Speaking to reporters Thursday afternoon Police Chief Ralph Godbee said investigators are making significant progress.

“We have identified positively two suspects. We’ve submitted a warrant request to (Wayne County) prosecutor Worthy’s office. We

(WWJ Photo/Stephanie Davis)

anticipate that it will be signed and we are actively seeking those two suspects,” Godbee said.

There was no surveillance footage of the incident. Godbee said these leads came from officers who had responded to a loitering complaint at the location earlier that day.

Godbee said investigators have reason to believe that the two suspects are still in Detroit.  He said officers were out seeking the suspects early Thursday evening.

Winans was filling up his SUV at a Citgo gas station at Linwood and the Davison when a group of young men attacked him. The thieves took off with his luxury SUV, some cash and a Rolex watch.

Winans is recovering at home. He suffered a broken finger in the attack.

“I’m more saddened by this incident than being physically hurt. I grew up inDetroitand have never encountered anything like this. I want to thank every one for their calls of concern and words of encouragement,” Winans said in a statement.  “I believe in the power of prayer and the unity that can be gained in a community when we band together.”

While some may believe the incident points to escalating crime in the city, Godbee says that’s not the case.

“Our crime rate is on par with last year,” said Godbee. “Is it acceptable? Absolutely not. But considering we’re about 300 officers fewer than just two years ago … these officers are doing a tremendous job.”

Earlier in the day, Mayor Dave Bing said that he believes it is important to keep Wednesday’s assault in perspective.

“We’ve been friends for a long time … very, very unfortunate that this has happened,” said Bing. “But I don’t wanna overreact either because this happens to too many of our citizens.

“And because he his who he is with the personality and the name recognition, we have to be careful not to overreact. We’ve got make sure that every time this happens to any citizen we have to respond.”

Republican lawmakers say the changes would reduce a $45 billion unfunded liability while critics of the measure say making the switch would mean billions in start-up costs.

Talking to WWJ Newsradio 950, American Federation of Teachers of Michigan President David Hecker said the proposed change would also mean an uncertain future for public school teachers and staff.

Many current and retired teachers say the proposed changes are unfair. The Coalition for Secure-Retirement-Michigan says the stateonstitution guarantees the state has to live up to its pension promises and a lawsuit is likely if the measure is enacted.

“It does not provide a secure retirement at all,” Hecker said. “And if we want to continue to attract the best and the brightest to the classroom, we shouldn’t be undercutting their retirement.”

School employees hired after July of 2013 would be affected.

The bill now goes to the Michigan House.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

DETROIT (AP) — Justin Morneau hit a two-run homer in his second game back from a wrist injury, and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

P.J. Walters (1-1) allowed four hits — including three solo homers — in 6 1-3 innings for the Twins, who swept the two-game series at Comerica Park. Minnesota (12-26) has won two in a row for only the second time this season.

Morneau’s homer off Doug Fister (0-2) opened the scoring in the third, and Trevor Plouffe followed with a long ball. Minnesota led 4-0 before the Tigers came back with homers by Brennan Boesch, Andy Dirks and Prince Fielder.

Three relievers finished for the Twins, with Matt Capps pitching a perfect ninth for his eighth save.

Francisco Liriano came on with two on and one out in the seventh and got pinch-hitter Ramon Santiago to hit into a double play. Glen Perkins walked the first two Detroit hitters in the eighth on nine pitches, but he struck out Prince Fielder, and Delmon Young hit into a double play to end that inning.

The Tigers were hoping for a strong start from Fister after allowing 19 runs in their previous two games against the Twins and Chicago White Sox, but the Detroit right-hander was in trouble from the start.

Minnesota left the bases loaded in the first, and Fister got out of a first-and-third, one-out jam in the second after he stepped toward third and threw back to first to catch Jamey Carroll off base for the second out of the inning.

With two outs in the third, Morneau and Plouffe hit back-to-back homers. It was Morneau’s fifth of the year and first since coming off the disabled list. He returned to the lineup Wednesday night after being on the DL since May 1 with a sore left wrist.

Fister, who missed most of April with a left side strain, hadn’t allowed a run at Comerica since Aug. 30.

Minnesota added a crucial run in the fifth after Fielder failed to catch Fister’s throw to first on Josh Willingham’s tapper. Willingham went all the way to third on the play, and Morneau drove him home with a groundball.

Boesch’s homer in the bottom of the inning was Detroit’s first hit off Walters. Dirks and Fielder added solo shots of their own in the sixth.

NOTES: Boesch extended his hitting streak to 10 games. … Detroit RHP Luis Marte (left hamstring strain) has been assigned to Class A Lakeland as part of an injury rehabilitation assignment. … Detroit sends Justin Verlander (4-1) to the mound Friday to start a three-game series against Pittsburgh. Charlie Morton (2-3) starts for the Pirates. … The Twins are at Milwaukee. Scott Diamond (2-0) will start for Minnesota on Friday against Marco Estrada (0-2).

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The center will be anchored by a Meijer Supercenter, a Marshalls department store and a K&G Fashion Superstore. There will also be a McDonald’s.

It is expected to feature 350,000 square feet of retail space and will be built on 36 acres of land.

About 900 permanent retail jobs and 300 construction positions will be created.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing is hailing the groundbreaking as a major accomplishment in a city where a lack of available shopping, especially for groceries, is a major problem.

“This was a dream and a vision that started several years ago,” said Bing. “And I think a lot of people who were naysayers and non- believers thought that this would never become a reality.”

“Detroit really is starting to come back. This is just one more indication of how many people wanna see our city become great again,” he said.

Also present at the groundbreaking was Gov. Rick Snyder who said the city needs such shopping centers to encourage young people to stick around. ”We are creating that environment. So … I always say you can be another yuppie in Chicago or you can make a difference in Detroit,” Snyder said.

Meijer co-chair Hank Meijer, thanked the city and the project’s partners for persisting through the recession and many other stumbling blocks.

“We had a lot of stumbles —  a lot of  places where things might not have come together. And this team persevered and brought it together,” Meijer said.

A JC Penny had been planned at the site, but the retailer dropped out during the recession. The Meijer is expected to open in a year.

Thursday’s groundbreaking was the second this week for major retail developments in Detroit. Work has started on a Whole Foods Market in the city’s Midtown area which is scheduled to open in 2013.

Corneal, a graphic design expert, weighed in on the Charlie Langton 1270 Talk Radio show on an issue that unfolded — again — Thursday before the state’s Court of Appeals. At issue is whether a petition that garnered more than 200,000 signatures to repeal Michigan’s emergency manager law is legitimate.

State law says language on a ballot petition must have 14-point font. Supporters in the group Stand Up For Democracy say the font is correct, opponents in Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility say it was too small. The Board of Canvassers vote was split 2-2 in April along party lines, with Republicans opposing the repeal and Democrats supporting it, and the battle moved to the courts.

Corneal issued a report saying the font was the correct size, but his report was somehow lost before it got to court and wasn’t part of the decision-making process.

“I guess (I was) a little frustrated when I heard that,” Corneal said. “I was asked by the Secretary of State (for an opinion), then they didn’t use it.”

At stake is whether Michigan voters get to decide at the polls whether to repeal the emergency manager law that puts the fate of distressed communities in the hands of a state appointed manager who is able to negate union contracts, consolidate departments, and more, to balance the budget.

Corneal said the petition in question was sent to him as a pdf and he circled through type faces and font sizes until he came up with an opinion on what exactly it was.

“When I compared it to 14-point, I felt it was consistent,” he said. “I let the Secretary of State know … He said ‘thank you’ and then I was contacted by the petitioners and asked to put it in writing.”

“We’re splitting hairs, literally on this point font size here — is this really boiling down to politics?” Langton said, later adding, ‘What’s disturbing to me is that this professor’s opinion that was asked by the Secretary of State was not considered by the Board of Canvassers.”

Corneal responded: “To me it seems a little odd, but I leave it up to the lawyers to decide those questions.”

Judges on the Michigan Court of Appeals said Thursday they will decide the matter soon. Read more on that here from WWJ 950.

Want to stay up on the hottest topics in metro Detroit? Get Charlie Langton’s newsletter HERE and listen to him from 6 to 9 a.m. daily HERE on Talk Radio 1270.

Michigan State Police arrested Dr. Abdullah Mohamed after receiving a complaint from a 26-year-old female patient who said she was sexually assaulted at his office.

The 58-year-old Dearborn Heights man is charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct.

Bond was set at $100,000 cash at his arraignment on Thursday.

Investigators say hospital administrators are helping in the case.

Police are investigating whether there were other incidents involving the doctor.  Anyone with information is urged to contact the Michigan State Police Monroe Post at 734-242-3500.

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions offensive guard Rob Sims has put on weight to go from good to great.

Sims says he has gained 15 pounds this offseason after weighing less than 300 the past two years with mixed results against bigger defensive lineman such as Minnesota’s Kevin Williams.

The Lions will gather for organized team activities next week with the first of 10 scheduled for Monday.

Sims says he doesn’t think starting tackles Jeff Backus or Gosder Cherilus will be worried about holding off rookie Riley Reiff. The first-round pick, though, has shown Sims and teammates why Detroit drafted the former Iowa standout.

___

Follow Larry Lage on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/larrylage

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The rig was on its way to a fire with lights flashing and sirens blaring when it was hit by a car at Ford Road and Wyoming. The impact was so strong fire officials said the engine was pushed off the road.

No fire fighters were hurt, but the man driving the vehicle was taken to the hospital.

There has been no official word as to his condition, but police said his injuries did not appear to be life threatening.

No names have been released.   The crash remains under investigation.

The move was retroactive to Sunday and landed Inge on the DL for the second time. He started the season on the DL with Detroit with a strained left groin. He signed with the A’s as a free agent after the Tigers released him.

Inge is hitting .227 with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 11 starts at third for Oakland. Overall, he’s hitting .188 in 20 games.

Rosales was on the opening day roster for Oakland and appeared in one game without an at-bat. He was hitting .277 with two homers and 19 RBIs with Sacramento.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Dozens of people opposing the law picketed outside the court Thursday morning as attorneys for Stand Up for Democracy and Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility presented their arguments inside.

Stand Up for Democracy wants the law repealed and collected enough signatures to have voters decide its future.

At Thursday’s hearing , the Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility pointed to a so-called “Printer’s Rule” — saying the type size on the petition is 40 percent smaller than the state requires.

Stand Up for Democracy attorney, Herb Sanders, gave an emotional rebuttal.

“This case is about philosophy and how we’re going to govern … whether we’re going to adhere to their philosophy or whether you are going to uphold your oath to the Constitution and allow us to govern by the people, of the people, and for the people,” Sanders said.

Sanders’ group also cited graphics experts who say the print size is, in fact, large enough.

The state Board of Canvassers voted 2-2 on the issue last month. The tie vote kept the measure off the ballot.

Under the emergency manager law, state-appointed emergency managers have the power to bypass collective bargaining and restructure union contracts as an avenue to civic cost-cutting. Opponents say the law is unconstitutional.

The Appeals Court ruling is expected within days.

Professor: EM Petition Had Correct Font Size

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

The new commercial featuring Fielder will make its debut on FOX Sports Detroit during the broadcast of the Tigers series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:05 p.m. this Sunday. The commercial will also air throughout the Tigers viewing area in the coming weeks.

The Fielder feature is the second in a series of four commercials produced by SMZ Advertising of Troy, and follows on the heels of a powerful piece that featured Tigers ace Justin Verlander explaining how he uses fan support to fuel his triple-digit fastball late in games.

“The ‘Who’s Your Tiger?’ campaign has always provided a way to strengthen the connection the fans have to their favorite players by highlighting their on-field performance,” said Debbie Michelson, Executive Vice President and Group Account Director for SMZ. “This new creative for the campaign allows the fans to connect with them in a more personal way by giving the players a chance to talk directly to their fans.”
The opportunity to speak directly to the fans was important when working with SMZ to determine the style and tone of the commercial series. “Tigers fans are among the most passionate and knowledgeable in all of sports,” said Tigers Vice President of Marketing, Ellen Hill Zeringue. “They follow every pitch, every catch and every at-bat, making the players a part of their lives nearly year round. It was important to have these commercials speak to the fans, in the player’s own words, about how important their support is to the team’s success every day.”
Now that Verlander and Fielder have had the opportunity to talk to fans through the innovative “Who’s Your Tiger?” commercial spots, reigning American League batting champion Miguel Cabrera is on deck to star in the third commercial, which is slated to complete production in the coming weeks and air later this season.

The fourth Tigers player in the series has yet to be revealed, prompting a familiar and fitting question: Who’s Your Tiger?

Over the last several days WWJ Newsradio 950 has been reporting on deadly and brutal crimes in Detroit.  One incident left singing sensation and local pastor Marvin Winans roughed up and robbed of his Rolex watch, his $70,000 SUV and $200 in cash.  Winans had stopped to gas up at a station on Linwood and Davison in Detroit.

This morning I interviewed a shaken 66-year-old woman who woke up at 3 a.m. with a man pointing a shotgun and shining a flashlight in her face before making off with her safe that contained $8,000.  Police say the bad guys kicked in her side door.   Her ailing 96-year-old mother slept through the ordeal in the well-kept neighborhood on Piedmont Street in the Grandmont-Rosedale Park community.

“It’s just a shame that you can’t feel safe in your own home,” the frightened homeowner told me three hours after the home invasion.  “I don’t know how long it’ll take me to get over this…you never feel normal again.”  Despite the rude awakening she also said, “I don’t have anything against the city.  I think this is a secure neighborhood.  It’s just people…I don’t plan to go anywhere.”

Her next door neighbor Raymond Butler had a similar experience, “On the Fourth of July last year, the guy pointed a gun at my head, dragged me out the bed and told me not to say a word.  His partner went in the room and took two safes out of here.”  He also said because of his neighbor’s ordeal he had a flashback.  “Waking up to a gun in your face ain’t no joke,” Butler said.

On the same day this week that Mayor Dave Bing helped turn the dirt at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Whole Foods Store on Mack and Woodward, a friend of an antique store owner brutally beaten to death during a robbery at his store, made an impassioned plea for the city to get a grip on crime.  I wanted to quiz the mayor about the impact of crime on merchants doing busy in the city but his communications director Robert Warfield told me Bing wasn’t taking any questions about crime that day.  He said that would be a question for the police chief.  But he was out of town and his spokeswoman has not returned numerous calls from WWJ requesting a sit down interview with the chief for about two weeks now.

Now enter Andre Ventura.  He hasn’t had much luck getting a response out of the powers-that-be either.  So, he replaced a huge sign on 8 mile and Cardoni Street that talked about building strong roots in the community with one that says “Warning!  This city is infested with crack heads.  Secure your belongings and pray for your life.”

The former military man said, “This is a war zone.  Where in a rational community do you have bullets flying every day?  Where you have houses being fire bombed, cars being blown up and people shot in the streets?  I would honestly rather be fighting the Taliban than crack heads,” he said.

That’s why he believes the National Guard is the best solution.  “That would be the only thing that could secure this place.  The Detroit police department is just as corrupt as the crack heads on the streets and there needs to be a mediator between the two,” Ventura added.

After ten years of living in Detroit, Ventura says he has had enough because nothing has changed.  He has sent certified letters talking about the plight of Detroit children to everyone from former Governor Jennifer Granholm to current Mayor Dave Bing.  “Nobody has responded. The living conditions of children of Detroit – when I served this country in the military we didn’t allow American children to live like that.”

He also said over the last ten years he’s spent about four million dollars in time and resources to make life better for kids in the neighborhood but the constant gunfire and stealing of tools and lawnmowers he used to keep up the park on Cardoni Street are forcing him out.  “You have a trailer with tools in it…they take the whole trailer.  They take the trucks.  I had a snowplow and it came up missing in pieces – first came the hydraulics, the pumps, the shovels and then the whole truck gone, Ventura said.

What do you think?  

The Chevrolet SS will be a limited edition, rear wheel drive, full-size sedan, based on the Holden Commodore, and made in Australia.

Chevy says the SS will debut late next year as a 2014 model.  It will also be GM’s entry in NASCAR racing, starting in 2013.

“As a passionate race fan and performance enthusiast, I am thrilled that Chevrolet will deliver a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR racecar in the SS that is closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale,” said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America.  “The Chevrolet SS is a great example of how GM is able to leverage its global product portfolio to deliver a unique performance experience that extends beyond the track. I am personally looking forward to driving it.”

Reuss has a natural connection to this type of vehicle.  He spent time as President of GM’s Australian operations, and, before that, ran the company’s performance car division.

General Motors Australian Holden brand has a history of building solid rear wheel drive performance cars.  Some of those vehicles have made it to the U.S. as part of the now defunct Pontiac brand.

The SS name has quite a history.   It first appeared on a prototype Corvette race car in 1957.  The first production car with an SS designation was the 1961 Impala.  The most recent SS badged Chevy is a variation on the new Camaro.

The 2014 Chevy SS is meant to add a performance element to the entire Chevrolet brand.  It’s been 17 years since Chevy sold a rear wheel drive performance sedan.

Connect with Jeff Gilbert
Email: jdgilbert@cbs.com
Facebook: facebook.com/carchronicles
Twitter: @jefferygilbert

(Video credit: Mark Bererra)

FERNDALE (WWJ) - Investigators are working to determine what caused a massive fire in an industrial area of Ferndale near I-75.

The blaze broke out at around 10:30 a.m. Thursday at a Van Industries on Wordsworth south of 9 Mile Road at John R.

WWJ Newsradio 950 has been taking calls into the newsroom from witnesses who say black smoke can be seen for miles away.

There were two employees in the building at the time as well as the owner, but everyone got out safely.

Officials say the family-owned business, which makes polishing compounds used in the automotive industry, has been in the area for about 50 years. WWJ’s Marie Osborne reported there was some initial concern that the fumes from the fire could be toxic, but it has been determined that that’s not the case.

The fire was somewhat under control before 1 p.m., with Madison Heights and Royal Oak fire crews assisting.

Ferndale Mayor David Coulter said there was still some concern that the building could collapse.

Thursday’s preliminary hearing for James Brown in Detroit’s 36th District Court was reset for May 30 at the request of prosecutors.

Brown pleaded not guilty to charges of arson, mutilation of a dead body and disinternment in connection with the murders of four Detroit women, whose bodies were all found in abandoned cars in the city last December.  Police said three of the women had ties to ads for escort services on the website backpage.com.

Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee has said the 24-year-old is the “main culprit” in an investigation into the murders.

Police said they believe the women were killed elsewhere and their bodies were later dumped in Detroit.

WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) - Police in the Canadian province of Ontario say they are holding a man who is accused of swallowing a $20,000 diamond as long as it takes for him to produce the evidence.

It has been nearly a week since Richard Mackenzie Matthews, 52, is alleged to have switched a diamond at Precision Jewellers and swallowed the real one.

Matthews has been held at police headquarters while they wait for the 1.7-carat stone to pass through his system. Sgt. Brett Corey said Thursday that Matthews has gone to the washroom numerous times, but the diamond hasn’t passed.

Corey says a recent X-ray showed a pair of fake diamonds, or cubic zirconiums, stuck in the man’s intestines but because a diamond is translucent, it isn’t visible. He says the suspect is eager to get the ordeal over with and is co-operating.

In the early stages, Corey says Matthews was being given laxative type foods, but is now being fed whatever he wants, in an effort to get things moving.

Matthews is charged with theft and breach of court conditions, and is also wanted on warrants in Toronto.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The Urban Economic Forum, held by The White House Business Council, along with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce, hopes to take entrepreneurs in Detroit from just ideas to reality.

“Is it easy – do you just walk out and people just hand you buckets of money?  Of course not, but that’s what entrepreneurs do … they figure things out,” said Josh Linkner of Detroit Venture Business Partners, who sees entrepreneurs as a major force that will bring jobs, urban density and hope back to the city.

Among the topics of discussion were the resources available to minority and urban entrepreneurs who are trying to access capital for their businesses. Mentors were also available to provide advice to business owners.

Though in business for 17 years selling office furniture, Ray McCoy of Detroit said he learned new ideas at the forum.

“I have met with one mentor already and he gave me some really good insights,” said McCoy. “Even though I have been in business for a while, you don’t know it all. You have to talk with people that have been there to help you to get where you need to be – and want to be.”

Mayor Dave Bing, speaking with WWJ Newsradio 950′s Ron Dewey, said that doing business in Detroit is not as difficult as it was in the past, but there is still pushback from the existing culture at city hall.  Bing says that small business entrepreneurs bring critical jobs to the area.

“ … People look at it and say ‘it’s only five jobs, it’s only 10 jobs,’ but when you multiply that by the amount of entrepreneurs that are looking to either start a business or expand their business, the numbers grow really, really fast,” Bing said.

Entrepreneurs are being seen as the spark plug to restart the Motor City’s economic engine, and Linkner believes  Detroit has the entrepreneurs needed to provide that spark. “… Detroit, to me, is ground zero of entrepreneurship in the United States,” he said.

Oakland County Sheriff’s officials say the girl was  walking north on Dwight towards Elizabeth Lake Road when she was approached by a man who was driving an older model Ford Explorer. The girl told deputies the man grabbed her arm and tried to force her into the SUV.

She was able to free herself and ran to her grandmother’s house on Mark Street.

The girl, who was unharmed other than some temporary arm pain, didn’t report the incident until the next day.

The suspect is described as black male, age 25-30, with thin build, 6’1” to 6’3” tall with short hair, gray shirt, black pants and a scraggly beard. His Ford Explorer is in poor condition.

Anyone with information should contact the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department Pontiac Substation at 248-409-7100.

The Tigers hope to avoid further embarrassment at home in Thursday’s series finale with the major league-worst Minnesota Twins, who are trying to win consecutive games for just the second time all season.

Prior to Wednesday’s two-game series opener against Minnesota (11-26), Detroit manager Jim Leyland announced closer Jose Valverde is day to day with a strained lower back. Leadoff hitter Austin Jackson joined Valverde with a day-to-day injury of his own after leaving Wednesday’s 11-7 loss with a mild abdominal strain.

Click HERE for the full game preview

Let me make a confession. I love hamburgers. I could eat one every day.

So the people who are running Sunday’s Motown Burger Battle didn’t have to ask twice when they wanted me to be one of the judges at the Carriage House Pavilion at Pine Knob in Clarkston. I get to taste creations by some of the best chefs in metro Detroit — and they promise to “put their own spin” on the American classic.

The best thing is it is for charity and I would love for you to come by to taste great burgers and golf, if you are interested.

Golf begins at 8 a.m., with other festivities running from noon until 3 pm. The cost for golf and the Burger Battle is $80. If you just want to participate in burger battle it is $30 and $15 for children 12 and under. All proceeds benefit Justin’s Vision, a charity that gives dream vacations for children with life threatening illnesses along with their families.

So I get to eat burgers for a good cause. I am always on the lookout for a great burger. Some of my favorites around town are Hunter House, Miller’s in Dearborn, Cutter’s Bar and Grill in Eastern Market, Union Wood Shop in Clarkston, Oak Cafe in Wyandotte and Five Guys. If you have more suggestions I am all eyes and ears.

Here are the competitors:

Chef James Rigato of the Root Restaurant in White Lake, Chef Bob Roberts and Sous Chef Jason of McShane’s in Detroit, Chef Dean Bach and Dino’s Kitchen Magician at Dino’s Lounge (Ferndale), Chef Steve Mallie at Mallie’s Sports Bar and Grill (Southgate) and the Union Wood Shop in Clarkston.

Boxing promoter and first Lady of Boxing Jackie Kallen will emcee the event. The judges include Chris Franz of the Rattlesnake Club, Marc Djozlija formerly of Wolfgang Puck, Dave Benjamin of The Hungry Dude and Jess Bartol of Sweet Layla June Catering.

For ticket information go to burgerbattle.eventbrite.com. Also visit justinsvision.org.

In 1904, Enrico Caruso’s recording of “Vesti la giubba,” the aria from the conclusion of Act One of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s 1892 opera ” I Pagliacci,” became the first million-selling record in history.

It is a justly famous aria, dramatizing the irony of men who love too well – Canio, the “clown,” like Othello, is tortured by jealousy and it ends badly, while Tonio, who reveals his wife Nedda’s inconstancy, gets off, as does Iago. But while Othello’s jealousy is forefront, Canio is one of the clowns, men who betray their humanity. And so the title of the opera, “The Clowns”, is more Everyman than hero.

That is where the Romantic movement in opera shades into Verismo opera, that style in which reflections on the reality of the lives of rather ordinary people – meanness, pettiness, revenge without greatness or ideals – creates a much-loved genre in opera.

Traditionally, “I Pagliacci” is paired with “Cavalleria Rusticana,” another verismo piece in which machismo leads to a tawdry finale. This time out Michigan Opera Theatre has chosen Bernard Uzan’s production, enhanced with a 10-minute pantomime at the beginning of Act Two, as a stand-alone. Uzan has supported his vision with two clowns in the commedia dell’arte style, one in black and one in white, comedy and tragedy, who act as commentators on the action, in mime.

Uzan takes a line of Canio’s to the effect that he discovered Nedda (a poor, young girl), took her under his wing and made her into a performer in his traveling company, roaming the environs of southern Italy, here updated to what appears to be the 1920s (it debuted in 1892). The pantomime, set to Leoncallo’s music from “Zaza,” shows a stage upon which Nedda’s development, portrayed by three progressively older actresses, is nurtured by Canio, Pygmalion to her Galatea. The accompanying music is very much like a band of the era. This morphs smoothly into Act Two, as the stage moves forward to become the portal on which the final drama is enacted.

Cleverly rethought, it stands alone as a work of drama and music – rich, urgent, demanding of singers.

Antonello Polombi returns to MOT (2010′s smooth, powerful Cavarodossi in “Tosca”) to play the consummate clown. The role is written with high tessitura, and Polombi delivers golden, sustained notes tapering many into beautiful near-pianissimo, and, importantly, imbues the character with real humanity. His aria “Vesti…” which means “put on the costume,” tells all we need to know about this man and his ego, his devotion to his art while bristling with regret and sorrow. A great performance.

There are two other major roles and two important supporting roles. As Tonio, who forces the central action of the plot, Gordon Hawkins opens the opera with his plangent baritone, describing actors who have the same feelings as all people, and ends the opera with that magnificent line, “The comedy is finished.” Hawkins last appeared at MOT in 2006′s “Porgy and Bess.”

As Nedda, soprano Jill Gardner appears here for the first time. Initially, ironically reflecting her line about the “shrill screeching” of birds, she warmed up to provide forceful, dynamic singing, and in Act Two, a beautifully delineated impersonation of Colombina in the play within the play.

In that play, her Pagliaccio was transformed from second banana, the actor Beppe, into a facile, romantic tenor, whose balcony serenade revealed a light, attractive tenor – sung by Phillipe Pierce, new to MOT. As Silvio, Nedda’s loverboy, Luis Ledesma – who sang a solid, affecting Germont in MOT’s 2008 “La Traviata” – is good-looking with a suave baritone.

In the pit, Steven Mercurio returned for his 17th podium assignment with MOT. He brought out the great intensity of the score, and the musicians of the MOT Orchestra gave him what he asked for – though the low strings were not as strong as they needed to be. Again, Suzanne Mallare Acton, the chorus master, encouraged the fine MOT chorus to produce gorgeous singing.

For the most part, Cynthia Savage’s costume design hit the vernacular nail on the head (though plaid walking shorts for 1920 Italy looked absurd). Claude Girard’s set design was the real thing, and Donald Thomas’ lighting design was exquisite.

MOT, even in the toughest of financial times, continues to produce singular opera, beautifully cast, a dynamic orchestra and one of the best choruses one could ask for – at the top of Michigan’s cultural pyramid.

For tickets and showtimes, visit EncoreMichigan.com.

Michael H. Margolin reviews local theater productions for www.EncoreMichigan.com, the state’s most comprehensive resource for news and information about Michigan’s professional theaters. Follow them on Facebook @EncoreMichigan.com.

Ray Allen from the Celtics won the SI player vote for best current pure jump shot in the NBA. Recently, I asked on a weekend radio show who has the best pure jumper in the state of Michigan all time? The player had to play high school or college ball in the state. Here are the top ten and then most of the other players who received at least one call in vote.

1. Glen Rice, Michigan
2. Trent Tucker, Flint Northwestern
3. Shawn Respert, Michigan State
4. Voshon Lenard, Detroit Southwestern
5. Terry Duerod, Detroit
6. Dan Majerle, Traverse City
7. Terry Furlow, Flint Northern
8. Dave DeBusschere, Austin Catholic
9. George Gervin, Martin Luther King
10 Terry Mills, Michigan

Others receving votes
B.J. Armstrong Brother Rice, Kirk Mann Michigan State, Antoine Joubert Michigan, Johnny Gholston Pershing, Early Boykins EMU, Brian Tolbert EMU, Mo Peterson Michigan State, Louis Bullock Michigan, John Long Detroit

This isn’t 2009. The Minnesota Twins are awful. It’s one thing for the Tigers to go on the road and essentially split nine games (4-5) at Seattle, Oakland and Chicago. It’s another to come home and immediately play awful baseball against the Twins, who might have trouble winning the International League.

This isn’t meant to necessarily defend Rick Porcello, the Tigers’ starting pitcher Wednesday night, but that was “no-chance-for-the-pitcher” fielding by the Tigers. Porcello and Doug Fister get a lot of ground balls. Nobody is expecting the Tigers to display great range, but they must make the routine plays.

Click HERE for the full story from Pat Caputo

Ryan Hart and his mother stopped in the restaurant’s parking lot to eat after ordering sandwiches at the drive-through window.

Hart took a big bite of his piping hot roast beef sandwich and came upon something that was rubbery and tough to chew. The 14-year-old spit out the half-chewed food and couldn’t believe his eyes.

“I was like, ‘that gots to be a finger.’ I was about to puke… It was just nasty,” Hart told the Jackson Citizen Patriot.

Hart’s mom, Jamie Vail, said the piece appeared to be the back of a finger, including the pad and extending beyond the first knuckle. She said the portion was about an eighth to a quarter-inch thick and maybe an inch or more long.

Jackson Police and the county health department say an Arby’s employee cut her finger on a meat slicer. Health officials believe the employee then left her station, and other workers continued to fill orders before they became aware of what happened.

In a statement, Arby’s spokesman John Gray refers to the finger piece in the sandwich as an “isolated and unfortunate accident.”

Arby’s stopped using the meat slicer and followed proper protocol in breaking it down and cleaning it, said Gray. The restaurant on N. West Avenue was allowed to stay open while employees thoroughly cleaned and sanitized the restaurant.

Ryan’s mother says she’s been in touch with a lawyer, but hasn’t decided what course to take.

TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Celtics captain put in 24 points in Boston’s 101-91 Game 3 victory over the 76ers in Philadelphia, putting his knee injury behind him and getting aggressive when it came to pretty much every aspect of the game.

“Whether I shot the ball well or not, everything I was going to do was being with aggression,” Pierce said.

Aggressive might be an understatement. Pierce was in attack mode early on, even if his shots weren’t falling. Early in the first quarter, he missed four shots from close range, but it was the fact he fought for the three put-backs in the paint that showed he was determined to make a difference after scoring just seven points in Boston’s Game 2 loss.

He continued to go strong to the basket, following up his early misses with two ferocious dunks. Pierce finishing with nine points in the first 12 minutes of the game. He ended up hitting six of his 17 attempts from the floor, but did most of his damage at — and getting to — the free throw line. After just two trips to the charity stripe on Monday, Pierce found his way to the line 14 times in Game 3, scoring 11 of his points at the line.

Special Coverage: NBA Playoffs

He made it known to all of Philly when he was making his way to the line, following each drive to the hoop with an aggressive scream that would make Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart” jealous.

“Everything I was going to do was going to be aggressive because they were really collapsing on me on the down-screens, on my jumpers,” said Pierce. “I just tried to get to the hole and I was able to get to the line; able to get to the rim a number of times. It’s something I have to continue to do.”

“Paul is just a grinder,” head coach Doc Rivers said following the win. “He really is. You look at him at times and you wonder, ‘How is this guy getting open?’ He just has great fundamentals. He never does it with speed. He just knows how to play basketball. He’s a throwback guy, that he knows how to play basketball. We jokingly call him our ‘professional scorer’ and that’s what he is in a lot of ways.”

“[Pierce] played great for us tonight,” said point guard Rajon Rondo, who scored 23 points of his own while dishing out 14 assists. “Paul has been struggling scoring, but he has been doing the intangibles. On those [first-quarter] drives, he didn’t get some calls early in the game and thought they were fouls, so he went out and was aggressive and finished strong.”

Recap: Thunder Go Up 2-0 On Lakers

Pierce had been just 5-for-20 in the series in the first two games, but helped the Celtics send a message as they took a 2-1 series lead. While he only added four assists, he credited the team’s ball movement for getting the offense going.

“Our offense finally came alive,” Pierce said. “We moved the ball. We knew that’s what we were going to have to do to score 100 points.”

“We just wanted to come out and establish who we are as a team,” Pierce said.

They certainly did that. Now they just need to keep it going on Friday night.

Dr. Norman Miller testified Thursday in the trial of Elias Abuelazam, an Israeli immigrant facing his first murder trial stemming from 14 stabbings in and around Flint two summers ago.

Miller said Abuelazam had “bizarre delusions” that “evil forces directed him to harm others.”

The defense strategy is to show that Abuelazam was insane and not criminally responsible in the death of Arnold Minor in 2010.

Miller said Abuelazam attempted suicide in 1997 by stabbing himself in the neck.

Experts said it’s a very difficult way to beat a case in Michigan, partly because jurors have the option of convicting someone of murder while also finding mental illness was involved. In the end, it still means life in prison without parole.

“Jurors are common-sense people,” said Robert Ashley, a lawyer not involved in the Abuelazam case. “You can convince them with proper testimony that someone might be mentally ill, but you still have a dead body. They want someone to have responsibility for that.”

In addition to Minor’s death, Abuelazam also faces murder or attempted murder charges in eight other attacks in the Flint area and one in Toledo, Ohio. Minor’s blood was found in Abuelazam’s SUV and on his pants and shoes, authorities say. Prosecutors have their own experts lined up if he opens an insanity defense.

“That makes it even more difficult for a jury to make a finding that this guy isn’t responsible when you have Ph.D.s and M.D.s saying he was,” said F. Martin Tieber, a lawyer who specializes in appeals.

There has been little discussion of Abuelazam’s personal life, and no relatives have appeared to watch the trial, 60 miles north of Detroit. He is a permanent U.S. resident from Israel who has lived in Florida and Virginia. He spent just a few months in Flint, moving into a house owned by an uncle, Tony Sahwany.

Sahwany told jurors it didn’t “strike his mind” that Abuelazam was violent. Authorities captured him in Atlanta in August 2010 before the final leg of a trip to Israel.

Prosecutors have not disclosed a motive for the stabbings and are not required to offer one to the jury.
“You can be psychotic and still appear normal and perform a variety of functions. One does not exclude the other,” said Dr. Emanuel Tanay of Ann Arbor, a retired forensic psychiatrist.

In 2010, he testified for Harlan Drake, a truck driver who admitted killing two people, including an abortion opponent who was shot while protesting outside a high school in Owosso, Mich. Tanay said Drake’s poor mental condition was related to a crash that killed two Iowa teens in 2004. The jury, however, said he was criminally responsible for the shootings.

“Jurors can be very skeptical,” said Ashley, who was Drake’s attorney. “In my case, two people died, and they’re going to say someone’s not responsible when he had a gun and pulled the trigger? … It’s hard for jurors to find that.”

Abuelazam was arrested in August 2010 in Atlanta while trying to flee to Israel.

Catch up on this case, here.

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Box Score | Playoffs Schedule

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

Oklahoma City trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to take a 2-0 lead.

Game 3 is Friday night in Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who came up empty on their last six possessions after Bynum’s hook shot made it 75-68 with 2:09 remaining.

Game 2 Photo Gallery (Photo:Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

After struggling throughout the second half, the Thunder suddenly came alive after Scott Brooks called timeout following Bynum’s basket that gave Los Angeles its largest lead of the game.

James Harden drove for a layup before Durant used his height advantage to reach up and tip away a pass from Bryant, who he was guarding. Durant ran out for a right-handed dunk at the other end before Russell Westbrook forced another turnover by aggressively challenging an outlet pass to Bryant along the sideline.

Harden made the next stop, blocking Bryant’s jumper on the next Lakers possession and getting a layup in transition off it to cut the deficit to one in the final minute.

Bryant couldn’t connect again, this time on a 3-pointer, to give the Thunder the ball back with the chance to take the lead and Durant was able to make it happen.

Steve Blake missed a 3-pointer from the right side with about 5 seconds left after Metta World Peace couldn’t get the ball to Bryant on the inbounds play. Durant was then fouled with 0.3 seconds left and made his first try before missing the second on purpose – failing to hit the backboard or rim for a violation.

The Lakers got a desperation try but World Peace’s long pass for Bynum was intercepted by Harden.

Westbrook added 15 points for Oklahoma City, which matched its lowest scoring total of the season but still gutted out the win.

Historically, the loss makes a huge difference. Los Angeles is 29-12 when splitting the first two games of a seven-game series and has lost 17 of 19 when falling into a 2-0 hole. The Lakers’ last comeback was in the 2004 West semifinals against San Antonio.

The Thunder have won all nine of their series after leading 2-0, dating back to the franchise’s days in Seattle.

In a game that was nip-and-tuck throughout, the Lakers started inching away early in the fourth quarter while Westbrook was on the bench.

Bryant drilled a jumper from the left wing and Blake followed with a 3-pointer before World Peace hit one of two free throws for a 69-63 advantage with 7:27 remaining – the Lakers’ largest lead to that point.

Westbrook returned then but only provided the briefest of sparks for the struggling Oklahoma City offense, and Bynum’s second straight basket – on a left-handed hook shot at the left block – made it 75-68 with 2:09 to play.

Until that point, Oklahoma City had made only 7 of 27 shots in the second half while committing eight turnovers.

After getting ripped apart by the Thunder’s pick-and-roll attack and giving up 119 points in Game 1, the Lakers made it an emphasis to put up more resistance in the rematch and it showed. Matt Barnes shuffled back and forth around three Nick Collison screens to contest Harden’s jumper and preserve the Lakers’ 22-21 lead after one quarter.

The Lakers’ defense was at its best just after halftime as they got out of a 48-45 deficit by holding Oklahoma City scoreless for the first 4 minutes and allowing just two baskets in the first 8 minutes. But Los Angeles still couldn’t create any sort of a cushion and Westbrook’s wide-open 3-pointer from the left corner – after World Peace airballed a similar shot on the opposite end – had the Thunder back within 57-56 with 3:31 left in the third.

Notes: The NBA on Wednesday fined Devin Ebanks $25,000 for actions related to his Game 1 ejection and Bynum $15,000 for failing to speak to reporters Tuesday. Bynum, who has had recent disciplinary issues within the team, talked at the Lakers’ morning shootaround Wednesday and called it a make up for skipping the previous day. “I think he’s learning. Is he going to be a perfect citizen the rest of his career? I don’t know,” coach Mike Brown said. “He’s bound to make mistakes. I think everybody makes mistakes.” … World Peace has said he supported Scott Brooks to become Sacramento’s coach back in 2007, when Brooks had been an assistant under Eric Musselman. “Little does he know, if I would have got the job, I was going to ask for him to be traded,” Brooks joked. He then called World Peace, or Ron Artest at the time, the third-best two-way player at the time behind Bryant and Kevin Garnett. … Harden caught World Peace with an inadvertent elbow to the face in the first quarter.

“When you’ve got two starters at 100 pitches in the fourth inning back-to-back, that’s not good enough,” Jim Leyland said Wednesday night after Rick Porcello followed a four-inning start by Max Scherzer with one of his own. “No bullpen can survive that.

“It’s got to get better. That’s just not acceptable. And I’m not being critical of Scherzer and Porcello — they’re two of our mainstays — but it’s got to get better.”

Porcello’s outing against Minnesota was complicated by four Detroit errors, three of which made four of the six runs he allowed unearned. Minnesota kept plugging away and finally got an 11-7 win.

Click HERE for the full story from CBSSports.com

It’s an old-fashioned political dogfight via tweets and emails that suggest mudslinging, back door deals,  whimsically  changing Michigan Republican party rules to help GOP presumptive nominee Mitt Romney and more .

It has to do with which of two candidates – Saul Anuzis or state Rep. Dave Agema — will be chosen to be Michigan’s RNC’s committeeman to go on to the national convention in Tampa, Fla. when GOP presidential presumptive nominee Romney is supposed to be coronated.

The Anuzis-Agema battle will come to an end this weekend in Detroit  when delegates to the Michigan Republican Party convention at Cobo Center will select one man and one woman.

State Rep. Holly Hughes, who currently has the Michigan Committee Chairwoman post, is  being challenged for re-election by  former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land in a far more genteel battle.

This weekend’s GOP conference will also feature RNC Chairman Reince Priebus who will address the gathering as will Gov. Rick Snyder, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, Attorney General Bill Schuette and Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak.

From there, Michigan will take its contingent of 59 GOP delegates to the national convention, but since the state bucked party rules by holding its Feb. 28 presidential primary earlier than national party rules allowed, only 30  of the delegates will be able to vote.

Saul Anuzis is battling it out with state Rep. Dave Agema for the Michigan committeeman role.

Committeeman race simmers

Anuzis, the media kinetic  former state GOP Chair, has held the committeeman job since  Keith Butler stepped aside midway through his term in 2010.

Anuzis is now running for the four-year term against Agema, also  a solid conservative and a retired pilot who holds an MBA.

Agema has the support of Chuck and John Yob (the father and son GOP strategists from the west side of the state).

And therein lies the issue: To say there is some animous between Anuzis and the Yobs would be an understatement.

That situation was inflamed when Anuzis spearheaded Keith Butler’s defeat of Chuck Yob when the elder Yob sought re-election as RNC committeeman in 2007.

In an  “Off the Record”  taping a few years ago, Anuzis called the Yobs  “a cancer in the party.”

Agema said the Yobs have been helping him.

“I am working with them” said Agema. “They are not financing me. They are working pro bono.”

Agema said he is putting in some of his own money into financing his campaign.

“I was voted most conservative in the House of Representative and I have not been bought by any lobbyists and I will not be bought by the Yobs,” Agema added.

Agema said his  goal as committeeman is to get fiscal conservatives into office, “that have a backbone and can stand up and not be part of the problem.  Too often people get elected and then they become part of the problem.”

Though he has supported Anuzis for GOP  Chairman, John Yob said he could not support Anuzis now because of the delegate saga that developed following the Michigan primary.

State Rep. Dave Agema is locked in battle with Saul Anuzis.

Tweet heat

Anuzis, who was tweeting and on facebook long before it was vogue,  has been fighting via frequent tweets and email missives about inaccuracies he says are being  promulgated about him in this campaign.

“I am not a lobbyist, never have been. I am not a political consultant, I do not work for any campaigns, campaign committees or PACs,” said Anuzis.

Anuzis said his only goal is, “to do all I can to help nominate conservative Republicans, at every level and to help those Republicans to public office.”

Others have been taking note of the sudden flurry of emails.

“I’m getting pretty tired of email and phone call attacks directed at Saul Anuzis, and MRP,: said Prudy Adam, Genessee  County GOP chair.

“It is a well known fact that Chuck and John Yob are behind the attacks. They are no friends to the Republican Party having slandered Saul and the MRP as “corrupt” on facebook (I unfriended them),” she added.

John Yob denies it, adding it is Anuzis who is trying to turn the tables on what is taking place in this race.

“Saul and his  supporters are trying to turn his re-election into a race between Anuzis vs. the Yobs because he is vulnerable on issues such as the delegate scandal and the national popular vote,” said Yob.

Anuzis took issue with that.

“This is not a Yob vs Anuzis battle,” Anuzis said. “Yob and his allies recruited Agema and they must have an agenda. I do my best to ignore the Yobs, they just love playing games.”

Longtime card carrying GOP member Susan Brown said:  “This is just another Yob vs. Anuzis  dogfight.”

Brown tried to run for University of Michigan regent in 2008. But her  bid was squelched at the state convention where candidates for education board seats   are decided.

“It was terrifying to someone who had worked pretty hard running for (UM regent)  office and  had no idea what was going on,” she said of the convention where Anuzis and the Yobs were battling  over candidates.

“There were backroom deals being cut. It was disappointing to me then and it is now as I see all the emails and other things  still going on,” Brown said.

She isn’t  sure who she will support as RNC committeeman this weekend.

“I think Saul may know more about it but  he is part of the establishment. Agema has been in office but if he has been put up by a faction of people – I just don’t know.”

Prickly issues

There are  two issues  at play in the committeeman conversation:  the awarding of Michigan delegates and the nationalpopular vote compact.

Romney, who had Anuzis’ support, won  the Feb. 28 Michigan primary and earned 16 of the state’s voting delegates. Since Santorum, who had the Yobs’ support,  exited the presidential race, has 14 delegates

It was how the two at-large delegates ended with Romney that is cause for some contention.

Anuzis, a member of the credentials committee,said the party’s rules were passed on Feb. 4 , well before the primary ,  to award the two at-large delegates to the statewide winner, but that a memo sent — in error – to the candidates’ campaigns said the delegates would be distributed proportionately.

“While we regret the error in the memo, it does not change what was voted on by the committee,” Anuzis told the Detroit Free Press.

Mike Cox, former Michigan attorney general who is supporting  Anuzis, said it left a bad taste.

“For a lot of grass roots, it was upsetting,” Cox said.  “It’s  the kind of thing that makes a difference.”

The other issue is the national popular vote interstate compact.

Anuzis was a consultant for the national organization supporting the compact.

Although Agema has recently changed his position on the bill, in each of his three terms in office  he either voted for or sponsor the NPV bill.

The “tussle over the National Popular Vote issue is an invented issue,” Anuzis said.

Stay tuned.

(Carol Cain is the Emmy winning Senior Producer and Host of CBS62 “Michigan Matters.” She writes about business and politics in Sunday’s Detroit Free Press. She can be reached at clcain@cbs.com)

I dislike a major league second basemen hitting .157 as much as you do.

I get it!  People have replaced their hatred for Brandon Inge with various other players on this current Tiger roster.  People dislike Jose Valverde because he makes things interesting.  They despise Jim Leyland because he has the audacity to stay with Octavio Dotel during an awful close in Seattle or because he didn’t stick with Drew Smyly in Chicago long enough.  And, then there is the hitting coach Lloyd McClendon.   There is so much hate being spewed from fans mouths these days, it’s a wonder that people even watch anymore.

People want people fired after every loss.

The expectations are high!  You demand 15 runs a game!

When something bad happens, you feel that somebody needs to pay.

Nobody cares what I think, but if they did I would tell them all to chill.  Relax.  It’s May.

Of course we know that will NEVER happen.

And, then there is the case of Ryan Raburn.

You might notice that I didn’t mention Raburn above as one of Detroit’s most disliked. I thought it went without saying.  But things might be a changing!  Raburn, over the last 11 games is hitting over .200 (that’s an improvement) with 1 home run and 4 RBI.  Of course he got the lone homer and the 4 runs batted in on Tuesday in Chicago; but who’s really keeping track anyway?

He is having better at bats, stinging the ball harder and really does look like he is coming around.

I think somebody just called me an idiot.

Anyway!

Raburn always seems to be a slow starter and despite people believing he will eventually hit, the whole act has grown rather tired, especially during this season.

So what should the skipper do?

The options are Ramon Santiago who is hitting a whopping .164 or Danny Worth is currently raking at a .176 clip and was just sent down to the minors to make room for another pitcher meaning he will not be available for ten days.  Now Worth has had only 20 plate appearances this season, and he might be capable of far more but he has yet to prove that.

So I decided to go into Jim Leyland’s office and find out why he continues to roll Raburn out there every game, especially early in the season?

Leyland responded saying “the reason I like Raburn is because when he hits, something happens and he can produce and we saw that (Tuesday when he knocked in four runs.)  That’s not to say that Santiago or Danny Worth can’t, but they will not produce like that.  They are going to get hits and keep innings going but when Raburn gets going, if he gets going and I don’t know that he’s going just yet.  But, when he gets going, something can happen; he can score you from first.  That’s why I have always like Raburn.”

Now the above quote was from before the Tigers lost 11-7 to the Twins on Wednesday night, a game where Raburn went 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout and a very costly error that would later result in a 3-run homer that Rick Porcello would give up.

Raburn, at every aspect of trying to contribute was booed ruthlessly by the Comerica Park crowd especially when he struck out with men on 2nd and 3rd in the bottom of the 7th inning.  Fans were quick to forget about Raburn’s 4 RBI game the day before in Chicago, a performance that essentially won it for Detroit against the White Sox.

After the game I hung around in the skipper’s office until the electronic media exited and asked about Raburn again.  I compared the booing to that of which Inge went through earlier this season before eventually being released.  I wondered if Raburn could produce in an environment like that of Wednesday night.

Leyland responded saying “I think Raburn is doing ok now, I think he’s going to do ok.  I think Raburn is going to be ok and I’m not really that concerned with that.  I think Ryan is going to be fine, I think he’s going to be productive and I think he’s going to knock in some runs for us, so I think he will be alright.”

So do you buy it?  I kind of do!

I know, I know, this is the part of the blog when you call me a “homer” a “shill” or even a “Leyland apologist” but I do agree with him.

Raburn has a track record and Worth, when around does not.  As for Santiago, his track record is that of being a platoon, role player.  Of course I want to see what Worth can do as much as you do, but Raburn has proven it already so he has to be the better option and with no Worth he definitely is.  Also, do I need to recite those averages of the other 2nd base candidates again?  That’s what I thought.  They along with Raburn have all been horrendous.

All 3 play a solid second base, even though Raburn made the error on Wednesday.

All 3 are good enough to be employed on this team.

However, only one has the ability to supply a little pop and run into one, more than the others.

I say play that guy, especially with the way this offense has looked in the early season.

Why wouldn’t you?

I have no problem with the decision to continue playing Raburn, but I’m sure that you do.  So I would love to know what your solution is.  Oh yeah and one more thing, getting back Placido Polanco is not an option.

I hate to agree with the skipper one more time, but play Raburn; he wins this argument by being potentially the best of the other bad options.

Some people have a high threshold for pain. Will Rhymes is not one of those people. Will Rhymes was hit on the forearm by a pitch the other night and proceeded to walk to first base. Upon reaching first base the pain was too much and he motioned to the dugout that he needed to come out of the game. Moments later he collapsed and passed out. Rhymes was then carted off the field. His x-rays came back negative and he will be fine. No truth to the rumors that he is day to day with a bruised ego but when asked what his name was he did respond with “I’m Batman”.

Click HERE to see the video

It worked twice, and the Eastern Conference finals are all even, as a result.

David Clarkson scored a tip-in goal off Adam Henrique’s shot 2:31 into the third period to break a tie and lift the Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers that squared the series at one game apiece on Wednesday night.

“It’s a very hard building to play in, and 1-1 sounds much better than down 2-0,” Devils captain Zach Parise said. “We’re happy. We would have liked to have snuck out of here with two wins, but it didn’t happen.

“We’ll take 1-1.”

For the third straight series, the Rangers are wondering what went wrong in Game 2 after they took the opener. They stressed how important it would be to grab a 2-0 lead, which would have been their first two-game edge in this postseason, but didn’t provide the necessary effort to get it done.

New York was riding high after its 3-0 series-opening win on Monday night, but now has relinquished home-ice advantage again.

“You need to improve as a hockey team every game,” said succinct and disappointed coach John Tortorella, who declined to say what areas were deficient.

Game 3 will be Saturday in New Jersey.

Clarkson built off the momentum created by Ryan Carter’s deflected goal late in the second that tied the game, 2-2. Ilya Kovalchuk had given the Devils a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first. Defenseman Bryce Salvador added two assists, and Martin Brodeur stopped 23 saves for his 108th playoff win.

Clarkson has three goals in this postseason, and every one has been a winner, including the clincher against Philadelphia in Game 5 of the second round.

“Mr. Clutch? I don’t know about that,” Clarkson said. “I’m going to skate up and down and finish the checks and just bounce off people. It’s just a great feeling to be able to contribute. To get a tip on that felt pretty good.”

New Jersey had 26 attempted shots blocked in Game 1, five more than they got through to goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The Devils cut the blocks to 16 on Wednesday and managed to get 27 on goal — two more than New York.

“That team blocks so many shots,” Clarkson said. “It’s unbelievable how many. I think we found a way to shoot it and get sticks on it, and definitely that was big for us.”

Marc Staal and Chris Kreider scored power-play goals in the second for the top-seeded Rangers, who received 24 saves by Lundqvist.

New Jersey got even at 2 when Salvador wound up for a shot at the blue line and fired a drive that Carter — with his back to the net — brilliantly deflected past Lundqvist with 1:51 left in the second. Marian Gaborik stood up straight in front of Salvador, but didn’t drop down as many of his teammates have to try to block the shot. For that, he was pinned to the bench by Tortorella, even through New York’s power play in the third.

Gaborik returned to the ice with 8:40 remaining as the Rangers pressed to tie.

The Devils kept the pressure on the Rangers at the start of the third and wiped out the good work the Rangers displayed in the second.

“It was a much different reaction when we went down by a goal than it was in the first game,” Parise said. “We didn’t change the way we played, and I think that was a big difference. We were comfortable with how we were playing.

“All I think they got was really on their power play.”

After spending much of the first trapped in their own end, the Rangers rebounded to erase their early deficit and briefly take the lead thanks to the previously inept power play.

With Alexei Ponikarovsky off for interference, Staal fired a shot that sailed wide of the net and struck the back boards before popping back in front and pinballing into the net off Salvador and Brodeur at 2:23. The goal was originally credited to Derek Stepan, who was in front, but the puck managed to miss him both on the way toward the net and on the bounce back.

“I saw most of the pucks, but the Rangers came out hard,” Brodeur said. “They were around me a lot, and there were some bad bounces. It’s such a tough place to play sometimes here. There are bad bounces, and the boards are terrible.”

Staal nearly netted another moments later when he ripped a drive that Brodeur had to lunge fully to his left to snare with his glove.

Kreider, the rookie from Boston College, scored for the second straight game to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 12:19. Anton Stralman let go a shot from above the right circle that ticked Kreider’s stick and fluttered past Brodeur for the rookie’s fourth goal. He had to wait to get it because it was first given to Stralman before being changed during a commercial break.

But that was hardly the longest delay of the night. Before Kreider’s power-play goal, the action was stopped for about eight minutes as arena workers struggled to get the door to the Devils’ penalty box opened. Travis Zajac stood patiently as he waited to have a seat in the box. He even managed to laugh as did New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer and the usually stoic and agitated Tortorella.

Zajac, who first was sent to the Rangers’ box, stayed in New Jersey’s sin bin for only 1:47 before Kreider scored the Rangers’ second power-play goal of the night.

New York registered the first six shots of the period before New Jersey had its first about eight minutes in, but the teams were even at 17 through 40 minutes.

Lundqvist had a bit of glove magic of his own midway through the second when a shot by Anton Volchenkov was deflected by Kovalchuk but tracked and grabbed by Lundqvist.

The Devils got their elusive first goal of the series, and the all-important lead in the game, when Kovalchuk connected on the power play late in the first period.

After Brian Boyle was sent off for slashing Parise, the Devils continued their puck-possession prowess in the Rangers’ end. New Jersey moved the puck all around the zone in search of a clean shot that could get past the diving New York defense and perhaps challenge Lundqvist, who made 21 saves in the series-opening win.

Marek Zidlicky curled with the puck to the center of the blue line and slid a pass down to the left circle to Kovalchuk, who calmly and patiently drifted in and snapped a shot up and under the crossbar in the upper corner of the net for his sixth goal of the playoffs and fourth on the power play.

“We had to keep going to the net, and I think we were doing some good things,” Clarkson said. “We’ve been playing some good hockey and we’ve got to continue to do it. That is a big win for us.”

The Devils didn’t record a shot on goal until 6:01 in when Patrik Elias put a wrist shot in on Lundqvist, but New Jersey finished the first period with an 8-5 edge in shots — despite having six more blocked by the Rangers.

Whether Brodeur was kidding or not about wanting Rangers to be injured by blocking shots, the home team wasn’t deterred from getting in front of drives. New York forward Brandon Prust was doing a bit of a dance in front of the dangerous Kovalchuk, trying to deny any potential drive, even though he was defending without a stick.

“We have to try to get in lanes,” Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. “Try to limit their time with the puck. If we do that, they are not going to have time to shoot.”

When Kovalchuk finally scored later in the period, he let out a big yell — part celebration and an exclamation of relief — as he skated in front of the glass behind the net.

“We have built some momentum,” Brodeur said. “And now, we have to try to take that into our building, and make our building a tough place to play.”

NOTES: The Rangers were 10 for 61 (16.4 percent) on the power play in the postseason before Wednesday. This marked the second time they netted a man-advantage goal in consecutive games, but the fourth time they scored two in a game. … The Devils returned defenseman Peter Harrold to the lineup and sat rookie Adam Larsson. Harrold replaced Larsson in the lineup late in the season and started the first nine postseason games. Larsson played in the previous five games.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Cohen has played in 25 NFL games with five starts. He played in one game for the New England Patriots last season. Cohen was a seventh-round draft pick of the Detroit Lions in 2008. He played in 20 games in two seasons with the Lions, four of them as a starter. Cohen played in two games for Jacksonville in 2010 before going to the Patriots.

The signing Wednesday doesn’t preclude further moves, but any addition would require someone to be dropped from the roster.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Valverde was taken out of Detroit’s victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, and Leyland says if Valverde is unable to pitch, Joaquin Benoit would probably be the primary candidate to close games. However, the Detroit manager says it could depend on the situation and he “wouldn’t etch that in stone.”

Valverde converted all 49 of his save chances last year but has struggled in 2012. He’s 2-1 with a 5.51 ERA this year, and he’s already blown two saves in nine chances. He’s walked 12 and struck out 14.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

“Over time, the power steering hose may deteriorate and develop a fluid leak,” read a statement from Honda/Acura. “Leaking power steering fluid could lead to loss of power steering assistance or, if it leaks onto a catalytic converter it may result in smoke, or in the worst case, fire.”

The company says there have been no reports of any crashes, injuries or fires related to this issue.

Owners will be contacted by mail next month. Anybody with questions can call 800-382-2238 or go to www.recalls.acura.com.

1. The Tigers biggest problem this season has been a lack of hitting. Wednesday, they hit well, but gave it back in the field with four errors.
2. The pitching performances by both starter Rick Porcello and reliever Duane Below were disappointing, to say the least. The Twins are awful offensively.
3. The Tigers have to beat poor teams like the Twins at home, or it will be a longer season than most of us imagined given the expectations for the Tigers at the beginning of the campaign.

Peter Peterson, of Manistee County’s Norman Township, was arraigned Tuesday in District Court in Manistee on open murder and felony firearm charges, Michigan State Police said in a statement. Peterson was ordered held on $500,000 bond ahead of a hearing on May 22 in the case.

Peterson said in court he plans to hire a lawyer, but no one was yet on record Wednesday, the court said.

The victim is Vincent Adamczak, a 41-year-old man from Wellston. He was reported missing in 2002 and investigators say they believe he was killed in 1995, the same year his vehicle was found. Police searched Peterson’s home in June 2011 to collect evidence and said they found portions of human remains.

In September, prosecutors charged Rosemary Skrzycki with murder. She pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of being an accessory after murder. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes. Police said that she witnessed the killing.

Adamczak was killed at a “get-together” at Peterson’s house about 40 miles southwest of Traverse City, state police 1st Lt. Brian Postma told WWTV/WWUP. The investigation continues, and Postma said there is at least one other “person of interest.” Postma said he expected charges to be sought.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Jackson departed after hitting a flyout to right in the fourth inning. He was replaced in the outfield by Don Kelly.

Jackson also had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run in the game. He’s hitting .331 with five home runs and has been one of Detroit’s most consistent producers.

He is by far Detroit’s best threat to steal, and his defense in Comerica Park’s spacious center field has been valuable to the Tigers.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Eastpoint Police Lt. Dave Ernatt said Joshua Braasch was charged with operating while intoxicated causing death, a 15 year felony, on Wednesday in 38th District Court.

Police say Braasch was driving westbound on 10 Mile Road around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday when he attempted a left turn to go south on Dodge Street. Instead, police say Braasch’s pickup truck struck an eastbound traveling motorcycle, driven by 43-year-old Russell Gray of St. Clair Shores.

When EMS crews arrived, Gray was declared dead at the scene.

Ernatt said Gray was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, although it is unclear whether that contributed to his death.

Police administered a Breathalyzer test, which showed Braasch had a blood alcohol content of 0.11. The legal limit in Michigan is 0.08.

Braasch allegedly told police that he and a friend were driving home from a bar in Lincoln Park. He reportedly said he was driving his friend home in his friend’s truck because that friend thought he was too drunk to drive. Neither Braasch nor his passenger were injured.

Braasch posted a $10,000 cash bond and was released under the condition he wear an alcohol tether. He’s due back in court on May 23.

Just over a month ago, Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill into law that lets motorcyclists choose whether or not they want to wear a helmet. The law applies to Michiganders age 21 and up who have additional training and insurance. Read more, here.

Since the new law allowing motorcyclists to go without a helmet went into effect, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning says there have been 2 other fatal accidents.

All totaled, there have been 146 motorcycle accidents, 16 involved bikers who weren’t wearing helmets. There were five fatal motorcycle accidents and two of those five weren’t wearing helmets.

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