Change, it is one thing that we can count on happening. Time passes and things change. This occurs in sports as it does every other realm of life. Yesterday evening, the news broke that Ichiro Suzuki, long time Seattle Mariner, had been traded to the New York Yankees.
I was shocked in a lot of ways to hear this news. I knew that Ichiro was in the last year of his deal but I didn't expect him to get traded, let alone to the New York Yankees for two minor league pitching prospects. Along with being shocked, I was also sad. Sad because he left the Mariners and also going to the Yankees. Everyone who knows me knows that I don't like the Yankees. I made reference to this in a post I made here several years ago. So it'll be weird and sad to see Ichiro put on pinstripes the rest of the season.
It's also sad because it's another reminder that players don't stick with teams like they used to. It makes what Chipper Jones is doing a rarity, playing with one team your whole career and retiring with them. Yes I know Ichiro played in Japan before coming to the U.S. but the M's were his one MLB team. He became synonymous with the M's like Ken Griffey Jr. & Edgar Martinez before him. In my three years in Seattle, I loved watching Ichiro play in the outfield.
I'm sure when he retires, he will go into the Hall of Fame. And when he does, he will go in as a Mariner which will be good. In the meantime, seeing him not in a Mariners uniform and not wearing #51 will be another reminder that things change and time moves forward.
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Random Sports Reflections
Reflections during the middle of summer...
*Didn't write about it last week but briefly wanted to address the Robinson Cano/Home Run Derby event. (Full disclosure, I'm a Royals fan). A lot was made of the booing (especially by the national media) for Cano and personally I think it was okay. Ultimately, Cano should understand that words matter. When he said a month before that he would pick a hometown guy for the Home Run derby, that people held him to that. If he had never said that, I don't believe that he would've been booed as loud or even at all. Words are important and what you say matters.
*Speaking of words and actions, Dwight Howard. I don't think I've seen an athlete go from being so well liked to being so disliked over the course of a year like him. I'm kind of dumbfounded how a seemingly bright and talented young man has made that transition to being a guy that people want on their team to a guy that they don't. The way he has conducted himself the past year in Orlando is a great example of how not to act. I definitely think he needs a good, mature mentor to speak into his life. I believe that he's a talented player and can be a part of a championship team. But his attitude definitely needs working on for sure.
*The Linsanity is gone in New York. Jeremy Lin is going back to Houston. Couple of things on this development. One, it is interesting that Tebow comes to NY and then Lin leaves (just a funny coincidence). Second, I think this was a bad play for the Knicks. They could've had Lin back if they wanted him. And to be honest, they should've. He's a young, up and coming player who energized a city like no Knicks player in a decade or more. I think they will be hard pressed to capture that magic again with this squad. As for the Rockets, it'll be interesting how they will go. But if he can energize that team and fan base, it will make for an interesting situation in the Lone Star State.
*Didn't write about it last week but briefly wanted to address the Robinson Cano/Home Run Derby event. (Full disclosure, I'm a Royals fan). A lot was made of the booing (especially by the national media) for Cano and personally I think it was okay. Ultimately, Cano should understand that words matter. When he said a month before that he would pick a hometown guy for the Home Run derby, that people held him to that. If he had never said that, I don't believe that he would've been booed as loud or even at all. Words are important and what you say matters.
*Speaking of words and actions, Dwight Howard. I don't think I've seen an athlete go from being so well liked to being so disliked over the course of a year like him. I'm kind of dumbfounded how a seemingly bright and talented young man has made that transition to being a guy that people want on their team to a guy that they don't. The way he has conducted himself the past year in Orlando is a great example of how not to act. I definitely think he needs a good, mature mentor to speak into his life. I believe that he's a talented player and can be a part of a championship team. But his attitude definitely needs working on for sure.
*The Linsanity is gone in New York. Jeremy Lin is going back to Houston. Couple of things on this development. One, it is interesting that Tebow comes to NY and then Lin leaves (just a funny coincidence). Second, I think this was a bad play for the Knicks. They could've had Lin back if they wanted him. And to be honest, they should've. He's a young, up and coming player who energized a city like no Knicks player in a decade or more. I think they will be hard pressed to capture that magic again with this squad. As for the Rockets, it'll be interesting how they will go. But if he can energize that team and fan base, it will make for an interesting situation in the Lone Star State.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Random Sports Reflections
Some random sports reflections...
*I'm not really a big golf guy (that and tennis are probably the two sports that I enjoy the least watching) but this year has been interesting to say the least. So far in the two major tournaments (the Masters & the US Open) that have been played, the two winners (Bubba Watson & Webb Simpson) are strong & vocal followers of Jesus. Simpson's twitter profile describes himself as this: " *sinner* loved by a Savior". I really am encouraged that more and more athletes are vocal about their faith in Christ, and that they are using the platform that God is giving them to point back to Him. Very cool indeed.
*After my last post about Manny Ramirez, he recently asked for his release from the A's. It didn't seem like they were going to promote him from AAA and so he wanted to see if he can get back into the big leagues another way. I don't know if he will find another team but I do wish him the best.
*The NBA finals are going on and for the first time in my life I've not watched one game of the Finals, even though I am able to (I wasn't able to watch any back in '09 because I was in Poland and it's like a 7 hour time difference). The reason? Simply put Oklahoma City is in the finals. Anyone that knows me, knows that I lived in Seattle and did ministry work there for 3 years. I was there the final years that the Sonics were in town before they moved. So I know better than a lot of people how people in Seattle feel right now about the Thunder, because I saw a lot of what went down firsthand. I can't bring myself to root for the Thunder let alone watch the games. Because I remember what the ownership did. To me, they brought to light the ugly side of sports. As much as I didn't like LeBron James and how he handed "The Decision", that wasn't as bad as what the Thunder ownership group and David Stern did to the city of Seattle. Growing up I was a huge NBA fan. But now, the NBA is like 4th or 5th (behind NFL, MLB, NHL & soccer). I hope that someday Seattle gets a franchise back. But the consequences of what happened with the Thunder still continue to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
*Speaking of soccer, right now in Europe there's a major tournament going on called Euro 2012. The top 16 European countries are competing in a tournament to decide the top team in all of Europe. The tourney is held every four years and this year it's being held in Poland & the Ukraine. I'm happy that Poland is getting to co-host the tourney (sad that they got knocked out of the tourney a few days ago). I loved going over there a few years ago and spending the summer as an intern doing ministry work. I continue to pray for the people of Poland (specifically those in the city of Krakow) and major international tournaments like this are a great reminder to pray for countries.
*I'm not really a big golf guy (that and tennis are probably the two sports that I enjoy the least watching) but this year has been interesting to say the least. So far in the two major tournaments (the Masters & the US Open) that have been played, the two winners (Bubba Watson & Webb Simpson) are strong & vocal followers of Jesus. Simpson's twitter profile describes himself as this: " *sinner* loved by a Savior". I really am encouraged that more and more athletes are vocal about their faith in Christ, and that they are using the platform that God is giving them to point back to Him. Very cool indeed.
*After my last post about Manny Ramirez, he recently asked for his release from the A's. It didn't seem like they were going to promote him from AAA and so he wanted to see if he can get back into the big leagues another way. I don't know if he will find another team but I do wish him the best.
*The NBA finals are going on and for the first time in my life I've not watched one game of the Finals, even though I am able to (I wasn't able to watch any back in '09 because I was in Poland and it's like a 7 hour time difference). The reason? Simply put Oklahoma City is in the finals. Anyone that knows me, knows that I lived in Seattle and did ministry work there for 3 years. I was there the final years that the Sonics were in town before they moved. So I know better than a lot of people how people in Seattle feel right now about the Thunder, because I saw a lot of what went down firsthand. I can't bring myself to root for the Thunder let alone watch the games. Because I remember what the ownership did. To me, they brought to light the ugly side of sports. As much as I didn't like LeBron James and how he handed "The Decision", that wasn't as bad as what the Thunder ownership group and David Stern did to the city of Seattle. Growing up I was a huge NBA fan. But now, the NBA is like 4th or 5th (behind NFL, MLB, NHL & soccer). I hope that someday Seattle gets a franchise back. But the consequences of what happened with the Thunder still continue to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
*Speaking of soccer, right now in Europe there's a major tournament going on called Euro 2012. The top 16 European countries are competing in a tournament to decide the top team in all of Europe. The tourney is held every four years and this year it's being held in Poland & the Ukraine. I'm happy that Poland is getting to co-host the tourney (sad that they got knocked out of the tourney a few days ago). I loved going over there a few years ago and spending the summer as an intern doing ministry work. I continue to pray for the people of Poland (specifically those in the city of Krakow) and major international tournaments like this are a great reminder to pray for countries.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
New Manny Being New Manny? Manny Ramirez and New Focus
I saw a tweet yesterday from Tim Ellsworth, author & news director at my alma mater, Union University. It said the following: "Manny Ramirez becomes a Christian? Hope this is genuine." I was like "Huh?"
To give a little background for those who many not know. Manny Ramirez is a baseball player. In his time, a really good baseball player. He played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox & Tampa Bay Rays. He had most of his success in Cleveland & Boston, including helping the Red Sox win 2 World Series in 2004 & 2007 with a little in L.A. He was also known as a kinda eccentric player. There was a phrase that followed him. That phrase was "Manny being Manny". When there was an off the wall news story, most sportscasters would say "Well it's Manny being Manny." In time, that phrase seemed to overshadow his talent.
Something else that seemed to overshadow his talent was being busted by MLB for violating the drug policy. The first time happened in 2009 and he lost 50 games. After jumping around to the White Sox & the Rays in consecutive seasons with bad performances, Ramirez was busted again by MLB for violating the drug policy in 2011 just 5 games into the season for the Rays. He faced a 100 game suspension if and when he returned to the big leagues. Instead, Ramirez abruptly retired. At that point, it seemed like a sad ending to a career of a player who had a lot of talent but his antics seemed to get in the way.
However, last fall, Ramirez went to MLB officials and wanted to be reinstated. This reinstatement would come with the provision that he would serve a reduced suspension of 50 games (instead of 100) with whatever team signed him. The Oakland A's ended up being that team. He became eligible to join the A's yesterday. Right now, he's at their AAA affiliate the Sacramento River Cats.
So I knew that he was in AAA & that at some point he could be called up if the A's felt like it. But when I saw that tweet I had to find out about that story. So I googled to see and came across a couple of articles. One that was really interesting was one from the A's website, (there's a link to the article here). Initially the article talks about Manny and his minor league stint. But further down in the article, it talks about how he's changed as a person. He cites his wife and his newfound faith in Christ as huge parts of that.
Several quotes that Ramirez said that stood out included:
"It's hard to be a Christian, because when God comes inside your heart, you don't do things that you used to. Nobody can walk the perfect path, because nobody's perfect."
"I know a lot of people talk about the Hall of Fame, blah, blah, blah. But you know something? The Bible says that it's better to be in the Book of Life. And that's where I want to be. If it [getting in the Baseball Hall of Fame] happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it's not a big deal.
"I'm going to give 100 percent. If it [getting in the Baseball Hall of Fame] doesn't happen, I've got God, and I've got my family. That's all I want."
Personally, I have liked Manny Ramirez, especially when he was in Boston. And I do hope that he's a follower of Jesus now. Sometimes, people can be skeptical of people that say they've changed. But the cool thing is that God can definitely do the changing. Maybe now on Manny being Manny can instead be Manny being more like Jesus.
To give a little background for those who many not know. Manny Ramirez is a baseball player. In his time, a really good baseball player. He played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox & Tampa Bay Rays. He had most of his success in Cleveland & Boston, including helping the Red Sox win 2 World Series in 2004 & 2007 with a little in L.A. He was also known as a kinda eccentric player. There was a phrase that followed him. That phrase was "Manny being Manny". When there was an off the wall news story, most sportscasters would say "Well it's Manny being Manny." In time, that phrase seemed to overshadow his talent.
Something else that seemed to overshadow his talent was being busted by MLB for violating the drug policy. The first time happened in 2009 and he lost 50 games. After jumping around to the White Sox & the Rays in consecutive seasons with bad performances, Ramirez was busted again by MLB for violating the drug policy in 2011 just 5 games into the season for the Rays. He faced a 100 game suspension if and when he returned to the big leagues. Instead, Ramirez abruptly retired. At that point, it seemed like a sad ending to a career of a player who had a lot of talent but his antics seemed to get in the way.
However, last fall, Ramirez went to MLB officials and wanted to be reinstated. This reinstatement would come with the provision that he would serve a reduced suspension of 50 games (instead of 100) with whatever team signed him. The Oakland A's ended up being that team. He became eligible to join the A's yesterday. Right now, he's at their AAA affiliate the Sacramento River Cats.
So I knew that he was in AAA & that at some point he could be called up if the A's felt like it. But when I saw that tweet I had to find out about that story. So I googled to see and came across a couple of articles. One that was really interesting was one from the A's website, (there's a link to the article here). Initially the article talks about Manny and his minor league stint. But further down in the article, it talks about how he's changed as a person. He cites his wife and his newfound faith in Christ as huge parts of that.
Several quotes that Ramirez said that stood out included:
"It's hard to be a Christian, because when God comes inside your heart, you don't do things that you used to. Nobody can walk the perfect path, because nobody's perfect."
"I know a lot of people talk about the Hall of Fame, blah, blah, blah. But you know something? The Bible says that it's better to be in the Book of Life. And that's where I want to be. If it [getting in the Baseball Hall of Fame] happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it's not a big deal.
"I'm going to give 100 percent. If it [getting in the Baseball Hall of Fame] doesn't happen, I've got God, and I've got my family. That's all I want."
Personally, I have liked Manny Ramirez, especially when he was in Boston. And I do hope that he's a follower of Jesus now. Sometimes, people can be skeptical of people that say they've changed. But the cool thing is that God can definitely do the changing. Maybe now on Manny being Manny can instead be Manny being more like Jesus.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Memorial Day 2012 Baseball: Atlanta Braves Baseball Game....In Review
It has been a little over a year but I finally made it out to a MLB game again. Everything came together for me to check out my first Atlanta Braves game and my first game at Turner Field. Atlanta is about 2 1/2 to 3 hours drive from Spartanburg so if it's a night game it would make for a really long night back or a stay at a hotel. But for a day game it's doable. So yesterday was Memorial Day and it was a day baseball game. So several friends of mine from church and I made the trip down to Atlanta to check the game out.
This was my first time at Turner Field. It is the 4th MLB stadium & 3rd active stadium I've been to (I went to old Busch Stadium in St. Louis). It was cool out in the parking lot they still have some remnants of old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium where the Braves played prior to Turner Field opening. Walking into it, it was a nice facility. They had some cool stuff like a big Coke bottle and a big Chick-Fil-A cow statue out in left field. Was disappointed that it cost money to go to the Hall of Fame Museum (didn't do it this time, might some other time). On the plus side, they had a free drawstring bag that they were giving out for the game so that was cool.
Our seats were in the upper deck near the front on the first base side near the foul pole. The line of sight wasn't that great to see balls and strikes and such but it wasn't too bad. The only other negative was the sun beating down on us. It wasn't particularly hot yesterday but when the clouds weren't there, the sun was scorching. I can't imagine what it's like in July or August in those seats. Might be worth investing in a little more money to get some seats with cover next time but you can't beat Stubhub special on tickets.
The Braves were playing the St. Louis Cardinals, a familiar team for me. It's funny watching a game where I really didn't have a rooting interest. I was disappointed that I didn't get to see Chipper Jones for the Braves or David Freese for the Cards play as they were both out of the lineup.
There was some pretty cool pregame stuff for Memorial Day. They had the military honored with solders standing around the basepaths along with the players from both teams. There was also a huge American flag held out in center field along with reps from the branches of the armed forces. They had a moment of silence along with the playing of taps by two trumpeters. After the national anthem, there was a flyby by two jets. Also in the middle of the game, there was a family honored as the "fans of the game" that had the husband and father stationed overseas. There was a video message on the big screen from him and then as a surprise, he showed up on the field. Really cool moment.
The game itself was one of those that wasn't so good for the home team. The Braves starting pitcher, Tommy Hanson, didn't have a great outing. It was so bad that fans were cheering when he eventually got pulled. The Braves couldn't get anything going offensively either, only scraping together 2 runs. The Cards on the other hand, had a great pitching performance by their starter Lance Lynn and had a good offensive performance (including a couple of home runs, 1 that I saw and 1 that I didn't see as I was up at the concession stand getting food, which leads to another negative to Turner Field, no TVs or radio broadcast being put out on the concourse to help keep up with the action while you wait in line, also the out of town scoreboard wasn't working so didn't know what the scores were of the other games going on). The Cards ended up beating the Braves 8-2.
It was a fun time and I don't know when my next trip down there will be but I look forward to the next time to catch a MLB game.
This was my first time at Turner Field. It is the 4th MLB stadium & 3rd active stadium I've been to (I went to old Busch Stadium in St. Louis). It was cool out in the parking lot they still have some remnants of old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium where the Braves played prior to Turner Field opening. Walking into it, it was a nice facility. They had some cool stuff like a big Coke bottle and a big Chick-Fil-A cow statue out in left field. Was disappointed that it cost money to go to the Hall of Fame Museum (didn't do it this time, might some other time). On the plus side, they had a free drawstring bag that they were giving out for the game so that was cool.
Our seats were in the upper deck near the front on the first base side near the foul pole. The line of sight wasn't that great to see balls and strikes and such but it wasn't too bad. The only other negative was the sun beating down on us. It wasn't particularly hot yesterday but when the clouds weren't there, the sun was scorching. I can't imagine what it's like in July or August in those seats. Might be worth investing in a little more money to get some seats with cover next time but you can't beat Stubhub special on tickets.
The Braves were playing the St. Louis Cardinals, a familiar team for me. It's funny watching a game where I really didn't have a rooting interest. I was disappointed that I didn't get to see Chipper Jones for the Braves or David Freese for the Cards play as they were both out of the lineup.
There was some pretty cool pregame stuff for Memorial Day. They had the military honored with solders standing around the basepaths along with the players from both teams. There was also a huge American flag held out in center field along with reps from the branches of the armed forces. They had a moment of silence along with the playing of taps by two trumpeters. After the national anthem, there was a flyby by two jets. Also in the middle of the game, there was a family honored as the "fans of the game" that had the husband and father stationed overseas. There was a video message on the big screen from him and then as a surprise, he showed up on the field. Really cool moment.
The game itself was one of those that wasn't so good for the home team. The Braves starting pitcher, Tommy Hanson, didn't have a great outing. It was so bad that fans were cheering when he eventually got pulled. The Braves couldn't get anything going offensively either, only scraping together 2 runs. The Cards on the other hand, had a great pitching performance by their starter Lance Lynn and had a good offensive performance (including a couple of home runs, 1 that I saw and 1 that I didn't see as I was up at the concession stand getting food, which leads to another negative to Turner Field, no TVs or radio broadcast being put out on the concourse to help keep up with the action while you wait in line, also the out of town scoreboard wasn't working so didn't know what the scores were of the other games going on). The Cards ended up beating the Braves 8-2.
It was a fun time and I don't know when my next trip down there will be but I look forward to the next time to catch a MLB game.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Random Sports Reflections
Some Random Sports Reflections as the month of May winds down...
*The playoffs in both the NBA & NHL are kinda eh to me. The NHL because the Predators got knocked out in the 2nd round by Phoenix (who subsequently lost to the L.A. Kings). The NBA...well because I still haven't really got into it much since Clay Bennett moved the Sonics to OKC. I was happy to hear that there is movement to build a new arena in Seattle down near Safeco & CenturyLink Fields. If Stern wants to get on my good side again, he'll get a team back there & make sure the history is returned there as well. It is really annoying when like ESPN and such state history that doesn't really belong to OKC. That would've been like the Ravens claiming the Browns history still. Anyway, I'm sure I'll watch some of the Stanley Cup Finals and the NBA Finals. Then again, if it ends up Miami & OKC, I'll more than likely not watch.
*It's been about a quarter of the season into the MLB regular season and both the Royals & Mariners are under .500. The Royals had high expectations (for them) going into the season and did well on the road to start (and still have a winning record on the road) but their record at the K is abysmal. They might want to recruit me to come back to K.C. so they can win some more home games. The Mariners got off to a fairly hot start but cooled down as well. They have leveled off some. If both teams can pick up the pace in June & July, it might make for an interesting stretch run. Otherwise, it'll be looking forward to the start of football season.
*Speaking of football, one of the big stories this offseason for the NFL has been the bounty scandal with the New Orleans Saints. This problem, which cost Saints coach Sean Payton the season along with several other coaches and players various suspensions. It was sad to hear when it came out and disappointing. I know that football is a tough sport and injuries happen because of it. But there is a difference between players getting hurt unintentionally and trying to go out and injure players on purpose. Where's the respect in that? I'm sure there are players out there at other players don't like but at the very least they should respect the person not to intentionally try and take them out. I hope that this type of program finds its way out of the sport.
*The playoffs in both the NBA & NHL are kinda eh to me. The NHL because the Predators got knocked out in the 2nd round by Phoenix (who subsequently lost to the L.A. Kings). The NBA...well because I still haven't really got into it much since Clay Bennett moved the Sonics to OKC. I was happy to hear that there is movement to build a new arena in Seattle down near Safeco & CenturyLink Fields. If Stern wants to get on my good side again, he'll get a team back there & make sure the history is returned there as well. It is really annoying when like ESPN and such state history that doesn't really belong to OKC. That would've been like the Ravens claiming the Browns history still. Anyway, I'm sure I'll watch some of the Stanley Cup Finals and the NBA Finals. Then again, if it ends up Miami & OKC, I'll more than likely not watch.
*It's been about a quarter of the season into the MLB regular season and both the Royals & Mariners are under .500. The Royals had high expectations (for them) going into the season and did well on the road to start (and still have a winning record on the road) but their record at the K is abysmal. They might want to recruit me to come back to K.C. so they can win some more home games. The Mariners got off to a fairly hot start but cooled down as well. They have leveled off some. If both teams can pick up the pace in June & July, it might make for an interesting stretch run. Otherwise, it'll be looking forward to the start of football season.
*Speaking of football, one of the big stories this offseason for the NFL has been the bounty scandal with the New Orleans Saints. This problem, which cost Saints coach Sean Payton the season along with several other coaches and players various suspensions. It was sad to hear when it came out and disappointing. I know that football is a tough sport and injuries happen because of it. But there is a difference between players getting hurt unintentionally and trying to go out and injure players on purpose. Where's the respect in that? I'm sure there are players out there at other players don't like but at the very least they should respect the person not to intentionally try and take them out. I hope that this type of program finds its way out of the sport.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Random Sports Reflections
Here's some random thoughts and reflections running through my head...
*Congrats to Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber on throwing a perfect game on Saturday....even though it was against the Mariners and there was a sketchy called third strike to end the game by the ump. Humber is a strong follower of Jesus so it's always nice to see a fellow believer do well.
*On a more positive sports fan note, the Predators won their opening round series 4-1 against the Detroit Red Wings. It's the first time they've beaten their rivals in the playoffs and hopefully that'll be the start to a deep run in the playoffs.
*Yesterday I went to a college baseball game on the campus of the University of South Carolina Upstate. They were playing the Jacksonville Dolphins to end the three game series that the Spartans had won the first two games. Let me set the stage for you, it was the bottom of 8th inning and the Spartans were down 4-1. When it got to be the top of the 9th inning, the score was 12-4 USC Upstate with the lead. In the span of one half inning, there were 11 runs scored (all unearned) on like 5 hits, 2 errors, 2 batters hit by a pitch, 3 walks, and a passed ball. Along with the starter, there were 4 pitchers used in the innning including one who didn't even record an out. Wild ending to say the least.
*The incident that blew up on Twitter yesterday afternoon was Ron Artest (aka Metta World Peace) throwing an elbow to James Harden of That Team Which is Located in Oklahaoma City. I wasn't watching the game because it was the Lakers and that other team, two teams in which I have no interest in watching but I did hear about the incident and saw a brief lowlight this morning on the TV. Apparently, after a dunk (I believe) by Artest, he decided out of nowhere to give a little elbow check to Harden who was just standing there. Harden has a concussion and it's uncertain when he'll be back. Artest, for the moment, is not suspended but that's just a formality that he will be. Artest has a history of on the court incidents, including the infamous Brawl in the Palace in Detroit back when he was with the Indiana Pacers. He has a lot of rage inside of him and some thought that he had gotten over that with the whole name change thing. But ultimately, change needs to take place in the heart and not just by a name. That only comes through relationship with Jesus. Hopefully, that will happen for Artest.
*Congrats to Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber on throwing a perfect game on Saturday....even though it was against the Mariners and there was a sketchy called third strike to end the game by the ump. Humber is a strong follower of Jesus so it's always nice to see a fellow believer do well.
*On a more positive sports fan note, the Predators won their opening round series 4-1 against the Detroit Red Wings. It's the first time they've beaten their rivals in the playoffs and hopefully that'll be the start to a deep run in the playoffs.
*Yesterday I went to a college baseball game on the campus of the University of South Carolina Upstate. They were playing the Jacksonville Dolphins to end the three game series that the Spartans had won the first two games. Let me set the stage for you, it was the bottom of 8th inning and the Spartans were down 4-1. When it got to be the top of the 9th inning, the score was 12-4 USC Upstate with the lead. In the span of one half inning, there were 11 runs scored (all unearned) on like 5 hits, 2 errors, 2 batters hit by a pitch, 3 walks, and a passed ball. Along with the starter, there were 4 pitchers used in the innning including one who didn't even record an out. Wild ending to say the least.
*The incident that blew up on Twitter yesterday afternoon was Ron Artest (aka Metta World Peace) throwing an elbow to James Harden of That Team Which is Located in Oklahaoma City. I wasn't watching the game because it was the Lakers and that other team, two teams in which I have no interest in watching but I did hear about the incident and saw a brief lowlight this morning on the TV. Apparently, after a dunk (I believe) by Artest, he decided out of nowhere to give a little elbow check to Harden who was just standing there. Harden has a concussion and it's uncertain when he'll be back. Artest, for the moment, is not suspended but that's just a formality that he will be. Artest has a history of on the court incidents, including the infamous Brawl in the Palace in Detroit back when he was with the Indiana Pacers. He has a lot of rage inside of him and some thought that he had gotten over that with the whole name change thing. But ultimately, change needs to take place in the heart and not just by a name. That only comes through relationship with Jesus. Hopefully, that will happen for Artest.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
If I Were In Charge Of....MLB
It's time for another installment for "If I Were In Charge Of". This week's installment looks at Major League Baseball. This is a league that has definitely had its ups and downs and some really stupid moves along with some smart moves. I do believe there are still a lot of improvements that can be made to "America's Pasttime" to make it even better. So here are some changes I would make if I were in charge of MLB....
*Institute a hard salary cap and have a minimum spending level. One thing the NFL (which I'll get to in a later post) totally gets right is this aspect. They have a hard salary cap & along with that have a minimum spending level. One of the most ridiculous aspects of baseball is how teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies and such can have players on their team who's salary matches several teams' total salaries. In a way to shorten the gulf between the big market & small market teams institute a hard salary cap. That way the same four teams can't be the only ones going after the top free agents. Gives a more level playing field for the rest of the teams. At the same time, there is a minimum spending level that all teams have to reach. It keeps the stingy owners from not paying their players (I'm looking at you Dan Glass). I would have one exception to the hard cap and that's implementing a type of "Larry Bird rule". In the NBA, there is a salary cap exception for certain players to that teams can re-sign their own players. In this instance, each team will have one exception to for a superstar player to re-sign to make them a "_______ for life" type player. That way fans can identify with at least one superstar for each of the teams in MLB.
*Get rid of home field advantage from the All-Star Game. I always thought that was an overreaction to what happened in the All-Star Game that ended in a tie. Honestly that game shouldn't have ended in a tie, they should've kept playing it until it was over but Bud Selig goofed and then tried to fix the goof and now we have "This Time It Counts". I would either go back to alternating home field between National & American Leagues (even years it's American, odd years it's National) or best record gets home field. That seems more fair than what is involved now.
*Have a consistent strike zone across the board. Case in point, I watched part of the Red Sox/Rays game yesterday and at the end of the game there was literally an at-bat where none of the pitches were in the strike zone & the batter did not swing & the umpire called all strikes. That's ridiculous. There needs to be a consistent strike zone across the board. There will always be judgment calls in sports I understand but when it's understood what a strike zone should be, then call it that way. Different umpires shouldn't have different strike zones.
*Bring back day/night doubleheaders & day game playoff games. Some of this is definitely old school I know but there's nothing wrong with a little old school now and then. It'd be cool to have maybe weekend series where there is a day/night doubleheader (maybe on a Friday or Saturday) so that fans could really enjoy a day at the ballpark. Along with that, have more day game playoff games. It's detrimental to the sport when you have playoff games that have such a late start at night. Having day games (as in like mid afternoon) I think would help draw in more kids to the sport.
*Have "Autograph Days" during each homestand. Each team will have designated "Autograph Days" where they will have players set aside time pregame where they will sign autographs for fans. There will be designated players for each homestand signing. That way fans can have more opportunities to interact with players and players can build more rapport with the fans.
Feel free to post in the comments what changes you would make if you were in charge of MLB and go back and check out previous posts and comment there.
*Institute a hard salary cap and have a minimum spending level. One thing the NFL (which I'll get to in a later post) totally gets right is this aspect. They have a hard salary cap & along with that have a minimum spending level. One of the most ridiculous aspects of baseball is how teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies and such can have players on their team who's salary matches several teams' total salaries. In a way to shorten the gulf between the big market & small market teams institute a hard salary cap. That way the same four teams can't be the only ones going after the top free agents. Gives a more level playing field for the rest of the teams. At the same time, there is a minimum spending level that all teams have to reach. It keeps the stingy owners from not paying their players (I'm looking at you Dan Glass). I would have one exception to the hard cap and that's implementing a type of "Larry Bird rule". In the NBA, there is a salary cap exception for certain players to that teams can re-sign their own players. In this instance, each team will have one exception to for a superstar player to re-sign to make them a "_______ for life" type player. That way fans can identify with at least one superstar for each of the teams in MLB.
*Get rid of home field advantage from the All-Star Game. I always thought that was an overreaction to what happened in the All-Star Game that ended in a tie. Honestly that game shouldn't have ended in a tie, they should've kept playing it until it was over but Bud Selig goofed and then tried to fix the goof and now we have "This Time It Counts". I would either go back to alternating home field between National & American Leagues (even years it's American, odd years it's National) or best record gets home field. That seems more fair than what is involved now.
*Have a consistent strike zone across the board. Case in point, I watched part of the Red Sox/Rays game yesterday and at the end of the game there was literally an at-bat where none of the pitches were in the strike zone & the batter did not swing & the umpire called all strikes. That's ridiculous. There needs to be a consistent strike zone across the board. There will always be judgment calls in sports I understand but when it's understood what a strike zone should be, then call it that way. Different umpires shouldn't have different strike zones.
*Bring back day/night doubleheaders & day game playoff games. Some of this is definitely old school I know but there's nothing wrong with a little old school now and then. It'd be cool to have maybe weekend series where there is a day/night doubleheader (maybe on a Friday or Saturday) so that fans could really enjoy a day at the ballpark. Along with that, have more day game playoff games. It's detrimental to the sport when you have playoff games that have such a late start at night. Having day games (as in like mid afternoon) I think would help draw in more kids to the sport.
*Have "Autograph Days" during each homestand. Each team will have designated "Autograph Days" where they will have players set aside time pregame where they will sign autographs for fans. There will be designated players for each homestand signing. That way fans can have more opportunities to interact with players and players can build more rapport with the fans.
Feel free to post in the comments what changes you would make if you were in charge of MLB and go back and check out previous posts and comment there.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Random Sports Reflections
*It seems that even with the NFL in the off-season, it is still dominiating headlines. The main thing being Peyton Manning going to Denver. After a couple of weeks of meetings with different teams, Peyton decided to go with Denver. In some ways it wasn't surprising but in some ways it was given that the other two teams in the running was San Francisco (which was in the NFC Title game last year) and Tennessee (the state where he went to college). The domino effect was that Tim Tebow was then traded from Denver to the New York Jets, which in and of itself was kind of a shocker given they already have a starting QB in Mark Sanchez & there was a team in Jacksonville which seemed like a great fit (not far from where Tebow went to college, could step right in and be the starter). It will be interesting how Tebow will fit in with the Jets. I know he'll want to be the starter but it'll be hard to supplant Sanchez unless he gets hurt or plays really really bad. It'll also be interesting how the faith aspect will come into play given the Jeremy Lin phenomenon that took place for a few months before dying out. Will Tebow garner as much or more than Lin did? Will it be for a sustained period? It's only March but there's enough stories that'll probably last until training camps start.
*I've been keeping up with March Madness and my brackets have been decent to poor. One of these days I'll have a bracket that's like top notch. The final four is Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas & Ohio State (out of which I consensusly picked 3, missed out with Louisville). I do get the feeling this is shaping up to be another 2008. That year of course Kansas beat UNC on it's way to the title game. Kansas also faced off against a team coached by John Calipari. Kansas wasn't thought of to win the title. John Calipari's team had the best player in the country. See what I mean? Don't be surprised come Tuesday morning if it's Rock Chalk Jayhawk being bantered about. What would be even more eerie is if Calipari then decided to take the NY Knicks job and then it's found out that Anthony Davis had some kind of academic issues and then Kentucky was put on probation like Memphis was with Derrick Rose. Food for thought...
*The MLB regular season started today in Japan with the Mariners and the A's. I caught the game from about the 6th inning on. A couple of things: 1) I love watching live sports in the morning. It's nice to be able to tune in and see sports live while eating breakfast or getting ready for work. 2.) I am getting old. There was a statistic given during the game that Ichiro was the first M's player to get 4 hits in an opening day game since Ken Griffey Jr. did it in 1990. 1990 as in 22 years ago. Yes I am getting old. 3.) For what it's worth, the M's are in 1st place. 161 games to go but it's a good start.
*I've been keeping up with March Madness and my brackets have been decent to poor. One of these days I'll have a bracket that's like top notch. The final four is Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas & Ohio State (out of which I consensusly picked 3, missed out with Louisville). I do get the feeling this is shaping up to be another 2008. That year of course Kansas beat UNC on it's way to the title game. Kansas also faced off against a team coached by John Calipari. Kansas wasn't thought of to win the title. John Calipari's team had the best player in the country. See what I mean? Don't be surprised come Tuesday morning if it's Rock Chalk Jayhawk being bantered about. What would be even more eerie is if Calipari then decided to take the NY Knicks job and then it's found out that Anthony Davis had some kind of academic issues and then Kentucky was put on probation like Memphis was with Derrick Rose. Food for thought...
*The MLB regular season started today in Japan with the Mariners and the A's. I caught the game from about the 6th inning on. A couple of things: 1) I love watching live sports in the morning. It's nice to be able to tune in and see sports live while eating breakfast or getting ready for work. 2.) I am getting old. There was a statistic given during the game that Ichiro was the first M's player to get 4 hits in an opening day game since Ken Griffey Jr. did it in 1990. 1990 as in 22 years ago. Yes I am getting old. 3.) For what it's worth, the M's are in 1st place. 161 games to go but it's a good start.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
2012 Major League Baseball Predictions
After a year off from MLB predictions, I'm back. On the down side, this will be the first MLB season since 2004 that I will not be living in an MLB city. On the plus side, both teams that I strongly root for will be improved from last season. Will that make a difference as far as making the playoffs? That remains to be seen. Of course, like all my predictions (especially preseason ones) this is a mix of what I think and what will actually happen.
AL East:
Tampa Bay (division winner)
Boston (Wild Card #1)
NY Yankees
Toronto
Baltimore
AL Central:
Detroit (division winner)
Kansas City (Wild Card #2)
Chicago White Sox
Minnesota
Cleveland
AL West:
Texas (division winner)
Seattle
Anaheim (LA) Angels
Oakland
NL East:
Philadelphia (division winner)
Atlanta (Wild Card #1)
Washington
Miami
NY Mets
NL Central:
St. Louis (division winner)
Cincinnati (Wild Card #2)
Milwaukee
Pittsburgh
Chicago Cubs
Houston
NL West:
Arizona (division winner)
San Francisco
Colorado
LA Dodgers
San Diego
Playoffs:
ALCS: Kansas City vs. Detroit
NLCS: St. Louis vs. Philadelphia
World Series: Detroit vs. St. Louis
Champs: Detroit
AL MVP: Prince Fielder
NL MVP: Matt Holiday
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
AL East:
Tampa Bay (division winner)
Boston (Wild Card #1)
NY Yankees
Toronto
Baltimore
AL Central:
Detroit (division winner)
Kansas City (Wild Card #2)
Chicago White Sox
Minnesota
Cleveland
AL West:
Texas (division winner)
Seattle
Anaheim (LA) Angels
Oakland
NL East:
Philadelphia (division winner)
Atlanta (Wild Card #1)
Washington
Miami
NY Mets
NL Central:
St. Louis (division winner)
Cincinnati (Wild Card #2)
Milwaukee
Pittsburgh
Chicago Cubs
Houston
NL West:
Arizona (division winner)
San Francisco
Colorado
LA Dodgers
San Diego
Playoffs:
ALCS: Kansas City vs. Detroit
NLCS: St. Louis vs. Philadelphia
World Series: Detroit vs. St. Louis
Champs: Detroit
AL MVP: Prince Fielder
NL MVP: Matt Holiday
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Random Sports Reflections on Leap Day
Today is Leap Day, otherwise known as my birthday. Hope all of you celebrate Leap Day accordingly and responsibly.
*I'm getting excited for March Madness. Even though the first part of the college baskeball season I really didn't keep up with things, I have in the last month or so. Living in a city with pretty decent mid-major schools (USC Upstate, Wofford), I've got to watch some pretty good basketball. I'm hoping both teams win their conference tourneys and make the Big Dance. They have the ability to if things fall the right way. Emphasis on the "fall the right way".
*Baseball season is about to get going as well. It's weird not living in an MLB city for the first time since 2004 (Although Atlanta is only a few hours away). I'm excited to see how the Royals will do. They might actually do something this year hopefully.
*It's cool that in pro sports there are guys at the highest level that are living out their faith for Jesus and it's protrayed (mostly) in a positive manner in the media. From Tim Tebow, to Jeremy Lin, to Clayton Kershaw, there are lots of examples. I hope that trend will continue. It's good to hear positive stories about athletes than negative ones.
*I'm getting excited for March Madness. Even though the first part of the college baskeball season I really didn't keep up with things, I have in the last month or so. Living in a city with pretty decent mid-major schools (USC Upstate, Wofford), I've got to watch some pretty good basketball. I'm hoping both teams win their conference tourneys and make the Big Dance. They have the ability to if things fall the right way. Emphasis on the "fall the right way".
*Baseball season is about to get going as well. It's weird not living in an MLB city for the first time since 2004 (Although Atlanta is only a few hours away). I'm excited to see how the Royals will do. They might actually do something this year hopefully.
*It's cool that in pro sports there are guys at the highest level that are living out their faith for Jesus and it's protrayed (mostly) in a positive manner in the media. From Tim Tebow, to Jeremy Lin, to Clayton Kershaw, there are lots of examples. I hope that trend will continue. It's good to hear positive stories about athletes than negative ones.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Reflections on Josh Hamilton
I would have blogged about this earlier but I helped take a group of college students to a winter conference/retreat in Myrtle Beach, SC (which was amazing). So now I'm getting around to it. News broke Friday morning about Josh Hamilton having a relapse. When I first heard the news there was little (and I mean very little) detail about what had happened because the news just broke. It wasn't until later that I heard more and honestly until today that I got a "full" idea of what happened.
There has been a lot said this weekend, some good (there's a great article by Yahoo Sports writer Jeff Passan that was particularly good, you can read it here) while others were not. For me personally, I felt bad for Josh. I can only imagine what it must be like to try and deal with addictions to drugs and alcohol (I've never drank nor taken illegal drugs).
But I do know what it's like to struggle with sin. We all have a sin problem. None of us are immune to sin. We are inclined to sin. It is an addiction. Even for those who follow Jesus, who trust in Him as their Lord and Savior like I do, there still is that sinful nature inside of us. And as long as we are alive (or until Jesus comes back), it is something we will all continue to struggle with. There are those days when the temptation to sin isn't that strong but then the temptation comes back strong.
We are not perfect. We follow the one who is. We are called to strive for perfection. But God understands when we mess up. He is willing and ready to accept us back when we acknowledge we mess up and repent. And it's a day by day process. Jesus told his disciples to deny themselves daily and take up their cross and follow Him. We who follow Jesus have to die to ourselves daily and follow after Christ.
I pray for Josh and his family. I pray that they continue to follow Christ and trust in Him during the good times and the bad. And I hope that those of us that hear his story are reminded of Jesus and how He's willing to forgive us when we mess up and willing to take us back when we repent.
There has been a lot said this weekend, some good (there's a great article by Yahoo Sports writer Jeff Passan that was particularly good, you can read it here) while others were not. For me personally, I felt bad for Josh. I can only imagine what it must be like to try and deal with addictions to drugs and alcohol (I've never drank nor taken illegal drugs).
But I do know what it's like to struggle with sin. We all have a sin problem. None of us are immune to sin. We are inclined to sin. It is an addiction. Even for those who follow Jesus, who trust in Him as their Lord and Savior like I do, there still is that sinful nature inside of us. And as long as we are alive (or until Jesus comes back), it is something we will all continue to struggle with. There are those days when the temptation to sin isn't that strong but then the temptation comes back strong.
We are not perfect. We follow the one who is. We are called to strive for perfection. But God understands when we mess up. He is willing and ready to accept us back when we acknowledge we mess up and repent. And it's a day by day process. Jesus told his disciples to deny themselves daily and take up their cross and follow Him. We who follow Jesus have to die to ourselves daily and follow after Christ.
I pray for Josh and his family. I pray that they continue to follow Christ and trust in Him during the good times and the bad. And I hope that those of us that hear his story are reminded of Jesus and how He's willing to forgive us when we mess up and willing to take us back when we repent.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Bartman and Both Sides of Forgiveness: Review of Catching Hell
Last night on ESPN was the debut of the documentary movie "Catching Hell". Initially this movie was to be included last year in the 30 for 30 Series but got bumped. However, they released it as the first movie in the new "season" of documentaries on ESPN and in my opinion is right up there with some of the best in the 30 for 30 series.
The story of "Catching Hell" essentially one of a scapegoat. Although the main part of the story is about Steve Bartman, Chicago Cubs fan, there is also the story of Bill Buckner, Red Sox player that bookends the story. In both instances, the label of scapegoat is placed because fans essentially want someone to blame for the losses that their long suffering teams had to face.
The movie itself was very good. When it first started and the majority of the first twenty minutes was about Buckner I was kinda eh. I was like "When are we going to get to Bartman?" But the director, who's a Red Sox fan, tied it together and it ended up working out using Buckner in that capacity.
As some may know, growing up as a kid in Tennessee in the 80s, my allegiance to a MLB team were fluid. In 1986, it was the first time I actually kinda kept up with it. I liked the Red Sox and was pulling for them. At the time, I was disappointed that they lost but didn't realize until later why I wasn't supposed to like Buckner. Later on, I found out why and looking back now I understand why part of the blame should go to him but not all of it. It wasn't just him who caused the team to lose but it was easy to put the full blame on him. (Side note, in the documentary there was a clip of the postgame interview of the losing pitcher who was more than willing to throw Buckner under the bus, highly disappointed in that guy for not standing up for his teammate). Red Sox fans for the longest time could not forgive Buckner, so much so that he had to move from Boston.
Fast forward to 2003, both the Red Sox and the Cubs were in the championship series with a chance at the World Series (side note, one of two contentions with the documentary, the movie made it seem in a sense that the Red Sox/Yanks series was over with prior to the Cubs/Marlins series, those two series were going on at the same time). At the start of the playoffs, I predicted a Red Sox/Cubs World Series....mainly because I thought it'd be an awesome series. Unfortunately on the AL side that didn't happen thanks to Grady Little and Aaron Boone in Game 7.
On the NL side, the Cubs had the opportunity to clinch a World Series berth in Game 6 of the NLCS. They had the lead into the 8th inning when an innoculous foul ball hit by Luis Castillo is interferred with by a Cubs fan. Later on in the inning, an error by Alex Gonzalez extends the inning and from that the Marlins blast open the game and end on winning Game 6 to force a Game 7.
At the time, I thought two things. One, how in the world could a fan of the home team reach out onto the field when the home team was playing defense? Second, what was he thinking?
After the fact, was it told who the person was & there was a firestorm from it. Local media then national media picked up on the story. Everyone knew about him but no one knew him. And he wasn't talking, he issued a statement that was read by his brother in law but other than that nothing. The Cubs ended up losing the series and the long streak of no World Series victories continued.
I had thought that Cubs fans were mad at Bartman more so after Game 7 but watching the documentary it was evident fans in the stadium were mad that night. Home video from inside the stadium showed how hostile "The Friendly Confines" became. The documentary does a great job of incorporating that footage into the story. I think the main things that I picked up from that footage are that from an angle in the upper deck right over the play....it really does look like Bartman interfered with OF Moises Alou in making the catch (there was long dispute whether Alou really had a chance at it) and that people really hated Bartman for that.
Since that incident, there has been no public words from him. Aside from an ESPN.com reporter trying to track him down in 2005, there has been seemingly no contact with him. He has seemingly disappeared. And in some ways, it has made it even easier to keep protraying him as a scapegoat for that series.
What is a scapegoat by the way? It refers to an Old Testament ritual that was established for the Israelites after they had left Egypt. As part of the process for atoning for the sins of the people on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would have two goats brought to him. One of the goats would be sacrificed in response to the need for atonement. The other goat would be presented in front of the people. The high priest would then lay hands on the goat and that symbolized the sins of the people being placed on the goat. The goat was then released out into the wilderness, hence the scapegoat.
(The other point of contention with the documentary was that they had a female Unitarian minister explain what a scapegoat was...could've got someone with a little more authority to speak on that but that's my opinion)
The documentary ends showing Buckner throwing out the first pitch at Opening Day at Fenway Park in 2008 after the Red Sox had won the World Series for the second time in four years. It was a touching moment because Buckner was shown to have forgiven the media (who he blamed, not the fans for the troubles) and the media and fans forgiving him. I had forgotten about that scene and was really cool to see. With Bartman, there is a question mark still left. The director thinks (and maybe rightly so) that Cubs fans will forgive Bartman when the Cubs win the World Series.
After watching the documentary, there were several things that came to mind that I tweeted about. One, what would it have been like if Twitter or iPhones had been around? In 2003, social media wasn't what it was today. There were blogs but not to the extent there is now. Texting hadn't really taken off as a means of communication. Second, how would it have been different if the play had taken place in like the 1st inning or the 3rd inning instead of the 8th inning?
I think the main one was "What if Bartman had spoken up right after it or that offseason?" I think it's one thing to issue a statement, it's another to speak out. I wonder in some ways if Bartman hasn't forgiven Chicago and Cubs fans for how they treated him that night. I wonder if he still holds a grudge and if that isn't a part of why he has never talked about it. I don't know. I do know that forgiveness is best when it's both ways. God calls us to forgive one another. When situations happen and when we are wronged, we are to forgive as He has forgiven us. Sometimes the other person will not forgive but we are still to forgive them. We are to do our part to reconcile.
It would be cool for this story to have a happy resolve. That would be up to the city of Chicago and Cubs fans and also to Steve Bartman. There can be a great example of forgiveness and redemption here. Hopefully, someday that can be seen.
"Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3:13 ESV)
The story of "Catching Hell" essentially one of a scapegoat. Although the main part of the story is about Steve Bartman, Chicago Cubs fan, there is also the story of Bill Buckner, Red Sox player that bookends the story. In both instances, the label of scapegoat is placed because fans essentially want someone to blame for the losses that their long suffering teams had to face.
The movie itself was very good. When it first started and the majority of the first twenty minutes was about Buckner I was kinda eh. I was like "When are we going to get to Bartman?" But the director, who's a Red Sox fan, tied it together and it ended up working out using Buckner in that capacity.
As some may know, growing up as a kid in Tennessee in the 80s, my allegiance to a MLB team were fluid. In 1986, it was the first time I actually kinda kept up with it. I liked the Red Sox and was pulling for them. At the time, I was disappointed that they lost but didn't realize until later why I wasn't supposed to like Buckner. Later on, I found out why and looking back now I understand why part of the blame should go to him but not all of it. It wasn't just him who caused the team to lose but it was easy to put the full blame on him. (Side note, in the documentary there was a clip of the postgame interview of the losing pitcher who was more than willing to throw Buckner under the bus, highly disappointed in that guy for not standing up for his teammate). Red Sox fans for the longest time could not forgive Buckner, so much so that he had to move from Boston.
Fast forward to 2003, both the Red Sox and the Cubs were in the championship series with a chance at the World Series (side note, one of two contentions with the documentary, the movie made it seem in a sense that the Red Sox/Yanks series was over with prior to the Cubs/Marlins series, those two series were going on at the same time). At the start of the playoffs, I predicted a Red Sox/Cubs World Series....mainly because I thought it'd be an awesome series. Unfortunately on the AL side that didn't happen thanks to Grady Little and Aaron Boone in Game 7.
On the NL side, the Cubs had the opportunity to clinch a World Series berth in Game 6 of the NLCS. They had the lead into the 8th inning when an innoculous foul ball hit by Luis Castillo is interferred with by a Cubs fan. Later on in the inning, an error by Alex Gonzalez extends the inning and from that the Marlins blast open the game and end on winning Game 6 to force a Game 7.
At the time, I thought two things. One, how in the world could a fan of the home team reach out onto the field when the home team was playing defense? Second, what was he thinking?
After the fact, was it told who the person was & there was a firestorm from it. Local media then national media picked up on the story. Everyone knew about him but no one knew him. And he wasn't talking, he issued a statement that was read by his brother in law but other than that nothing. The Cubs ended up losing the series and the long streak of no World Series victories continued.
I had thought that Cubs fans were mad at Bartman more so after Game 7 but watching the documentary it was evident fans in the stadium were mad that night. Home video from inside the stadium showed how hostile "The Friendly Confines" became. The documentary does a great job of incorporating that footage into the story. I think the main things that I picked up from that footage are that from an angle in the upper deck right over the play....it really does look like Bartman interfered with OF Moises Alou in making the catch (there was long dispute whether Alou really had a chance at it) and that people really hated Bartman for that.
Since that incident, there has been no public words from him. Aside from an ESPN.com reporter trying to track him down in 2005, there has been seemingly no contact with him. He has seemingly disappeared. And in some ways, it has made it even easier to keep protraying him as a scapegoat for that series.
What is a scapegoat by the way? It refers to an Old Testament ritual that was established for the Israelites after they had left Egypt. As part of the process for atoning for the sins of the people on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would have two goats brought to him. One of the goats would be sacrificed in response to the need for atonement. The other goat would be presented in front of the people. The high priest would then lay hands on the goat and that symbolized the sins of the people being placed on the goat. The goat was then released out into the wilderness, hence the scapegoat.
(The other point of contention with the documentary was that they had a female Unitarian minister explain what a scapegoat was...could've got someone with a little more authority to speak on that but that's my opinion)
The documentary ends showing Buckner throwing out the first pitch at Opening Day at Fenway Park in 2008 after the Red Sox had won the World Series for the second time in four years. It was a touching moment because Buckner was shown to have forgiven the media (who he blamed, not the fans for the troubles) and the media and fans forgiving him. I had forgotten about that scene and was really cool to see. With Bartman, there is a question mark still left. The director thinks (and maybe rightly so) that Cubs fans will forgive Bartman when the Cubs win the World Series.
After watching the documentary, there were several things that came to mind that I tweeted about. One, what would it have been like if Twitter or iPhones had been around? In 2003, social media wasn't what it was today. There were blogs but not to the extent there is now. Texting hadn't really taken off as a means of communication. Second, how would it have been different if the play had taken place in like the 1st inning or the 3rd inning instead of the 8th inning?
I think the main one was "What if Bartman had spoken up right after it or that offseason?" I think it's one thing to issue a statement, it's another to speak out. I wonder in some ways if Bartman hasn't forgiven Chicago and Cubs fans for how they treated him that night. I wonder if he still holds a grudge and if that isn't a part of why he has never talked about it. I don't know. I do know that forgiveness is best when it's both ways. God calls us to forgive one another. When situations happen and when we are wronged, we are to forgive as He has forgiven us. Sometimes the other person will not forgive but we are still to forgive them. We are to do our part to reconcile.
It would be cool for this story to have a happy resolve. That would be up to the city of Chicago and Cubs fans and also to Steve Bartman. There can be a great example of forgiveness and redemption here. Hopefully, someday that can be seen.
"Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3:13 ESV)
Monday, July 11, 2011
A Lesson on Selflessness With a Baseball: Derek Jeter's 3000th Hit
There are moments in sports that are special and historic. There are moments that happen spontaneously and others that build up to the moment. They are those "where were you?" moments. One of those happened over the weekend. Derek Jeter, shortstop and captain of the New York Yankees (a team which I cannot stand but I respect him), had his 3,000 hit. Going into Saturday's game, he had 2,998 hits so it was only a matter of time before he got to 3,000.
Going against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and starting pitcher David Price (who's originally from Middle Tennessee), Jeter got hit 2,999 in the first inning to set up his next at-bat and a shot at 3,000. I caught wind of it via Twitter and turned on my PS3 to watch it happen live on MLB.tv I somehow expected a hit. What I did not expect was a home run. Sure enough, Jeter hits a home run into left center field for his 3,000 hit. That was only the 2nd time out of 28 men to reach the milestone that it was done via home run (the other was Wade Boggs). Jeter ended up going 5 for 5 and winning the game.
To me, the cool part of the story came out later. Christian Lopez, a 23 year old cell phone salesman, was the one who ended up with the ball. He got the tickets for his birthday from his girlfriend. As soon as he got the ball, he was whisked away by security to the Steinbrenner's suite. When asked what he wanted in return for the ball, Lopez said nothing and was willing to give the ball to Jeter for free. Lopez did end up getting stuff, including season tickets in the Legends section (which is some big time stuff) for the rest of the season including playoffs, a couple of signed bats and jerseys from Jeter, spent some time in the YES Network booth and got to meet Jeter in person.
It's a cool act that Lopez did. There are a lot of people who have said he should have held onto the ball and sold it. There have been some who have even called him a moron for doing this because he doesn't make a lot of money at his job and has a lot of debt from school.
Personally, I definitely don't think he's a moron. I think what he did was a pretty stand up act. He looked out for someone else's interest ahead of his. It's a good reminder that those of us who follow Jesus should put others' interest ahead of ours. Lopez was rewarded anyway for his selfless act. For followers of Jesus, our ultimate reward is in heaven but we also get to enjoy benefits of serving Him now.
Hat's off to you Mr. Lopez. You made this anti-Yankee fan stand up and salute you.
Going against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and starting pitcher David Price (who's originally from Middle Tennessee), Jeter got hit 2,999 in the first inning to set up his next at-bat and a shot at 3,000. I caught wind of it via Twitter and turned on my PS3 to watch it happen live on MLB.tv I somehow expected a hit. What I did not expect was a home run. Sure enough, Jeter hits a home run into left center field for his 3,000 hit. That was only the 2nd time out of 28 men to reach the milestone that it was done via home run (the other was Wade Boggs). Jeter ended up going 5 for 5 and winning the game.
To me, the cool part of the story came out later. Christian Lopez, a 23 year old cell phone salesman, was the one who ended up with the ball. He got the tickets for his birthday from his girlfriend. As soon as he got the ball, he was whisked away by security to the Steinbrenner's suite. When asked what he wanted in return for the ball, Lopez said nothing and was willing to give the ball to Jeter for free. Lopez did end up getting stuff, including season tickets in the Legends section (which is some big time stuff) for the rest of the season including playoffs, a couple of signed bats and jerseys from Jeter, spent some time in the YES Network booth and got to meet Jeter in person.
It's a cool act that Lopez did. There are a lot of people who have said he should have held onto the ball and sold it. There have been some who have even called him a moron for doing this because he doesn't make a lot of money at his job and has a lot of debt from school.
Personally, I definitely don't think he's a moron. I think what he did was a pretty stand up act. He looked out for someone else's interest ahead of his. It's a good reminder that those of us who follow Jesus should put others' interest ahead of ours. Lopez was rewarded anyway for his selfless act. For followers of Jesus, our ultimate reward is in heaven but we also get to enjoy benefits of serving Him now.
Hat's off to you Mr. Lopez. You made this anti-Yankee fan stand up and salute you.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Diamond Club and a Walk Off Win: Sixth Royals Game of 2011....In Review
It was about time for another Royals game. As my time in Kansas City is coming to the end (because I'm graduating from seminary), I wanted to make sure that I got in at least one more Royals game. So to celebrate that (and because my friend Kyle came in to visit), we, along with Lane and Tyler, headed out to the K to see the Royals take on the Texas Rangers.
We got some really sweet seats off of Stubhub. They were Diamond Club tickets (so some of the really sweet seats behind home plate) for almost half off. The tickets also included premium parking (which was pretty sweet). When we got to the ballpark, we got to park literally right across from the ballpark (inbetween the K and Arrowhead). We went through the Home Plate Gate and headed into the Diamond Club section. It was really cool. The club section has a suite area that has its own restaurants and seating area. We sat at a table and someone came up and took our orders. We could even have started a tab (we didn't). I had a slice of oven bricked pizza (a BBQ brisket pizza) that was really good and some Dr. Pepper and watched the Rangers do BP.
When the game started, we headed over to our seats. We were 12 rows back from the field (not counting the BATS section which is directly behind home plate) on the first base side (think where the left handers bat from and that's the section we sat in). The seats had a cushion built in to them and there was in seat ordering of food as well. I ended up ordering a foot long hot dog (that was really good too). The game itself was interesting. There was a HR by the Rangers in the 2nd inning and for most of the game that was the score. Luke Hochevar, starting pitcher for the Royals, pitched well aside from the HR he gave up. He ended up pitching 8 2/3 innings before they went to the bullpen. The Royals finally got the clutch hit in the bottom of the 9th to tie it up and they went to extra innings. Then in the bottom of the 10th, Jeff Francoeur came through with the walk off base hit to win the game 2-1 in 10 innings. The winning pitcher, Greg Holland, was called up that day from Triple A and pitched 1 1/3 innings.
After that win, the Royals were now 5-1 in games that I've attended. After my time in Kansas City, I've grown to enjoy watching baseball even more. I will miss watching games at the K. We'll see where God leads me next.
We got some really sweet seats off of Stubhub. They were Diamond Club tickets (so some of the really sweet seats behind home plate) for almost half off. The tickets also included premium parking (which was pretty sweet). When we got to the ballpark, we got to park literally right across from the ballpark (inbetween the K and Arrowhead). We went through the Home Plate Gate and headed into the Diamond Club section. It was really cool. The club section has a suite area that has its own restaurants and seating area. We sat at a table and someone came up and took our orders. We could even have started a tab (we didn't). I had a slice of oven bricked pizza (a BBQ brisket pizza) that was really good and some Dr. Pepper and watched the Rangers do BP.
When the game started, we headed over to our seats. We were 12 rows back from the field (not counting the BATS section which is directly behind home plate) on the first base side (think where the left handers bat from and that's the section we sat in). The seats had a cushion built in to them and there was in seat ordering of food as well. I ended up ordering a foot long hot dog (that was really good too). The game itself was interesting. There was a HR by the Rangers in the 2nd inning and for most of the game that was the score. Luke Hochevar, starting pitcher for the Royals, pitched well aside from the HR he gave up. He ended up pitching 8 2/3 innings before they went to the bullpen. The Royals finally got the clutch hit in the bottom of the 9th to tie it up and they went to extra innings. Then in the bottom of the 10th, Jeff Francoeur came through with the walk off base hit to win the game 2-1 in 10 innings. The winning pitcher, Greg Holland, was called up that day from Triple A and pitched 1 1/3 innings.
After that win, the Royals were now 5-1 in games that I've attended. After my time in Kansas City, I've grown to enjoy watching baseball even more. I will miss watching games at the K. We'll see where God leads me next.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Buck Night & Fireworks Friday: Fifth Royals Game of 2011...In Review
Yesterday was my second Royals game in a row to attend and fifth of the season. I went with a couple of guys from church and got to take in another Buck Night/Fireworks Friday. Buck night is $1 hot dogs, peanuts and small cokes and then Fireworks Friday is a fireworks show after the game.
Yesterday was also a Baseball Equipment drive that the team was doing to collect money and used baseball gear for those who need it. And for a $20 donation, you could get a brown bag with an autographed baseball inside. I tried it and ended up with a Jason Kendall autographed ball. Eh, not who I wanted but it's something.
It was also the debut of superstar prospect 1B Eric Hosmer. He was called up after Thursday's game and the sports world was buzzing afterwards. His name became a trending topic on twitter. People were making up "Hosmer Facts" in the same was as they're "Chuck Norris Facts". For his first game, he didn't do too bad. He helped turn a double play in the 1st inning. He had two walks & a stolen base. He did strike out looking two times to finish the night 0-2 (I will say at least one of his called third strikes looked like ball four).
The game itself was a good one for the most part. Alex Gordon hit a home run. Sean O'Sullivan pitched a pretty good game (a quality start). Unfortunately one bad inning proved to be the downfall as the Royals lost 3-2. They now have a record of 4-1 in games I attend.
It was a fun night for the most part and I'll miss going out to the K once I graduate in a few weeks.
Yesterday was also a Baseball Equipment drive that the team was doing to collect money and used baseball gear for those who need it. And for a $20 donation, you could get a brown bag with an autographed baseball inside. I tried it and ended up with a Jason Kendall autographed ball. Eh, not who I wanted but it's something.
It was also the debut of superstar prospect 1B Eric Hosmer. He was called up after Thursday's game and the sports world was buzzing afterwards. His name became a trending topic on twitter. People were making up "Hosmer Facts" in the same was as they're "Chuck Norris Facts". For his first game, he didn't do too bad. He helped turn a double play in the 1st inning. He had two walks & a stolen base. He did strike out looking two times to finish the night 0-2 (I will say at least one of his called third strikes looked like ball four).
The game itself was a good one for the most part. Alex Gordon hit a home run. Sean O'Sullivan pitched a pretty good game (a quality start). Unfortunately one bad inning proved to be the downfall as the Royals lost 3-2. They now have a record of 4-1 in games I attend.
It was a fun night for the most part and I'll miss going out to the K once I graduate in a few weeks.
Friday, May 6, 2011
School Day at the K: Fourth Royals Game of 2011....In Review
It had been awhile since the last time I had been to the ball park and I was itching to get back out there again. So me and Lane made the trek out yesterday to the K to see the Royals take on the Baltimore Orioles. It was School Day at the K which meant lots and lots of little kids. We learned our lesson and got tickets in a section not in that area. In fact we got Dugout Box seats for really cheap, they were 4 rows from the field. They are probably the closest I've ever been to home plate & the field.
We were fortunate as we were late getting to the ballpark because of class (it was a day game, 1:10 scheduled start). However there was rain that morning and on the way to the ballpark so there was a delay. When we got inside the ballpark, the rain pretty much ended. There ended up being about a 45 minute delay to start the game. Once the game got started, there was no rain until we got back into the car at the end of the game.
The game itself was a good one...for the Royals. Aside from giving up a run in the 1st inning, starter Bruce Chen pitched a really great game. And the offense really came through early and often, including a 4 run 1st inning which even included a play when the sun peaked out and it caught the Orioles off guard and it dropped right down.
The scoring got capped off with a home run in the 8th by Melky Cabrera. The Royals went on to win 9-1. The cool thing also about the game was that Lane and I got on TV several times, mainly like blink and you miss but if you pause it at certain points you can make us out pretty clearly. That was cool.
So right now the Royals are 4-0 in games I attend. I joked with Lane that the Royals should bring me on the payroll in some capacity since they win every time I go to their games....just a thought. :)
We were fortunate as we were late getting to the ballpark because of class (it was a day game, 1:10 scheduled start). However there was rain that morning and on the way to the ballpark so there was a delay. When we got inside the ballpark, the rain pretty much ended. There ended up being about a 45 minute delay to start the game. Once the game got started, there was no rain until we got back into the car at the end of the game.
The game itself was a good one...for the Royals. Aside from giving up a run in the 1st inning, starter Bruce Chen pitched a really great game. And the offense really came through early and often, including a 4 run 1st inning which even included a play when the sun peaked out and it caught the Orioles off guard and it dropped right down.
The scoring got capped off with a home run in the 8th by Melky Cabrera. The Royals went on to win 9-1. The cool thing also about the game was that Lane and I got on TV several times, mainly like blink and you miss but if you pause it at certain points you can make us out pretty clearly. That was cool.
So right now the Royals are 4-0 in games I attend. I joked with Lane that the Royals should bring me on the payroll in some capacity since they win every time I go to their games....just a thought. :)
Saturday, April 23, 2011
A Flair for the Dramatics: Third Royals Game of 2011...In Review
On Thursday night, I went to my third Royals game of the year. This time I went with my girlfriend, who is in town for a few days visiting. It wasn't the best weather for baseball. It was cold, windy, and rainy (the not raining hard but light rain/mist). There were only about 9,000+ at the ballpark that night.
It was the first time I had been to a game during the week at night where they really weren't any promotions (except for the all you can eat seats). The seats that we got were super cheap and were essentially front row in the lower level, third base side near the foul pole.
The Royals were playing division rival Cleveland (alas no Trevor Crowe as he's on the DL). It was the last game of the series. It was the second time in as many games I saw Sean O'Sullivan start (he started the game last Saturday too). It was a pretty uneventful game for the most part. I think weather played a part in that.
It came down to the 9th inning, Royals down 2-1. They hadn't led for the entire game. But they came through on some clutch hitting and ended up with a walk off hit by Melky Cabrera. They ended up winning 3-2. It was an exciting ending to say the least. Aaron Crow picked up his 2nd major league win.
The Royals are now 3-0 in games I've been to this year. I don't know how many more games I'll be able to make but hopefully it'll be as exciting as the end of this one was.
It was the first time I had been to a game during the week at night where they really weren't any promotions (except for the all you can eat seats). The seats that we got were super cheap and were essentially front row in the lower level, third base side near the foul pole.
The Royals were playing division rival Cleveland (alas no Trevor Crowe as he's on the DL). It was the last game of the series. It was the second time in as many games I saw Sean O'Sullivan start (he started the game last Saturday too). It was a pretty uneventful game for the most part. I think weather played a part in that.
It came down to the 9th inning, Royals down 2-1. They hadn't led for the entire game. But they came through on some clutch hitting and ended up with a walk off hit by Melky Cabrera. They ended up winning 3-2. It was an exciting ending to say the least. Aaron Crow picked up his 2nd major league win.
The Royals are now 3-0 in games I've been to this year. I don't know how many more games I'll be able to make but hopefully it'll be as exciting as the end of this one was.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Divided Loyalties: Mariners vs. Royals: Second Royals Game of 2011...In Review
It was another great day to head to the ballpark and so yesterday (Saturday) I did. It was a convergence of several things to make it a reason to get out to the ballpark. First, it is major league baseball, so that's a good reason. Two, it was free jersey day and as been tradition I've went to the previous three years in a row. Finally, it was a game against my other "home" team, the Seattle Mariners. Add all that up, and it was enough reasons to make it out to the ballpark.
It was another early start to a Saturday game (12:10pm first pitch) so that meant getting out to the ball park early to make sure to get a jersey. It was cold out for sure. It had rained the previous day and dropped the temps and the wind was blowing. It felt like football weather more than baseball weather. However, once we got to our seats (lower level, third base side) it felt okay as we weren't getting the wind blown much on us. Plus right before the game started, the sun came out and that helped warm things up.
The free jersey was a road (grey) jersey. It was cool looking. I still say my favorite free one was the powder blue Billy Butler jersey I got. There's just something cool about having a jersey with a name and number on the back of it.
This was the first year that I did not wear Mariners gear to the game. I went with Royals gear. The Royals have been off to a hot start and I wanted to support that. As always when it comes to these games, my loyalties are divided. I've grown to love the Royals and I love the Mariners so it's always bittersweet when they play each other. I'm happy on the one side and sad on the other.
The game itself was a pretty good one. It was a pretty close game until the 5th inning. Seattle had their ace, Felix Hernandez pitching while the Royals had Sean O'Sullivan their 5th starter who was starting his first game of the season after starting out the year in the bullpen. The Royals offense got the job done while the Mariners offense did not. Some key moments/stats in the game:
*Alcides Escobar has some really huge defensive plays including robbing Ichiro of a hit (which is really hard to do)
*Speaking of Ichiro, he went 0-5 snapping his multi-hit streak he had at the "K" which was the longest of anyone at that stadium, breaking the record a few days ago that George Brett held.
*Got to see Tim Collins pitch, the dude is short but he can throw. He looks like a mix between Hideo Nomo and Tim Lincecum in his windup, it is crazy looking. The Royals have a bullpen with three rookies (Collins, Jeffress, Crow) who can seriously throw the ball and throw it hard.
*The Mariners left 11 guys on base and scored 0 runs. The Royals scored 7 runs and left only 4 on base.
The Royals ended up winning the game 7-0. With that win, they went to 10-4, which is the 3rd best start in team history. Last time they did this well was back in 2003. The Royals went to 2-0 in games I've attended this year and record in series of games between the M's and Royals since 2008 (moving to KC) it is a split with each team winning 3 game apiece. It should make for an excited next few weeks as my time in K.C. winds down.
It was another early start to a Saturday game (12:10pm first pitch) so that meant getting out to the ball park early to make sure to get a jersey. It was cold out for sure. It had rained the previous day and dropped the temps and the wind was blowing. It felt like football weather more than baseball weather. However, once we got to our seats (lower level, third base side) it felt okay as we weren't getting the wind blown much on us. Plus right before the game started, the sun came out and that helped warm things up.
The free jersey was a road (grey) jersey. It was cool looking. I still say my favorite free one was the powder blue Billy Butler jersey I got. There's just something cool about having a jersey with a name and number on the back of it.
This was the first year that I did not wear Mariners gear to the game. I went with Royals gear. The Royals have been off to a hot start and I wanted to support that. As always when it comes to these games, my loyalties are divided. I've grown to love the Royals and I love the Mariners so it's always bittersweet when they play each other. I'm happy on the one side and sad on the other.
The game itself was a pretty good one. It was a pretty close game until the 5th inning. Seattle had their ace, Felix Hernandez pitching while the Royals had Sean O'Sullivan their 5th starter who was starting his first game of the season after starting out the year in the bullpen. The Royals offense got the job done while the Mariners offense did not. Some key moments/stats in the game:
*Alcides Escobar has some really huge defensive plays including robbing Ichiro of a hit (which is really hard to do)
*Speaking of Ichiro, he went 0-5 snapping his multi-hit streak he had at the "K" which was the longest of anyone at that stadium, breaking the record a few days ago that George Brett held.
*Got to see Tim Collins pitch, the dude is short but he can throw. He looks like a mix between Hideo Nomo and Tim Lincecum in his windup, it is crazy looking. The Royals have a bullpen with three rookies (Collins, Jeffress, Crow) who can seriously throw the ball and throw it hard.
*The Mariners left 11 guys on base and scored 0 runs. The Royals scored 7 runs and left only 4 on base.
The Royals ended up winning the game 7-0. With that win, they went to 10-4, which is the 3rd best start in team history. Last time they did this well was back in 2003. The Royals went to 2-0 in games I've attended this year and record in series of games between the M's and Royals since 2008 (moving to KC) it is a split with each team winning 3 game apiece. It should make for an excited next few weeks as my time in K.C. winds down.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Albert Pujols and 60 Minutes
Last night on 60 Minutes there was a piece on Albert Pujols, star first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals. It was about his time that he spends reaching out to people both in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. He is one of those players that I have a lot of respect for and who I've followed since he came into MLB a decade ago. The more I've heard his story, the more I've seen how God has used Pujols through his testimony. I recently got Pujols' biography that came out in February (and was cowritten but Tim Ellsworth, who works at my alma mater Union University) and I look forward to reading it.
Here's a link to the piece from last night
Here's a link to the piece from last night
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