Serena Bags Another Title

Serena Williams wins another Wimbledon Title.  She surely has been the best women's tennis player in the last twenty years.  Her Wimbledom win was her 21st major in her career.  At 33 years old she is the oldest  majors winner ever.  She ranks third all time in major wins behind Margaret Court 24 wins and Steffie Graf 22.  She now has won Wimbledon six times, the U.S. Open six and the Australian six times.  She only has won the French three times.

Tonight begins the three day major all star celebrations.  Their will be the Futures Game featuring the up and coming minor league stars.  Monday the Home Run derby  with a format where players will be in one on one brackets.  Then Tuesday's all star game with the winning team getting their league  home field advantage in the World Series.

The times are a changing in Major League Baseball.  Half of the Kansas City Royals will be in the starting line up during Tuesday night's all star game.  Their fans stuff the ballot box in maybe the smallest city in the major leagues.

The final night of the NFL top 100 players ended last week and no surprise at all with J J Watt being voted the number one player.  This was voted by the NFL players and their is no better award when it comes from your peers.

There is another week to go until the high school coaches convention in Greensboro.  The football all star game plus both boy and  girls basketball and the soccer all star games.  Coaches will hear about new rules as well as attending meetings where they will hear other coaches and in some cases big named college coaches lecture on how to coach their sport.

There will also be coaches looking jobs and there are many unfilled vacancies  through out the area.  I have reliable sources telling me that two of Nash Rocky Mount high school baseball jobs are empty right now.  If you have heard the rumors one rumor is true but their is an unexpected baseball opening   From a coach leaving the County to take a baseball job out of the County.  That one will shock everybody

No Weekend For Lauren

Lauren Doughtie's third attempt in the Women's U S Open is over.   Finishing up her last five holes Friday morning after being force off the course Thursday by weather Lauren Shot  76 which was a wonderful finish considering she was seven over after her first nine.  She shot one under 34 and had about 45 minutes before her second round began.

Thursday she started on number 10 hole first and from hole four through nine she had two double bogies and three bogies.  Friday she teed off from the first tee and from the second through th sixth she was seven over.  A double, triple and two bogies.  She also bogies the ninth to finish eight over through the first nine.  She shot 35 on the back for a 78 and 154 total.

This being her third open she has progressed each year.  2008 her junior year at N C State she shot 78-87 missing the cut.  2011 shooting 78-81.  Now 76-78 154 was still eight shots from the cut.  The bottom line this year eleven holes she was 15 over.  Twenty five holes one under.  If she never plays another Open she can tell her grand children about the three she played.

Wilson Post 13 at one point with one game to go was 14-1.  The last game of the season playing Kinston with a chance to clinch first they lost to Kinston to force a three way tie for first between Eastern Wayne, Kinston and Wilson.  A draw gave the top seed to Eastern Wayne, Wilson second.  Both got first round byes.  Kinston drew Windsor and wouldn't you know it Windsor forfeited sending Kinston to a two/three match up with Wilson.

Game one Kinston won 6-3 and headed home for game two of the best three out of five.  Kinston won that game two as Rocky Mount's Blake Helms pitch eight innings striking out nine.  Kinston scored in the bottom of the ninth to win 4-3 putting Wilson  in a tough 0-2 hole.

Friday night back in Wilson a Blake Helms pitch hit single put runners on second and third and another single gave Wilson a 5-4 win setting up game four Saturday back in Kinston.  Going into Friday night's game Eastern Wayne led Pitt County 2-0.

Reading the article in the Telegram about all the forfeits that have occurred in scholastic baseball this summer and Post 58 not fielding a team just think Post 58 could be in those Legion Semi's if just the best from the local scholastics plus those from Nash County playing Legion in Wilson.  Which do you think is better for our better players in the area.  Legion or Scholastic?  Legion plays top players from other areas while Scholastic plays players from this area. Where should your son be?