http://www.yardbarker.com/cricket/players/keith_miller/89354 Recent articles about Keith Miller en-us Keith Miller was a bruising fullback out of the University of Colorado who never quite made it to the National Football League. He has, however, become a star at the Metropolitan Opera. How Miller made the unlikely transition from football to the pinnacle of opera is an all-American story of reinvention, made all the more amazing by the fact that he had no formal musical training when he set out to become a singer. ''This is the real thing, this is the juice,'' says the 38-year-old Miller. ''Instead of a number, you're a character, but the spirit of competition is the same, and you do it for the love of the art versus the love of the game.'' It began almost by chance in 1994, while still at Colorado, when he took his girlfriend to see a traveling production of the Broadway musical ''The Phantom of the Opera.'' He was so enthralled that tears rolled down his face. He bought a CD and learned the songs. Then he got some real opera recordings, singing along Sat, 27 Oct 2012 13:07:34 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/cricket/article_external/singer_makes_journey_from_fullback_to_figaro/12069220 http://network.yardbarker.com/cricket/article_external/singer_makes_journey_from_fullback_to_figaro/12069220 Singer makes journey from fullback to Figaro http://www.yardbarker.com/cricket/articles/singer_makes_journey_from_fullback_to_figaro/12069220 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Five former Pittsburgh Pirates players were born on this date, including a star pitcher for the 1909 World Series winning team and one that played for the franchise during it’s American Association days. If you missed it from earlier, Pirates all-time great Bill Mazeroski, got his own article on this here, his 76th birthday.  In his Jolly Roger Rewind, John Fredland recaps a big doubleheader from the latter stages of the 1990 season. Before I get to the former Pirates players, we have a current player born on this date. Catcher Rod Barajas turns 37 today. He is in his 14th season in the majors, now playing for his seventh different team. He signed with the Pirates as a free agent this past November, after hitting .230 with 16 homers and 47 RBI’s for the Dodgers during the 2011 season. He currently has a .199 average with nine homers and 24 RBI’s in 89 games. Lefty Leifield (1883) Pitcher for the Pirates from 1905 until 1912. Before making it to the majors with the Pirates, Albert “Lefty” Leifield w Wed, 05 Sep 2012 10:24:07 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/this_date_in_pirates_history_september_5/11632909 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/this_date_in_pirates_history_september_5/11632909 This Date in Pirates History: September 5 http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/this_date_in_pirates_history_september_5/11632909 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png 1. Don August and Mark Knudson for Danny Darwin By far, the most important August trade ever to take place was the August 15, 1986 deal sending Danny Darwin to the Milwaukee Brewers for Mark Knudson and... Don August. There are plenty of trades that happen in August, but how many of them actually involve an actual August? August was the Brewers' Opening Day starter in 1989 (know who else started on Opening Day that year? Jack Morris!) and went 34-30 with a 4.64 ERA in parts of four seasons for the Brew Crew. Darwin was a bullpen acquisition for the Astros for their stretch run, although he didn't appear in the 1986 NLCS. He did, however, pitch in 21 major-league seasons (1978-1998). —Russell Carleton 2. Carl Pavano After August, the 2009 Twins were just 53-56, in third place, and starting to fade again in the AL Central, 5.5 games back of the division-leading Tigers. They were trying to make a go of a rotation of Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker, Francisco Lir... Wed, 01 Aug 2012 05:09:42 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/the_lineup_card_seven_august_moves_that_mattered_by_baseball_prospectus/11348056 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/the_lineup_card_seven_august_moves_that_mattered_by_baseball_prospectus/11348056 The Lineup Card: Seven August Moves that Mattered by Baseball Prospectus http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/the_lineup_card_seven_august_moves_that_mattered_by_baseball_prospectus/11348056 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Could it be worse? Could anything top this disastrous start to the Royals' 2012 season? Well, possibly. My first year as a beat writer covering the Royals for The Kansas City Star was in 1992, the infamous season the Royals started 1-16. That was truly depressing, and maybe worse than this, considering that Kansas City fans hadn't become accustomed to losing yet. Brian McRae, the Royals' centerfielder then, told me after the season that most everyone in the clubhouse viewed the rest of the '92 season as toast after that 1-16 start. "Most of the time you say that two weeks can't make or break a season," McRae said. "But after that start, we were done. We didn't quit, but we knew we didn't have the type of team that could dig its way out of that." The Royals had made perhaps their most controversial trade in team history a few months before, sending Bret Saberhagen to the Mets for Gregg Jefferies, Kevin McReynolds and Keith Miller. Jefferies was a talented Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:29:23 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/royals_slow_start_tough_but_it_could_be_worse/10643986 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/royals_slow_start_tough_but_it_could_be_worse/10643986 Royals slow start tough, but it could be worse http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/royals_slow_start_tough_but_it_could_be_worse/10643986 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Could it be worse? Could anything top this disastrous start to the Royals' 2012 season? Well, possibly. My first year as a beat writer covering the Royals for The Kansas City Star was in 1992, the infamous season the Royals started 1-16. That was truly depressing, and maybe worse than this, considering that Kansas City fans hadn't become accustomed to losing yet. Brian McRae, the Royals' centerfielder then, told me after the season that most everyone in the clubhouse viewed the rest of the '92 season as toast after that 1-16 start. "Most of the time you say that two weeks can't make or break a season," McRae said. "But after that start, we were done. We didn't quit, but we knew we didn't have the type of team that could dig its way out of that." The Royals had made perhaps their most controversial trade in team history a few months before, sending Bret Saberhagen to the Mets for Gregg Jefferies, Kevin McReynolds and Keith Miller. Jefferies was a talented Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:29:23 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/royals_slow_start_tough_but_it_could_be_worse/10643977 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/royals_slow_start_tough_but_it_could_be_worse/10643977 Royals slow start tough, but it could be worse http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/royals_slow_start_tough_but_it_could_be_worse/10643977 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Riding her bike, that's all she was doing. Riding her bike two weeks ago Wednesday on her driveway in Staten Island, NY. Riding her bike, just like any 7-year-old would. Then it happened -- a moment that Reese Marquis might never remember, a moment that her parents and so many close to her will never forget. Reese's father Jason, a right-handed pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, was at spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., when he got the first call, waiting to go to dinner with two of his agents, Seth Levinson and Keith Miller. Reese had fallen off her bike. She was headed to the hospital. Headed there because Marquis' wife, Debbie, and father-in-law, Frank Masseria, sensed immediately that something was wrong. As Jason puts it, Reese is "not a drama queen," not one to show pain. But by the time she got to the hospital, her grandfather holding her in his arms, she was white as a ghost. Jason received a second call at dinner. Reese was in an ambulance headed to a different hospital, on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:42:24 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/marquis_dont_take_anything_for_granted/10480513 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/marquis_dont_take_anything_for_granted/10480513 Marquis: 'Don't take anything for granted' http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/marquis_dont_take_anything_for_granted/10480513 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Riding her bike, that's all she was doing. Riding her bike two weeks ago Wednesday on her driveway in Staten Island, NY. Riding her bike, just like any 7-year-old would. Then it happened -- a moment that Reese Marquis might never remember, a moment that her parents and so many close to her will never forget. Reese's father Jason, a right-handed pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, was at spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., when he got the first call, waiting to go to dinner with two of his agents, Seth Levinson and Keith Miller. Reese had fallen off her bike. She was headed to the hospital. Headed there because Marquis' wife, Debbie, and father-in-law, Frank Masseria, sensed immediately that something was wrong. As Jason puts it, Reese is "not a drama queen," not one to show pain. But by the time she got to the hospital, her grandfather holding her in his arms, she was white as a ghost. Jason received a second call at dinner. Reese was in an ambulance headed to a different hospital, on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 02:59:27 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/marquis_dont_take_anything_for_granted/10478575 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/marquis_dont_take_anything_for_granted/10478575 Marquis: 'Don't take anything for granted' http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/marquis_dont_take_anything_for_granted/10478575 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Time management works for Mustangs - J. Scott Russell, Times Record News         The Midwestern State Mustangs only had the ball for a little more than seven minutes in the second half of Saturday's game against Eastern New Mexico.  However, they made good use of that time.  The No. 8 Mustangs put the ball in the end zone the first three times they had the ball — using less than three minutes — and continued their season-long scoring bonanza as they took care of the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds, 57-34, in Greyhound Stadium. The Mustangs continued their best start as they improve to 8-0 on the season and 7-0 in the Lone Star Conference, clinching at least a tie for the conference title heading into next Saturday's showdown with No. 20 West Texas A&M in Memorial Stadium. The Greyhounds fall to 2-7 and 1-5. MSU head coach Bill Maskill was philosophical about the win as the Mustangs gave up their second most points of the season. "We came here to get a win, and that's what we Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:13:51 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/lsc_football_game_recaps/7784233 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/lsc_football_game_recaps/7784233 LSC Football Game Recaps http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/lsc_football_game_recaps/7784233 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Despite going 3-2 last week, Joey maintains the overall lead by a single point.   Season Standings 31 - Joey Richards (LW 3 correct picks) 30 - Bradk Keith (4) 30 - LSC Scoop (4) 29 - Randy Ward (4) 24 - Jacob Unruh (4)   Joey's Picks ACU 45, Commerce 7 -- Wildcats get some much-needed medicine with the Lions coming to town. MSU 63, ENMU 7 -- Mustangs looked like a contender for a national championship last week. Might be a little letdown this week, but not much. TAMK 28, ASU 21 -- Rams have struggled at home this season, and Kingsville has little to lose at this point. TSU 35, UIW 21 -- Tarleton plays well at home, and the Texans are starting to put things together. WT 38, CWU 28 -- Buffs can't afford a mistake from here on out. They've got to take care of business against a Central Washington team having an off year.   Randy's Picks Commerce @ Abilene - Commerce may get some lucky bounces and score 10 points. Abilene 52-10 Midwestern @ Eastern NM - Mustangs have be Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:30:44 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/lsc_scoop_game_previews_and_picks/7784251 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/lsc_scoop_game_previews_and_picks/7784251 LSC Scoop Game Previews and Picks http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/lsc_scoop_game_previews_and_picks/7784251 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png