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Tag: Milwaukee Brewers

  • Tracy McGrady May Attempt Baseball Career

    Tracy McGrady May Attempt Baseball Career

    It looks like Tracy McGrady may be considering a career in baseball after retiring from the NBA last year.

    ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy set off a swirl of rumors during a telecast of Friday night’s game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

    “I think he’s going to play independent league baseball as a pitcher this year,” Van Gundy said. “I’m being serious. I’ve heard from sources in Houston — seriously — that he’s throwing over 90 miles per hour.”

    Van Gundy, who has coached for the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets, hinted that McGrady may join the Sugar Land Skeeters. The team – located in the greater Houston metropolitan area – is a member of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

    Randy McIlvoy of KPRC-Houston echoed Van Gundy’s prediction:

    McGrady, known in the sports world as T-Mac – retired last year after playing for numerous professional teams throughout his 16 years in the NBA.

    A seven-time All-Star, McGrady entered the NBA straight out of high school in 1997, starting his career with the Toronto Raptors, and moving on to Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Detroit Pistons. His stint in Houston was actually the longest time he spent with any one team, playing there from 2004 to 2010.

    At the time of his retirement, he was playing for another Texas team – the San Antonio Spurs.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_qk-NAMeiI

    When McGrady announced his retirement on ESPN’s First Take, he said he was excited and happy about what was to come. He said his run in the NBA had been a great one.

    But he alluded to the fact that his time with the Atlanta Hawks, Qingdao Eagles (of the Chinese Basketball Association), and the Spurs had not lived up to his expectations: “I can’t allow myself to settle. The last three years have mentally ejected me from the game,” McGrady said.

    At one point, McGrady called baseball his first love:

    That may explain why he joined forces with his friend Tim Bennett, president of Jackson, Mississippi-based Overtime Sports to fund a minor league baseball team in Biloxi, MS.

    The team will be a Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The stadium groundbreaking took place in January.

    Bennett was instrumental in getting the Atlanta Braves to move their Double-A team to the Jackson suburb of Pearl from Greenville, SC back in 2004.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Corey Hart Is Going To Be A Mariner

    Tis the season of baseball trades and new contracts being signed.

    One of the most recent deals is the Seattle Mariners signing Corey Hart for a one-year contract. Hart was previously with the Milwaukee Brewers and has played both first base and outfield.

    In a sweet twist of fate, Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik drafted Hart in 2000 when he was the director of scouting for the Brewers.

    The news broke of Hart’s deal with the Mariners when he sent a text message to the Associated Press confirming he had agreed to the one-year contract.

    However, Hart’s deal is still pending. After missing all of last season due to knee surgery, Hart will have a closely monitored physical. (Can’t waste money on a guy who may not even be able to play.)

    Hart had right knee surgery in January 2013 after it was discovered that he had a meniscus tear and joint damage. Previously Hart had damaged cartilage fixed on his right knee before the 2012 season.

    But Hart doesn’t seem to think his knees will be an issue. The new Mariner said, “Knees good as well as the rest of me. Been working hard and glad to be able to get out there with this exciting club.”

    And it seems the Mariners were willing to pay a hefty sum for Hart.

    Hart isn’t the only player the Mariners signed. Adding to their greatest get, Robinson Cano, the Mariners will also be getting Logan Morrison through a trade with the Miami Marlins.

    The moves the Mariners are making are impressing many a baseball fan.

    [Image via YouTube.]

  • Former Major League Baseball MVP Braun Suspended

    Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers has performed a non-denial denial when he responded Monday to allegations of performance-enhancing substance use. Braun, who was named as an MVP in autumn of 2011 after the World Series, claimed in his statement that he never used any steroids in spite of accepting what essentially amounts to a ban from baseball.

    The Twitterverse is, of course, abuzz as the baseball world makes their opinions known…

    The executive director of the MLB Player’s Association, Michael Weiner, released a press statement that reads: “I am deeply gratified to see Ryan taking this bold step. It vindicates the rights of all players under the Joint Drug Program. It is good for the game that Ryan will return soon to continue his great work both on and off the field.”

  • MLB Suspension Rumors: Braun, A-Rod In Deep Trouble

    Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers and Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees are facing major suspensions from the MLB over the use of performance enhancing drugs. The two players – along with 18 others – could be slapped with suspensions of 100 games, nearly two thirds of a season.

    The players are in trouble with the MLB over reports linking them to the Biogenesis Clinic in Miami. Biogenesis purported to be an anti-aging clinic. In January of this year, though, some of the records from Biogenesis (which had recently closed) found their way to the Miami New Times. These records read like a virtual Who’s Who of professional sports, including Major League Baseball. Names like Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colón, and others were listed among the clinic’s patients.

    The MLB, as you probably know, takes a rather stern view of the use of performance enhancing drugs, hitting players who are caught doping with lengthy suspensions. According to ESPN today, Braun met with MLB officials on June 29 to answer questions about his link to the clinic. Or, more accurately, to not answer questions. Braun reportedly declined to give the MLB information about the clinic or his involvement with it.

    Rumors suggest that A-Rod – who is currently rehabbing from hip surgery in the minors – has a meeting of his own coming up, but he denied knowing anything about it, though he did say that the players involved were under strict instructions not to talk about the case.

    This is not the first time Rodriguez or Braun have been linked to PEDs. Several years ago A-Rod’s name came up in a list of players who had tested positive during a time when the MLB was testing players anonymously (supposedly) in an attempt to gauge the scope of the problem. He admitted to using the drugs during his time with the Texas Rangers, but denied having juiced in years.

    Braun, meanwhile, narrowly avoided a suspension for PED use in 2012. In December, 2011, results of a urine test he had taken in October were leaked to the media. The test results showed elevated testosterone levels, suggesting the use of performance enhancing drugs. Braun appealed the results in January of 2012, narrowly winning his appeal.