February 2012 ~ Bright! Sports

Feb 7, 2012

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

Mike Matheny's wife Kristin Matheny

After a world series title with the St. Louis Cardinals (and turning in an arguably MVP performance in the process), the excitement doesn't end there for Allen Craig. On November 12, 2011, just two weeks after the end of the World Series, Allen Craig will marry his long-time girlfriend Marie LaMarca. Allen Craig met Marie LaMarca while they both attended Chaparral High School in Temecula, CA around 2002 when Allen was a senior. The couple is registered at Macy's and, despite our numerous past posts regarding athletes and wedding registries, we will avoid the subject this time around.

Allen Craig and his wife-to-be Marie LaMarca have had a tortoise for five years now. No big deal right? Well, it wasn't - until a fake Twitter account was started for Torty the Tortoise and the team began to adopt Torty was an informal mascot of sorts. Based on the content of the Tweets, the safe bet is that someone else on the team created and runs the account, though no one is saying for certain. Though Allen Craig hasn't exactly embraced the whole situation, we get the feeling that he isn't arguing with the outcome. Craig said of the situation "It kind of just got out and now it's a huge deal. But it's fun and whatever it takes to keep the team close is fine with me". No word on whether the Red Sox will attempt to embrace one of their pets, perhaps a gerbil, as an informal mascot in an attempt to ~~win another World Series~~ get back to the playoffs.

St. Louis Cardinals Wives and Girlfriends (WAGS)

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

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Wilson Ramos Family

Washington Nationals catcher, Wilson Ramos has been found and rescued by police commandos after an airstrike in his native Venezuela. Ramos spoke to a group of reporters upon his return, and thanked his rescuers "I am very happy for the rescue operation they carried out. Very thankful to the government and the national army. I didn't expect them. Where they were holding me captive was a very remote place, basically a jungle, and see, I was praying to God to bring me home safely to my family and look at these guys, they risked their lives to save mine and I am very thankful."
Ramos reports being physically unharmed, and told Nationals GM Mike Rizzo that he would resume baseball activity once he's recovered from the significant "psychological harm," endured.
Ramos returned home to a jubilant celebration with friends, family and his girlfriend (whose name we do not know yet). Ramos thought of his family during his ordeal, saying: "They put me in a room with a bed. I was lying there. It was hard for me to think about, if I was going to get out alive first of all ... about how my family, my mother were."

Venezuelan officials report that three of his alleged captors have been taken into custody. Various statements and reports indicated that there were up to five gunmen involved with the original abduction of Ramos which took place at the home of a relative.

Wilson Ramos Family

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

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Mike Maddux' Wife Lise Maddux

After being a big part of the World Series runner-up Texas Rangers, Mike Maddux is being offered some high-profile manager positions all around the league. Despite the attention, Maddux is being pretty selective and doesn't seem all that interested. For instance, before even being interviewed, Maddux removed his name from consideration for the Boston Red Sox vacant manager position. You might think that he did this because the Red Sox are a mess - but you'd be wrong. He took his name out of the running based on what he calls a "family decision". Mike Maddux' wife Lise Maddux and their two daughters are, in his words, "together in the same state for the first time in three years and words cannot describe my happiness". Mike feels that the distance between the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and Boston is just too much. Chicago, though, is apparently close enough - as he has interviewed with the Cubs and is considered a finalist at this point.
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Mike Maddux and his wife, Lise Maddux, have two daughters attending college near Dallas-Ft. Worth. Makayla Maddux attends at Texas Christian while her sister Lexie Maddux attends Southern Methodist.

Lise Maddux grew up near Portland, Oregon, attending Laurelwood Academy and Portland State University. Mike Maddux was born in Ohio and attended college in Texas - no word on when and where the two met. Lise is the secretary for the Mike Maddux Foundation, based out of Las Vegas, NV. Maddux founded the Maddux Foundation in October 2000 to help under-privileged children receive dental and vision care. “The Maddux Foundation works to support the underserved youth of Southern Nevada,” Maddux said. “We recognize and are committed to Southern Nevada’s most valuable resource, our children.”

Mike Maddux' Wife Lise Maddux

Mike Maddux' Wife Lise Maddux

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

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Hunter Pence Girlfriend Shannon James

Hunter Pence has good taste. After dating some bikini model named Terrie B and then an NFL cheerleader, now the rumor is that Hunter Pence's girlfriend is Shannon James. Yes, Shannon James the Playmate. May 2007 to be exact. So to be clear, Hunter Pence upgraded from a bikini model girlfriend to a cheerleader girlfriend to a Playmate girlfriend. Very impressive.

Hunter can thank the trade to Philly for this upgrade actually. He met Shannon James at the Hamels Foundation Diamond and Denim event on August 11th, where she was doing a promotional appearance. Rumors swirled after the event that a hot blonde had given her number to Pence, and it looks like he followed through on that. Good for him. It would've been a real shame if he had just rested on his laurels and stayed content with a mere bikini model. The relationship, while perhaps not officially confirmed as a relationship, was alluded to by a pair of recent Tweets by James.

In addition to appearing in Playboy, Shannon James has also appeared in Maxim UK, Guitar World, Reality Magazine, Steppin Out' Magazine as well as Hooters magazines and calendars.

Hunter Pence Girlfriend Shannon James

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

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Dale Sveum Wife Darlene Sveum

Despite Boston being an incredibly media heavy town and her husband being enemy #1 for a spell (thanks to his atrocious third base coaching), Dale Sveum's wife Darlene Sveum is an elusive woman who remains almost entirely unknown. With Dale Sveum in the running, any many say the front runner for, the Boston Red Sox manager position vacated by Tito Francona, the PlayerWives.com staff has been looking high and low for information about Mrs. Sveum.

We clearly don't have much to show for it, but we'll tell you what we know. We know that Dale and Darlene Sveum live in Scottsdale, AZ with their two children Brittane and Rustin. We know that Dale is originally from Richmond, CA and graduated from Pinole Valley High School, where he played baseball in addition to football and basketball. According to a reader, Darlene also attended Pinole Valley High School. Thanks to a newsletter that we found, we can definitively tell you that Darlene used to organize the annual Halloween party in their community, but that they are now looking for a replacement since Darlene's kids are all grown up. Entertaining, huh? That's all we know for sure.

What else did our research turn up? Darlene Sveum donated money to a sorority at ASU. That could mean that she went to ASU (in fact, if that is true then she may have met Dale there, as he turned down a scholarship there to turn pro) or it could mean that her daughter goes there. Or it could mean absolutely nothing. Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel huh?

There's just nothing out there about her right now. That said, if Dale Sveum is named as Red Sox manager, we're guessing that will change very quickly.

Dale Sveum Wife Darlene Sveum

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

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Mark Grace's wife Tanya Grace

Former Cubs first baseman Mark Grace married Tanya Avila on January 5, 2002. The marriage was short lives, as the couple was divorced in January, 2006.
Mark and Tanya Grace had two sons together; Jackson Gene born in 2000, and Preston Torre born in October, 2003 during the first week of Mark's retirement from baseball.

This was Mark's second marriage, after his first marriage to Michelle Grace ended in divorce in 1993 (after being married in 1988). After their divorce, Michelle wound up marrying Ray Liotta.

Tanya Grace will be appearing on the new VH1 show, Baseball Wives beginning on November 30th. This is the latest spinoff in the series of reality shows featuring the wives, girlfriends and exes of professional athletes.

Mark Grace's wife Tanya Grace

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

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Ron Villone's wife Brooke Villone

Brooke Villone is a cast member on VH1's newest reality show, Baseball Wives. Brooke Villone (maiden name Tammaro) is the wife of former journeyman reliever Ron Villone who last pitched in the bigs in 2009. The couple met in 2002 at a promotional event, and were married in 2004. They have one child together, daughter Sofia born in 2010. Ron has two other children from a previous relationship: daughter Megan born in 1996 and son Ronald III born in 1997. The family lives in Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Brooke has been modeling since the age of 15, when she was discovered while walking through a mall close to her Pittsburgh area hometown. When the couple met in 2002, Ron admitted that he knew who she was as he had one of her modeling shots hanging in his locker.

Ron Villone's wife Brooke Villone

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

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Nyjer Morgan's girlfriend Jordana Lenz

Jordana Lenz is the youngest cast member of the upcoming VH1 Reality Show, Baseball Wives, at only 23 years old. To be honest, Jordana was the only member of the cast we'd never heard of before, so we had to do some digging on her.
Jordana identifies herself as an Actor/Director on her Facebook page. From her profile, it's fully evident that we have a deep member of the Baseball Wives cast. Here's her self description:
I am a Pittsburgh girl , living the dream in Arizona. I love to dance, shop, sing in the shower, hang with friends, party on the weekends, and LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!!!! I have an amazing supportive group of friends and an even better family.
Our best research indicates that Jordana is the girlfriend of Brewers outfielder Nyjer Morgan dating as far back as early 2010. There's no positive confirmation that the two remain together, but we can all find out on November 30th when the show debuts.

Nyjer Morgan's girlfriend Jordana Lenz

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

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Barry Zito's wife Amber Marie Seyer

Time Together: Barry Zito has been dating the former Miss Missouri for a little over a year, and were engaged in April of 2011. Instead of wasting time (admittedly, like I did), the couple took care of the nuptials right away, and will be married on Saturday, December 3, 2011.
It will be interesting to see how Giants split this weekend, as OF Nate Schierholtz is getting married at the same time, to his girlfriend, former college basketball player at SDSU, Kate Eveland.

Like we revealed in the opening sentence, Amber is the 2007 Miss Missouri who now calls herself an actress. Her IMDB credits include one episode of daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful, and a role in the movie The Change Up,where she is billed as "Beautiful Woman." Her next project should be easy to play, as "Amber the Actor," in the 2012 movie Starting from Scratch.
Quote: This might be the coolest story about a professional athlete ever.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Zito filed for his marriage license on November 18. They interviewed the county clerk, Joyce Whitney, who processed the request. Whitney recounts a fantastic story:
"I asked if he wanted a confidential one, and he said 'no.,' He said, 'Just give me a public one - I'm over myself.' "
Barry Zito... badass move, man.

Barry Zito's wife Amber Marie Seyer

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

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Yu Darvish's wife Saeko Darvish

For those not familiar with the name above you soon will be. Yu Darvish is the next great Japanese pitcher (stop me if you've heard that before) who could be coming to America next season. Currently it is considered 50-50 that he posts or basically sold to the highest bidder. But enough about Yu, as this post is really aout Yu Darvish's wife, or soon to be ex-wife Saeko. For those not familiar with Saeko she is a movie and media darling in Japan. There are a lot of rumors as to how the two meet but it does appear everyone agrees we have ourself a case of a shotgun wedding here. After dating Saeko got pregnant and the couple married quickly on 11/11,/2007 which was picked because that is Yu's number. Their first child arrive just four months later, born March 25, 2008. Saeko is considered by many to be the hottest wife in Japan, and it has recently come out the couple are in the process of getting a divorce.

What we know about the divorce and how it may hurt Yu's transition to MLB:
Now the PG version of why they are getting divorced is that the couple spent too much time apart. However it has been widely reported that Yu is a big fan of the red light district and may have been sought the company of other women while Saeko was pregnant with the couple's second child. Why is this divorce a big deal? Besides the couple being one of the most famous couples in Japan it could have a huge impact on when and if Yu posts for MLB. The divorce would involve splitting assets and money. If Yu signs with a MLB team before the divorce is finalized the money split would be based off that number, which will be a lot higher than his current contract in Japan. Some say that with the divorce looming, and unlikely to be completed during this Hot Stove season, Yu might wait until next year when the divorce is done so he doesn't give up as much money.

Yu Darvish's wife Saeko Darvish

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

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Alex Rodriguez's girlfriend Ella Magers

Alex Rodriguez is not a man who stays single long.
After splitting from his wife Cynthia in 2008, he's made a run through some of Hollywood's bigger names; there were well publicized flings with Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz, as well as some rumored encounters with Madonna and Christie Brinkley.
However, it appears now that ARod has Hollywood out of his system. Alex has been seen repeatedly in recent weeks with a blonde fitness enthusiast, Ella Magers. Ella and Alex have a prior working relationship with her serving as his nutritionist and trainer.
Ella is a fitness professional located in Miami Beach where ARod makes his offseason home. She has an impressive resume including various media consultations as a fitness expert and a wide array of services offered (including private and group training and wellness coaching).
A couple sports gossip blogs have indicated that Ella was the reason for ARod's split from Diaz, though that has not been substantiated in any way. It does appear these two are becoming serious as they were photographed on vacation with Rodriguez's children in November, 2011.

Alex Rodriguez's girlfriend Ella Magers

Alex Rodriguez's girlfriend Ella Magers

Malik Muhammad Usman Awan

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Alex Rodriguez's girlfriend Torrie Wilson

Alex Rodriguez continues his roll through tall, jacked blonde chicks.
After breaking up with his girlfriend of over a year, Cameron Diaz, A-Rod moved on to his tall, blonde, jacked personal trainer and nutritionist Ella Magers.
However, since late December, it's become very obvious that Alex has moved on yet again, this time linking up with former WWE Diva, and 2004 Playboy cover model, Torrie Wilson. The two were first seen together in Cabo with Wilson's close friend, Stacy Kiebler and her boyfriend, George Clooney. Wilson and Rodriguez were later seen biking in Miami, at a gym in Wilson's hometown of Boise, ID, and most notably sitting courtside at a Laker's game where they shared their first public kiss.
So for those of you who don't know who Torrie Wilson is, well, you've probably stopped reading. If you did hang around, Torrie Wilson is most notably a former WWE Diva and Women's Title holder. She came to the WWE after a brief stint in WCW after winning the Miss Galaxy fitness competition in 1998. She has graced the cover of various magazine's including FHM and Playboy. Since more or less retiring from wrestling in 2008, spare a few one time guest appearances, Wilson has done little. She did finish second to Lou Diamond Phillips on NBC's highly lauded reality show, "I'm a Celebrity; Get Me Out of Here."
So you know, she's got that going for her.