Old-time broadcaster with devotion

For a long time Bob Uecker was the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now being over 70 years old doesn't stop him from staying involved within the game of baseball. He makes his special appearances at events, spreading his passion and enthusiasm for the game. His attitude was pleasant for the most part while on the air, but when the Dodgers played pitifully he made off color remarks about the team's performance. His voice on radio and television broadcasts was so influential that he received a part in the "Major League" movies, where he played a bitter sports broadcaster for the Cleveland Indians that suffered from alcoholism when the team was losing. Bob has worked near half a century in baseball. The guy has got spunk and an endearing personality. He would have made a great broadcast duo with Harry Carey. They'd have good chemistry together and be good drinking buddies. Also when players screwed up and made real bone-headed plays the two distinct sports broadcasters would lay into them with criticism. That kind of honesty and outspoken comments of disgust with a team are qualities as a fan you're got to admire. Bob Uecker, a broadcast legend in his own right is a part of countless fans' baseball memories.

Andruw Jones leans out to make contact. Photo-Gregory Smith 

Andruw Jones, a legitimate choice for MVP

All this talk about Albert Puljos and Derek Lee receiving MVP honors are excessive. These first basemen are having stellar years yes, but another candidate who's a sweet swinging star outfielder should be given more consideration: Andruw Jones. He's setting career marks with 44 homeruns and has already collected 110 RBIs plus over 130 hits. Besides making miraculous game-saving catches he's kept the Braves a top the eastern division amongst a battling feud consisting of the Nationals, Phillies, Marlins, and Mets. How many players put their body on the line for the good of their team? Okay, besides Craig Biggio who leans into pitches and gets hit. Andruw's full spread dives in center, left-center, and right-centerfield are to be commended and applauded. Most regular everyday players would be on the shelf trying put off those moves, being a non-factor for the good part of the season. Not Jones who is a healthy speedster who also has a great vertical leap. The Atlanta Braves are sure to the win the division again like they normally do. This should be credited to strength of their team, which all-around Andruw is a big part of in 2005. I'd vote for the guy, why the hell not?

Injury prone issues

Trying to be a main contender in baseball, especially coming down the stretch in September for a shot at the playoffs is daunting when top players go down with injury. I'm not talking about once or twice either, more like a string of years in row. This happened with stars like Mike Piazza, Nomar Garciapara, and Ken Griffey Jr.(actually healthy and having a old Grif-like season. Glad to see this). Injuries occur sometimes and are understandable to a certain extent. However, when players rehabilitate and return to their normal condition then get injuried over and over after running to first base trying to leg out a infield hit, breaking their spleen, colliding with another teammate in the outfield due to poor communication, bending over to tie their shoes(Juan Gonzalez),and getting severe back spasms by sneezing too hard(Sammy Sosa). Oh come on, this is pathetic. Players ought to be in better physical shape than that. In the old eras of the game guys would get spiked in the leg while playing on the infield, have blood spurt out for hours and still finish the game. Stopping the bleeding was a sign of weakness and meant you were a pansy. Ty Cobb would be the first to tell you so.

New rules and regulations need to be enforced in baseball to limit this frequent injury problem. When a player gets injuried in 2 or more consecutive seasons their pay should be docked by 40%, lose bonuses in their contract, and be forced to publicly hand out refunds to fans who buy tickets while apologizing for another crummy season. If this doesn't serve the best effect, players will either serve a indefinite suspension or be stuck out in front of the ball park everyday tied to a chair while being pelted with insults and foreign objects from enraged, fed up fans. This method is a bit extreme, but it will have one hell of an impact on players' avoiding injuries in the future.

The "Babe", reinventer of baseball 

Remembrance of Ruth and his candy bar

Stories and tales of the historic baseball legend, Babe Ruth will never cease. His amazing homerun shots and baseball records are embedded in people's minds forever while his jersey and plague are enshrined in Cooperstown (also retired in Yankee Stadium). Compiling 714 career homeruns, over 2200 RBIs, and hitting .342 is amazing, deserving of accolades and time honored recognition. Not only was the "Bambino" a great homerun hitter, but a magnificent pitcher too. His statistics in the regular season and playoffs back it up. There are many famous attributes of American culture that link to Babe Ruth, but the one that stands out in my mind the most is the Baby Ruth candy bar. This man loved eating and so do Americans. That's why problems with obesity will never end. That candy bar represents a good image of the Babe Ruth we all know and cherish, despite the high fat content from the chocolate that poses health risks (ex. laziness, fat petruding abdomen, and possible heart attack). Children back in the roaring 20's loved that candy bar. It was a sweet treat their parents wouldn't buy for them. The brand also reminded them of the well-liked heavy set baseball player. People still enjoy eating the candy bars now.

The world-wide appeal of Ruth did wonders for the Nestle company who produced his candy bar. They'd struck a chord with American culture and made millions. (Why can't I think of something brilliant like this?) The candy bar may of not been the most healthy snack to eat, but it did serve a strong purpose then and now besides making Ruth and Nestle rich. People with diabetes can eat one if their sugar drops too low and they become dizzy. It will push the sugar up to a normal level and may be even save lives. For a chocolate bar that's since influenced production of 20 or more other candy bars, on the "most wanted" list of kids tramped at a Fat Kids Camp, that means something. That's one hell of a product with brand awareness. If people just hear the name they get distracted and start daydreaming about food. They don't stop rubbing their stomach sometimes until realizing they're not alone, though are in public with a bunch of disturbed shoppers staring at them. Babe Ruth was a trend setter, not only in baseball but also in the snack food industry.

The Lynchburg Hillcats, Carolina League favorites

In Single (A) ball for the Carolina league the Lynchburg Hillcats(Pirates affiliate)are having another good season. They post a 33-28 record, coming off two straight wins against the Wilmington Blue Rocks(Boston). Their team leader, first basemen Pat Magness has 21 homeruns and 84 RBIs. Other notable key players are OF Vic Bulter and 3B Avelino Asperilla. There is no doubt Magness is destined for the major leagues. The team holds second place in the division, trailing the Frederick Keys(Baltimore) by 3 games. With a week or so left in the season they've got some ground to make up. Lynchburg has been Carolina league champs three times in the past 8 years. That's not too shabby. A night at the old ball park watching the Hillcats play wouldn't be complete without their furry, big headed mascot Southpaw. He can be seen dancing on top of dugouts (showing off is more like it) and playing with kids around the stadium, serving as a personal punching bag at times. That's what helps make this team so special.

Throughout the years the Lynchburg teams have seen a lot of top minor league players come and go. As affilates of the Mets, Red Sox, and now the Pirates such players as Lenny Dykstra, Doc Gooden, Trot Nixon, Aaron Sele, Frank Rodriguez, Jose Guillen, Aramis Ramirez, Kris Benson, Zach Duke, and several others have entered the major leagues. They began to develop into future professional baseball players in Lynchburg, Virginia. Recent acquisitions for the Pirates have been Brad Eldred(1B) and Zach Duke(SP) who's jumped on the scene with a 6-0 record and low ERA(averaging slightly above 1 run a game). Lynchburg fans who watched these guys play minor league ball in Single (A) or even Double (A) can brag that they got to see their talent first before they reached the big leagues. The Pirates farm system will have more star players come up through the ranks in the future as they will start their career journey with the Lynchburg Hillcats

Bat boy suspended on a dare

Major League Baseball is cracking down on another case: drinking milk. The Florida Marlins' bat boy was suspended in a game against the Dodgers for drinking a gallon of milk. He did this on a dare made by Dodgers' pitcher Brad Penny. The deal was if the bat boy could drink a gallon of milk in an hour without puking he would receive $500. Somehow the Marlins organization thought this was an inexcusable activity during a game and served him a 6 game suspension. When did drinking milk at a baseball game become a violation? The milk corporation didn't feel this way, rewarding the kid for his public use of their product by giving him cash money and and an endorsement offer. This more than made up for his absence of work (It's not like he was making much to begin with here). The bat boy was promoting good health instead of chewing tobacco, smoking a cigarette, or holding a bottle of steriods...um I mean vitamin pills. The Marlins should be so lucky.

Professional sports are getting too serious when a team worries about kids having good old-fashion fun. When did this ever hurt anybody? The worst part about this incident is the length of the suspension compares closely to that of a steroid offender. Come on, it sounds ridiculous to me that a player guilty of using steroids is tossed for 10 games while a passionate milk drinker gets a 6 game removal. A tendency to overreact is one thing, but actually thinking such normal behavior will have such a negative effect on the game is ignorant. Sure the bat boy could have puked, but that that's far less a problem than discovering a dirty, blood dripping syringe left on a bench or chair by one of the players (Oh God! That really is disgusting). For all the public knows, players could be smoking crack in the clubhouse between innings. These are the real issues which demand the most attention. I suppose Major League Baseball will be in for a shell shocker when someone takes a dump on the field because they won't be able to make it to a restroom in time.

Worst all-time baseball records

Baseball players are proud of their amazing accomplishments and awards they attain each year. Hitting the most homeruns, leading the league in RBIs, runs scored, doubles, triples, or stolen bases induces accolades from fans and supporters. Top statistics in the league are usually expected from star players. On the other hand there are records players hold that are not to be admired. Such terrible records include: owning the highest ERA in all of baseball, worst walks to homerun ratio as a hitter, most errors in one game as an infielder, plunking a staggering total of batters in half a season, being ejected from the most games in a year, allowing more than 5 homeruns in an inning as a starting pitcher, obtaining the longest losing streak in history(Kansas City Royals), and getting injured several years in a row while only playing a handful of games. There are many other records that could be listed. These all fall into baseball's hame of shame.

Players who have poor performances, working towards humiliating records during the course of their careers don't realize the effect it has on their team's performance. The simple things players fail to execute like laying down a sacrifice bunt or not getting picked off from first or second every time a hit and run is used truly hurts their team. Sure losing one game here and there isn't a big deal, but spacing out for a couple months to year with the same inexcusably bone head plays results in to a team stinking up the league. That's the problem with mental errors and mistakes on the diamond, eventually it spreads throughout the whole team becoming contagious.

In 2003 the Detroit Tigers experienced a similar situation. They had a lot of discouraging losses and contended with setbacks of injuries. Their spirits were crushed before the season was over. That's why coaches use the rule of thumb of not kicking a team when they're already down. A psychological breakdown may occur if a coach lost his good temperament and stated, "You guys are the best losers I've ever coached, thanks for another crummy season." Most of the time players already know how bad their performances have been of late so being reminded of them sounds redundant. Avoiding getting stuck with baseball's all-time worst records is every major leaguer's best interest.

Wade Boggs imitates Harry Carey alongside an amused Ryno. 

My tribute to two new Hall of Famers

2005 was a special year for two aging retired veterans of baseball. Wade and Boggs and Ryne Sandberg were inducted into Cooperstown's Hall of Fame a few weeks ago. I can't think of two more nicer and deserving guys to get voted into Cooperstown. They both had sparkling careers with notable highlights that will never be forgotten. Wade Boggs was a member of the 3,000 hit club and owned a .328 career batting average while he played for the Red Sox, Yankees, and Devil Rays. He batted .300 or higher 15 times. That's remarkable. He was superstitious, believing he could hit well by eating chicken before every big game (Sounds ridiculous to me, but it seemed to work). Boggs was also a five-time batting champion as a left-handed batter. Sporting a thick Colonel Sanders mustache was a prominent feature of the former third basemen. His short inside-outside swing may not have resulted in significant power, but it sure did garner a ton of infield and extra base hits. His memory playing the game of baseball will live forever in the hearts and minds of Red Sox and Yankee fans.

Ryne Sandberg("Ryno") got voted in on ballot on his third attempt. Everyone remembers him as one of the greatest superstars on the Chicago Cubs. He began his career in Philadelphia only playing 13 games before being traded to the Cubs, where he finished out his illustrious 16 year career (1981-1997). Retiring from baseball in 1994, Ryno made a surprise return in 1996. Just like Michael Jordan he tricked the fans of Chicago. Receiving MVP honors in 1982 and 1990 to go along with his 8 or 9 gold gloves. He holds the record for the most games played without an error and has 282 career homeruns. Despite ever playing in a World Series, Sandberg's accomplishments as a major leaguer are impressive. He's a beloved star favorite of Chicago Cubs fans everywhere. I believe he will go down in baseball history as one of the top 3 second basemen of all-time. Congratulations Ryno and Boggsy! You both are now enshrined in the Hall of Fame as two Greats of the Game. You're earned this prestigious award.

Change in positions after injury

The switch from starting pitcher to reliever and closer is what the Cubs' Wood and the Red Sox's Schilling are experiencing. Both guys used to be flame throwing starting pitchers. Since both men have returned to their respective teams they've worked solely out of the bullpen. For now, this is the precautions being taken by managers' Dusty Baker and Terry Francona. This is what's best for the team in their view. It's easier for a position player in the infield to make a switch than a pitcher because they don't have to worry about over extending their elbow, getting their throwing arm too stiff, or shattering any bones in their forearm or hand. Pitchers are at a much greater risk for these chronic problems. The Detroit Tigers moved utility player, Brandon Inge around to several spots(outfield, catcher, shortstop) back in April and May before finding him a permanent home at third base. It has made a good fit for Inge. The consequences though for pitchers moving from starters to relievers is their full strengths and abilities may not be used if they only pitch for 1-2 innings in a game.

The Red Sox don't seem to be effected much by having Curt Schilling spring out of the bullpen as a closer. This may even be a benefit later in the season. However, the Cubs are weaker in their starting rotation without Kerry Wood. Plus with the offense averaging 2-4 runs a game they need their top pitchers to come through each week. Experimenting with ideas regarding positions and roles is good for a team, but if they're not working, especially late in the season changes are needed. With races tighter in the final months every man's best efforts are essential in outlasting the competition and prevailing.

Teixeira watches the flight of his homerun. Photo- Jeff Gardner 

Rangers' Teixeira making an impact in AL race

In only his second or three full season, Mark Teixeria is having a stellar season for the Texas Rangers. The team's record stands at 56-55. The young star first basemen has kept his team within reach in the American League wildcard as they are 8 games out in the western division and mostly likely won't catch the Angels or the A's who are battling for the top spot. Teixeria has made a solid 1-2 punch with teammate Hank Blalock. The two cover good ground on the corners on defense. Also shorstop Alfonso Soriano adds a speedy runner to get on base with occassional power and a good glove. The Rangers' first basemen, however is having the breakout season with 31 homeruns, 92 RBIs, and counting. His offense is helping fuel his team as his presence in the lineup makes a big difference.

Getting his team into the playoffs remains a challenge. They'll have to surpass the Athletics or Angels, Yankees, Indians, and possibly the Blue Jays. If Teixeira continues to hit for power and drive in runs, the Rangers stand a chance. With his hit and runs total increasing his average will also climb. I suspect he'll be hitting around .300 towards the end of the season. Teixeira is just one sensational talent that helps mold the team into a dynamic, collective group among others like Michael Young, Kevin Mench, David Dellucci, Soriano, and Phil Nevin(acquired in recent trade). The team has the potential to move into the postseason, but their performance during the final month we determine their destiny. With Teixeira leading the way, the Rangers are ready to battle it out with the rest of the competition.

Bonds' homerun chase must wait until next year

Barry Bonds' surgery was slow in the healing process. Either that or the Giants slugger doesn't want to risk injury by returning too soon. Hank Aaron couldn't be happier knowing his homerun record remains in tact. Sure he may be humble, acknowledging and respecting the achievements of Barry Bonds in his career, however if the chase gets real close and the record is broken hammering Hank may not be so polite. The occassional swear word will come out of his mouth if he's still living. This year has been dim and unexciting for Barry Bonds. His constant run in with media has fueled his aggression. Reiterating references to the homerun race and steroids has bugged the self-absorbed baseball veteran. His lashing out at the media only brought more problems on himself. Dodging questions and getting angry helps no one. This in turn is why reporters are curious to know the truth, therefore questioning the hell out of Bonds to catch possible flaws or lies. Being in the spotlight is not always glamorous, but the high pressure comes with the territory so Bonds needs to accept it and shut his mouth.

Bonds' defensiveness about using steroids stirs controversy into a sports news whirlpool. For once, it would be nice to see the guy with a good attitude. His reign in the baseball shrine of records is put on hold due to absence this year. He may not care so much about the record now because of the unwanted attention and scrutiny he receives. Being over 40 adds another degree of difficulty for the old, bald-headed grouch on the San Francisco Giants who rarely signs autographs. His career highlights are impressive as a player, but they may continue to be called into question if he is found guilty of using steroids. The time away from the game he has should be spent recuperating and from here on out being honest about everyting. (Most likely this won't happen because Bonds is greedy and selfish).

The week of heat for Orioles' Palmerio

This past week has been an embarrassing ordeal for Rafael Palmerio. The recent member of the 3,000 hit club claims he didn't know he was given steroids. Now this can be examined from two sides. First, the obvious questioning of why a professional baseball would digest and inject something into their body without knowing what it is normal. This usually is enough evidence. There is a slight chance too that it was a mistake made by his trainer. Raffy appeared to fully be against the use of steroids as clearly seen at the trial hearings back in March. The man doesn't look huge or bulked up, but displays natural physical features of a ball player. Testing positive for steroids though is a tight web to get out of for anyone. Being suspended 10 games for breaking a major rule in baseball sheds a negative light on Palmerio. The best thing to do in this situation is tell the truth. I believe he is being honest about what happened, trying to back track who may have given him the illegal substance or even lied to him.

Being the spokesman for Viagra doesn't help the current situation either. Even though Viagra and Steroids are different drugs it raises the suspicion that the first basemen used similar performance enhancing drugs in the past. He may have figured it was beneficial for both his career and life because if he wasn't able to play baseball at least he can hold an erection. And we know how important that is for men. The only thing he'd worry about is how quick the side effects kicked in, risking health problems due to stiffness in the mid section for over 48 hours. Other than that Raffy could be a happy man sharing those special moments with his wife and playing baseball. I think after getting to the heart of the matter, digging deep, and finding the person truely responsible Rafael Palmerio will come out as a innocent man. Yeah right! This would be by a long shot. In effect of his suspension this can rid other foolish players of using illegal drugs. Then again this problem will always linger until the penalties are constricted to not only fining a baseball player with a short suspension, but suspending them indefinitely. Cracking down on steroid use with the most demanding constrictions is good for major league baseball. Players need to accept policies and regulations, not lie and cheat for personal gain.

Trades finalized, rumors put to rest

It was a day of less than expected arguing, bickering, money laundering hustling, dealing, and wheeling. For Red Sox fans sake Manny Ramirez was not traded. This is a relief. Boston would be crazy to deal away one of their most productive hitters, only shooting themselves in foot by hurting their chances in the postseason. Sunday, there were some moves made. Kyle Farnsworth was traded to Atlanta from Detroit, Ron Villone was dealt to Florida from Seattle, Boston did grab OF Jose Cruz Jr., Matt Lawton went to the Cubs in exchange for Jody Gerut, and Buddy Groom departed the Yankees to go to...who cares? There really was no good trades at all. Earlier this week the Padres traded Phil Nevin to Texas for pitcher Chan Ho Park. Soriano stayed on the team which was a smart decision by the Rangers front office. When it came right down to the trade deadline nobody was willing to give up much to get the best talent around the league. That was sort of strange since some of these teams have no chance in hell of making the playoffs. Oh well, some teams will regret their decisions when a key star player gets put on the shelf with an injury later or players get suspended for using steroids again. It's only a matter of time.

The 7th Inning Stretch

Watching a baseball game live is a memorable occassion that's usually fun. Whether it's minor league or pro some things during the games never change. This includes the same drunks who make a casual effort to go wild and shout vulgar comments at the players and umpires before they pass out on the belchers or get kicked out of the ballpark. It's their way of showing others that they're full fledged alcoholics. Also bearing towards the latter part of the game is when the 7th inning stretch rolls along. This break in the action on the field gives spectators and fans time to stretch their legs and sing "Take Me Out To the Ball Game." What puts a damper on this time treasured tradition at baseball games is rain. It's quite amusing to see a conductor of the 7th inning stretch get on top of the home dugout, begin to sing, then a down pour hits the area.

Watching people flee from the stands to higher, safer ground leaves this drenched human being singing to virtually no one. This brave individual doesn't hesitate to stop singing either, even with the most damaging weather conditions. This person moves forward until the end. That takes some guts especially if a huge thunderstorm or hurricane is in progress. A night out at the old ball park becomes a matter of risking personal safety just to carry out a job. To me, it's not worth it. Taking a chance getting struck by lightening or being leveled with a flying piece of metal means baseball is more important than your life. Getting soaked is expected, but being seeing someone knocked to the ground by the wind brings forth panic as people run frantically to hide under a roof or covering. That's way it's best to avoid conducting the 7th inning seventh if the weather is inclement. Forget about it and just get the hell out of dodge.

All-Star Game Recap

Comerisca Park, home of 2005 All-Star Game made for a splendid venue. Considered a pitcher's park, it sure didn't appear to be during the home run derby. The American League set the tone, banging up the National League with an assault of hits, scoring first. Starter Mark Buerhle contained the NL hitters, pitching 2 scoreless innings before departing. John Smoltz served up a big, fat pitch to Miguel Tejada for a homerun to left field. Later Mark Teixeira got in the act, blasting a 2-run shot out on a high fast ball delivered by Dontrelle Willis. It wasn't until the 7th that the NL got on the scoreboard. Andruw Jones provided some runs, launching a ball deep into left field. The AL was able to hold on to the lead though and won 7-5.

Seeing the prominent, veteran stars like Roger Clemens, John Smoltz, Ivan Rodriguez, and Mike Piazza was nice, but the appeal of new up and comers added a special touch to the extravaganza. Derek Lee, Brian Roberts, Aramis Ramirez, Ichiro, Johan Santana, Albert Puljos, David Ortiz, and several other players demonstrated their value to their teams and deserved to be selected for the All-Star Game. With the outcome Tuesday night at Detroit in favor of the AL, this makes it their 10th consecutive win in the All-Star Game. As a result the American League is granted home field advantage in the World Series. It was a good, diverse group of talent on hand which lead to an entertaining, thrilling evening of baseball. With all the fun activities now over, players will have to divert their attention back to the remainder of the season. Teams struggling before the break will try to find a lift in strides to clinching a playoff spot.

A Possible New Jordan Era

The career of Michael Jordan was no doubt extraordinary, a true icon in basketball history. Creating a legacy, he set a trend for past and present athletes and is still considered to be the best basketball player of all-time. His world-wide fame and appeal captivates fans as his face and image continues to appear on posters, T-shirts, billboards, commercials, Nike tennis shoes, statues, etc. He's made his mark on the sport like no other human being. Now a new dynasty in the Jordan family may form. Micheal's son, Jeffrey Jordan, a 16 year old sophomore from a college prep school near Chicago is making waves this summer. He has entered the Nike All-American Camp when the media has flocked on the scene as expected. The pressure is obviously on Jeffrey to out perform his competition since he's Jordan's son. The kid is out to establish a name for himself and not follow in his father's footsteps. Sporting the jersey number, 32 the young hoopster didn't expect to share his Dad's old number, wanting his own identity as a player. He has plenty of time to learn, grow, and develop his talent.

With the spotlight on a different Jordan, dealing with smothering publicity and negative or positive rumors will be a challenge for Jeffrey. Being compared and contrasted to his Dad all the time will get on his nerves eventually. If the kid plays hard, disciplines himself through practice, and ignores those who try to bring him down he can reach his full potential. Getting into a good, reputable college will be one of his best options after graduating high school. Picking the right area of study there can benefit his future, giving him other career choices to fall back on if basketball doesn't work out. Now, he can enjoy the game while showing his talent to interested scouts as a teenager. With the best wishes, I hope Jeffrey succeeds in an area, whatever it may be that makes him happy.