Displaying items by tag: Akron Racers

On the Tuesday edition of the Sam and Brad Show Podcast:

Sam caught up with ESPN Baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian (20.9 seconds in) 

He also caught up with the listeners including Howard in Akron on what should be done with Firestone Stadium (4:51) 

Former Cleveland Cavalier Kendrick Perkins joined the show to talk NBA Playoffs. (9:01) 

:17 - The PBA is back at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, and the morning show took in the sights and sounds from the tournament. Tony Mazur had the pleasure of sitting down with a founding member of the PBA, Carmen Salvino. Carmen talked a little bit about his technique and how he approaches the game like a physics equation.

9:48 - Speaking of bowling, Mark Gerberich happens to be in the bowling hall of fame, and he stopped by the studio to talk about his days at the alleys. If Mark’s name sounds familiar, he’s also the president of the All-American Soap Box Derby.

19:00 - Scott Wynn is our movie guy, and he went over what’s opening this weekend in theaters.

21:10 - With every offseason, Major League Baseball seems to throw up some proposals to shorten games and tighten some loose ends. However, baseball purists have not been fans of these proposals, and the morning show panel happen to include a few of those said purists.

37:42 - Remember the Akron Racers? Well, with the money and community support, they may be back at Firestone Stadium quite soon, according to Joey Arrietta.

44:25 - It was announced Thursday afternoon that Frank Robinson passed away at age 83. Not only was he a hall of fame slugger for the Reds and Orioles, but also was the first black manager in baseball, at the helm of the Indians in 1975. Bob DiBiasio from Tribe came on to chat about Frank and the process of having his number retired and a statue in his honor in 2017.

The uncertainty on the future of the Akron Racers has been a topic of speculation for months. However, a recent settlement has provided a sliver of clarity for 2019.

Joey Arrietta joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to update the listeners on the goings on these last few months. Like the Cleveland Browns in 1996, the goal for Joey was to retain the Racers name, colors, and tradition, and that has been the case for the Racers, as well. The new incarnation of the Racers will not have any connection to the Cleveland Comets.

Looking back on what has been built since 1999, Joey is proud of the potential for a new team in 2019. She looks forward to speaking with local businesses and investors, especially with the lure of historic Firestone Stadium and the Racers foundation.

It's been a week of turmoil in professional fastpitch softball. The future of the Akron Racers has been questioned after the removal of General Manager Joey Arrietta and reports that majority owner Craig Stout has partnered with a Chinese group to bring in a group of players from China to fill a significant portion of the team's roster.

On Thursday, the Beacon Journal reported that the team will become the Cleveland Comets under new general manager Stephen Dunn. NPF Commissioner Cheri Kempf said in an interview Thursday there was "nothing (she) could do to validate that rumor."

The shakeup has also extended to Texas, where the Scrap Yard Dawgs announced they would not play in National Pro Fastpitch this season. They were later formally dismissed from NPF.

Kempf joined the Jasen Sokol Show for an in-depth discussion of the future of pro softball in Akron:

A sad day for softball fans in the area, as the Akron Racers may be no more, at least in 2018. Joey Arrietta, who ran the Racers from top to bottom, joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to sort through the news, which caught her by surprise a few weeks back. Arrietta was ousted as general manager, and now the future of softball remains in doubt. Firestone Stadium will still house high school and collegiate games throughout the summer. An emotional Arrietta says she is fighting to retain the team’s name and the colors, though that is up to the league to decide. As far as the league goes, speculation as to how long it will remain continues to loom.

2018 is nearly a month old, and the mayor of Akron, Dan Horrigan, addressed some of the needs and visions in the community on the Ray Horner Morning Show. Topics discussed: *The Akron Racers not playing in 2018, and how that will affect Firestone Stadium and the area of South Akron *What is left of the Rubber Bowl, which looks to cost about $400,000 to demolish *The area surrounding the Rubber Bowl, including Akron-Fulton Airport. *Continued development of the 31 acres that once made up the Innerbelt *Issue 4 and the upgrades to the city’s roads and firehouses *The sewer project

Known for her dazzling play on the field for the Akron Racers, star outfielder A.J. Andrews is featured in this year's edition of ESPN the Magazine's "Body Issue" that is due to hit the newsstands Friday, July 7th. 

Andrews, coming off of a Gold Glove award in her first season with the Racers, is a Florida-native who played her college softball at LSU. She is the first ever female to win a Gold Glove award and she took home the 2016 Golden Spikes award for stealing a league-leading 15 bases. 

This year's edition of the "Body Issue" features former Ohio State Buckeye Ezekiel Elliot on the cover. Elliot currenly plays running back for the Dallas Cowboys. 

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love appeared in the issue two years ago.