A’s Farmhand Finishes a pitch away from a Perfect Game in first start back from Skull Fracture

By Paul M. Banks

Elfstrom Stadium, home of the Kane County Cougars, (Oakland Athletics’ A Ball affiliate) was the backdrop for the young season’s most eventful minor league game. Former A’s second round draft pick Craig Italiano and Cougars reliever Branden Dewing combined on a seven-inning no-hitter in a 3-0 shutout of the visiting Burlington Bees.
“Every now and then I’ll have stuff off the field, flashbacks and stuff, but I just shake it off,” Italiano told MiLB.com. “I just worked hard toward [returning] and planned like it was going to come. The hardest part was not doing anything for three months while the fracture healed.”

The Cougars won the first game of the doubleheader (two seven inning games were played due to the previous day’s rainout) in the bottom of the 10th when Jacob Smith walked with the bases loaded. It was the Cougars’ sixth ever no-hitter and their first since Jared Lansford accomplished the pitching feat in Beloit on May 14, 2006. The last time Cougar pitcher Craig Italiano took the mound of his home stadium, he was hospitalized and helped off the field by medical staff after a line drive struck his head, with such great force that it ricocheted into the stands. The result was a skull fracture that ended his ’07 season. The 21-year-old was having his best performance of 2007 (exactly a year to the date of Lansford’s no-hitter) when a line shot off the bat of Wisconsin’s Carlos Triunfel struck him in the head, ending his season. This followed a 2006 campaign where Italiano was limited to just six starts before injuries forced him into shoulder surgery. However, when he returned to the mound on Wednesday, Italiano displayed the potential that makes him one of the A’s top pitching prospects.

En route to winning his first game since rookie ball in 2005, Italiano retired the first 16 batters he faced, striking out a career-high nine before hitting Antonio Jimenez with one out in the sixth inning. He then retired Ryan Eigsti before being relieved (due to pitch count limitations) by Branden Dewing, who perfectly finished out the final 1 1/3 innings for his first save. I spoke with Cougar manager Aaron Nieckula on why he took Craig out of the game

“He had reached his pitch limit. Unfortunately we had to take him out. The most important thing is the health of the player…Outstanding job, love to keep you in, been fun watching you; but Dewing’s gonna pick you up. Dewing came in and did his job. I would have loved to let him out there and let him ride…If he continues to pitch like that, you’ll see a lot of that at higher levels not just at A ball, that’s where it will count more  too.”

 

I also spoke with Italiano after the game

On the use of his breaking pitch…

I worked on that a lot, one minor adjustment to make it better; I guess I was able to get it down tonight, put it where I wanted to. I felt the same as I always do.  The ball felt great which is a unique part in it. When I started going 3 up 3 down a couple times, I guess I started getting a little jacked up.

On a pitcher noticing a  no hitter as it’s happening…

You notice; it’s hard not to. You look at the scoreboard and check something out. I stayed in my routine. I did the same thing, the things I always do. I tried to stay focused as much as I always do and do a good job.
 

What he was thinking when he had that strikeout streak…

“I was feeling good. Hard to remember exactly what happened out there because it felt so good. I didn’t even know that I had that many in a row. Seems like I was floating out there and I guess that’s kinda what it felt like.”

By David K.

All things considered, new Marquette head coach Buzz Williams deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Golden Eagles’ core in tact following Tom Crean’s exodus for Indiana.  I will admit that I, like many fans, was very pessimistic about the potential fallout from Crean leaving and how it would affect the make-up of MU’s roster and the future of the program.
 

Class of ’08-‘09

Of the four recruits originally committed to the Tom Crean led Marquette Golden Eagles, two were released from their scholarships.  Shooting guard Nick Williams from Mobile, Alabama wanted out and got his wish.  Now it appears he could be following Crean to Indiana.  Same applies for point guard Tyshawn Taylor of St. Anthony’s High School in New Jersey who has been granted permission by Marquette to look at other places to play college basketball.  Taylor’s high school coach has said that Taylor is not ruling out Marquette, but just wants to visit some other schools.  Though that might sound encouraging, I would assume Taylor is as good as gone.  

Still honoring their commitments to Marquette are 6’10 Chris Otule from Texas and junior college transfer Joseph Fulce, a 6’7 swingman.  Both guys were recruited by Williams, who has strong connections on the prep scene in Texas from his days as an assistant at Texas A&M.  Williams also didn’t hesitate in finding a replacement for Williams by landing 6’6 versatile swingman Jimmy Butler, a juco teammate of Fulce’s.  Both Fulce and Butler will have three years of eligibility at MU.

Further demonstrating his grasp of recruiting in the Long Star state, Buzz received great news when 2009-2010 recruit Erik Williams, a small forward from Cypress, Texas confirmed that he will still honor his original commitment to Marquette.  This should be considered a great victory as Williams is currently ranked as the 7th best small forward prospect for the class of ’09 by scouts.com.  With Fulce, Butler, and Williams coming in the next two seasons and the improvement of Lazar Hayward from his freshman to sophomore year, the Golden Eagles should have a very athletic, multi-talented group of wing players/forwards to lead their charge once the Big 3 exhaust their eligibility after this up-coming season.

The next mission for Williams will be convincing Racine Horlick’s Jamil Wilson to stay close to home and play for MU.  According to scouts.com, the 6’7 power forward is listed as the second best power forward prospect for the class of ’09 and has Marquette on a long list of teams he is interested in which also includes Wisconsin and Crean’s Hoosiers.

 

The Returning Golden Eagles

Of the current Golden Eagles Williams is inheriting from Crean, only one player will not return.  Combo guard Scott Christopherson was released from his scholarship as he will look to transfer.  While Christopherson has a nice up-side, he likely didn’t figure to be a prominent part of the Golden Eagles rotation next season and it’s unsure as to just how big of a long-term impact he would have had on the program.

When Crean made his announcement to bolt to IU, initial rumors had Marquette possibly losing three other returning players; Dominic James and Jerel McNeal to the NBA Draft, and Trevor Mbakwe likely transferring back to his home state to play for Tubby Smith at Minnesota.  That has proven to be nothing more than over-exaggerated panic. 

James has wisely decided to return for his senior season as he likely realized that there was no chance in hell that he was going to be a first round pick and possibly wouldn’t have even been drafted at all.  I had heard rumors that because of personal reasons, James was all but gone from the Golden Eagles even if it meant him playing somewhere overseas.  Thankfully, for the temporary well-being of the program, that did not come to realization.

McNeal has not made an official announcement regarding his future, but I would be shocked if he was not in a Golden Eagle’s blue and gold next season.  There is still the possibility that he can declare for the NBA Draft and not sign an agent which would leave the door open for a return to Marquette.  McNeal could still take that route just to get a feel from NBA executives as to what aspects of his game need improvement to help his draft stock the following year.  Unless McNeal knows that he would be a definite first-round pick, he would be foolish to hire an agent and not return.

As for Mbakwe, there was a lot of talk of him wanting to transfer even before Crean’s departure.  The soon-to-be sophomore recently shot down those rumors asserting that he never wanted out of Marquette.  Mbakwe’s return is huge for MU’s front-court which is already losing post-players Ousmanne Barro, Dan Fitzgerald, and Lawrence Blackledge to graduation. 

So as it stands, this is how Marquette’s depth chart figures to be for next season (discounting the slim chance that Taylor re-commits to Marquette):
C Burke/Mbakwe/Otule
PF Hayward/Hazel
SF Matthews/Fulce
SG McNeal/Cubillan/Butler
PG James/Acker

Buzz Williams has proven to be the smart hire thus far as he has maintained stability within the Marquette basketball program.  Now, we just need to hope his coaching abilities on the court are level to his recruiting efforts off of it.

By Paul M. Banks

From the “About the Author” page of Marv Levy’s book “Where Else Would You Be?”

Marv Levy was born in Chicago and developed a love for sports at a young age. After high school he served in the Army Air Corps from 1943-46. At Coe College he was a talented running back and sprinter and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate. He later earned a master’s degree at Harvard University in English history. After coaching at the college level for seven years, Levy began his professional coaching career as the kicking (remove – team’s )coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and as the special teams’ coach for the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins. He then became the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League, leading them to two Grey Cup championships. He joined the Buffalo Bills as head coach in 1987 and built a powerhouse franchise that attracted both fans and accolades to the Bills. Levy led the team to a historic four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. In 1988 and 1995 United Press International named him Coach of the Year. He currently holds the record for most wins by a Bills coach with 123.  Levy was 72 during his final season with the Bills, tying him with Papa Bear George Halas as the oldest head coach in NFL history. He retired from football after the 1997 NFL season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001. He currently lives with his wife, Mary Frances, in Chicago and has a daughter, Kimberly.
 
At the age of 80, Levy returned to football as General Manager and Vice President of Football Operations for the Buffalo Bills at the beginning of 2006. Following the Bills’ last game of the 2007 season, Marv Levy decided to step down and he then returned to live in his native Chicago. I got the chance to speak with Levy, the only NFL coach in history to win four straight conference championships. 
 

TSB: The New England Patriots’ Spygate controversy dominated the headlines this season. Do you think it was an isolated incident or do you think cheating is widespread throughout the NFL?

ML: I think most of the coaches have a  reverance for the game and play the game the right way and always follow the rules. I don’t think it’s as widespread as this Spygate story has made people think it is.
 

TSB: Upon graduating you enlisted in the Army Air Forces and spent the remainder of World War II in the military, As someone who’s experienced both the military and football, what similarities do you see in the structure and procedures of both? Is football truly war?

ML: I honestly do think it’s exaggerated. The idea that football is war is a myth. I’ve seen what war is and it’s definitely not football. They are much more different than some people think.

 

TSB: You have a master’s degree in English History from Harvard and you also authored a book entitled “Where Else Would You Rather Be?” Tell me about your experiences writing and promoting the book….

ML: I greatly enjoy the enterprise of writing, I enjoy the total experience of it. I kept a lot of journals and I wanted to recount the experiences of my life in more than just football…I did a lot appearances and a lot of book signings. Whatever the people in charge of marketing and promoting told me to do, I simply followed suit. It’s arduous at times, but I enjoyed it. There’s much harder work you can do than a book tour.
 

TSB: With the high-powered “no-huddle” offense, you set a new standard for innovation as you were first in the AFC in winning percentage and second only to the San Francisco 49ers in the league from ’88-‘97. Tell me about the no-huddle…

ML: A lot of factors go into it, whether it’s a no-huddle or anything it isn’t a style that wins, it’s whether you can run, kick, pass, and punt better than your opponent. We had a good QB that ran it well and embraced the pacing. They also kept it very simple. The playbook was very thin. Our playbook was 1/5 the size of most playbooks in the league. 

 

TSB: Tell me about the stereotypes people have about the life of an NFL coach: sleeping four hours or less every night, never getting to see your family etc.

ML: You do work and put in long hours, but it’s exaggerated. Those people saying that are trying to tell you how hard it is. You do get several hours of sleep each night, and it’s not exactly like “you never get to see your family.”
 

TSB: With a lifetime in the field of coaching, what do you consider your most significant accomplishment?

ML: In 47 years of coaching, it’s not just one thing that you can point to as the single greatest achivement. My greatest accomplishment is that I showed up for work everyday. I didn’t try to find the easy way through.

By Trenni Kusnierek

Spring training ended more than two weeks ago for the Brewers, but that doesn’t mean the roster is set in stone.  With Yovanni Gallardo set to make his third and final rehab start for AAA Nashville tonight, someone on the Brewers pitching staff is going to draw the short straw.  Manager Ned Yost told me yesterday that Gallardo is assured a spot in the rotation when he returns to the team, but he is still deciding where he’ll fit in.  If you look at just the numbers, Dave Bush is the obvious candidate for the chopping block.  Bush is 0-2 on the young season with an 8.44 ERA, but that is not all Yost and his coaches will consider.  Bush is a veteran guy with a hearty work ethic that Yost loves. 

Also something to consider, the Brewers don’t have to make a decision right away.  With Gallardo expected to throw 100 pitches tonight, he won’t be available until at least Saturday.  That gives the Brewers a few days to see how Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra fare this week in St. Louis.  Both young guys struggled a bit their second time out on the mound and both still have options for AAA.

Another possible scenario, send Bush to the bullpen and option Seth McClung to Nashville.  The only problem there, McClung would have to clear waivers and the Crew would risk losing him.  I will say this, the decision will not be easy, but it’s nice to know the team has the kind of depth to make them.  Better to have too many arms, than not enough.

 

 On the lighter side of things, the entire team seems to be having a great time early in the season.  After a long series (and final game) in New York, we landed in St. Louis on Sunday night and the young group of guys were full of energy.  While in the elevator, FSN color analyst Bill Schroeder remarked that this is one of the best set of guys he’s been around.  I couldn’t agree more.  I’ve been around pro athletes for the better part of the last eight years, and this team is exceptional.  Unlike most clubhouses, there is no natural divide or cliques.  Just this morning I walked into the lobby to find Jason Kendall, Ryan Braun, and Mike Rivera hanging out, but I’ve also seen Braun hanging with Bill Hall, JJ Hardy, and Corey Hart.  In New York it was Rivera, Manny, and Carlos.  I’m sure you get my point.  This team gets along and loves playing together.  I’m still holding strong that will be the intangible that helps get the Brewers over the play-off hump.  (Obviously hitting, pitching, and defense are far more important, but I’m banking on those things naturally coming through.)

My other travel observation, JJ Hardy and Corey Hart remind me of two best friends at prep school.  When flying on the charter, all team members and media are required to wear suits.  JJ and Corey are always rocking the navy blazer with pants, and both guys carry backpacks instead of brief cases.  The ‘School Ties’ look cracks me up, and I love the fact they carry North Face and not Louis Vuitton.

Time now to enjoy an afternoon nap on a rare day off.  I was hoping to take part in a fun activity, but downtown St. Louis is sorely lacking in the entertainment department.  I could play craps on the river boat casinos, but something tells me that’s not the best idea after shopping up a storm in the Big Apple!

Until next time…

Tren

In a week where my Chicago White Sox received outstanding efforts from Gavin Floyd, Javy Vasquez, Paul Konerko, and Joe Crede to boast a 3-2 home stand, my fantasy team “Southside Soxmen” went the big 0-6. 

While this general manager is not down, nor ready to wave the White Flag in his dynasty league, there is cause for concern. Pitching was supposed to be my “power suit” this season.  Well after two weeks, that suit has holes in it. 

Royals Ace Gil Meche has been awful in his first two starts, Carlos Zambrano gave up five earned Red Bulls against the Phillies, and my dynasty “ace” Justin Verlander pretty much symbolizes how horrid the entire Tigers team has been thus far; with the exception of the one guy that they tried to dump all off-season, Brandon Inge. We won’t even get started on my hitting in the interest of cyber space and time.  It was nice to see Paul Konerko showing signs of life this past week. Well the positive thing about going 0-6 is that there is only one place to go next week right? As I said in my appearance in the Chicago Tribune Red Eye on Monday morning, I feel like I’m playing in a league with 15 single women and only leading in one category: strikeouts.
 
Stars Struggling 
 Speaking of “scoring” big with a sure thing, most fantasy owners with “can’t miss” players on their roster are scratching their stat geek gonads this week from their early season struggles. Here are some usual studs whose current totals would only win them a “loss” title on the Biggest Loser:
 
David “Big Pappi” Ortiz, .070, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Jim “Mr. Incredible” Thome, .171, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Miguel Cabrera, .175, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Paul Konerko, .229, 2 HR, 11 RBI
Andruw Jones, .100, 0 HR, 1 RBI  
Derek Jeter, .208, 0 HR, 1 RBI
Alfonso Soriano, .175, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Hunter Pence, .180, 0 HR, 1 RBI
 
Starting Pitching Busts
 Roy Oswalt, 0-3, 9.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP.
Justin Verlander, 0-2, 6.52 ERA
 
Relief Pitching Busts
 Sadly, both of these guys are on my active roster.
 Eric Gagne, 7.20 ERA, 2 BS in five chances.
Joe Borowski, 13.50 ERA, 1 BS in three chances.
 

 
White Sox Surge in Fantasy Player Pick-ups
 
Most fantasy web sites pick about two players at each position that are “must starts” for a given week and then offer you a stat geek rationale as to why.  This week White Sox players are in hot demand!  What’s particularly impressive is that if you think about all of the teams in MLB, White Sox players are “must starts” at FOUR positions!
 
Catcher- A.J. Pierzynski 
The Sox’s schedule this week should help A.J. build on his monster offensive numbers. Oakland, Baltimore and Tampa could be the victims.
 
First Base- Paul Konerko
While he has a low .229 BA can you catch Paulie at the beginning of a hot streak?  He did have five RBIs on Sunday and is showing better patience at the plate.
 
Shortstop- Orlando Cabrera
The Sox face three southpaws that could be music to the ears of Cabrera’s batting average. He also hit his first homer and had his first multi-hit game over the weekend meaning you might grab him for an upcoming hot streak.
 
Third Base- Joe Crede
Do we really need to explain this one?  Two grand slams in two weeks, a .341 BA, and 4 homers on the young season.
 
Mr. Utility
 In my fantasy baseball scouting, I love players who qualify in multi positions for the flexibility they offer you on a daily basis.  My pick to click in this category is Brandon Inge. He is sporting at .282 BA, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB, and qualifies at 3B and OF in most leagues already.  In leagues where a player only needs one appearance at a position to qualify, you can add center field and catcher to the mix.  Even after Curtis Granderson returns, Inge will find plenty of ABs, especially if his hot bat continues.
 
Rookie Watch
 
J.R. Towles, Catcher, Houston.
 While his batting average is still pretty low, Towels is proving that he has major league power in a position not known for it.  He also has 6 walks to five Ks and in only 29 ABs he is hitting, .207, 2 HR, 7 RBI. While Fukudome will likely win the NL Rookie of the Year, Towles will put up very solid numbers if he stays healthy.
 
Happy hitting baseball fans.

By David K.

Monday night, a group of friends and I got together at a watering hole on Chicago’s North-side to watch the NCAA Championship game.  It was a reunion of sorts as the majority of bodies around our table were all alumni of Marquette University.  As we reminisced about the past and shot the breeze on the present, I received a text message confirming that Buzz Williams was set to be named the next head coach at Marquette University.  I read the official news out loud and it was met with the exact same reaction from all MU alumni present; actually there wasn’t really any reaction at all.  The evening continued as we returned to our bar food and bottles of beer, and went back to watching Memphis and Kansas with little to no discussion on the new leader of the Golden Eagles.

That lack of buzz among passionate Marquette fans strongly illustrates that Williams was the “safe pick” by Marquette administration as they needed to act to quickly in replacing Tom Crean.  The 35-year-old Williams was Crean’s top recruiter last season, his only as an assistant at MU.  He is considered the “safe pick” because he will probably be able to do the most damage control in terms of keeping returning players and new recruits in honoring their decision to play college basketball in Milwaukee.  With that said his hiring also seemed to be a temporary solution; at least that was my initial thought until I read he had agreed to a six-year deal, which seems to be an unusually lengthy commitment for an unproven coach.

Who knows what to expect on the court when it comes to X’s and O’s with Williams.  In his lone season as a Division One head coach, his New Orleans Privateers finished with a below five-hundred season.  Williams does not bring the big-name value or resume of a Bob Knight, Tony Bennett, Sean Miller, or the dozens of other names rumored to be in the running once Crean fled for Indiana.  But flashback to 1999 when Marquette hired Crean who, to the common fan, was a little-known assistant coach from Michigan State with absolutely no head coaching experience at the D-1 level.  That worked out pretty well, didn’t it? 

When Williams was formally introduced during his press conference on Tuesday morning, he said all the right things; vehemently proclaiming that this era of Golden Eagle basketball will be all about the team on the floor, and not centered around the guy wearing the stylish suit and yelling instructions from the bench.  In other words, Williams will be a player’s coach, which is exactly what Marquette needs for the immediate future in hopes of avoiding a mass exodus of players and becoming a bottom-feeder in the Big East, ruining the foundation that Crean built the past decade. 

That player-first attitude is seemingly paying dividends already.  When asked about the possibility of declaring for the NBA Draft and whether or not Crean would be involved in the process, Dominic James was quoted as saying, “I’ve got a new head coach.  My future is in the hands of somebody else right now.”  Not only is James’ future in the hands of Williams, but more importantly, so is the future of Marquette basketball. 

Time will tell if lightning can strike on back-to-back hires for Marquette University.  Hopefully, Buzz Williams will make my friends and I look like fools for overlooking his hire a decade down the road and not leave us once again searching for answers in a few years.