Before October Comes September

It may seem obvious to most people, but before you can get to October, you need to get through September. In baseball, October is synonymous with the Playoffs. Eight teams go in, and one comes out, Champions of the World. The other 22 teams, however, call it a season, go home, and spend some much needed time with family and friends. Trust me, no matter how fun it may look to play baseball for a living, the grind of the 162-game regular season is a tough one. Heck, by the end of the year, your average player is probably sick of his own team's logo.

September though, can be the most exciting time of the year, or it can be the hardest time of the year. It all depends on who you are rooting for and whether or not your team is in a race for a spot in the playoffs. Here in Kansas City, the local sportscasters and writers were so excited for the Chiefs training camp. To them it meant the end of the need to spend time on the Royals, and the beginning of a new NFL season. I'm sure there are many people here that feel the same way. After all, even though the Royals made some strides (you may say baby-steps, but I'm a Royals optimist) by avoiding a fourth 100-loss season in a row, and stringing together a few winning months, they still may not make it out of the cellar of the American League Central division. So, for some Royals fans, September is when you stow away your powder blue, break out your red and yellow, and head on down to Arrowhead for some pre-game brats.

Not me.

I must admit though, I haven't been as diligent in reading the post-game reports and newspaper articles as I was at the height of the summer. I know the season is coming to an end, and I realize that every game left from here on out is basically meaningless, as far as the standings are concerned. But, October is just around the corner, and for you National League fans, this final week of the season is going to be great. With everything still up in the air, virtually every game will have some bearing on an organization's playoff hopes.

But what about those of us who are not from Cleveland, who can no longer root for the Red Sox in good conscience, and loathe that team from the Bronx. I guess there's the Angels. The Cubbies are always a feel good favorite, but they may not make the playoffs. I guess I'll just have to wait and see, but trust me, we all need to pick a team and ride them out. The playoffs can produce some of the greatest moments in sports, and you wouldn't want to miss them just because your Devil Rays didn't make the cut this year. Because, after all, just because my Royals will be done by this time next week, I still love baseball. And, with that in mind, here are some great ads from FOX sports. Enjoy!

What's in a Glove?

Today is my 28th birthday, and my darling wife gave me the perfect gift: a new baseball mitt. Growing up, I didn't have hand-me-down gloves, because after all, I was the oldest child. But, let's just say that I didn't have the nicest mitt on the team either. It's due to a combination of various reasons, one of which is that I was not very good until I was about 14 years old. When I was 14, I actually upgraded my glove by switching to my mom's tan-colored Rawlings from what I officially call the black beast -- a 13" Easton with a closed back, and my name and phone number written on one of the fingers in silver permanent marker.

I used that Rawlings for a few more years before getting a nice glove for Christmas. It was dark brown, almost mahogany colored Easton with an open back. That was the glove I used through high school and for my first year in junior college. But by my second year it was time for another new glove. A teammate of mine was working at Big 5 Sporting Goods at the time, and he used his employee discount to get me a new 11.25", black TPX, also with an open back. I loved that mitt. No glove oil, shaving cream, or any other substance touched that one. I didn't wrap a ball inside it and stick it under my parents' mattress to break her in either. That glove was formed strictly by playing catch. Unfortunately, about two years after I got it, it was stolen out of my luggage on my way back from a summer job in Puerto Rico. Hopefully there's an up-and-coming shortshop down there that has enjoyed my mitt ever since.

A baseball glove is a very personal piece of equipment. You will understand what I mean if you have ever had to leave your mitt with some goon on the opposing team who forgot his at a church softball game. You don't want someone else sweating in your glove. It's your glove, after all. It's like a natural extension of your hand. I recently read that the center fielder for the Minnesota Twins, Torii Hunter, keeps his game mitt under lock and key in the club house. Professionals have plenty of gloves that they usually received as gifts from manufacturers, but there's one special one that is reserved for game time.

So, if you're ever in the market for a new glove, here is some information about how to choose a glove you'll love.

First of all, there are many, many, many gloves out there. Whether you are looking to buy a glove for a child or for yourself, you can find a mitt in your price range. Low-end gloves can be purchased for $15 to $30, and high-end, I-want-the-exact-same-mitt-as-my-baseball-idol gloves are usually $300. And there are all sorts of gloves in between.

There are also many manufacturers of baseball gloves. Rawlings, Easton, Mizuno, TPX, Nike, Nokona, Akadema, Wilson, SSK, and Worth; just to name a few. As far as what brand you buy, it's really just a matter of preference and style. Pick a glove you like, but don't go overboard with funny gimicks. I remember the old Wilsons that you could turn a dial to tighten or loosen your glove, almost akin to Reebok Pumps. I'll list a few links to these companies' websites. The Rawlings site is especially cool.

You'll also need to decide on the size of glove you'd like. Glove sizes are measured according to their length. Usually the smallest adult glove you will find is 11 inches. 11, 11.25, and 11.5" gloves are usually reserved for middle-infielders, and sometimes pitchers. Shortstops and Second basemen like the small gloves because it's easier to make the quick transfer from glove to throwing hand on double plays and such. Third basemen usually prefer a slightly larger glove so they can knock down hot shots hit their way. Outfielders wear longer gloves, sometimes over 13" long. That way, it can increase their reach just enough to snag a would-be double in the gap. Personally, I prefer smaller gloves. Maybe it's because I grew up playing with giant adult softball gloves in little league... who knows? But I feel I have better control with less leather at the end of my finger tips. However, if you will be buying a glove strictly for softball, a bigger glove might be better because there will be more room for the larger ball in the pocket of your mitt.

Once you have your glove, there are all sorts of ways of breaking it in and getting it game ready. But perhaps we'll discuss those in a future post. For now, just keep this in mind. Chonne Figgins of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim played all through little league with a Burger King give-away mitt because his family couldn't afford a real glove. So, although having a nice glove isn't necessary, if you have your choice, it sure is nice to own a glove you can be proud of, even if you don't really play anymore.

Rawlings
Wilson
TPX/Louisville Slugger
Easton
Nokona
Shoeless Joe's

Chews You Up & Spits You Out

No... This post doesn't have anything to do with chaw or "Big Tobacco's" devious attempt to addict little baseball fans everywhere with shredded chewing gum that comes in little foil-lined pouches that look an awful lot like expensive tobacco packaging. Nope. But, that might not be a bad idea for a future post.

Today I thought we'd talk about the nature of the game. If you didn't play much growing up, you might not fully understand. Then again, there were plenty of kids that quit when they were seven years old because baseball was too hard. Sometimes they quit because the ball itself was too hard. Ever wonder where the term "Hard Ball" comes from? Baseball is hard ball. Soft ball, and I'm talking here about the leagues full of has-been's and never-were's (one of which I'll be happily joining this fall), might as well be called Easy Ball just to accentuate the difference.

Consider this: The current Major League leader in batting average, Magglio Ordonez, is currently hitting .353. So basically, the man most likely to hit safely in the Majors only gets a hit less than 4 times out of 10. He's out more than 6 times out of 10. The infamous Ty Cobb, the all-time batting average leader at .367 over his career played for 24 season and collected 4191 hits. He got out 64% percent of time, but as far as hitting goes, Cobb was and still is the benchmark. Can you imagine doing anything day in and day out and succeeding about 30% of the time? There are plenty of good, everyday ballplayers in the pros that succeed less than 30% of the time.

Sure, there may be hot streaks where a guy may hit .450 for a few games, but not for long. One of the interesting things about the 162 game-season played in the majors is that everything usually evens outs. Guys that should hit about .250, but start the season red-hot, batting .375 over the first month, will usually hit a dry-spell later on, and then even out and finish the season about where his talent says he should be. Then, there are guys who go through the entire season, play maybe every other day for a while, and then maybe only about twice a week, and never pull out of their slump. The back-up catcher for the Royals has a total of 20 hits in 52 games this season. It took Alex Rodriguez 14 games to reach the 20 hit mark. And, after 52 games A-Rod had 19 homeruns.

And it's not just individuals who take a beating in baseball. Look at team records. I tried a search, and then I sorted the all-time team pitching statistics, so, if anyone out there has better data, please share. According to what I found, the team that has won more games than any other is the Giants, obviously including their time in New York. However, the team with the best all-time winning percentage is the New York Yankees with an astounding .569. Over their long history, they have won 9,242, and lost 6,997 games. By the way, this won't come as a surprise to anyone, but if you're looking for a team to root for, don't spend much time considering the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They are owners of the league's worst all-time winning percentage at an abysmal .396.

The point of all of this is whether you play or follow baseball, you have to expect some disappointment. And, when it comes, don't beat yourself up about it. So if you're in a slump, keep trying to hit the ball hard, and sooner or later they'll start to fall. After all, you can't win them all -- and you won't lose them all either.

By the way, if you're having an unproductive moment, check out "Pinch Hitter 2" at the very bottom of this page.

Radar Guns in Baseball

About a month ago I read an article in the Sports section of the Kansas City Star. I would have posted a link to it, but it has been "archived," so I would have to pay for it; and since no one likes to click on the advertisements on the left, I'm not making a dime on this blog. It was written by Joe Posnanski, recently voted the best sports writer in America. I've always enjoyed his stuff, but this particular article held special meaning for me. It was entitled, "You Can't Always Judge a Pitcher by His Fastball" -- Amen.

There were two questions that he addressed in his article: First, what has been the impact of the radar gun in baseball, and second, is Rowdy Hardy a real, bonified prospect for the Kansas City Royals. As it turns out, it was pretty much the same question, just stated differently.

Rowdy Hardy is currently pitching in A-Ball for the Royals' organization, and pitching well. His numbers rival any pitcher in the minor leagues. 14-4 on the season, 84 strikeouts, and only 14 walks. His ERA (Earned Run Average) is well under 3.00. But the numbers that keep him in Single-A are 81-82 -- which is about how hard he throws his fastball. If he threw 91-92, with the same numbers, the Royals wouldn't be able to move him up fast enough. As it sits, however, they're not exactly sure what they have in Hardy. Dayton Moore, the General Manager for the Royals, has said that next year he will play on the Double A squad, and that he will continue to move up in the organization until guys start to hit him.

Earl Weaver helped to pioneer the use of the radar gun in baseball. A legendary, hall of fame manager for the Baltimore Orioles, Weaver was obsessed with statistics and information. His purpose for using the radar gun wasn't to see how hard guys were throwing, but to better judge the difference between his pitchers' fastballs and off-speed pitches. For example, if a guy throws a fastball at 85 mph and his change-up comes in at 80 mph, it's really just a fat fastball, and he won't fool anyone with it. But, if someone was throwing their fastball 85 mph and the change-up at 69 mph, that was something they could work with and get guys out with. Weaver understood that pitching is much more than just how hard you can throw. The trick to pitching well is to keep the batter off balance, and you can do that by changing speeds and location. If a batter knows you throw a curveball that loops in there at about 65-67 mph, and your change-up looks just like your fastball, but it makes its way to the plate at about 70 mph, it makes your 80-81 mph fastball seem that much "quicker" to the plate. It's like Einstein said -- it's all relative.

So, while it is not necessary to throw the major league average 91-92 mph, it really is. Radar guns have changed the way scouts evaluate pitching prospects, and in most cases, unless a guy has a good, major league fastball, they could care less about any other abilities you may possess. But, every now and then a little left-hander like Rowdy Hardy takes their formula and throws it out the window -- at a blazing 82 mph.

To Cheer or Not to Cheer, That is the Question

I realize there are only about five people that actually pay any attention to this blog, and three of them are related to me. Still, I feel bad that it has been so long since my last post. I guess you could say I have been on summer vacation. Well, I'm back... and just in time for a new home run king.

I remember exactly where I was when Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris' single-season homerun record, and I remember exactly what the blast looked like. It happened to be on the same night that Gordon B. Hinckley was going to be interview on the Larry King show, so I was at a neighbor's house because we didn't have cable. Luckily, they had picture in picture, so we didn't miss anything. Larry King went to commercial, so we switched the screens to bring the Cardinals game to the forefront. Then, right on cue, Big Mac hit a screaming line drive that just kept on going, right over the left field fence.

I also remember all of the excitement generated by the record chase that year. It was a three-man race until about half-way through the season. McGwire, Sosa, and Junior. I liked Junior, but he just wasn't the big bopper that the other two were. So, we he bowed out, I switched camps and started rooting for Slammin' Sammy. That was a season I will always remember.

But, to be completely honest, I had no idea that Barry Bonds had tied Hank Aaron's career homerun record over the weekend.

Now, I still don't have cable TV, so I don't watch as much Sports Center as I would like to, and I'm sure this latest milestone homerun was well covered by the world-wide leader in sports. But, on the other hand, I do have this really cool thing called the "inter-web," which magically transports scores and highlights to my iMac. So had I wanted to track Bond's progress, I easily could have done so. But I didn't really care. I still don't. Just like I didn't care when he broke McGwire's single-season homerun record.

I really used to like Barry Bonds. I was upset when he went to the giants and changed his number from 24 to 25. Of course, I also used to like Jose Canseco, but I've already made that confession, and we've moved on. The Pirates were my team there for a while, back in the days of Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, and Andy Van Slyke (or was it Dick Van Dyke... I always get those two names confused. By the way -- Eddie Murray and Eddie Murphy, one worked in Baltimore and the other in Beverly Hills, but I can't keep them straight either). Doug Drabek was their stud pitcher. But, anyway, those days are gone. Though I can't explain it now, I really did like Barry Bonds at one time.

So, why not rejoice in this milestone? It's not like there was some misconception that Big Mac and Slammin' Sammy were actually doing what they did on God-given talent and ability alone, right? There was plenty of speculation back then too. But I was still into it. Heck, I'm even a not-so-proud-anymore owner of a #21 Sosa Cubs jersey.

Maybe it's because of Bond's attitude that I don't seem to care about this feat. Maybe it's because of alleged use of illegal substances that I'm so apathetic to the "Barry Watch." I understand that he is a great player, but there's still something about him that I can't like.

Luckily, we shouldn't have to wait too long for Barry's name to fall back to number two on the all-time homerun list. Alex Rodriguez, or A-Rod, if you prefer (by the way, does Barry Bonds have a nick-name?), has just become the youngest player ever to reach 500 career homeruns. He definitely has a chance to take his place as the homerun king.

At any rate, Barry Bonds will most-likely hold that title by the end of the week. Of course, there's always a chance that he could get injured, or worse, fail a drug test. If you have any ideas for a nick-name for Barry, include them in a comment. How about Barry BALCO?