It`s Almost Here

With opening day just two days away, I thought it would be a good time to look over this year’s club and give my prediction on how I think things will go. The core of last year’s team that was one win away from making it to the World Series is all back. Excited, you bet I am.

Starting pitchers: The only question was who was going to win the final spot. Cliff Lee, Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey all went into camp in contention. It was announced earlier in the week that Lee had won the job and Sowers and Laffey will start the year in Buffalo. Listening to Tribe GM Mark Shapiro talk earlier this week, both he and Eric Wedge were real happy with how Lee threw the ball this spring, and said he continued to get better. Between the 2005 – 2006 season Cliff Lee went 32 – 16. Let’s hope he returns to form and we don’t see the guy that went 5 – 8 last year and got demoted to triple – a. Oh yeah, lets not forget that C.C. Sabathia won the Cy Young award last year.
Grade: A

The bullpen has a couple new faces this year as the Tribe heads north. Set up man Rafael Betancourt and closer Joe Borowski are still in the back end of the pen. This year they are joined by Masahide Kobayashi. He should give the Tribe some help in the back end. He`s a guy that’s had 20 plus saves in 7 years in Japan. Jensen Lewis and Rafael Perez both break camp for the first time with the big league club. Both pitched very well last year after being called up from Buffalo and should continue to help this year. Aaron Fultz was just terrible this spring and was designated for assignment. He’s replace by Craig Breslow, a guy the Tribe claimed of waivers this spring from Boston. Jorge Julio was a pleasant surprise this spring and beat out Scott Elarton for one of the final spots in the pen.
Grade: B+
Reason: Let’s see what Kobayashi can do in the bigs. Plus as I mentioned, it’s the first time for Lewis and Perez to break camp with the big league club.

This year’s line up looks a lot like last years, the only difference is second base, right field and the utility spot. Asdrubal Cabrera will start the year at second base. At this time last year I think we all new it was a matter of time before we would see this kid, I just don’t think we all thought he would make the impact he did. Just don’t count out Josh Barfield just yet.
Trot Nixon was the starting right fielder last year, and let’s face it, he couldn’t even move. Franklin Gutierrez got called up and made an impact. He had some big hits down the stretch and has the best arm of all the outfielders. I think Franklin has a huge year in 2008.
I still don’t like the left field situation. Personally I think Ben Francisco would be just as good in left as the platoon of David Dellucci and Jason Michaels. That being said Andy Marte is out of options and Mark Shapiro isn’t ready to admit he made a mistake. Francisco will be back before the year is over and he will make an impact in one way or another. Jamey Carroll will be this year’s utility man.
Victor Martinez is a lock to hit .300, Travis Hafner should return to form, even thought last year wasn’t that bad, and Grady Sizemore just needs to cut down on the strikeouts from the leadoff spot.
Grade: B+
Reason: I still don’t like the situation in left field. Casey Blake leaves to many men on base and the Tribe needs to be more consistent. You can’t win 14 – 10 then come back and waste a great performance from a starter and lose 1-0.

I think the Indians can repeat and win the Central Division. Obviously the big key is health. If guys can stay off the DL and produce, the Tribe should be fine. If there are a couple of guys that go down, there are guys in Buffalo that can step in. That’s one reason I pick the Indians over the Tigers is because of the depth in triple – a.

It should be fun, I can’t wait.

One Week On The Job!

I can’t tell you how excited I was while driving into the radio station Monday morning. Trust me; it wasn’t because it was 4:45 in the morning. It was the start of a new beginning for me, Sports Director at WOBL/WDLW Radio Inc.

With this new start we will continue to cover all the great high school athletes in Lorain County. From the gridiron to the hardwood to the ice, we offer a wide variety of high school sports coverage. I’m proud to say that it will continue along with our coverage of Oberlin College football and LCCC basketball.

Now next month we launch something new. The Premier Toyota Of Amherst Race Series. Starting April 12th we will broadcast 12 nights of racing from Lorain County Speedway. This is another way for us to showcase more great local athletes in Lorain County. The Lorain County Sports Networks focus since I’ve been around has been to focus on local athletes and talk to them. That will be the case three weeks from tonight when we hit the air from the speedway at 6:50. Racing is something in Lorain County that is very popular and we at WOBL/WDLW are proud to bring this coverage to those great drivers and fans.

Racing, football, basketball and hockey, the WOBL/WDLW Sports Krew will now be at work year round. I’m proud to say that’s the case.

I want to thank all of you in Lorain County that tune us in on Friday nights in the fall, through out the winter for basketball and hockey, and hope that you’ll join us on April 12th when we launch the Premier Toyota Of Amherst Race Series.

Thank you for listening as we will continue to provide our coverage of the many great athletes here in Lorain County.

Be sure to visit the Lorain County Sports Network link on http://www.northcoastdailynews.com/ to see our complete Premier Toyota Of Amherst Race Series schedule.

What's left to say...

... about Coach Walsh. You can't add to the legend. You can't write or say anything that will say more that the championships and adulation of players. To not say anything, however, would be less than honest about his impact. Very few times in my life have I been in awe of someone in athletics or any other part of my life. Granted I've never met the sports heroes of my youth (Dr. J, Ozzie Newsome and Wilie Stargell), but I'm fairly confident that I'd be happy just to talk to them and move on. I've sat down to lunch and dinner with Judges, Representatives, Senators, Mayors, Bank Presidents, and Bishops. No big deal. They're all wonderful people, but simply people just the same. Recently Bob left me in awe.

It wasn't about his win total. It wasn't about experience. Cross off ranting, drawing up a play, substitutions and taking a time out at the right time. It was about understanding the game, but even more than that.

So why the reaction? Let me add a little background info. My first interaction with Coach Walsh, I believe, was the summer between seventh and eighth grades. I attended a basketball camp hosted by then Lorain County Community College Coach Steve Bankson (the Head Coach at Baldwin Wallace College since 1980). I remember the guy that ran the defensive station. The two things that I remember most about that station are 1) you were always dead tired after going through that workout, and 2) we never had a basketball at the station. Never. It was about footwork, body position, angles, stamina, focus, rotation, help... As a young guy really just learning the game, it made no sense to me - basketball without a ball, no shooting, no dribbling. What's this guy smoking? Of course it all became clearer years later. And it served me well as I moved through my high school career playing for another guy that believed in tough man-to-man defense - Larry Stark. The point here is that it took me a while, but I got it. I understood. He got me to buy in.

Before I elaborate, let me set the stage. February 28, 2008. I was sitting in the press box at Midview broadcasting (with my partner that night Dave DeNatale) as Elyria and Strongsville went at it again. Can't tell you how many times over the last few years I've watched this game - it's always entertaining. Not a bad deal to watch Walsh battle his friend/nemesis Joe Lynch. Elyria's playing OK, but nothing special and the Mustangs are on cruise control. Somewhere around the 5 minute mark in the third quarter, the game changed. The Pioneers came out with a renewed energy/intensity/desire. It took them to about the 6:00 minute mark in the forth to truly get back in the game. The forth quarter was all Elyria and they won a tight one by four having been down by 18 a quarter and a half earlier.

OK. So what's the big deal.

In our post game interview on WDLW, Coach Walsh told us that he wanted to hold off on the big pressure until the forth quarter. The plan, according to coach, was to hold back and make one big run at the end, to actually concede three quarters. My jaw, and I mean this literally, dropped open. It took me a second to recoup. I understood the strategy straight away. Pretty impressive. More impressive that he pulled it off against an opposing coach as good as Lynch.

Here's the reason for the reaction, though. He got them to buy in. These guys, who weren't even born when he won his last state title, who's fathers could have played for Walsh, got it. Walsh - gray haired, crusty, old school, mean old #$%&* - connected with this group of teenagers and taught them about what it means to play beyond their individual skill sets. And they understood, ultimately, that if they did it his way, they could win. Think about it again. A bunch of street ballers running a half court, set offense (when they had to) and team defense. And they respected him for it.

I had a chance to talk to Bob at the All-Star game last weekend. Even in retirement, he wanted to make sure that I understood it was about the kids. I always knew that. Nobody commits to coaching a high school sports team if it's not about the kids. I guess the difference is that now I truly understand how impactful one individual can be on those kids.

Thanks Bob.

Time to Say Goodbye....sort of

I knew I was in for an adventure from Day 1.

Upon being hired at WOBL in July of 2000 as Co-Sports Director, I had my first meeting with the guy I would come to know quite well for the next seven plus years. His name: Don Vincent.

I was a slightly cocky 25 year old who thought he was above needing a "co" for anything when it came to doing sports on the radio. And he'd probably tell you that he thought he didn't need this punk kid around to help him run the Sports Krew.

But instead of imploding, we got along rather well. In fact, we traded barbs on our first meeting. He called me Junior...I called him Gramps.

It was on.

And for the next eight seasons, Don, myself, and the rest of the Sports Krew would embark on many adventures together. From the Final Four in Columbus, to back to back State Football Championship games in Massillon, to countless shows, Oberlin College Football games, and even that day when the Associated Press gave us the "Outstanding Sports Operation" award.

It's been quite a ride. But now, I will be taking my leave. Sort of.

On St. Patrick's Day I'll be starting a new chapter in my career as a Sports Anchor for Metro Networks based out of Independence. My primary job will be to deliver the sports updates on ESPN 850 WKNR every afternoon.

To say I have mixed emotions would be a huge understatement. This is a big break in my career and I'm extremely excited to see where this takes me. On the other hand, it's been the greatest honor of my life to be the Sports Director of WOBL/WDLW and I'll miss all of the things that made broadcasting in Lorain County so much fun.

I'll miss the coaches. The bleacher chats in Wellington with Matt Stoll. The humor of Jim Baker. The class acts like Alan Januzzi, John Szalay, Dave McFarland, and Kurt Russell. The coaches who I could listen to for hours talk about their sports, like Bob Walsh or Dave Dlugosz.

I'll miss the athletes. A lot. One of the things I've cherished the most in my eight years is the relationships I've made with the kids I've covered. Two of them, Nick Mezlak and Ross Rybarczyk, are now on the Sports Krew. I've also had the chance to follow the likes Dan Gundert, Jordan Beard, Tom Port, and Chris Schubert from high school to the college level. I recently received an email from former Open Door guard Tony Madalone who has gone on to graduate from Ashland and is now coaching there. Stories like that make me smile. By the way, I'm also grateful for the relationships that I've made with the parents of many of the above student athletes. Your support of me and the Sports Krew over the years is truly appreciated!

And of course, I'll miss my Krew. I can't imagine ever working with a better group of people anywhere else. So many stories. So much fun. It's been a truly wonderful experience.

Thankfully, it won't be my last experience at WOBL/WDLW. I'll be back this fall with Don Vincent and Jason Gibbs to call my seventh season of Oberlin College football. So I'll certainly be looking forward to that.

I'd just like to say thanks to Doug and Lorie Wilber for all of their support of me and the Sports Krew over the years. I couldn't have worked for two better people. Thanks also to all of my co-workers, past and present, for all of their efforts in behalf of the sports department and for their friendship. Finally, thanks to all of the Athletic Directors, coaches, and players for eight years of great memories on and off the field.

Good luck to my successor Brian Deitz. I know you'll do a great job B!

And of course, thanks to all of you out there. For tuning in. For reading our blogs. For coming up and talking to us at games and shows. You're the reason why we do what we do. And I'm so grateful that you allowed me in to your homes to bring you the excitement local sports for eight years. I hope you'll come and find me down the dial every now and then.

Until then, my best wishes to you all and thank you Lorain County!

And Then There Were Two.....

I love it when I'm right!

Remember this prediction a little more than a month ago? 'Virtually every boys and girls district involving Lorain County teams is wide open. Wide open enough where we could have more than one team make it to the regionals.'

How about three teams?

First things first, belated congratulations to Cheryl Bansek and her Admiral King Lady Admirals for winning the Medina District and advancing to the Regionals for the first time in a quarter century. Bansek was recently named Division I Co-Coach of the Year by the Associated Press after leading the Admirals to a sparkling 21-3 record including 19 straight wins.

On the boys side, Vermilion and Elyria both overcame plenty of adversity and will both get their shot at the Sweet 16 starting on Wednesday when Elyria faces St. Edward at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center.

Five weeks ago, I didn't think Elyria had much of a shot to get this far. I saw them surrender a big lead to Strongsville largely due to a 31-10 fourth quarter by the Mustangs. They couldn't hit their free throws and seemed to lose their poise. Actually, Elyria had trouble all year long putting teams away and as we moved closer to the tournament, the Pioneers were not firing on all cylinders.

That was before Bob Walsh's team found themselves on Senior Night and beat Brunswick. Then they survived a challenge from Medina to open the tournament at Midview before their rematch with Strongsville last Thursday.

Understand that Elyria had lost to Strongsville in the District Finals two years in a row. The Pioneers often allowed things like officiating and questionable calls to rattle them. And the script was playing out exactly that way for the first two and a half quarters as the Mustangs built up an 18 point lead.

Then, late in the third quarter, Bob Walsh called for the press. "It was a question of when to do it, but we needed time to overcome where we were. If we run out of gas, we run out of gas," Walsh told Don Vincent and I after the game.

The defensive intensity keyed Elyria's remarkable comeback as they outscored the Mustangs ironically by a 31-12 margin on the way to a 68-64 victory. Another 31 point quarter two nights later would propel the Pioneers to the District title in a win over Olmsted Falls.

And now, Elyria gets their shot at Ed's.

Thursday Night, Vermilion will head to my alma mater of Bowling Green State University for a matchup with the Lexington Minutemen. I hadn't seen the Sailors at all this season until I called their championship game with Bay on Friday. It turned out to be one of the most memorable games I've broadcasted in a very long time.

The Sailors are a very unique team. They don't have one truly dominant player. They don't have a ton of depth. But they play incredibly well together and have completely bought into Kurt Habermehl's system. Watching this team, you just have the sense that the guys truly care about each other and have adopted a refuse to lose mentality.

In back to back games at the districts, the Sailors found themselves down by double digits in the second half, plus they had a key player foul out. But yet Vermilion found a way to get past both Holy Name and Bay in overtime to advance to the regionals for the first time in school history.

Can one, or maybe even both teams advance to the Elite Eight?

I'd make a prediction, but I'm still patting myself on the back. You'll have to tune in and find out.

One other note: Just a quick reminder about Cavaliers Night Out on Wednesday Night as we'll be broadcasting live from Bootlegger's Grille in Columbia Station from 7-9:30. WOBL will carry the show in its entirety, while the Kool Kat will join up in progress after the Elyria-St. Edward game. Scheduled to join us for the show:

• Cavaliers President Len Komoroski
• Members of the Cavalier Girls Dance Team
• Moondog the Mascot
• Cavaliers Vice President Tracy Marek
• Brent Kelly and Wes O'Neill from the Lake Erie Monsters
• Lake Erie Monsters Play by Play Voice John Michael
• The Monsters "Mon Squad"