DY

Its nice to see Dmitri Young back swinging a good bat again and seemingly with his career back on track for the Nationals. For awhile he was one of the best things the Tigers had going and valuable to the community until all the incidents from last year.
Anyway Tim Kurkjian had a good story about him on ESPN.com

Its too bad he won't be a National long because I'm sure a contending team could use him around the time of the trade deadline next month.

Here is part of Kurkijian's article

Tigers manager Jim Leyland sought out Dmitri Young recently, shook his hand and congratulated him on the way he was playing and, more important, the way he was living his life. It was Leyland's Tigers who released Young last year. It was not something Leyland wanted to do, but he told Young last week, "It was the best thing that's ever happened to you."

Leyland was right.

"Jim told me there were issues that I had to deal with," Young said. "Now I'm having the time of my life. Believe me, I know, after what I've been through on and off the field."

In straightening out his life, Young has resurrected his baseball career that began with such promise 11 years ago in St. Louis. He is hitting .338 -- third-best in the National League -- with seven home runs and 36 RBIs, batting in the middle of the order for the Washington Nationals. Since May 17, he has hit .431, the best batting average in baseball in that time. He has a chance to make the All-Star team. And, chances are, around the trading deadline, contending teams will want a veteran switch-hitter who can really hit.

Read the rest of the article here

Small World

Today I spent part of the day in Ann Arbor to go to my cousin's graduation party. My cousin just graduated from Ann Arbor Community High and is continuing his football career at Western Michigan in the fall.

At his party in addition to most of my family being there, I ran into Melissa Gordon, a girl I know from college. Melissa lived above me my senior year in the Village. When she wasn't busy with golf practice she sometimes would come down and hang out and we'd play Donkey Konga. Plus she was also a part of the First Year Mentor Program with me.

It was good to run into her and see the family.



The family




The cousins




Melissa and I

Stadium tunes

In my mind one of the best things about attending a sporting event is the music you hear when there is a break in the action. If I wasn't a journalist, I definitely think being a stadium DJ would be one of the coolest jobs to have.

It seems like it could also get you in trouble based on the PA announcer. Well only if your that PA announcer from that minor league team that was ejected from the game for playing the sound byte of Bob Uecker saying "Personally I think we got hosed on that call"

Here are some links to the story about the announcer being thrown out and then having to serve as a third base umpire as punishment.
Las Vegas Sun
Reno Gazette-Journal

Despite that the job would still definitely be cool. And that kind of inspired me to take note of different players songs I've heard at my adventures to sporting events.

Going to baseball games is seemingly the best place for the tunes, since every hitter from the home team has their own song that plays when they walk up to the plate or come in to pitch. Here is entrance music for players from the Tigers



Curtis Granderson - Ain't Nothing but a G Thang (Snoop Dogg/Dr. Dre) / 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted (2Pac) / Dre Day (Dr. Dre)
Placido Polanco - Lamento Boliviano (Amarfis y La Banda de Atake)
Gary Sheffield - This is Why I'm Hot (Mims) / We fly High (Jim Jones) / Lets Ride (Game)
Magglio Ordonez - Out of all the starters, I have no clue what his song is
Carlos Guillen - U Don't Know Me (TI)
Pudge Rodriguez - Latino Heat (Eddie Guerrero)
Sean Casey - Even Flow (Pearl Jam)
Craig Monroe - Break em Off (Paul Wall/Lil Keke) / You Ain't Know (Birdman/Lil Wayne)
Brandon Inge - Coming Undone (Korn)
Omar Infante - Alegria (Merengue)
Marcus Thames - Walk It Out (DJ Unk) / Shoulder Lean (Young Dro)
Fernando Rodney - Ven Bailalo (Kriz y Angel)
Joel Zumaya - Voodoo chile (Jimi Hendrix)

Songs heard at The Palace for the Pistons in addition to the trademark Dee-troit basketball include:
Tayshaun Prince - My name is Prince (prince)
Chauncey Billups - Big Shot (Elton John)
Rip Hamilton - yes sirrr clip

Other Pistons audio clips