Morris' Stock Rising?

It seems that Darius Morris may have made the right decision to enter the NBA draft. It was just a couple months ago I watched a reckless and somewhat undisciplined player driving to the basket time after time, missing, and creating turn overs I thought were crucial to the game's outcome. He showed flashes of greatness, but looked unpolished. I thought another year playing for Michigan would be in order.

I guess I was wrong.

Morris shot well at the combine. He got some attention, and said all the right things. When asked about other potential "better" players staying in school playing a part in his decision, he agreed that was a factor. Does this translate into a successful draft for Morris? Yes. Does it translate into a success NBA career? Not exactly.

Morris will have to refine his on-the-court game. He can't take reckless abandonment into the NBA and hope to succeed. He'll rush to the basket, take a wild hit, and either end up flattened by a guy eight inches taller than him, or he'll end up with a 30% FG stat attached to his name.

There is also the problem of the NBA labor agreement ending. So far, the NBA owners and players are so far apart, they may have to launch a new league in a neighboring planet to get a season in. If there is a lockout, it could end the entire season all together.

So what does that mean for players like Morris?

At this point, not much. If there is a season delay or cancellation, there's a chance he could jump over to Europe and play. The problem with that could be his NBA team blocking him. Perhaps he can work out with his new teammates, much you're seeing in the NFL right now. Whatever he would choose, it's a set back.

If there was ever a year to stay in college, this was it.

More Tigers Woes

The Tigers walked into Pittsburgh last night with a chance to sweep a bad team. At 20-23, the Pirates weren't having a stellar season. Their home record was 7-11. The Tigers were on a bit of a streak, minus the fiascos in Boston, and their bats were poised to rebound. Instead, they tanked, losing 10-1 to the Pirates.

Normally I'd write this off as a dump in the road. But losing 2 close games in Boston, and the bats staying somewhat cold didn't help their case.

Pitching must rebound. Leyland must fire up his bats. They must take the next 2 games without challenge.

Goodbye, Macho Man

I'll admit. I wasn't a bit wrestling fan. I didn't seek out the TV every Saturday when I was kid to see the likes of Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, Andre the Giant, or any of the others. I did have the pleasure of seeing one of the Wrestlemania events live at the Palace. That was actually fun. However, with all that said, it said to see the Maco Man die in the way he did. In case you haven't heard, he had a heart attack while driving in Tampa, FL, crashed, and died.

Goodbye Macho Man, thank you for the memories.

You can't win without a 'pen.

The Detroit Tigers won't catch Cleveland without a bullpen.

As I sit here in disbelief, a feeling that is slowly softening, I'm reminded once again that the Detroit Tigers have no one to hold a game after the starter takes a bow. Can we really expect Verlander to pitch 9 innings every night?

It was a foggy, wet, and cold night in Boston. Coke was having the best game of the season when the grounds crew came out to cover the field. It was the 8th inning. The score was 0-0. What happened after the rain delay ended was what happens most every time the Tigers lose. The bullpen blew it.

To be fair, Schlereth has improved. He's a much better pitcher this year. But that doesn't excuse the fact that he gave up the winning run, and rendered the 8 great innings Coke pitched useless.

So what next?

The Tigers must pursue a setup man. They have a nice set of young pitchers in the minors, but they're hardly ready for this job. Benoit might be ok, but he's going to need a month of rest and work to figure out his arm.

If there's any saving this season, Dombrowski must turn his attention to finding most arms for the bullpen.