•August 17, 2016•

By Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports Columnist

For the 2020 Games in Tokyo the two will be coupled together for the first time—along with softball and three other sports—but for this go-around they are separate, but still the source of high-quality entertainment for young and old.

To highlight the diamond happenings, the Cubs tore off 11 straight games before succumbing to the Saturday and Sunday to the Cards—in spite of Kyle Hendricks’ 12 strikeouts—and as of print date hold a 12 game lead in the NL Central.

Only a truly catastrophic Cub-like collapse could save the Cards now.

In those weekend losses, the Cubs bullpen blew substantial leads, so stay tuned, folks.

Now to Rio. Read More

•August 10, 2016•

Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports Columnist

We are headed for the golden time of the year in American sports.

Major League Baseball is heating up as playoff pushes are being made, National Football League training camps and pre-season games are underway with the Hall of Fame Game this past Sunday.

Longtime Packers quarterback Brett Favre, Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison, and head coach Tony Dungy—two key cogs of Indy’s Super Bowl XLI win over the Bears— highlight the class. Rams and Steelers sack master Kevin Greene, former Rams left tackle Orlando Pace, along with former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo, and two late greats in former Raiders quarterback Ken “The Snake” Stabler and former Lions offensive guard Dick Stanfel rounded out the largest class since the inaugural 1963 group.

Then there are the Olympics in Brazil.  Read More

Cubs Snag Chapman from the Bronx

•July 27, 2016•

Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports Columnist

This week in sports was highlighted by the induction of longtime outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. and catcher Mike Piazza into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Griffey, the first overall pick in the 1987 MLB draft at the ripe young age of 18, led the American League in home runs from 1993 to ’99 maxing out at 56 bombs in ‘97 and ‘98 consecutively, part of 630 dingers over a 21 year career. “Junior” compiled a .284 batting average to boot, proving himself not just a power threat.

Griffey, said by some sports writers to have the sweetest swing in MLB history, was a part of the controversial home run renaissance after the strike that cost baseball its only World Series but was never connected to performance enhancement use as several others of his era.

Also of note, Junior received the highest vote total to enter Cooperstown to date, receiving 99.32% of votes in his first year on the ballot. Read More

Following a Dream

•July 20, 2016•

Kirk Whitaker
NP Sports Reporter

2014 Sullivan grad Taylor Gottfriedt was an All-OVC catcher when Sullivan softball won their home regional over ALAH in 2014.

After catching at Lincoln College for one season, Gottfriedt transferred to Lindenwood University in Belleville—an NAIA D1 softball program, which is equivalent to NCAA DII.

Midway through last season, Gottfriedt—who earned the starting catcher’s position for the pre-season 23rd nationally ranked Lynx— sustained a shoulder injury and was lost for the remainder of the season.  Read More