Opening Day
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Well, we had a chance to watch Opening Day Eve last night where the Mets beat the Cardinals. It was fun to see a baseball game again, but I’m even more excited to watch the Royals vs. Red Sox game that I recorded on my MythTV computer. Pretty cool, I must say… especially with the kind of hope a new General Manager brings (and that especially when the much-debated $55M signing of Gil Meche brings an opening day win against the Red Sox). I’m excited for the Royals this year, not necessarily because I think they’ll have an Earth-shattering record, but because they seem to be wanting to move the team in the right direction.
Faith Over Football?
I recently read an article on ESPN.com about the two coaches in the Super Bowl coming up next week. As Michael Smith says, they have been talked about a lot because they are the first black coaches in the Super Bowl. Tony Dungy, the coach of the Indianapolis Colts, and Lovie Smith, coach of the Chicago Bears, are much more than just that. They are men of character:
Dungy and Smith are role models, not just for coaches who look like them or men who look like them, but for all coaches and all men. They live their lives the right way, and as a result they do their jobs the same way. Their priorities are, in order: faith, their families and football. The outcome of the Super Bowl or any game does not define them. They personify words such as class, grace, dignity, honor and integrity. We all can draw inspiration from men such as these.
Being a role model is something that transcends the game. It’s great to hear about the accomplishments and character of these men off the field because it’s something so rarely seen in the spotlight: role models in athletics. Read the full article on ESPN.com to see what I mean.
Baseball and iPods
FreeMacBlog.com - Todd Helton And His Hitting Coach iPod
The guys at the Colorado Rockies have found a good use for a video iPod: put video of opposing pitchers on it for their batters. Batters are always looking for ways to better prepare to face certain pitchers. Scouting reports and pitching charts certainly help, but video helps a batter visualize what he might face. Equipped with a video iPod, a player can simply select a playlist to see how a pitcher pitched to him and what his swing looked like in each at-bat. I’m not sure how much batters have benefitted from this, but I think it would be a great idea. Baseball is all about analyzing statistics and situations, so it lends itself very well to technlogical innovations like this.
Now, if only I could get someone to organize all my videos and music to playlists like this…
Home Run City
Comerica brought to its knees by Abreu
In case you didn’t catch the Home Run derby this last Monday, you should read this article about how Bobby Abreu smashed the previous home run record of 27 with 41 blasts. It was a pretty neat sight to watch, and I especially appreciated Abreu’s demeanor as he was at the bat - he was really enjoying it. You could tell the fans were getting into it, too, and it was exciting to watch him break the single-round record by about 10 home runs with 24. It was really amazing, and really cool to watch.
Moonlight Graham Day
Major League Baseball : News : Major League Baseball News: Moonlight Graham Day
Do you remember Moonlight Graham from Field of Dreams? He was a real baseball player who played in the majors for just one day and yesterday was the 100th anniversary of that day. Hats off to Moonlight Graham and his willingness to follow his dream.
In a related story, the Minnesota Twins held their celebration for Moonlight Graham in a pregame ceremony for a game against the Kansas City Royals. Who wins the game? Kansas City. Go Royals! We still believe!
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Geocaching
