Miller Time: Sports Blog

5/15 Redbird Bites - Larussa Milestone On Horizon

2008-05-15T18:11:00Z

We're back up at Busch Stadium this afternoon, trying to dodge the raindrops. Assuming the Cards can take care of the Bucs today, it will mark a special, albeit wet, day here at the ballyard for Tony Larussa.

The skipper is on the verge of picking up his 2400th career win as a manager. That's third all-time.

It's pretty amazing to look back and see that he's been managing every year since 1979. Not many guys can say that. In fact, no one in the majors right now can. He's the only one.

Connie Mack is the all-time winningest manager and he went 49 straight years in Philadelphia in the early 1900's. I don't know if Tony will be in St. Louis another 36 years to match Mack, but you know he'll be joining Connie in Cooperstown when he does decide to hang it up, which might not be for sometime.

Larussa is one of three active managers that grace the top ten list of managerial wins. He joins Atlanta's Bobby Cox and former 'Bird Joe Torre. Cox and Torre have both began managing around the same time as Larussa in the late 70's, but both were out of the manager's spot for a few years in the late 80's.

It was Larussa who took over the Redbirds in '96 after Torre led them from '90-'95.

Many want to point to Torre and call him the best in the game for what he did with the Yankees, but let's be honest. Winning with that lineup in the late 90's wasn't all that difficult. Bugs Bunny could have squeezed a couple of world titles with that lineup.

In Torre's six years in St. Louis, he never made the playoffs.

In Larussa's 11 years after, he's taken the Cards to the postseason seven times.

You tell me who's better?

Whether you're a Larussa fan or not, it's hard to not to respect the work he's done in the big leagues the past 29 years as a manager. Especially in this "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" age where the Yanks chased Torre out of town after 12 straight playoff seasons.

We'll have more on Larussa's big day tonight at NewsChannel 6 at 6pm (assuming this game doesn't get delayed by mother nature. The rain seems to have subsided a bit and we're in the fifth inning, so it's looking good.)

4/30 - Redbird Bites

2008-04-30T19:14:00Z

This afternoon at Busch Stadium, the Cards wrap up the first month of the MLB season. Win or lose against the Reds, the 'Birds have been one of the more pleasant surprises so far this season.

17 wins (18 if they win Wednesday) ties a franchise record for wins during the month of April.
The starting pitching has been fantastic. Especially considering the disaster it was in 2007. Try this on for size: Lohse, Looper, Pineiro, Thompson, Wainwright and Wellemeyer have 15 quality starts in 28 games. They're also a combined 14-5. Imagine if Izzy didn't blow those two ridiculous saves, we'd be talking about a team with the best record in baseball. Even with Izzy's two blown saves last week, the Birds bullpen is doing a relatively good job considering they are 14-1 when leading after eight innings and 13-3 when leading after seven. I'm sure Tony Larussa will take that.
As far as the bats, they've been good as well. Troy Glaus, even with just one homer, has proven to be a solid acquisition. His 21 RBI this month are his second most-ever in the month of April. And you have to assume his power numbers will improve.
Albert is, well, Albert. He's been on base safely in all 29 games he's played in. Not too shabby.
And Rick Ankiel has broken out of that mini-slump he was in entering the Reds series. Ankiel had just seven hits in the 11 games leading up to this series. So far in the Reds three-game series, he has eight hits. He's done a very good job in the middle of that Cardinal lineup and has been practically spotless in the field committing just one error so far this season.
There's a ton you can say about Skip Schumaker's job at leadoff. Aaron Miles and Adam Kennedy have also hit well and Brian Barton is proving to be a valuable guy to have off the bench.

Add it all up and the Birds are right there fighting for the top spot in the NL Central after month number one.

And month number two kicks off with a bang on Friday with the opener of a three-game series with the Cubs.

Should be a fun weekend to watch.

Miller Time: Wheeling And Dealing

2008-04-28T03:48:00Z

The NFL Draft has come and gone. Now comes the frantic free agent dealings.

Tonight we found out that Southern Illinois quarterback and Western Kentucky wide receiver Curtis Hamilton have both signed free agent deals with the Chicago Bears.

Sounded like Hill was very close to being taken by the Bills late in the final round, but honestly it might be better that he didn't. Hill should have a honest chance to make the Bears roster seeing how they have just two quarterbacks on the roster right now.

Hamilton is a hard-worker who, if he catches some breaks, could earn a roster spot playing special teams.

Let's hope both are wearing Bear uniforms come the fall.

Hill not the only Saluki to sign. Offensive lineman Darren Marquez latched on with the Colts.

As of now, still no word on UT Martin's Don Chapman or SIU's duo of Alan Turner and Craig Turner.

We'll keep an eye and ear out and let you know something as soon as we find out.

The MJ Sweepstakes Winding Down

2008-04-21T21:24:00Z

It looks like we'll know by the end of the week where Union City standout M.J. Brown is headed to play his college basketball.

I spoke with his head coach Shane Sisco today and he says Brown will visit Western Kentucky on Wednesday and will probably have a decision by the end of the week.

WKU would be a nice fit if they offer him a scholarship. The Toppers lose a lot from that Sweet 16 team.

Two other schools seem to be in the running as well; UT Martin and SEMO.

SEMO seems a little "enter at your own risk" right now. Some internet reports out of Cape say there is trouble in Edgar-land. Roderick Pearson has already transferred out and there is rumor that Will Bogan and Jujuan Maxwell may transfer as well. Throw that on top of the freefall to end the season (lost 14 of last 15) and things aren't looking very good.

Martin would be a nice fit for Brown for many reasons I think. He's very close to home (can't put a price on that) and he'll have a chance to re-join former UC teammate Marquis Weddle. Not to mention, the Skyhawks are very much on the rise with Weddle and Lester Hudson returning. That is assuming Hudson doesn't bolt for the NBA.

Either way, the school that ends up with Brown's services will be very lucky.

I had the pleasure of watching him throughout the post-season and he is very talented.

He's got all the tools. He can shoot, dribble, drive and play some tenacious defense.

He'll definitely help somebody's team next year.

Some other quick notes

Good to see former Fulton County star Jeffrey McClain returning to the area to play his college ball. After a year at Three Rivers C.C. in Poplar Bluff, McClain has signed to play at Murray State.
Sikeston's Blake DeWitt seems like he'll remain the Dodgers third baseman even though Nomar Garciaparra has been recalled. Dodger skipper Joe Torre said he might even consider keeping DeWitt and optioning Andy LaRoche back to the minors when he gets healthy.
Former SIU standout Jerry Hairston, Jr. was recalled to the bigs by the Reds. Hairston was hitting well over .400 in AAA. The Reds need all the help they can get, so hopefully Hairston can give them a boost.

It's Official! Lowery Staying With Salukis

2008-04-16T16:47:00Z

It seems Chris Lowery has shot down the Cowboys of Oklahoma State.

Various reports say that OSU officials were in Carbondale yesterday to talk to Lowery about their head coaching job. No word on whether they made an offer.

But their visit only validated the speculation that Lowery was certainly someone the 'Pokes had their eyes on.

Lowery released this statement to ESPN's Andy Katz:

"My name has been linked to numerous job openings in the past several weeks, so I felt it was important for me to make my intentions clear. I fully intend to stay at Southern Illinois and continue to build upon our string of seven-consecutive postseason appearances. We have a great thing going at my alma mater, including the most highly-touted recruiting class in school history coming in next season. I appreciate the commitment the school and Director of Athletics Mario Moccia has made to me with a seven-year contract, and I'm excited about the challenges ahead."

So, at least for another year, Lowery remains in Carbondale. But unfortunately, I'm guessing we'll go through this same sort of guessing game next off-season. The price you pay for having a great coach.

Committed To Carbondale

2008-04-14T06:48:00Z

After signing a $750,000 contract extension last year, many felt Chris Lowery was locked up for life at Southern Illinois.

Then reality hit.

Another season of college basketball comes and goes and the coaching carousel starts spinning once again. And guess who's name is along for the ride.

That's right.

Chris Lowery.

Despite just an 18-15 season, Lowery's name popped up in reports for job openings at a lot of BCS-conference schools. LSU, Cal, Marquette, and most recently Oklahoma State.

All schools that could pay a lot more than what SIU Athletic Director Mario Moccia was able to scrape up last year. And that had Moccia worried enough last week to say he's "confident, but not comfortable" that Lowery would stay in Carbondale.

But to me, it seems like Lowery is staying put. He really hasn't been to public about his future, but seeing how he's still out on the recruiting trail trying to bring top-notch talent to SIU, I'd have to say he still has that Saluki blood flowing through him.

Sunday night, it was reported that Lowery received another committment to his 2008 class. Chicago Marshall standout Ryan Hare. Hare orginally committed to Oregon State, but backed out and it now seems like he's headed for Carbondale.

Would Lowery be recruiting kids to SIU if he was pondering a move to Oklahoma State? I can't say for sure, but I seriously doubt it.

Hare will join an already-star studded recruiting class that includes Illinois Mr. Basketball Kevin Dillard from Homewood-Flossmoor in the Chicago area along with Torres Roundtree and Anthony Booker of McCluer North in St. Louis area.

It's without question, Lowery's best since taking over at Southern.

And on top of that, 2007 signee Justin Bocott of Bloomington, IL is expected to be eligible next year..

That's four very talented recuits joining the mix making the 2008-09 Salukis look like a team that could very well get back to the NCAA Tournament.

As far as the rest of the mix goes, you have to think a guy like Carlton Fay, with a year in the system under his belt, will be much improved.

Add in seasoned junior Josh Bone and a two very seasoned seniors in Bryan Mullins, Tony Boyle and Wesley Clemmons and the 'Dawgs have a pretty good nucleus for next year.

But as always, it doesn't matter how good things look on paper. Remember, this year's team was pre-season Top 25.

But the bottom line is, I believe Lowery is staying put. But the unfortunate truth is, every off-season, Lowery's name will be linked to job openings. That's just the downside of having a top-notch coach at a so-called "Mid-major." The big boys will always come calling. Let's just hope Lowery doesn't listen. At least not in the near future.

Final Four, Cowboy Billy G And A Redbird Revival

2008-04-09T05:30:00Z

For the first time ever, the Final Four pitted the top four seeds from each region, and I must say it gave us some pretty good basketball.

While the final scores of the two semifinal games may have got a little out of hand, both games had "watchability", if I can steal a Clark Kellogg-ism.

For those of us that hadn't seen Derrick Rose, WOW! I had the chance to see him in person in the opener against UT Martin back in November. I came away from that game 1) very impressed with Lester Hudson and 2) very, very impressed with Rose. This kid has NBA written all over him. We saw that this past weekend in San Antonio. I'd love to see him come back for another year at Memphis rather than get lost in the NBA shuffle, but I don't see that happening. Rose put on a show against UCLA and nearly willed the Tigers to a win over Kansas.

Speaking of the title game, I really had no rooting interest but I feel bad for the Memphis players. They really had this thing sewn up and just let it slip away courtesy of their achillies heel; free throw shooting. If just one of those last three misses goes down, Memphis is your champ. What a shame.

Either way, it was a very, very entertaining title game and after hearing of the absolute awesome-ness of the weekend from Jeff Bidwell, I am making the Final Four a must-attend event in the near future. Not so sure about next year in Detroit. Casinos and cold weather in March not exactly a winning combination.

But hats off to Kansas. Bill Self has always been a classy guy and I hope he makes the right decision for himself, whether that's staying at KU or leaving for his alma mater at Oklahoma State.

A couple of other quick college basketball hits:

Have to keep an eye on Lester Hudson of UTM. Will he decide to stay at Martin or give the NBA waters a test. Let's all hope he stays so we can watch him one more year.
Same goes for Chris Lowery. His name continues to come up in coaching searches and unfortunately we will go through this every year he remains in Carbondale. He's good and people want him. But just how long can he continue to turn a deaf ear. With Oklahoma State possibly interested (assuming Self and Gillispie say no) the clock could be ticking.
Speaking of Gillispie. I'll call it now. I would NOT be stunned if he left for Stillwater. This is just my opinion, but I never felt like he seemed completely comfortable at UK. Coaching the 'Cats and coaching at Texas A&M or UTEP are apples and oranges. Not to mention, $4 million a year plus a possible $6 million signing bonus are some pretty big numbers. And the pressure to win at OSU is a lot less than it is at UK. And on top of that, no matter what, OSU is a football school, not a basketball school. It doesn't matter how many 6-6 or 7-5 teams the Cowpokes trot out there, it's a football-crazy state. Can't say the same about Kentucky. The spotlight is on Billy G in Lexington 24-7. Not sure how much he likes that.

On to baseball, and what a start by your St. Louis Cardinals.

If you would have told me this team would be 6-2 and their starting pitching would have allowed just 9 earned runs in 48.2 innings, I would have told you to have another sip of Maker's Mark.

This has been incredible. The "experts" said if the pitching could hold up until the return of Carp, Mulder, Clement and Pineiro, the Cards may have be competitive.

Forget that!

These guys have been outstanding! The only question is, when will they come back to earth. You have to think this inexperienced bunch will eventually have a few (if not more than a few) bad starts.

But as long as they're giving 7+ of solid work, the Cards will have shot to win.

Izzy has been solid out of the pen, 4-4 in saves. Reyes has been pretty good in setup. Assuming Springer comes back healthy and Franklin remains solid this is turning into a pretty good staff.

I know it's only April 8, but the Cards look like a team that could be in the NL Central race for a while.

The Brewers have jumped out to a nice start, but after that the rest of the Central has been pretty ho-hum.

I wouldn't recommend putting down payments on playoff tickets just yet, but this could turn out to be a lot more interesting of a season than we originally anticipated.

As always, I'd love to hear from you.

Please leave your comments below or email me a question at gmiller@wpsdtv.com

I promise to answer them right here the next time I post a blog.

NCAA Tournament Picks

2008-03-20T16:12:00Z

We're moments away from the start of the Big Dance, so I thought I'd post my picks

EAST:

`st Round:

UNC beats MSM

IU beats ARK

ND beats GMU

WSU beats WIN

SJU beats OU

UL beats BSU

USA beats Butler

UT beats AU

2nd Round

UNC beats IU

ND beats WSU

UL beats SJU

UT beats USA

Sweet 16

UNC beats ND

UT beats UL

Elite 8

UT beats UNC

Midwest Region

KU beats PSU

Kent beats UNLV

Nova beats CU

Vandy beats Siena

USC beats KSU

Wis beats CSF

Gonzaga beats Davidson

Gtown beats UMBC

2nd Round

KU beats Kent

Nova beats Vandy

USC beats Wisc

Gtown beats Gonzaga

Sweet 16

KU beats Nova

Gtown beats USC

Elite 8

KU beats Gtown

West Region

UCLA beats MVSU

TAMU beats BYU

WKU beats Drake

UConn beats USD

Pur beats Bay

XU beats UGA

WVU beats AZ

Duke beats Bel

2nd Round

UCLA beats TAMU

UConn beats WKU

XU beats Pur

Duke beats WVU

Sweet 16

UCLA beats UConn

XU beats Duke

Elite 8

UCLA beats Duke

South Region

Memphis beats Utah

MSU beats Ore

MSU beats Tem

Pitt beats ORU

Marq beats UK

Stan beats Corn

SMC beats Miami

Texas beats Peay

2nd Round

Memphis beats MSU

MSU beats Pitt

Stan beats Marq

Texas beats SMC

Sweet 16

Memphis beats MSU

Texas beats Stan

Elite 8

Memphis beats Texas

Final Four

UT beats KU

UCLA beats Mem

Finals

UT beats UCLA

ENJOY THE GAMES!!!