Back to blogging...

Hey there my dear readers, I hope you are all well and good and I hope that the past 9 months have all treated you well.

I have been distracted by a few things... like work and twitter... I have been to some dark places and I won't bore you with my story because if I have learned anything in life, it's that we all have our own metal crosses that we bear. You deal with yours and I will handle mine.

Now that we have gotten that out of the way.....

Baseball Spring Training has arrived and with that, Fantasy Baseball. I was never into fantasy sports in my life... I was just a fan but as I grew older and knowledgeable about how the world works... I turned to fantasy sports to make it more interesting... it did and more. I paid more attention to ALL the games.. not just my favorite teams. I paid attention to all the trades and transactions... not just my favorite players... It opens a whole new world!

Like everything in life that you find enjoyment in.. there's always a side of it that raises it's annoying ugly head. 

I know... it's a cheesy photo but..

Last year my wife's cousin invited me to join his Fantasy Baseball League. A points league that all you really can do is watch. After the draft, there are no trades or drops... the ONLY way you can dump a player is if they are injured and go on the DL... I was excited because I had never been in such a league.... Then draft day came.. I logged onto ESPN and settled down with a cold beer. There was no online live draft set up though.. at least not that I could find.. I was confused... and then I got the first email... OK... an email draft... I can adapt... but what was about to happen was just NOT what I was expecting.

The draft, that I was expecting to take maybe 2 hours at most dragged on and on for 4 weeks.... picks took hours and hours to occur. Insane! I complained but I soon found out that this was what everyone had expected... I guess I "didn't get that memo" as my wife so often says.

This year, I reluctantly joined again, but ONLY because it was explained via email blast that the draft would occur expeditiously. The draft began on this past Thursday morning at 7 am with the first pick occurring at 7:08 am... looking good I thought. The next pick occurred..... are you ready for this? The second pick occurred at 8:30 pm... yes PM! I had the fourth pick in the first round. The person with the 3rd pick never picked. The commissioner finally allowed me to pick, skipping the owner with the third pick, at 9:30 pm. The fifth pick of the first round didn't happen until 6:55 am the following day.... We are currently in the fifth day of the draft and I am waiting to see who gets picked second in the fourth round... yes, the FOURTH round.

I understand that people have jobs and work and families and church and all of life's daily day to day stuff... but COME ON!!!! 

I have my own league that I am the commissioner of and I would be happy to invite anyone who is interested. It's a head to head league with a live, online draft that shouldn't take more than a couple hours of a Sunday evening.

Thanks for reading.... I promise there will be less ranting in the posts that follow!

BREAKING INSIDER NEWS: A comeback of my own....

Hey readers.... I am making a comeback of my own on this blog... I have been away for a LONG time but stay tuned... I will have something shortly.

A gift he never got to give...

Last night in Arlington, TX a fan, a father, a fireman died trying to do something that just about everyone who goes to a ballpark in America tries to do... catch a ball and take home a piece of the game.

I remember the first time I went to Tiger's Stadium with my Dad. I wanted to take my glove even though my Dad explained that I wouldn't need it since we were sitting under the overhang of the upper deck. I wanted to catch a foul ball, a thrown ball, I didn't care how I got it, but I knew I wanted it! I even remember saying "you never know Dad!" He said "you're right! Why don't you bring it?" The only use that glove got that day, was as a pillow on the arm rest for the ride back home from Detroit. I will never forget that day!

Shannon Stone's son will never forget yesterday either... but not for a good reason. He watched his father die at a baseball game.

I am sure that Josh Hamilton will never forget yesterday either. He was the player who flipped the foul ball up into the stands towards Stone. Something ballplayers do hundreds of times in a season. I am sure Hamilton thought nothing of tossing that ball up towards the seats at the time... now, I am sure he will never forget the way it felt to throw that particular ball.

Fans everywhere go to the ballpark to watch a game, but deep down everybody wants to take home a 5-1/4 ounce ball made out of cork, rubber and tightly wrapped in leather.... that was used in THAT game. Not just for the memorabilia but for the story that they will share with their child for the rest of their lives. People holding babies or beers, people sitting in the front row at field level or the 3rd row from the last in the upper deck, they all are watching and waiting and hoping.. but none of them think that they could die trying!

I never knew Mr. Stone but I can tell you in that moment when Josh Hamilton turned and tossed the ball towards him, I am sure he felt that joy and happiness that everyone feels when they realize they will actually be able to have a small piece of the game. To be able to catch the ball, turn and hand it to your child is a feeling that every American father wants to have one day. I know I do.

I can't imagine the anguish that Mr. Stone's son felt when he saw his father fall over the railing. I can't imagine the worry that Mr. Stone had when he was being taken out of the park, asking the EMT's to make sure that his son was ok. I just can't imagine... not without hurting in my heart.

It's all because of the fact that I can personally relate to the whole situation, both the attempt and then the worry about your child's safety... I think most fathers in America can.

It's a sad and tragic day in all of sports...

#STSW

Is the human factor in sports a good thing anymore?

Nowadays there is video review in the NFL and the MLB, even tennis has computer verification of where a ball lands near the line. There is an element in sports that  is what many feel is the best thing about sports... the "human element". Referees and Umpires who make the calls in every game, the players who make the mental mistakes contribute to the "reality" of sports. The only authentic reality show on TV anymore.

But are there aspects of the human side of sports that can be better?

Doug Fister after allowing a 3 ball walk.

On Saturday, July 2nd, during the Padres-Mariners game an umpiring mistake allowed a walk on a 2-2 pitch. That's right.. a 3 ball walk. The walk actually wound up being the winning run so the human mistake changed the entire game. The score board operator was the originator of the mistake showing a 3-2 count when it was actually a 2-2 count. But the count on the field of play is supposed to be held by the home plate umpire. The scoreboard is not supposed to play a  part.

When you think about it, EVERYBODY should have known what the count was! The pitcher, the catcher, the team manager, the ENTIRE umpiring crew... they ALL should have known what the count was. No one knew what the count was and the Mariners lost the game because of it.

Is it a good thing that this happened? Yes, it absolutely is! If only to prove that that the game is a game played by and officiated by... humans! If the game becomes too automated and computers or video become too integrated, the game loses it's humanity, charm, honesty, and integrity. The human aspect of ANY sport makes the sport attractive because as fans (humans also) we can relate. We have all made mistakes and bad decisions and we know what it's like to be in those shoes. It also gives us something to be frustrated about with the game. A bad call or a mistake by a player ultimately makes the sport or game more appealing and popular because we then talk about it and complain about it and then we watch more.

What is also important to remember is that the players and umpires are being watched by future players and umpires. That's right, kids are watching. Kids are like big sponges, the soak it ALL up, everything!

Jon Rauch loses his shirt and his temper after being ejected.

In a game that was also played on Saturday between the Blue Jays and the Phillies, Toronto pitcher John Rauch was unhappy with the call of two pitches that ultimately became a walk. On the next pitch the run scored. As he was walking by the home plate umpire Rauch made the comment that it was too bad that the umpire couldn't have an ERA because that run was his. Rauch was ejected. Rauch had to be restrained and the altercation became so violent that he lost his uniform shirt and threw his hat down in disgust and anger. He was ejected from the game, not for arguing balls and strikes but for disrespect.

In a game Sunday, Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves was unhappy with the called strike 2 and 3 in the 9th inning. Although he didn't argue at the plate, he did say some things in a post game interview that even he admitted he could be fined for. He didn't care if he was fined and he said so.

Kobe Bryant was fined earlier this year for an offensive comment he made toward a referee. It happens in all of sports!

Behaving disrespectfully towards the officials will never help your cause, not as a ball player or in life. If you have a smart mouth, you will get fined or ejected, just as much as if you have a smart mouth towards a police officer will get you locked up. A young man who was forced to testify in the Casey Anthony trial flipped the bird to one of the prosecuting attorneys. The Judge immediately had him removed and gave him 6 days in jail. There is a consequence for every action!

Athletes in any sport have an obligation to show respect towards the officials. Not because they need to keep from being fined or ejected or penalized... but because the officials are the authority at that moment.

Athletes need to set the example. Having a smart mouth or behaving badly towards an official will result in a penalty of some sort. Be a professional and act like a man, not a 14 year old who didn't get his way!

There was a time, not long ago, when players in major sports acted like gentlemen. That time is sadly over!

Promotional Spot for Saturday's (6/25) show!

Here's what you can look forward to on Saturday! http://www.upload-mp3.com/files/299720_yht1n/STSW%20Show%20Promo%200002.mp3


Keep spinning it!

Is it the media or has C.C. Sabathia just had enough?

In a time where the Yankees-Red Sox Rivalry is starting to get stale... C.C. Sabathia may have stirred it up again last night. Was it REALLY C.C. though.. or was it the media?

Red Sox starter Josh Beckett had already hit Yankees stars Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez last night when Sabathia plunked David Ortiz in the leg. It was the first time that Big Papi has been hit by a pitch thrown by a Yankee... EVER. 162 games, including the Pedro Martinez era when he seemed to target Yankees with a sniper rifle.

David Ortiz walks down to first base after being hit by a
 Sabathia pitch. - Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The plunking came in the last game of a series that the Red Sox would ultimately sweep the Yankees, but the controversy started in the first game when, Ortiz, after smacking a home run, did a little spin move and flipped his bat towards the Yankees dugout. What followed the flip was a virtual call to arms by the New York Sports Yappers. Michael Kay, for one, spent the majority of his ESPN Radio show the following day going on and on about how the Yankees should have retaliated. They had been shown up and they did not respond. Previously in the same game, John Lester had hit two Yankees, including taking slugger Mark Teixeira out of the game with a bone bruise on his right leg. Kay complained and came up with scenarios where Ortiz should be drilled for the "show up" in that night's game by A.J. Burnett. It was an interesting debate but Kay stretched into something far bigger than what it was. Yanks Manager, Joe Girardi was the only team member that mentioned it after the game and all that he said that he "didn't care for it". What else could he say? That it was just Big Papi being Big Papi? Of course not, as the skipper you have to stand up for your team but was Joe sending a message to Burnett? If it was a message, Burnett didn't get it because he didn't drill Ortiz.

David Ortiz, amongst the MLB players anyways, may be the most "well-liked" player in all of baseball. That's probably why he has never been thrown at by a Yankee before. Yet, he was hit last night by Sabathia.

Did the media drum this up? Ortiz seems to think so. In a post game interview in the visitors locker room he said the following: "It's going to be just Papi talking, and if you don't like it, just get the (bleep) out of here, I want to thank you guys -- not all of you, most of you -- for the stuff today. I finally got hit (by the Yankees). I hope you're happy. I'm done."

Has the rivalry fizzled out so much that the media took this opportunity to try and stir up a fervor? Did C.C. Sabathia just say "enough is enough"???

The Red Sox break of the nearly a century old "curse" by winning the World Series took the wind out of the rivalry. There is a real sense of it being gone in a way. A rivalry that many call the "biggest in ALL of sports." I disagree by the way, there's a little rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State that trumps every rivalry I know of, but that's another debate for another day. The excitement of a Red Sox - Yankees just isn't there anymore. The media still tries to force feed us with the hype and promotion of their broadcasts... but that IS their job.

I agree with Ortiz in a way, but on the other hand I am kind of glad in a way that a pitcher took matters into his own hands. There seems to be a trend where the payback and retribution has been taken out of the game. That's what I grew up watching, if you hit one of ours, we will hit two of yours. It was just part of the game. Of course, just like Michael Kay said MANY times on Wednesday, "I am in no way advocating throwing at some one's head, just drill him in the ribs."

Time will tell if this plunking is the catalyst of the often heated rivalry being restored. We all know that Kay and the rest of the talkers in the media will do their best to keep it relevant.

#STSW

Competitive to the core!

Yesterday I was the player/coach of "The Killer Bees". We were a quickly put together team that practiced once before the 6 on 6 Touch football Tournament at The Meadowlands Stadium which is where the NY Jets and NY Giants call their home field. It's a great charity event that raises money for the Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey which is a great cause and a great organization. I was first invited to play last year and had a great time. It's a very fun day.

Last year, while we had a decent team, we were knocked out by losing twice to the same team. The team that beat us eventually won the division so we took solace in that fact. There were many divisions; church league, police and fire league, organized league (teams that were in other leagues) and "first timers" league which was for teams that had never played together and were playing together for the event only. That was us.

Our first game yesterday was at 8:30 am and I arrived at 7:30 to warm up and stretch. I did stretches and jogged around and was ready to go. My team-mates did the same.

Our first opponents CRUSHED us by 6 touchdowns. After the game I was chatting with the captain of their team and he admitted to me that there were two players on his team that were currently starting football players on NCAA Division 2 teams. Really!?!?  No wonder we were beaten so badly! No wonder these kids ran like the wind and jumped like gazelles!

I walked over to the lady with the clip board and asked about the possibility of a mistake by the organizers mixing up the divisions. She responded with "well, there weren't really enough teams this year to divide them up so there is only one division." I knew then and there that our day would be a short one. How is that fair? We were a bunch people who just came out to have fun and try and win against teams like us... but we would never actually play a team like us!

In the first game 3 of our 8 team members had injuries. Since we HAD to have 6 players on the field one of them had to play hurt. That was me. I tweaked my hamstring and could only run at half speed. I also banged up my knee on a play were I was the intended receiver and the ball was intercepted by one of the opponents players who I am pretty sure is a starting corner back at The University of Maryland. I slammed my knee into the artificial turf. It hurt.

We sat and waited for our next game. I didn't sit. I paced up and down the sidelines and tried to keep my hamstring stretched and loose. My knee began to swell.

The second game of our day started and we were playing a team of guys who looked like they had all played before. They had custom shirts with their team name on the front and what I can only imagine was their nicknames on the back. I switched to the "center" position because of the shorter routes (everyone is an eligible receiver). I could only run about half speed but at 6' 6" and 270 lbs, I am a big target. We lost the coin toss but during the first series we intercepted the ball on the 2 yard line and took over.

On our first offensive play of the game, I hiked the ball and took off on my route. I ran about 6 yards when the gentleman that was covering me gave me a shove and knocked me off balance and I went down. I complained to the ref but got nowhere. But he knew that I wasn't happy about it.

On the second play, pretty much the same scenario happened except I got only about 2 steps off the line of scrimmage. I should note that this is a CHARITY, TOUCH football tournament. The first rule in the book says "there will be NO CONTACT other than with two hands above the waist to make the player with the ball "down". I yelled at the ref who was closest to me asking "when did the rules change so that you can knock people down?" He responded with "I didn't see it." I asked "who should I talk to then?"  I admit that I was in a bad mood because of the other situations with the divisions and the injuries. But come on! A receiver should able to run his route without being knocked down.

I snapped the ball for the 3rd down and headed out on my pass route. Before I left the line I decided that I was going to stand my ground and not allow myself to get knocked down. Since the refs were letting that kind of thing go, why go down? It effectively takes me out of the play. When I was about 8 yards off the line I was hit square in the chest. My hands were both down and I dug into the turf with my cleats and held my ground. I was pushed off my route a step but kept my feet under me. I turned around and looked for the ball and saw the head ref throw up TWO flags. The pass was completed for a gain of 12 yards and we got the first down. After the play was over the head ref yelled for me and the guy who hit me to be front and center. I walked over and he very authoritatively warned us both that if he saw a hit like that again he was going to throw us both out of the game. I smirked and shook my head. He said "what is so funny?" I said "I have been telling that you are missing the call and then when I get hit and don't go down you warn me?" I turned and walked away. He said "if you smart mouth me one more time I will throw you out for that too!" I said "taking this charity football thing a little serious aren't we?"  He responded with "you wanna go home now?" I just shook my head in amaizement and went back in the huddle. Paid proffesional at a charity event! Thanks doctor!

We lost that game by one point. During the post game handshakes the guy who hit me said "you hit me and you know it!" I pulled up my shirt and showed him the two, very distinct, red hand prints he had left and said "really jerk-off? do you have a set like these?" His face turned bright red and he walked away.

I admit that I am competitive... I am VERY competitive! I always play to when. ALWAYS! I hate losing! I know that it was for charity and I probably could have been more "easy going" about the day but it should have been fair. I can only imagine that a less competitive team would be dissallusioned and not come back after the day we had yesterday. It wasn't fair, but we will be back and we will be better... and we will win!

I think next year I will coach the team and yell at the ref from the sidelines, when necessary of course. I can assure you, my dear readers, that I will not be wearing a sweater vest!

STSW