SOUNDOFF: Saline is becoming a sports powerhouse

Heritage Newspapers sportswriter Don Richter wrote a detailed piece in the June 3 sports section examining the incredible success of the Saline athletic program. We welcome your comments on why you think the Hornets have become one of the elite athletic programs in the state. And what are some things other districts need to do in order to take it to another level.
Post your comments below.

Playoffs start Tuesday

Tuesday will be a busy day for playoffs. The Willow Run baseball and softball teams play at Allen Park Cabrini.
Belleville baseball and softball begin a playoff ride at Saline. Lincoln baseball and softball begin at Saline as well. Belleville soccer plays Monroe.
On Saturday, Ypsilanti will be playing at Saline in district play for baseball and softball.
All the area track teams compete on Tuesday at Ypsilanti High in what is called the "County Championship meet." This meet is usually earlier in the season but was scheduled later this year.
On Saturday the state track meets take play on the other side of the state.
Good luck to all the teams we cover and I hope no one gets hurt. Be safe, have fun and remember to do the best you can.
Summer is almost here!

District baseball, softball comes to Manchester

The Manchester varsity baseball and softball teams will not have to travel far to begin their journey through the playoffs.
The Division 3 district tournament will take place at Manchester High School this year, beginning with the pre-district (first round) games June 1. The district semifinals and final will be played June 5.
The winners of each district will advance to the Division 3 regional tournament, which takes place June 12 at Grass Lake.
In both the baseball and softball brackets, Manchester will be joined by Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, Ann Arbor Greenhills, Whitmore Lake and fellow Cascades Conference school Grass Lake.
In baseball, the pre-district game has Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard taking on Grass Lake. The winner will advance to face the Flying Dutchmen in the semifinal at 10 a.m. June 5. The other semifinal game pits Whitmore Lake against Ann Arbor Greenhills at 11 a.m. The district championship game will follow, beginning approximately at 2 p.m.
The softball brackets are similar to baseball, but with different start times. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard and Grass Lake will face each other in the pre-district June 1, with the winner facing Manchester at 11 a.m. June 5. Whitmore Lake and Ann Arbor Greenhills will meet in the other district semifinal game at 10 a.m. June 5. The softball district final will also take place at approximately 2 p.m.
Manchester has a recently playoff history with most of its district competition. In baseball, the Dutchmen were eliminated by Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard in the district final last year. Manchester advanced to the regional final with a victory over Whitmore Lake.
Two years ago, it was Whitmore Lake halting the Dutchmen’s season in the district semifinal. In 2007, Grass Lake took its first step toward the Division 3 state championship by defeating Manchester in a rain-delayed district final.
The Dutchmen faced two of the teams this season. Manchester swept a doubleheader from the Grass Lake Warriors May 20, winning 6-0 and 5-2. They also faced Whitmore Lake in their home opener April 13, coming away with a 14-13 loss to the Trojans.
Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard enters the baseball district as the odds-on-favorite. The Fighting Irish are currently 33-1 and are ranked No. 1 in the Division 3 state polls.
Manchester (13-14) placed third in the Cascades Conference behind East Jackson and Michigan Center. The Dutchmen are competing in the Cascades Conference Tournament this week.
The Manchester varsity softball team placed second in the Cascades Conference this year, finishing 18-11 overall and 10-4 in the league. The Dutch finished behind Grass Lake, which captured its first league softball title since 1995. The teams split a doubleheader May 20, with the Warriors winning the opener 6-3 and the Dutch answering with an 18-6 victory in the nightcap.
The Dutch also faced Whitmore Lake this season, posting a 14-0 victory April 13.
Last year, Manchester defeated both Grass Lake and Whitmore Lake to win its first district crown since 2006. The Dutch advanced to the Division 3 regional final, where they fell to state powerhouse Clinton. The Dutch have been eliminated from the postseason by the Redskins the past three seasons.

Why Stevie Y?? I just heard the news today that Steve Yzerman is leaving Detroit and heading down south -- way down south -- to Tampa to be the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Huh?? Why? To me, Stevie is a northern type of guy. If memory serves me, I believe he was raised in Ottawa and, of course, spent many glorious years in Detroit with the Red Wings. I have a feeling Yzerman is going to melt down there in the hot Florida sun. But, frankly, more than anything, it'll be somewhat sad to see such a local legend leave the area. And if anyone can turn sun-drenched Floridians into hockey fans, it's Stevie Y. A proven winner and leader, Yzerman will definitely make Tampa Bay a contender in the NHL year after year. It may take him a few seasons to get "his guys," but I bet sooner than later, Yzerman will have Tampa Bay fans standing and cheering for the Lightning and saying, 'Buccaneers who?' and 'Devil Rays huh?'

Tigers look good

The Detroit Tigers are still my favorite sport team and this season there is no better time than the present to start really being interested in them.
Last week I was watching the Tigers play the Los Angeles Dodgers and I couldn't help but be amazed at this new player for Detroit. His name is Brennan Boesch and man the boy can hit.
I watched him hit a home run to straight-away center field and another double than bounced over the fence.
His parents were at the game with his sister and they kept showing them in the stands every time he got a hit. The only thing better than a story like that would have been a Tiger win (they didn't).
I like these kind of stories when a player comes from another team and is a rookie. It is nice to see them do so well. I hope that the pitchers in the American and National leagues take awhile to figure young Mr. Boesch out.
That being said I just want to admit how much I like the Tigers. As a sports writer I have to be neutral but as a Blogger I can have favorites.

Summer project means double the fun in Manchester

Greetings loyal followers in Manchester and across the region. I'm back from my vacation up north and the stretch run for spring sports is upon us. As the month of June approaches, Manchester is gearing up for the state playoffs in baseball and softball, with MHS hosting the district tournament (June 1-5). There's also the state championship track meet (best of luck to Manchester's Brooke Fuller and Taylor Heldt), and the varsity boys golf team is ready to make another run at the state tournament.

But June brings much more than playoff excitement and graduation parties. One of my favorite projects will begin in June...the scholar-athlete features. For the third straight year, The Manchester Enterprise will honor the top scholar-athletes from the senior class. The features will begin in the middle of June and run until mid-August, just in time for fall sports training camp.

Once again, the athletes that will be featured were recipients of the Cascades Conference Scholar-Athlete Award, in which a minimum 3.4 GPA is required. In each of the first two years, Manchester has had 10 athletes receive the honor, which works out perfect since this is a 10-week project. This year is a bit different, however, as the Class of 2010 had 21 student-athletes honored. Fear not, however, as no one is being cut from the features. To remedy this situation (a good one to have, by the way), two athletes will be featured each week. The lone exception will be one week where there will be three. I won't name the honored athletes just yet, as they'll be announced in my annual column when the first features run.

The best thing about the scholar-athlete features is that we all get to learn about the kids outside of athletics. Sure, we know them from watching Friday night football or Thursday night basketball. We know their stats and their breakout performances. But this projects gives readers a chance to learn about other things, like what they do in school, what they're interested in studying, their involvement in the community, their future plans and much more. Fans get to see a different side to the kids they see on the field throughout the year.

As I've said in previous years, the summer is a celebration of the Manchester student-athlete. The Class of 2010 is certainly no exception.

Spring may be winding down, but things are just heating up

The spring time is always a weird sports season.
It seems like just as things are getting going, it ends.
After all the recent rain storms and rising temperatures, we are getting to a point were things are starting to get interesting.
Yes, that's right folks, the spring playoff tournaments are getting ready to start.
I know.
It seems like we just got done watching the Ann Arbor Huron basketball team play in the state finals, and now we are talking about spring playoffs.
The area has a lot of teams that have a great chance to do well as the postseason approaches.
The area has two really heavy favorites when it comes to Division 1 track. The Pioneer boys' team has been nothing short of dominant, while the Saline girls' team is also outstanding.
In baseball, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard has a great chance to win the Divsion 3 state title. As the team prepares for Wednesday's Catholic High School League final, which will be played at Comerica Park, the Fighting Irish are sitting on a 33-1 record. The squad had three to four solid starting pitchers, which, as any high school coach will tell you, is a solid commodity.
When it comes to water polo, Pioneer, Huron and Saline will all compete for the title.
Lacrosse is another sport where Washtenaw County will be well-represented. The Pioneer, Huron and Gabriel Richard teams all have a shot to go deep into the playoffs, while the Dexter Dreadnaughts have improved immensely since the start of the season.
When it comes to soccer, the Pioneers have to be a favorite. The team finished their Southeastern Conference schedule undefeated and are peaking just at the right time.
There are surely no guarantees when it comes to sports, but don't be surprised if the area's teams bring home a couple of state championship trophies for this short season.

The Dreads are not dead

There is too much pride here. Too much history. Too much at stake.
And way too much talent to let this season slip away.
Remember, it was only a week ago that the Dexter soccer team played an impressive game and blanked a talented Saline team 1-0. A loss to Pioneer and then Thursday night's heartbreaker to Adrian has the Dreadnaughts looking in the mirror.
Thursday night was Senior Night. It was a beautiful, warm evening with the lights on and the teams playing on the football field before a good-sized crowd. The talented group of seniors were honored before the game to start what should have been a wonderful evening. One for the scrapbook.
By the end of the night, the smiles had disappeared. The chatter had gone quiet. And the game was lost. This was one of those games that could either fall into the deal-breaker or magic-maker categories - and if you know these young ladies, bet on the later.
After all, breaking down the loss to Adrian is pretty simple. The Dreads carried the play for most of the game, especially in the second half. The Maples scored on three perfect shots off direct kicks. And the bounces didn’t go their way. Still, it hurts.
This team has the skill and just as important the heart to pull a rabbit out of the hat and march toward a state title. The loss to Adrian may cost this team another SEC championship, but they can more than make up for it with a state championship.
After the game, the Dexter players sat on the track behind their bench. Coach Scott Ferguson didn't really have much to say. What could you say? And no one – players or coaches – really said much.
What makes me think this team will bounce back?
It was the look on their faces after the game. They were mad, not sad. They wanted to walk back on the field and say, "Hey, Adrian. Double or nothing." Or, "Hey, Maples. Let's play two." They looked as if they couldn't wait to get back onto the field.
You want some more reasons why this team will bounce back?
McDonald. Monaghan. Hughes. Lucas. Conter. Rize. And the list goes on. There is a lot of fight left in these young ladies. It will take more than a loss to Adrian to knock them out of the picture. Don't be surprised if the next time you see their team picture it's with the state championship trophy.
The Dreads are not dead!

Chuck Koch remembered

I want to start out by saying in my line of work you cover a lot of different things that can be big or little events. On Saturday afternoon I had the unique pleasure to cover the dedication of a new softball field to the former athletic director of Willow Run High School who passed away in 2001.
I didn't know Chuck Koch but I will say I would have liked to. The man touched a lot of people's loves over the years and you could tell by the mere turnout at the field on that day.
Yes, a lot of those people were relatives of his (I understand he comes from a big family) but there were also former students and I was very impressed by the entire presentation.
Hillary Edwards (daughter of softball coach Duane Edwards) gave a very good dedication speech and it was touching to hear what he meant to a lot of people.
I cover a lot of events and most of them are games but this one touched me. I felt like I knew him and I really felt glad for the family that this was being done for them. When I drive by the field and see that new sign I will remember that dedication.
Please check out the video at www.heritage.com under sports video and there is a nice article about the event in the paper on Thursday with several pictures.
Thanks for letting me be part of it.

Where all the fans?

I have debated even bringing this up, but I lost the argument so here it is.
Where are all the fans at these spring sporting events? I don’t expect the bleachers to be packed, but I would think more people would turn out to cheer on these young athletes. These kids, your kids or my kids or our kids, work extremely hard and deserve more community support.
People turn out in droves to see a school play or a musical or a concert. Why not a girls’ soccer game on a nice and sunny Saturday afternoon. That’s where I was this weekend and I enjoyed every minute of the action.
It was Saline at Dexter. Two very good soccer teams going head-to-head. It was early Saturday afternoon. It was warm and sunny and for fans of the Hornets it was a short drive and for supporters of the Dreadnaughts, it was right around the corner.
But there was more silver in the stands than people. Even if both parents of every player on each team showed up the bleachers would have looked a little less bare.
No one knows more than me what parents have to do on the weekends. I understand many families have more than one child that has to be driven here or there. I know many parents have to work on the weekends. I know the grass has to be cut and the errands have to be run.
I get that. But you don’t get these events back. As soon as the whistle blows or the last out is made, they are gone forever.
And you folks in your community who don’t have kids in the schools should also be out there rout, rout, routing for the home team. Saturday’s game was physical, hard fought, well played and exciting from start to finish. A great way to spend a couple hours on a Saturday.
Many of you will sit in front of the TV and watch the Tigers or go down to Comerica Park and drop $100 to park, eat and watch a professional game. Yet, you won’t walk down the street to see young and talented baseball or softball players learning how to play these beautiful games.
And you would be shocked at just how good these players truly are at these sports.
There are still plenty of baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse and other games to go see. If you don’t want to do it for your community or these young athletes, do it for yourself. It’s a great and inexpensive way to spend a few hours.

Belleville baseball against Ypsilanti High

If you haven't been by Belleville High School's athletic fields lately you might want to come out on Saturday at 11 a.m. and watch the Tiger baseball team battle the Ypsilanti Phoenix.
Why you ask? Besides watches two area baseball teams battle at it this will be the last time that Belleville will play any more games on that home field.
As you can tell the school is under construction and the athletic fields surrounding it are set to be leveled as well. It will be a good game as well. I am almost certain that the coach of Ypsilanti who is a former Belleville coach (but an Ypsi grad)is going to try and get his team as fired up as they can be.
Belleville has a good squad this season and Ypsi is young but they can win as well. They defeated Monroe with a big homerun a few weeks ago.
So if you have time and you love the high school game come on and watch at BHS on Saturday.
Hopefully it won't be rained out or played in a field of mud.

Facebook opens new doors for athletes

Newspapers used to be just about getting information out to the masses.
You'd pay your quarter, get your paper and read about all the recent happenings.
My how things have changed, especially in the sports section.
Sure, newspapers can still be used to convey information, like sports stories and scores and even features and standings. And those things are great.
But with the advent of the technological age we now find ourselves in, it seems wasteful to limit the information we can gather and distribute just to the newspaper pages.
Our websites, www.A2journal.com and www.heritage.com, have all the stories we have in the paper, only in an online format, which is convenient for many web-savvy sports fans.
However, the social networking site Facebook also offers a unique way to get an even more in depth experience when it comes to checking out local sports.
The A2 Journal Sports facebook site can be found at here.
It is full of links to local stories, sports videos and even photo albums from events we cover.
It offers a forum for people to comment on games and events, and to learn more about the athletes of the Ann Arbor area.
Check it out for yourself!

The fine line between dirty and physical

There was a line on the soccer field Thursday night when Saline hosted Chelsea in a soccer match between two very good teams. That line wasn’t in front of the goal or cutting across the middle of the field. It was an imaginary line between physical soccer and dirty play.
And from where I was standing that line wasn’t crossed by either team.
There were more than a few instances where fans from both sides would stand and yell about a physical play. Bodies were certainly flying and the game was stopped a couple times because of injuries. No one will deny that this was a physical soccer game.
And so was the Chelsea-Dexter game earlier in the year. That’s what happens in games between rivals and in games matching two good teams. Playing physical is part of the game and more often than not in girls’ soccer, the more physical team wins the game.
"We never teach to play dirty, but we also know that physical play especially in high school soccer is what it’s about," said Saline coach Dana Restrick. "You have to play physical to win games. And unfortunately in soccer, if you play physical and misjudge something it can end up in a foul. That may look dirty, but it’s never the intent of any of our players."
The Hornets challenged every ball and if a Chelsea player got in the way, so be it. If a knee was kicked or a shoulder bumped or a head banged, so be it. And as long as they were going for the ball, it’s all part of the game in soccer.
There are no helmets or shoulder pads or goalie masks in soccer. But it’s a very physical sport.
"We lost to Brighton (earlier in the season) because we were not physical enough," Restrick says. "Since then, one of our goals has been to become a more physical team. We want to challenge everything and work for every ball that we can get. In the end it’s either going to be us or them."
When it came to being physical, Saline was the clear winner last Thursday. And it’s no surprise they were the winner on the scoreboard as well. Restrick said her team’s physical play was the difference in the victory over Chelsea – the same way it was a difference in the team’s loss to Brighton.
"Our physical play and our willingness to do whatever it takes is what makes our team special," she said.
Chelsea coach Dave Pieske did raise his voice a few times looking for a foul or even a card. One time, the referee even apologized for missing a hard challenge by a Saline player that sent a Bulldog flying through the air.
"I thought it was a very physical game, but not a dirty game," Pieske said. "I thought the referee may have missed one or two instances that could have been a foul. But I’m sure some people could have thought the same thing about us."
Each team received a yellow card during the game.
"I consider it to be physical play as opposed to dirty if there is intent to play the ball," Pieske said. "Dirty play is when someone is being physical when the ball is not around. I thought Saline played a physical game and came in hard on every ball and if they hit us in the process, oh well."
Pieske said he felt Dexter played a similar style when the two teams battled to a scoreless tie earlier in the year.
"They were physical too, but I didn’t see any play that I thought was dirty," he said. "We also have a number of players who aren’t afraid to play that style. We want our players to challenge every ball."
Just like Saline did on Thursday night.
The Hornets wear the badge of physical and aggressive with pride – as they should.
"This is who we are, it’s our MO," Restrick said. "We played a physical game against Northville and unfortunately lost 1-0, but we showed up and played hard and aggressive and played well. Our top goal is to want it more than the other team."

Saline takes on Dexter in soccer

In what should be one of the more exciting games of the season, the Saline girls' soccer team travels to Dexter on Thursday (May 13) for a showdown with the Dreadnaughts.
This is a game I am rearranging my schedule to make. Soccer fans, or any sports fan, should consider doing the same thing.
Last week I saw the Hornets for the first time and was impressed with not only their style but physical play as well. I even wrote a column about that fine line between physical and dirty play - I will include that in another post.
Dexter also is a physical team. Saline won't be able to push them around. The Dreads are tough and can play with anyone - no matter what style you want to throw at them.
Saline's Autumn Jacobs is an excellent player with the years of experience evident every time the ball touches her foot. She's also pretty tough. It's going to be a good time watching her and the Hornets go up against that Dexter defense led by senior Taylor Conter.
By the way, Conter won't back down from anyone.
It might be cold so bring a jacket. It also might be a good idea for the trainers to have some bandages and ice packs on hand.
Game time is 5:30 at Dexter.

Last Friday, I attended the Golden Triangle Meet of Champions at Saline High School. The event, hosted by the Hornets, attracted 13 schools. Despite rainy, windy, stormy weather, the athletes were out in force for the competition, which included both a boys' meet and a girls' meet. As I walked among all the athletes and covered the meet last week, I kept thinking to myself what a chore it must be to organize such an event. I can barely organize a small family get together at my house, yet alone take on a huge, multi-team track and field meet. Kudos to whoever takes the time to handle all of the details and arranges the meet so that it moves along like clockwork.
And while we're at it, what a nice complex Saline has for track and field. I remember when I ran track back in the 1980s, some of the schools I competed at actually had weeds growing up through the asphalt. You had to hop over them as you ran if they were in your lane. Prior to coming to Heritage Newspapers, I covered a small, rural high school in mid-Michigan that didn't even have a track. I'll never forget writing the story about the school's team and watching a few of the athletes practice hurdles in the carpeted hallways. Very strange, indeed. Oddly enough, a few years later, that high school would win a state championship in track and field.

Special Olympics means a lot

I have to say last week when I went to Saline High School to watch the Special Olympics it really touched me. I was watching the athletes with special needs and I realized a couple of very important life lessons.
The first was that I have two children that are very healthy and I am very pleased to have those kids in my life. For everything that my children do to get on my nerves they are smart, healthy and very positive.
The other thing I realized is just how special these kids are with special needs. It is nice to have activities like the Special Olympics that cater to the children but they should have more of these.
These kids deserve to have just as much of a normal life as they can.
I was able to talk with a couple of the kids from Ypsilanti High and see one of the coaches Torin Moore who helps the kids in this activity as well.
Moore is also the varsity track coach for Ypsilanti and he has a lot of kids on the teams he coaches. One student at this event was on the track team as well.
I was able to talk with Moore at the Golden Triangle Meet on Friday at Saline. It was a different light but the same great personality. He is a very good coach and a great person as well.
If you get a chance to read this let me know what you think of the Special Olympics and helping those with special needs compete in sports and be as normal as they can.
Dave Merchant is a staff writer for the View and Courier newspapers and can be reached at 734-429-7380 or dmerchant@heritage.com.
Input is always welcomed.

Saying Goodbye to a Friend

Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance – Samuel Johnson

Chad Meyer was an inspiration to his family, friends and teammates with his strength and perseverance.
Even as his body weakened from the cancer, Meyer remained a vital part of the Adrian College baseball team, pushing his friends and teammates to work towards their ultimate goal.
The Bulldogs were set to honor the senior and recent AC graduate with a special day May 7 for their final regular season home doubleheader against Kalamazoo College. The team was to all wear Meyer’s jersey, members of the 1968 Detroit Tigers were to make an appearance, and Meyer was to get one last a bat.
He never got the chance to participate. That morning, a mere five days after receiving his diploma, Chad Meyer lost his two-year battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma cancer. He was 21 years old, just one month from turning 22.
Farewell friend.
The college is a lot like Manchester, Belleville and similar towns in the area – a tight-knit community. I was fortunate to have known Chad well, as I still have many friends at the college. He had many friends as well, not surprising because there wasn’t anything to not like about him. All while fighting his condition, Chad never got down on himself. He remained the same guy – always upbeat, joking around with his friends, working hard to reach his goals, being one of the guys.
He played in 28 games for the Bulldogs in his four-year college career, 19 of which came during his sophomore year (2008). It was late in that season that Meyer learned he had cancer. He missed the majority of the 2009 campaign while going through chemotherapy, but managed to play in five games. Prior to that season, the Bulldogs all shaved their heads in a show of support for their teammate.
Meyer had to quit playing in March as his condition worsened, but he never left the team. His jersey hung in the dugout during home games, giving the Bulldogs extra motivation.
Meyer’s passing, along with heavy rain, forced the scheduled doubleheader against Kalamazoo to be played a day later. While some of the original festivities were scrapped, the Bulldogs still honored him. Everyone wore his No. 15 jersey, and Meyer received the start at third base, his equipment placed in the position. And during the fifth inning of the opening game, blue skies and sunshine were starting to peek through the heavy clouds, as if Chad wanted to check in on his boys.
The Bulldogs swept the doubleheader, downing the Hornets 9-2 and 6-0. They played the games they had to play, digging through every a bat, digging in to make key defensive plays, digging to the depths of their hearts to reach the perfect ending.
The opening win, which clinched Adrian’s fourth MIAA championship in six years, had an ironic twist as the Bulldogs finished with 15 hits. It was 15 hits in the win for No. 15.
A championship for Chad. Farewell friend.
Meyer was an inspiration to me as well. When I went through my procedure to remove a pre-cancerous mole last December, thoughts went to Chad and how he was handling things. Yet, I was lucky, as mine was caught early. I can’t imagine what Chad went through. But again, he always remained the same guy. He had more heart and guts in one finger than most people have in their entire bodies.
It’s a solemn reminder that cancer can strike anyone, at any age. It can also motivate people to get checked out and support cancer awareness efforts, like the WBCA Pink Zone in Manchester.
The lasting image of Chad for most people came May 2 at graduation. Though in a wheelchair, Meyer was still hanging with his friends. When his name was called, he wheeled across the stage to a standing ovation from his classmates and nearly 3,000 in attendance. Right before receiving his diploma, Chad flashed his smile and pumped his fist to the crowd. Always upbeat, the same guy to the end.
Farewell friend. You’ll always be remembered.

'Ernie's voice playing the hits'

It was in a bowling alley. I can’t remember why. He was sitting in a back booth all by himself when I walked in the room. I don’t remember why he was waiting for me. He greeted me with an enthusiastic smile and handshake. I don’t remember why but it seemed like we had met before.
But I do remember it was Ernie Harwell.
I was a young reporter working for the News-Herald, a Heritage newspaper that covers the Downriver area. I was there to do a feature story on Mr. Harwell. Well, at the start it was Mr. Harwell. By the end of the interview it was Ernie. And it really wasn’t much of an interview.
Mr. Harwell seemed to ask me as many questions as I was asking him. Didn’t he know I was there to do a story on him, not the other way around. I have been lucky enough to sit down and talk one-on-one with some very nice people over the years. Let’s see who comes to mind. Chris Mullen. Grant Hill. JJ Putz. Bo Schembechler. Lloyd Carr. Chris Webber. Joe Dumars. George Karl.
And Ernie Harwell.
Everyone knew and knows what a nice man Ernie Harwell was. The perfect gentleman. That voice. The Hall of Famer. A man who has seen so much history and brought it all home to so many people. Everyone has their Ernie memories and the best things about memories is they last a lifetime. And mine of Ernie will certainly last that long.
I would ask him about how he started out in broadcasting. And he would ask me how I liked being a sportswriter. I would ask him about 1969 and 1984. He would ask me what my favorite sport to cover was. I would ask him about what a great life he’s had. And he would ask me about my family and what I wanted to do in the future.
His interest in me was genuine. He was humble, kind and made me feel like I was sitting down with my favorite uncle. I didn’t grow up sitting on the porch with my grandfather listening to Ernie. I didn’t go to sleep as a child with a radio in my ear and Ernie’s voice playing the hits. I didn’t move to Michigan until college.
But, like so many people, I have my memories.
Thanks, Ernie!

"And you Tiger fans are the greatest fans of all."

Last year my friend Phil called me with Tiger tickets.
"They're good seats," he told me. "You want to go?"
I rarely turn down baseball tickets, and when Phil let me know our other best friend Aaron was going to be going, I knew I would be making another pilgrimage to Comerica Park.
A day or two before the game we found out how truly lucky we were to be getting tickets to that particular game.
After going public with the announcement that he had inoperable cancer, the legendary Tiger broadcaster Ernie Harwell said he planned to address the crowd at the game we were going to.
I don't remember who played in that game, and I don't remember who won, but I remember the way I felt hearing that old man speak.
I recorded his speech on my digital camera because I had a feeling I would want to see it again. I was right.
Last night, during the Red Wing game, it was announced that Harwell had died, that the cancer had finally ended his journey. It's a sad day for baseball, and a sad day for Detroit.
But I can't help but think of one line from his farewell speech.
I remember watching as a stadium full of people gave this little, wrinkled old man their undivided attention, and him closing his speech by saying, "And you Tiger fans are the greatest fans of all. No question about that."
It's only know that I realize it was Harwell who was great, the rest of us were just along for the ride.

Ypsi baseball shocks Trojans

I still can't figure out who was more shocked on Monday night. Was it the Monroe Trojans baseball team or the Ypsilanti baseball team? I think it was the Trojans who obviously overlooked Ypsilanti High.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning Phoenix hitter Tyler Garfield took the Monroe pitcher deep with the bases loaded for a walk-off grand slam to give Ypsilanti its first win of the season by a score of 7-5. Way to go Garfield who by the way had two strikes on him and drove the ball about 340 feet over the centerfield fence. It might not be the biggest hit of his career (I think it is) but he and his team mates with remember it for a long time (and so will the Trojans).
Pitcher Alex Lillie went the distance and struck out two batters.Great transition from wrestling to baseball.
I would like to compliment Ypsi Coach Chris Dessellier for his first win as a Phoenix. I spoke to him in person yesterday at the Special Olympics being held in Saline. He is a very nice person who kept saying he was sorry he didn't get his results in more in the paper.
I told him he was doing a great job and not to worry. Chris said his team has a very tough challenge this season in the Southeast Conference but believes they may still shock some people.
Good job guys!
I want to say how sorry I am that Ernie Harwell passed away yesterday. I had met him a few times and interviewed him as well. I can honestly say I have never interviewed a nicer person in all my life. When I was done talking to him after the ground breaking ceremony for Comerica Park he actually thanked me for the interview and wished me luck with the article.
What a great man! Ernie you will be missed by more people than you know.

Paying to play

Area high school students are finding a new obstacle that is arising when a new sports season starts.
They are finding that if they want to play a particular sport, it's going to take more than just heart, will and desire to win. It's going to take a little extra cash too.
Schools all over the county, as well as the state, are finding that they no longer have the money that will allow them to fund fully functional athletic departments.
"It's tough," Ann Arbor Pioneer football coach Jeremy Gold said. "When we were kids and even when our parents were coming up, sports were free. This wasn't something that people had to worry about. If you wanted to play football or basketball, you just had to go out for the team."
However, things are different these days.
Massive budget cuts are affecting many of the school districts around the state, and even though athletics are a high priority almost everywhere, money is still being cut from sports programs.
So what are athletes and coaches to do?
Is it conceivable that school sponsored sports are being slowly phased out? It it possible that sometime in the near future, public schools will just drop athletics completely in order to save money?
Gold doesn't think so.
However, these new challenges force schools and booster clubs to find new and creative ways of raising money.
Pioneer will be holding a spaghetti dinner along with an auction on Wednesday to help raise funds.
"It's a new era," Gold said. "It's important for us as coaches to make sure that every one who wants to play a sport can. So we have to work harder to make that happen."
Money problems are nothing new.
Schools like Saline, Dexter, Chelsea and Milan are all having to make cuts; this isn't something exclusive to Ann Arbor.
However, in order to keep sports around and keep young athletes playing for their schools, coaches like Gold and members of the community are going to have to try a little hard than they used to.

Get your stuff in the paper, sports are fun.

The spring is a fun time of year for high school sports. The interesting part is that the students who are young to begin with can either become better in the spring or in some cases they get a bad case of being seniors and thus they don't care about the season by the time it is almost graduation.
Another things coaches have to contend with is Prom. A big deal for some girls and not so big for others.
The way things are shaping out for my teams in Ypsilanti (Ypsi High, Lincoln and Willow Run) and in Belleville I hope some can go far into the playoffs.
The fun part about the playoffs is that will determine how early summer starts for me or how much more spring will extend.
Remember we want to get in as much high school, junior high or middle school and even elementary school sports stuff from the area in the paper.
Give me a call at 734-697-8255 or email me at dmerchant@heritage.com if you have any suggestions for the paper. We would love pictures and even video if you have it.