Reds Prsopect Billy Hamilton Steals 100 Bases

The stolen base seems to be a thing of the past. Once upon a time, the fastest players routinely swiped between 75-100 bags in a year. Nowdays it seems if a player is able to steal 50 bases, it's considered a great feat.

Don't tell Cincinnati Reds farmhand Billy Hamilton that the art of the steal is dead. Hamilton who plays for the Dayton Dragons, the Reds' Single-A farm team, swiped three bases against the Lansing Lugnuts to reach the 100 stolen base plateau.

Hamilton became just the 12th player in recorded Minor League Baseball history to steal 100 bases in a season. He broke the Cincinnati Reds all-time organizational record, surpassing Ramon Sambo's 98 with the Cedar Rapids Reds in 1988. Hamilton is the first player to steal 100 bases in a season since 2001 when Chris Morris of Peoria stole a Midwest League record 111.


Hamilton is regarded as the Reds' top infield prospect and fastest player. His stats say he needs work at the plate, but if he can find a way to get on base he's a dangerous player.

I would love to see the stolen base become a bigger part of baseball. Some of these managers need to turn their fastest players loose on the bases.  

Pryor Appeals His Suspension

With Jim Tressel being hired by the Indianapolis Colts this week, Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor has notified the NFL to appeal his five game suspension according to the NFL Network's Albert Breer. 

Some have applauded this as a smart move by Pryor since he was disciplined for the problems he had while he was still at Ohio State.

Yahoo.com's Doug Farrar tweeted Sunday morning that it was a "Smart decision by Pryor and his people to appeal five-game suspension now. NFL has to address Tressel, change the [suspension], or REALLY look bad."

In my opinion NFL commisioner Roger Goodell shouldn't have power over anything that happens outside of the NFL unless it has to do wtih drugs or criminal activity. Pryor's mentor and Pittsburgh Steeles backup quarterback Charlie Batch feels that Goodell overstepped his boundaries on this particular issue.

As of now the league faces a dicey situation. Tressel's contract and status still has to be approved by the NFL. But he did resign from Ohio State under pressure from the NCAA and admitted  that he failed to share with the NCAA information regarding activities that jeopardized the eligibility of Pryor and other players. 

The best thing to do is to give both parties (Tressel and Pryor) a three game suspension. To me that would be the right thing to do, although since the Ohio State scandal didn't come under his jurisdiction neither should be punished.

  

Brandon Meriweather Finds A New Home

That was fast. Shortly after being cut by the New England Patriots, two time Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather has signed with the Chicago Bears.  The terms of the one year contract are undisclosed.

Meriweather was the biggest name on the cut list this weekend. This could wind up being a good signing by the Bears especially if Meriweather can play up to his Pro Bowl status of the last two years. He is known as a freelancer so it's unknown what impact he would have on an already solid defense.   

Gary Pinkel Fingers Dan Beebe For The Big 12's Problems

In an interview on Tim Brando's Yahoo! Sports show, Missouri head football coach Gary Pinkel didn't mince words when he talked about the problems the Big 12 conference is having trying to stay together.

"Obviously, we have some issues in our league. When you have Nebraska leave one year. Colorado leaves. Also now Texas A&M. Three really good football teams. … You know, we’ve got some issues. Without question there’s some issues that other leagues don’t have. You don’t hear anything about any other league in the country having these kind of problems. We all know where it starts. Mike Alden’s not the point man here. Dan Beebe is. Dan Beebe’s our commissioner. He’s the guy to ask. I don’t know what they’re going to do. I’m just focusing now on winning the football game. … There’s just no one in the country, no other league in the country, where this stuff goes on. And it’s really a shame because the potential of the league is just so tremendous. Anyway, I have no control over it. We’re just trying to beat Miami (Ohio)."


This is almost a repeat of what he said in Dallas for Big 12 media days in late July. He lays the blame right at Dan Beebe's feet for pretty much bowing down to Texas and letting them call the shots in the Big 12. The fact that Nebraska left should have been a red flag right there. To chase off one of the original Big 6 teams takes some work. It's clear Beebe will do whatever he needs to keep Texas happy. Tom Osborne is far too classy to come out and say why the Huskers bolted though I think most of us with a pulse can figure out why. I think Pinkel summed up what a lot of others in the conference are thinking but won't say. Texas A&M simply went public with it albeit in a very aggressive manner.

It's beginning to look like the Big 12 may crumble sooner than expected.

Calipari Gets A Corn Maze In His Likeness

It seems like having a corn maze in someone's likeness is all the rage nowdays. The latest to get a corn maze in his honor is Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari.

This was done at the corn maze at Kelley Farms.

“We think a lot of Coach Calipari,” said farm owner John Kelley. “He’s almost like part of the family. Kelley. Calipari. I think we might be related, somewhere way back,” he laughs.



“Really, we just want to let Coach Cal know how much he means to Kentucky and how much Kentucky appreciates having him lead our basketball team.”


In addition to the image of Coach Cal, this year’s maze will also feature a basketball-themed word puzzle, spread throughout the winding paths.

The people of Kentucky would appreciate it even more if he can bring home a national championship.

More Rumblings In The Conference Landscape

Yesterday Texas A&M made a decision to leave the Big 12 by July of 2012, more than likely to the SEC. The Big 12 has been in survival mode since last year when Nebraska and Colorado jumped ship to the Big Ten and Pac-12 respectively. The conference nearly imploded and pledged to stay together for the future.

That was until the people in Aggieland got so upset at their blood rivals in Austin and figured they've had enough. Now there's this, right out of the Austin American Statesman. Kirk Bohls wrote a piece titled 'One more move and Big 12 is over'.


If you read this, they're putting the future of the Big 12 squarely on Oklahoma's back. In the process keeping the blood off of their hands. The folks at Texas would love for Oklahoma to make the first move and bolt for the Pac-12 so that they can blame the conference's demise on someone other than themselves. I'm no insider but I bet if I asked anyone down in College Station who blew up the Big 12 and they'd say Texas. To me Texas and Oklahoma are joined at the hip and they aren't going anywhere without each other. On the other hand the Big 12 still has options as long as Oklahoma and Texas are around.

So far the speculation has linked Arkansas, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, BYU, Air Force, Louisville,Houston and SMU. The Big 12 would love to have Arkansas come back home and return to their roots but I'm not sure they are feel ing the same way toward the Big 12. Notre Dame has reaffrimed their independence and axes Pittsburgh as a possible mate. Notre Dame's independence makes me want conference armageddon to come sooner than later. I'm not sold on Louisville as a Big 12 member, but they would be credible in basketball but who cares about that sport anyway. All of this is football driven. I've always thought that Houston should've been included in the original Big 12.

There are stories about BYU and Air Force having contact with Big 12 officials and SMU has been politicking to get back into the big time.  

If there's this much backbiting going on as the article stated, they should've parted ways already.

Jonas Valanciunas Gets A Rap Song

Even the most hyped rookies don't have anyone pay homage to them. But those rookies aren't Toronto Raptors rookie Jonas Valanciunas.

Valanciunas hasn't played an NBA game and we'll never know when he'll actually hit the hardwood, but a rap group from Toronto by the name of O'Grime has made him the focus of their song.



I don't know how serious they (O'Grime) feel about Big V, but the Raptor fans better hope he can live up to his lofty draft status.