Sports: Wings Keep Blashill and Holland for next season

The Red Wings missed the playoffs for the first time since 1990, but there won’t be any management changes with the team.  GM Ken Holland got a vote of confidence from team owner Chris Illitch on Tuesday, and Holland confirmed that head coach Jeff Blashill will be back behind the bench next season.  Blashill was just named head coach of the Team USA’s men’s national team that will compete in the World Championship in May in Germany.

Probert’s Ashes Scattered at the Joe

The widow of former Red Wings enforcer Bob Probert was at the final game Sunday at Joe Louis Arena, and ended up scattering some of Probert’s ashes in a place he spent a lot of time:  The penalty box at the Joe.  Probert died of a heart attack nearly 7 years ago at age 45.  A story on M-Live says his wife Dani hadn’t planned to scatter the ashes but decided to do it spur of the moment on Sunday as she was joined in the arena’s “Sin Bin” by former teammates Joey Kocur and Chris Chelios.

Tigers

The Tigers beat the Twins 2-1 to start their three game series in Detroit.  Matt Boyd was the big story, pitching a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Matt Boyd was solid in his second start of the season, striking out six in six innings of work for his first win on the mound.  McCann’s third homer of the season, one that hit right off the top of the left field fence, drove in both runs.   The Tigers only managed four hits off of Twins pitching.  Francisco Rodriguez gave up three hits and a run to allow the only Twins run in the ninth, but picked up his third save in four chances.

Game 2 of the three-game series is this afternoon at Comerica Park. Michael Fulmer has his second start of the season for the Tigers, squaring off with the Twins’ Kyle Gibson. Catch the action at 12:45pm on 95.3 WBCK!

 Pistons

The Detroit Pistons play their final game of the season is at Orlando tonight.   Detroit is 37-44 on the season.  They’ll finish no better than 10^th place in the Eastern Conference.   Current and former Pistons players and about 21,000 fans said goodbye to the Palace of Auburn Hills on Monday.   The stadium, north of Detroit, was the home of the Pistons since 1988, and was the only stadium the team ever actually owned.   Previously, the team played at Olympia Stadium, Detroit Mercy’s Memorial Building, Cobo Arena, and now they’ll play at the new Red Wing facility, Little Caesar’s Arena.

 Tigers Lost Money in 2016

Only four Major League teams lost money in 2016, and the Tigers were one of them.  The annual Forbes Magazine report says the team lost $36.4 million last year.  That’s far more than any team. The Tigers have the second highest payroll in baseball.  The report says the team has lost money in six of the last nine seasons. The Dodgers lost $20.5 million last year.  The Marlins and Orioles lost about two millions and the Royals lost just under a million.

MSU Names Hockey Coach

Michigan State has hired a new hockey coach.  50-year-old Danton Cole has worked with USA Hockey's national team development program.  Cole played 318 games in the NHL over six seasons with Winnipeg, Tampa Bay, New Jersey, the New York Islanders and Chicago.

KCC Baseball Wins

KCC’s beat Lansing CC in baseball, 8-7.  The Bruins are 18-10-1 on the season and a perfect 8-0 in conference play. Cooper Marshall delivers a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth.  Blake Groat gets his first collegiate win in a gritty performance.

St. Philip beat Pennfield 3-2 but the Panthers won game 2, 9-1.

Battle Creek Central scored 22 runs in the first inning to beat Lansing Sexton 27-11, and then won game 2 11-5.

Lakeview swept Marshall, 12-10 and 7-3.

Athens 5, Union City 3.

Softball

Lakeview and Marshall split a pair.  The Spartans winning 7-4, and the Redhawks taking game 2, 9-6.

Union City swept Athens, 7-2 and 10-6.

Girls’ Tennis

Lakeview 5, Portage Central 3.

St. Philip 7, Pennfield 1.