Sports Beat column - April 11, 2007

Sports Beat
April 11, 2007

Sports Beat by Bill McCaffrey

The Washington and Baltimore baseball radio and TV broadcasts are so bad it's a wonder why people even bother to listen to them. Amber Theoharis, Joe Angel and Jim Hunter are okay but the rest suck! Give me John Lowenstein, Steve Stone and Jim Kaat and you would have a terrific crew with those six. Certainly the Orioles have surprised a few folks with those early wins. Why is Tom Davis still seen on any broadcasts? He is terrible and if you teamed him with Al Koken and the so-called sports chick it would be the worse ever on the airways. I like WBAL's Steve Davis, he's decent.

I still like the Orioles and Nationals for last place in their divisions both teams are losers.

Speaking of losers how about those Washington Capitals? They must be drinking the kool-aid if they think they are on the way up. The Caps have about four NHL players, can you name them? I think Baltimore would draw more folks to NHL games than the DC area.

1950 SENATORS

1950 saw the return of Stanley â¤¦Buckyâ¤? Harris to manage the Washington Senators, yes again. The 1950 edition of the Nats had the team much improved over Joe Kuhel's flunkies of 1949 but not enough to consider them a contender. The top reporters of the day were Shirly Povich (yes Maury's dad), Bob Addie (married to Paulene Betz Addie), Fraces Stann, Burt Hawkins, Russ White, and Dick Heller (he is that old? Well maybe not).

Our guys were still in the left field bleachers except when Mrs. â¤¦Aunt Addieâ¤? Griffith ( Clarks wife) gave me those cards with pass two into today's game. Some of the guys in high school had relatives in the Senators organization Ev Enyon (Eddie's son), Dickie Harris (Bucky's son), Tom Vaden (his dad handled the telephone service for Griffith stadium). John Linthicum worked the concession behind home plate for the Robertson twins.

One question last week â¤³ what did Vince Ventura, Jose Zardon and Bingo Binks have in commonâ¤†they were all outfielders on the 1945 Washington Senators.

On the field Harris guided the Nats to fifth in the American League. Mickey Vernon was back at first, Cass Michaels, Sam Dente and the â¤¦walking-manâ¤? Eddie Yost rounded out the infield. Irv Noren, Gil Coan, Eddie Stewart and Sam Mele patrolled the outer garden for the team while Mickey Grasso and Al Evans shared the catching duties. Grasso also opened a restaurant in the Trans Lux building. Sid Hudson led the starters with 14 wins, Mickey Harris had 15 saves, Connie Marrero smoked big cigars and threw blooper pitches to Ted Williams. Bob Kuzava, Sandy Consuerga, and Joe Haynes (Clark Griffith's son-in-law) rounded out the pitching staff.

Oh by the way, Early Wynn was winning 18 games for the Indians in 1950. Joe DiMaggio hit 32 home runs that season. Sid Hudson had 17 complete games. Harris's 15 saves led the American League. All in all 1950 was a decent season for the Nats. How many of you believe that gas prices should be over $2 a gallon? If you do I have a bridge for sale in Arizona for you. Hugo Chavez is backing down the oil companies as you read this. What this country ( USA ) needs now is a Teddy Roosevelt! I had great conversations this week with Dave Prienkert and Barbara (Hayden) Brown, both RHS grads.

Well the Baltimore Orioles now have a second plus to go with PA announcer Dave McGowan and that's their new head groundkeeper Nicole Sherry not a bad 1-2 punch. I wonder if Larry Johnson is laughing now, what with Antorrio Logan-EL leaving Penn State and now wants to come to Maryland . Hey Larry going to go to another Maryland press conference? My favorite band and a Martin O'Malley favorite â¤¦Big Bad Voodoo Daddyâ¤? returns to the Rams Head in Annapolis on May 28th.

Our deepest sympathy goes to the families of the following:
James K Sheehan (Archbishop Carroll HS grad)
Eddie Robinson (Great Grambling football coach)
Patrick Welsh (former State Senator and Delegate from Dundalk )
James Franklin Crawford, Sr. (Phelps Voc. HS grad)
Darryl Stingley (ex NFL player)

I wonder where they are now? Kenny Clem, Hollis Wayne Mullins, Ken Schrader, Aileen Gant, Shirley Lauderdale, Judy Hurst, Sophia Frank, Francis Starr, Oliver â¤¦Kay the nerdâ¤? Fletcher, Patricia McDonald, Ginny Duke, and Sandy McGregor.

Belated birthday greetings to Marlene Georgiou, she celebrated her 29th on April 3rd.

Don â¤¦I-manâ¤? Imus really put his foot in his mouth for uttering those terrible remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team, the remarks were totally out of line. However I find it hard to believe that Jesse Jackson and Al â¤¦Sharplessâ¤? Sharpton pounced on him. Didn't one of them or was it both that called New York City â¤¦HymieTownâ¤?? Personally I find that totally out of line and offensive. Imus was way out of line but so have Jackson, â¤¦Sharlpessâ¤? and OJ been out of line and they have offered no apologies for their stupid remarks. Also how about Howard Stern? He insults women and folks of color and never offers an apology for his crude and rude remarks to women. Why don't I hear apologies for their remarks? I will still listen to Imus.

Dick Heller had a nice little article on Harry Caray in Sunday April 9th sports section of the â¤¦Washington Timesâ¤?, but when he mentioned Nat Allbright in the same breath as Arch McDonald and Bob Wolff you knew Heller was not Allright. Also he failed to mention another Nats broadcaster in the 1940's, Russ Hodges, who went on to fame as the announcer who did Bobby Thomson's â¤¦shot heard around the worldâ¤? off Ralph Branca. Also he didn't mention the fact that McDonald was a Yankee broadcaster one year and that Walter Johnson did radio play-by-play of the Nats in the 30's for WJSV (later WTOP). Heller also did not mention not Allright's connection with the C&P Telephone company, anyone remember that? Come on Heller give us the story behind the story.

Pitching Put On Display, Baysox Lone Run In Ninth wins opener, 1-0

There wasn't a hit given up in the Baysox opener at Trenton until the top of the second inning and it was evident early on, that the pitchers would steal the spotlight on a cold, windy night at Waterfront Park . The crowd of 5,830 on opening night was treated to a pitchers duel, featuring Beau Hale and Thunder starter Chase Wright. Hale, one of the most consistent pitchers in the Baysox rotation last season picked it right up this season, turning in an impressive six innings of one hit ball, walking only one, while striking out five. Hale in fact didnâ¤t surrender a hit until the fifth inning of the game.

Wright though went toe-to-toe with the former first round pick Hale, turning in a dazzling seven innings of two hit ball, striking out nine, with no walks. Hale was relieved by Rommie Lewis to start the seventh inning and he worked his way through it, getting all three Thunder batters he faced to pop out consecutively ending the inning for Trenton . Setup man Jim Miller then relieved Lewis in the scoreless contest and got out of the eighth with one strikeout and no hits given up. The Baysox offense finally showed some life in the top of the ninth inning, Jeff Fiorentino struck out to lead off the inning, but Val Majewski reached first base on an infield throwing error. First baseman Brandon Sing flew out for the second out of the inning, but in the very next at bat Oscar Salazar singled to right field moving Majewski over to second with two outs.

OF Nolan Reimold came up big with his first Double-A hit, a single to right that scored Majewski, giving the Baysox a 1-0 lead. Jim Hoey was called upon to close the game out for the Baysox, but it was no easy task as Hoey struggled early on in the inning walking Aarom Baldiris the first batter he faced on four straight pitches. Hoey then gave up a single to Brett Gardner, putting runners at first and second with no outs. Hoey would eventually regain his composure and struck out the next batter for the first out of the inning. The lanky right hander would then walk Justin Christian the very next batter to load the bases with one out.

But that would be as close as Trenton would get as Hoey struck out the next two batters consecutively to end the game and give the Baysox an Opening Night victory, 1-0. Jim Miller picked up the win for the Baysox, moving his record to (1-0) and Hoey picked up his first save of the season.

The Bowie Baysox enter their 15th season as the â¤¦AAâ¤? affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles in 2007. The Baysox will open their 2007 home schedule on Thursday, April 12th against the Akron Aeros (Class â¤¦AAâ¤? Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) at Prince George 's Stadium in Bowie ,MD. Baysox Season Ticket plans as well as, group outings, picnics, birthday parties are currently available for booking by calling the Baysox front office at (301) 464-4880. The Baysox will also be welcoming their 5 Millionth Fan to the ballpark this season, will it be you?

Doron Named Lowe's CLASS Senior All-American
Doron was one of top-five vote-getters

Maryland's Shay Doron received more good news since the season concluded in mid-March. Doron was recently named to the Lowe's Senior CLASS All-American team. The honor was created to pay tribute to college seniors. Shay Doron was a finalist for the Senior CLASS award. CLASS in an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School. The award identifies personal qualities that define and complete the student-athlete, with the criteria including excellence in the classroom, character and community, as well as, performance on the court. Doron was one of the top-five vote getters for the award, which was presented to Duke's Alison Bales. Joining Doron and Bales on the first team were Duke's Lindsey Harding, Purdue's Katie Gearlds and Navy's Kate Hobbs. On the second team was Amanda Brown from Penn State , Jessica Davenport from Ohio State , Dee Davis from Vanderbilt , North Carolina 's Ivory Latta and USC's Shay Murphy.

Doron just completed her eligibility at Maryland and will be graduating this spring with a degree in criminal justice. Brenda Frese's first top recruit to commit to the Terps, Doron is a three-time All-ACC honoree, receiving first-team honors as a sophomore. She was also a Kodak/WBCA Honorable Mention All-American in 2005. A two-time ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American, she leaves College Park ranked second all-time in scoring (1,878), and is also ranked among the all-time Terrapin greats in assists, steals and three-point shooting. She owns the school record for free throws made (492) and free throws made (613), while finishing her career with an 80.3 shooting percentage from the charity stripe, ranked second at Maryland . Last week, Doron was selected in the second round of the WNBA's Draft by the New York Liberty, becoming the sixth Terrapin in school history to be drafted and the first since 2002. She will be looking to earn a roster spot when Training Camp begins later this month.

OTHER NEWS: The season finale of "Under the Shell" aired Tuesday night, April 10th on Comcast SportsNet. It will reair on Sunday at 10 a.m. Check local listings for more information or log onto www.umterps.com/undertheshell.

Maryland To Host Field Hockey Final Four
Terps host national semis and finals for the first time

The University of Maryland was selected as the host site of the 2007 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship to be held Nov. 16 and 18. All three games will be played at the state-of-the-art Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. It will be the first time in the 26-year history of the tournament the championship rounds will be held in the state of Maryland . The University of Maryland has hosted numerous first- and second-round tournament games. Since 1981, the first two rounds have been played in College Park 13 times, including the last four years. The Terps, who have advanced to the national semifinal round four-straight year and have won the last two National Championships (2005, 2006) and five overall, are 18-2 all-time in NCAA Tournament games played in College Park . "NCAA Championships are always such a special event in the lives of student-athletes," said Associate Athletic Director Troy Tucker, who is also the sport supervisor for the Terrapin field hockey team. "We are honored to be the first in the state of Maryland to host the championship rounds of the field hockey championship and look forward to a tremendous weekend of competition."

The Free State becomes the ninth state to ever host the championship rounds of the NCAA Division I Field Hockey tournament. Massachusetts , Pennsylvania and Virginia have each held the event five times. College Park will be the 13th city to host the field hockey championship, as well. Information on tickets, parking and participating teams will be posted on www.umterps.com in the coming months leading up to the tournament.

Washington Golden Gloves
Regional Championships Featuring:

Washington/Maryland Area Champions vs. Virginia/North Carolina Champions 18 Championship Bouts
When: Friday, Ap0ril 13, 2007 at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Greater Waldorf Jaycees Community Center
(Intersection of Routes 301 and 5)
Winners will advance 6to National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions April 29-May 5, 2007 in Chattanooga , Tennessee . Comcast (CN8) will be at the Waldorf Jaycees to film the event in its entirety, which will be televised at a later date. Sean O'Grady, former world lightweight champion, along with national sportscaster, Nick Charles, will be the color commentators. Nick is a former TV Sportscaster in Baltimore and Washington. For more information, call Bobby Magruder, Tournament Director, at 301-843-6165 or 301-919-4809.

OLD TIMERS TO MEET IN THE RING AGAIN

The year was 1962 when Marty Hanbury and George Peterson met in the ring at the Uline Arena in Washington , DC to fight for a spot in the Golden Gloves Championships. This is 45 years ago and they haven't seen each other since! They will be reunited once again at the Washington Golden Gloves Regional Championships on Friday, April 13, 2007, at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Community Center. George is still tied to boxing as the trainer of a fighter for a world championship. Marty is now in the construction business. Both are very anxious to see each other again â¤³ which you can bet will be a very poignant moment. If you are itching to know who beat whom back then, feel free to call either one of them for questions and/or interviews: George Peterson (Aiken, SC) at 803-207-2182 and Marty Hanbury at 301-399-3511.

INTERMISSION SHOW
April 13, 2007 (approximately 9:30)

A Tribute to JOE STANLEY and RHYTHM & BLUES Featuring Jimmy and the Blue Dogs â¤³ Lucille, Sea Cruise, Just Because, Johnny B. Good, My Girl Josephine

The ring card girl this evening is: Crystal Milana (2006 Playboy Model)

Ten Count
We will have a moment of silence for our fallen brothers and sisters: saxophone legend, Joe Stanley, golf enthusiast, Coach Harry Beaulieu, and the service men and women in the U.S and abroad. Also for the great Hall of Fame football coach from Grambling, Eddie Robinson.

Lackey High School Junior ROTC Color Guard
Under the Leadership of Colonel Gilbert
The National Anthem to be performed by Bruce Swaim (on saxophone)

1935 â¤³ 2007
Joe Stanley
When you piece together Joe's history, you ask yourself, â¤¦why hasn't he received more recognition?â¤? Joe is cousin to Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley, and he started playing the clubs in the â¤—50s. He was one of the handful that would cross the color line to play with the black musicians around 14th and U Streets. He was an original member of the Rainbows with Marvin Gaye, Don Covay and Billy Stewart. Joe would go from playing one night with Link Wray, the next night with Roy Clark, and the next the Orioles, touring regularly with all of them.

He had his own band, The Saxtons, that backed big Joe Turner, Sam Cooke, Little Anthony, The Ames Brothers, Lloyd Price, The Drifters, Bobby Darin, Bobby Rydell, Jackie Wilson, Dion & The Belmonts, Freddie Cannon, Frankie Avalon, and many others. The Saxtons would alternate sets on a double bill with Jimmy Dean, his band providing the rock & roll as a counter to Jimmy's country. He joined Roy Clark's band for a couple of tours and played the Arthur Godfrey show with him. He was in Dale Hawkins' band with Roy Buchanan. He and Roy left Dale at the same time, and Roy became a member of The Saxtons. In the early â¤—60s, Joe became a member of the Bill Black Combo (Elvis Presley's back up band), and led the band when Bill Black died.

Moving east and south into Maryland , the rural Gomorrah of Waldorf was rife with slots and strippers and hustlers; their natural habitats had names like the Stardust, the Wigwam, the Hideaway and the Moonlight Inn. If you kept on going to the Chesapeake shore, there were big rundown, shack-style beer-and-crab houses, casinos and gambling halls running all the way from the seashore town of Prince Frederick through North Beach and up to seamy old Baltimore . Sawdust was the preferred flooring; it made it much easier to sweep out the booze and the blood every night.

Joe had a standing invitation from David Bartholomew to come join in when Fats Domino would come to town. Joe Stanley helped Danny Gatton get his first gigs and was part of Danny and the Fat Boys, and the two of them were in Robert Gordon's band. Joe has one CD, â¤¦King of the Honky-Tonk Saxâ¤? on Mapleshade and is featured on cuts from â¤¦The Blues You Would Just Hate to Loseâ¤? (Volumes I & II).

He was inducted into the Washington Area Music Association Hall of Fame in 1999.

OTHER UPCOMING FIGHT CARDS

â¤¦Pro-Amâ¤? event, April 19, 2007 at Michael's 8th Avenue Ballroom Boxing

Pro event, May 4, 2007 at Rosecroft Raceway. Gene Molovinsky's Keystone Boxing

â¤¦Pro-Amâ¤? event, May 11, 2007 at â¤¦Duâ¤?Burns Arena Jake Smiths Baltimore Pro Boxing

Pro event, May 31, 2007 at Michael;s 8th Avenue

Also coming up on April 21, 2007, Dee Lee's Pro boxing â¤³ â¤¦ Battle at Northeastâ¤? at the National Guard Armory at South Hampton road & Roosevelt Blvd. (Dee Lee Promoter and Sonny Mistretta, matchmaker) For information call: 856-692-1206 or 609-304-8818. The entertainment will be performed by â¤¦Dawnâ¤?. The main event will be Derek Ennis vs. Tim Johnson. Others on the card will be Archil LaPachishvili, Victor Vasquez, Eidel Carter and Moses Calderon.

Here's a Great Article on one of our Newest New Jersey Inductees, Diane Lee Fischer by Bernard Fernandez

Fight lady promotes her way into hall
Philadelphia Daily News
April 10, 2007

THE FIRST indication that Diane Lee Fischer had made it as a boxing promoter came shortly after she staged her first professional fight card, in Atlantic City in 1997.

She was sued.

Megapromoters like Don King and Bob Arum are involved in more litigation than Perry Mason, but Fischer was a beautician and lifelong fight fan who had sunk most of her financial assets into a sport that chews up and spits out most newcomers. It wasn't that she had little margin for error; she had no margin for error. "My father was concerned," Fischer recalls. "He said, 'Diane, are you OK?' And I said, 'Don't worry about it, Dad. Now I'm like Don King.' " Some years later, His Hairness, in fact, acknowledged a certain kinship with the feisty, orange-haired woman who has withstood lawsuits, veiled threats, fighter-stealing and all manner of bumps in the road to remain in a rough game. "I remember meeting Don King and him saying to me, 'So you're Don Queen,' " says Fischer, a Camden-born resident of Vineland , N.J. "I got a kick out of that." She also is getting a kick out of the most recent indication that she has made it as a boxing promoter: her recently announced election into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame. Fischer is part of the 13-member class of 2007, which will be inducted Nov. 8 in Garfield . The group is headlined by former world champions Charles "The Natural" Murray and Al "Ice" Cole, but it's a good bet none of the honorees trod a more unlikely path to success.

Born Diane Lee Trevethan, Fischer was introduced to boxing as a child by her father, Jack. "We couldn't afford tickets, but we used to watch 'Friday Night Fights' on TV every week," she says. Her fascination with boxing has survived three failed marriages and, most notably, the death of her 16-year-old daughter, Dawn, in a 1982 auto accident, something she calls "the worst thing any parent can go through." A lot of neophytes take a dip into the shark-infested waters of boxing promotion, get bitten and exit, disillusioned, amid a spreading stain of red ink. Fischer lost money on her first card, but this is someone who does not discourage easily. "I took my hits, like everyone else," Fischer says of the early days. "But in boxing, you get back up when you get knocked down."

Knockdowns? Let us count the ways. Many times, when Fischer identified a prospect she would like to sign, a male rival with a fatter wallet swooped in and priced her out of the bidding. And when she did get there first on a young fighter, and developed him, the big cigars appeared again to woo him away. "There's a lot of stealing in boxing," she says, ruefully. But Fischer - who still works 3 days a week in a beauty shop at the Tropicana in Atlantic City - is a testament to persistence. She has outlasted the doubters, staging more than 60 cards, mostly in this area although she has ventured as far afield as Baton Rouge, La., and even Panama. Among the fighters who have appeared on her shows are Wladimir Klitschko, Ray Mercer, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Ivan Robinson, Mike Stewart and Jacqui Frazier-Lyde. Fischer took a yearlong sabbatical from promoting to care for her mother, Mary, who passed away several months ago. But her company, Dee Lee Promotions (whose catchphrase is "My Daddy's Dream"), returns April 21 at the National Guard Armory in Northeast Philadelphia headlined by the eight-round junior middleweight bout between Derek "Pooh" Ennis (10-1-1, 7 KOs) and Edgar Reyes (10-6, 3 KOs).

"It feels good to be back in it again," Fischer says.

As if she ever really left.
Thanks, Henry

Melvina Lathan has been nominated to serve as a Commissioner of the Athletic Commission. Ms. Lathan has led a distinguished career as a professional boxing judge. During her career, she has worked on more than 235 fight cards including 82 World Title Contests in the United States and worldwide. In 1991, Ms. Lathan became the first African American female licensed as a professional boxing judge by the State of New York . She is licensed in several additional states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri and the Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations. She has devised and conducted training seminars for boxing judges at the request of the New York State Athletic Commission, the Washington D.C. Boxing Commission, The International Boxing Federation and the World Boxing Organization to name a few. Ms. Lathan is expected to be inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame in November of 2007.

Ms. Lathan is also an artist, photographer, costume and sound designer. Her work has been displayed at the Smithsonian Institute, the Leica Gallery and the Goethe Institute among others. She also served as a member of the consulting team that contributed to the development of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville , Kentucky.

Ms. Lathan is a graduate of the Franklin School of Science and Arts.

Boxing Related Head Trauma Study

Retired Boxers Foundation Medical Advisory Board Member, Beth Adams, M.Ed LRC, Neurotrauma Rehabilitation Specialist, does study on retired boxers in nursing homes.

The Retired Boxers Foundation is looking for information from family members of retired boxers residing in nursing homes, to assist RBF Medical Advisory Board Member, Beth Adams, M.Ed LRC, Neurotrauma Rehabilitation Specialist who is conducting a study. Beth is looking for information on former boxers who may be currently residing in a nursing home due to Pugilistic Dementia, Alzheimer's or some form of neurological difficulty. If you are a spouse, parent, sibling, relative, significant other, or in some way connected to a former boxer with these conditions, Beth would like to hear from you.

Please contact her directly at: Beth A. Adams M.Ed LRC, Neurotrauma Rehabilitation Specialist, 978-741-0100 or email wearyourhelmet@aol.com. You can also visit her website at www.concussionrehab.com. For more information on the Retired Boxers Foundation, visit our website at www.retiredboxers.org. The mission of the Retired Boxers Foundation is to assist retired professional boxers in the transition from their glorious days in the ring, to a dignified retirement. It was founded by Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos, former 4 Time New York Golden Gloves Champion and 1984 USBA Middleweight Champion.

For more information, please contact Alex Ramos at (805) 955-9761, or email rbfalex@gmail.com .

Retired Boxers Foundation Partners with Brian Viloria to Help the Poor

The Retired Boxers Foundation is proud to announce a partnership with Brian "The Hawaiian Punch" Viloria and his family, establishing "The Brian Viloria Champs for Youth Fund" under the umbrella of the Retired Boxers Foundation. Brian Viloria is a light flyweight world champion with a record of 19-1-0-1 with 12 knockouts.

Full Story
http://www.boxinginlasvegas.com/rbf_partners_with_viloria.htm

Our deepest sympathy goes to Henry Hascup and his family on the death of his sister Mary Kohan.

STENY HOYER CAREER FORUM

For high school students living in Maryland's 5th Congressional District, the Career Forum is a great way to learn more about military education, training, and the more than 40,000 career opportunities offered by the U.S. Armed Forces. Hosted by Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland), the Forum features representatives from each of the four U.S. service academies, local university ROTC programs, and military service recruiters. Rep. Hoyer will also nominate outstanding candidates for admission into each of the four U.S. service academies. For more information about this free event, contact http://hoyer.house.gov.

ZACH JOHNSON
2003 NATIONWIDE TOUR PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINS THE MASTERS

The Nationwide Tour congratulates its 2003 Player of the Year Zach Johnson on his hard-earned Masters victory of Sunday. The following are a few relevant statistics about his career to date on the Nationwide Tour and PGA TOUR.

* He is the first former Nationwide Tour player to win the Masters after nine players with Nationwide Tour roots had finished runner-up in the tournament since the Tour's inception in 1990.

* With Johnson's Masters win, Nationwide Tour players have now completed their own Grand Slam of the four majors. Beginning with John Daly's 1991 win in the PGA Championship, there are now 11 wins in the majors by players with Nationwide Tour roots. Four have come in the British Open (Daly/1995, Tom Lehman/1996, David Duval/2001 and Ernie Els/2002), three in the U.S. Open (Ernie Els/1994 and '97 and Jim Furyk/2003) and three in the PGA (Daly/1991, David Toms/2001 and Shaun Micheel/2003).

* Nationwide Tour players have now won every tournament currently on the PGA TOUR schedule at least once with the lone exception being the PODS Championship, which is played at Innisbrook Resort outside Tampa , FL , and the Mayakoba Golf Classic, a new event on the 2007 schedule played in February in Cancun , Mexico.

* In 2003, Johnson broke the single season earnings mark on the Nationwide Tour by more than $100,000 when he collected $494,882, which was $100,000 more than the previous mark ( Chad Campbell /$394,552 in 2001). He won two events, had 11 top-10 finishes in 20 starts, missed only one cut and was named Nationwide Tour PLAYER OF THE YEAR. In addition to leading the money list by more than $102,000, his dominance was evident elsewhere as he finished first in eight other statistical categories -- Scoring Average, All-Around Ranking, Putting Average, Scoring Average Before the Cut, Birdie Conversion, Consecutive Cuts, Bounce Back and Top-10 Finishes. Troy Matteson broke Johnson's mark by $127 in 2005.

* Since moving to the PGA TOUR, Johnson has finished 19th, 39th and 24th on the money list in 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively. In addition to his '04 win in the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta , he added three runners-up and four third-place finishes in those three years. His Masters victory was his second top 10 of 2007 and leaped him 59 spots on the FedExCup points list to No. 9. His earnings are $1,657,401 (8th), which brings his four-year PGA TOUR earnings to $8,380,777 in less than 100 starts (99).

* Personal Information:
+ Born February 24, 1976 in Iowa City, IA
+ Resides in Lake Mary, FL
+ Graduate of Drake University, 1998/Business Management & Marketing
+ Wife, Kim; has 14-week old son, Will
+ Turned professional in 1998
+ Joined PGA TOUR in 2004 after finishing No. 1 on the Nationwide Tour money list in 2003 to earn his PGA TOUR card
+ Member of 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup team (1-2-1 record)
+ Avid University of Iowa sports fan

BSU LADY BULLDOGS ROUT ELIZABETH CITY

Bowie State University softball extended its current win streak to eight games, walloping Elizabeth City State 9-0 in game one and 24-0 in the final game. BSU's Lady Bulldogs pounded out a combined 29 hits and Lady Bulldogs pitching allowed just four total hits for the ECSU's Lady Vikings. Junior Erin Gray and sophomore Tiffany Toney led Bowie State with three hits each in game one and senior Christina Rzepcki added two hits. Junior Ashley Cook pushed across a game-high three runs in the first game while sophomore Heather Enders and Rzepecki accounted for two RBI's. Junior pitcher Jillian Willey improved her pitching record to 6-4 and struck out six batters.

Three Lady Vikings, Maria Bowser, Prisca Mobley and Alicia Graham had one hit apiece for Elizabeth City State in the opening game. As a team, ECSU committed five errors, two of which occurred in the third inning. Graham (5-7) was the pitcher of record in the loss, giving up 11 hits. The Bowie State battery rocked Elizabeth City State pitcher Livia Baker for 18 hits in game two. BSU's Lady Bulldogs scored three runs in the 1st inning, four in the 2nd inning then erupted for 12 runs in the 3rd inning before the Lady Vikings got their first hit of the game. ECSU's lone hit in the nightcap came courtesy of a Asha Martin single in the top of the 4th inning.

Bowie State cranked out another four hits in the top half of the 5th inning which resulted in five runs to close out the game. The Bowie State trio of Tricia Corbin, freshman Annette Makle and Toney accumulated three hits each in the final game of the divisional doubleheader. Toney and Corbin accounted for five RBI's apiece. Enders handled pitching duties in game two, striking out seven and improved to 8-2 on the year. Bowie State improves it record to 15-7 overall, 12-2 in the CIAA and 4-0 in the Eastern Division. Elizabeth City State's record falls to 7-13 overall, 7-7 in the conference and 3-5 in the division.

CAMPS FROM BARBI

The frigid temperatures are starting to rise, as are the spring jonquils, crocus and within the next few weeks, there will be the springtime perfume of freshly mowed lawns. Golf courses are greening up, it's time to think about what to do with the kids this summer. It truly bothers me to see our youth sit in front of electronic baby sitters, i.e., television and video games, or worse, get bored!. Many of them who enjoy sports and are too young for a work permit, there is always camp. Maryland has some of the best sports camps available. Here is a list of a few.

Ripken Baseball Summer Residential Camps, located in Aberdeen , Phone: 410_823_0808 Toll_Free: 800_486_0850
Revolution Field Hockey Camps _ Camp Type : Residential, Location: several locations in Maryland , Phone: 800_944_7112
Lacrosse at various locations in Maryland , phone number is 800-944-7112.
Mar_Lu_Ridge Camp is residential and located in Jefferson . Call 301-874-5544 Toll Free: 800-238-9974
Star Goalkeeper Academy , a residential camp in Hagerstown , phone 860-659-5955 Phone: 860-659-5955
West River United Methodist Center is also residential located on the beautiful West River . Call 410-867-0991 Toll Free: 800-922-6795
FCA Golf Camps is also residential, located in Salisbury on the banks of the Wicomico River. Call 443-521-4382
Headfirst Sports Camps in Washington DC is a day camp for baseball. It is for the beginner to advanced.. Call 202 625-1921.

For Sailing and water sports, try Sandy Hill Residential Camp located in North East Maryland for sail and waterskiing and lots more. The phone number is 410-287-5554, Echo Hill located on the Sassafrass River in Worton, 410-348-5303, St. Mary's College, 301-862-0310. Most of the local colleges and the University of Maryland offer sports camps and programs. Check with your high school coach, or contact the local college near you. If I haven't hit on a camp that's right for your family, try MySummerCamps.com, . Happy Camping!

WE GET LETTERS

Bill, Good column. Tell Miller to get Busch to pass the Slots bill. MD racing needs it. Of course, DeFrancis doesn't help his cause with his extravagant dress and "crying poor mouth" attitude. He didn't learn much from his dad who really knew how to run horse racing. Ed

Bill, Any predictions on the 2008 Presidental race? Janice Bayner

Dear Janice, How about Hillary Clinton and Martin O'Malley, Barack Obama and Madonna, Rudy Guiliani and Michael Steele, Fred Dalton Thompson and Jane Fonda, Mitt Romney and Rose McGowan. Hmmm! Bill

Greetings from Mark Opsasnick:
SUNDAY, APRIL 15th â¤³ 3PM
COLLEGE PERK COFFEEHOUSE
9078 Baltimore Avenue, College Park , Maryland

COLLEGE PERK WRITERS' EXPO
Catherine Donaldson â¤³ â¤¦The Captain's Marshall â¤?
Cassandra Zaruba â¤³ â¤¦Liquid Bonesâ¤?
Mark Opsasnick â¤³ â¤¦The Lizard King Was Here: The Life and Times of Jim Morrison in Alexandria , Virginia â¤?
Live music by the experimental jazz trio â¤¦Cliff Artâ¤? Admission is Free!

Dear Friends, This may be my last public presentation for quite a while, so I'm hoping those of you who reside in the Washington , DC metropolitan area will take the plunge and come out to the College Perk Coffeehouse on April 15th (3pm) for this three-way event. We've had great turnouts for all of my speaking engagements, but this time around publicity has been very hard to come by (the local newspapers have all but ignored my requests for even the slightest mention).

Even if you already have copies of â¤¦The Lizard King Was Hereâ¤? or have seen my presentation, I'm hoping you'll consider coming out and supporting the works of Catherine and Cassandra, two talented young novelists who deserve to be heard and read by a larger audience. â¤¦The Lizard King Was Hereâ¤? has done well and I greatly appreciate everyone's interest in my work â¤³ now it's time to devote some attention to other local authors.
Visit Catherine's site at www.kindredpens.com.
Visit Cassandra's site at www.cassandrazaruba.com.

For additional info, visit www.capitorlock.com and click on â¤¦Appearances.â¤?

Thanks, and I hope to see you on Sunday, April 15th! Mark O

SUPPORT LOCAL SPORTS!!