Take a moment to thank Ethan Happ for his four-years in a University of Wisconsin Badger uniform.
He logged 4,115 minutes of playing time in his career. He finishes as the program's all-time leader in rebounds (1,217) and blocked shots (154) -- was second second in steals (217), third in points (2,130) and third in assists (423).
About the only thing Happ didn't do was develop a consistent outside shot or find success at the free throw line. His struggles in the latter were well-documented. He only shot 54.1% from the foul line. Had he even been in the low 70s we might be looking at his career a little differently.
Happ won't be appearing on an NBA court next season. He may not even make a G-League squad, but for sure will earn some money playing overseas.
As a team, Wisconsin did make the NCAA tourney for the 21st time in 22 years. A good step forward, but next season will be crucial for Coach Greg Gard. Replacing the size that Happ gave up front may come from other places, as Gard kicks the tires on JuCo transfers or the transfer portal. The guard play will have to step up and show more consistency shooting the basketball. Nate Reuvers made a big jump this year, and another year in the weight room will increase that development.
Monday, March 25, 2019
Friday, March 22, 2019
A Little Bit Of This 'N That
Just tying up a few loose ends, things I've been thinking about lately.
ICHIRO Suzuki retired from baseball this week. The 45-year-old outfield, easily the most successful Japanese player to be in the Major Leagues, called it quits after the second game of a two-game series in his home country of Japan.
When you look at his numbers, you just shake your head. He played nine seasons in Japan before coming to MLB's Seattle Mariners, with a .353 batting average. He hit 118 home runs, had 1,278 hits, drove in 529 runs and drew 384 walks.
With 19 years in the Majors, he batted .311 with 3,089 hits, had 117 home runs, stole 509 bases, drew 647 walks and drove in 780 runs. AND he was a 10-time All-Star with 10 Golden Gloves.
So, in 28 seasons (3,603 games), he hit .322, had an On Base Percentage of .434, totaled 4,367 hits, stole 708 bases, hit 235 homers and drove in 1,309 runs.
I happened to be in the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009 when Ichiro got his 2,000th hit. Nothing beats being on hand for sports history! (Have been at the game when 6-foot, 10-inch pitcher Randy Johnson hit his ONLY career home run, against Milwaukee as well as in San Francisco when Barry Bonds of the Giants passed Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list.)
MATTHEWS & COBB -- not surprised when the Green Bay Packers let this pair walk. Cobb, who had an injury-plagued career in Green Bay, inked a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys. Matthews, 32, had clearly lost more than a step in Green Bay. He got a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams, and that's a good place for him. The Rams will use him in situations, limit his playing time. And with a very, very good defensive line in front of him, Matthews should excel.
Thanks to both of them for their Green Bay years of service, and I wish them the best.
ICHIRO Suzuki retired from baseball this week. The 45-year-old outfield, easily the most successful Japanese player to be in the Major Leagues, called it quits after the second game of a two-game series in his home country of Japan.
When you look at his numbers, you just shake your head. He played nine seasons in Japan before coming to MLB's Seattle Mariners, with a .353 batting average. He hit 118 home runs, had 1,278 hits, drove in 529 runs and drew 384 walks.
With 19 years in the Majors, he batted .311 with 3,089 hits, had 117 home runs, stole 509 bases, drew 647 walks and drove in 780 runs. AND he was a 10-time All-Star with 10 Golden Gloves.
So, in 28 seasons (3,603 games), he hit .322, had an On Base Percentage of .434, totaled 4,367 hits, stole 708 bases, hit 235 homers and drove in 1,309 runs.
I happened to be in the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009 when Ichiro got his 2,000th hit. Nothing beats being on hand for sports history! (Have been at the game when 6-foot, 10-inch pitcher Randy Johnson hit his ONLY career home run, against Milwaukee as well as in San Francisco when Barry Bonds of the Giants passed Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list.)
MATTHEWS & COBB -- not surprised when the Green Bay Packers let this pair walk. Cobb, who had an injury-plagued career in Green Bay, inked a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys. Matthews, 32, had clearly lost more than a step in Green Bay. He got a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams, and that's a good place for him. The Rams will use him in situations, limit his playing time. And with a very, very good defensive line in front of him, Matthews should excel.
Thanks to both of them for their Green Bay years of service, and I wish them the best.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Sizing Up The NCAA Tournament
A severe outbreak of March Madness has been noted by the Center for Disease Control.
Offices and work places all across America grind to a halt this week. Especially so Thursday and Friday -- when a lot of basketball fans either take the days off legitimately OR call in sick.
This a great time of year. You have people filling out brackets who are total fanatics. They study lineups, matchups and stats with more intensity than they do their own tax forms. And you have people filling out brackets who do so based on team colors or mascots.
The latter group seems to win more often than not.
The Big Ten has the most teams in the tourney with eight (Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State and Maryland), while the SEC and ACC both have seven -- tho the ACC has three of the four number one seeds in Duke, North Carolina and Virginia.
Wisconsin's Badgers stumble into the tourney, having lost three of their final nine and misplaced their offense. Wisconsin did play a tough schedule, and was 7-8 against tournament teams. If the Badgers can somehow find their offense again, giving some scoring help to senior Ethan Happ, they should reach the Sweet Sixteen. BUT the Badger chances drop off if Happ is at the foul line. The hack-a-Happ strategy pays off, so Coach Greg Gard has to hope that some of his young Badgers can step up.
Best nickname in the tournament? The University of California-Irvine Anteaters. I rank that name right up there with the Banana Slugs of UC-Santa Cruz.
My Final Four? Depends on which of my brackets you let me post! (Hey, I only did four). But like most of the country, I think Duke will win the National Championship.
Offices and work places all across America grind to a halt this week. Especially so Thursday and Friday -- when a lot of basketball fans either take the days off legitimately OR call in sick.
This a great time of year. You have people filling out brackets who are total fanatics. They study lineups, matchups and stats with more intensity than they do their own tax forms. And you have people filling out brackets who do so based on team colors or mascots.
The latter group seems to win more often than not.
The Big Ten has the most teams in the tourney with eight (Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State and Maryland), while the SEC and ACC both have seven -- tho the ACC has three of the four number one seeds in Duke, North Carolina and Virginia.
Wisconsin's Badgers stumble into the tourney, having lost three of their final nine and misplaced their offense. Wisconsin did play a tough schedule, and was 7-8 against tournament teams. If the Badgers can somehow find their offense again, giving some scoring help to senior Ethan Happ, they should reach the Sweet Sixteen. BUT the Badger chances drop off if Happ is at the foul line. The hack-a-Happ strategy pays off, so Coach Greg Gard has to hope that some of his young Badgers can step up.
Best nickname in the tournament? The University of California-Irvine Anteaters. I rank that name right up there with the Banana Slugs of UC-Santa Cruz.
My Final Four? Depends on which of my brackets you let me post! (Hey, I only did four). But like most of the country, I think Duke will win the National Championship.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
State Championships Run In This Wisconsin Family
The stretch between state champions in the Rohde family spans 41 years. Still, a pair of state titles in one family is pretty cool. One came on the Kohl Center court, the other at the Field House.
When Brookfield Central downed Sun Prairie Saturday, 69-52, to win the D-1 title, one of the contributors was a freshman guard named Andrew Rohde. He hit a three-point basket in the win, and scored 9 points in the 61-47 semi-final win over Neenah.
The irony here is that, 41 years ago, his dad, Kevin, was a member of the Neenah Rocket team that finished the year 26-0 with a 58-49 win over Beloit Memorial.
They're not the first father-son pairing to play on state champs, for sure, but still it's a rare instance.
Kevin played for legendary coach Ron Einerson, who took 10 Neenah teams to state and won titles in 1975 and 1978 on the way to a 556-235 career record.
That same year the Neenah girls team finished 25-1, winning the state title by beating Beloit 49-38. Coach Jean Kessler took six Neenah teams to state, finishing runner-up twice on her way to a 176-47 career record.
I was covering sports in the Fox Valley then, and Kevin was a three-sport standout (football-basketball-baseball). You might even count that as four, as he was a pretty solid soccer player before getting his kicks at football. His success there led to a two-year stint as kicker for the Wisconsin Badgers (1982 & 1983). His best season was '83, when he hit 45 of 48 extra points and six of nine field goals to finish with 63 points. He ended his Badger career with 86 points, successful on 95.2% of his extra points and 64.3% on field goals.
Still, Andrew can talk smack at the dinner table. He scored 12 points in a state tournament and Dad was shut out.
And since a pair of sophomores combined for 30 of Brookfield Central's points in the championship game, the younger Rohde -- and his family -- just might make regular trips to Madison.
When Brookfield Central downed Sun Prairie Saturday, 69-52, to win the D-1 title, one of the contributors was a freshman guard named Andrew Rohde. He hit a three-point basket in the win, and scored 9 points in the 61-47 semi-final win over Neenah.
The irony here is that, 41 years ago, his dad, Kevin, was a member of the Neenah Rocket team that finished the year 26-0 with a 58-49 win over Beloit Memorial.
They're not the first father-son pairing to play on state champs, for sure, but still it's a rare instance.
Kevin played for legendary coach Ron Einerson, who took 10 Neenah teams to state and won titles in 1975 and 1978 on the way to a 556-235 career record.
That same year the Neenah girls team finished 25-1, winning the state title by beating Beloit 49-38. Coach Jean Kessler took six Neenah teams to state, finishing runner-up twice on her way to a 176-47 career record.
I was covering sports in the Fox Valley then, and Kevin was a three-sport standout (football-basketball-baseball). You might even count that as four, as he was a pretty solid soccer player before getting his kicks at football. His success there led to a two-year stint as kicker for the Wisconsin Badgers (1982 & 1983). His best season was '83, when he hit 45 of 48 extra points and six of nine field goals to finish with 63 points. He ended his Badger career with 86 points, successful on 95.2% of his extra points and 64.3% on field goals.
Still, Andrew can talk smack at the dinner table. He scored 12 points in a state tournament and Dad was shut out.
And since a pair of sophomores combined for 30 of Brookfield Central's points in the championship game, the younger Rohde -- and his family -- just might make regular trips to Madison.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
OMG! Free Agency Feeding Frenzy
Holy Cow! What's come over the Green Bay Packers? For painful year after painful year, general manager Ted Thompson pretty much ignored the NFL's free agent market, preferring to stick to a draft-and-develop system that kept the Packers hovering around the NFL's youngest squads.
Suddenly, in a matter of hours, GM Brian Gutekunst made more quality moves -- and guys who are experienced but still in the prime of their careers -- to improve the team than Thompson ever did.
Need help shoring up Mike Pettine's defense? Here come the Smith Brothers: edge rushers Za'Darius Smith (Baltimore Ravens) and Preston Smith (Washington Redskins). Adding to the defensive backfield is safety Adrian Amos (Chicago Bears), while helping to plug the offensive line will be Billy Turner (Denver Broncos).
What does this mean to the upcoming NFL draft? That the can address the tight end and offensive tackle positions early on in the draft, and still pick up quality in the D-Line and defensive backfield.
Suddenly, Gutekunst can look at giving first-year head coach Matt LaFleur and veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers more weapons, protection and flexibility on offense.
Looks like an early win for Green Bay.
can still devote a top pick to TE
Suddenly, in a matter of hours, GM Brian Gutekunst made more quality moves -- and guys who are experienced but still in the prime of their careers -- to improve the team than Thompson ever did.
Need help shoring up Mike Pettine's defense? Here come the Smith Brothers: edge rushers Za'Darius Smith (Baltimore Ravens) and Preston Smith (Washington Redskins). Adding to the defensive backfield is safety Adrian Amos (Chicago Bears), while helping to plug the offensive line will be Billy Turner (Denver Broncos).
What does this mean to the upcoming NFL draft? That the can address the tight end and offensive tackle positions early on in the draft, and still pick up quality in the D-Line and defensive backfield.
Suddenly, Gutekunst can look at giving first-year head coach Matt LaFleur and veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers more weapons, protection and flexibility on offense.
Looks like an early win for Green Bay.
can still devote a top pick to TE
Monday, March 11, 2019
Hey Alex -- Be Careful at Florida State!
Using the transfer portal, quarterback Alex Hornibrook left the Wisconsin Badgers and landed a spot with the Florida State Seminoles.
Sounds like a good gig, right? He's got a year of eligibility (graduating with a business degree in May) and he will most certainly be the most experienced player in the QB room, with a 26-6 record as a Badger.
However, my good friend Charlie -- a long-time 'Noles fan -- reports that Hornibrook just might get killed at Florida State. Charlie notes that their offensive line is terrible, their quarterbacks last year spent more time on their backs than standing, and their running backs seldom got to the line before being tackled.
With Hornibrook's concussion history, that might be a bad combination. But here's hoping it works out for the best for all involved.
Sounds like a good gig, right? He's got a year of eligibility (graduating with a business degree in May) and he will most certainly be the most experienced player in the QB room, with a 26-6 record as a Badger.
However, my good friend Charlie -- a long-time 'Noles fan -- reports that Hornibrook just might get killed at Florida State. Charlie notes that their offensive line is terrible, their quarterbacks last year spent more time on their backs than standing, and their running backs seldom got to the line before being tackled.
With Hornibrook's concussion history, that might be a bad combination. But here's hoping it works out for the best for all involved.
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Thank You, Alex Hornibrook
I think Wisconsin Badger fans owe quarterback Alex Hornibrook a big thank you for his UW career. I'm sure there are those that disagree.
Hornibrook, plagued by concussion issues last season, graduates in May. He still has a year of eligibility, and has decided to enter the transfer portal and play his final season elsewhere.
There are those critics who are cheering, but they forget that Hornibrook had a 26-6 career record, including 20-4 in the Big Ten. He completed 426 of 704 passes (60.51%) for 5,438 yards with 47 touchdowns and 33 interceptions.
And who can forget his electric Orange Bowl game on Dec. 31, 2017 -- earning game MVP honors by hitting 23 of 34 passes for 258 yards and four touchdowns, beating a very, very good University of Miami defense, 34-24.
BUT, today's society takes a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately approach. After Hornibrook struggled in his injury-plagued season, I can see the logic.
It might well be that Hornibrook took a look around the rest of the Badger roster, where Jack Coan, Danny Vanden Boom, Chase Wolf and highly touted incoming freshman Graham Mertz will have battled him for the position (and thought about his concussions) and said enough is enough.
Keep in mind, there are many who feel that stellar quarterback play is the only thing keeping Wisconsin out of the national title picture. The Badgers are traditionally built around a strong running game, a great offensive line and a better-than-average defense. Big Red will NEVER be a throw-first offense, so attracting that upper tier quarterback (Mertz appears to be the exception) won't happen.
Thank you, Alex, for your efforts on the field and a classy exit from UW. Best of luck down the road!
Hornibrook, plagued by concussion issues last season, graduates in May. He still has a year of eligibility, and has decided to enter the transfer portal and play his final season elsewhere.
There are those critics who are cheering, but they forget that Hornibrook had a 26-6 career record, including 20-4 in the Big Ten. He completed 426 of 704 passes (60.51%) for 5,438 yards with 47 touchdowns and 33 interceptions.
And who can forget his electric Orange Bowl game on Dec. 31, 2017 -- earning game MVP honors by hitting 23 of 34 passes for 258 yards and four touchdowns, beating a very, very good University of Miami defense, 34-24.
BUT, today's society takes a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately approach. After Hornibrook struggled in his injury-plagued season, I can see the logic.
It might well be that Hornibrook took a look around the rest of the Badger roster, where Jack Coan, Danny Vanden Boom, Chase Wolf and highly touted incoming freshman Graham Mertz will have battled him for the position (and thought about his concussions) and said enough is enough.
Keep in mind, there are many who feel that stellar quarterback play is the only thing keeping Wisconsin out of the national title picture. The Badgers are traditionally built around a strong running game, a great offensive line and a better-than-average defense. Big Red will NEVER be a throw-first offense, so attracting that upper tier quarterback (Mertz appears to be the exception) won't happen.
Thank you, Alex, for your efforts on the field and a classy exit from UW. Best of luck down the road!
Friday, March 1, 2019
Manziel Banned In Canada
This word might have passed under the radar this week -- the Canadian Football League has effectively banned quarterback Johnny Manziel.
A former Heisman Trophy winner, and a first-round selection in the National Football League, Manziel had started his CFL career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was then shipped to the Montreal Alouettes. The Alouettes announced this past Wednesday that they had been instructed by the league to terminate Manziel's contract because he "contravened the agreement which made him eligible to play in the league."
CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie informed the rest of the CFL teams that his office would not approve a Manziel contract.
Hey, you gotta be pretty poor to get tossed out of the CFL. So now that he's failed to last in two professional leagues, will his third strike be far behind? The upstart Alliance of American Football league, which is three weeks into it's first season, is suddenly salivating over the prospect of getting Manziel.
Well, that is one way to get media attention and maybe put fannies in the stands.
A former Heisman Trophy winner, and a first-round selection in the National Football League, Manziel had started his CFL career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was then shipped to the Montreal Alouettes. The Alouettes announced this past Wednesday that they had been instructed by the league to terminate Manziel's contract because he "contravened the agreement which made him eligible to play in the league."
CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie informed the rest of the CFL teams that his office would not approve a Manziel contract.
Hey, you gotta be pretty poor to get tossed out of the CFL. So now that he's failed to last in two professional leagues, will his third strike be far behind? The upstart Alliance of American Football league, which is three weeks into it's first season, is suddenly salivating over the prospect of getting Manziel.
Well, that is one way to get media attention and maybe put fannies in the stands.
Monday, February 18, 2019
Moose Is Loose In Milwaukee
Welcome back, Mike Moustakas!
The free agent third baseman will be back in a Milwaukee Brewer uniform for 2019, with the club negotiating for an option on 2020.
This is good news for Milwaukee fans. Moustakas was an excellent pickup by the Brewers last July, acquiring him from the Kansas City Royals. With Milwaukee, he batted .256 with eight home runs, 33 RBI and a .767 OPS in 54 regular season games. He batted .364 in the three-game sweep of Colorado before cooling off against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
It seems that Moose is also a good clubhouse guy, adding to a solid team chemistry.
Lost in this, though, might be the sacrifice of Travis Shaw. Though a third baseman by trade, one who had never played anywhere else in the majors, Shaw made the move across the diamond to second base.
It's often said that "there is no 'I' in team". And with Shaw, this is clear. Here's a veteran who could have balked -- many players in the past have said no way to a change of positions. Yet, for the good of the TEAM, Shaw stepped up. He played the position pretty well last year, and I expect that will continue this spring as he spends more time at second.
This gives Manager Craig Counsel a little more flexibility with his lineup AND lets 22-year-old Keston Hiura more time to season in the minors. Hiura is thought to be the second baseman of the future for the Brewers. Certainly doesn't hurt him, or the Brewers, to have a little more seasoning.
A win-win for Moustakas, Shaw and the Brewers.
The free agent third baseman will be back in a Milwaukee Brewer uniform for 2019, with the club negotiating for an option on 2020.
This is good news for Milwaukee fans. Moustakas was an excellent pickup by the Brewers last July, acquiring him from the Kansas City Royals. With Milwaukee, he batted .256 with eight home runs, 33 RBI and a .767 OPS in 54 regular season games. He batted .364 in the three-game sweep of Colorado before cooling off against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
It seems that Moose is also a good clubhouse guy, adding to a solid team chemistry.
Lost in this, though, might be the sacrifice of Travis Shaw. Though a third baseman by trade, one who had never played anywhere else in the majors, Shaw made the move across the diamond to second base.
It's often said that "there is no 'I' in team". And with Shaw, this is clear. Here's a veteran who could have balked -- many players in the past have said no way to a change of positions. Yet, for the good of the TEAM, Shaw stepped up. He played the position pretty well last year, and I expect that will continue this spring as he spends more time at second.
This gives Manager Craig Counsel a little more flexibility with his lineup AND lets 22-year-old Keston Hiura more time to season in the minors. Hiura is thought to be the second baseman of the future for the Brewers. Certainly doesn't hurt him, or the Brewers, to have a little more seasoning.
A win-win for Moustakas, Shaw and the Brewers.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Has Baseball Finally Figured It Out?
Spring training began this week with pitchers and catchers reporting in Arizona and Florida.
Among the missing are two of the bigger names in free agency -- OF Bryce Harper and SS Manny Machado, who are both represented by agent Scott Boras (NOT the most popular guy with team owners). Also absent is 3B Mike Moustakas, who could still re-up with the Milwaukee Brewers, who traded for him during their amazing 2018 stretch run.
These are highly productive every-day ballplayers without a job as spring training begins. Granted, they probably need less time to get season-ready than pitchers. But the fact that they are still on the open market is truly amazing.
Perhaps the Powers That Be in Baseball have finally figured out that long-term, big-money contracts are not the way to go. Perhaps the days of the 10-year deal (Alex Rodriquez, Albert Pujols) might be over. The worst of these deals was Pujols, who the California Angels signed in 2012 (at age 32) to a 10-year deal worth $240 million. This albatross won't expire until 2022, and the 39-year-old Pujols is still owed $87 million.
Ouch!
I think you'll see more short-term contacts, contracts in the two-to-four year range, with club and player options after a couple years. Better for teams in the long run, and players will always get paid.
Good example of this? The one-year deal the Brewers signed catcher Yasmani Grandal to. More club-friendly, and if he has a stellar season, then Grandal will make more on his next contract.
Among the missing are two of the bigger names in free agency -- OF Bryce Harper and SS Manny Machado, who are both represented by agent Scott Boras (NOT the most popular guy with team owners). Also absent is 3B Mike Moustakas, who could still re-up with the Milwaukee Brewers, who traded for him during their amazing 2018 stretch run.
These are highly productive every-day ballplayers without a job as spring training begins. Granted, they probably need less time to get season-ready than pitchers. But the fact that they are still on the open market is truly amazing.
Perhaps the Powers That Be in Baseball have finally figured out that long-term, big-money contracts are not the way to go. Perhaps the days of the 10-year deal (Alex Rodriquez, Albert Pujols) might be over. The worst of these deals was Pujols, who the California Angels signed in 2012 (at age 32) to a 10-year deal worth $240 million. This albatross won't expire until 2022, and the 39-year-old Pujols is still owed $87 million.
Ouch!
I think you'll see more short-term contacts, contracts in the two-to-four year range, with club and player options after a couple years. Better for teams in the long run, and players will always get paid.
Good example of this? The one-year deal the Brewers signed catcher Yasmani Grandal to. More club-friendly, and if he has a stellar season, then Grandal will make more on his next contract.
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