30 | JUNE 18 • 2020 

sports HIGHlights

NMLS#2289
brought to you in partnership with 

Tickets remain in the Michigan Jewish Sports 
Foundation’
s raffle for a 2021 Masters tourna-
ment prize package that includes two tickets for 
a round at Augusta National Golf Club.
Each raffle ticket is $100. No more than 200 
will be sold. Tickets can be purchased at www.
michiganjewishsports.org.
The Masters prize package, val-
ued at $6,500, includes tickets for 
the third or fourth round of the 2021 
tournament (April 10 or April 11), 
lodging for one night, valet parking 
and complimentary shuttle service.
Transportation to and from 
Georgia is not included. The raffle 
winner must be at least age 21.
The drawing for the Masters 
prize package will be Sept. 14 on 
Facebook Live on the foundation’
s website.

Jeff Riger has joined Bob Wojnowski as 
co-host of 97.1 The Ticket’
s weekday evening 
sports talk show.
Riger, 44, has been with the radio station 

since 2002, but this is his first permanent gig 
there.
“I’
ve done pretty much everything at the 
station, from running a board to getting kicked 
out of (former Detroit Tigers manager) Jim 
Leyland’
s office several times, so it’
s exciting 
to take on this new role,” Riger told the Detroit 
News.
“Wojo’
s the best. He’
s a staple in 
Detroit sports radio. It’
s awesome get-
ting a chance to work with him every 
day,” Riger said.
The show with Riger and Wojnowski 
airs from 6-8 p.m. Monday through 
Friday. It’
s shorter when there’
s a 
Tigers, Detroit Pistons or Detroit Red 
Wings game on the station.
Riger, a Canton resident, replaced 
Kyle Bogenschutz on the show with Wojnowski. 
Bogenschutz’
s contract wasn’
t renewed after 
three years of working with Wojnowski.
Riger has spoken at Congregation B’
nai 
Moshe as part of the West Bloomfield syna-
gogue’
s Spectacular Speaker Series.

quick hits
BY STEVE STEIN 

There may be a Michigan Jewish 
Sports Hall of Fame induction ban-
quet this year. Then again, there 
may not.
Everything depends upon when 
gathering restrictions are lifted 
by the state as Michigan slowly 
recovers from the COVID-19 
pandemic.
The Hall of Fame banquet is 
normally held in the fall at the 
Jewish Community Center of 
Metropolitan Detroit in West Bloomfield. From 250 to 280 peo-
ple usually attend the event.
“We’
re a ways off on making a decision whether or not to 
hold the banquet,” said Sari Cicurel, executive director of the 
Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation.
“It could be held in October or maybe in November or later. 
We’
re just not sure right now,” Cicurel said.
This year’
s Hall of Fame inductees have not been selected, 
but that process is expected to begin soon.

 
‘There’s Only 
So Much
You Can Do’

St. Louis Cardinals minor 
leaguer David Vinsky keeping 
busy during lost season.

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
T

his was supposed to be David 
Vinsky’
s first full season as a profes-
sional baseball player.
Instead, the 21-year-old St. Louis 
Cardinals outfield prospect has been home 
in Northville staying in shape, hitting in 
an indoor batting cage and working on his 
defense on outdoor diamonds with other 
grounded baseball players.
“There’
s only so much you can do,
” 
Vinsky said.
What Vinsky should be doing this sum-
mer is playing for the Cardinals’
 low-Class A 
Midwest League team in Peoria, Illinois.
Vinsky was selected by the Cardinals in 

June 2019 in the 15th round of the Major 
League Baseball draft after outstanding 
careers at Farmington Hills Harrison High 
School and Northwood University.
After signing a minor-league contract and 
receiving a $100,000 signing bonus from 
the Cardinals shortly after he was drafted, 
Vinsky played for the Johnson City (Tenn.) 
Cardinals in the Rookie Appalachian 
League and State College (Pa.) Spikes in 
the short-season Class A New York-Penn 
League.
He hit a combined .284 in 56 games.
Vinsky was on the Peoria Chiefs roster in 
mid-March when the COVID-19 pandemic 

shut down the Cardinals’
 spring training 
facility in Jupiter, Florida.
“I was at spring training for one day. They 
sent us (the minor leaguers) home quickly,
” 
Vinsky said. “We didn’
t do any baseball 
activities before we left. I had two plane 
flights in 24 hours.
”
For the first time since he started playing 
travel baseball when he was 7, there isn’
t a 
baseball season for Vinsky. And for the first 
time since he left for Northwood, he’
s home 
during the baseball season.
Those anomalies don’
t look like they’
re 
going to rectify themselves.
Vinsky doubts there will be a 2020 season 

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

David 
Vinsky

MICHIGAN JEWISH SPORTS FOUNDATION

Sari 
Cicurel

Jeff Riger

97.1 THE TICKET

