Month: April 2021

Sharks Trounce Kings 5-2

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The Los Angeles Kings left winger Austin Wagner (27) tries to skate around San Jose Sharks goaltender Martin Jones (31) behind the net at SAP Center in San Jose on Fri Apr 9, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-2 Friday at the SAP Center in San Jose. Kevin Labanc, Patrick Marleau, Rudolfs Balcers, Dylan Gambrell and Tomas Hertl all scored for San Jose. Brent Burns had three assists and Martin Jones made 32 saves for the win. Alex Iafallo and Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored for Los Angeles and Calvin Petersen made 24 saves in the loss.

After the game, Sharks Head Coach Bob Boughner said:

“It was a good team win, it was a good team effort. They really came at us in the second period. We obviously didn’t like our second and I thought that, you know, they pushed hard and we didn’t really respond very well. But Jonesy was our best player tonight. And he’s in the zone, he’s seeing the puck and he made some big saves at the right time.”

Los Angeles scored first, at 2:27 of the first. Alex Iafallo, just arrived in front of the net, caught Dustin Brown’s quick pass from the boards and redirected it past Martin Jones. Assists went to Brown and Anze Kopitar.

The Sharks tied it up at 8:01. The Sharks had just finished killing a penalty, and won a defensive zone face-off. They broke out with Kevin Labanc carrying the puck. He carried it all the way down and took the shot. It went in. Assists went to Brent Burns and Mario Ferraro.

Patrick Marleau gave the Sharks the lead at 13:50 when Brent Burns sent the puck to the net and it went off of Marleau’s skate. Assists went to Burns and Marcus Sorensen.

Rudolfs Balcers made it 3-1 at 17:17, following Timo Meier on a breakaway. Petersen stopped the shot but Balcers was there to put the rebound away. Assists went to Meier and Erik Karlsson.

The Kings out-shot the Sharks in the first, 13-11. Each team had one power play. The Los Angeles power play had four shots on one power play and the Sharks power play had one in one.

In a scoreless second period, the Kings led again in shots, 11-8. They also led in penalties, taking two that resulted in a power play for San Jose. The Sharks took two shots in those two power plays. The Sharks had one penalty to kill and the Kings got one shot out of that. There were also two fights, which added a total of twelve penalty minutes on the score sheet. Jeffrey Viel fought Kurtis MacDermid and Marcus Sorensen fought Andreas Athanasiou. Sorensen and Athanasiou fought again at the final buzzer.

The Kings came to within one goal 1:02 into the third period, moments after a Sharks penalty expired. Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored, unassisted, by throwing the puck at the net from a sharp angle. The puck went from below the goal line, behind Jones’ near skate, off of his far skate and in.

Dylan Gambrell scored a short-handed goal at 17:00. Gambrell and Evander Kane broke away for a two-on-none. Gambrell passed first, then Kane passed it back, forcing Petersen to move in the crease. Gambrell took the shot. Assists went to Kane and Burns.

Tomas Hertl made it 5-2, shooting it down the ice into and empty net at 18:41. Assists went to Kane and Logan Couture.

The Kings won 58% of the face-offs through the game. The final shot count was 34-29 Kings.

The Sharks will play the Kings again on Saturday in San Jose at 7:30 PM PT.

Warriors and Wizards play thriller; Washington pulls it off in final 13 seconds 110-107

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Washington Wizards forward Bradley Beal (3) takes a shot over Golden State Warrior center James Wiseman (33) in the first half on Fri Apr 9, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, buoyed by the exciting win over the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night, hosted the Washington Wizards at the Chase Center Friday night. The two teams raced up and down the court all night long. The Warriors were focused on stopping the Wizards’ Bradley Beal.

Beal is averaging 31 points a game to lead the Wizards. The Warriors bottled up Beal for most of the game. The Warriors’ main problem was finding a way to stop the bigger Wizard team. Washington had two players at least seven feet tall, Alex Len, who is from Ukraine, and Robin Lopez, scored at will. Len finished with 15 and Lopez 20 to pace the Wizards to an exciting 110-107 win over Golden State.

The Wizards’ roster featured players from all over the globe. Six foot nine inches forward Deni Avdija is from Israel, six foot eight inches forward Rui Hachimura is from Japan, and six-foot ten-inch forward Davis Bertrans is from Latvia. All of these players contributed to the Wizards’ win.

The game was nip and tuck until the end of the game. The Wizards’ biggest lead of the night was ten points. The Wizards won the first quarter by nine points 32-23. The Warriors fought back in the second, but they still trailed the Wizards by seven 57-50 at halftime. The Wizards’ big men Len, Lopez, and Rui Hachimura paced the Wizards’ offense with 10, 16, and 13 points, respectively. Stephen Curry had 17 and Kelly Oubre 10 for Golden State.

Washington, in the third quarter, increased the lead to nine 70-61. The Warriors went on a 14-0 run to take the lead 75-70. Curry made a three, and Oubre tallied nine during the run. With the score tied at 79, the Wizards went on a 6-0 run to finish the third quarter leading 85-79.

The Warriors scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to the game at 85. The Warriors then earned a four-point advantage 93-89. Washington fought back to trail by one 97-96. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr moved Draymond Green to the center position as the Warriors went with their small lineup.

The teams kept trading buckets down the stretch. With 16 seconds to play, The Warriors led 107-104. The Wizards’ Bradley Beal made a four-point play to give the Wizards the lead 108-107. Beal connected on the three and was fouled. The Warriors had 6.1 seconds left. The Warriors got the ball to Damion Lee. As he was driving to the basket, Lee fouled Beal. Beal sank the two free throws to seal the win for Washington 110-107.

Game notes and stats: With the loss, The Warriors are 24-28 for the year. The Wizards are 19-32.

Curry led the Warriors with 32 points, six boards, and five assists. Curry was 11-for-25 from the floor, and he connected on five threes. Kelly Oubre finished with 23 points, and he was four-for-eight from downtown. James Wiseman had 18, Andrew Wiggins, 15, Damion Lee, 10. Green had five points, five rebounds, and eight assists. The Warriors shot 46% from the floor and were 11-for-37 from behind the three-point arc.

Rui Hachimura paced the Wizards with 22. Alex Len 15, Robin Lopez 20, Bradley Beal 20. Russell Westbrook had a triple-double. Westbrook tallied a9 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists.

The Warriors face the Houston Rockets Saturday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Oakland Hits 3 Home Runs To Beat Houston 6-2

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Oakland A’s hitter Matt Olson (right) celebrates with Mark Canha (left) after hitting a three home run in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Field on Fri Apr 9, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Saturday evening the Oakland A’s took on the Houston Astros in Game two of their three game series. It has been a rough start for Oakland this year. They lost a four game series against the Astros to start the season. The A’s then went on to play the defending champs the Los Angeles Dodgers losing two out of three games. It was game seven for the A’s that broke the six game losing streak. They beat the Dodgers 4-3 in ten innings. This year has been their worst start for Oakland since 1916.

Now the A’s are once again tangling with the Houston Astros who seem to have their number. In Game 1, the Astros won handily 6-2 and now the A’s have to suffer through two more games against Houston. In game two loss against the Dodgers, the Oakland club looked far better than they had looked all season. They began hitting and their defense was solid. The bottom line is that this team is far better than they are currently showing. The A’s got a 6-2 win over the Astros on Friday night at Minute Maid Field.

A win over the Astros would be a real confidence builder, especially since the Astros have looked unbeatable. Their current record is 6-1 while the A’s have a 1-7 record. Houston is on a real roll and it will be tough to stop them.

At the end of five innings the game was tied 1-1. Both of the runs in the game were scored in the fourth inning. Jed Lowrie hit a 374 feet homer and Yuli Gurriel scored for the Astros.

The game remained quiet until the eighth inning when both Mark Canha and Jed Lowrie had hits and the A’s had a chance to break the tie. Oakland did exactly that when Matt Olson hit a 414 ft homer scoring three runs and taking the lead 4-1.

The A’s were not finished with the Astros. In the top of the ninth Mark Canha hit a two run homer scoring Elvis Andrus for a 6-1 lead.

This was a great game for the Oakland A’s with 3 homers, Lowrie, Olson and Canha each hit one looking like the team that we have seen for the past few years. It sure was a lot of fun seeing the A’s playing such great baseball. We had to wait a bit but it sure worth the wait. Game three of this series will be played Saturday with first pitch at 1:05.

Cueto throws a gem in the home opener for 3-1 win

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San Francisco Giants starter Johnny Cueto throws to the Colorado Rockies line up on Fri Apr 9, 2021 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

With the pomp and circumstance of Opening Day and the return of the fans to Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants did not disappoint their throng of fans.

Johnny Cueto came within one out of a complete game, as he went 8.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits, walking one and striking out seven and the Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 3-1 at Oracle Park.

After not being allowed into the ballpark during the Covid-19 shortened season, the Giants played before 7,390 fans in the 22-year old yard for the first time since Bruce Bochys last game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 28, 2019.

Brandon Crawford drove in two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, as he doubled with the bases loaded to score Darin Ruf and Buster Posey with the only runs that the Giants would need.

Alex Dickerson added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning, as he singled to right field to score Brandon Belt.

The Rockies tried to get back into the game in the top of the ninth inning, as Garrett Hampson hit a sacrifice fly that scored Micah Owings with the lone run for the Rockies on the afternoon.

Cueto was masterful on the afternoon, as he did not allow a hit until there was one out in the top of the fifth inning when Raimel Tapia singled to left field. The Giants were able to get out of the inning, as they turned an inning-ending double play to keep the Rockies off the board.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler came out to the mound following Owings triple and Hampsons sacrifice fly; however, Cueto stayed in the game. After he allowed a single to Rockies shortstop Trevor Story that brought the tying run to the plate, that was the end of the line for Cueto and he was replaced by Jake McGee, who closed out the game for his third save of the season.

Rockies starter Austin Gomber was cruising into the fifth inning with no hits allowed; however, Posey put an end to that with one out, as he singled.

Gomber went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs, on just one hit, walking four and striking out five, as he lost for the second time in as many starts.

NOTES: Bryan Stow threw out the ceremonial first pitch just over 10 years after he was brutally beaten at Dodger Stadium. Stow, who spent nearly nine months in a medically induced coma threw the first pitch to Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken.

Evan Longoria sat out the home opener after feeling side effects from taking the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine on Thursday. Something was seen on the Giants home uniforms for the first time since they moved into Oracle Park, names on the back of their home jerseys.

UP NEXT: Logan Webb takes the mound on Saturday afternoon for the Giants, while Chi Chi Gonzalez will take the mound for the Rockies.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Athletics Sabermetrics and Closer

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Former San Diego Padre pitcher and current Oakland A’s pitcher Trevor Rosenthal seen in this Sep 26, 2020 photo is congratulated by catcher Austin Nola after pitching against the San Francisco Giants. Rosenthal will be out for approximately four months after having arm surgery (Bay Area News Group file photo)

Athletics: Sabermetrics and Closer

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Perhaps the worse news for the Oakland A’s 1-7 start to the 2021 season is that they will be without Trevor Rosenthal, signed to a 1-year deal for $11 million contract to take the place of Liam Hendricks, who is now the closer with the Chicago White Sox. Rosenthal had surgery Thursday.

An issue affected his pitching arm (he threw 100 mph) this surgery required removing his first rib releasing the pectoralis minor muscle of his chest-wall. It is called Thoracic Surgery. Matt Harvey had same surgery a couple of years ago when he was pitching for the Cincinnati Reds; today he is pitching with the Baltimore Orioles.

Rosenthal will be out a few months, maybe back in July or August, if everything goes very well during his rehab. About the Rosenthal surgery, manager Bob Melvin said; “I had a feeling that was going to happen,” Melvin said before Thursday’s game against the Astros. “Everything went well. I don’t really have a timetable or anything like that.”

Without a legitimate experienced closer, the team is left with these potential replacements for that position: Jake Diekman, Lou Trivino, J.B. Wendelken or Jordan Weems. Some suggested that young A.J Puk was given a shot, but he was recently placed on the Injured List as they called up Deolis Guerra.

The closer has become one of the most specialized and important jobs for a pitcher in baseball, it’s a given, that nobody can win without a star closer. We do not know, if the A’s would make a trade to acquire somebody to take their closer spot, nobody knows.

You really never know who is going to become a great closer. In 1987 I remember when Dennis Eckersley came to the A’s from the Chicago Cubs (already a 13-year veteran and 20-game winner in 1978 with Boston) Eckersley started two games with the A’s before an injury to then closer Jay Howell.

That opened the door for Eckersley as pitching coach Dave Duncan and manager Tony LaRussa gave him the ball to move into the closer’s role. That year Eck saved 16 games, next year 1988 he saved a league-leading 45 games helped the A’s win the pennant and went to the World Series, and the rest is history.

He was a dominant closer with the Athletics until 1995, then ended with St Louis and finally back to Boston for his last season in 1998. Dennis Eckersley pitched for 24 years ended with 390 games saved. In 2004 he was elected with an A’s uniform to the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York.

I will never forgot one of my interviews with him while playing here in Oakland. I asked him what makes him that sharp (I nicknamed him, “La Cuchilla”- “The Knife”) he responded “I am afraid of failure and that keeps me motivated.”

He was as automatic as any closer during those years in baseball. The Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays are the sabermetics darlings of Major League Baseball. They have not spend a lot but they have gotten very good return on their investment, the A’s won the Western Division last season, the Tampa Bay Rays won the American League pennant and lost to the Dodgers in the World Series.

Both clubs are similar in their approach to player’s salaries and they have worked the Sabermetrics very well. The world (everybody not only baseball people) was made aware of Sabermetrics by the movie Moneyball in 2011. “Baseball is like a poker game, nobody wants to quit when he’s loosing; nobody wants you to quit when you are ahead” -Jackie Robinson.

Stay well and stay tuned

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s flagship station 1010 KIQI LaGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings loss streak climbs to five; Joseph leads Pistons with 24 pts in 113-101 win

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The Detroit Pistons guard Corey Joseph drives against the Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield on Thu Apr 8, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday night after two days off. The Detroit Pistons were in town to take on the Kings who were looking to get back on track. The Kings played their last game on Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On Thursday, the Kings fell to the Detroit Pistons at home by a final of 113-101.

Flashback Monday: The Kings were struggling going into Monday night’s game. Against the Timberwolves on Monday night, the Kings fell 116-106 to one of the worst teams in the league. The Kings defense and offense weren’t up to the task and they didn’t play a particularly competitive game.

Thursday game recap: The Kings were set to take on the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

In the first half, the Kings struggled in a major way. The Kings allowed the Pistons to score 27 points in the first quarter compared to their 24 points. However, that wasn’t the worst of it. In the second quarter, the Kings were blown out with the Pistons scoring 35 points compared to the Kings 21.

It was an embarrassing half for the Kings. It is worth noting that the Kings were also without Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee. The Kings defense was atrocious as they would need a massive second half to form a comeback. The Kings went into halftime down 62-44.

In the second half, the Kings played better but it wasn’t nearly enough to win the game. The Kings outscored the Pistons 30-27 in the third quarter. The Kings would need a massive fourth quarter to have a prayer in the game. In the fourth quarter, the Kings outscored the Pistons 27-24 as the Kings defense tightened up.

However, the Kings still fell to the Pistons 113-101. It was an embarrassing defeat for the Kings who fell to 22-30 in the standings. The Kings were led by De’Aaron Fox in the loss who scored 23 points. In the win, the Pistons were led by former King Corey Joseph who scored a season-high 24 points. The Kings will look to their next game to get back on track.

Up Next: The Kings will take on the Utah Jazz on Saturday night in Utah at 5 PM PST.

A’s woes continue lose fifth straight time to the Astros 6-2

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Oakland A’s starter Cole Irvine throws against the Houston Astros line up in the first inning at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Thu Apr 8, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s lost again for the seventh time in the first eight games of the season. The Astros beat them 6-2 Thursday night at Minute Maid Park. The A’s offense has been non-existent so far this year, and it did not produce until late in the game.

The Astros’ pitchers held the A’s scoreless for eight innings and allowed them just three hits. They plated two runs in the ninth, but it was too little, too late. The Astros continued to pummel Oakland pitching as they bashed three dingers in the game. The A’s have not been able to find a way to stop the Astros’ relentless offense. The recap of the game follows below.

The Astros grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Houston’s All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa hit a lazy fly ball to right field that barely made it over the fence for the score. The only other park in the American League where that would have been a home run is New York’s Yankee Stadium which is just 314 feet from home plate.

The Astros put another run on the board in the fourth. With one out, Astros’ DH Yordan Alvarez doubled to left-centerfield. Carlos Correa followed with a double to left to drive in Alvarez. Correa’s second RBI of the game gave the Astros a 2-0 lead after four complete.

The A’s threatened in the top of the fifth. With one out, Elvis Andrus doubled to left field. Andrus tagged on Tony Kemp’s fly to right field. Mark Canha walked to put men on at first and third. Astros’ pitcher Christian Javier struck out Matt Olson looking. The Astros still lead 2-0 halfway through the fifth.

Houston plated three runs in the sixth. With one out, Yordan Alvarez did his best Willie McCovey impersonation as he blasted a solo home run into the second deck of Minute Maid Park. Irvin walked the next batter, Carlos Correa. A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in J.B. Wendelken to pitch.

Wendelken retired Yuli Guriel for the second out. Astros’ right fielder, Kyle Tucker, doubled down the left-field line to send Correa to third. Myles Straw singled to right to drive in Correa and Tucker. The Astros increased their advantage to 5-0 after six.

The Astros extended the lead to 6-0 in the seventh when Jose Altuve homered off A’s reliever Deolis Guerra. Guerra was called up to fill a vacancy in the bullpen.

The A’s put two runs on the board in the top of the ninth. It was too little, too late. Aramis Garcia, pinch-hitting for Mitch Moreland, singled to start the rally. He scored the A’s first run when Stephen Piscotty doubled. Jed Lowrie, pinch-hitting for Tony Kemp, singled to drive in Piscotty with the A’s second run. The A’s could do more. The Astros win 6-2.

Game Notes- With the loss, the A’s are 1-7 for the season. The Astros are 6-1. Five of the Astros wins have come at the expense of the A’s

Houston’s hitting stars were Carlos Correa with a home run and two RBIs and Yordan Alvarez with a monster dinger and a double.

The A’s received bad news about the closer, Trevor Rosenthal. Rosenthal had Thoracic Outlet surgery Thursday to remove an impingement in his shoulder. He will be re-evaluated in eight weeks and is expected to miss about four months of the season. The A’s also announced that lefty A.J.Puk has gone on the ten-day IL with a shoulder issue. The A’s recalled Deolis Guerra to take his spot in the bullpen.

The A’s meet the Astros Friday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Lefty Sean Manaea will start for Oakland, and righty Lance McCullers will go for Houston. The game will start at 5:10 pm.

Tim Miles holds introductory press conference today

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Photo credit: @SanJoseStateMBB

By Ana Kieu

The Tim Miles era has officially begun in San Jose, Calif. Miles spoke about his vision for the future of San Jose State men’s basketball in his introductory press conference on Tuesday.


Here’s the initial press release, which was released on Tuesday.

After a nationwide search, San Jose State University named Tim Miles head coach of the men’s basketball program. SJSU Director of Athletics Marie Tuite made the announcement on Tuesday.
 
“I am so thrilled to announce Tim Miles as our new head men’s basketball coach and welcome him and his wife, Kari, daughter Ava, son Gabe and “Sammy” (family dog) to the Spartan Family,” Tuite told the media. “Going into this national search, my top priorities were to find someone that not only had head coaching experience, but also had success in building programs. Coach Miles fits that description perfectly. If you look at the job he did at Colorado State and Nebraska, you will see that he completely changed the culture of those programs and elevated each program to new heights. I have full confidence that he is going to the same here at San José State.”
 
Miles, who re-enters to coaching ranks on the cusp of 400 career wins (399-334), brings over 24 years of head coaching experience with him to the South Bay, most recently at the University of Nebraska where he led the Cornhuskers from 2012-2019. During his time in Lincoln, Nebraska saw unprecedented success as they were guided to some of their most successful seasons in program history. In 2014, just two seasons after being hired, Miles led the team to their first NCAA Tournament in 16 seasons. He was named the Jim Phelan Award winner for national coach of the year and was also tabbed as the Big Ten Coach of the Year.

“I’m excited to join President Mary Papazian, Marie Tuite, Charlie Faas and the San Jose State Athletic Department,” Miles said. “I have been most impressed with their genuine enthusiasm and eagerness of the entire administration and staff to elevate the men’s basketball program. I’m ready to raise the bar and work arm and arm with Marie to make our basketball program a team that will compete at the highest level of the Mountain West Conference and beyond.

“I can’t wait to get on campus to meet the team, begin assembling our staff and recruiting the type of player that will match our expectations for winning basketball.”

The 2013-14 season made Nebraska the talk of college basketball after they reached the tournament, despite being selected to finish last in the Big Ten standings. They overcame a 1-5 start in conference play, won 10 out of their last 12 games, and finished in fourth place with an 11-7 record. Among those wins was a 60-51 victory over #9 Michigan State, the program’s first road win over a top-10 program since 1997, and a 77-68 win over Wisconsin, who later advanced to the 2014 Final Four.

Nebraska’s turnaround began immediately under Miles’ wing with the Cornhuskers seeing a three-win improvement from 12-15 wins in 2012-13. With just one returning starter, Miles and company defeated three NCAA Tournament teams and finished the year with a victory over Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament.

After the success of the Huskers’ NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013-14, the following season saw more firsts for the Nebraska program as they achieved a national ranking for the first time since 1995.

In 2017-18, Miles led the Cornhuskers to one of their most successful seasons in program history. Nebraska won 22 games, their most since 1990-91, with a school-record 13 wins in conference play. They earned a bid to the NIT for their first postseason appearance in four seasons.

In Miles’ final season at Nebraska, the Huskers won 19 games and earned another top-25 ranking in the Associated Press poll. They advanced to their second-straight NIT appearance.

In his seven seasons at the helm of Nebraska, Miles guided nine players to All-Big Ten accolades including two-time all-conference pick Terran Petteway, who became the first Husker in program history to win the Big Ten scoring title in 2013-14 with an average of 18.1 points per game.

In addition to being a premier talent at building programs, Miles demanded excellence from his student-athletes in the classroom. He guided 17 Nebraska players to Academic All-Big Ten honors, including a conference-best five selections in 2015. In 2014-15, Shamian Shields became the first player in program history to earn first-team Academic All-American honors.

Prior to his extended stint at Nebraska, Miles made a name for himself at Colorado State when he took the Rams to new heights and laid the foundation for what’s now one of the top teams in the Mountain West. In five seasons, he increased his win total in each season with his best year being 2011-12 where he saw CSU defeat a school-record three ranked teams to their first 20-plus win season since 1997-98. The Rams finished with a 20-12 record, put three players on the all-conference team, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nine years. For his efforts, Miles was named the District VIII Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

The 2011-12 CSU team averaged 70.1 points per game and was the MW leader in field goal percentage (47.1), 3-point percentage (40.0), and free throw percentage (76.8). They also were one of just two programs nationwide to rank in the top 10 in both free throw and 3-point percentage. The Rams’ 20-win campaign was just the seventh in program history.

Similar to what he would eventually do at Nebraska, Miles quickly turned the CSU program around. His first two seasons saw the Rams battle through growing pains and injuries while continuing to make strides. CSU improved their win total in league play in his second season and finished the year off with a key victory over Wyoming in the MW Tournament.

Years three through five were some of the most successful for the Rams in recent history, culminating in CSU’s NCAA Tournament bid in 2011-12. In 2009-10, he led the Rams to their first postseason appearance in seven years after posting 16 regular-season wins. CSU was selected to participate in the CBI, and he was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.com.

The 2010-11 team finished in fourth place in the MW after posting the program’s first winning record since 2007. The Rams finished the year 19-13 and earned a berth to the NIT for their second-straight postseason appearance. Miles and company won nine conference games that year, the most for the Rams since the formation of the MW in 1999-2000, and received votes in the top-25 national poll at the year’s end for the first time since 2005-06.

Before going to CSU, Miles was the head coach of the North Dakota State Bisons for six seasons, where he guided the program through their transition to Division I. The Bison reached at least 16 wins in each of Miles’ final five seasons. One of their biggest moments came in 2005-06 against 13th-ranked Wisconsin. NDSU handed the Badgers a 62-55 loss, snapping Wisconsin’s 27-game win streak against non-conference opponents. The loss was also just one of 10 non-conference home losses for the Badgers under hall of fame coach Bo Ryan. Miles was awarded the CBS Sportsline Division I Independent Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award.

Miles was also the catalyst for turning around Southwest Minnesota State University, who he guided for four seasons before joining NDSU. Prior to his arrival, the Mustangs had just one winning season in the previous decade. He changed all of that by posting a 78-39 four-year total, including a program-record 28-win season in 2001. The Mustangs won the 2001 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship and the NCAA North Central Regional Championship before advancing to the Division II Elite Eight. He was named the NSIC and North Central Region Coach of the Year Awards for his unprecedented success.

Miles made his head coaching debut as the head man at Mayville (N.D.) State University. The program was just 4-44 in the previous two seasons before he took over. He was able to turn things around and led them to a 35-22 record over three seasons. Miles was inducted into the Mayville State Hall of Fame in 2016.

Before reaching the head coaching ranks, Miles made his coaching debut as an assistant at Northern State. He spent six seasons on staff from 1989-90 to 1994-95, helping lead the program to five NAIA playoff appearances and five regional titles. As the team’s recruiting coordinator, he brought in and molded five All-Americans and helped the Wolves advance to the NAIA National Championship in back-to-back seasons.

A Doland, S.D. native, Miles graduated from the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., in 1989. He then earned his master’s degree in health and physical education from Northern State in 1990. In 2007, he was inducted into the University of Mary Hall of Fame.

Following his stint at Nebraska, Miles took a two-year break from coaching, turning in his whistle for a microphone. He worked for the Big Ten Network, Fox Sports, and FS1 as an analyst in 2019 and also took his talents to a podcast called “Inside the Mind of Miles” as part of the “Field of 68” college basketball media network.

Miles and his wife, Kari, have one daughter, Ava, and one son, Gabe. They have a yellow lab, who’s appropriately named Sammy.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants home opener Friday with Rockies; Cueto scheduled starter for SF

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The San Francisco Giants Darin Ruf circles the bases after hitting his second home run of the season in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres pitcher Blake Snell at Petco Park on Wed Apr 7, 2021 (AP News photo)

#1 Michael, the Giants last two wins have been by a narrow margin but if your a good club you can win the close games such what they did against the Seattle Mariners and on Wednesday against the San Diego Padres.

#2 Talk about Wednesday starting pitcher Kevin Guasman he’s not the number one starter without a reason throwing seven innings, four hits and one run scored and improves his ERA to 1.32.

#3 Michael, Darin Ruf was key in his home run at bat against the Padres on Wednesday he has two home runs in nine at bats now.

#4 The Giants last two wins are from two come from behind wins Giants manager Gabe Kapler knows that old saying all too well that good pitching beats good hitting and a team like the Padres will battle you.

#5 Next up for the Giants it’s the home opener against the Colorado Rockies (2-4) and the Giants Johnny Cueto is scheduled to get the call talk about his start and how important it is to be back at Oracle for the home opener on Friday.

Join Michael for the Giants podcasts on Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

He Was A Giant? Feature; Jake Brown 1975 By Tony the Tiger Hayes

Published on by Sports Radio Service1 Comment

(photo from San Francisco Giants)

Jake Brown – OF – 1975 – # 32

He Was A Giant?

By Tony the Tiger Hayes

These days you typically don’t find top MLB prospects seeking off -season employment just to put food on the table.

You’re even less likely to find one who would jeopardize it all by working an industrial manufacturing job with the same inherent, hair-raising dangers graphically described in Upton Sinclair’s 1905 novel “The Jungle.”

But that’s where former top Giants top draft pick Jake Brown – who appeared in 41 games for San Francisco in 1975 – found himself in October of 1973.

Unlike some athletes of that era who land cushy public relations jobs or sold Buicks and Oldsmobiles in the off season, Brown was elbows deep in the nitty-gritty.

After batting .290 with 80 RBI for Triple-AAA Phoenix that year, Brown traded in his flip-down sunglasses and polyester baseball threads for protective goggles and fire retardant coveralls to work behind limb endangering heavy machinery at a Texas steel factory.

Predictably, the results were, well, predictable.

In an instant Brown went from being a contender for a major league roster spot to becoming a candidate for amputation.

Why Was He a Giant?

Originally a 33rd round draft pick by Minnesota out of high school in Houston, Brown instead opted to attend Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge. There, he would significantly improved historical draft status with two standout seasons for the Jaguars.

Brown was subsequently selected with the Giants’ first round pick (second overall) in the secondary phase of the June, 1969 amateur draft. The now defunct secondary phase was held for players who had previously been drafted.

The muscular OF was faced with a lot of competition in the Giants minor league rungs, but was steadily progressing when the unheard of happened.

Before & After

The prospective big leaguer was working on a sheet metal assembly line when his left arm was caught between a lathe and a piece of sheet metal – the appendage was viciously and severely lacerated, and also fractured in two places.

Amputation was strongly considered.

“I figured that was it. I just knew I was going to lose my left arm,” Brown said two years later.

But skilled Texas neurosurgeon Dr. Richard Eppright discovered a single nerve still intact running the length of his arm.

Miraculously, Jake was able to wiggle his pinkie finger and the arm was saved.

Brown lost a lot of blood and spent two weeks intensive care. The arm was saved, but what about his baseball career?

Despite his harrowing encounter, Brown was determined to play in the major leagues.

He would miss all of 1974, but by 1975 Brown was ready to go.

Brown began the season at Double-AA Lafayette and at age 27 proved he had his stroke back – batting .307 in 19 games for the Drillers.

He soon got the call he was long waiting for from the mezzanine level offices of Candlestick Park.

Skipper Wes Westrum was on the horn welcoming him to the Major Leagues.

Brown made his MLB at Candlestick Park in a Saturday afternoon blow out loss to the Cardinals, entering the game in the late innings as a defensive replacement.

Afterwards an emotional Brown expressed his gratitude to the Giants organization.

“ A lot of clubs would see a guy get hurt that bad and forget about them. I have to thank them for this opportunity,” Brown said.

Brown encountered his share of problems with the Orange & Black, but would play out the ‘75 season as a backup OF and pinch hitter for SF – hitting .209 in 43 at-bats.

Brown found himself back at back at Lafayette in 1976. In mid-season, he was dealt to Atlanta along with three other players including 1B Willie Montanez in exchange for IFs Darrell Evans and Marty Perez.

Brown would retire from baseball following the ‘76 season having not returned to the majors.

He Never Had a Bobblehead Day. But…

It appeared Brown was beginning to feel his big league sea legs when he belted the ball hard three times, including a booming double in a 8-6 loss at Philadelphia (5/28/75). In his next start, Jake batted in the cleanup spot and whacked a three-run, bases-loaded double off Dave McNally in the first inning of a 13-5 win at Montreal (6/1/75).

But in keeping with the snake-bit theme of his career, the next day’s papers had nary a mention of Brown’s three-RBI two-bagger.

Instead, splashed across the front page of the San Francisco sports sections was a generous photo of the Giant knocked out cold on the the Jarry Park warning track.

Brown had had a bead on a long Larry Parrish, 3rd inning blast. Jake got leather on the drive as he soared towards the outfield fence. Initially, it appeared the popular rookie had made a phenomenal catch.

But after flying though the air, Brown’s face bashed into an outfield support post. The ball bounded off his glove and skipped over the wall for a home run.

Brown suffered a fractured cheek bone and a concussion and would be out of action for two weeks.

Giant Footprint

Sadly, in 1981 Brown would pass in Houston from Leukemia.

Though he died way too young – just 33 – let’s hope that his final days Brown took solice that he he was able to accomplish to big league dream.

“It was a miracle my arm was restored,” Brown once said. “When I knew they’d somehow fixed it, I was determined to perform for the Giants.”

That, he did.