Kevin Laue, a 6'10" center from Pleasanton, Calif. who was born without a left hand due to a restriction of prenatal blood circulation, recently signed a National Letter of Intent to play Division I basketball for Manhattan College this coming autumn.
Laue, a redhead with size 17 shoes who averaged 6.9 points and 7.4 rebounds as a postgraduate for Fork Union Military Academy (Va.) this past season, impressed Jaspers Head Coach Barry Rohrssen with his play at one of the premier prep schools in the country and he decided to complete his recruiting class by adding the big-man from the Bay Area to his roster.
"Being a baseball fan, Jim Abbott left a great impression on me," Rohrssen said, referring to the former Yankees and Angels pitcher who was born without a right hand and hurled a no-hitter for the Bombers in 1993.
"Some of the things he did inspired a lot of people with similar problems and just people as a whole. I think with a guy like Kevin, playing at Manhattan and being in New York City, presents an opportunity that can be rewarding for Kevin and also have a ripple effect for everyone involved."
Manhattan College, a Roman Catholic liberal arts school located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and they concluded their 2008-2009 campaign with an overall record of 20-13 after they lost in the quarterfinals to Fairfield University in March.
Scouts, Inc. stated Laue is “a prospect that could instantly help a number of low-major Division I programs” and they raved about his “quick leaping ability.”
The addition of Laue, an effective ballplayer on both offense and defense that Sports Illustrated called in 2007 “the most exciting player in basketball,” could help propel the Jaspers to the forefront of the MAAC and into the 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The last name Laue rhymes with the word “wow.”
No matter how Laue performs on the collegiate hardwood, fans will be amazed by him as an athlete and as a man.
All one can say is, “Wow, Go Jaspers!”
Jim Leyritz Has "Never Had a Problem with Alcohol”Disgraced New York Yankees playoff hero of yesteryear Jim Leyritz is determined to prove that he is innocent of DUI manslaughter charges that stem from a December 2007 crash in Fort Lauderdale that killed Fedia Ann Veitch, a mother of two children.
"There was no possibility of me avoiding that crash with all of my senses," Leyritz, 45, told The Miami Herald despite the fact that he operated his SUV with a blood-alcohol level more than 1-1/2 times the legal limit.
"A mother was taken away from her kids. I can't change that. But I didn't do it. The accident did. And that accident wasn't my fault."
The delusional Leyritz, a career .264 hitter who played on 7 teams in eleven seasons, reportedly got shitfaced on Grey Goose vodka and tonics while he tried to seduce Playboy pin-up Erica Chevillar at a local club that fateful evening.
Once he vacated the hotspot and drove off on his lonesome, Leyritz allegedly ignored a red light and smashed into Veitch’s vehicle at full-speed which sent the victim, who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, through her windshield.
"You don't get that image out of your head real easily," stated the two-time World Series champion who will live in Yankee lore for his 3-run homer off Atlanta Braves closer Mark Wholers in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series.
Dishearteningly, toxicology reports confirmed that Veitch was also intoxicated at the time of the accident and Leyritz is confident that he can demonstrate that she caused the collision.
On virtually a daily basis, Leyritz, who goes on trial in September, revisits the scene of the tragedy in an effort to gather evidence that Veitch was to blame for the fatal occurrence.
“It’s unhealthy,” Leyrtiz’s lawyer, J. David Bogenschutz, told the New York Daily News regarding his client’s twisted obsession.
The Ohio native who played college baseball at the University of Kentucky insists he is blameless in this incident and he scoffs at talk that he is an alcoholic.
"I've never had a problem with alcohol,” claimed “The King” who has purportedly been ejected on a number of occasions for disorderly behavior from the same establishment that he attempted to charm one of Hugh Hefner’s floozies.
"To listen to people who don't know the facts hurts, but I can't help it. I listen," admitted the accused drunken driver who hit the last home run of the 1990’s in Game 4 of the 1999 World Series.
"Until you've been in my shoes," Leyritz poorly reasoned, "don't judge."
Fortunately, the grand bulk of society has never been in “The King’s” shoes and, until Leyritz comes to grips with his demons and issues, he will never be comfortable wearing his own pair.
After the Tragic Loss of Exodus, Can Mike Tyson Keep Living?Mike Tyson’s four-year-old daughter, Exodus, died Tuesday at Phoenix’s St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center after she suffered a terrible accident playing on an exercise treadmill at her home.
According to reports, Exodus was discovered by her seven-year-old brother, Miguel, unconscious and tangled in a cord Monday afternoon.
Miguel found their mother who untangled Exodus and administered CPR on her child before she called for medical attention.
Exodus was immediately placed on life support in the hospital until she succumbed to her injuries the following afternoon.
"There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Exodus," the family said in a statement. "We ask you now to please respect our need at this very difficult time for privacy to grieve and try to help each other heal."
Exodus’ death is the latest and most awful chapter to date in Tyson’s horribly troubled life.
“Kid Dynamite,” a Brooklyn product who was arrested 38 times by the age of 13 for committing various petty crimes, became the youngest boxer to ever win the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles at 20 years of age in 1986.
The person most responsible for Tyson’s transformation from street thug to prizefighter was legendary trainer Cus D’Amato.
D’Amato taught Tyson, 42, everything he knew in regard to the “sweet science” and he eventually adopted the precocious pugilist into his family.
Prior to Tyson’s emergence, the sport of boxing had never before seen a fighter with such outstanding hand speed, accuracy, coordination, power and timing.
Tyson was deemed “The Baddest Man on the Planet” and no opponent seemed capable of challenging the physical marvel in the ring.
Sadly, D’Amato died in November of 1985 and his death and subsequent lack of guidance initiated a chain of events that halted Tyson’s vast potential.
In 2003, Tyson, who Ring Magazine ranked #16 on its list of the 100 greatest punchers of all-time, declared bankruptcy despite having earned in excess of $300 million in the ring.
Two years after he filed for Chapter 11, Tyson retired from boxing with a record of 50-6 with 44 knockouts after he lost to a journeyman named Kevin McBride in Washington, DC.
In the aftermath of his loss to McBride, Tyson was quoted in the USA Today as saying, "My whole life has been a waste. I've been a failure. I just want to escape. I'm really embarrassed with myself and my life."
Since his retirement, Tyson appeared to have reached a level of genuine contentment with his existence and place in society.
“Iron Mike” promoted a new documentary about his life titled Tyson and he revealed earlier this month to The New York Times that he had been sober for 15 months after years of drug and alcohol abuse.
"I don't know who I am," Tyson admitted. "That might sound stupid. I really have no idea. All my life I've been drinking and drugging and partying, and all of a sudden this comes to a stop."
D’Amato once sagely philosophized to his pupil that “nature is a lot smarter than anybody thinks. During the course of a man's life he develops a lot of pleasures and people he cares about. Then nature takes them away one by one. It's her way of preparing you for death."
Mike Tyson’s care and love for his baby girl, Exodus, was reportedly absolute and a ghastly freak of nature took her away from him this past week.
As an outsider with zero direct knowledge of Tyson’s mental state, one should have concern for “Iron Mike’s” personal welfare.
Tyson has overcome more obstacles in his life than most individuals could even fathom.
However, the heartbreaking loss of Exodus may ultimately prove too much for Tyson to conquer.
As Tyson once ominously said, “I just want to escape.”
One can only hope that this disaster isn’t nature’s evil way of preparing Tyson for death by his own hands.
Keywords: Boxing, Manhattan College Jaspers, Mike Tyson, New York Yankees
