Any successful sports team is looking for blending of youthful energy and veteran savvy. The Milwaukee Bucks have found just that as they stand one win away from advancing to the playoff quarterfinals in the East. The outscored Atlanta 30-18 in the 4th quarter and went on a 14-0 late run to salt the victory away. Kurt Thomas took a charge late that helped perserve the lead. Thomas is a 15 year NBA vet who has seen it all and is playing with purpose as he tries to replace Andrew Bogut. The numbers that Thomas and Dan Gaudzaric are putting up are comparable to what Bogut would bring. No one could have expected that. Gaudzaric didnt play a minute for over a month in March. Brandon Jennings led the Bucks with 25 including scoring 14 in about 3 minutes of the 1st quarter. Jennings is the only rookie starter in the playoffs. And the Bucks may be the first NBA playoff team in history featuring two 15 year veterans (Thomas & Jerry Stackhouse) playing major minutes. Along with the youth of Ilyasova and Mbah-Moute...the toughness of Carlos Delfino and the ability of John Salmons to get to the basket...I'm a believer...this team can win without Bogut....I never would have said that two weeks ago.

Trevor Hoffman....is it a bump in the road...or the end of a Hall-Of-Fame career? The Padres didnt re-sign an icon of their team because they though he was close to done...and couldnt afford to pay big bucks....Manager Ken Macha said he may get a day off...the Brewers have another choice. Todd Coffey has closed in the majors and he may get the call for awhile.

Jim Edmonds was apparantly injured when he stole 2nd base in the 13th inning yesterday. That may be why he was thrown out at the plate trying to score the winning run and in the next inning was slow getting to a ball in right field that gave Pittsburgh the lead. It's not like the team had alot of options at that point. The only position player thay had left was back-up catcher George Kotteras.

A High School Baseball Double-Header this afternoon on Foxsports1390 WRIG. I'll have East at Rapids first up at 4:15 while Pat will have DC Everest ans Rhinelander as the 2nd game of the DH.

Songs of the Day   (from my I-pod)

Fire-Ohio Players (1974) known as much for their titillating album covers as their music...they did lay down some of the funkiest jams of the mid-70's...check out the clothes and hair in this one.

Fire-The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (1968) one of the strangest tunes to make the top 10...without this guy there would have been no Alice Cooper or Kiss.