Leelanau Sports Guy’s World at sportspig.com

1941 The Dodgers announce their players will begin to wear helmets when batting. The use of the safety headgear will not become mandatory in the National League until 1954 and the AL will follow suit four years later.

1951 J.Edgar Hoover , longtime director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, declines the post of baseball commissioner. President Calvin Coolidge appointed him to 1924 and the nation’s top cop remained in the FBI until his death in 1972.

1963 In an exhibition game against the White Sox, rookie Pete Rose goes 2-for-2 in his first appearance as a Red .

1992 The Pirates trade pitcher Neal Heaton (3-3, 4.33) to the Royals for outfielder Kirk Gibson (.236, 16 HR, 18 SB).

1993 Sherry Davis becomes the first woman major league public address announcer when she is hired by the Giants to work at Candlestick Park.

1995 Citing the labor unrest as the reason, former Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan announces he is leaving baseball to return the NBA.

2004 When asked by Senator John McCain to renegotiate the major league baseball’s contract in regard to the use of controlled substances, Donald Fehr refuses to comply. Although the union boss condemns the use of steroids, he believes the players oppose random drug testing as a violation of privacy, an argument countered by the Arizona republican as unacceptable and promised congressional action if the status quo.

2005 Singling off Brad Thompson in a Cardinal intersquad game, former pitching prospect Rick Ankiel goes 1-for-2 in his debut as a position player. Historic wildness and injuries ended the 25-year old once very promising career on the mound.

2006 Jhonny Peralta (.292, 24 ,78) agrees to a $13 million, five-year deal which includes a club option for 2011. In his first full season, the Indians shortstop established himself as one of the top offensive players for his position.

2006 Shairon Martis throws the first-ever no-hitter in WBC history as the Netherlands rout Panama, 10-0. The 19-year-old Dutch hurler threw exactly 65 pitches, which is the Classic’s pitch limit, to accomplish the historic deed in a game which was called after seven innings because of the mercy rule; a 10 run lead after seven innings.

2009 At Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium, the Netherlands WBC team, made up of mostly unknown players, upsets a heavily-favored the Dominican Republic club for the second time in four days to advanced to the next round of the World Baseball Classic. The Dominicans, considered to be an odds-on favorite, with a roster filled with major league All-Stars including David Ortiz (Red Sox), Hanley Ramirez (Marlins), and Miguel Tejada (Astros), are eliminated in the first round of the 16-team tournament.

March 9

1897- The Cleveland Spiders sign Penobscot Indian Louis Sockalexis. Although the former Holy Cross star plays only three seasons due to alcoholism, the fans admire his outstanding skills and refer to team as the ‘Indians’- in 1915 the name will become official.

1943-The Dodgers trade first baseman Babe Dahlgren to the Phillies for outfielder Lloyd Waner and infielder Al Glossop.

1961- The Yankees announce the team will be leaving its spring training home in St. Petersburg to move to Fort Lauderdale by 1963. The Yankee owners also encourage new yet unnamed National League New York franchise to play its home games at the Polo Grounds and not to consider Yankee Stadium.

1979 -Fearing legal consequences, Bowie Kuhn gives access to female reporters to enter major league locker rooms. The commissioner’s unpopular ruling puts the players in an awkward position in their once all-male domain.

1994- Phillies first baseman/outfielder John Kruk is diagnosed with testicular cancer. After surgery, doctors expect a full recovery. 1961 The Yankees announce the team will be leaving its spring training home in St. Petersburg to move to Fort Lauderdale by 1963. The Yankee owners also encourage new yet unnamed National League New York franchise to play its home games at the Polo Grounds and not to consider Yankee Stadium.

1995- With a vote of 28-0, the major league owners admit two new teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The teams will be assigned leagues in January of 1997.

2005- Current and former big leaguers players as well as baseball executives are issued subpoenas to appear on March 17 by the House Committee on Government Reform. The eleven ‘invitees’ to the congressional hearing on steroid use include Sandy Alderson, Jose Canseco, Donald Fehr, Jason Giambi, Rob Manfred, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa and Frank Thomas and Kevin Towers.

2006- At Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan a “Down with Fidel,” sign, seen by millions of television viewers — including those watching the WBC contest in Cuba, creates an international incident. A Cuban official attending the game confront the male sign-holder, but Puerto Rican police quickly intercede take Angel Iglesias to a nearby police station where the vice president of Cuba’s National Institute of Sports is reminded that Puerto Ricans enjoy the right to freedom of speech.

2009 -Alex Rodriguez undergoes an 80-minute arthroscopic surgical procedure to repair torn cartilage in his right hip. The Yankees third baseman, who will need a more extensive operation in the offseason, expects to return to the lineup in May.

March 7

1903-The Giants trade last season’s part-time manager Heinie Smith to Detroit for second baseman Kid Gleason. Gleason is immediately sent to the Phillies.

1923-Commissioner Landis turns down the American Legion requests to discontinue major league morning games on Memorial Day.

1924-At the age of 48, Reds’ manager Pat Moran dies of Bright’s disease at spring training.

1955-Commissioner Ford Frick announces he favors the legalization of the spitter.

1956- Still seeking workman’s compensation coverage, the players accept the owners’ position on the World Series television deal and the proposed minimum salary structure.

1995- The Veterans Committee selects former players Richie Ashburn‚ Vic Willis‚ and Leon Day, and past president of the National League, William Hulbert, for induction to the Hall of Fame. Day, a Negro League right hander, who played in Baltimore with the Black Sox and the Elite Giants and with the Brooklyn and Newark Eagles, will be dead of a heart attack in less than a week after hearing the good news.

2001- Bud Selig upholds the January 14 Blue Jay and White Sox trade which sent Toronto pitchers David Wells and Matt DeWitt to the White Sox in exchange for pitchers Mike Sirotka, Kevin Beirne and Mike Williams and outfielder Brian Simmons. Although, upon further medical examinations, Mike Sirotka was determined to be ‘damaged goods’ prior to the deal, the commissioner used a ‘buyers beware’ policy stating the individual club must take responsibility for the information originally used in making the transaction.

2006- In their World Baseball Classic debut, Team USA blanks Mexico, 2-0. Home runs by Derrek Lee and Chipper Jones along with Jake Peavy and bevy of relievers combining to throw a four-hitter proves to be the difference as the United States defeat their neighbors from south of the border.

2008- With a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning off reliever Colter Bean, Danny Sandoval spoils the Braves bid for a spring training combined no-hitter. Atlanta uses seven hurlers beating the Indians at Winter Haven 4-1.

2008- The Cape Cod Times reports MLB has threaten to withhold their annual grant from from Cape League if the six teams in the 10-team circuit sharing nicknames with big league, such as the Chatham Athletics, do not purchase all future uniforms and souvenir merchandise from licensed vendors, a more expensive option. The deadline has been extended until March 21, to give league officials more time to resolve the issue.

By Justin Cousineau
In Play Magazine

Spring training is underway and its time for everyone to breakdown the players. Everyone would like to think they know what’s best for their favorite teams lineup but when reality hits it’s what the manager says goes.

When you look at a player like Alfonso Soriano you think lead off hitter for the Chicago Cubs. This may have been the case in the past but manager Lou Pinella had change on his mind while is lead off hitter was batting a rough .241 avg last season.

Last season Pinella put Soriano in the sixth spot and that will be his home for the 2010 season as well.

With the Tigers lacking from production from certain individuals last season like the Cubs were I’m curious to see how Jim Leyland will fill his batters card.

Curtis Granderson is gone which leaves the lead off spot open but could already be filled with Austin Jackson. I can’t argue with the decision for spring training, but at the same time I won’t agree with it. It’s easy for us to wait for failure and say, “I knew he shouldn’t have been there.” Or if Jackson starts batting consistent and for average we’ll say, “I knew he was the guy.”

I’d like to see Johnny Damon fill that spot with his ability to hit home runs, doubles and steal bases. He’s a consistent player on both sides of the ball and a fan favorite where ever he goes. That being said Jackson could learn a lot from Damon and help use his youthfulness to get on base and let MagglioOrdonez and Miguel Cabrera do their job.

When looking at the first five players on the Tiger roster the top half of the lineup can do really well as long as everyone plays their role and stays healthy.

This picture is a very accurate portrayal of the Detroit Tigers offense. This was the final out in the 11-1 loss against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. Maybe the homestand will get them going again. Regardless, the Detroit Tigers have to start hitting or they can kiss first-place good-bye!

Photo by the Associated Press

If any player deserved to be an All-Star this year, that player was Brandon Inge. He’s clutch for the Tigers this season and along with Miguel Cabrera has led the Tigers offense. He leads the Tigers in homeruns and RBIs all while playing on a sore knee. His defense at third base has been as great as always. I made sure to cast a few votes his direction…

“We’re thrilled Brandon has been voted to join his teammates to represent the Detroit Tigers at the All-Star Game,” said Detroit Tigers President, CEO and General Manager David Dombrowski. “It’s a tremendous honor to have such an opportunity. We especially want to thank all Tigers fans for their passionate support in the voting process.”

Here’s to a healthy knee and a solid second half for Brandon Inge and the Tigers!

Read Brandon Inge: Winner of Final Vote, Winner of Life! at Bless You Boys

The Detroit Tigers announced today that they have extended manager Jim Leyland’s contract 2-years to 2011. With the start they have had to 2009 it was only a matter of time before this was going to be done. I’m amazed more every day when I look at the production from the offense and the bottom half of the rotation that they are still in first place, and the manager deserves some credit. Now if he can only figure out how to get Maggs going and find a starting pitcher (maybe Miner?) to replace Dontrelle “Ball 4″ Willis, then I’ll be feeling alot better.

Read Tigers give Leyland two-year extension at MLB.com

A couple notes of interest to Northern Michigan sports fans…

2009 Detroit Tigers Caravan Schedule (sadly, no North Bus)

Traverse City Wolves Football finds a home
The Traverse City Wolves will play there home games at Traverse City Central High School. The Wolves start play this summer in the North American Football league in June. They will be part of the Great Lakes Division and play home games on Saturdays.

Read Wolves to play at Central at Record-Eagle.com

The Detroit Tigers have acquired the starting catcher they desperately needed trading two prospects for Texas Rangers catcher Gerald Laird. Laird is a strong defensive catcher with a good arm behind the plate. He’s a veteran of six major league seasons.

With a strong arm and a well regarded reputation for his defensive skills, Laird fits the profile of what the Tigers hoped to gain. He threw out 21 out of 74 would-be basestealers while recording a .986 fielding percentage and allowing six passed balls in 2008. He batted .276 over 344 at-bats this past season with 24 doubles, six home runs and 41 RBIs, including a .299 batting average away from the hot, humid weather in Texas.

The Tigers gave up two right-handed minor league pitchers 25-year-old Guillermo Moscoso and 18-year-old Carlos Melo.

My View: A good trade that supplies one of the Tigers biggest needs this off-season. Now we’ll see what kind of shortstop Dave Dombrowski can find.

Read Tigers seal deal with Texas, get Laird at Tigers.com

Opinions on five current sports topics from yours truly…

1. Tigers are done – It’s all over but the cryin’ in 2008. Another blown lead last night puts the Tigers 8.5 games back in the divsion race. Sheffield was put on waivers and the moves looking to slash payroll and ready the team for a run in 2009 will start now!

2. Kwame Brown? – The signing of Brown has brought opinions saying it’s a waste of money and that it’s a good deal for the Pistons. It’s hard to argue either side, but I think Joe D may have found another diamond in the rough and if the solid veteran leadership of Chauncey, Rip and McDyess can bring Kwame along, he could be a pleasant surpise and really help shore up the depth on the frontline.

3. Lions over .500 – That’s my official prediction, I have this weird feeling that the Lions are going to finish 9-7 and contend for a wild card berth. While this isn’t a new prediction around these parts, I think this is really, finally, positively, the year they get over that hump. I know on paper they seem less talented, but I think that head coach Rod Marinelli has finally gotten the roster where he wants it and has gotten rid of the players he’s needed to. I still think they will struggle to run the ball, but they won’t be so quick to abandon it either. A healthy Calvin Johnson is going to be huge for quarterback Jon Kitna. Johnson and Roy Williams should provide some offensive sparks this season. I’m looking forward to it!

4. College Football – It’s finally almost here! I can’t wait. I like Michigan and Michigan State to both have solid years and for the first time in a while MSU will have the better record. I just love Mark Dantonio and think he’s got the Spartans heading up, up, up and will be a mainstay in the Big Ten title race for years to come. Rich Rodriguez is still looking for quarterbacks but will have his team competitive and tough to play against defensively.

5. Shock visit TC – A neat experience on Monday for some Traverse City area youth girls basketball players as the Detroit Shock (minus Katie Smith who is playing in the Olympics) visited during the Olympic break for a camp and clinic at Traverse City West. I love to see stories like this and I am sure it’s something those girls won’t forget anytime soon.

If you want to let the me know what you think, you can always send me an email at leelanausportsguy@sportspig.com or post a comment!

The Detroit Tigers shipped Pudge Rodriguez to the New York Yankees for reliever Kyle Farnsworth. On the outside it seems the Tigers got taken, but when you take a closer look it’s a good deal and one that will benefit both teams. Farnsworth over the last 2 months has performed better than any Tiger reliever on the roster and should provide some depth and maybe some saves as the Tigers push for the division crown. Will it be enough? We still have a couple of hours to see if that’s all they do.

Check out what the Record Eagle sports writers think of the trade in the link below.

Read Sports writers react to Pudge trade in the Record Eagle

Steve Henson has two questions for each team as the second-half of the baseball seasons kicks off. Here’s his two for the Detroit Tigers…

Detroit Tigers: Can an over-hyped team that started the season 2-10 maintain its methodical climb from the depths and reach the playoffs? Can Nate Robertson, or the bullpen, or, egads, the banished Dontrelle Willis, become effective again?

The answer for both in my opinion is Yes. If Gary Sheffield can stay healthy (and productive) and Magglio can regain his 2007 form, then the Tigers offense will be strong enough to make a run. Unfortunately for the Tigers it comes down to starting pitching and Nate Robertson is the key. If Robertson can find some consistency then he gives the Tigers some quality depth in the rotation. The bullpen will be fine and only get stronger as Zumaya and Rodney both continue recovering from injuries. Let’s see how it all shakes out, but the Tigers are sitting okay in my book and hopefully can make up a few games quick to really put the pressure on the White Sox and Twins.

Read Pertinent post-All-Star break issues at Yahoo! Sports

to be a sports fan. Here’s a list of the highlights:

Pistons even series with Celtics
Chauncey Billups looked like himself and the rest of the Pistons fell into their normal roles and it all added up to a 103-97 win over Boston to even the Eastern Conference Finals at 1 game each. The best part for me was that Boston’s “Big 3″ had great games, but no one else stepped up. The Pistons balance and depth showed it’s strengths and it was too much for the Celtics role players to handle.

Tigers sweep Mariners
It’s not exactly sweeping Boston or the Chisox, but it’s a start. Good pitching and clutch hitting with runners in scoring position has been a rare sight this year, so I’ll take it!

Marinelli likes his team
Killer Kowalski has this story about Lions head coach Rod Marinelli and his improvements to the roster. One word he uses alot is “speed”.

Beach Bums improve to 2-0
Yours truly was in attendance and we saw a great pitching performance by Ryan Gehring as the Traverse City Beach Bums defeated the Midwest Sliders 4-2. It was cold, but alot of fun. I highly recommend a “Bum Burger” – delicious!

The family and the day job has taken up all of my time as of late, but I plan on posting regularly (or at least as regular as I ever post) soon. That doesn’t mean I haven’t paid any attention to the ups and downs of our trusty Detroit teams…

Detroit Pistons
That was a big win in Game 4 without Chauncey Billups, and I thought it had basically clinched the series, then Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson went and guaranteed a victory. I believe that will wrap it up as all of us know only one person does guarantees around here! Now about the MVP of Game 4, Antonio McDyess, I’ll let Greg Eno tell you about that!

Detroit Red Wings
Chris Osgood and Johan Franzen have been the two great stories of this year’s playoffs, and it’s been fun so far for the Wings. It looks like Pavel Datsyuk is trying to join the party with a hat trick to lead the Wings to a 5-2 win in Game 3 and a 3-0 series lead. I’ve been listening to the Wings when I can (remember no TV here!) and I have to say I am more and more impressed with Mike Babcock every game. The guy is a terrific coach and gets everything he can out of everyone on the roster.

Detroit Tigers
Ugly. That’s the word we’ve used to describe the Tigers play after most of their games this season. It hasn’t been pretty, but it is showing signs of turning around. Luckily for the Tigers everyone else in the A.L. Central has been almost as inconsistent as them, so they are right in the thick of things. If Justin Verlander and the rest of the starters can figure out how to make it through 6 innings anytime soon, then the Tigers will be in great shape. The offense is picking up and some players (like Gary Sheffield) are finally swinging the bats better. It’s still going to be a fun summer at Comerica!

Detroit Lions
Nothing too exciting about the draft and that’s probably one of the best things for the Lions. They drafted Rod Marinelli-type guys and should be faster and hopefully tougher next season. A more dangerous than it looks schedule doesn’t do them any favors, but I do an improvement on the 7-9 record of a year ago. Will it be enough to make the playoffs? In the NFC you just never know.

Well that’s it for now, I’ll be bringing you Traverse City Beach Bums updates as they begin their 3rd summer in TC. I was just told my Aunt will have her company tickets in hand this week, so I’m looking forward to picking out my games. I hope to make the All-Star Game and skills challenge, I think that will be fun!

The Detroit Free Press has organized some of their best photos of our favorite Detroit Sports Legends and Moments. Very cool! You can check out many photos including Justin Verlander’s No-Hitter, the Fab Five, the Best of Pistons-Bulls Rivalry, and even Joey Harrington (for lots of great sack photos!).

Visit freep.com/sportsphotos to check them out!

Above photo by the Detroit Free Press