Bigger Than Bryce Harper? Potentially.

Move over Bryce Harper...America has a new favorite high school baseball player.

Not since the number one pick in the 2010 MLB draft was hitting tape measure home runs for Las Vegas High School has a high school player gotten this much national attention.

I mean, do a Google search for junior pitcher Scotty McCreery and you'll find close to 400,000 entries to choose from.

Look for dude on Facebook or Twitter and you'll find an endless number of fan pages and tweets like "I love Scotty McCreery. He's a cutie" (courtesy of @kaylabeliebs) or "The boy from Garner...his name is Scotty McCreery he's my favorite!" (courtesy of @Tay_Laura_B_Fan).

But, as you might have guessed, it has nothing to do with the 6-1 record and 1.04 ERA that he posted last year for Garner High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. 

You see, the 17-year-old righty isn't striking them out on the playing field (yet)...he's been too busy mowing down the competition on the latest installment of "American Idol".

You read that right. 

McCreery is, currently, one of the 60 finalists that made it through the always tough "Hollywood Week" and the judges and fans alike are loving him.

“Some of the girls that know Scotty have known he can sing,” Garner junior first baseman Alec Hulmes told FOXSportsSouth.com. “But now it’s just like, girls come up to him left and right.”

So could this kid from North Carolina end up bigger than Bryce Harper?  It's a possibility given the size of the national stage he might be on next week at this time.

Wipe Your Tears...Clay Zavada Has Reported to Camp

When presented with the news that Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Clay Zavada might be hanging it up, The American Mustache Institute responded as succinctly as one would expect.

"This would be a horrific development," was the message left on their Facebook page.

Thankfully, Mustached Americans and fans of the 2009 Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year Award don't have to worry any longer.

Their hero is in the fold.

“It was just a personal matter with my family,” Zavada said to reporters. “It had nothing, really, to do with baseball. I was going through some things and I needed some time. I came in and I talked to (manager Kirk Gibson) and straightened everything out. I’m here now and ready to play. It’s a personal matter that wasn’t related to baseball at all. I had to take some time and get everything cleared up.”

Now...the comments over at azcentral.com suggest that Zavada is, unfortuantely, sans 'stache.  While I can't confirm this (the photo above was from 2010), it it encouraging that the Diamondbacks are running a lip sweater friendly Spring Training.

In their Salt River Fields media room hangs the "Parks and Recreation" inspired Ron Swanson Pyramid of Greatness.

Glorious.

Miguel Cabrera Has Been Drinking. Again.

There are two sure signs that spring is on the way.

First...Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see his shadow. 

Check.

Second...Miguel Cabrera gets arrested for hitting the bottle.

Double check...and I'm guessing the Detroit Tigers brass and fans alike are hoping the yearly tradition of waking up to the "Miguel Cabrera Arrested" headlines ends soon.

Late Wednesday night, the Tigers first baseman was arrested in Florida on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and two counts of resisting an officer without violence.

Here's some details...courtesy of the Detroit Free Press:

(Cabrera) was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail at 12:20 a.m. (Thursday) and released at 7:45 a.m. after posting $1,350 bond, according to information provided by Mark Weinberg from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office

According to police report, a deputy spotted a car Cabrera was driving, smoking on the side of Okeechobee Road in Ft. Pierce, about 100 miles southeast of spring training in Lakeland. Cabrera had an odor of alcohol coming from his breath and his eyes were bloodshot and watery and his speech heavily slurred, according to the report.

Oh...that's just the beginning.

In an arrest affidavit, deputies said Cabrera repeated “Do you know who I am, you don’t know anything about my problems.” Cabrera then picked up a bottle of James Buchanan’s Scotch whiskey and started drinking, according to the report.

When asked to get into a patrol vehicle, police say Cabrera used an expletive. Police say he didn’t comply with several orders to get into the patrol vehicle. The arresting deputy said he lifted Cabrera’s left hand to gain pain compliance and Cabrera then “pushed off the vehicle into me,” according to the report.

The deputy then delivered 3-4 knee spikes into Cabrera’s left thigh muscle. Cabrera fell into the vehicle, according to police.

Now, if the past has showed us anything, when the slugger gets into trouble prior to the season...he's just getting ready for the season ahead.

Prior to last season, the 27-year-old spent three months in alcohol rehab and ended up putting up a .328 batting average, a career-high 38 HRs and 126 RBIs.  For his career, he has managed a .313 batting average, 247 home runs and 879 RBI.

Stan Musial: "This is the Greatest Day I Had in My Life"

Last November, after a wonderful "Flat Stan the Man" campaign, 90-year-old Hall of Famer Stan Musial got the call that he was going to be one of the latest Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients.

Pretty cool.

Tuesday, perhaps lost in all the Albert Pujols nonsense, was the day for "The Man" and how did he re-pay his fans at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

Well, according to Bernie Miklasz from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch...with an impromptu harmonica concert of course.

As soon as he was wheeled into the White House, Musial pulled out his trusty harmonica to entertain welcoming members of Obama's staff with some favorite ditties, including that most precious of Stan the Man's chestnuts, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

"It was pretty amazing," said Stephen Beck, a documentary moviemaker who accompanied President George Bush, also a medal recipient, to the White House. "Stan comes into the place and immediately takes out the harmonica and gets going. He had the White House staff smiling and laughing."

And then after the ceremony, at a reception for medal winners and their guests, Musial set up for an encore.

By placing the Medal of Freedom around Musial's neck, President Obama made the lifelong Cardinal baseball's eighth recipient...the most among any sport. 

The other seven are Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Joe DiMaggio, Buck O'Neil, Frank Robinson, Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams...not too shabby. 

I encourage you to read Miklasz's piece...it's pretty incredible and pays tribute to Musial and the event far better than I ever could.

Clay Zavada Might be Hanging it Up

The mustache ride might be over for Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Clay Zavada.

Depending on what you read...the recipient of the 2009 Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year Award is either going to show up to camp Wednesday or contemplating retirement.

Sure, it's hard to think of a world where the owner of one of baseball's finest lip sweaters, might hang it up, but according to azcentral.com...that's exactly what might happen.

Left-hander Clay Zavada, who was invited to big-league camp after signing a minor-league deal, appears to be contemplating retirement.  Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers said Zavada, who did not undergo a scheduled physical Sunday and missed Monday's workout, told the club's training staff he was "having some doubts on wanting to go through this again."

But, according to if you take what MLB.com's Steve Gilbert says as gospel...Zavada will be in camp soon.

Zavada's agent, Barry Meister, said that Zavada experienced some discomfort in his shoulder and that was the reason for his absence.  "He just needed a couple of days to figure out what was going on with his shoulder," Meister said.

Meister said that Zavada was going to see either the team's training staff or team physician Michael Lee about his shoulder Tuesday and that he had talked to manager Kirk Gibson about his situation.

Walking away from baseball wouldn't be new for Zavada.

He missed the entire 2007 season after the death of his father and was forced to sit out all of last season due to Tommy John surgery.  The Streator, Illinois native, and former 30th round draft pick, appeared in 49 games in 2009...striking out 52 batters in 51 innings.  He finished the season with a 3-3 record and a 3.35 ERA.

So...will he or won't he?

Granted, it isn't the same level of drama that surrounded New York Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte, but to Mustached Americans...Zavada is a hero.  In October 2009, he took home the afore mentioned American Mustache Institute's coveted Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year Award. 
 
Shortly after receiving the honor...sat down with the organization's leader, the esteemed Dr. Aaron Perlut.

Moyer Monday: February 14

For the first time since the middle of the Reagan administration...pitcher Jamie Moyer has Valentine's Day dinner plans that don't involve working out with teammates.

While most pitchers reported to Spring Training today...Moyer answered your questions.  Here is this month's "Moyer Monday.

Question:  Do you have any plans for Valentine’s Day?

Moyer:  A nice family dinner will be in store for Valentine's Day.

Question:  What do you think of the 2011 Phillies rotation?

Moyer:  The Phillies rotation will be very exciting to follow throughout the year. A very talented group of pitchers. Wish I was there to witness in person.

Question:  What are your favorite restaurants in Seattle and Philadelphia?

Moyer:  There are many great restaurants in both cities. Barolo in Seattle is great. Morimoto in Philly has great sushi.

Question:  What was your first car? What has been your favorite car to own?

Moyer:  My first car was a Pinto station wagon. Currently my favorite cars I’ve owned are my Escalade pick-up and Range Rover Sport.

Question:  What is your best clubhouse memory of the Mariner's historic 2001 season?

Moyer:  My favorite memory with the Mariner’s team from 2001 was the clubhouse unity by all involved.

Remember, you can follow The Moyer Foundation on Twitter at @moyerfoundation. To learn more about the foundation or make a donation to support one of their programs, please visit them online at The Moyer Foundation.

Garrett Wittels to Talk to the Media...Sorta

To say that Garrett Wittels will start the upcoming season different than last year is an understatement.

The Florida International University hitting sensation begins the 2011 campaign not only with his 56-game hitting streak on the line, but uncertainty as to whether or not his school will let him play.

You see, while he has been practicing with the team, FIU has yet to make a decision on how they will handle the junior and his December 20 rape arrest.

One thing is for sure though. According to The Miami Herald, the shortstop is ready to talk…but not about his off season.

The Florida International University hitting sensation will answer questions about the upcoming season and his pursuit of a national collegiate batting record at a press conference next week.

But he won’t be discussing the rape charges against him. For that matter, the school is warning media outlets not to ask about the shortstop’s legal issues – and is threatening recourse if they do – at Wednesday’s press conference with Wittels and other members of the team.

“Due to the ongoing investigation, if any questions are asked regarding Garrett Wittels’ legal matter, not only will the question not be addressed, but the press conference will end immediately,” according to a press release issued by the schools athletic department.

When the Golden Panthers open their season later this week against Southwestern Louisiana, Wittels enters two games shy of equaling Robin Ventura’s collegiate record of 58.

This past July, The Hall was able to catch up with the NCBWA Preseason All-American...you can read the interview HERE.

Top Stories of the Upcoming 2011 Jewish MLB Season

With pitchers and catchers reporting Monday for most of the Majors...it's just a matter of time until full blown spring training breaks out.

And not long after that, you can expect The Hall to start breaking down team by team milestones that are on the horizon for the upcoming season.  That said, The Great Rabbino (yeah, that's a real dude) has already broken down what he's looking forward to this season...and a good friend of this site has found himself situated at numero uno.

It's with that, that I present to you (courtesy of The Great Rabbino)...the top stories of the upcoming 2011 Jewish MLB season.

10) New Faces in New Places: Some of our beloved Jewish ball players have switched teams. Gabe Kapler has signed with the Dodgers, will that lead to more playing time? And will Sam Fuld's move to Tampa mean a permanent roster spot?

9) Rothschild in Pinstripes: The Yankees rotation is one of the biggest stories of the off-season. C.C. Sabathia and the boys need to improve. The Yankees brought in former Cubs' pitching coach Larry Rothschild to fix everyone (besides C.C.). Whether or not he is the answer is a major question.

8) Pitching Needs to Improve: It is clear we have no Sandy Koufaxes in the bunch. Outside of Craig Breslow, last year was a major disappointment. Can Jason Marquis, Scott Feldman and John Grabow bounce back?

7) Get Braun Some Help: Much of Ryan Braun's numbers come from the great protection he gets from Prince Fielder. With Fielder on the move, possibly mid-season, will Braun continue to be a star?

6) Somebody Call a Doctor: Last year the DL saw better Jewish players than the field. 2010 contained serious and long injury stints for Kevin Youkilis, Brad Ausmus, Ian Kinsler, Marquis and Grabow. Can the Jewish ballplayers stay healthy?

5) The Youk's Team: With Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez on board, will Kevin Youkilis still remain the man in Boston? He has great potential in this lineup but his move back to third could be a distraction. We expect big numbers from the Youk.

4) Kinsler Kontinued: Ian Kinsler was awesome in the playoffs. We saw glimpses of his 2010 form. Is he done with his injury plagued season and can he be the 30-30 guy we know he can be?

3) Second Year Slide: Last year Ike Davis showed his power. Danny Valencia came out of nowhere to be a star. The league knows who they are now. They have won the respect of many fans. But will these two be able to step it up, continue their strong play and help lead their teams? Also, will Ryan Kalish get a real chance?

2) Next: We finally saw the arrival of two new stars, so who is next? Will Jason Kipnis get a chance with the Indians? Can Danny Axelrod join the White Sox in middle relief? Can Ben Guez continue to rise fast for the Tigers? And will Aaron Poreda crack the Padres rotation? Who is the next Jewish breakout star?

1) Minor League Record: Our top story is kind of cheating but it is totally worth the Number One spot. It comes from college. Florida International's Garrett Wittels has a 56 game hitting streak, which is 2 shy of Robin Ventura's Division I record. We will be eagerly awaiting for the beginning of the college season. This kid has a bright future. If he ends up as good as Ventura that would be one great career.

You can read the interview Wittels did with The Hall HERE.

Shalom.