My March Madness

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

The NCAA Final Four is all set and college basketball's March Madness is in full swing.

Now that I'm on the air broadcasting The Sports Exchange from 5-7 PM ET on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Peter Wein on the weinetwork.com, there was a greater urgency to get the best material possible to keep things entertaining for our growing fan base.

During the month of March, I drove over 3,500 miles in a 24-day span compiling material for the Sports Exchange as well as building relationships to grow the South Florida Tribune, My Online Publication.

During this span, I even had a chance to visit a friend that I've known for 15 years and we finally met in person in Central Florida.

Here is an overview of my adventures and travels during "My March Madness" and I hope you enjoy what you're reading as I look to not only build my media ventures, but reinforce the passion in life that you live everyday as if it were your last.

On March 2, 2019, I commuted to Southwest Florida where I finally had a chance to meet My Childhood idol, 1968 World Series MVP Mickey Lolich, of the Detroit Tigers, at his home.

It was a two hour drive each way as I had him sign a four books that I purchased then gave him the game plan about being on the Sports Exchange, a week later.

We spent over an hour together talking about baseball.

I returned to Deerfield Beach to pick-up my wife Candy and we drove to the Tampa Bay Area that night which was another four hour drive.

Little did we know that finding a hotel would be extremely difficult because the Strawberry Festival was in town and finding a room would be much tougher than we imagined.

We did land in Clearwater, FL.

On Sunday, March 3, 2019, we covered the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees at George M Steinbrenner Field.

The highlights of the day were reunions with former New York Yankee Manager Stump Merrill, who piloted the Fort Lauderdale Yankees when I covered them in 1983. It was also neat to see Yankees legend Willie Randolph.

The cities I hit this month were Naples, Tampa on two occasions, Indian Rocks Beach, Bradenton, Miami, Sebring, Lakeland, Kissimmee, Port Saint Lucie twice, and Fort Pierce.

I would see my good friend former Detroit News Tigers Writer Tom Gage in Indian Rocks Beach, the Detroit Pistons facing the Miami Heat in Miami, commuted three days from Deerfield Beach to Sebring and had my first experience with Endurance Racing at The Sebring International Raceway.

The Sebring Experience was from March 14-16. The Pistons played on March 13 in downtown Miami.

This month seemed like Endurance Racing in it's own way to me.

The average drive from Deerfield Beach to Sebring is close to three hours each way with a lack of hotels.

There was no direct way to get to the race track as I had to use four different roads which at times were quite challenging at night, especially those that had only two lanes.

We covered the Detroit Tigers vs Toronto Blue Jays at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, FL which is completely renovated on Sunday, March 24, 2019.

I covered two New York Mets games in Port Saint Lucie in the beginning and the end of March. Ninety minutes to me was an absolute cake walk, but the New York Mets were fantastic as I compiled lots of excellent material for the show.

One of my trips to Tampa was designed to get the South Florida Tribune on USF's distribution list so we can keep the alumni base in our area updated on Bulls' Sports.

How can I forget that the one Sunday we were in town, my wife Candy and I covered the Detroit Red Wings vs the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, FL.

There is a reason that my wife calls me a "Crazy Man" because I just enjoy driving, especially long trips.

But when you have an aggressive agenda and I use driving as a way to meditate to clear my mind, I wouldn't live life any other way.

During these final two days of March, I rewarded my wife by taking her to Deerfield Beach so she can take pictures of sunrises which are beautiful in these parts.

I'm already getting restless and am ready to take another trip in Florida as some of the things I plan to do is see one of my contributors Xavier McKnight in Bradenton.

I'll also be covering lots of Class A Florida State League Games around the state as my wife and I plan to hit the rest of the Grapefruit League Parks we haven't seen a game in yet.

I'm sure that there will be other trips in the state that are not sports related somewhere along the way.

But it was a blast!

My time at Sebring was phenomenal as I did a live broadcast with my wife and Wein in the studio.

Initially, we were supposed to cover the NHRA Gator Nationals in Gainesville, FL, but that situation fell through while Sebring fell into our lap.

When people think of Florida, they often hit the beaches, Busch Gardens in Tampa, Disney World in Orlando and many other tourist attractions.

I'm amazed at how many different sports there are in the state in the various cities. One that stands out is the Daytona 500.

A person can create a bucket list of their own here in the Sunshine State.

Mine is far from completed, but over the years, I'd say that I've covered a lot of ground.

God willing, if I can get through the neck issues I'm experiencing and  if I can maintain solid health over the next year, March of 2020 will have an Arizona and Florida Flavor to them.

But I'm very pleased at what got done here and hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this story.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com. He is the CEO and Founder of The South Florida Tribune.

https://southfloridatribune.com/

Interview With Former Dearborn Divine Child High School's Chris Rusin

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

During our visit to the Cactus League in Arizona, there were no shortage of Southeastern Michigan storylines to talk about.

Last month we talked about "The One That Got Away" with Colorado Rockies second baseman DJ  LeMahieu.

The focus of this story also involves another player who plays in Colorado named Chris Rusin.

Rusin is a 31-year old left-handed pitcher who was born in Detroit and stands 6-2 and weighs 191 pounds.

As an amateur, he played for Divine Child High School in Dearborn and led the team to back-to-back state championships in his final two years there, while being named to the All-Star Dream Team in both seasons.

He pitched shutouts in three consecutive Catholic League championship games at Comerica Park from 2003-05.

He would play his college ball at the University of Kentucky and graduated in 2009. He became Kentucky's first, first-team All SEC pitcher since Scott Downs earned the honor in 1997.

He began is career with the Chicago Cubs and was claimed off waivers from the Cubs on September 27, 2014.

While in the Cubs minor league system, Rusin threw a no-hitter for the teams AAA Iowa affiliate on May 7, 2014.

He is signed through the 2018 season and has a career record of 19-27 with a 4.60 ERA and 328 strikeouts.

On August 7, 2016, Rusin gave up Ichiro Suzuki's 3000 hit.

When I was at the Rockies Spring Training facility at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, AZ, I noticed he had a competitiveness that was displayed beyond the baseball diamond.

Rusin is a really good Table Tennis player.

Before the Rockies took the field against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 20, 2018, we had a nice discussion on his road to the major leagues.

Q: Was it ever a dream of yours to play for the Detroit Tigers?

A: It's always a dream that you'd want to play for your hometown team. But it rarely ever works out that way. You always have it in the back of your mind hoping. I just want to play in the stadium (Comerica Park) as the away team. Hopefully, that day will come. I like it here and enjoy it here. But you know every kids dreams of playing in their hometown.

Once you actually get to the major leagues, it just kind of goes away. You just want to travel and play there on whatever team you're on, but it hasn't happened yet. Hopefully, it will come soon.

Q: As a Metro Detroiter, I'm sure you've probably heard of Mickey Lolich, who was instrumental in the Tigers winning

the 1968 World Series Championship. Lolich was a left-handed pitcher. You're a left-hander as well. Do you find it sometimes to be an advantage that you're a left-handed pitcher since there are a lot more right-handed hurlers out there?

A: You know Scott, it's obviously an advantage to be left-handed. I'm not a power guy so that kind of helps with the deception. So I kind of use that to my advantage and it's been helping me get jobs when there are very few left-handers out there on the team. I'm trying to be as consistent as possible and work my craft more and more each year.

Q: It's funny how you say that because I've been covering the game for 39 years. I've seen marginal left-handers like Ray Fontenot and former Tigers Pitching Coach Chuck Hernandez that had outstanding moves to first base. Do you feel you have a pretty good move to first base?

A: Yes. I like to look at the runners body language that you don't want the other team to have an advantage. So, I take pride in controlling the running game, have done a good job over the years since I've been up here. I continue to work at it because you don't want the guy in scoring position especially if you come in late in the game. It's huge to keep them on first base and keep the double play in order. I take pride in that and still continue to try to work on it.

Q: Do you feel that over the years being left-handed is a huge advantage compared to a right-handed hurler?

A: There aren't that many left-handers pitchers in the world and I lucked out. It's something left-handed hitters aren't comfortable seeing because they don't see them all the time. I take pride in trying to get lefty's out and also righty's out. I have a couple pitches that work well against right-handed hitters that don't work well against left-handed hitters. I have other pitches that I throw that left-handers can't handle that right-handers can. So I kind of mix and match. It's one of those left-handed weird deal things. So I just try and go out there and pound the zone.

Q: You talk about pitches. Tell me about some of your better pitches in your artillery?

A: I rely on movement so left-handers with a two-seam gets on pretty quickly. The deception helps as well. A couple of off-speed that keeps them off the two-seam if they're trying to cheat in there. I have a good change-up and I like to use that quite a bit. That's pretty good for me.

Q: So do you view yourself as a power pitcher at all?

A: No, no. I'm definitely not a power pitcher. I probably top out at 92, 93 mph. I just rely on keeping hitters off balance.

Q: I know at one point you were a starting pitcher and you converted to a reliever. A couple of names that come to mind are Hall Of Fame Pitchers John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley. Tell me what the transition has been like for you as I've looked at your numbers which drastically improved in that role.

A: Being a former starter in the role I'm in now, it's made it easier to switch because instead of covering six or seven innings, and trying to save your pitches, or go through everything in one inning, or the first two innings, I can throw everything in the first two innings that I'm in. The one, two or three outings I have, so I don't have to save anything. I can throw all different combinations out there then keep them off balance. It's worked well for me.

Q: Do you like the role?

A: Yes, I like it. I just want to do what the team needs me to help. Wherever I can help out, whatever spot fits me the best, that's where I want to be.

Q: You had a chance to pitch at Comerica Park during High School winning championships. What was it like pitching in that venue?

A: It's a big park (laughing). You throw as many strikes as you can, let them hit it and see how far they can hit it. Chances are, it's not going out of that ballpark, especially in high school. I haven't pitched there in the big leagues so I'm not really sure. But it's obviously a lot bigger than Coors Field. The ball flies out at Coors. It's definitely a pitchers ballpark compared to Coors Field.

Q: How do you like pitching at Coors Field?

A: I like it. I think my pitches fit well there. I have short movements and it's tough for the hitters to pick up with how late it is. You have to worry about really keeping the ball down because obviously the ball flies.

Q: How do you like playing in Colorado?

A: I like it. It's an adjustment with the altitude and breathing with the recovery aspect of the game. I'm used to it and enjoy it.

Q: Let's talk about your incredible high school career. I was looking over your numbers and they were really good. You won championships at Dearborn Divine Child. Can you reflect back on that?

A: Yes, Scott. it was a crazy time. I enjoyed playing in big games. We had a great team and great coach. They just kept relaxed, loose, it was fun to be around the guys. It was always fun being in the championship run every year especially playing in Comerica Park.

Especially, that third time, my first two games were 1-0 wins and I'm wondering what's going to happen. I just went out there, blocked everything out, concentrated and I was able to throw a 1-0 victory. It's kind of a blur pretty much because it happened so quickly. I still have those tapes and look back at them occasionally to refresh my mind. It was a fun time.

Q: Were those games when you were a starter?

A: Yes, a starter. I only had to pitch seven innings for a complete game. It was fun, it was a fun time.

Q: Can you visualize what it would have been like to play at Tiger Stadium?

A: I wish I could (laughing) but I've gone to a couple of games there. I love the stadium. It was a hitters ballpark if you kept it down the line. I would have loved to have played at Tiger Stadium.

Q: Unlike warm climates, how do you stay in baseball shape since you weren't able to play year round in Michigan?

A: They have indoor facilities and at our high school, we worked out in the gym and we played catch in the gymnasium. We had a work out place upstairs, so I pretty much did all the work indoors. When it wasn't cold or didn't snow, we did all our work outside.

Q: Finally, do you still keep tabs on the Detroit Tigers?

A: No, not as much as I did before I played in the minors or working my way up to the big leagues. I don't pay as much attention anymore. It's just another team. We're (Colorado Rockies) trying to beat all those other teams out.

As it stands at the moment, Colorado has a record of 72-60 and are 1.5 games out of the final wild card spot trailing the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals.

The Rockies are only 1/2 game out in the NL West behind division leading the Arizona Diamondbacks.

There is no question he'll be needed during the September stretch run.

With his impending free agency, it will also be interesting to see where Rusin is employed in 2019. We'll find out in due time, but it was great talking to another hometown product that made his way to the big leagues.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottbullm@aol.com and is a member of Detroit Sports Media.

World Series Shorts

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

1. The only living relatives I knew that were around when the Chicago Cubs won their last World Series in 1908 were My Great Grandparents Morris and Celia Kroll.

2.  The last time the Detroit Lions won an NFL Title was on My Birthday, December 29, 1957--Five years before I was born. Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein was born on December 29, 1973 in New York City. Epstein was the architect of snapping the Boston Red Sox's 86-year drought and now the Cubs 108 year dry spell.   Epstein's alma-maters are Yale University and the University of San Diego School of Law. Theo's a born genius.

3. Cleveland Sports has been on the right and wrong side of 3-1 leads in championship rounds. The Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors and won the NBA Championship in June. Meanwhile, the Indians blew a 3-1 lead and lost to the Cubs to lose the World Series here in early November. The Indians World Series drought is now 68-years.

4. I just received an e-mail from an old Tampa Tribune Colleague Charles Jackson, as he saw an article on our website. In March, I wrote a Spring Training Story in Kissimmee, FL mentioning Rick Nelson, as I recollected a tough situation where I wasn't able to send a story from Osceola County Stadium, due to technical difficulties to the new facility as I was covering The Florida State League All Star Game in 1985.

Nelson and I were able to work through the situation by getting a deadline extension as both stories were published as I dictated them to Rick and he typed them into the computer.

Jackson Googled Nelson's name and wanted to tell me that Rick was a diehard Cubs Fan that would have been happy his team made it to the World Series. Jackson added that Nelson would be ecstatic the Cubs are the 2016 World Series Champions. Jackson told me that Nelson died of Cancer in his 50's and is now in heaven.

Through the years, I've always had Rick in My Mind because we worked well together. He was a great editor and became a great friend. I'm always proud of when I get a chance to mention former colleagues in my stories. Rest in Peace Rick. You were a champion with me and now with The Chicago Cubs.

5. During the World Series, not one starting pitcher recorded an out in the seventh inning. Baseball's become a sport which is so specialized that it overworks the bullpen. I have to admit that it was refreshing to see Cubs Closer Aroldis Chapman's clutch performances.

In Game 5, he earned an eight out save, then added a seven out save in Game 6 of The Fall Classic. Without his clutch performances, there wouldn't be a Game 7, and you can rest assure that he will make a lot of money during free agency.

Growing up in My Era, it was common to see relievers earn two and three inning saves. Chapman's performance was refreshing to witness, especially with the majority of his pitches hitting 100 MPH.

6. Who really had home field advantage in The Fall Classic? It seemed as though there were as many Cubs fans as there were Indians fans in Cleveland. But the Cubs benefited by the Designated Hitter as Kyle Schwarber's bat added a powerful punch to Chicago's line-up.

7. Do you know who the Detroit Tigers All-Time leading HR leader is in the post-season? It's Delmon Young with a total of nine. On October 3, 2014, Young haunted Detroit coming in as a pinch-hitter by hitting a base-clearing double to give the Baltimore Orioles a 7-6 lead. Baltimore defeated the Tigers in the series.

Another former Tiger Rajai Davis had a huge moment on the Big Stage as he hit a three-run homer off Chapman which tied the game at 6-6 in Game 7 versus the Cubs. With Chicago leading 8-6 in the 10th inning, Davis drove in another run cutting Chicago's lead to 8-7.


The bottom line is even though Young and Davis don't have big names, their clutch performances in the post-season made them known quickly especially during the fall.

8. Tigers fans can thank the Cubs for roughing up Indians Pitcher Cory Kluger. Only thirteen pitchers have won three games in a single World Series. The last starting pitcher to accomplish this feat was Detroit's Mickey Lolich, in 1968 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Lolich now remains the last starting pitcher to win three games in the Fall Classic.

9. Lolich's battery-mate Bill Freehan was complimented by legendary Sports Personality Roy Alan Firestone. Roy said he views Freehan as one of the most  underrated, great catchers of his generation.

10. If Cleveland had won the World Series, the Tigers shouldn't have felt that bad. Detroit was 5-12 against the Tribe this season.

Cleveland breezed through the post-season steamrolling past Boston and the Toronto Blue Jays only to lose a Classic World Series to the Cubs.

The bottom line is that the Indians performed at high levels and were good with former Tigers Davis and reliever Andrew Miller.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com and is a member of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

My MLB Franchise Four----Mt. Rushmore

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

When MLB decided to come up with the Franchise Four at this year's All-Star Game in Cincinnati, there was absolutely no way that I would pass up on this chance to come up with mine.

There are lots of great players that wouldn't make it because their teams in the 1900's are no longer in existence. The one guy that comes to mind is Cy Young.

There are many players that won't make it due to the Steroid Era. On My List, don't expect to see Barry Bonds on it because he was a cheater and his arrogant attitude towards the media will not help his chances to reach the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

Did you know that Hall of Famer Joe Morgan was a good player for the Houston Astros before joining the Cincinnati Reds Big Red Machine?

One day, I see Center Fielder Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels making this list.

If I had a fifth selection for the Detroit Tigers, southpaw hurler Mickey Lolich would be on it.

Lolich won three games in the 1968 World Series as the Tigers topped the St. Louis Cardinals to win a World Championship. He was a three-time All-Star. His career record for Detroit was 207-175, nine saves, pitched in 3,361.2 innings, 190 complete games and 2,679 strike outs. Lolich's 190 complete games is unrealistic in the New Specialization Era, predicated on pitch counts and innings pitched-monitored.

On Father's Day, June 16, 1974, Lolich worked 11 innings and threw 170 pitches, and got a walk-off win at Tiger Stadium. I'd like to see that happen these days. A manager could get fired today allowing a pitcher, especially his ace working this long.

Lolich would finish his career with 217 wins and 2,832 strikeouts also playing for the New York Mets and San Diego Padres in the National League.

What's even more impressive is Lolich's strike out total of 2,679, the most by an American League left-hander. Hall of Fame hurler Randy Johnson struck out 2,545 while pitching for American League teams, a number that includes strikeouts in inter-league play.

My photographer Candice Ebling asked me about how many pitchers would end up on the list? In some cases none.

Did you know that former Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is the only player in team history to amass over 3,000 hits?

I found it tough to choose between Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. I went with DiMaggio because he won nine World Series Titles and owns an unbreakable 56-game hitting streak.

Where does Roger Clemens belong? It's tough to find a spot with the Yankees and Red Sox. He had some success with the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays, but not enough longevity.

Former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols is a victim of the team's illustrious tradition.

The Small Market Florida Teams, The Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins are tough to come up with four due to the high roster turnover and small payrolls. It's tough for these teams to keep their big name star players longer than seven years.

Now that Giancarlo Stanton has signed a long term contract, if he stays healthy, then I could see him on a future Marlins list.

With My List, a real deciding factor is whether a player wins a championship(s). If the player does it with multiple teams, that's even better.

An interesting note is the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros have swapped leagues. Ironically, the Astros players on this list played in the National League while the Brewers played in the American League.

Now that I've given you readers a basic criteria, I welcome your feedback.

Here is My Franchise Four.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST:

New York Yankees
1. Babe Ruth
2. Lou Gehrig
3. Derek Jeter
4. Joe DiMaggio

Baltimore Orioles
1. Brooks Robinson
2. Jim Palmer
3. Frank Robinson
4. Cal Ripken Jr.

Tampa Bay Rays
1. David Price
2. Evan Longoria
3. Wade Boggs
4. Carl Crawford

Boston Red Sox
1. Ted Williams
2. Carl Yastrzemski
3. Jim Rice
4. Pedro Martinez

Toronto Blue Jays
1. Joe Carter
2. Roberto Alomar
3. Dave Stieb
4. Roy Halladay

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL:

Detroit Tigers
1. Ty Cobb
2. Hank Greenberg
3. Al Kaline
4. Miguel Cabrera

Kansas City Royals
1. George Brett
2. Hal McRae
3. Willie Wilson
4. Dan Quisenberry

Minnesota Twins
1. Harmon Killebrew
2. Rod Carew
3. Tony Oliva
4. Kirby Puckett

Cleveland Indians
1. Bob Feller
2. Jim Thome
3. Sandy Alomar Jr.
4. CC Sabathia

Chicago White Sox
1. Frank Thomas
2. Paul Konerko
3. Nellie Fox
4. Carlton Fisk

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST:

Houston Astros
1. Nolan Ryan
2. Jeff Bagwell
3. Craig Biggio
4. Joe Morgan

Los Angeles Angels
1. Bobby Grich
2. Nolan Ryan
3. Brian Downing
4. Tim Salmon

Oakland A's
1. Jim "Catfish" Hunter
2. Reggie Jackson
3. Rickey Henderson
4. Dennis Eckersley

Seattle Mariners
1. Ken Griffey Jr.
2. Jay Buhner
3. Randy Johnson
4. Edgar Martinez

Texas Rangers
1. Nolan Ryan
2. Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez
3. Jim Sundberg
4. Toby Harrah


NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST:

New York Mets
1. Tom Seaver
2. Keith Hernandez
3. John Franco
4. Mike Piazza

Atlanta Braves
1. Warren Spahn
2. Greg Maddux
3. Tom Glavine
4. Hank Aaron

Miami Marlins
1. Al Leiter
2. Livan Hernandez
3. Miguel Cabrera
4. Josh Beckett

Washington Nationals/ Montreal Expos
1. Rusty Staub
2. Gary Carter
3. Tim Raines
4. Andre Dawson

Philadelphia Phillies
1. Steve Carlton
2. Mike Schmidt
3. Robin Roberts
4. Richie Ashburn

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL:

St. Louis Cardinals
1. Bob Gibson
2. Lou Brock
3. Stan Musial
4. Ozzie Smith

Chicago Cubs
1. Ernie Banks
2. Billy Williams
3. Ferguson Jenkins
4. Sammy Sosa

Cincinnati Reds
1. Pete Rose
2. Johnny Bench
3. Tony Perez
4. Barry Larkin

Pittsburgh Pirates
1. Willie Stargell
2. Roberto Clemente
3. Honus Wagner
4. Bill Mazeroski

Milwaukee Brewers
1. Robin Yount
2. Paul Molitor
3. Rollie Fingers
4. Cecil Cooper

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST:

Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers
1. Jackie Robinson
2. Sandy Koufax
3. Don Drysdale
4. Roy Campanella

San Diego Padres
1. Tony Gwynn
2. Dave Winfield
3. Randy Jones
4. Trevor Hoffman

New York/San Francisco Giants
1. Willie Mays
2. Willie McCovey
3. Juan Marichal
4. Orlando Cepeda

Colorado Rockies
1. Larry Walker
2. Dante Bichette
3. Todd Helton
4. Troy Tulowitzki

Arizona Diamondbacks
1. Curt Schilling
2. Randy Johnson
3. Luis Gonzalez
4. Matt Williams

Here are some after thoughts about My MLB Mt. Rushmore.

Did you know that Nolan Ryan's number was retired by the California Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. Ryan wore No. 30 with California, and No. 34 with the Astros and Rangers. He won his only World Series Title with the 1969 New York Mets.

Eddie Murray would have made this list with the Baltimore Orioles, but you can't leave off Cal Ripken Jr.

A unique player to talk about is Fingers. He won three World Series Championships with the Oakland A's and led the Brewers to the 1982 World Series. His No. 34 is retired by both franchises.

Fingers is known for his trademark mustache.

Why did Sammy Sosa make this list?

Sosa led the Chicago Cubs to the playoffs in 1998. It was the first time the Cubs reached the playoffs since 1989. In 1998, Sosa and Mark McGwire, had their famous home run chase of Roger Maris 61, which  helped Baseball resurrect itself after the demoralizing Player Strike in 1994.

What also rescued baseball was Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak in 1995 as he passed 2,130 finishing with 2,632.

Once again, I welcome your opinion and will respond back to you.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

Rangers Vs Cardinals Ironies

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

It was ironic seeing a No. 29 on the mound as the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the World Series in St. Louis.

Friday night, the man I'm referring to was Chris Carpenter.

Back in 1968, former Detroit Tigers left-handed pitcher Mickey Lolich wore No. 29 proudly as he pitched a complete game, and defeated St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Pitcher Bob Gibson in Game 7 of the World Series at Old Busch Stadium. The Tigers won the World Series 4-3. Lolich won three games in that series.

Gibson's catcher was Fox Color Analyst Tim McCarver, whose first of two playing stints with the Cardinals was from 1959-1969. The Tigers rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to win the Fall Classic.

The Cardinals broadcaster was Jack Buck.

Now in 2011, McCarver, was in the booth with Buck's son Joe, watching his former team overcome a 3-2 series deficit as the Cardinals won it's 11th World Series Championship, the most in the National League.

There is no doubt that the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers World Series will go down as one of the best ever.

But I'll never forget a Spring Training Game between these two franchises in Pompano Beach, Florida., in the early 1980's. The Rangers played their home games at Pompano Beach Municipal Stadium from 1972-1986.

Texas hosted the Cardinals and Jack Buck was calling the game with legendary St. Louis Blues and Cardinals Announcer Dan Kelly. From 1980-84, Kelly worked Cardinals games for KMOX Radio.

Buck decided to take a window section out of the press box so he could call the game easier. The press box at the stadium was real low and a foul ball flew in and hit Jack right in the arm. The bruise he received was quite evident.

But one thing that wasn't bruised was Buck's sense of humor. He walked out of the radio booth, laughed and shrugged it off and went back to work.

That press box no longer exists at the stadium. The game ended in a tie in front of a crowd of about 750 fans. Joe was born on April 25, 1969 and was in grade school at the time.

However, on Friday night, Joe Buck, who was about six months old when the Tigers defeated McCarver's Cardinals, was in a State Of The Art Press Box with 50,000 fans at New Busch Stadium educating millions of viewers on television.

There would be three guarantees on this night.

1) His press box was high enough to avoid getting drilled in the arm.

2) The attendance was much higher in October then in a meaningless March Spring Training Game, plus Friday nights game was televised.

3) Friday nights game wasn't going to end in a tie.

Somewhere in heaven, Jack Buck and Kelly had to be looking down at the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers match-up much differently as it hit the big stage.

Meanwhile, every time I drive by that stadium, it will go down as one of my most enjoyable Spring Training Memories, which included these two teams that were showcased Friday night.

It was reinforced by an unforgettable World Series and I wouldn't be surprised if they ever met again for a rematch.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.