Atlanta Hawks center Horford rising among the elite

Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford shoots over Chicago's Joakim Noah during this spring's NBA Playoffs. Horford is back in town this week to host a basketball camp. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

By Brian Calloway

bcalloway@lsj.com

Al Horford is his own worst critic when it comes to his game.

It’s that critical approach that has helped make the Atlanta Hawks center one of the top young players in the NBA.

A No. 3 overall selection by the Hawks in the 2007 draft, the former Grand Ledge standout has blossomed into an All-Star performer. Outside of top overall pick Kevin Durant, Horford has emerged as the most accomplished player from an ’07 draft class that also included Greg Oden, Joakim Noah, Yi Jianlian, Rodney Stuckey and Benton Harbor native Wilson Chandler.

Through his first four seasons, the 25-year old Horford is a two-time All-Star, making the East roster as a reserve center each of the past two seasons.

“It’s special, but at the end of the day you have to go out there and keep working,” Horford said. “There are lot of guys that are coming up and want to be in a similar position as you. It’s all about the work ethic and staying focused.”

This week, Horford is back in mid-Michigan as he hosts a basketball camp at the Court One Athletic Club on Tuesday and Wednesday that will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing and Grand Ledge High School.

The camp is something Horford feels strongly about.

“I just always feel when you are in a good position its important to give back in some way,” he said. “I would have loved to get instruction from an NBA player. I think that’s as good as it gets. Now that I’m able to do that I like to make that happen for other people.”

 

Al Horford, a Grand Ledge senior in 2004, now stars for Atlanta. / Lansing State Journal file photo

Horford is coming off his best season as he averaged a career-high 15.3 points and 9.6 rebounds. He also ranked fifth in the NBA with a career-best .557 field goal percentage and earned third team All-NBA honors.

“Obviously I’m always very critical on myself about getting better,” Horford said. “I don’t get caught up too much in what I’ve accomplished, but it’s a good feeling to have been able to have success.”

In with the big boys

Horford has had much of his success despite being an undersized center. At 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds, Horford is more the size of a power forward but has played at center for Atlanta for a majority of his career. Regardless, he’s averaging close to a double-double for his career with 12.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

“There is no question it’s been a challenge,” Horford said. “Every game I’m going against guys that I’m three to four inches shorter than and that outweigh me by 30 to 40 pounds.

“My whole thing is to come out and play to my strengths against them and try to be quicker and hustle down the court.”

Emerging leader

While Horford’s game has grown on the court he also has become one of the cornerstones of the Hawks. Horford, who inked a five-year extension with the Hawks during the season, has become a more vocal leader.

Stepping into that role was something that was important to Horford, who also recently made a trip to China to help promote the NBA.

“When I came in to the league, I came with the attitude that I was going to fit in anyway I could,” Horford said. “The more comfortable I got with the guys, I felt like something taking part in my game was to step up and become more of a leader and speaking my mind more. It’s not only me doing it. I also rely on Josh Smith and Joe Johnson.”

Horford has helped Atlanta reach the playoffs each season of his four-year career. The Hawks have been eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals each of the past three seasons, but he wants to help Atlanta make the next step in a tough Eastern Conference.

“I feel we’re in a good position but i feel the team can still get better,” said Horford, who won two national titles during his college career at Florida “I think we can still grow and definitely keep improving.”

Horford file

Al Horford

• Atlanta Hawks center

• Height/Weight: 6-10/245

• Career averages: 12.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks

• Notable: 2008 All-Rookie selection. …Runner-up in rookie of the year voting. …Two-time All-Star. …2011 third team All-NBA selection

From patience to production for Lugnuts’ Crouse

Lugnuts outfielder Michael Crouse is hitting .272 with six homers, 19 stolen bases and 38 RBIs. A 16th-round pick in the 2008 draft by the Blue Jays, he is the starting DH for tonight's Midwest League All-Star game. (Michael Caterina/Lansing State Journal)

Brian Calloway

bcalloway@lsj.com

When the Toronto Blue Jays drafted Michael Crouse out of high school in 2008, they knew they were getting a gifted athlete with a great deal of raw talent.

They realized the outfielder had a high ceiling and knew it would take time and patience for his skills to translate on the playing field.

In his fourth season in Toronto’s minor league system, the 20-year old Crouse is rewarding their patience.

After spending a majority of the past two seasons in rookie ball, Crouse has put together an all-star year and has helped the Lansing Lugnuts qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2008. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound outfielder has picked things up offensively and was voted by Midwest League managers as a starter for today’s all-star game in Davenport, Iowa.

“There is no question we’re very pleased with the progress that Michael has made,” Toronto Blue Jays minor league field coordinator Doug Davis said. “When you sign young players out of Canada, they are already a little bit behind because of where they played and the experience they’ve had. He’s worked as hard as anyone can.

“We just have kind of stayed the course, and this year we’re finally starting to see the results we expected to see. He’s a specimen of a player as far as his size, strength and speed. The hitting part is the last part to come along, and we’ve seen very good progress.”

A 16th-round draft pick, Crouse’s potential has been evident to the Blue Jays. A native of Port Moody, British Columbia, Crouse played for Team Canada in the Junior World Championships in 2008 and was named to the all-star team along with current Blue Jays prospect Brett Lawrie.

Crouse, who will join fellow Lugnuts outfielders Marcus Knecht and Jake Marisnick as starters for the East in today’s all-star game, ranks second in the Midwest League with five triples and fifth with 19 stolen bases this season. He also is hitting .272 with 13 doubles, six home runs and 38 RBIs.

“It’s a great accomplishment for me, coming up here and having a good first half of the season and becoming an all-star. I’ve worked hard for it, and I’m going to go to that game and enjoy it,” said Crouse, who is batting .311 with runners in scoring position this season. “It’s a great achievement because it’s coaches around the league that have noticed some of the things that I’ve done in the first half of the season and they liked it enough that they selected me to take part in the all-star game.”

Having a father that was a professional athlete has been beneficial to Crouse’s development. His father, Ray, was a running back in the NFL for the Green Bay PackersKansas City Chiefs and also in the CFL for the Calgary Stampeders and B.C. Lions.

“It benefited me growing up and playing sports, because I just didn’t go through the motions when I was a kid,” Crouse said. “(My dad) was always telling me to win and be at the top of my game whenever I go out, no matter what level I play in. It definitely helped me to be the person I am today because when I go out there, I want to win, I want to get better and I want to strive to be the best.”

That desire to improve has been evident offensively, where he has shown progress after hitting .218 in rookie ball in 2009 and .216 during a 28-game stint in Lansing last season. This season Crouse’s average has been on a rise since hitting .234 in April. He hit .295 in May and is hitting .278 this month. He closed the first half of the season on a seven-game hitting streak and homered in Sunday’s 8-2 win over Dayton that allowed the Lugnuts to clinch the Eastern first half wild card.

Crouse wants to build on his strong first half and continue to make improvements.

“I want to keep working on all aspects of the game, but (spend) a majority (of effort) on being a little bit more patient at the plate and working on my approach at the plate,” Crouse said. “I think everything will fall in place.”

Hutchison stays low, finds success for Lugnuts

Drew Hutchison of the Lugnuts has developed into one of the top pitchers in the Midwest League with a strong first half of the season. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound right-hander is 5-2 in 13 starts and has a team-leading 2.86 ERA. He's 4-0 in his last four starts. (Kevin W. Fowler/Lansing State Journal)

Brian Calloway

bcalloway@lsj.com

An aggressive approach has helped Drew Hutchison develop into one of the Midwest League’s best pitchers this season.

Over his last four starts, the Lansing Lugnut right-hander has picked his game up another notch.

The 20-year old is 4-0 and has allowed only two earned runs in 23 innings in his last four starts and hasn’t allowed a run in 21 straight innings. He’s helped the Lugnuts remain near the top of the Eastern Division standings.

Hutchison also has 30 strikeouts and three walks in that stretch, including back-to-back games with nine punchouts against Burlington and Quad Cities.

“I’ve been in a good rhythm,” said Hutchison, who is a team-leading 5-2 with a 2.86 earned run average in 13 starts. “I’ve been pitching good and everyone behind me has been doing a good job. It’s just one of those things where I’ve put a couple good starts back-to-back-to-back and got it rolling.

“Every time you go out there, you try and establish yourself early in a game and get in a rhythm. When you do that, things seem to go good for you. You get in a good rhythm and the defense is on their toes behind you.”

Hutchison, a 16th-round draft selection in 2009 and is touted by Baseball America as the No. 25-ranked prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays’ minor league system, has pitched 21 consecutive scoreless innings, dating back to his outing against Bowling Green on May 30.

He hasn’t given up a run in each of his three starts in June. Backup catcher Jack Murphy has played in each of those starts.

“Jack Murphy has been doing a good job behind the plate,” said Hutchison, who’s from Lakeland, Fla. “The defense has made plays behind me. I rolled a few double plays (Tuesday night) and everything has just been clicking lately.”

Hutchison has used an aggressive approach to induce ground ball outs, and has been one of the best strikeout pitchers in the league.

He’s fourth in the Midwest League with 72 strikeouts and has had at least seven strikeouts in four of his 13 starts. Hutchison has allowed just one home run in 66 innings – the best total of any pitcher in the league that has made at least five starts.

“Being that I’m a ground ball pitcher, I’m aggressive after guys and try to get the early contact ground ball outs,” Hutchison said. “If you give up a hit, you give up a hit. You try to roll a double play after that. I just try to keep ball on the ground and keep it down in the zone.”

By doing those things, Hutchison believes he gives his team a chance to win each outing, which is his ultimate goal.

“You just try to go out there and give your team a chance to win every night,” Hutchison said. “I just try to go deep into the games and turn it over to the bullpen.”

Lugnuts fall out of first with loss

Brian Calloway

bcalloway@lsj.com

Mistakes proved costly for the Lansing Lugnuts on Wednesday evening.

Following a two hour and 27 minute rain delay, the South Bend Silver Hawks took advantage of a pair of Lugnut errors to score three runs in the seventh inning en route to a 5-2 victory at Cooley Law School Stadium.

The loss, combined with Bowling Green’s 1-0 win over West Michigan, knocked the Lugnuts out of first place in the Midwest League’s Eastern Division. Lansing (36-27) trails Bowling Green by a half-game and leads Great Lakes by a game for the first-half wild card with four games remaining.

“We made too many mistakes,” Lansing manager Mike Redmond said. “We made three errors that cost us three runs. When you’re fighting to get in the playoffs, you can’t make mistakes like that.”

South Bend broke the scoreless tie in the seventh when Zach Walter scored as Roberto Rodriguez reached safely on a throwing error by third baseman Bryson Namba that would have gotten the Lugnuts out of the inning. Yazy Ardelo scored on Roberto Ortiz’s infield single before Rodriguez scored on a passed ball to cap the scoring in the seventh. The Silver Hawks added another run on a passed ball in the eighth.

Lansing fought back in the bottom of the eighth against South Bend reliever Blake Cooper. Kevin Nolan, Carlos Perez and Michael Crouse each singled to load the bases before K.C. Hobson drew a run-scoring walk. The Lugnuts added another run on pinch hitter Lance Durham’s sacrifice fly to center field. Lansing’s threat ended when Markus Brisker grounded out to second.

Jhoan Pimentel added an RBI single in the ninth for South Bend (32-33) to cap the scoring.

Silver Hawks lefty David Holmberg picked up the win, pitching seven scoreless innings and striking out 10 and allowing just two hits – a pair of infield singles. Holmberg, a 2009 second round draft pick by the Chicago White Sox that was acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks for Edwin Jackson, hasn’t allowed an earned run and more than three hits in his last four starts.

The 19-year old who is on the Eastern roster for next week’s Midwest League All-Star game has pitched 27 consecutive scoreless innings and hasn’t given up a run since his May 22 outing against Great Lakes. In his three starts against Lansing this season, he has given up one earned run in 19 innings.

Lugnut starter Sean Nolin matched him, pitching six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out seven before giving way to the bullpen.

“Their guy has been good but we matched him with Nolin,” Redmond said. “He just ran out of pitches.”

Marcus Walden (1-2) took the loss for Lansing, giving up four unearned runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Kevin Nolan went 2 for 3 with a run to lead the Lugnuts offensively.

South Bend and Lansing will conclude their three-game series at 7:05 p.m. tonight. The Lugnuts will then close the first half with a three-game series at Dayton.

“We need to win like two or three games because everyone wants to get to the playoffs,” Perez said. “We have to work hard every game.

“Tomorrow is a new day, and we’ll have to play hard tomorrow. If you play hard the more chances you will have to win.”

Jake Marisnick adds power, speed to Lugnuts lineup

:Jake Marisnick is hitting .302 for the Lugnuts and is tied for second in the Midwest League with 27 RBIs.( Michael Caterina/Lansing State Journal)

Brian Calloway

bcalloway@lsj.com

Jake Marisnick has found his comfort zone.

In the midst of his first full season of professional baseball, the 20-year-old center fielder has gotten off to a strong start for the Lansing Lugnuts this year.

Marisnick was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the third round of the 2009 major league draft and is rated the organization’s 11th best prospect by Baseball America.

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound native of Riverside, Calif., is batting .302 and entered Sunday ranked tied for second in the Midwest League with 27 RBIs, tied for fourth with 13 stolen bases and tied for sixth with 38 hits.

“He’s been solid,” Lugnuts manager Mike Redmond said. “So far to this date he has probably been our most consistent player. He’s gone out there and has played good center field. He’s hit well and has good at-bats. He runs the bases extremely well. He’s had a nice start to the season.”

Marisnick, who has helped Lugnuts score a league-leading 191 runs entering play Sunday, has a team-best 13 multi-hit games and his 13-game hitting streak from April 20 to May 2 is the longest by a Lansing player this season.

“I’ve just been feeling comfortable this year and I credit a lot of that to the team just being on base and having good at-bats,” said Marisnick, who also leads the Lugnuts with seven doubles and ranks second on the team with four home runs and two triples.

His results this year have been much improved from when he spent the end of last season with the Lugnuts and hit .220 with eight doubles and one home run in 34 games.

“Last year I kind of struggled a little bit,” said Marisnick, who was promoted to Lansing last August after hitting .287 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 35 games for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays in rookie ball. “Coming up I was a little overwhelmed and didn’t know what was going on. It was my first time playing in front of fans. This year being out here, I kind of know most of the ballparks and know a lot of these guys. It’s just a different comfort level.

“I had a pretty bad slump last year and I’ve been able to draw back on that to keep myself out of it this year. It did wonders for me being able to be up here last year.”

Sharper eye at plate

The right-handed hitter has anchored the No. 3 spot in the Lugnuts lineup and his improved his plate discipline has aided his success. Through 34 games this season and one less at-bat, Marisnick has four more walks (13) and eight fewer strikeouts (29) than he did in the same amount of time last year.

“The biggest thing I’ve been working on from spring training to instructional league is just being patient up there and not swinging at that first pitch slider or first pitch curveball,” Marisnick said. “I’m just waiting for a good fastball or something the pitcher left up and just hitting his mistakes and not trying to hit the pitches he wants me to swing at.”

Marisnick is hoping to build on his strong start and is constantly working to perfect his game in all areas. His talent and potential excites Redmond, who spent 13 years as a major league catcher.

“He still has things that he can improve on and he knows that,” Redmond said. “It’s fun to get a chance to watch such an exciting player and to see the potential. The potential is there for him to be a tremendous player down the road and he has a chance to be a big leaguer.”

LUGS, LOONS WASHED OUT

Sunday’s series finale between the Lansing Lugnuts and Great Lakes Loons at Cooley Law School Stadium was canceled due to rain. The rainout was the 10th game the Lugnuts have had affected by rain this season.

The contest was the final scheduled meeting between the Lugnuts and Loons in the first half of the season and will not be made up. Lansing is 2-6 against Great Lakes this season.

The Loons (23-14) have a 1 1/2 game lead over the Lugnuts (21-15) for first place in the Midwest League’s Eastern Division.

• Next game: Lansing is off today and begins a three-game series at South Bend at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Lugnuts right-hander Casey Lawrence (3-3) will start against South Bend lefty David Holmberg (2-3). – Brian Calloway

Wieber’s bat lifts Spartans past Penn State

By Brian Calloway

bcalloway@lsj.com

EAST LANSING – When Michigan State coach Jake Boss inserted sophomore right fielder/pitcher Tony Wieber into the Spartan lineup a couple weeks ago, he did it more for the sophomore’s defensive abilities.

Since getting his opportunity, the Grand Ledge graduate has also impressed Boss with his bat.

Wieber has been one of the team’s hottest offensive players over the past two weeks and delivered for the Spartans on Saturday.

Wieber, who earned the win as a pitcher in relief in Friday’s game, reached base three times and drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to center field in the ninth to give MSU a 5-4 victory over Penn State in the middle game of a key Big Ten series at McLane Stadium.

“You never know when you’ll get your shot,” said Wieber, who is batting .461 (12 for 26) with six doubles and six RBIs since joining the lineup on April 20. “Some guys get it at the beginning of the year, some at the end and some never get their shot. Mine happened to be midway through the season, and I’ve done pretty well since then. It’s going well.”

Wieber’s sacrifice fly gave the Spartans (26-13, 9-5 Big Ten) their second straight walk-off win over Penn State, which entered the weekend in a three-way tie with MSU and Purdue for first in the Big Ten. The Spartans remain tied at the top with Purdue after the Boilermakers defeated Indiana 6-2 on Saturday.

MSU rallied from a 4-3 deficit with a run in the eighth and then the game-winner in the ninth.

Penn State (25-14, 7-7) tied the game at 3 in the seventh and took the lead in eighth on Jordan Steranka’s RBI triple to right field off Spartan reliever David Garner. MSU tied the game in the eighth on Justin Scanlon’s sacrifice fly.

After the Nittany Lions went down in order in the ninth, Jeff Holm and Torsten Boss each reached base to lead of the bottom half for the Spartans and advanced on Joel Fisher’s sacrifice bunt.

MSU pinch hitter Jeff Kinley was walked intentionally to load the bases with one out when Wieber flied out. Penn State center fielder Sean Deegan’s throw was wide of the plate as Helm crossed home for the winning run.

“He’s (Wieber) been on a tear ever since (he’s been in the lineup) which is really nice to see,” Boss said. “It was really the right guy at the right situation for us.

“He hasn’t been striking out a lot and he’s been putting a lot of balls in play. He runs really well, so I felt good about him not hitting into a double play. I really kind of felt if he was able to make contact we’d have a good chance to win. It worked out well.”

The Spartans stranded 10 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the fifth and two in the eighth, but they executed in the ninth.

“We had some opportunities early in the game that we weren’t able to execute on,” Boss said. “I give Joel Fisher credit. He had an chance to bunt earlier in the game and wasn’t able to get it down but came back in the ninth in a big situation and was able to bunt those guys over and get the winning run to third base. That turned out to be a real big play for us.”

Garner (4-4) picked up the win in relief of starter Tony Bucciferro, who pitched seven innings and matched a career-high with nine strikeouts.

Spartan second baseman Ryan Jones went 1 for 3 and extended his hitting streak to 28 games with his double in the third inning, while Holm and Jared Hook each added three hits for MSU.

The Spartans will try to complete a series sweep of the Nittany Lions when the teams meet at 1 p.m. today.

“If you win series at home all year long you’re going to give yourselves a great chance to win (a title) and now we’re going to try and get greedy and get a sweep,” Holm said.

Owosso native builds Adrian College into power

By Brian Calloway

bcalloway@lsj.com

ADRIAN – It may be one of the quiet success stories when it comes to college baseballprograms in Michigan, but Craig Rainey eventually wants that to change.

The 44-year old Owosso native has developed Division III school Adrian College into one of the winningest programs in the state over the past decade and eventually wants his team to be regarded as one of the best in Michigan.

Rainey, who recently earned his 400th career coaching win at the small school 70 miles southeast of Lansing, has turned a program that hadn’t won anything into one of the best in Division III’s Mideast Region. Under his guidance, Adrian has claimed at least a share of four of the last six Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles, reached the NCAA Regional five times and hasn’t finished lower than second place in the league standings in the past seven seasons.

Since 2004, Adrian has a .675 winning percentage – the second-best in the state behind only Division II power Grand Valley, which has a .760 winning percentage. In that same span, Michigan has a .626 winning percentage, Central Michigan a .570 percentage and Michigan State a .507 percentage.

“If 18 years ago you would have told me that we could win one conference championship, I’d have been probably pretty happy with it,” said Rainey, who has a 408-317 record at Adrian. “I just didn’t envision it going the way it has. It started out as a little thing and has gotten a lot bigger now.”

Adrian is just outside the top 25 in this week’s d3baseball.com poll and is once again atop the MIAA standings with a 15-1 mark. The team knocked off then top-ranked Heidelberg earlier this season and appears on track for another postseason berth.

But it wasn’t a quick process to turn around a program that had won only one league title before he took over as head coach in 1994.

“I think since Craig has been head coach, he’s just gradually improved the program,” said Adrian pitching coach Gordie Theisen, who spent several seasons coaching against Rainey before joining his staff in 2005.

Changing the culture

After a successful playing career at Adrian College – during which the former catcher was the league batting champion as a senior in 1988 – Rainey was asked by then athletic director/baseball coach Henry Mensing to stick around and help get the program going in the right direction.

His friends questioned his decision to stay and help, citing Adrian’s lack of success historically in baseball.

“When Mensing and I took over the program (in 1990), there wasn’t a winning atmosphere or tradition like there had been here in football and some of the other sports,” said Rainey, a 1984 graduate of Owosso High. “Some of my buddies laughed at me and said, ‘Why are you interested in doing that?’ They were like, ‘Adrian has been around for 100 years, and they’ve never won in baseball. What makes you think that it could be different?’

“I always thought Adrian was a good place. I liked it and I really enjoyed it when I was in school. I thought there was enough here where you could build a winning program.”

Mensing stepped down in 1994, giving the reins to his pupil. And Rainey helped Adrian make that jump by developing the program with talented players committed to the sport.

The Bulldogs had three consecutive losing seasons from 2000-02 and didn’t win a league title in his first 11 seasons as head coach before their recent string of success.

“We really wanted to try to get kids from good programs,” Rainey said. “For the Lansing area, that is getting kids out of Grand Ledge and DeWitt and good programs like that that win year in and year out. I think it takes a while. Coach Mensing started it, and I kind of had to finish it. We had to change the atmosphere here. Losing was accepted, and that wasn’t what he was about and it wasn’t what I was about.”

Since those three straight losing seasons – the low point a 10-29 mark in 2001 – Rainey’s teams have finished above .500 and in the top three in the league every year. The program made a giant leap by winning its first NCAA Regional title in 2008 and advancing to the eight-team World Series where it finished fourth.

Adrian has won at least 30 games each of the past three seasons and is on pace to make it a fourth straight year with a 20-6 mark this spring.

“He always had a vision for the program and kind of a blueprint for success,” said Adrian assistant Aaron Klotz, who played for Rainey’s early teams and is in his 12th season on the coaching staff.

Even with the team’s high level of success, Rainey isn’t satisfied and wants Adrian to become a fixture among the best in Division III and known as one of the top programs in Michigan.

“I want to be the best we can be, and I don’t think we’ve reached that point yet,” Rainey said. “Until we reach that point or I get burned out from trying to reach that point, that’s where we’re going to keep heading. I want to get back to the (Division III College) World Series.

“I think if we can get back again, that’s when you start putting yourself on the map that you deserve it or you belong type thing.”

Eric and Kerri Clark go the extra mile for Lenawee

Eric and Kerri Clarke’s passion for running — and for their community — has led them to many community projects whose scope extends far beyond the walls of their business. (Vicki Schmucker)

By Brian Calloway

Special to the Daily Telegram

ADRIAN, Mich. — In the back of his head, Eric Clarke always wanted to own a running store.

So when the opportunity presented itself, Eric and wife Kerri took full advantage. Eric Clarke’s vision turned into a reality a decade ago when the couple opened Running with E’s in downtown Adrian.

With Eric’s passion for running, the couple has been able to touch countless amounts of people over the past decade, whether it was by promoting healthy lifestyles or through the money they have helped raise for local charities.

Those reasons alone prompted many to nominate the couple as Citizens of the Year.

“They’ve had a big impact on the health and well being of who knows how many people,” said Tom MacNaughton, who has known the couple for 15 years. “Because of the races, charitable organizations have been able to raise a lot of money. They are responsible for at least $100,000 a year for charity.”

Since the Clarkes opened their store at 146 N. Main St. in December 2000, the running community in Lenawee County has seen tremendous growth. Prior to their store opening in 2000, there were just three races that took place in the county. In 2010, 25 different races took place in the county, and the Clarkes assisted or helped with many of those events.

That growth has helped impact local charities. One of the first events they put together was the Souper Run in downtown Adrian to raise money for The Daily Bread — Lenawee County’s soup kitchen. The race in November raised more than $16,000 for The Daily Bread.

“We really wanted to help the non-profit organizations,” said Kerri Clarke, who spoke on behalf of the couple. “The Daily Bread is our baby. We were able to to give (director) Kathy (Poisson-Dewitt) a check for over $16,000. There is such a need in this community and they could really use that money. That is the most we ever raised for the Daily Bread and we’ve done that race every year.”

The Souper Run has grown each year of its existence and become so big that it had to be moved from downtown Adrian to the Lenawee County Fairgrounds.

“The Souper Run is the major fundraiser for that agency,” said Jeffrey Lindstrom, an associate professor of psychology at Siena Heights. “Without that money their job would be much more difficult. And the thing is, (the race) has gotten bigger every year.”

The Clarkes have also raised money for the Humane Society and Hospice of Lenawee through races, among other organizations. They also provide assistance or help promote many other races in the county that help raise funds for schools or various programs. The Clarkes also aid county cross country and track programs and help athletes get fitted with proper footwear.

“They do that stuff so willingly,” Lindstrom said. “… They just do it because they believe in a cause, they believe in an organization and they believe in giving back to the community. Their work is so selfless and they don’t call attention to themselves. It’s a huge thing that they do.”

Besides the races they assist with, the Clarkes have also become at the heart of the Lenawee County running community. Groups meet on mornings during the weekend to run with each other. Kerri said it started out with a small group, but now several individuals meet to train on the weekends.

“Before that store opened there was one guy I ran with,” MacNaughton said. “Now that store has connected the running community and really created it.”

The couple isn’t just about selling shoes and is really dedicated to helping people live healthier lives.

“We go around to health fairs and work with a lot of physical therapists, chiropractors and massage therapists,” Kerri Clarke said. “It’s not just fitting people for shoes, but it’s making sure that they go out and live a healthy life. We want to help people feel better.”

While helping raise money for many local groups has been something they couple has strived to do, they have never taken the time to keep track of a monetary total. The focus for them instead has just been being valuable contributors to the community. That is something the Clarkes hope to continue doing.

“We just want to continue what we’ve been doing by helping people,” said Kerri Clarke of the future goals for the couple. “A lot of people have goals to start exercising. We want to continue to help the community with fundraising for different groups doing things and to contribute to society.”

Angela Williams-Lyles is always looking for opportunities to help

By Brian Calloway

Special to the Daily Telegram

CLAYTON, Mich. — Angela Williams-Lyles is always on the lookout.

The 34-year-old Clayton resident is constantly trying to find ways to touch lives whether it’s through her involvement as the driving force behind Wacker Chemical Corp.’s Service Organization or dedicating her own free time and resources to help others.

“I always joked that if I was a millionaire, I wouldn’t be a millionaire because I’d give all my money to help people,” Williams-Lyles said.

“I don’t (help others) to get recognized, but I do it because if I was in any one of the situations I’d want someone to do the same for me. In my eye I’m just being a compassionate human being. It gives me great joy and pleasure to be able to do this.”

It’s that kind of attitude that has rubbed off on Williams-Lyles’ co-workers and prompted Mike Head to nominate her for the Citizen of the Year award.

“She goes the extra distance to do more,” said Head, who has worked with Williams-Lyles the past year and a half. “I really feel there would be a lot of families affected were she not in this county.”

Megan Powell, a supervisor at Wacker, agreed.

“She has a really big heart and is always putting others before herself,” said Powell, who has worked with Williams-Lyles for five years. “She is always thinking of other people.”

Williams-Lyles, who has been involved with community service since she was 13, has found ways to touch many families and individuals in the Lenawee County area. She calls around finding people in need and ways she can help make their lives better.

“I take every opportunity I can to find people I can help,” Williams-Lyles said. “I don’t ever stop talking. Every second I’m always trying to think of connections.”

One of Williams-Lyles’ most recent accomplishments was putting a family of four that was living in a car  into their own home at Christmas. Williams-Lyles not only found the family a place to live, but she took vacation from work to move their belongings into their home. By the time the family returned to their new home, Williams-Lyles had it organized and a meal waiting for them. Before she was able to find the family a home, she paid for them to stay in a hotel.

“She is the first person I’ve met or known that put other people and their needs before her and her own family,” Head said.” I suspect her boys didn’t have a big Christmas because she focused on helping this family. I have never met anyone that takes on so much.

“She has rubbed off on me because she has made me want to do more to help people out. Honestly I haven’t met anyone that gives back with the degree of effort she puts forth.”

Aiding that family was just one part of what usually turns out to be a busy December for Williams-Lyles. Through an Angel tree at work, she gathers food and presents from co-workers and then delivers them to families in need.

“She’s always rallying the troops (at work), for sure,” Powell said.

“People know that if Angela says it’s needed. it’s needed.”

While December is usually her busiest month, Williams-Lyles also raises money and organizes Wacker’s Relay for the Life team and also assists with the United Way and Young Marines. It’s not uncommon for her two sons — 16-year old Aaron Williams and 12-year old Tyler Lyles — to accompany and assist with whatever project she is working on.

“They are like me and are so happy they are able to give up their own time to help others,” Williams-Lyles said. “I want them to see that everyone has different lives.”

From her own life experiences, Williams-Lyles knows the impact helping others can make. She witnessed it first hand while growing up when her mother cared for foster children. She also was impacted when her husband died in a car accident in 1997.

“That showed me you have to pay it forward and treat others how you want to be treated,” Williams-Lyles said. “You never know when that one nice gesture is the one only someone has gotten in years.”

Williams-Lyles hopes to continue making a difference in the lives of families in the Lenawee County area. Her ultimate dream would be to run her own organization that would give those in need a place to stay or whatever they needed.

“Whether I’m at the top or not I love doing what I’m doing and I’ll probably do it until the day I die,” Williams-Lyles said.

New Lugnuts manager Redmond excited to get started

By Brian Calloway

bcalloway@lsj.com

When Mike Redmond retired in July after having spent 13 years in the major leagues, he wanted to enjoy some time off.

Getting back into the game so quickly wasn’t his ultimate plan but the calls from many different organizations kept coming inquiring about his interest in managing. After giving it a lot of thought, the former backup catcher decided to return to the game after being offered the Lansing Lugnuts manager job by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ready for the transition: Former major league catcher Mike Redmond (left), shown colliding with Fernando Vina in 2000, is ready to begin his managing career with the Lugnuts. (Associated Press file)

“I wasn’t sure about a time commitment because I had just got done playing in July,” said Redmond, who was hired as the Lugnuts manager after Sal Fasano was named to the same position at Double-A New Hampshire by the Blue Jays on Tuesday. “After thinking about it awhile, I was excited about the opportunity. The Blue Jays wanted me to be a part of their organization and I’m thankful for that.”

Redmond was one of the main guys targeted by Blue Jays minor league field coordinator Doug Davis for coaching vacancies within Toronto’s system. Davis knew Redmond from their days in Florida when they were both a part of the Marlins 2003 World Series championship team. Davis was the bench coach for Marlins manager Jack McKeon while Redmond was the team’s backup catcher.

“I’ve known him for a long time and worked with him when he was a player,” Davis said. “I knew him very well and he follows a similar path that (former Lugnuts manager) Sal (Fasano) did. He was a 13-year major league player and a backup catcher, which prepares you to become a coach or manager. I think ultimately he will manage at the major league level. We wanted to move quickly to try and get him and we were fortunate enough to do that.”

Redmond is looking forward to his new task of developing and preparing young players for the majors. As someone who has seen a lot of games and played at every level on his journey to the majors, including two years in the Midwest League with Kane County, Redmond believes he is fully prepared for his new position.

“I’ve played in every league and experience wise I’ve got a taste of everything,” said Redmond, who has spent 19 seasons in professional baseball and played for the Marlins, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians during his major league career. “I went through it. I’ve struggled and I’ve had success at every level.

“I know what guys go through and what it’s like. I’m excited to get in and try to help them and give them knowledge and speed up the process of getting them to the big leagues.”

Managing is something that has always interested Redmond and he believes having an opportunity to learn the ropes with the Lugnuts in the Midwest League will be a good starting point.

“I think right now I’m focused on learning as much as I can about managing,” Redmond said. “I know it’s a lot different. I’m excited about getting in the organization and to start helping some of the young kids and see what happens. I want to get experience and see what it’s all about and help guys progress through the minor leagues.”

Davis and the Blue Jays think young players will respond well to Redmond and that he will succeed in his transition to a managerial role.

“We like the fact that Mike has been at that level (the majors) before,” Davis said. “He’s been in the big leagues for a considerable amount of time and certainly has the qualities to become a very good manager. He knows the game very well. … He’s a baseball guy that is extremely committed to the job. We think he’s great.”