Goodwin Scores Winning Run

Rocky Mount's Brian Goodwin the starting centerfielder  of the Syracuse Chiefs scored the winning run for the International League Allstars tonight in Charlotte after he singled in the fifth reached third on a single and scored on a ground out.  The International League won 4-2.  Goodwin went 1-3 and had three put outs in centerfield as he played the entire game.

Winston Salem National won the state championship in the 7/8 year old machine pitch little league tournament in Wilson.  WSN beat Wilson in the championship game  10-0.  The five games that Winston Salem played they gave up seven runs. They gave up six runs in the semi final victory over Rocky Mount 7-6.  Just how close was Rocky Mount to winning it all?

Next week is the second dead week of the summer where no high school coaches can have contact with their players for any practice.  The reason it is a dead period next week is the NCHS coaches convention in Greensboro and the East West All Star games will be played in basketball, soccer and football.

Monday's basketball where both the boys and girls will play a double header in the Greensboro Coliseum starting at 6:30 for the girls and the boys on Monday July 18th.  There are no basketball players from Nash County or the Big East playing in either game.

Tuesday is soccer night as both soccer games will be played at McPherson  Stadium at Brian Park and Northern  Nash's Rebeka Beal will play for the east in the girls game while Tristan Smith from Hunt will be in the boys game.

Football will close out the all star festivities on Wednesday when they take the field at Jamieson Stadium at Grimsley High School. Zach Foster quarterback from Southern Nash will represent Nash County and the Big East.  Beddingfield's Amorris Lile will be be the lone player from Wilson County.  Fike's Tom Nelson will be the head coach of the east.

Down two games to one Garner won the last two games in their series with Cary and will now take on Apex for the western division finals in American Legion Area One baseball.  The winner will qualify for the state championship tournament this year at Wingate College.  Garner was the top seed and Apex number two so the cream rose to the top.

The Eastern Division the top seed Pitt County will meet the second seed Wayne County and the winner of that three of five series will also earn a spot at Wingate.  Both East and west winners even though both will have qualified to the state tournament will play a seeding game as to who will be the east number one seed and number two.

The Quiet Man Retires

They say that first impressions say a lot.  Way back in 1994 this guy that was a swimmer shows up at Wake Forest to play basketball and after watching him play about three times he became my favorite player not playing for NC State.

Tim Duncan who used the backboard on jump shots, blocked shots and if he ran the block down off running with teammates to try to score.  I don't know I ever at anytime while in college or 19 years in the pros saw him pump his chest to say look what I have done as many players do these days.

Being interviewed after winning NBA championships games he was a hard interview because it was never about him.  Just may be the last two weeks of the playoffs he showed his age that he no longer could play at the championship level.   Other than the final two weeks he was an all pro more worried about how he could help his teammates over what they could do for him.  While others had year long retirement tours he simply walked off the court in his last game praised the team that beat the Spurs and two months later gets the team to announce his retirement.

He was on Spurs teams that won 5 NBA titles. Won the MVP of the NBA twice.  He is known at Timmy, The Big Fundamental, Ground Hog Day and Old Man Riverwalk.  Played in 1392 games 7th all time.  Won more than 1000 games second all time.  Third all time winning percentage per games played 69.5.  Scored 26,494 14th all time.  With Tim it was never about how many I can score.  Rebounds 15,091 6th.  Blocks 3,020 5th.

He walked softly, but will go down in NBA history as the greatest power forward  in the game.  While others were making 25 million a year and playing on losing teams Tim Duncan redid his contract so others could join the Spurs.  He was about the only reason I watched NBA games when the Spurs were on as the brand of basketball played in the NBA and the actions of the players is not watchable for me.  Tim Duncan played the game the way it is suppose to be played.  I don't see on the horizon any player that makes me want to watch.

I will miss Tim Duncan.