30 | JUNE 18 • 2020
sports HIGHlights
NMLS#2289
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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