Friday, November 13, 2009

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Monday, November 9, 2009

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Ask Lucas feature 11/8

Mike Lucas on Wisconsin vs. Indiana
by Mike Lucas, compiled by Jordan Schelling
The Capital Times

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Monday, November 2, 2009

Friday, October 30, 2009

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Monday, October 26, 2009

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Monday, October 12, 2009

Friday, October 9, 2009

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Milwaukee can't repeat last year's offseason mistakes


In case you missed it amid all the hype surrounding last night’s football game, the Milwaukee Brewers made a couple of big, if not surprising moves Monday.

Immediately following a disappointing 80-82 season that everyone saw coming, the Brew Crew agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract with closer Trevor Hoffman. General Manager Doug Melvin also announced they would keep manager Ken Macha for 2010.

Does that not just make you want to run out in the streets and celebrate?!?

I mean, what better way to start the most important offseason of Melvin’s career in Milwaukee than to re-sign an aging closer and confirm he will keep the league’s most boring manager. If that doesn't make fans want to buy season tickets, I don't know what will.

In all honesty, Hoffman had a phenomenal year in 2009 (especially considering he’ll be 42 next week) with a 1.55 ERA and 37 saves, but banking $8 million on the chance he will be able to duplicate that in 2010 is quite a risk.

As for Macha, he makes me want to go to sleep every time I read his quotes in the paper. For example, on the announcement of his return in 2010, he was dull at best:

“I'm fine with what happened," Macha said. "I told Doug to do whatever he thinks is best."

Really? You told Doug to do what he thinks is best? Well, I sure am glad you told your boss to do his job. That is managing at its best right there.

Just once, I would love to see some emotion out of the 59-year-old, white-haired skipper. I'm not saying he should go all Bobby Knight circa 1985 and start throwing chairs onto the field, but not a single ejection in the entire season? It's like he doesn't even care.

Of course, Macha seems to fit in well with the Brewers’ front office personnel. Melvin is not exactly one for bold moves, so to re-sign a guy that is about as exciting as watching paint dry is hardly a surprise.

What the Brewers need is to clean house this offseason. Well, in the pitching staff at least.

Aside from Yovani Gallardo, Hoffman and Todd Coffey, there is no one on the staff that is not expendable. In fact, most of the Brewers who toed the rubber this season deserve to be sent back to the minors or sent packing in a hurry.

Manny Parra has continually failed to meet expectations and the time to cut him loose is now. Jeff Suppan is about as overpaid as a pitcher can be and Dave Bush just is not consistent.

It was obvious entering the season that without CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, the Brewers’ pitching staff would be mediocre at best. They overperformed for the first three months before finally falling back to Earth.

Milwaukee finished last or in the bottom three in nearly every pitching category, despite having one of the league’s top closers and a strong ace in Gallardo. With that kind of performance, it is time to bid farewell to guys like Parra, Suppan and Bush.

The last thing the Brewers need this offseason is a repeat of last year’s disappointing moves. Aside from the Hoffman signing (which they’ve already duplicated!) and the arrival of Macha (another repeat, success!) they did nothing worthwhile.

Sure, Braden Looper was a serviceable starter every fifth day, but he was not exactly the type of big-name-front-end-of-the-rotation guy Milwaukee needed.

Just look at the Yankees: They signed all the pitchers the Brewers did not pursue (A.J. Burnett) or could not afford (Sabathia) and they went on to win the AL East. Obviously, the Brewers do not have the kind of bankroll to make those moves, but settling for Looper was an uninspiring decision.

As a Milwaukee fan, I felt let down by Melvin’s inability to go out and get someone to lead the Brewers pitching staff, or at the very least, provide a strong No. 2 behind Gallardo.

So, with my NFL team falling apart faster by the day (the 0-4 Tennessee Titans) and the fact that I have no interest in the NBA or the NHL regular seasons, my only hope in professional sports right now is, ironically enough, the Milwaukee Brewers.

Let’s just hope they can do something more exciting in the next three months than duplicating the previous offseason, especially since they have effectively already done that.

Football grades, Column 10/6

by Jordan Schelling
The Badger Herald

Schelling: Favre adds to legend with victory over Green Bay
A Schelling for your Thoughts
The Badger Herald

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Friday, September 25, 2009

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Monday, September 14, 2009

Friday, September 11, 2009

Friday, September 4, 2009

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Monday, August 17, 2009

Y.E. Yang is the most popular man in South Korea

Be honest, before this weekend had you ever heard of Y.E. Yang?

I had, but only once. Back on March 7, 2009 when Yang won the Honda Classic tournament by one shot over John Rollins in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. It was a meaningless win, unless you ask Yang — it was his first.

The next day I had all but forgotten Yang's name, and it stayed that way until Saturday. When Yang finished at 6-under and earned a spot in the final group, I recalled that March victory while many were left asking, "Y.E. Who?"

Nonetheless, Yang remained an outsider until he reached the 72nd hole Sunday. All afternoon spectators and CBS announcers were left wondering when he would lose it, or when Tiger Woods would be the Tiger of old and blow by the little-known Yang.

That never happened, however, as we all know now. Yang became the first Asian-born player to win a major tournament and the first player to knock off Woods after Eldrick owned a 54-hole lead in a major.

Fourteen times before Woods had led after 54 holes and each one of those 14 times he took home the trophy. In fact, Woods has never trailed after 54 holes in any of his 14 major victories. So, it seemed a foregone conclusion he would take home the Wanamaker Trophy Sunday.

Unfortunately for Woods, his playing partner had other ideas.

Unlike those before him who had averaged four more shots per round when playing with Woods in the final pairing of the final round of a major, Yang stood tall Sunday. He outshot Woods time and again, finishing with a 2-under par 70 to Woods' 75.

Add a crazy eight for Padraig Harrington on the eighth hole Sunday and it adds up to an impressive 3-shot victory for the South Korea native.

Yang's win is significant for two reasons: he has proven Asian-born golfers can and will be a threat in any major tournament and he broke Woods' streak of major wins as the frontrunner.

Either one would make for a huge story, but both in one win? Incredible story.

Yang did not just win a major either, he stood toe-to-toe with Woods and outplayed him in the final round of the PGA Championship. On the 72nd hole, when Woods, who sat one shot back, appeared to be in better position on his second shot, Yang hit the shot of his life.

The 37-year-old was unfazed by Woods' position across the fairway. Instead, he stepped up and crushed a hybrid 3-iron over a tree and bunker and within 12 feet of the cup, a shot reminiscent of one of Woods' best shots of his career when he finished 2nd at Hazeltine in the 2002 PGA Championship.

Woods, on the other hand, crumbled in the final round of a major for the first time.

Instead of taking control of the tournament and fending off any challengers, he played an overly conservative game, which led to his 3-over par 75, when even par would have at least earned him a playoff against Yang.

Instead of taking his sixth win of the year and avoiding a major-less season, Woods will have to wait until next year's Masters to earn his 15th major championship and continue his march toward Jack Nicklaus' 18th.

And what makes Yang's finish all the more impressive is his not-so-impressive start through 23 holes. After the fifth hole Friday, Yang sat at 5-over par, nine shots behind Woods at 4-under.

Over the last 49 holes, however, the two went in completely different directions. Woods would finish 1-under over that stretch while Yang was an incredible 13-under par en route to a 3-shot victory.

All this from a man who took up the game at the age of 19.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Check me out on Bleacher Report

For more of my work, be sure to check out BleacherReport.com

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Mallards Recap 8/9

Anderson eliminates Madison from postseason with complete game:

Shutout dashes Mallards' playoff hopes
by Jordan Schelling

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Prince Fielder does not like to get hit with baseballs

After watching the video of Prince Fielder letting expletives fly in his attempt to confront Guillermo Mota following last night's game, one question keeps running through my head.

Has he lost his damn mind?

After Fielder was hit by a pitch in the ninth by Mota, he just stood at home plate and stared at him as he walked off the field. During the one time he had to show Mota just how upset he was about the pitch, he did nothing.

As has been repeated many times today in discussing Fielder's actions, there's an unwritten rule in baseball about what to do in just such a situation.

The "rule" dictates that Fielder should have gone to the mound and had it out with Mota right then and there, or be a man and walk to first base. What he should never have done is tried to force his way into the Dodgers' clubhouse 15 minutes after the fact.

Luckily for Fielder, his teammates and Dodgers' security were there to keep him from Mota, who was no where to be found, or this incident could have escalated into a much larger fine and longer suspension than he will likely already receive.

Obviously, there are more reasons to Fielder's actions than just the plunking itself. Mota was — in case you forgot — a member of the Brewers last season, the game was far out of reach and the pitch was clearly not intended to be thrown anywhere near the plate.

And let's not forget how bad the Brewers have been lately and how much they look like they could be in last place by the end of the month.

Even with all those things in mind, Fielder's postgame actions were absolutely absurd. You would think someone whose father was a three-time All-Star and World Series champion would understand the do's and don'ts of Major League Baseball.

Unfortunately for him, he doesn't, so now, we can all sit and wait to see how long Fielder will be suspended and how much he will have to pay. Instead of helping the Brewers find their way back into the NL Central Division race, Fielder will earn himself a spot on the bench for a few days in the near future.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Mallards feature 7/21

Right-hander Cody Winiarski chosen for South Division team in Northwoods League, to be played in Ontario, Canada:

by Jordan Schelling

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Mallards recap 6/17

Riggins, Winiarski too much for Waterloo:

by Jordan Schelling

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Mallards recap 6/16

Mallards lose 2nd straight:

By Jordan Schelling

Surprise, Surprise: Sosa used PEDs

At this point, it's worth asking: is there anyone left in Major League Baseball who you would really be shocked to find out they used steroids?

For me, there's one: Ken Griffey Jr. And I wouldn't so much be shocked as I would be saddened.

Yet, here we are again with breaking news that another "Hall of Fame caliber" player from the steroids era in baseball tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. This time, it's none other than the Chicago Cubs' beloved Sammy Sosa.

And while this one isn't exactly a surprise (look at the guy, he's like Popeye now compared to his early years), this one is nearly as devastating as the Alex Rodriguez revelation.

Sure, one could say Sosa, McGwire & Co. hurt themselves already before Congress, but based on the "innocent until proven guilty" idea, they had not yet been proven to have done anything wrong. Now, the entire 1998 home run chase that revived baseball following the 1994 players' strike seems like nothing more than a MLB-endorsed publicity stunt.

Both Mark McGwire and Sosa were clearing juicing, but everyone in America acted like the citizens of Springfield in the classic Simpsons episode when McGwire asks, "Do you want to know the terrifying truth or do you want to see me hit some dingers?"

Nobody wanted to know if they were cheating, they'd rather enjoy an historic chase for the single season home run record of 62, which has since been obliterated by McGwire (70), Sosa (66) and Barry Bonds (73).

All I want to know is, when are these idiots going to stop letting the press throw them under the bus with evidence they know is out there? When will others like McGwire come clean on their own. We all know or think we know who did it, so just tell us and it will go away faster.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Good news: Manny fading from All-Star voting

Most of the news in the sporting world today will be revolving around Los Angeles, and this piece is no different.

Major League Baseball released an update today of the All-Star voting and there's some big news from a certain someone on a certain L.A. club. Manny Ramirez, who continues to serve his ban until next month, has dropped to sixth in voting for NL outfielders.

I still think it's incredible that he is even that close, but hey, it's a start.

What's even more important is the leader in the outfield for the NL. Who might that be? Raul Ibanez, who is on his way to his first career appearance in the game after getting off to a torrid start for the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies.


Also dropping off from their initial high spots are Milwaukee outfielders Mike Cameron and Corey Hart, who now rank seventh and ninth, respectively.

Behind the dish, the Brewers' Jason Kendall has dropped to third while St. Louis' Yadier Molina leads the way with just over 1 million votes. Between the two is Braves' catcher Brian McCann.

Another Phillies star, Jimmy Rollins, has taken over at shortstop with 1.2 million votes. The Marlins' Hanley Ramirez has maintained his second place spot, but trails by less than 90,000 votes. Milwaukee's J.J. Hardy — who led the first update — has dropped to third place with just under 900,000 votes.

At third base, the Mets' David Wright has a commanding lead over Washington's Ryan Zimmerman, earning 1.25 million votes to Zimmerman's 920,000.

At second base, it's the defending champs again as Chase Utley continues to dominate his competition. Utley leads all NL vote getters with 2.27 million votes, while the Dodgers' Orlando Hudson is a distant second with just over 900,000.

Finally, the race for first isn't very close either as Albert Pujols is just behind Utley for the overall lead with 2.15 million votes. His closest competitor is another member of the Phillies as Ryan Howard has 1.14 million. In third is the Brewers' Prince Fielder, who is perhaps having the best season of any player not leading his position in voting for the NL right now.

So that makes for two Cardinals, three Phillies, two Mets and one Brewer in the starting lineup.

The only problem with that? Though those four teams comprise 80% of the top five teams in the NL, on the top of that list is the Los Angeles Dodgers.

My 100th Post

One hundred. I've finally reached the century mark on blog posts. And while many of them are simply links to other stories I've written for The Badger Herald, I think my 100th post is an exciting moment in this blog.

It's only fitting that my special moment would coincide with another in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-86 last night to wrap up their 15th title in franchise history.

Kobe Bryant was named Finals MVP in earning his fourth career championship and first without Shaquille O'Neal. Finally, Kobe has earned that elusive fourth title which justifies his ability to win without Shaq.

Phil Jackson, well he's now being talked about as the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) in coaching. He now owns 10 championships, a new NBA record for coaches, passing Boston Celtic great Red Auerbach for the most in NBA history.

Sure, many fans probably didn't want to see the Lakers win the championship. And yes, it would have been more interesting if they had faced King James and the Cavaliers. But in the end, the result is one of the biggest moments in NBA history.

Friday, June 12, 2009

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:

by Jordan Schelling

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

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.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

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.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Mallards recap 6/6

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

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:

by Jordan Schelling

Friday, June 5, 2009

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Mallards recap 6/3

Another win for the Mallards at the Duck Pond:

By Jordan Schelling

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

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:

by Jordan Schelling

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

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

Monday, June 1, 2009

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.