson wins in one of the more exciting finishes at Dover I've seen. The M's make it official and select 1B/OF Dustin Ackley with the #2 overall pick in the draft. He'll likely play in the outfield. Ackley played first base this season because he was recovering from Tommy John Surgery.
It was probably a foregone conclusion. Quarterback Charlie Frye wasn't going to come back to Seattle. Well the Oakland Raiders make it official by signing the former backup QB.
American Hockey League News Release
There's a saying: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." The King 5 sports department confirms Skyline quarterback Jake Heaps will not play for the Huskies. He's headed for BYU instead. Heaps is scheduled to make the announcement tomorrow in Salt Lake City. Heaps is 28-0 as a starter for Skyline with a pair of state titles. ...The Washington Huskies softball team wins the NCAA championship with a 3-2 victory over Florida. Danielle Lawrie pitches a six-hitter with seven strikeouts. If you've always wanted to ask a pro athlete a question, but never could? Well now is your chance to do it. We call it "Ask the Sounders." It's your opportunity to ask the coaches or players a question about the game or anything else. We will take the top 3 questions. So put your questions in the "Comments" section.
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