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  Bob Lutz  

What's missing in bigs?

Sheryl Crow is in town and my heart is aflutter:

• There's a pond that needs to be re-stocked.

Casey Blake, who finished his Wichita State playing career in 1996, is the only former Shocker position player on a big league roster. And Blake, the Cleveland Indians' third baseman, is the last WSU non-pitcher to make an impact in the bigs -- former second baseman Kevin Hooper did get a cup of coffee with the Detroit Tigers, playing in 14 games in 2005 and 2006 and Koyie Hill spent some time with the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs.

It's a significant drought, especially considering how many major leaguers the Shockers produced during their amazing run as one of college baseball's best five programs from 1988-96.

In 1993 and 1994, for instance, there were seven former Shockers on major league rosters (Joe Carter, Mike Lansing, Pat Meares, Russ Morman, Charlie O'Brien, Eric Wedge and Rick Wrona). In 1996, there were six (Carter, Lansing, Meares, Morman, O'Brien and Doug Mirabelli).

Carter is easily the most successful major leaguer to come out of WSU; but Lansing, Meares, Morman, O'Brien and Mirabelli spent significant time in the big leagues.

There are still a few former WSU players pitching in the majors: Mike Pelfrey (Mets), Braden Looper (Cardinals) and Nate Robertson (Tigers).

It's interesting to note that 2007 Shockers Matt Brown and Damon Sublett are off to hot starts for their respective teams and organizations.

Sublett, a second baseman, has advanced to High-A Tampa, in the Yankees chain, and is batting .314 in his first 12 games.

Brown, playing in the outfield at Low-A Lake County in the Cleveland organization, is hitting .344 with two homers and 15 RBI. Brown, plagued by strikeouts last season, especially, has fanned only five times in 64 at-bats.

Keep an eye on them.

• I'm not sure I see Danica Patrick's victory in the Japan Indy 300 as the great gender breakthrough some do.

Racing a car is different than playing tennis or golf. Racing a car doesn't require the athleticism of basketball, football or baseball.

I'm not discounting what Patrick accomplished because it is significant. I'm a fan because Patrick is, from everything I see, classy, interesting and talented.

Some people, though, compared her win to Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier more than 50 years ago. Sorry, I don't see the correlation.

There is not a woman who has been able to stand toe to toe with men in more traditional sports in which strength is a requirement of major proportion.

Patrick weighs 100 pounds. But driving a race car, while requiring incredible durability and endurance, doesn't require the brute strength of some other sports.

I always expected Patrick to eventually win a race. She has managed to be competitive in her sport for a few years now. She obviously has great talent.

I most admire her for breaking through the gender barrier that made it difficult to compete in her sport in the first place. She obviously has the goods, but to persevere as the only woman, or one of the few women, in racing impresses me more than her victory in Japan.

I hope she wins a lot more. I know this: Her win makes Saturday's IRL race at the Kansas Speedway a lot more enticing.

• Speaking of female athletes, I have taken notice of the LPGA's Lorena Ochoa, who just won her fourth tournament in four weeks.

It's the first time that's happened on the LPGA Tour in 45 years. I'll now be watching.

• It will be interesting to see whether new Drake basketball coach Mark Phelps can continue to build on what Keno Davis, who recently left for Providence, established this season with the Bulldogs.

My guess: Not likely. But good luck anyway, Coach Phelps.

As great as the Drake story has been, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Bulldogs in the middle of the pack in the Missouri Valley Conference next season.

• I don't watch a lot of NBA during the regular season. But I watch as much as I can during the playoffs. And I don't recall a more exciting playoff season with guard Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets leading the way.

In the Hornets' Game 1 victory over Dallas on Saturday night, Paul did things I haven't seen done in a long time. He reminded me a little bit of Pete Maravich.

Show me more.

Eagle sports columnist Bob Lutz co-hosts "Sports Daily" from 9-11 a.m. weekdays on KFH, 1240-AM and 98.7-FM. Reach him at 316-268-6597 or blutz@wichitaeagle.com.