Offseason blues & a Tribute to McDonough

Most of us are stuck in this limbo right now of baseball purgatory. It's a scattered mixture of anticipation for the coming season haunted by continual days that lack game play. For the most part though, we have all started our count downs and planned our spring training vacations, while continually checking our spots on season ticket waitlists. This past weekend and the next two are fan conventions league-wide that serve as a kick off party for fans to celebrate the anticipated season. Being from Chicago, I am proud to note that I have been a Cub Convention attendee for most of my life (and even a few Sox Fests!) Fan fests are the ultimate for die hards, especially autograph collectors. It allows you to sit in on seminars where management discusses their philosophies and future plans. It even lets you ask the players questions, stock up on merchandise, and learn more about your team all while enjoying fun filled days with your friends. Now let me ask you.... who invented fan fests?

John McDonough.

Mr. McDonough is an outstanding man. Growing up, I referred to him as the marketing guru. He was hired in 1983 by the Chicago Cubs and by 1985 he had launched the first ever Cubs Convention- it was the first fan fest of any kind in professional sports. When Harry Caray died in 1998 it was McDonough who started having guest conductors come to Wrigley. Today, its a huge fan favorite as celebrities sing the stretch while paying homage to the late Caray.

In 2007, I had the pleasure of meeting McDonough. I was at Skyharbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona and I was on standby waiting for a flight back to Chicago after games 1 and 2 of the NLDS (Cubs @ Dbacks). We had been at the airport for about 6 hours with little-to-no chance of getting a seat on any upcoming flights, and in the corner of my eye I spotted McDonough walking past us. I woke up my friend and pointed (not very subtly) and he confirmed my suspicion - it was him! With absolutely nothing else to do at the airport, we interrupted our waiting-game and we approached McDonough to introduce ourselves - mind you, we were still unshowered and wearing our cubs attire from the game the night before, while being majorly hungover (Cubs fault - we did shots to all their miscues).

Like many, John McDonough went on to bigger and better things. Shortly after their playoff catastrophe, McDonough joined the neighboring Chicago Blackhawks hockey front office and immediately introduced his concept of fan fest to the organization. He was a large factor in bring the Winter Classic to Wrigley Field in 2009 as the Hawks faced off against rival Detroit and drew over 40,000 in attendance while boasting the highest ratings for any hockey game in 34 years. Another McDonough PR move was bringing back Hall of Famers and re-introducing them to the public as ambassadors for the sports.  Forbes later named the Hawks under his guidance “The Greatest Sports-Business Turnaround Ever.” Since then, he has been promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer.

Well folks, hope you've been hanging in there. We are almost there!
-S

CJ Wilson Thanks his Fans

I thought this was pretty cool, especially since CJ Wilson is one of the few players who goes above and beyond to connect with his fans. This morning at about 5:30am CST time, he uploaded a message to his facebook account that read as follows:

I just want to say thank you to all the ranger fans who have supported me, and my efforts in the community the last six years in Texas. Surely it's both hard for some to understand that I left for a different team let alone a division rival- it was bittersweet for me as well. At the end of the day the rangers didn't make a push to keep me on the team. The angels an marlins wanted me on their... teams and proved it. everything written about an asking price etc was media speculation and never had an ounce of truth. The rangers are a great organization with talented front office and players and will be a difficult team to beat and it's very sad to leave such awesome teammates and fans. The last few years in ranger stadium were special- going from a losing team to bankrupt to american league champs was a complete transformation and obviously everyone should be proud of it. The charity will continue even stronger now and we will continue to support North Texas kids as well as SoCal kids. Please keep that spirit of philanthropy alive for your local causes like cooks children's hospital, Scottish rite, dallas children's and the boys and girls club. - C.J. Wilson

I thought that was an appropriate and grateful response given by the 31 year old southpaw. It wasn't needed nor required, but it goes to show you how much his fans mean to him. Not only will CJ be joining a new team on a 5 year/$77.5MM deal, but he will also be going home. Wilson grew up in Southern California in the city of Newport Beach. Like Pujols, Wilson was offered more to play with the Miami Marlins, but declined. I think the Angels are a perfect fit for CJ... if you follow him on Twitter (twitter.com/str8edgeracer) or are friends with him on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheLefty) then you know the Cali lifestyle was made for him. Comfortability can go a long way in someones career, just ask Carl Crawford.

Happy offseason,
TBL,
-S

Good for Albert Pujols

Congrats to Albert Pujols. Today it was announced via internet blast, that the best player in baseball has agreed in terms to sign with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for 10 years/$250MM contract.

Good for him. Sincerely.

I am a fan of Albert Pujols. In fact, I am a fan of any hard working ballplayer who leads a respectable life on and off the playing field. I am a fan of players who take advantage of their time in the spotlight by leading the world with a good example. I am a fan of players who spend their extra time to promote charity movements or volunteer their time and effort to help those less fortunate.

Like him or hate him, Pujols has earned respect. And not just from us fans, but from teammates, opposing players, coaches, general managers, front office personnel, and children around the world. He has been everything expected from an allstar. He has produced results on the field that have pushed him into a category of his own while maintaining a respectable life off the field. He has no arrests or steriod issues surrounding his name. His pictures online are those of him playing, not of him galavanting around with numerous women or of alcohol infused escapades. He has been a strong role model for young kids around the world. He's made valuable contributions to countless charities and remained active in participating in his free time.

Pujols was offered many lavish contracts this offseason, but thats not what he was going for. Pujols gave each team the opportunity to present him with a contract based on what those teams felt he deserved. The Marlins offered an outlandish 10 year deal, some say amounting to $300MM, but they did not include a no-trade clause. Seriously? If Aramis Ramirez "earned" one with the Cubs, then surely Pujols should have that respect given to him, as well. In the end, the Angels seem to have offered Pujols the contract and life he wants for him and his family for the next ten years of his life.

My facebook newsfeed and twitter timeline are littered with complaints about Pujol's decision. GREEDY. SELFISH. SELLOUT. These are not words to describe a man who has committed his life towards bettering himself at baseball and as a human. Here is a man who has worked his behind off his entire life, perfecting every little detail about his mechanics in order to gain the level he has with us today as one of the elite, arguably best ballplayers of all time.

Here's my persepective. I understand that Cardinal fans can be irrate. But don't blame the man for taking an offer from a team that probably showed him a better deal, not just financially, but respectfully. Albert Pujols has worked his whole life for the chance to decide where his life can go from here. If he wants his family to live in California, without having to be uprooted for the next ten years, then respect his decision. Disagree all you want, but greedy? selfish? sellout? Yes contracts are outlandish. Yes millions upon millions is hard to rationalize for someone who "plays a game" for a living, but that is the market. There are other rediculous contracts out there but if anyone has earned it, it's Pujols.

TBL,
-S

Remembering Ron

Remembering Ron

By: Stephanie Paluch
12/03/2010

It’s been hours now since the news of our beloved Chicago icon has hit the airwaves, and we’ve all dealt with the passing in various ways. When I first got the news, my initial thought was “I have to be at Wrigley. I have to be home.” I've spent the majority of today in thought - remembering Ron in his best, recounting all the times I've met him, and rationalizing how Wrigley will ever be the same.

When I originally wrote this article, I was on a flight to Arizona. Now that I am here, I keep re-reading what I've written, trying to find the right words, but none of it does him justice. Our language has not given us enough words to thoroughly explain how much this individual who lived among us means to us and will always mean to us. No phrase or paragraph written here seems to fulfill the honor of the life of Ron Santo.

For that matter, no amount of grieving has been suffice. With some instances, you assure yourself that in a few hours life will come back to your body- maybe you’ll wake up tomorrow and feel a little better. You rationalize that maybe instead of missing the passed, you will be able to celebrate their former life. I’m not sure how long it will take, but the tears don’t stop. With every memory, I dive deeper into sorrow.

Ronnie mean't a lot to us in Chicago; he mean't a lot to us in the baseball world. Ronnie was as true a Cub and you can find. He was the ultimate fan, and those of us who watched the games with the volume muted and Pat & Ron live on the radio, we know how much he loved these Cubbies. He respected us as fans. He accepted us into his family, and he graciously acknowledged everyone who came to meet him.

When I woke up this morning at 6am and heard the news, the only thing I was certain of was that I needed to be at Wrigley with my family... with my cubs family. I couldn’t risk missing my flight, so I promised myself I'd go straight to Wrigley as soon as I got home on Tuesday. When I checked in at the airport it was 9:30am- 2 hours away from my scheduled departure. As soon as the lady behind the counter told me the flight was already delayed an additional hour, I wasted no time. I literally ran, like my life depended on it, down the corridor opposite the security check point. I bought myself a $5 fare for the L-train, hoped on and headed straight for Wrigley Field. I had tears in my eyes the whole way through as I struggled to find the right words. I had 20 minutes on the train before I'd be at Wrigley and I couldn't for the life of me decide what to say or do.
When I got to Wrigley Field, the sorrow intensified. It was very quiet, yet not isolate. People roamed the streets - Sheffield, Waveland, Addison and Clark. Cubs fans wandering, one to the other, hugging and crying... remembering their favorite stories to reporters.

I had found some words and wrote them the other half of my boarding pass while on the train. Holding the paper in my fingers, I walked up to the stadium and knew this was going to be hard, not only today but for every future game. I walked up to the stadium wall and leaned in close putting my bare hand against the concrete wall. I closed my eyes and remembered Ron. I smelled the air in Wrigley and I heard the cheers with Ronnie leading the way. For a few moments I just stood there replaying my favorite memory, over and over again.

I walked by the Billy Williams statue, where the Harry Carey statue once stood, and remembered my first time meeting Ron at that very spot. It was early in the morning and he was so full of joy, so optimistic. I saw him in passing and said with a smile, “Hi, Mr. Santo!” and he stopped in his path, greeted me just as excitedly and lead the conversation beginning with our beloved Cubbies. Ron was always like that, with every fan. He took his time to greet anyone who wanted to speak to him, signed for children if they asked, and always, always told those who would listen stories from his past.

I saw Ronnie a lot after that, and every time he always seemed to remembered me, or at least I think he did. But that was the thing that made him special - even if Ron had never met you, he acted like you were family.

Last year, in 2010, I didn’t see Ron as much around the ballpark. He was hospitalized a lot more, as expected with his diabetes, but still every time the fans would greet him, a huge smile would stretch across his face and you’d feel his glow of optimism. The last time I spoke to Ron one-on-one, I was working at Wrigley for MLB Network Thursday Night Baseball. It was early August 2009, and the Cubs were set to play the Brewers that day. To get ready for a 7pm game, we started setting up in the production truck around 10am. One of my jobs was running things from the trucks outside to the press box and then to the field if needed. There was one break in the chaos, where all I had to do was wait - and no better a place was this asked of me than when I was in the Cubs dugout. So I sat down on the bench in the Cubs dugout, admiring the field, and waited.

Within half a minute, Billy Williams came and took a seat right next me, sighs, and says, “What a beautiful day for a ball game.” “Absolutely, Mr. Williams,” I replied, “It’s breathtaking from this view.” I sat there and smiled and tried to take in what had just happened, and Billy kept talking. At the end of our short conversation about the weather and cubs, I shook his hand, told him it was a pleasure to meet him and told him I’d see him later in the booth.

Walking down the tunnel, back to the concourse I turned the corner and there was Ron Santo, who exclaims, “Look who’s behind the scenes!” and comes over to hug me. Never before had I hugged Ronnie, but he saw me back there probably looking frantic and in a rush and decided to stop me and say hi. I quickly kidded back by saying, “Ssshhhh! I snuck in!” and held my finger to my lips. We laughed for a second, told him I was on the go and said that I’d say bye before I left the stadium that night. I was never able to see Ronnie again and talk to him after that, and I never said goodbye. Had I moved from that dugout just a moment before or after I had, I would have missed him completely and never would have had that experience.

I will miss Ron, the joy he brought to the ballpark, his voice on the radio, and the optimism he entered each season with. I’ll laugh every time I re-listen to one of his broadcasters, where the cubs just can’t do anything right! And every time I enter Wrigley I'll remember him, and I'll honor him by loving the Cubbies and respecting the game.

I'll see my fellow cubs family at his visitation in Chicagon on thursday where we can all say our goodbyes.

Love you all and thank you to everyone who had reached out to me today. I appreciate all the support we have as a united family. Go Cubs Go!

The Baseball Life,
-S

12/06/2011
Wrigley was not the same this year. I found myself only attending the games I worked for FOX, instead. We still miss Ronnie, everyday and wish he could have been alive to hear the Hall of Fame announce his acceptance, one that was greatly overdue. But we can all rest assured, he is celebrating above us and within our hearts. Thank you to the veteran committee for finally making this right.
#10 you are always with us...
-S

Best Sports Stadiums, Wordwide!

Recently, a lady named Katina from ZenCollegeLife.com forwarded a link to my email entitled “The 10 Most Spectacular Sports Stadiums in the World". After viewing the article, and learning that she's a long time reader on my site (bonus!) I thought I'd share it with everyone here, since it really does blend well with the content already in place. The article highlights the ten most interesting stadiums in the world... not just baseball, but we do have some reprensentation.

Sports are a huge part of our daily lives. The incredible popularity of sports has made them big business, with the most elite teams and the most successful franchises building incredible stadiums to hold the millions of adoring fans who loyally follow their favorite teams. These stadiums have become an essential part of major cities and whole continents throughout the world. They are a source of local and national pride and feature some of the most innovative technology and entertainment advances that the world has ever seen. Here are the top 10 most spectacular stadiums in the world: CLICK HERE to read the rest of the story...

Feel free to pass along your articles or other interesting ones you think the readers here will enjoy, our own little pay it forward in the baseball enthusiast world ;-) Also, keep in mind the site will be changing it look soon as I've been working with a graphic designer to spruce the place up! Always, thanks for your dedication & happy offseason.

-S

Just a Little Marlins Magic on the Day of their Countdown!

On today, 11/11/11 most people are busy making wishes and celebrating with friends for the hope of a little bit of additional luck in their lives... me? Well, I'll just be waiting to see the Marlins unveil their new uniforms, stadium, and logos tonight.

I have a dog named Annabelle Sanchez (literally, its on her dog tag) because when she was abandoned at my door step in the Summer of 2010 she became oddly obsessed with my authentic Marlins hat I had accidentally left on my coffee table. Anytime in those first 2 weeks I had her in my home, she'd sneakly grab the apparal left out on the table and hoard it in her new dog cage. Once I decided I was going to keep her, I had to find a perfect name. From her constantly frightened demeanor and actual fear of all men, it was clear to me that this dog had been a victim of abuse, so much so that should would cringe any time anyone tried to pet her. Her luck was bound to change, especially once she found me. I figured I'd bypass a generic "Lucky" name for the dog left abandoned and decided to don her with the "super-lucky" Anibal Sanchez tag, cleverly changing the spelling in the first name to make her a little more feminine.

I justified her being named Annabelle Sanchez for a few reasons. For one, she was obsessed with cap. I assumed she like the colors, or maybe hated the Cubs (2003 reference, my bad). But mostly, due to the fact that Anibal Sanchez  had a no hitter against the odds of a Marlins defense that had ranked as one of the worst defenses ever fielded by the organization. Six rookies started in that game on September 6, 2006 against the Arizona Diamondbacks including Sanchez who was making only his 13th Major League start of his career. That alone was a record for a no hitter in terms of the number of rookies used.

Was that enough luck for this little pup? No chance. I also took into account the fact that despite his 4 walks issued in the game, he only yieled 103 pitches in the 9 innings at home. This also came at a time where we, as fans of Major League Baseball, had gone the longest without enjoying a no hitter - 6,364 games since Randy Johnson's perfect-o May 18, 2004 for the Dbacks. Therefore, I rationalized that her unlucky streak would be broken, as well.

Needless to say, I like to keep my dogs current on their teams so I will be ordering a new hat for little Annabelle tonight at 11pm when the on-line store at http://www.marlins.com/ opens orders.

To new begininings, cheers!
-TBL, S

Obsessed with the World Series

The title says its all.. I am literally, 100% obsessed with the World Series. I can even name every World Series winner since 1903 without cheating - and I can name them all in less than 15minutes thanks to http://www.sporcle.com/. In high school I studied narratives depicting the early 1900's fall classic with the Philly A's and New York Giants. One may ponder as to why I am so excited with the World Series, considering as a Cubs fan I have never been able to actually celebrate it with my own team. Bitter? Never. I genuinely feel like "its the year" every year, and when it's not (103 years and counting) it only takes a breif offseason depression before my hope are renewed in the next spring.

Nevertheless, I am consumed with the Fall Classic. I get teary at the opening ceremonies, excited to hear the National Anthem, exhuberant with every good play. I get so involved I pray like my life depends on it that "my team" wins. I'm enamored with the Fall - its' beautiful weather makes the night games feel like real baseball. For me, the World Series is the kick off to my holidays!

Now, I'm not going to make predictions (cough, Rangers in 5, cough) nor throw around stats and probabilities because everyone else is already doing that. I'd only overkill it. So instead, I'm going to share with you my some of the historic logos of theWorld Series in the current era. Have you seen this years yet (look to the left!)? It's wonderful! It makes me want to rake leaves into a giant pile and jump in the them and turn them into confetti! Okay, a little much... but in all seriousness looking at the logo makes it legitimatly feel like the Fall Classic... and boy has it come far from its proceeding images (thank you high-def). So below are some logos I've found and looking at them gives me the sensation of seeing the highlight reels and game day footage play before me. They stamp the annual occuance and mark our jerseys and programs as historic evidence of the great winners in this game. And it's cool to see how creative (or lack thereof) they have been over time.





World Series fun fact? In 1903, 1919, 1920 and 1921 the World Series was a 9 game exhibition. Every year between and after has been 7, like we are use to today.

Enjoy the World Series, don't let it pass you by, and don't take one play for granted. This is where it all counts!

The Baseball Life,

S 

The New Marlins, 11-11-11

On 11-11-11 the Miami Marlins

will be introduced to the baseball world....

Along with their new logo, uniforms, and stadium.



The above logo was leaked recently, and while it's been refuted as anything but likely I still want to visit the issue. Logan Morrison has publicly compared it to the monopoly logo, holding them side by side to reporters and said they'd be "the skill boys chasing the rainbow..." Fans have publicly shared their outrage at the lack of creation in the image and most hope the front office can come up with something better. Most used word to descrive the leaked image? "Horrendous." I didn't particularly think of it as atrocious, but I also did not care for it. It in no way compels the argument for the "future of baseball" to an organization that so badly needs to instill a consistant fan base. It may grab the attention of some baseball purists, but would not draw interest from the young, new, or most importanly casual fans.

As a part of the 1993 MLB expansion, the Marlins never had a real chance for success, in terms of building a fan base. Their chance to become a real, professional market in Florida never thrived because they never had their own marketable identity, as they were forced to share a playing surface with the local NFL team, the Miami Dolphins. In their commencing year in 1993, they drew over 3 million in attendance and averaged 37,838 per game. The fans were there, and they were excited for a ball club in their city. But, in their sophomore season attendance fell by over a million and kept a steady decline for the years following until their first Championship season in 1997 where their attendance spiked back up to a little over 2.3 million. But, by 2002 the team fell to its shortest attendance ever, reaching under 1 million for the whole season. In their second Championship season in 2003 they averaged only 16,290 fans per game, but in the following two years they hiked that number up a little to over 22,000 per game. In 2011, their 19th season, the Marlins drew short of 1.5 million by 22,538 in attendance. Looking at these past figures, you can see why the Marlins organization has pushed so hard for a new stadium. It is hard to create a brand while you are sharing your main profit with another organization. The exclusivity of having their own stadium will help structure a fan base for the rest of it's existence.

With that being said, the other part of the 11-11-11 unveiling is their unbelievable new stadium. One of my favorite websites, http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/ has a complete review including pictures of the uncompleted ballpark. In their review they write that one of the distinct features of the ballpark will be matching 600 gallon saltwater fish tanks on each side of the backstop behind homeplate that will be made out of bulletproof glass to prevent foul balls from shattering the glass. Construction on the $634 million dollar stadium began July of 2009 and is almost complete. The Miami Marlins will kick off their new franchise versus the New York Yankees on April 1st of 2012 in a pre-season match, while the regular season will commence on April 4th, 2012 versus the St. Louis Cardinals. And the best news for Florida fans... a three panel retractable roof that will only take 13 minutes to open/close. No more rain delays. No more sharing a field with a football team. The stadium will also be a futuristic design, somewhat similar to the Chicago Bears stadium, in my opinion. No brick exterior depicting old era ball, instead it will be white stucco with silver detailing. Large white columns will showcase the Miami skyline against 37,000 dark royal blue seats. Dead center field is designed at 420 feet from homeplate, with the lines measuring 340 to left and 335 to right. The pictures below are from http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/.

Outside view of the stadium, retractable roof built in with an oversized awning

Image of the Miami Marlins new, baseball only, stadium

View of the outfield concourse/bullpen - white columns open to the Miami skyline

Aerial view of the new stadium, where the Orangle Bowl was previously held.

Now, after seeing all the plans, projected images, and style of the new stadium it seems near impossible to imagine such a retro logo to be the new franchise marker of the Marlins. Many Marlins sources have denied any link to the image that has been circulating, and I hope they are telling the truth. My guess, and this is without any information from any sources, is white on royal blue with grey. Blue is futuristic to match the stadium, white is classic and timeless. If they added some orange (or other complimenting color) bordering, that would serperate them from the Royals or Blue Jays. But, I would not be surprised to see the Miami Marlins go the classic route and add some dark cerulean blue pinstripes to their home attire. Either way, I am interested to see how they end up and fit into the overall theme of the new franchise.

Below is a video tribute to the New Miami Marlins

Thanks for reading & Happy Playoffs!
TBL,
-S

Today's Baseball News

Linking to a few of my favorite sites/writers. Although I may not write about the big headlines, these guys do a great job with the best insight.... check them out!

Francona expected to leave Red Sox
by Ken Rosenthal/ FOX Sports, CLICK HERE.


Rangers appear to have edge, but Tampa Bay has resilience
by Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com, CLICK HERE.

First Division Finish
by Ted Leavengood/ Seamheads.com
No, the Nationals are not headed for the playoffs, and yes, the smug fans up the coast will shake their heads in bemusement at the joy we share at finishing in the top half of the 30 Major League baseball teams. CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE...


GM: Don't expect quick Jose Reyes deal
by Adam Rubin/ESPN.com, CLICK HERE.


10 Numbers for the ALDS: Tigers vs. Yankees
by Alex Remington/ BigLeagueStew.com
As the start of the postseason approaches, Big League Stew's Alex Remington will take a look at the statistics that might make a difference in each series. Up next are the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees, who will kick off their series tonight in the Bronx. CLICK HERE TO READ.

MLB 2011 Postseason Schedule - 1st Round

                 AL Division Series (TBS) 

Game 1:    DET @ NYY (Friday, 9/30)

                 TB @ TEX (Friday, 9/30)

Game 2:    DET @ NYY (Saturday, 10/1)
                 TB @ TEX (Saturday, 10/1)

Game 3:    NYY @ DET (Monday, 10/3)
                TEX @ TB (Monday, 10/3)

Game 4*   NYY @ DET (Tuesday, 10/4)
                TEX @ TB (Tuesday, 10/4)

Game 5*   DET @ NYY (Thursday, 10/6)
                 TB @ TEX (Thursday, 10/6)

                NL Division Series (TBS)
Game 1:  STL @ PHI (Saturday, 10/1)
              ARI @ MIL (Saturday, 10/1)
Game 2:  STL @ PHI (Sunday, 10/2)
              ARI @ MIL (Sunday, 10/2)
Game 3:  PHI @ STL (Tuesday, 10/4)
              MIL @ ARI (Tuesday, 10/4)
Game 4* PHI @ STL (Wednesday, 10/5)
              MIL @ ARI (Wednesday, 10/5)
Game 5* STL @ PHI (Friday, 10/7)
               ARI @ MIL (Friday, 10/7)

Midwest League Playoffs/ Attendance

I spent this past weekend in Davenport, Iowa to watch the Quad Cities River Bandits (Cardinals, single A) play in the second round the the Midwest League Playoffs against the Kane County Cougars (Royals, single A). This past Saturday, September 10th was the first of the three game series for the second round of playoffs. The Bandits had home field advantage after clinching a playoff spot in the frist half of the season, so they started the series in Geneva, Illinois at Elfstrom Stadium where the Cougars call home. It was a beautiful day with a late afternoon start of 4:00pm CST. And an entire 785 tickets were sold.

The Cougars draw particularily well of the Midwest League teams, sometimes selling out with over 7,500 fans in attendance. For the past 8 years they have been affiliated with the Oakland Athletics, but prior to this season they swapped farm teams with the Royals sending the A's out to Burlington, Iowa. The loyalty of fans did not drastically change throughout the regular season, still with big enthusiastic crowds but now sporting more blue than dark green. This past Saturday in Geneva was 74 degrees and partly cloudy. The starting pitcher, Trevor Rosenthal threw a 4 hit complete game shut out to put the bandits up 1-0 in the 3 game series. Of the 785 tickets old, 500 people may have stuck around to see the 7-0 victory for the Bandits.

On Sunday, the Bandits resumed play at their home field, Modern Woodman Park where they typically draw 4,000 -5,000 for a weekend game. Intensified by the current playoff race and going for their second sweep in the postseason this year, you'd figure again to see a decent crowd. Wrong again. 582 tickets were sold and from the looks of it maybe 200 actually showed up. Both were perfect days weather wise.

Sunday in Davenport, Iowa was 78 degrees and sunny with a few overcast clouds. Sitting in the stands on Sunday I kept thinking, "what perfect baseball weather." It was the enough-to-get-a-light-tan-without-sweating-perfusely kind of weather. To top all of this off, the bandits came back from a 5-0 deficit to win in walk off fashion in the bottom of the 9th on a 3 run homer by Nick Longmire to sweep the Cougars and advance to the Midwest League Championship series.

The team celebrating their walkoff in the bottom of the 9th (notice the mostly empty stands)

For a majority of the current River Bandits, this could be their second Championship ring in as many seasons. Last season in Johnson City, the low A affiliate of the Cardinals, they took home the Championship and many of those same players advanced to full A this season and are on the same track. That being said, I think Cardinal fans should be especially proud of the crop of talent they have in their minor leagues.

This leaves us with the question, Why are these games not high in attendance? They are on weekends with great weather at their respected home fields. Two weeks ago in the regular season they were sellouts. After asking around at the stadiums to various employees, the overall concensus was that the playoffs never sell out, nor do they ever come close. Why is there not more advertising? Is there a lack of care or could it be that the NFL week 1 was in progress? I am not quite sure, but one thing I know is that all these fans that came out for the season needs to get to their ballparks! This is the most exciting time for the players and fans. Just because the give aways are not bobbleheads does not warrant an empty stadium. This does bring me back to a reoccuring theme on my blog that baseball is advertising to the mass audiences when they should be focusing on the fanatics. Rightly so, it is short notice that the public recieves on when the games will be played but I would like to see other suggestions on how to expand the exposure of the Minor League playoffs. I feel as if this is a goldmine for fans just being completely over looked. We have high round talents playing for Championships for crying out loud! Please email me at s.betweenthelines@yahoo.com with any additional info or suggestions.

If you are interested, the Quad Cities River Bandits will be playing the Championship series starting Wednesday at the Lansing Lugnuts. They will play games 1 and 2 of the 5 game series at Lansing, and will then come home to Davenport for games 3, 4 (if necessary) and 5 (if necessary) on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday respectibly. I will be there for all three games in the Quad Cities, as well. This is for the Midwest League Championship so come out and support your baby birds! If you have to drive super far, I may just buy your ticket for you... email me!

The Baseball Life,
-S

September Call Ups

Today marks the first day Major League rosters convert their 25 man rosters to 40 for the duration of the regular season. For many of these call ups, its their first taste at the Major League level - friends, family, and fans can revel in the enjoyment in seeing the beginning of the future for these hard working rookies.

The expanded rosters can provide to be a valuable tool for teams vying for post season play, but unless the player was on the 25 man active roster before midnight on August 31st, he is not eligible for the post season roster.

The September expansions are as equally important to non-condending teams as they are for the playoff hopeful. Bringing up young talent now, is a great way to alleviate some pressure in the transfer from minors to majors as it give them an early audition for the following season. It can also give front office personal a chance to assess the talent they have in the minors and see how they perform in the role of a Major Leaguer.

On the other hand, many players being called up will be expected to help their teams decrease that *magic number* and push them into the playoffs. For example, with the Yankees currently trailing the Red Sox 1.5 games in the standing, they will look to their prized catching prospect, Jesus Montero, to make his debut (today) and serve as an extra bat on the bench. He would be given a start and mostly some spot AB's and if he's hot, he could take over the role Eric Chavez has held as DH or even lock down a starting postition to carry into the following year.

That being said, the month of September is arguably the most crucial for our teams' farm systems. Friends and family will be filling the ballparks to cheer on the debuts of players everywhere and fans will be anxious to see the talent of their teams come alive in front of their own eyes! To all the fans who's teams are in contention (not mine) congrats and enjoy this last month before the playoffs!

Congrats to all the September call ups!
The Baseball Life,
-S

Enjoying the All Star Game

Enjoying the All Star Game

By: Stephanie Paluch

Last night, I anxiously hurried home from work in anticipation for the 2011 MLB All Star Game. I even prepped before hand - picking up dinner and taking the dogs for a nice long walk so that I wouldn't have any interruptions during the game. I got myself situated, logged on to twitter and facebook and then it began - the massive amounts of complaints.

Let me start by saying, I understand if baseball is not your thing... but don't sit on the internet and voice how annoyed you are with the drawn out intros or long innings. If you aren't aware, baseball doesn't run by a clock and if you prefer your sport to do so, then there's always the option of football or basketball.

Also, please refrain from complaining about how its a "worthless" or "meaningless" game. I think most purists and die hard fanatics would prefer that the game actually have no real meaning other than being able to see a crop of the best players in baseball represent the two leagues while playing in the ultimate fantasy showdown. The only reason why meaning was awarded to the game was so that casual fans would be enticed to watch, thus raising television ratings to gain a larger profit for the business. If the purists and addicts had our way, we'd much rather watch for the pure enjoyment of seeing the elite baseball talent on the same field, battling for merely bragging rights.

I also understand that not everyone is happy with the choice in broadcast talent. Although we should know what to expect with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver at this point, we still have our opinions are rightfully awarded so. Along with that, Chris Berman has been the voice of the Homerun Derby, literally since the year I was born. So after 25 years, his "back, back, back, back, gone!" calls should pretty much be engrained as a tradition for the derby. Yet again, both twitter and facebook were consumed with Buck and McCarver hate fests as well as Berman's over-reaction to every ball hit over the wall. There is always room for improvement, so what will make us happy? Instead of complaining we can try to instill some new ideas. The power of the web even urges us to share ideas amongst each other. Write to FOX and let them know your candidates. Go on twitter, like @thebaseballcube and post an idea of your own:

This of course prompted me to ask my followers who they'd prefer hosted the games. Most said Vin Sculley, Bob Uecker, or even Pat Hughes. So what if the fans voted on broadcasters? Obviously other factors come into play, like who they are employed by or if FOX can get rights for that, I'm not sure of the specifics. But the point is, it's an idea. My favorite quote that I live by is "If you don't like something, then change it. If you can't change it, then change your attitude." I don't expect everyone to jump on board and just agree with me, but I also question why you complain about something if aren't willing to do something to change it?

My facebook status last night probably was a bit dramatic but at the same time I was annoyed with the consistent amount of complaints clogging my newsfeed. So, yes even I succumbed to complants for a little while but then took my keyboard skills to twitter and decided to opt for others opinions on improving the events.

It would be thrilling if this were a perfect baseball loving world and we could have an All Star Game based on pure love of the game, showcasing the best talent while still being competitive. Yet, as Americans we need it to mean something in order to have an interest in it. And baseball needs the mass audience to care so that the ratings are high and top dollar is generated. But, that's business. There is never going to be one solution to suit the masses but there are areas of improvement, I am sure. Whether there are improvements or not, it's an annual occurance we should learn to just appreciate for what it is... a spectacular game of baseball with the players we voted in. Sometimes it doesn't need to be perfect... it just needs to be enjoyed for what it is.

Take care all & happy baseball life,

-S

Work Pictures, Enjoy!

Throughout the baseball season, I get the opportunity to work for MLB Network and FOX Sports when they come to Chicago to do broadcasts for the White Sox and/or Cubs. I started this a couple years ago while I was working at Comcast SportsNet, on a morning sports show called Monsters in the Morning. This summer, I started freelance working for FOX as a runner/production assistant which basically means I am one of two people going from the production truck to broadcast booth to the dugouts/field area relaying information, stats sheets, or helping with random things to get the broadcast going. I absolutely love it, if for no other reason that I get to be at the ballpark surrounded by knowledgable baseball people. The crews are always so on top of their game, without a single little detail going unplanned or unnoticed.

The pictures below are some of my view point from the following games:
5/14/11: Cubs vs Reds
6/11/11: Cubs vs Yankees
6/25/11: White Sox vs Nationals
Hope you enjoy!

5/14/11: Work area in the broadcast booth

5/14/11: Cubs Win!

6/11/11: Wrigley Field from the 3rd base camera well

6/11/11: Work area for the game, camera well by the dugout

6/11/11: Squeezed into the camera well!

6/11/11: Carlos Pena on third base

6/11/11: Alex Rodriguez getting ready for the inning

6/11/11: Garza's seat for every game!

6/25/11: Getting prepped for Sox v Nationals, love that ballpark cam!

Lineup card for Sox v Nats

6/25/11: Another different work area... in the production truck doing Sounds of the Game today!

6/25/11: View from Sox dugout... pre-game.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed the pictures and hopefully you got to see a different angle of the stadiums! I firmly believe in sharing baseball experiences, which was my reason for starting this blog. There is nothing better than I emails I receive and pictures you guys send in from your trips around Major and Minor league ballparks. If I've learned nothing else from baseball, it's that others share in similar passions. No matter how different you may think you are, there is always someone else out there, in our world of 6+ billion, who shares in those feelings. Baseball has brought a lot of opportunity my way, mostly because others like myself who have shared stories and taught me to chase my dreams. You will never be younger that you are at this very moment. Do not wait to follow your dreams; don't let anything or anyone hinder the pursuit of your goals. Do it now while you have the opportunity.

Thanks for reading and keep sharing your trips!

TBL,

-S

s.betweenthelines@yahoo.com