Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IRISH IN THE PROS of tasks to coordinate practice time before the event. Kurz is hoping the players can get together a few days beforehand to shake off the rust. "A lot of guys aren't home yet, a couple guys are coming back from Eu- rope," Kurz said. "I can get the gym at my high school across the street any- time, so I was thinking people could get here a day or two before and just walk through some stuff, put in some little sets offensively and defensively and shoot around or whatever. It depends on when people get in." Kurz played one season with the NBA's Golden State Warriors, and then competed in Germany, France and Spain before retiring last summer. For the past year, he's been helping to open a Retro Fitness gym in Horsham, Pa. "For me, that was an unbelievable experience to be able to spend that time in Europe," he said. "Anytime you get to play a sport and hold off the real world, I really enjoyed the cul- tures and I made a lot of friends from across the world. "I'm getting older now, I'm 29 and this business opportunity came up and I thought it was the right time for me. I don't want to be 35 and, 'What do I do next?' I just thought it was smarter to make that transition a little bit early." Kurz is excited about the idea of re- uniting with former teammates on the hardwood one last time. "I think the best thing about my Notre Dame experience is how close we are," he said. "We still stay in touch. We make an effort to see each other whenever possible. For me that's been one of the most rewarding things about my Notre Dame experience is the bond I have with my teammates." MLB NOTES Through May 11 • John Axford (Played at Notre Dame from 2002- 05), RHP, Cleveland Indians: Was removed from the team's closer role after beginning the season with two blown saves in 11 opportunities … Had a 4.91 ERA and 1.77 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched). • Jeff Manship (2004-06), RHP, Philadelphia Phil- lies: Stood 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 10 innings over 11 appearances. • David Phelps (2006-08), RHP, New York Yankees: Was 0-0 with a 4.09 ERA in 11 games this season … Had made two spot starts for the Bronx Bombers, but received no decision in both outings. • A.J. Pollock (2007-10), OF, Arizona Diamond- backs: Was hitting .278 with three home runs and seven RBI in 34 games. • Jeff Samardzija (2003-06), RHP, Chicago Cubs: Endured historically bad luck in the early weeks of the season … According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first pitcher in Major League Baseball his- tory to go winless in his first eight starts of a season despite not allowing more than three runs in any outing …Through his eight starts, he was 0-3 with a 1.45 ERA. ✦ Chicago Cubs ace and former Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija has started eight games this season and is still looking for his first win despite holding MLB's second‑best ERA. PHOTO COURTESY CHICAGO CUBS