HI NOTES: Intra-squad DH &First Pitch Celebration

Saturday was a full day for Missouri Baseball.  At noon they played a pair of intra-squad games, wearing the new uniforms for the first time.  Then came the annual First Pitch Celebration in the evening.

Hope everyone has fun at Mardi Gras this weekend. We will be preparing for a season.
— Sal Belfonte (@salbelf22) February 9, 2013

The team was indeed preparing for the season, less than a week away, playing on a cool afternoon while their basketball brothers across the road exacted revenge on Ole Miss and their softball sisters watched Chelsea Thomas throw a pitch that broke a metal bat.

You can see some photos we grabbed of the baseball Tigers in their new uniforms here:  BLACK & GOLD.

FIRST PITCH

A good crowd gathered at Columbia's Executive Center for the 9th Annual First Pitch Celebration.

There was a display of all the new jerseys on a table in the banquet hall.  See the photos below.

A few notes from the gathering:

• Andy Benes, the featured speaker, arrived with Al Bond.  Their sons, Shane and Brett, are Junior team mates at Westminster Academy, and have both made early commitments to play for Mizzou.  Bond is also the father of former Tiger Brock Bond.
  
• It was also good to see another pair: Senior RHP Eric Anderson sitting with Freshman RHP Alec Rash.  That's the sort of mentoring that speaks well of the direction this team is taking.
  
• Tim Jamieson made several comments about the past 10 years of Mizzou Baseball:
  
• Only Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas, and Ole Miss have been to more NCAA Regionals in the past 10 years than Missouri has (8-in-10 years)
  
• Missouri has played in more Big 12 Championship games in the past 10 years than any other team
• 53 of 55 seniors from the team have graduated in the past 10 years
• Coach J repeated what he has said before, that the jump from the Big 8 to the Big 12 was a bigger step, a more daunting task, than the move from the Big 12 to the SEC.
• He says the huge and hostile crowd in the SEC will not be the team's biggest obstacle, since the team has always done well on big stages
• Andy Benes told lots of stories about his career in baseball, the ups and the downs, and had a piece of advice regarding the move to the SEC:  "Believing you belong is the biggest factor."
• Benes began his presentation by passing his Olympic Gold Medal and his World Series ring through the crowd of Tiger players

2011 Cardinals World Series ring I got to try on.. #diamondsondiamonds instagr.am/p/ViILKAgZpk/
— Jace Rock James (@Jacerock) February 10, 2013

Got called out by Andy Benes for being from Arkansas in front of a huge crowd.... Cool
— Andrew Hohn (@AndrewHohn) February 10, 2013

@mutigerbaseball First Pitch. Home whites twitter.com/trripleplay/st…
— TR Robertson (@trripleplay) February 10, 2013

@mutigerbaseball First Pitch. Road greys twitter.com/trripleplay/st…
— TR Robertson (@trripleplay) February 10, 2013

@mutigerbaseball First Pitch More new uni pics twitter.com/trripleplay/st…
— TR Robertson (@trripleplay) February 10, 2013

@mutigerbaseball First PitchCream color jersey twitter.com/trripleplay/st…
— TR Robertson (@trripleplay) February 10, 2013

@mutigerbaseball First Pitch. Gold jersey twitter.com/trripleplay/st…
— TR Robertson (@trripleplay) February 10, 2013

New Uniforms: Black

New Uniform Photos: Gold

The Tigers wore their new uniforms today in intra-squad comepetition. Here are some shots of the gold jerseys:

HI NOTES: Super Recruits & The Outlier

FIRST PITCH

Don't forget: the annual First Pitch Celebration is this Saturday evening. It's worth checking out, if only to get a first live look at the new baseball uniforms. There's also a buffet, an intro to the team by Coach Jamieson, plenty of time to mingle and talk to players, former players, their families, the coaches, and fellow fans.

Oh, and some guy named Andy Benes is the featured speaker.

Details HERE

RECRUITING

♦ Prep Baseball Report talks about some Mizzou recruits in the coverage of the recent Super 60 showcase:

Jake Ring: Ring ran a 6.64 60 at the Super 60, and has been as low as 6.60 at a previous PBR event. More importantly, his speed translates in the field...Offensively, he has a lead-off hitter approach – simple, quiet, line-drive swing. He has extremely quick hands at the plate...

Jordan Getzelman: He creates loft and carry; couple that with high-level bat speed and natural strength, and you have the makings of a true power hitter at the next level....

Ryan Howard: He particularly impressed on his backhand deep in the hole. Offensively, continued to open eyes with a balanced and aggressive plate approach, highlighted by quiet swing mechanics and advanced bat speed...

PRESEASON SEASON

♦ Most everybody has beenpicking the Tigers to finish 6th in the SEC East, ahead of Tennessee.  But not Baseball America: 2013 Southeastern Conference Preview. Freshman Alec Rash is listed as one of ten Top Newcomers in the SEC this season, but apparently he'll be playing for the last place team.

Missouri and Texas A&M join the Southeastern Conference for baseball, and the Tigers decided to make the jump with junior-college players, penciling in four in their everyday lineup and another at closer. They are hoping 6-foot-5, 228-pound Sr. RHP Eric Anderson can bounce back from a pair of arm surgeries to contribute a veteran presence; he had shoulder surgery in 2010 that sidelined him for half of 2011, then had Tommy John surgery in May 2012...

♦ College Baseball Daily also comes out with their Conference Preview: SEC East, which slots Mizzou at the usual 6th in the East, but does it with a little more accurate and up-to-date information about the team than most of the national previews. Maybe because one of their stringers happens to be a Mizzou Student, who also works in the Athletic Department.

Ace Rob Zastryzny looks to be on the cusp of first-round draft status, and Eric Anderson has recovered nicely from Tommy John surgery in May. Logan Pearson and Keaton Steele are players to watch for offensively for the Tigers, as both newcomers have high upside and will get a shot to show what they’re made of...

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE


Ole Miss Baseball 2013 Promotional #2 from Ole Miss Rebels on Vimeo.

HI NOTES: Tigers on Deck, Future Stars, Gibby Gallery, Low Tide

Be sure to check out  TIGERS ON DECK,
the MU Baseball student fan group, on Facebook!

TIGERS ON DECK

♦ Mizzou Students: Join Tigers on Deck (mutigers.com)

Notable Tigers on Deck Promotions This Season
- Pregame Tailgate featuring games, music, free food and drink and Tiger Crew meet-and-greets.

Pregame tailgates will be featured for the following games
- March 1 vs. Northwestern - Mizzou Home Opener
- March 15 vs. #7 South Carolina - Mizzou SEC Opener
- March 30 vs. #10 LSU - Mizzou's First-Ever Televised Home SEC Game
- April 19 vs. #17 Florida
- May 17 vs. #11 Kentucky - Come honor the Tiger seniors
- Prize Drawings Every Weekend
- Free Hot Chocolate for TOD Members
- Free Admission and VIP seating with other TOD members at every game
- Tiger Crew Meet-and-Greets before every Sunday game

COLLEGE BASEBALL

♦ If you needed any further motivation to be a College Baseball fan, scroll through the names and faces of MLB.com's 2013 Top 100 Prospects.  You'll see Mizzou's own Kyle Gibson check in at #49,but you'll also see many names college ball fans will recognize from the past few years, including Texas A&M's Michael "OwnedByMizzou" Wacha.

Gibson came out of Missouri and did as expected, moving quickly through the Twins system. He was on the brink of being big-league ready when he needed Tommy John surgery late in 2011. The big right-hander did return in 2012 and shook off the rust, starting the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game and showing, at least in glimpses, that his stuff was back. That repertoire includes an above-average fastball with sink and an outstanding sinking changeup. His slider gives him a third above-average offering. When he's right, he keeps the ball down in the zone from a downhill plane, inducing many groundballs. Now putting the surgery in his rearview mirror, Gibson should get the chance to help out in Minnesota very soon.

MU IN THE MINORS

♦ Prospect Uniformed: Twins Righty Starter Kyle Gibson in Every Minor League

Jersey He’s Worn (MLB Prospective)
How about June 2009, when Minnesota made the 6-foot-6-inch right-hander the 22nd overall selection the Draft? In the four years since, Gibson has pitched for three Minor League teams (not counting the Gulf Coast League Twins, whom he rehabbed with briefly this past year) and one in the Arizona Fall League. I expect him to return to Triple-A Rochester this spring but wouldn’t be surprised to see him north-bound by summer. Here is a gallery of Gibson, in every uni he’s donned to date. Click on any picture to begin the slideshow.

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

♦Team Speed Kills begins their 2013 SEC Baseball Preview with We've Found the Sport at Which Alabama's Not Great

...This is not a super-young team -- though there is a lot of youth here -- but it is a somewhat inexperienced one, having lost 224 position starts while returning 271. But most of the focus has to come back to the pitching. If the Tide can tighten that up, they can probably wrangle an invitation to Hoover, but a trip to the NCAAs still seems to be asking a bit much for now.

WORD ON THE TWEET

Mike Yastrzemski was not impressed with Tony Kemp while waiting to speak to the media prior to last Friday's practice. twitter.com/VandyBaseball/…
— VandyBaseball (@VandyBaseball) January 29, 2013

HI NOTES: Season Ticket Deal, John Hancocks, EA Starts

TICKETS

I'll take one of these caps,
please & thank you.

♦ Baseball Season Tickets Remain on Sale (mutigers.com)

As the Mizzou baseball program prepares for its inaugural season as members of the nation's premier baseball league, the Southeastern Conference, the Tigers on counting on the support from Mizzou Nation this year. Season tickets for the 2013 Mizzou campaign are still available to the public, and the first 500 fans to purchase season tickets will receive a free Mizzou baseball hat.

At just $60 for adults and $30 for youth, Mizzou baseball season tickets are one of the most affordable packages in the SEC and give fans a chance to see every game at Taylor Stadium for just $2 per contest. A family pass (two adults/two children) is also on sale for just $150...

Ian Kinsler and teammates sign autographs in 2003

SIGN HERE

♦ Mizzou Baseball to Sign Autographs at Men's Basketball Saturday (mutigers.com)

At Saturday's Mizzou men's basketball game against Auburn, scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at Mizzou Arena, fans may notice a Mizzou baseball theme as the Tigers will be on hand to sign autographs for fans during halftime on the game. In addition, the team will be recognized for its Big 12 Championship last season during the first half of Saturday's game. Also, former baseball standout and current Texas Ranger and MLB All-Star Ian Kinsler will be recognized at halftime of Saturday's game as part of the 2013 Mizzou Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The autograph session will begin at halftime of the game on Saturday on the main concourse of Mizzou Arena. The team will have free posters to give away to the public and fans will get the chance to interact with the Tigers, who are preparing for their inaugural season as members of the Southeastern Conference.

PRE-SEASON SEASON

♦ Anderson rehab remains on schedule (Columbia Tribune)

"He's still on track to potentially throw an inning or two the first weekend," Jamieson said. "He's been doing great with his rehab. Hopefully he can not just feel well but throw well."

Jamieson said he'd prefer Anderson to start, even if it's no more than an inning, once he's ready for a game...

LOL

From RockMNation: Beaker and the Brain

Update: Auburn Uni-palooza

♦ The story behind Redesigning the Auburn Baseball Uniform (CollegeAndMagnolia.com), complete with more detailed photos.

That got me thinking. Could Auburn follow that same strategy? What would it look like if Auburn designed its uniforms based off of any of the 30 MLB clubs? And lo, a time killing, creatively fueling, and ultimately rewarding project was born. I took out my notebook and started to draft my ground rules...

My favorite, featuring the Auburn War Eagle:

Photo from  SBN CollegeAndMagnolia.com

The classic "Bird on Bat" logo is modified to just a single eagle. I also went with the Sunday home uniforms to cheat a bit and not have to try and warp the StL logo into some sort of AU hodgepodge.

Southern Exposure: Getting To Know U's

♦ Baseball's SID Shawn Davis (or more precisely, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications - Media) has started a series of short introductions to Mizzou's 2013 SEC opponents, including weird facts, Word on the Tweet, and other miscellany.  He started with MU's first opponent: Getting to Know SEC Baseball: South Carolina (mutigers.com)

Electric Gamecock
photo by Rick Stillwell

♦ Quick Thoughts From Vickash Ramjit Entering 2013 Season (gatorzone.com)

What do you think the fans at McKethan Stadium have to look forward to this season?

“They will have a lot of young faces to see; I feel they’re going to be very surprised. I think it’s going to be a mirror of the ‘10 season, when Nolan Fontana and those guys (including Cody Dent, Brian Johnson, Austin Maddox, Hudson Randall, Steven Rodriguez and Mike Zunino) came in. These guys have been in here day and night working and are so motivated. The fans are going to be excited to see these young guys. We could have a special team this year.”

♦ Auburn/MLB Jersey redesign. Great picture, interesting concept, not sure if it's for real or just for kicks. Check it out.

♦ Solo cup races at Ole Miss Baseball this season (totalfratmove.com). OK.

♦ Pretty lame 2013 Florida Baseball Commercial. But hey, it's better than the one Missouri Baseball is running.

Mizzou Baseball Scout Day: Unis & Positions

The photos below provide a quick look (through the imperfect lens of my iPhone) of the new Nike style of the practice uniforms.  The actual game day unis may be different, but this gives us an idea what to expect.

I'm partial to the grey (Nike anthracite) jersey myself.  But then, I'm such a fun guy, my favorite color is grey.

I posted the official Fall Roster earlier today, but here's a closer look at the positions the coaches assigned the players for today's game.  It was hard to keep track because the printed rosters and positions for the game did not match what was on the field at times, as players did not necessarily play the same position throughout the game.  But this is my best recording of what the printed rosters said plus what I observed while I was there.  Other players may have gotten into the game after I left.

C - Ivory, Quintanilla, Kelly
1B - Stark, Lester, Steele
2B - Everett, Meyer, Keeton
3B - Segovia, Moore
SS - Keeton, McGraw
LF - Munson, Sommerfeld
CF - Belfonte, Champagne, Pearson
RF - Pearson, Opel, Sommerfeld
DH - Ullrich, Byrd

Tip This Cap? Death of an Icon

I feared it was coming.  I thought surely even Nike would recognize the value of a true original icon.  Or that someone would fight for keeping it around.

But apparently not.

@CoachPietro on Twitter: Adios skinny M... Say hello to your new @mutigerbaseball hats!

The new Mizzou M is not bad.  I didn't like the Tiger-head logo at first, but I'm now on my 4th or 5th cap with that logo.  It grows on you.  This one might as well.

But I'll be heading out to buy more than one cap with the classic "skinny M", as Coach Pietro calls it.  I will need enough of them to last until the excitement over the new look dies down and someone decides that we need to build interest by once again incorporating the cap that has symbolized Missouri Baseball for decades.

From Twitter:

Mike McGraw: Dan...those are iffy bub

Evan Frey, MU alum: @CoachPietro @mutigerbaseball love the skinny M

Caitlin Swieca (Missourian sports writer): Not a fan of the new @MUTigerBaseball hats. Judge for yourself

MIZ-RIP

HI NOTES: Unitards, Heartbreak Kids, Major Progress, Proof Positive

NOT the new Football Helmet

UNIFORMS

Mizzou unveiled the new Nike "department wide branding and identity program" at halftime of the Spring Football Game today.  There is a nifty Photo Gallery of the new uniforms HERE.

Fans of Baseball will notice, however, that there are no pictured baseball uniforms (or Softball, Track, or any other Spring sport).  The explanation I received is that those uniforms are not finalized yet.  Others have suggested it's because they can't show the new Nike design while Baseball is still under the current UnderArmour contract.

None of which explains why the cool video of Max Scherzer ogling the new baseball uniform designs - the one you can still see at Mizzou All Access and that has been shown on the Taylor Stadium giant scoreboard video screen all season - included prominent and repeated use of the 4•14•12 logo, just like all those other uniform-peek videos.

Anyway, I guess we wait.

But I have given you a preview already.  The four official branding colors are the new MU Gold, Nike's signature Anthracite, Black and White.  The SimmonsField.com script at the top of this blog and the color of the links are now in the official new Gold; the main background color in the margins between the posts and the sidebars is now the official Nike Anthracite. And Black on White is, of course, what you're reading.

GAME DAY

♦ Sooners win in second straight against Tigers (Norman Transcript)

Both teams combined for 15 hits through three innings… The Sooners are 12-5 this season when recording at least 10 hits… Jack Mayfield has reached base in 20 straight games and extended his hitting streak to nine games… Missouri’s Blake Brown extended his hitting streak to 21 games after going 1-for-5…

♦ Dishonorable Mentions: Missouri (College Baseball Today)

These are the Heartbreak Kids. The Tigers lost a heartbreaker of a game one at Oklahoma, dropping a 6-5 decision in 10 innings. This marked the sixth loss in their seven Big 12 conference losses where they’d lost by a run or two. Poor dudes. And not only that, but the Tigers took a 5-4 win in the top of the 10th inning, only to give the game away with a pair of runs to the Sooners in the bottom part of the frame.

MU IN THE MAJORS

♦ Max Scherzer strikes out 11 but Tigers lose to White Sox 5-2 (Washington Post)

Max Scherzer had the Chicago White Sox swinging and missing most of the afternoon. The right-hander struck out 11 in six innings Friday, a performance that was a dramatic improvement over his first start this season.
. . .
“The results were better. I didn’t feel like I was as bad as after my first start,” Scherzer said.

“I made a few adjustments after that and I was able to throw the ball pretty well today. Unfortunately, I made a couple mistakes and I paid for it.”

♦ Detroit Tigers' Max Scherzer on realizing he did not have his glove: 'I was panicking' (mlive.com)

So how did Max Scherzer feel when he realized two minutes before he headed to the field for his start Saturday that he had left his glove behind in Detroit?

Scherzer said he "went into a panic attack."

"I was panicking, like, 'Whose glove am I going to use?' " Scherzer said. "(Justin) Verlander's was closest to mine, and even then it wasn't even comfortable pitching with his."
Scherzer said he tried on a handful of gloves -- "There are only so many right-handers," he said -- before he settled on Justin Verlander's.

"None of them felt right," Scherzer said. "I felt naked."

♦ Ranger Of The Week: Ian Kinsler (CBS DFW)

To borrow an old phrase from cable channel VH1, Ian Kinsler is having the Best Week Ever.

The 29-year-old second baseman started the 2012 season strong. With one week in the books Kinsler has already hit 3 home runs, scored 9 runs and is swinging a hefty .370 average.

♦ Numbers: Ian Kinsler 2011 vs. 2012 (ESPN)

Through eight games and 32 at-bats in 2012, Ian Kinsler has four homers and seven RBIs. The early power and run production isn't unusual. Through 32 at-bats (nine games) in 2011, Kinsler had four homers and seven RBIs. The difference: he's collecting singles and doubles too this season.

In 2011, Kinsler started 8-for-32, but four of those hits were homers. He was hitting .250, a mark that he hovered around all season, while joining the 30-30 club (30 or more homers and stolen bases).

♦ It's hard not to be excited about these Royals (Kansas City Star)

So maybe you’ve shared what Aaron Crow used to think of the Royals: “From the outside looking in, growing up, it didn’t seem like anybody really cared.”

And maybe today you’re willing to share in his optimism: “Now, being in the organization, you can tell (winning) is what they really want to do.”

NOT BASEBALL

♦ And finally, my son took this photo an hour or two ago while storm chasing in Kansas .

Proof positive:  Kansas Sucks

HI NOTES: Riding the Storm Out

2-day Forecast model from TornadoVideos.net

WEATHER


♦ Latest weather forecast:  Rain and Thunderstorms (possibly sever) likely at Norman, OK, from 5:00 PM on through 9:00 AM Saturday.  Then Storm chances pick up again around 3:00 PM Saturday, continuing well into Sunday.


MIZZOUTUBE


♦ Mizzou Network is showing that they will have live streaming video of the MU-OU baseball series this weekend (subscription required).

♦ There's a new 4•14•12 video at the Mizzou Network site featuring the new baseball uniforms.  It doesn't really show anything new or any more clearly than before.  Take a look, but the official unveiling will be tomorrow, folks.


GAME DAY

♦ Missouri looks to 'jump on' Oklahoma in weekend road trip (Columbia Missourian)

In Missouri's home baseball games, the team lines up inside the dugout and dances in unison to the Sugarhill Gang's "Jump On It" as its hitters prepare to bat in the bottom of the first inning.

The tradition was started by sophomore Mike McGraw, a junior college transfer from Bossier Parish Community College in Louisiana . . .

♦ Sooners, Cowboys do not rate among the Big 12's elite (NewsOK.com)

Big 12 baseball boasts three of the nation's Top 25 ranked ballclubs: No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 7 Baylor and No. 23 Texas.

Beyond that… not much.

Over the regular season's final six weeks, Big 12 pride and respect are on the spot and on the line, with a league typically considered a power conference needing to prove it still belongs among the big boys, or face the very real prospect of a reduced role in the NCAA Tournament.
The road to Omaha?

Right now, teams 4 through 9 in the Big 12 standings might want to simply show they're on a road to respectability — to .500.

♦ The Century Mark (College Baseball Today)

Ballyhooed Oklahoma fireballer Damien Magnifico pitched a nasty gem of a game in the Sooners’ 4-0 win over No. 9 Arkansas, tossing 8.2 innings of 3-hit ball. This was just his second career start for the Sooners, and couldn’t have come at a better time, helping the Big Red improve to 19-14 and drop the Razorbacks to 24-8. And as usual, the Sooner slinger was hitting 100+ on a number of occasions during the game.

But the best part of this story has to be the post-game quotes from OU head coach Sunny Golloway. According to SID Craig Moran’s write-up he said, “We’ve asked him to back off the power a little bit and make sure he gets strike one in there. When you ask him to back off, it’s still coming in at 95 miles per hour.”

Geez, if only every coach had that problem with their pitchers.

Max Scherzer 4•14•12

There's a new video on the Mizzou Network page of former Tiger Max Scherzer reacting to a sneak peek at the upcoming 2013 new Nike-designed Baseball unis.

A couple of quick screen shots:

HI NOTES: M, USF

There's a new Twitter group called @SaveThe_M, dedicated to preserving the use of the traditional block-M logo on MU Football helmets

@SaveThe_M:  "Proudly displayed on Tiger football helmets since 1971 and hoping to stay there in the tradition rich #SEC"

I sympathize , but I can't get too excited about those minor MU sports

@trripleplay:  @SaveThe_M Here's the M I care about saving: dugouthats.com/shop/images/mi… @mizbaseball

@SaveThe_M:  @trripleplay @mizbaseball Sorry, that's gotta go too. An 'M' doesn't represent the the Univ. of #Mizzou. Needs a swoosh. signed, #MikeAlden

♦ Media Notes for this weekend's series against the San Francisco Dons are now available at mutigers.com.

• Starting rotation still listed as Anderson, Zastryzny, Cline
  
  
• This weekend’s trip out west marks the Tigers’ second straight season in which they will play in California after playing in last year’s season-opening tournament at USC. Prior to this stretch, Mizzou had not played in California since 2008, when they played in a tournament hosted by San Diego. Since 2006, Mizzou is 8-6 in games played in California, but has lost two of its last three contests. In all, Mizzou is 16-19 overall against teams from California and the Tigers are 14-17 against West Coast Conference opponents

Word on the Tweet: New Cap

@CoachPietro on Twitter:

Check out the new alternate cap for the '12 season! #MIZ #MIZ lockerz.com/s/175572462

And I promise the color on the front is not neon yellow as the photo makes it appear.... #OldGold #notglowinthedarktigers

Aaron Crow, fashion model

♦ Uniform changes include All-Star Game logo (mlb.com)

Subtle changes in the Royals' uniforms were unveiled on Tuesday, but there's one striking addition that signals a big event for Kansas City -- the 2012 All-Star Game logo.

The logo is affixed to the right sleeve of all four versions of the Royals uniform. The All-Star Game, the first in Kansas City since 1973, will be on July 10 at Kauffman Stadium.

Pitcher Aaron Crow and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer modeled the newest versions of the uniforms at the Diamond Club at the stadium.

Mizzou Baseball Hype !!!!

If you're as tired as I am of reading about every minor detail about each milli-second of MU Football preseason practice (mutigers.com today had an in-depth look at the football equipment room!!??!!), here's what you've been waiting for:

First Day of Mizzou Baseball Player Workouts Hype!!!

♦ @CoachPietro began his day posting on Twitter:

Long sunrise run this morning, good weather so far, first day of player workouts... Gonna be a good one! #MIZ

♦ Freshman infielder Case Munson is celebrating Mizzou Baseball Christmas!!! (photo)

♦ Sophomore outfielder Brannon Champagne is enjoying the semi-celebrity life !!!

Had a photo shoot today with a make up lady and everything. Just #babysteps in achieving my dream which is to be an #actor (@BChampagne6 on Twitter)

♦ @MUTigerBaseball (aka MU Baseball's SID Shawn Davis) is spiffing up the trophy case with some great memorabilia.

♦ Freshman RHP Brandon Platts took time out from trying on the new free UnderArmour gear to get in some throwing. Considering he has been rehabbing from an injury through the summer, it's good to see his tweet:

Throwing felt really good today (@BPlatts05)

♦ Another freshman RHP, Brett Graves, was also glad to get started today:

Rockin #7 in the black and gold. First day of training went well! Ready to actually start pitching (@BGsmooth5)

♦ Tiger student-athletes @salbelf22 and @LandonLucansky4 are dealing with the ups and downs of the back-to-the-books life

♦ I'll let the Tiger player who rote this ironic tweet remain anonymous:

If I miss a class in English I have to right a 2 page paper. #perfect

♦ And good news: Shawn Davis promises a feature on MUTigers.com later this week. Hopefully he's talking about a baseball feature, but most likely he's writing about volleyball this time of year (they open their season this weekend with the 2011 Tiger Invitational)

176 Days and Counting !!!!!

SimmonsField Photo: Retro Unis

Four veterans of the 1910 Tigers:
O'Byre, Besheer (captain), William Harper, Eugene Hall
(Savitar photo)

Mizzou Baseball Quotes & Notes

■ ParkerEshelman.com has some great photos from the MU-NU series

■ Mizzou is featured in UnderArmour's throwback baseball uniforms look like flannel without sacrificing performance (ESPN.com Page 2), including a great composite shot of Brett Nicholas that I'm sure he (and his family) will be saving and setting as their desktop wallpaper.

This all might seem like a lot of fuss over a gray fabric, but Missouri baseball coach Tim Jamieson says people have noticed. "Very seldom do you have other coaches comment on your uniforms, but each coach we've played has said something about this one," he says. "They want to feel it, they want to see what it's all about. It's amazing, because from a distance it looks like my old Little League uniform, or what major league teams wore in the 1960s."

MU in the Majors>Minors

■ Tigers demote struggling Max Scherzer (Detroit News)
The Tigers made two rather surprising moves following Saturday night's 7-6, 12-inning victory over the Red Sox: Starting pitcher Max Scherzer and second baseman Scott Sizemore were demoted to Triple-A Toledo.
Both figured to be big keys to the Tigers this season, and both have struggled mightily.
Scherzer, the hard-throwing right-hander acquired in the December trade with the Diamondbacks, is 1-4 with a 7.29 ERA and has been absolutely rocked in his last four starts.

■ Tigers' coaches go to work on Max Scherzer's faulty arm (Detroit News)

A.J. Sager, the Toledo pitching coach, as well as Jon Matlack, the Tigers' roving minor-league pitching coach, will try in step with the Tigers' staff to fix Scherzer's arm slot, put more velocity on his fastball, and develop a slider that can be something other than Scherzer's third pitch.
That's at first blush a heavy project. What works in the Tigers' and Scherzer's favor is that his arm is so strong. But you wonder how rapidly Scherzer can glue together so many necessary pieces.