Mallards reliever Heim drafted by Cardinals

Kyle Heim didn't exactly have a good season pitching for Iowa in 2009. In fact, his ERA was an ugly 8.31 after allowing eight earned runs in just 8.2 innings pitched.

So, to say he didn't expect to be selected in 2009 MLB Draft is something of an understatement.

"It was definitely unexpected," Heim said. "I didn't have the greatest season in school this year, but I guess someone saw something they liked."

Heim was picked Thursday in the 44th round (1329th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals on the third day of the draft.

One key to his selection may lie in his summer numbers. As a member of the Madison Mallards baseball club in 2008, Heim pitched 43.1 innings — more than his last two years combined at Iowa — while posting a 4.36 ERA.

The lefty tied fellow southpaw Matt Jansen — who was also drafted Thursday by the San Francisco Giants — for the team lead with 43 strikeouts last season, despite pitching 13 fewer innings.

Though Heim would like to continue his Mallards career this summer, he is expected to sign with the Cardinals and begin his journey through the professional ranks.

"As of now, they're saying they want me to fly out Tuesday down to Tennessee," Heim said. "So, I guess that's about it for me here in Madison."

Mallards Recap 6/11

Mallards still perfect at home:

Madison wins 8th straight at Duck Pond

by Jordan Schelling

Mallards Recap 6/10

Two stories tonight:

Yermal pitches Mallards past Huskies

by Jordan Schelling

Mallards' Wikoff drafted in 5th round

by Jordan Schelling

Mallards' Wikoff drafted in 5th round

As I get back into the swing of things with Mallards baseball tonight, I've been following the MLB Draft over the past two days for a couple of reasons.

First, I want to see who the Brewers will be taking in the draft. Second, I'm very interested to see how many Northwoods League players, especially those on the Madison Mallards, are drafted.

So far, here's how it stands:

The Northwoods League has seen 16 of its current or former players drafted in the first seven rounds. Three of those players went in the first round, including the fourth overall pick, Boston College's Tony Sanchez (Battle Creek, 2007).

More notably, the Mallards have had one current player and one alum drafted so far. Current Mallards' shortstop Brandon Wikoff was selected in the fifth round (161st overall) by Houston. The junior from the University of Illinois is best known for his ability to get on base, speed and defensive prowess.

Former Mallards third baseman Robert Lyerly (2008) was selected in the sixth round (195th overall) by the New York Yankees. Lyerly led his UNC-Charlotte ballclub with a .401 batting average in 2009 while slugging 12 home runs. He also was a teammate of current Mallards pitcher Joe Yermal.

We'll have to wait and see if anyone else is drafted today or tomorrow from the Mallards or the NWL. Either way, it's an exciting time in the baseball world this week.

Federer takes French Open title

After two weeks full of upsets, the last day of the French Open proved worth the wait, as Roger Federer defeated Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 to win his 14th major title of his career.

The win earns Federer a tie with Pete Sampras for the most major titles in a career. It also completes the career Grand Slam for Federer, who has now won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open at least once in his career, just the sixth player to do so.

With the win, this year's Wimbledon promises to be an even more exciting event than in the past as Federer's next major title will place him alone at the top as the only player to win 15 majors. Will he do it at Wimbledon? Or maybe the U.S. Open?

And who will it be against? Maybe Rafael Nadal? Or another lesser-known player like Soderling?

Regardless of the opponent, Federer has ensured himself a place among the elite in tennis.

The question now is, where does he rank among those elite? It's hard to argue that he isn't the best tennis player in the Open Era.

Especially once he wins his 15th major title (assuming he does), Federer will rank first in that category while being one of just six players to complete the career Grand Slam, a truly remarkable feat.

Between Federer and Nadal, we all are fortunate to be able to witness two of the best players in the history of the sport. It's unfortunate they were unable to square off at Roland Garros, but hopefully they will get the chance to do so again soon at Wimbledon.

Mallards recap 6/6

Back-to-back home runs give Mallards 7th straight victory:

Riggins, Sabourin lead Mallards in win

By Jordan Schelling

Federer's time at French Open

Over the past week, I've been really disappointed by the poor performances of some of tennis' biggest stars at Roland Garros.

I mean, Rafael Nadal is supposed to be unbeatable on the clay. And Venus Williams? The No. 3 seed again couldn't get out of the third round, despite having her own apartment in Paris.

And now, the women's final features two Russian players no one in the United States cares about, let alone being able to pronounce their names. While the men's final has basically been conceded to Roger Federer.

Sure, his opponent in the final is the same Robin Soderling who eliminated Nadal just a few days ago, but there's no way Federer will let the Swede get the best of him. Not with history in his grasp.

You see, if Federer wins the French Open title, he will complete the career Grand Slam, becoming just the sixth man in history to win all four Grand Slam titles. He would also tie Pete Sampras' mark of 14 major titles with the win.

So, maybe we won't get to see Federer-Nadal like we had all hoped. Or even Federer-Andy Murray. But at least we should all get the opportunity to witness history Sunday.

Mallards recap 6/5

Make it two walk-off wins on the week:

Mallards walk off to 6th straight victory

by Jordan Schelling

Mallards recap 6/4

Mallards extend win streak to 5 games:

Riggins' big blast delivers Mallards victory

by Jordan Schelling

Mallards recap 6/3

Another win for the Mallards at the Duck Pond:

Mallards extend win streak to 4 games

By Jordan Schelling

Woods chips in to win Memorial Skins Game

The last two nights, I haven't been able to watch a lot of sporting events live while I've been at the Duck Pond covering the Madison Mallards for The Badger Herald. In fact, my only exposure to anything non-Northwoods League has been SportsCenter in the office while posting stories.

Today, however, I was fortunate enough to catch the Memorial Skins Game live on the Golf Channel this afternoon. And it didn't disappoint either.

Two foursomes teed it up on the back nine at Muirfield Village today, but the one everyone was buzzing about was the second group, which featured Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus going head-to-head for just the second time ever.

Nicklaus and Woods stole the show as they won the 11th and 13th holes, respectively, giving them two skins apiece. Cink took the 14th hole, putting him just one behind the two leaders. The next four holes, however, went off without anyone winning a skin.

So they had a closest to the pin chip-off, with the winner getting four skins and will be the winner of the group. Stewart Cink went first, hitting his chip within about five feet.

Next up was Woods. His shot is guaranteed to be shown about 100 times tonight on ESPN. With the Skins Game on the line, Woods stepped up and chipped in. Nicklaus couldn't match him, so it was up to Kenny Perry. He lined it up well and had enough speed, but it just burned the outside edge and rolled past the hole.

Woods, as usual, shines under pressure in the big moment.

But the best part about the Skins Game wasn't really the shot by Woods, it was the chance to listen in to the conversation between the players and see the way they interact with each other outside the confines of a typical PGA TOUR event.

"Can you even let us have one day in the sun?" remarked one of the other players in the group after the crowd erupted following Woods' chip-in.

He certainly has a knack for the big moment, and though the audience wasn't that of a major this afternoon, his peers were watching and he couldn't show any weakness regardless of the prize.

Mallards recap 6/2

Another win for the Mallards:

Mallards sweep Honkers at Duck Pond

by Jordan Schelling

Mallards look for sweep of Honkers

After last night's thrilling walk-off win, the Madison Mallards are set tonight to face the Rochester Honkers for the second game of their two-game set at the Duck Pond.

I wasn't sure what it would be like covering the Mallards this summer for a couple of reasons.

First, I didn't know until yesterday afternoon if I would be able to get into the game or not due to some communication issues with the staff. Second, as much as I enjoy baseball, I've never covered it for the newspaper before.

Finally, the Mallards are in an interesting limbo between professional and collegiate ball — it's officially referred to as a minor league internship — and I wasn't sure how much access I would have to the players and coaches.

Well, after last night's game I realized I enjoy covering the team as much if not more than any team at the University of Wisconsin. Perhaps this is because I have no school- or fraternity- or work-related responsibilities interfering with my ability to cover games and write stories at midnight or later.

Or maybe it's because I love baseball so much and now I know I want to be a baseball writer someday.

The first pitch is still three hours away and I won't be leaving for Warner Park for at least 1 1/2 hours, but I'm excited for tonight. Witnessing the first walk-off home run in Mallards history is something I won't soon forget, regardless of whether or not I was able to cheer for Harold Riggins and the Mallards as the celebrated.

Tonight's matchup features a pair of Big Ten hurlers with Purdue's Matt Jansen taking the hill for the Mallards and Zach Robertson of Iowa getting the nod for the Honkers.

Each pitcher started their team's respective season opener. Jansen took the loss against Alexandria, allowing four runs in five innings, and Robertson delivered an impressive six-inning shut out performance in Rochester's 5-3 win over Mankato.

Check back here or at The Badger Herald later tonight or tomorrow morning for a recap of tonight's action.

Mallards recap 6/1

Check out my first story of the summer:

Riggins blast gives Mallards walk-off win

by Jordan Schelling

Federer avoids making French Open irrelevant

First it was Novak Djokovic. Next was Venus Williams in the third round. Then it was defending men's champion Rafael Nadal. And the last major star to fall at the French Open was defending women's champion Ana Ivanovic.

For only the fourth time in the Open era at Roland Garros, neither defending champion reached the quarterfinals. So what's left to watch at the French Open?

Well, thanks to Roger Federer, at least one major star remains.

Less than 24 hours after the elimination of Nadal, Tommy Haas nearly stunned Federer, winning the first two sets 7-6 (4) and 7-5. Federer, however, dug deep and won three straight, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 to stave off elimination at Roland Garros.

It's become more of a question of when than if the remaining stars will fall at the French Open with the dream matchup of Federer-Nadal out the window and Djokovic, Williams and Ivanovic all losing before the quarterfinals.

Luckily for Americans, we still have Andy Roddick to cheer for in the fourth round and potentially against the mighty Federer in the quarterfinals if he can advance against Gael Monfils of France.

But inevitably, one of those two stars must fall if they face off in the quarterfinals, leaving just two big names: the winner of that matchup and No. 3 Andy Murray.

Let's hope the winner of the potential Roddick-Federer matchup faces Murray in the finals, otherwise it will be quite an irrelevant French Open final.

Brandon Phillips says Reds are better than Brewers

For the first time since July 2006, the Milwaukee Brewers completed a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with a 5-2 victory Sunday at Miller Park.

Milwaukee won the series' first game 3-2 Friday on just three hits, two of which were home runs by Prince Fielder and Corey Hart.

In game two Saturday, the Brewers fell behind 3-0 in the first inning before a three-run home run by Fielder sparked the team's offense, which later scored six runs in the fifth inning and put up 16 hits in the game to take the series from the Reds with a 9-5 win.

Finally, the Brewers earned the sweep Sunday, scoring five runs in the first three innings to give Yovani Gallardo all the run support needed to down the Reds.

Still, after losing three straight to the Brewers at Miller Park, Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips insists his Reds — who had won four straight and five of their last six games heading into the series — are the better team.

"I feel like we're a better team than the Brewers," Phillips told reporters after Sunday's game. "But today, they executed better than we did. They did the little things. We didn't do the little things the last two games. That's why they won the game."

How can Phillips still say his team is better even after the Brewers outplayed the Reds for three straight games?

Or what about the fact Milwaukee is 3 1/2 games ahead of Cincinnati in the NL Central division standings? If the Reds were the better team wouldn't they have a better ranking than the Brewers?

Maybe Phillips is just trying to remain positive, but it seems to me the Reds' second baseman is simply unable to realize his team is not as good as the Milwaukee Brewers. Or maybe he injured more than just his wrist when he went on the DL back in late April?

Whatever it is, it's hard for me to accept his argument. The Brewers did the small things right and executed better than the Reds over the course of the three games at Miller Park this weekend. And they've been doing it better than Cincinnati all season. Tell me again how the Reds are better than the Brewers?

In fact, Phillips even disproved his own theory:

"Good teams do little things to win," he said. "We got to do small things. Get them over, get them in and they executed. That's why they are in first place."

If that's why they're in first place, then why do you still think you're team is the better team? Be realistic Brandon, the Reds could be the better team over the long haul of the season, but right now, they simply are not.

And until you prove otherwise, they won't be.

Shocker: Nadal ousted in Paris

Some things never seem to change. Every Sunday in the fall, Brett Favre will be behind center in the NFL. And every spring, Favre will wrestle with whether or not to retire, eventually choosing to continue playing.

Lastly, Rafael Nadal never loses at Roland Garros.

Well, while Favre continues to be indecisive about retirement, Rafael Nadal's winning streak at the French Open is over. Thanks to 23rd-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden, Nadal's record 31-match winning streak at Roland Garros is history.

In his previous 31 matches, Nadal had lost only seven sets. Since losing a set to Roger Federer is 2007, Nadal hadn't even lost a set. I guess if Nadal can lose on clay, maybe Favre can retire? Well, maybe not.

Soderling defeated Nadal 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the fourth round in Paris Sunday. So much for the highly anticipated Nadal-Federer final everyone expected. Now, the best possible final (based on seeding) would be No. 2 Federer versus No. 3 Andy Murray.

While Federer has yet to play his fourth round match, Murray, unlike Nadal, advanced to the quarterfinals fairly easily Sunday, beating No. 13 Marin Cilic of Croatia 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-1.

Personally, aside from these two stars the only other player that draws my interest is Andy Roddick. So if the final doesn't include any of the three of them, it seems unlikely I would even tune in at that point.

Let's hope Federer, Murray and Roddick can continue to have success, unlike Nadal or No. 4 Novak Djokovic, who both lost much earlier than expected.

Howard leads Magic to NBA Finals

Before Saturday's game in Orlando, LeBron James was averaging more than 40 points per game in the series with the Magic.

It was Dwight Howard, however, who led all scorers with 40 points in Game 6 against the Cavaliers while James managed just 25 points in a losing effort.

So, when it really mattered, Howard proved he was the better clutch player, nearly single-handedly sending his team to the Finals for the first time since 1995.

In fact, aside from the miracle three-pointer James hit in Game 2, the Cavaliers were essentially swept by Howard and Magic, after going 8-0 in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Now, the Magic will try to pull off yet another upset, as the Finals begin Thursday in Los Angeles.

James on the other hand, will be left with questions of whether or not he will stay in Cleveland or go to New York when he becomes a free agent in 2010.

If this series was any indication, the Cavaliers better acquire someone else to help James if they want him to stick around beyond next season.

Roddick reaches fourth round of French Open

For the first time in his career, Andy Roddick advanced Saturday to the fourth round of the French Open, beating Marc Gicquel of France 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

With the victory, Roddick is just the second American to reach the fourth round at the French Open since 2003. He also is the only American male still playing at Roland Garros in this year's event.

Roddick has reached at least the semifinals in every Grand Slam event — including a U.S. Open title in 2003 — except for the French Open, where his previous best was a third round loss in his first appearance at Roland Garros in 2001.

So, while most tennis fans and experts anticipate another Federer-Nadal final — especially with No. 4-seeded Novak Djokovic losing in straight sets Saturday — it will be interesting to see if Roddick can make a run at his first French Open semifinal.

To get there, however, Roddick will need to defeat Federer in the quarterfinals, a match that should be fun to watch regardless of outcome.

Next up for Roddick: another Frenchman, Gael Monfils. And a win would set up a likely showdown between Roddick and Federer, barring any unforeseen struggles from Federer.

Kobe, Lakers advance to NBA Finals

For a little while there, it looked like Denver was the better team and the one headed for the NBA Finals. In fact, I thought they would easily ride home court Friday night to force a Game 7 in Los Angeles.

Unfortunately, the Nuggets forgot to show up Friday for Game 6.

And they didn't just not show up. They looked terrible. Like a team that thought a Game 6 win at home was all but a certainty. I think Skip Bayless' tweet during the game put it best:

"Same Chauncey who made Denver is unmaking Denver. Never seen him make so many out-of-control turnovers."

Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol on the other hand? They brought it. Not only did they bring their best when it mattered most, the Lakers delivered the knock out blow to the Nuggets on the road, something they couldn't do in the last series against the Yao- and T-Mac-less Rockets.

Look at the scoring numbers: Bryant had 35 points, Trevor Ariza had 17 points, and Gasol and Odom each added 20 points apiece. It wasn't just Kobe leading the way. The Lakers won the series because the supporting cast stepped up Friday.

Now, after extending its last series to seven games, Los Angeles gets the chance to sit back and wait for its opponent. The Lakers already know when they will play next — June 4 — so it's just a matter of who and where.

Can LeBron James and the Cavaliers can pull off the comeback from down 3-1 to the Magic? Will we get to see the Kobe-LeBron matchup everyone wants to see? Or will Dwight Howard and Co. challenge the Lakers for the crown? We'll find out Saturday night in Orlando.

Three: Venus' magic number at French Open

Venus Williams is the world's No. 3 singles player in women's tennis. Today, in her third round match at the French Open with Agnes Szavay (Who?) Williams lost in straight sets (6-0, 6-4). The shutout was her first in a Grand Slam event in more than three years. It also was the third time in as many years that Williams was eliminated in the third round of the French Open.

Unfortunately for Williams, she always seems to struggle on the clay court at Roland Garros. It remains the only Grand Slam title she has not won. She reached one French Open final in 2002, a year in which she lost three of four Grand Slam titles to her sister Serena.

Fortunately for the elder Williams, she can now focus more closely on defending her title on the grass courts at Wimbledon, where she has won three of the last four championships, including the last two.

Wieters to make MLB debut

The day that so many have waited so long for has finally arrived. Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters will make his big league debut Friday against the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers.

If you're a fantasy baseball person, check your league, he is still available in 30 percent of ESPN leagues and likely will outperform your current starter, unless you have Joe Mauer.

Why is everyone so hyped about Wieters? Consider these words from ESPN's Buster Olney on Baseball Tonight:

"He is regarded as baseball's best prospect," Olney said. "He's probably the best prospect that the Orioles have turned out since Cal Ripken in the early 1980's."

Or these words from a teammate yesterday:

"He is the switch-hitting Jesus."

Wow. Sure, the Orioles haven't really been known for turning out any big time prospects over that period, but to be compared to Ripken or Jesus in anyway is a huge credit to the ability of this young man. He has also drawn comparison to Mauer, who is having a monster start.

This is exactly why I, along with the entire Orioles' fan base, have been waiting patiently all season for the arrival of Wieters in the big leagues.

So far this season, Wieters is batting .305 with five home runs and 30 RBIs in 39 games through Wednesday with Triple-A Norfolk. Yet, many believe those numbers will pale in comparison to his eventual numbers as the everyday catcher for Baltimore.

If you have MLB.tv or MLB Extra Innings, be sure to catch the game tonight at 6:05 p.m. (CDT). If you cannot watch it live, follow it on MLB.com or catch the highlights tonight on SportsCenter. Sure, there may be a big NBA playoff game on tonight, but it will likely not decide the series between the Lakers and Nuggets.

The debut of Wieters, on the other hand, is something that cannot be missed.

Some links from the sports world

Only five games in baseball today, including an off day for the Milwaukee Brewers. With little to watch today, I thought I'd take a look at a few things in the news today. So here we go:

Bad news for Packers as Kampman, Driver appear unhappy:

The Packers would be smart to settle things with both players as soon as possible. Each of them is too important to the team to allow things like this to become major issues, especially with Aaron Kampman moving to outside linebacker in the Packers' new 3-4 defense.

Lee Corso had a stroke, but expects to be back for GameDay:

ESPN fails to note Lee Corso is more than 70 years old. For anyone else over the age of 70, a stroke would be a big deal, regardless of how minor it truly was. Why is this story's focus more on whether or not the guy will be on GameDay and not on how his health is?

Personally, I think Corso should consider himself lucky, retire from broadcasting, and enjoy his final years with his family and friends. If he needs to watch football so badly, I'm sure whatever he makes for GameDay is enough to buy tickets to one game a week.

Kentucky and Billy Gillispie are in for a long fight over money:

Apparently ex-Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie never signed a true contract and simply had a sort of "gentlemen's agreement" with the Wildcats. This could make Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia look like child's play.

Both catchers, managers tossed in Twins, Red Sox series finale:

Jason Varitek managed to hit two home runs and get tossed from today's game along with manager Terry Francona, but not before Twins' catcher Mike Redmond and manager Ron Gardenhire got the boot in the top half of the seventh.

To make things even more interesting, the home plate umpire had only recently been called up from Triple-A. We'll see how much longer he lasts with that quick hook.

Some fans really want Manny to play in the All-Star Game:

If Manny Ramirez earns a spot in the starting lineup for this year's midsummer classic, I promise you I will not watch. It's absolutely embarrassing that he is even fourth at this point.

Barcelona wins UEFA Champions League Final

Before the championship match between Barcelona and Manchester United began, it was unclear whether the Barcelona defense would be good enough to stop the United.

I mean, three of their four usual starters were unavailable for the Champions League final, could they really stop Cristiano Ronaldo and the United's front line?

Well, 90 minutes and a 2-0 victory later, it's clear Barcelona is the best football team in Europe.

If you missed it, there's a replay tonight at 10 p.m. CDT. I don't know about you, but I'll have a hard time not watching it again. When else do you get to watch such great football in the U.S.?

It took them some time to get going, but after a Samuel Eto'o goal in the 10th minute, Barcelona never looked back. Over the final 80 minutes the United had no chance to get back in the game, and they, along with everyone else, knew it.

After the first 10 minutes of strong play by Manchester United, they never presented a true challenge to Barcelona, looking like a shadow of their usual selves the rest of the way. Barcelona, on the other hand, enjoyed a 1-0 lead most of the game that seemed more like 3-0 with the ease with which they were able to maintain it.

Barcelona controlled the rest of the game, passing and moving with ease while Manchester United were unable to right the ship, fading away after 10 strong minutes early in the match.

And when Lionel Messi put Barcelona up 2-0 in the 70th minute all they had to do was close out the final 20 minutes to receive the trophy. And they did, easily.

Not only did they play like the best team in Europe, Barcelona also celebrated like the best team in Europe. After forming a guard of honor while the United received their medals at the podium, Barcelona didn't hold back in their own celebration.

There was plenty of confetti, fist pumps, yelling and singing to go around. The celebration by Barcelona made the annual celebration by the Super Bowl champs look like a youth league championship by comparison.

The only letdown in today's Champions League final is that there is such a time zone discrepancy between the United States and Europe. It's unfortunate because the UEFA Champions League final is as exciting a sporting event to watch as the biggest game annually in the States (the Super Bowl) if not more so.

It's certainly one of the biggest annual events in Europe, and it's unfortunate it cannot be aired during prime time in the United States to allow more Americans to witness the incredible football being played by these teams. Of course, since that will never happen, I'll settle for an excellent championship matinee that still allows me to catch the NBA playoffs later tonight.

And now, while Manchester United are left with a lot of unanswered questions, Barcelona proved today they were the best team in Europe.

Another NBA playoff classic

The 2009 NBA playoffs just keep getting better. And one thing is evident: LeBron James has the ability to be a closer and to lead his team past Orlando to the NBA Finals.

Sure, he may not have sealed the deal in Tuesday night's Game 4 at Orlando, but it wasn't for a lack of effort. James had a heck of a game, he just didn't get enough help.

Unfortunately, when he doesn't sit out in the last 29 minutes of the game, he can't do it all on his own. And his teammates just didn't have what it takes to help him out.

Sure, Delonte West, Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson are good players, but Orlando's Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Rafer Alston have simply outperformed them in late-game situations in the Cavaliers' lossed.

The Cavaliers' 10-4 run to close out regulation was spearheaded by James and his sheer desire to lead his team to a victory. And those two free throws to tie the game? Unbelievable.

James shot just 78 percent from the line this season and that's an improvement on his career 73.8 percent clip from the stripe. Yet, with the game on the line, he hit potentially the two most crucial free throws of his career Tuesday night.

But, all the effort it took just to send the game to overtime was enough to allow the Magic to steal the momentum in the extra period.

In overtime, James did his best to counter Dwight Howard, who scored 10 of 16 points in the extra period for the Magic. James, on the other hand, had 10 of Cleveland's 14 overtime points. But it wasn't enough, as Howard and the Magic took advantage of several mistakes by the Cavaliers to earn the 116-114 Game 4 victory.

Even a three-pointer by James with under five seconds remaining just wasn't enough. After Lewis hit one of two free throws, James could not hit a long three to win at the buzzer.

He had one great buzzer-beating shot in him, but not a second. James finished with 44 points, and it still just wasn't enough.

Now, the Magic have a huge advantage going back to Cleveland. Tonight, Howard was better than James, but if only because his teammates performed better than James' did.

Let's hope the last game (or two or three) of this series is as exciting as the first four. And we'll see if the Cavaliers and James can close out at home to keep their championship hopes alive.

Braun and Hardy lead all-star voting

Finally some news worth reading! After looking over the neverending NFL coverage on ESPN.com, I checked my Twitter updates. Luckily, I follow Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writer Tom Haudricourt who posted about this story.

In the first NL all-star voting update released by the MLB today. Among the leaders are eight Milwaukee Brewers players, including Ryan Braun (who leads all NL outfielders) and J.J. Hardy (who leads NL shortstops).

Though he will miss the rest of the regular season, Rickie Weeks is among four Brewers who rank second in all-star voting at their respective positions. The others? Bill Hall, Prince Fielder, Jason Kendall round out the Crew's second place vote-getters.

As for Mike Cameron and Corey Hart, they rank fifth and seventh, respectively, in the outfield. Imagine this: the entire Brewers starting lineup could find its way into the all-star game if Brewers fans increase their voting even more.

More likely, however, would be Braun and Hardy maintaining their respective leads along with Fielder getting the nod as the backup to Albert Pujols and Trevor Hoffman getting a spot in the NL bullpen.

No matter what happens, the Brew Crew should be well represented at the All-Star Game.

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network? More like NFL Programming Network

Yesterday was Labor Day, the unofficial opener to the summer season. Families took vacations, business boomed for seasonal businesses and our fallen soldiers were honored by many.

Seems like a perfect time to come out with the first NFL Power Rankings of the season, right?

Come on, ESPN. If you're going to pimp out the NFL this much at least put a disclaimer on your front page (Something along the lines of how much more important the NFL is than any other sport).

Neverless, the geniuses in Bristol, Conn., know what sells and America loves its football. Myself, I would prefer not to think about football until at least August. Even then, if forced to choose between preseason NFL coverage and the final stretch of the baseball season I would take America's pastime in a heartbeat.

Besides, does it really matter when the top of the list features the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and New York Giants? Try thinking outside the box once in a while. Anybody can predict the reigning champions are the best team in football. But who saw the Steelers coming at this point last year?

I wish ESPN would quit force feeding NFL content during the heart of the NBA and NHL playoffs and the MLB season. Until that happens, consider me frustrated.

Bill Hall should start at shortstop

As long as J.J. Hardy is out, Craig Counsell is the most likely candidate to replace him. Personally, I think Bill Hall should get an opportunity to start at shortstop sometime this week.

Hall, who drove in the game winner today for Milwaukee, has a better arm and more range than Counsell, despite his recent hitting woes. I think, especially against a lefty, Hall deserves a look at the position.

Counsell proved today, on the first hit of the game surrendered by Yovani Gallardo, he does not have the arm to be an elite shortstop at the MLB level. If I were him, I would be glad the Cardinals managed one more hit off Gallardo, because a hit like that is not the one you want to be the only hit allowed in a ballgame.

Hall, on the other hand, has a cannon. If he had fielded that ball, just as with J.J. Hardy, there's a good chance Gallardo's no-hit bid could have been intact.

It's clear manager Ken Macha and the Brewers want to keep Mat Gamel in the lineup whenever they can, so why not shift Hall to shortstop? You could even play Counsell at second base if he is preferred in the lineup over Casey McGehee.

Yes, Hall has struggled against right-handed pitching this season, but the best way for him to get out of that slump is to face more right-handers, not by riding the bench. And besides, he sure looked good today against righty Kyle McClellan.

So, what do you say Macha, can we see Billy at shortstop?'

Pitching duel better than slugfest

Remember that episode of The Simpsons when Bart goes crazy and believes Major League Baseball is spying on him? And when Mark McGwire comes in an distracts everyone by hitting a few dingers? I've always thought that was the perfect representation of the mentality of the average baseball fan, especially in 1999 when the episode aired.

Well, personally, while a big home run does get me off my feet at the park, nothing excites me more than a game filled with excellent defense and a great pitchers' duel. Today, the Brewers and Cardinals provided just that.

Yovani Gallardo pitched a no-hitter into the sixth inning while his counterpart, Chris Carpenter, took a perfect game into the seventh. Each pitched eight innings of shut out ball for their respective teams while allowing only two hits. Carpenter struck out 10 and Gallardo retired six on strikes. The two combined to average fewer than 15 pitches per inning.

The game went to extra innings scoreless, something rare in today's game. In the 10th, Brewers pitcher Carlos Villanueva shut down the Cardinals in order, setting up the most exciting finish of the season in Milwaukee.

Second baseman Casey McGehee hit a hard grounder at Brian Barden (April's NL Rookie of the Month), who couldn't handle it, putting the go-ahead run on base for the Brew Crew. Next up for the Brewers, Ryan Braun hit a grounder off the glove of pitcher Kyle McClellan that was fielded by shortstop Brendan Ryan and thrown to first to record the first out.

McGehee advanced to second on the play and would move to third on a fielder's choice by Mike Cameron, who grounded to first following an intentional walk issued to Prince Fielder.

Bill Hall, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning for rookie Mat Gamel, came through with a two-out single to the right centerfield gap to drive in McGehee for the game-winning run. And if anybody deserved that moment, it was Hall, who had been struggling.

It doesn't get much better than a 1-0 walkoff win.

Syracuse wins NCAA lacrosse championship

It wasn't quite LeBron James' game winner from the other night, but the end of today's NCAA men's lacrosse championship was quite a thriller.

With 30 seconds remaining and a 9-8 lead, all Cornell had to do is run down the clock to secure its upset of the Syracuse Orange. Unfortunately for the Big Red, they failed to do so. The Orange trapped Cornell near midfield and forced a turnover.

After the turnover, Syracuse's Matt Abbott found Kenny Nims near the crease who snuck in the game-tying goal with 4.5 seconds remaining to force overtime. The Orange were down 9-6 with just over 5 1/2 minutes to go in regulation before finding a way to put up three goals to send the game to an extra period.

Fittingly, with 2:40 remaining in overtime Syracuse's Dan Hardy found Cody Jamieson, a player who missed much of the year due to academic ineligibility, near the crease for a game-winning goal.

After leading 9-6 with 5:31 to go, Cornell could only stand stunned and shocked as the Orange celebrated a championship.

Thoughts on the 93rd Indianapolis 500

I'll be the first to admit I don't think I could ever watch an entire race from start to finish, but I still find the big races like the Indianapolis 500 fascinating.

Today, between watching the Red Sox beat up on the Mets (including yet another balk by a Mets pitcher) and old episodes of How I Met Your Mother (I just watched the Pineapple Incident again), I caught a few moments of the race.

The first thing I saw was the start of the race, and what a start it was. Less than 15 seconds into the race and the first crash occurs as Marco Andretti and Mario Moraes slide into the wall. Like any other non-racing enthusiast, I typically find crashes to be the most exciting part of a race, but a crash within the first 15 seconds? You have to feel terrible for Marco and Mario.

So after that happened, I tuned out for about 130 laps and nearly forgot completely about the race. When I tuned back in, I caught the most frightening part of the race.

On a lap 134 pit stop, Vitor Meira's crew spilled fuel and his car was engulfed in flames moments later. Fortunately, they doused the vehicle — and Meira — in water and he even managed to continue the race in 20th place. Unfortunately, he later crashed and was taken to the hospital where he was treated for two broken vertebrae.

Following the Meira car going up in flames, I tuned back to How I Met Your Mother for a couple more episodes before watching the Mets and Red Sox once again. When I tuned back in, I saw something even more remarkable than the Meira fire.

Helio Castroneves, who won back-to-back races in 2001 and 2002, took the title for a third time just over a month after facing tax evasion charges. Up until April 17 it was unclear whether the two-time Indy 500 winner would even participate in today's race. Now, after starting in the No. 1 position, the Brazilian became just the ninth driver to win the race three times.

Watching Castroneves circle the track over the last ten laps was a truly incredible moment. While Dan Wheldon and Danica Patrick — who finished second and third, respectively — tried to catch Castroneves, it was clear they would not be able to. He continued to increase his lead, eventually winning by 1.9819 seconds, the largest margin of victory since 2000.

And when "Spiderman" made his signature climb up the fence around the track, you couldn't help but be happy for the guy after what he's been through.

Kobe...For the win

Near the end of the game, the Denver Nuggets trapped Kobe Bryant in the corner after catching an inbounds pass. After Bryant was fouled by a pair of Nuggets, he looked as tired as any professional athlete I've ever seen, and with good reason.

The performance delivered by Bryant in Saturday's Game 3 between the Nuggets and Lakers was one of his best. With his team struggling throughout, he stepped up, slicing through defenders to the hoop and draining jumpers to carry his team with a game-high 41 points.

Of those points, the biggest three came with just over a minute remaining in the game when Bryant pulled up in front of J.R. Smith to give his team a one-point lead it would not relinquish.

It may not have been as dramatic as LeBron's game-winner Friday night, but it got the job done. Now, the Lakers have the win they needed to get in Denver, taking home court advantage back from the Nuggets. And the main reason behind that win is Bryant, who scored 13 points to Denver's 18 in the fourth quarter.

There was a poll on ESPN.com today asking who was the best clutch shooter remaining in the playoffs. Of nearly 70,000 polled, 45% chose Kobe, 31% said LeBron. After the shots they each made in the last two nights, it's hard to argue with either.

For my money, if I had to choose a player to take a shot in the last seconds of the game, I'd take Bryant over any player in the NBA today.

LeBron James...enough said

Talk about a finish!

I've never been a huge fan of the NBA (mostly because the Milwaukee Bucks are such an incredibly unexciting franchise), but it's games like tonight's Cavaliers-Magic matchup that make me tune in during the playoffs, especially in the last two rounds.

My friend and former Badger Herald Sports Editor Aaron Brenner's Facebook status now asks "tell me again how college hoops is better than the pros?" following the LeBron game winner.

Personally, I've always been one of those that felt college hoops was better. If for no other reason than the fact that referees seem to enforce the rules better and make calls that should be made, like traveling.

Or maybe it was because I just didn't like the NBA. But when you objectively compare the NBA playoffs to the NCAA Tournament, there's a clear winner.

The NBA playoffs are longer, more intense and better played than the NCAA Tournament. Case in point: Game 2 of the Cavs-Magic series. The Magic were down more than 20 points in the first half before coming back to take a 2-point lead with one second left.

And despite blowing that lead, LeBron James somehow, someway drilled a game-winning 3-pointer to send the series back to Orlando tied at one game apiece. Had James missed that shot, the Cavs would be looking at a potential sweep at the hands of the Magic.

After dominating the first two rounds of the playoffs, a 4-0 series loss for Cleveland would have been mind-boggling to say the least.

You can't get that kind of excitement in the NCAA Tournament. The one-and-done system of March Madness eliminates that factor. Sure, games are inherently more crucial if a team's season can end on one loss, but that also allows for lesser teams to more easily knock off the true heavyweights (see George Mason's 2006 Final Four bid).

There are a lot more ways to look at this argument, but I just wanted to post a quick reaction to the incredible finish to tonight's game. Let's hope both series stay equally exciting.

Consider me sold on the NBA > NCAA argument.

How the MLB could fix interleague play

So interleague play started today. Are you excited? I'm not.

Sure, it's great to see the Brewers play the Twins, the Yankees and Phillies, the Mets and Sox, and it gives players like Mat Gamel an opportunity to play every day as a DH. But aside from those positive aspects, matchups like Toronto and Atlanta are not exactly thrilling to anyone involved. Oh, and Pirates versus White Sox? Yawn.

And that's exactly the problem: interleague games inevitably are going to be either a novelty in baseball or just another series. Since the novelty factor only works for regional rivalries or intriguing superstar matchups, the novelty factor loses some credibility.

So as the Twins continue to swing white-hot bats against the Brewers and Manny Parra, I got to thinking about how interleague play can be improved or fixed. First of all, level the playing field. Is it really fair for the Crew to face the hot bats in Minnesota for two series over the next month while the Reds get to feast on the lowly Cleveland Indians for six game?

Or what about the Cubs and Padres stuck playing each other while fans of every other team enjoy the novelty that is interleague play?

Now, obviously the extra teams in the NL (16 to the AL's 14) are the reason behind the need for the series between the Cubs and Padres. That imbalance, however, is exactly what could be used to make interleague play much more interesting. Let me show you what I mean.

There are 30 teams in the MLB. Naturally, that should mean 15 teams in each league. I've always thought if Texas can be in the AL West, why not Houston? Send the Astros to a new division and everything about the structure of the MLB makes more sense.

Each division then has five teams and each league 15. But what about scheduling? Won't each league have a team that has to sit out? That's where the improvement in interleague play comes into the picture.

Instead of dumping all the interleague games in a one-month span like the novelty that baseball makes it out to be, spread them out. In fact, have every team in the American League play every team in the National League. That way, there can be interleague matchups interspersed throughout the schedule to avoid any problems with an odd number of teams in the NL and AL.

If a team plays all 29 other teams for at least one three-game set, that takes just 87 games. Add three more three-game sets between regional interleague rivals like the Cubs and Sox and that leaves 66 remaining games.

Three more three-game series against each team in the division (36 games) to keep the unbalanced style schedule, and you have 30 remaining games. This is just enough to play the 10 other teams in the league for one more three-game set .

What's more, the change to interleague play solves a couple other problems. If every team plays every other team, there is no need to determine home field advantage at the all-star game. Also, if teams play more games against the other league, the DH for the NL or pitchers batting for the AL is less of an issue in the World Series and interleague games.

Sure, it could create more roster issues for teams and makes scheduling a lot more complicated, but it can (and should) be done.

Besides, wouldn't it be great to see the Cubs and Red Sox play every year? Or what about the Yankees and Dodgers? Brewers and Orioles? OK, so maybe everything about it isn't that great.

Weeks' loss is Brewers' gain?

If you haven't heard by now, let me be the one to tell you: Rickie Weeks will not return to the field for the Milwaukee Brewers this season.

Terrible loss for the Brewers right? Maybe.

You see, I've always been a big Rickie Weeks fan. Even when he was hitting below the Mendoza line at this point last year, I still had faith in him. Why? Because the guy can hit. It was only a matter of time before he showed it and it looked like this year was going to be the year. Tough break, Rickie.

But as devastating as this loss would appear on paper to the Brewers with the loss of Weeks' nine home runs and his 100 run, 100 RBI pace, it could be a blessing in disguise. Hear me out on this one.

Last night, third baseman Mat Gamel had one heck of a coming out party. He crushed a three-run home run to give the Brewers a 4-0 lead in the third inning and made an incredible defensive play that earned a spot on last night's SportsCenter Top 10 plays. And while he followed up that incredible play with a not-so-impressive throwing error, which eventually allowed the Cardinals to get back in the game, the rookie showed exactly why so many people have such a high opinion of his skills as a major leaguer.

The other great thing about Gamel? He's left-handed. It doesn't take a baseball genius to figure out that he would fit perfectly in a platoon at third base with Bill Hall, who hits a mere .200 against righties.

Yet, if manager Ken Macha wants to play Gamel and Hall at the same time, Hall could take over at second base. With Weeks vacating second base and Hall's familiarity with the position, Gamel's chances of staying up with the Brewers went up dramatically with the injury to Weeks. And while Weeks has been producing well so far this season, Gamel has a better track record as a producer.

With last night's home run, Gamel has hit nine home runs this season between Nashville and Milwaukee while driving in 34 runs and hitting at a .333 clip.

The Brewers have been living and dying by the long ball this season, so shifting the home run production from the leadoff spot to lower in the lineup can only serve to improve the number of runs scored on their home runs.

Jason Kendall and the Brewers pitchers can't be expected to provide a lot of RBI potential for Weeks in the leadoff spot, despite his 100 RBI pace. Gamel, on the other hand, showed just how likely he is to have opportunities to hit with men on base with Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Mike Cameron and Corey Hart batting in front of him. And if he can produce like he did in St. Louis, perhaps he will provide some protection for Hart and help him get out of his recent slump.

So now how do the Brewers replace Weeks at second base? Last night, Macha opted to start the hot-hitting Craig Counsell in place of the injured Weeks. Tonight, it looks to be Casey McGehee, who Macha said would start the first two games against Houston with the Astros sending a pair of lefties to the mound.

So, it looks like a platoon at second base to go along with the inevitable on at third. Of course, Counsell and McGehee are not exactly known for their offensive prowess, so what other options do the Brewers have?

The most likely one is second baseman Hernan Iribarren. Milwaukee recalled Iribarren from Triple-A Nashville today to replace Weeks on the roster. And while Iribarren doesn't have the power of Weeks, he is hitting .308 in 35 games for Nashville and could be an excellent table setter for Braun and Fielder.

So how will utilizing a rookie in Iribarren at second base and a rookie in Gamel at third base help the Brewers after the loss of Weeks?

Well, in a best-case scenario for the Brewers, Gamel picks up the slack as far as power numbers while Iribarren, Counsell and McGehee set the table for the rest of the team. The one Weeks stat most people overlook is runs. At this point last year, he had scored more runs than he has this year, despite hitting nearly 100 points higher and hitting more home runs.

If Weeks' replacements can play a strong defensive second base and provide a high on-base percentage, the loss of his power bat will not be nearly as significant, especially if Gamel provides an added boost in the No. 7 spot.

Sure, it's great to see Weeks hitting lead-off home runs, but if players like Iribarren, Counsell and McGehee can get on base, the Brewers' true run producers — Braun and Fielder — should be expected to drive them in. And if they don't, hopefully Gamel will.

Column 5/5

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