As traditional as the pinstripes are to the New York Yankee uniform and their identity, so is the policy on facial hair. Mustaches are allowed, but anything that begins to resemble a beard, goatee, or anything in between--those are just not allowed. When players join the Yankees, either by working their way up in the farm system or being acquired via free agency or trade, they all know the policy is just part of the tradition and the way it is done in New York.
It was just last fall that the Yankees captured their 27th World Series championship. As is common in today's game, the winter, or off-season, brought about a little re-tooling and shuffling of that winning roster. The former Yankee with the longest tenure, Hideki Matsui, went to the California Angels. Regular contributors in the outfield, Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera, now play for Detroit and Atlanta, respectively. While valuable back-up catcher and great defensive player, Jose Molina, now is with the Blue Jays.
It's interesting to observe former Yankees when they leave the Bronx Bombers and have the freedom to express themselves, not being restricted by other teams when it comes to facial hair. The most curious is Damon. Before coming to New York Damon played for the Yanks arch-rival, Boston. There, he caught national baseball attention by wearing long hair and growing a full beard, hence garnering a new nickname--"the cave man"--similar to those Geiko commercials. Of course, Damon cleaned up in New York and so far, is still clean-shaven in Detroit.
Matsui, who is as humble and unassuming as anyone to ever play for New York, looks exactly the same, albeit strange in that Angels uniform with "double nickels" on the back.
The two who have busted out and are enjoying facial hair freedom are Molina and Cabrera. Molina has the well-trimmed full beard working as a Blue Jay, while Melky has opted for the latest baseball rage, the minimalist style of goatee, which is akin to the shell of a chocolate dipped ice cream cone on his chin.
You wonder if that was something they always wanted to do, but were too restricted in New York, or was it just such a surge of independence that they felt they had to express themselves now that they were no longer Yankees? It's kind of analogous to a teenager who transfers from a private school to public school and can shed the uniform for whatever is stylish and cool with his new schoolmates.
Facial hair isn't a bad thing, unless you have a graying old mustache with a wild variety of hairs in it, like me. But, for Molina and Cabrera, whatever version of a beard or goatee they wear isn't bad either. It just signifies that they are no longer New York Yankees.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Turning Back the Clock on D-backs Manager and Yours Truly
One of the emotional challenges of advancing through middle age is trying to steer clear of things that make you feel old, or at least avoid the elements that cause you to ask, “Was it really that long ago?”
Something happened this past week that caused me to pause and ponder. The major league baseball season is well-underway. Reality hit me in the face when I was channel-surfing through the MLB Extra Innings package and I saw the young manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks on the top step of the team dugout focused on the ineffectiveness of his starting pitcher.
Last May Arizona fired then manager Bob Melvin and replaced him with A.J. Hinch. At that time Hinch became the major’s youngest manager ever at age 34 and 357 days.
Flashing back, it was the spring of 1991, and then again in the fall and winter of the same year, when I was recruiting for the Kansas State Wildcats football program in the greater Oklahoma City area. There was an intelligent, hard-nosed, athletic quarterback with a strong arm at Midwest City High School. The head coach told me he thought he could play Division I football, but he was also a heck of a catcher in baseball. But, depending on where he might project in the baseball draft, he might still consider football. I carried on the recruiting process and when the prospect and I spoke personally about how much we would like to have him in our program, yada-yada-yada, it was hard to avoid talking baseball because we were both as passionate about that as we were football.
A.J. Hinch went on to play baseball at Stanford, he earned a degree in psychology, got drafted in the third round by Oakland, and won a bronze medal playing for the U.S. Olympic team. His professional career lasted eight years before he opted to move into minor league operations and eventually director of player development for the Diamondbacks. Then came his quick ascent into the manager’s position.
It’s hard to believe the personable, dark-haired two-sport star I began to know 18 years ago is the skipper of a major league baseball team. I can still vividly remember sitting in the high school coach’s office with my gray V-neck Wildcat coaches’ sweater, admittedly with a lot more dark hair on my head and in my mustache, engaged in great conversation with A.J. Hinch.
I guess I am getting old when I have former athletes, or recruiting prospects, running a professional team. I wonder how he would have worked out as our quarterback? Good luck to A.J.; the D-backs are off to a bit of a slow start.
Something happened this past week that caused me to pause and ponder. The major league baseball season is well-underway. Reality hit me in the face when I was channel-surfing through the MLB Extra Innings package and I saw the young manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks on the top step of the team dugout focused on the ineffectiveness of his starting pitcher.
Last May Arizona fired then manager Bob Melvin and replaced him with A.J. Hinch. At that time Hinch became the major’s youngest manager ever at age 34 and 357 days.
Flashing back, it was the spring of 1991, and then again in the fall and winter of the same year, when I was recruiting for the Kansas State Wildcats football program in the greater Oklahoma City area. There was an intelligent, hard-nosed, athletic quarterback with a strong arm at Midwest City High School. The head coach told me he thought he could play Division I football, but he was also a heck of a catcher in baseball. But, depending on where he might project in the baseball draft, he might still consider football. I carried on the recruiting process and when the prospect and I spoke personally about how much we would like to have him in our program, yada-yada-yada, it was hard to avoid talking baseball because we were both as passionate about that as we were football.
A.J. Hinch went on to play baseball at Stanford, he earned a degree in psychology, got drafted in the third round by Oakland, and won a bronze medal playing for the U.S. Olympic team. His professional career lasted eight years before he opted to move into minor league operations and eventually director of player development for the Diamondbacks. Then came his quick ascent into the manager’s position.
It’s hard to believe the personable, dark-haired two-sport star I began to know 18 years ago is the skipper of a major league baseball team. I can still vividly remember sitting in the high school coach’s office with my gray V-neck Wildcat coaches’ sweater, admittedly with a lot more dark hair on my head and in my mustache, engaged in great conversation with A.J. Hinch.
I guess I am getting old when I have former athletes, or recruiting prospects, running a professional team. I wonder how he would have worked out as our quarterback? Good luck to A.J.; the D-backs are off to a bit of a slow start.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
PLENTY OF ROOM FOR FANS TO NEST AT ORIOLES PARK
I know it’s early in the baseball season and MLB ballparks are not as full on a spring weeknight as they will be on a weekend, or even more so, once summer is in full swing. But, is there any reason that the wonderful setting for baseball in Baltimore, Orioles Park at Camden Yards, had just 9,129 people in attendance for a Monday night game this week against Eastern Division rival Tampa Bay?
Folks, there were 9,129 people rattling around in a stadium that holds 48,262. Elementary math tells me that’s 39,133 empty seats for a game that was played on a comfortable 60-degree spring evening. Is that an indictment of the Orioles, the lack of a draw in the person of the opposing Rays, or both? That's awfully sad for a baseball-rich city like Baltimore to have less than a 5-digit attendance figure for any game.
Folks, there were 9,129 people rattling around in a stadium that holds 48,262. Elementary math tells me that’s 39,133 empty seats for a game that was played on a comfortable 60-degree spring evening. Is that an indictment of the Orioles, the lack of a draw in the person of the opposing Rays, or both? That's awfully sad for a baseball-rich city like Baltimore to have less than a 5-digit attendance figure for any game.
20-Year Look of Griffey, Jr. Fading Away
Ken Griffey, Jr. was the first pick in the 1987 amateur baseball draft. He broke into major league baseball with the Seattle Mariners in 1989 as a 19-year old star in the making. He, of course, has gone on to a laundry list of great accomplishments, among them: 13-time All-Star, 10-time Golden Glove winner, 7-time Silver Slugger Award winner, named to MLB All-Century team, and he is fifth all-time on the career home run list. But, perhaps the most unsung aspect of Griffey’s legend is influencing an entire generation to wear their baseball caps, and any other type of ball-cap for that matter, backwards. As Griffey was building his reputation, stats, and celebrity, the more he was seen hanging out prior to games along with doing thousands of interviews with his hat turned around, whether he knew it or not, he was becoming a model for the youth of America and around the world.
Griffey had his name and, more importantly, his smiling face on baseball video games, the Wheaties box, and he starred in Nike commercials promoting his signature line of shoes—all very much deserved for the performance and highlights he generated while wreaking havoc on the American League in the 1990’s. With Griffey as its poster boy, the turned-around hat flourished throughout the 90’s and first decade of the 2000's. But, as a keen observer of a lot of meaningless things, I really believe this trend and style is finally fading away.
Perhaps it's running a course parallel to Junior's career as he winds it down.
Baseball fashion ebbs and flows in changes through the years in terms of the length of the pants, how the brim of the hat is worn, baggy vs. snug-fitting, etc. But, when it comes to an athlete influencing the social fashion of a generation of people who were not even playing the game of baseball, no one had more effect than Ken Griffey, Jr.
Griffey had his name and, more importantly, his smiling face on baseball video games, the Wheaties box, and he starred in Nike commercials promoting his signature line of shoes—all very much deserved for the performance and highlights he generated while wreaking havoc on the American League in the 1990’s. With Griffey as its poster boy, the turned-around hat flourished throughout the 90’s and first decade of the 2000's. But, as a keen observer of a lot of meaningless things, I really believe this trend and style is finally fading away.
Perhaps it's running a course parallel to Junior's career as he winds it down.
Baseball fashion ebbs and flows in changes through the years in terms of the length of the pants, how the brim of the hat is worn, baggy vs. snug-fitting, etc. But, when it comes to an athlete influencing the social fashion of a generation of people who were not even playing the game of baseball, no one had more effect than Ken Griffey, Jr.
Monday, April 12, 2010
JOIN THE CONVERSATION, TALK ABOUT THE QB--TALK ABOUT GATOR'S BRANTLEY
With college spring football coming to a close and the NFL draft around the corner, chatter about the upcoming seasons is growing each day. Regardless of the level of play, there is always one subject that gets more than its fair share of attention—the quarterback.
Are the guys that play this position worthy of all the attention they receive? In some cases the answer is yes. For quite a few it’s a maybe, and for a lot of others, absolutely not. Not all QBs are created equal, therefore, not all QBs truly carry the full burden of the team’s wins and losses on their shoulders. By nature of the offensive system and team philosophy some quarterbacks are just facilitators—they manage the game, take care of the football and provide on the field leadership. Others are called upon to routinely audibilize (check their offense in and out of plays at the line of scrimmage), pass the ball efficiently, often more than 40 times/game, and create plays by making good things happen when tucking the ball away and running.
When casual sports fans want to be a part of a football conversation all they need is a half-way reasonable comment about the QB; that’s their ticket in. Even if they don’t know anything else, by chiming in with a sensible statement referencing the QB, casual fan gets his/her card punched and they are accepted.
The guy receiving the snap from center has been romanticized throughout time. Wasn’t it the cute cheerleader who was the envy of all girls when she ended up with the studly QB to end a fictional story or movie? Odds are the two might even show up as king and queen at Homecoming ceremonies. Well, now there is a new quarterback on the scene who will inherently draw a full, steady flow of attention, and he’s ready for it.
John Brantley is a 6’3, 218 pound red-shirt junior at the University of Florida. For the most part he has sat behind, or more realistically, has been prepping for his turn to take control of the Gator offense from recently departed local legend Tim Tebow. Everyone knows Tim Tebow, an almost larger than life figure during his college career in Gainesville. In the face of the stiffest of challenges Tebow had the uncanny ability to make a play or will his teammates to doing something special. Combine Tebow’s infectious personality with incredible leadership skills, God-given size and talent, and a passion to win…well, that’s a lot to replace. It allowed Tebow to attain All-America status, win a Heisman Trophy and two national football championships in his four years while playing in The Swamp.
Now, John Brantley is fully prepared to make sure that the Gator offense doesn't miss a beat. Upon arriving in Gainesville three falls ago Brantley brought with him an impressive resume’ of work from his prep days at Trinity High School in Ocala, FL. He was chosen as a U.S. Army All-American and the Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2006. He owned a 27-1 record as a starter and broke the state record for career touchdown passes with 99, topping the total of 98 shared by UF quarterback Tim Tebow and Florida State signal-caller Xavier Lee. Scout.com named him a 5-star passer and he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp.
Brantley had been patiently working as the #2 guy the previous two years and, when combining his red-shirt year as a true freshman, he has three years of quarterback meetings and classroom tutorials to serve as a sturdy foundation of knowledge. He also experienced live game action over the last two years when he enjoyed more than just a little bit of success. Completing 54 out of 76 passes for 645 yards and 10 touchdowns versus one interception is not too shabby.
I had the good fortune of being able to get up close and personal by being around the Gators in meetings and on the practice field a week prior to this past Saturday’s spring game. My impression is that JB, as he is known to those around him, is an intelligent guy who knows the offensive system inside-out. He conducts himself with a quiet confidence and is working to become more vocal, although all of the Gators will tell you he is the man in charge on the field. As vocal as Tebow, neither he nor anyone else will ever be. He has a quick, effective release, good arm strength, and is extremely accurate. He is certainly a passer rather than a runner, but he is athletic enough to help himself get out of trouble. The real key is that the offense rallies around him and they believe in him.
Brantley closed out his first spring as the top Gator QB with an impressive performance, 15 out of 19 for 201 yards and 2 TDs in the Blue & Orange spring game.
Keep an eye on Brantley as the Gators work to keep their program among the nation’s elite. As the Gator offensive system continues to evolve and be tweaked to fit this year's talent, the UF faithful should feel good that their fortunes for 2010 are in good hands with Brantley.
So, there you go. If you need fuel for your pre-season football conversation, feel free to borrow some of this when the topic is, “Who is that guy replacing Tebow at Florida?”
Monday, April 5, 2010
LET’S TAKE 5: BRIEF BUT LUCID THOUGHTS ON 5 TOPICS
Please review and consider this actual, unaltered photograph caption that I saw in the local newspaper today—“Tiger Woods walks with swing coach Hank Haney during a practice round prior to the Masters Monday in Augusta, Ga.” Given Tiger’s reported infidelity and sexual indiscretions should we not put some of the blame on the guy who teaches him how to “swing”? How does he get off the hook? If Haney gets credit when Tiger swings successfully he must also be taken to task when the swinging takes Tiger out of bounds.
Regardless of what happens tonight in the NCAA men's basketball title game the Butler Bulldog basketball program is a wonderful story. What really strikes a chord for me is the fact when Butler’s home court, Hinkle Fieldhouse, was built in 1928 it had a capacity of 15,000 and was the largest college facility in the nation for 20 years. Heck, the private school’s enrollment is just over 4,000. What does that tell you about the state of Indiana and their feelings toward the sport of basketball? They love it. As football is to Texas, basketball is to Indiana. You may know that the much-acclaimed 1987 sports movie “Hoosiers”, starring Gene Hackman, was filmed in Hinkle Fieldhouse because the historic game upon which the movie was written was actually played there in 1954. The Indiana state high school championships were held there for decades. The Hoosier state is steeped in tradition and great history and so, too, is Butler.
After enjoying the hoops action of March Madness on the court, yet having to endure mind-numbing, copy-cat announcing, let’s have a contest to solicit a replacement for the now very tired basketball expression “he knocks down the trey.” Basketball aficionados know the five-word phrase translates to “he makes the three-point shot.” From where “knocks down” ever came, and how it became the standard description for such a play over the last decade, I don’t know. But, it’s time to move on. Also, is “trey” really that much more cool than the three? For some reason every play-by-play announcer and game analyst uses the same line. What happened to individuality and style? Suggestions?
I love baseball. Aside from having made a living working for 30 years in football, baseball always was and still is my first love (apologies to my wife). That being said, I was disappointed that in a “made for TV maneuver”, the New York Yankees played at Boston Sunday night on ESPN2. Why? For decades the Cincinnati Reds hosted and played the first game of the season, usually on a sunny but chilly weekday afternoon along the banks of the Ohio River. It’s silly to argue against MLB & ESPN’s agreement to put the best rivalry in baseball out there as the lone game on Sunday night to kickoff the season.
But, what is silly and easy to argue is why those same two ball clubs had to sit around Monday with an off-day, not playing the second game of their three-game series as we would all expect, and then having to resume play Tuesday and Wednesday. Does that make any sense? Later in the season, when the teams have been trudging on through their marathon season and could really use an off-day, they’ll be thinking back to that second day of the season when they sat around the clubhouse or hotel playing cards instead of baseball.
If you have a couple of extra bucks and want to play a long-shot to win the World Series in 2010 you can cash in big with one of these choices—Washington Nationals 150-1, Pittsburgh Pirates 125-1, Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles both 100-1. The Yankees are 3-1 while both Boston and Philadelphia are 6-1. Despite it being 102 years since the Cubs pulled off this feat, the Northsiders are a respectable 18-1 shot, pretty good when you have that much history stacked up against you. Certainly not a reach in my opinion, it’s worth tossing a little spare change on the Tampa Bay Rays at 22-1.
You heard it here first.
Regardless of what happens tonight in the NCAA men's basketball title game the Butler Bulldog basketball program is a wonderful story. What really strikes a chord for me is the fact when Butler’s home court, Hinkle Fieldhouse, was built in 1928 it had a capacity of 15,000 and was the largest college facility in the nation for 20 years. Heck, the private school’s enrollment is just over 4,000. What does that tell you about the state of Indiana and their feelings toward the sport of basketball? They love it. As football is to Texas, basketball is to Indiana. You may know that the much-acclaimed 1987 sports movie “Hoosiers”, starring Gene Hackman, was filmed in Hinkle Fieldhouse because the historic game upon which the movie was written was actually played there in 1954. The Indiana state high school championships were held there for decades. The Hoosier state is steeped in tradition and great history and so, too, is Butler.
After enjoying the hoops action of March Madness on the court, yet having to endure mind-numbing, copy-cat announcing, let’s have a contest to solicit a replacement for the now very tired basketball expression “he knocks down the trey.” Basketball aficionados know the five-word phrase translates to “he makes the three-point shot.” From where “knocks down” ever came, and how it became the standard description for such a play over the last decade, I don’t know. But, it’s time to move on. Also, is “trey” really that much more cool than the three? For some reason every play-by-play announcer and game analyst uses the same line. What happened to individuality and style? Suggestions?
I love baseball. Aside from having made a living working for 30 years in football, baseball always was and still is my first love (apologies to my wife). That being said, I was disappointed that in a “made for TV maneuver”, the New York Yankees played at Boston Sunday night on ESPN2. Why? For decades the Cincinnati Reds hosted and played the first game of the season, usually on a sunny but chilly weekday afternoon along the banks of the Ohio River. It’s silly to argue against MLB & ESPN’s agreement to put the best rivalry in baseball out there as the lone game on Sunday night to kickoff the season.
But, what is silly and easy to argue is why those same two ball clubs had to sit around Monday with an off-day, not playing the second game of their three-game series as we would all expect, and then having to resume play Tuesday and Wednesday. Does that make any sense? Later in the season, when the teams have been trudging on through their marathon season and could really use an off-day, they’ll be thinking back to that second day of the season when they sat around the clubhouse or hotel playing cards instead of baseball.
If you have a couple of extra bucks and want to play a long-shot to win the World Series in 2010 you can cash in big with one of these choices—Washington Nationals 150-1, Pittsburgh Pirates 125-1, Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles both 100-1. The Yankees are 3-1 while both Boston and Philadelphia are 6-1. Despite it being 102 years since the Cubs pulled off this feat, the Northsiders are a respectable 18-1 shot, pretty good when you have that much history stacked up against you. Certainly not a reach in my opinion, it’s worth tossing a little spare change on the Tampa Bay Rays at 22-1.
You heard it here first.
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