Midwest Sports Fan Blog

Packers cornerback Al Harris said Wednesday he will be back on the field with Green Bay this year after major knee injury abruptly ended last season.

In his first comments in the Packers locker room since the injury, Harris said he never thought about calling it quits.

“There’s no doubt in my mind. If there were, then I wouldn’t be here, standing here now,” the 13-year veteran said after the second of four public organized team activities this offseason.

Harris tore a ligament in his left knee on Nov. 22 against the 49ers while defending San Francisco wide receiver Michael Crabtree. He needed season-ending surgery and there had been questions whether the veteran would return.

Harris said it was tough to watch Green Bay lose to the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs in January.

“That was hard, the bits and pieces that I did watch,” he said. “It’s still hard to watch, even watching practice. But that’s a part of it, and that fuels you, to watch the guys go out there and work, to watch your friends play cohesive as a group.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

An hourlong rain delay was just what Jaime Garcia needed to refocus.

The St. Louis Cardinals knocked out Bronson Arroyo in the fifth inning and their rookie left-hander overcame a shaky start in a 12-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, forging a first-place tie in the NL Central.

“I think in the first inning, sometimes it’s kind of like a shaky one for me because I’m learning,” Garcia said. “After the delay I was able to stay focused, stay in the game mentally and physically.”

Albert Pujols extended his streak of reaching base to nine straight plate appearances with two intentional walks and a single in his first three at-bats. He finally made an out in the fifth inning, hitting into a double play. Pujols added an RBI single in a five-run sixth, one day after hitting three homers at Chicago.

Click here to read the full article – By R.B. Fallstrom of Associated Press

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Usually when a team has the third pick in the NBA Draft, the team would be lucky to reach the .500 point the following season. For the Thunder, they were able to reach the 50-win plateau for the first time since they moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City. With a core that includes Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, the future could not be brighter. However, it could all come together this coming off-season. Let’s be honest; the chance of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, or Amare Stoudemire coming to Oklahoma City is pretty much 0%. However, there will be other all-star caliber players on the market such as Carlos Boozer and David Lee. Do not put it past Oklahoma City management to shell out money for a big man.

Oklahoma City, Seattle, or whatever you want to call them, have lacked a big man for a long time. Since the days of Shawn Kemp, they have not had a huge inside presence. They passed up on Brook Lopez, although they are hardly at fault due to the success of Russell Westbrook. But this team has gone through big men of the likes of Robert Swift and Jerome James. This can all be fixed in the 2010 off-season, if management solves the big man problem.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Even as the losses piled up, Trey Hillman never lost the respect of his players or the Kansas City Royals’ management.

It was evident in the way the Royals allowed him to manage one last game, in the tears that filled general manager Dayton Moore’s eyes as he spoke about the man he hired to rebuild a struggling franchise.

Those losses were just too hard to overlook.

The Royals needed a change and, tough as it was, Hillman had to take the fall.

Hillman became the first manager to get fired this season, bowing out with a graceful exit and a win in his final game on Thursday.

Former Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost will move from the front office to replace Hillman in the dugout for the remainder of the season.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Paul Molitor 4 Time Silver Slugger Award Winner Upcoming Signing – 5/15/2010 Here are the details: Where: Cow Palace When: 5/15/2010 Phone: (908) 258-7228 All Orders and Mail-Order need to be received by: 5/7/2010 Prices: Flats up to 11X14, Balls: $59.00; Premium Items: $79.00; Inscriptions: $20.00
Place a presale order for the Paul Molitor Signing or check out   a full list of Upcoming Memorabilia Signings.

Milwaukee Brewers Sports Memorabilia
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Below are links to memorabilia available for Paul Molitor.

Robin Yount 3000 Hit Club Member Upcoming Signing – 5/15/2010 Here are the details: Where: Cow Palace When: 5/15/2010 Phone: (908) 258-7228 All Orders and Mail-Order need to be received by: 5/7/2010 Prices: Baseballs, Flats up to 11×14 – $90 Premium Items – $100 Helmet, Glove, Jersey – $150 Inscription – $30
Place a presale order for the Robin Yount Signing or check out   a full list of Upcoming Memorabilia Signings.

Milwaukee Brewers Sports Memorabilia
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Below are links to memorabilia available for Robin Yount.

Ozzie Smith 2002 Hall of Famer Upcoming Signing – 5/15/2010 Here are the details: Where: Cow Palace When: 5/15/2010 Phone: (908) 258-7228 All Orders and Mail-Order need to be received by: 5/7/2010 Prices: Flats including 11×14 – $59 Premium Items – $99 Bats, Jerseys, Art – $129 Inscription – $20
Place a presale order for the Ozzie Smith Signing or check out   a full list of Upcoming Memorabilia Signings.

St. Louis Cardinals Sports Memorabilia
and other St. Louis Cardinals Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Ozzie Smith.

Back when the Thunder were 3-29 last season, the notion of the playoffs coming to Oklahoma City any time soon was unimaginable.

But it was that same miserable stretch that made general manager Sam Presti confident that coach Scott Brooks was the right man to lead his team into the future.

While Oklahoma City struggled to the worst start in the NBA, Presti was impressed by the way Brooks stayed the course and never tried to force immediate changes in hopes of making the Thunder better. He now has taken the youngest roster in the league and turned the team into a 50-game winner and a playoff team just one season after the horrendous start.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

The Detroit Lions have the 2nd pick in Thursday’s NFL draft, and they face a difficult decision. Believe it or not, the Lions 2-14 record was actually a major improvent on their historical 2008 mark of 0-16. The Lions were actually competitive in a number of games and have something to build on with Matthew Stafford, who at times looked like a star and other times looked like a rookie, and Calvin Johnson who is an absoulte stud. The question for the Lions is who do they take with the #2 pick in the draft. I think you have to narrow it down to two guys, the best offensive lineman in the draft, Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung, and prehaps the best player in this years draft, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Like nearly every unit on a 2-14 team, the offensive and defensive lines need upgrades, but with Jeff Backus and 2008 first round pick Gosder Cherilus, the Lions are pretty solid at the offensive tackles. The defensive line however, is another story. The Lions ranked 26th in rush defense and 29th in sacks, so their defensive line neither plugged holes nor rushed the passer effectively. For those reasons, Ndamuknog Suh should be the selection. Suh was the most dominant player in college football last season, as he was often double and triple teamed, but was still very productive in one of the top two conferences in college football. Many believe that Suh has the ability to step into the NFL right away and help a team improve, which is something that the Lion’s defense sorely needs. If the Lions take Suh, it will be a big step forward for their defense, as he will be able to anchor that side of the ball for the next decade.

by Josh Weiner at the Sports Fan Blog Network