For the second consecutive year there is a healthy debate regarding the American League MVP race. For the second consecutive season the debate involves a Detroit Tiger. Last year, we debated whether a pitcher (Justin Verlander) was worthy of winning the honor, despite pitching every fifth game. In the end, voters realized just how valuable verlander was and voted him MVP.

It’s football season and now area kids will have another opportunity to show off their various skills. The NFL’s Punt, Pass and Kick (PPK) competition is coming to Greenville on Sunday. The event, open to area kids ages 6 to 15 will take place at Legacy Field at Greenville High School beginning at 2 p.m.

Well, I will be rooting for the Los Angeles Angels beginning tonight. The AL Central leading Chicago White Sox will play their next three games against the Angels.

How to decorate a shadow box

The St. Louis Spirits are champions of the Gratiot County Baseball League. The end of season league playoffs took place this past weekend with the semifinals on Saturday and the championship game on Sunday.

The top two teams in the Danish Festival men’s softball tournament had to face each other three times to decide the outcome. In the end, All American Communications topped Ed Koehn Automotive Group two out of three times, including 17-10 in the championship game.

For the second year in a row, Slow Bob’s won the women’s division of the Greenville Danish Festival Softball Tournament. Slow Bob’s, based out of Lake Odessa, beat Michigan Fusion 21-7 in the final game to claim their second straight crown.

So finishing fourth in the 100-meter hurdles isn’t good enough? I pretty sure the actual runner I’m speaking of, Lolo Jones, would possibly say that. After all, she was the one working her tail off the past four years with the hope of winning Olympic gold.

Conditions were hot and dry this past weekend with temperatures hovering in the mid-90s, but that didn’t stop more than 1,200 youths and adults from packing the streets of downtown Belding for this year’s annual Gus Macker tournament. With 326 teams participating in this year’s tournament, downtown Belding once again was transformed into “Mackerville, USA” as teams competed in the 3-on-3 basketball tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

The 16th edition of the Crystal Run The Lake was muggy despite starting in the morning on Saturday. That may have had an effect on the turnout, as just fewer than 90 runners took to either the five-mile or three-mile course.