ROY HALLADAY, Blue Jays P
One career major league save: April 7, 1999
Before he became Toronto's Cy Young--winning ace, Halladay was just another young hurler doing anything he could to stick with the club. For a rookie in early 1999, that meant relieving starter David Wells against the Twins. "It was one of those games where we were up by a ways, so I came in and pitched three innings," recalls Halladay of a game the Jays won 9--3. "I didn't even realize that [it was a save situation]. I always figured it was three runs or less in the last couple of innings. I didn't realize that if you pitch three innings [to close the game], regardless of the score, it's a save." The righthander with the 101--50 career record hasn't made a relief appearance since 2001, and while he's pleased with the fireman's credit—"It's one of those odd things, but it's kind of neat to have one," he says—he thinks the odds of getting another are "off the charts. I hope I never have a save opportunity again."
SHAUN MICHEEL, pro golfer
One career PGA Tour win: 2003 PGA Championship
Micheel, 38, has earned nearly $7 million and made the cut in more than half of the 270 PGA tournaments he's played, but he's hoisted a trophy only once—and on a big stage. "My goal was just to make the cut," says Micheel, but he recalls feeling calm on the Oak Hill course. When he walked up to the 18th fairway on Sunday, he had a one-stroke lead over playing partner Chad Campbell. "Some lady yelled out, 'It's nice to see some up-and-comers!' and that helped, to know someone was rooting for [me]," says Micheel. "Of course, someone also yelled, 'Don't pull a Jean Van de Velde'"—referring to the Frenchman known for his 18th-hole collapse at the 1999 British Open. Micheel, though, won by two strokes and now displays his trophy in his Memphis home. He nearly added another at last year's PGA but finished second by five strokes. "Unfortunately," he says, "it was Tiger Woods I was chasing."
The Pop Culture Grid
How do sports stars fit in? | My advice to Lindsay Lohan is ... | Favorite summer drink | Time you woke up this morning | Concert you'd pay $300 to see | Favorite place to lay your head | How do you spell tuberculosis? |
ERIK BEDARD Orioles, P | Give me a call | A Corona with lime | 10 a.m. | Tim McGraw | On a clubhouse couch | I don't have a clue |
C.J. BROWN Fire, D | Lay low for a while | Pear cider | 5:30 a.m. | Nelly Furtado (top) or Method Man and Redman | My bed at home | No clue |
MICHELLE SNOW Comets, C | Keep your head up | Sonic's watermelon slushes | 9 a.m. | Not a concert, a Tyler Perry show | My new town house | T-u-b-e-r-c-u-l-o-s-i-s. I won my eighth-grade spelling bee |
BRANDON INGE Tigers, 3B | To hell with it. Keep having fun | Whiskey and Coke | 10:30 a.m. | Fly Leaf | The bathroom floor | T-a-b-u-c-u-l-o-s-i-s. Is that it? |
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AL FRENI/TIME & LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES (BEER)
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JIM COOPER/AP (FURTADO)
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A. GREEN/ZEFA/CORBIS (CLOCK)
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EVAN AGOSTINI/GETTY IMAGES (LOHAN)
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GERRY BROOME/AP (BEDARD)
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J.G. HOOP/WIREIMAGE.COM (BROWN)
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BILL BAPTISTE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES (SNOW)
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AL TIELEMANS (INGE)
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DAVID DUROCHIK/SPORTPICS (HALLADAY)
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DAVID BERGMAN (HALLADAY ACTION)
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ROBERT BECK (MICHEEL ACTION)
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DAVID DUPREY/AP (MICHEEL)
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GINA HOUSEMAN (HAND)
