White Sox Kick It Off on ESPN2

Workers are rioting in Paris, torching every Cooper Mini in sight. Undocumented Aliens are flooding our country and sapping our resources. Iran has finally enriched their uranium, and is planning to launch on Israel. And, our media is giving aid and comfort to the enemy in Iraq by criticizing our every effort to win the hearts and minds of Iraqis. But, what the hell?! Opening Day is here!!! The first 20,000 fans will receive a free pair of rally socks on Sunday night at U.S. Cellular Park, when the White Sox take on Cleveland. This game holds great interest for both teams and their fans because: a.) It's the Opener b.)it's on ESPN2 c.)Cleveland wants to show they're better without Jim Thome d.)the Sox want to show they're better with him.

For Fantasy Leaguers, I have two lock-down, sure-thing sleeper picks: OF Brian Anderson, White Sox and at 2B, Texas Rangers' Ian Kinsler. I love stories about long-shot-guys who never give up. Kinsler fits that description. He bounced around three different schools collegiately. And, he was drafted in the 17th round as a shortstop. His first year out of college (2003), he didn't look back, hitting .402 with 11 Home Runs and 52 RBI's in 59 games to start the season at low Single-A Clinton. He kept tearing it up, even after changing postitions in 2005 in AAA. His development was the twinkle in Buck Showalter's eye last year, as Alfonso Soriano led the MLB in errors at 2nd Base.

Remember Derrick Gordon, Lamar Lefty? Last night, he went 6 strong innings against Texas A&M in Beaumont. The Aggies won with a walk-off tater by RF Blake Stouffer in the 10th Inning. Gordon allowed 4 hits, 2 earned runs and had 7Ks. I imagine he had to feel alright with that. A pitcher has to have an almost separate agenda than the rest of the team. He has got to go to the mound with a set of goals that ignore the play of the rest of the team. In this way, he won't be affected by defensive errors. Nor will he delude himself that great play by his team will mask a poor outing.

Junior had a day last Sunday like Gordon's, throwing 4 Innings against a team that has been a nemisis since he was Nine Years Old. (The Triangle Terminators) He threw 60 pitches, 40 for strikes, had 3 Ks, allowing 2 unearned runs. His team lost 2-0. The other pitcher threw a wicked no-hitter over 6 Innings. On most days, John's effort would have been good enough to win. On Sunday, it wasn't. But, he was poised throughout, and met his goals on the mound. I was proud of him.

And, with the world essentially circling the toilet, I appreciate a every last good game a lot, even if my team came out on the wrong end. Torch every Matchbox Car in Gay Paree'! Do we care?! We got our our cold Bud. And, opening Day is here!! Hoorah!

Alexandar the Great & Flash Gordon

My friend Erin, the hockey-mom sent me a link to a short composition on Alexandar Ovechkin. You have never heard of him before now. But, in three minutes, you'll be his newest fan.
Alexandar The Great

My son worked out last night with a lefty pitcher named Derrick Gordon. Gordon pitches currently for Lamar University. His fastball regularly tops out at 90mph. In 2004, he was on the SLC All-Freshman Team.

Derrick Gordon's Bio

He talked Junior through about 50 pitches, before telling him to shut it down. Gordon's friend, Lamar Catcher C.J. Ebarb was in a hurry to go. But, Derrick stuck around with John. They talked and joked and relaxed as each tried to one-up the other's knuckleball tosses. He seemed very happy to meet a kid and be a kid.

The dig on Lamar's Lefty is that (5'9") he may not possess big-league dimensions. But, if my son was a GM, he'd draft him #1. Gordon is as soft-spoken and articulate as any college ballplayer we've seen. And, he took the time to connect with a 13-year-old, at a time in his life when compliments and support are so critical to a boy's self-esteem and self-concept. Derrick seemed to be happy to help. He seemed to understand that connecting with the younger ballplayers is part of his responsibility. Gordon may never be seen in the Bigs. (On the other hand, he IS a lefty with good stuff.)But, in terms of success in life, one meeting is all it takes to tell that he's a lock.

If you read the Newberg Report (and you should), check out today's piece, mentioning one of my favorite sports-topics, the bandwagoner. Lastly, I want it noted for the record that I have successfully lived to be 40 years of age without ever seeing one episode of American Idol, The O.C. (or any of the line of asinine televised teen-oriented quasi-porn), The Family Guy, Scrubs, Two and A Half Men or The West Wing. Amazing, isn't it? How could one remain informed?

Spring Break Catch-Up

Check out Jamey Newberg's insights after visiting Ranger Spring Training this week:
March 16th Newberg Report
This perspective is valuable because it mentions the family and friends of ballplayers trying to make it in the MLB. No ballplayer is an individual. He represents the tale of a family; parents who taught him, loved him, hurt him and hurt for him. Every player is the tale of an investment, the conclusion of which is whether or not the investment was big enough. Before you cast your disdain onto the garden-variety, over-paid big-league ballplayer, read Jamey's reflections.

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In her typical maddening fashion, my wife has taken the first-round lead in my NCAA Basketball Bracket Extravaganza. Every year, she thinks of a way to outsmart the studious, conscientious sports fan, by making her picks based upon uniform color or mascot name. This year, she based her picks on aWestern Theme. Committing a near-sports-sacrilege, she's got University of Texas winning it all. There must be a method to her madness because she picked Northwestern State over Iowa! I'm fairly certain she's the only one in the country who made that pick. Infuriating. Simply infuriating.

She's an electrical engineer by training. So, you might expect her to be running the numbers and RPI ratings through her HP calculator, methodically posting the scores on a spread sheet. Privately, I believe she thinks this stuff is asinine. It is quite beneath her dignity to dedicate more than a five minutes of her time to the selection of an NCAA National Champion. And, that makes her success all the more frustrating. Next year, I am not letting any girls into my famous Bracket Extravaganza.

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We spent Spring Break out at my Dad's Ranch, just south of San Antonio. He was glad to have us out there to break up the monotony of over 100 days without a drop of rain.

I am increasingly glad that we have fun places for the kids to spend their time at Spring Break. During my college days, a young lad could find more than his share of trouble in places like Padre Island, Cancun or Daytona Beach. Sadly, the damage done by one's own poor decisions during these periods of mindless bedlam might never be undone during his/her lifetime. I did damage to myself and others. When they get older, I have determined that I will sacrifice my relationship with my children before I will sacrifice their physical and spiritual health to the demons of our society.

Sorry about the rant. Anyway, we took my son's friend Cameron to the ranch. He is the best shot with a rifle of any of John's friends. He almost single-handedly irradicated one pond of its snake population. In one instance, my old dad got into the action, producing a .22 pistol and vanquishing one alarmingly large snake from its perch in a tree, overhanging the water.

I have been trying to anticipate things that my kids can do for Spring Break (in their teens) that will be both fun and edifying. I need ideas that will interest them.

Who is Jerry Schmidt?

A fanatical OU alum, Laurie Harmon told me about Mr. Schmidt, the strength and conditioning coach for Bob Stoops. After reading the following article, it was no wonder to me why the Sooners keep winning. They also keep turning out guys like Roy Williams, who is generally regarded as the hardest-hitting DB in professional football.

Who Is Jerry Schmidt?

Papa John and Clemens Scheduled to Start

If you missed the last start of Roger Clemens' Redford-esque career in Game Four of the World Series in 2003 (Yankees), or the last start of his shining career on October 22nd of 2005 in the World Series against the White Sox, don't worry about it. The latest "Last Start" of Roger Clemens' career is today, March 10th, 2006, when he takes on the lowly South African Squad in what has become a very exciting World Baseball Classic. If you miss this one because of the unfortunate 2:00PM start time, don't worry about that either. The next "last start" of the legendary Rocket is tentatively scheduled for October.

John's next start is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, in Brenham, Texas. He has been having a lot of success of late. But, he's getting to be a sort of 13-year-old David Wells. Wells takes a beer-and-cigarettes approach to conditioning and training. But, its the corpulent righty's obscene ability that has made him successful. "Papa John" has been doing it with game-day effort like Wells, while taking the off-week preparation casually. The sad truth of it is this: neither Wells nor Papa John can have the kind of tenure at the highest level that the Rocket has had if they don't commit to their preparation. (This is not to say that John hasn't been hitting the crap out of the baseball lately. He has been tough with a bat in his hand in the past month and a half.)

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Complacency - n - com·pla·cen·cy A feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy

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If John doesn't have a great pitching performance tomorrow, it may be for the best. He really has potential to be good. But, as they say in the Oklahoma Sooners' weight room, "Hard Work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." The occasional stumble might reinforce that pearl of wisdom.

Bonus: Since you're doing your homework, and checking my blog, I'm going to help raise your Baseball IQ. Roger Clemens has the most career wins in the "Live Ball Era". Most folks think that after 1920 (start of the Live-Ball Era), the construction of the baseball changed. In fact, the construction remained constant. But, the rules of professional baseball changed to help hitters. Prior to 1920, professional baseball re-used foul balls. This gave players plenty of opportunity to scuff the ball for the pitcher. Since that time, foul balls have been replaced. So, pitchers had to ostensibly play fair.

Youth Sports: Why Put Up With This S*&$?

Mike Reed of Pasadena, Texas correctly summed about youth sports, “Parents have become the ultimate fools.” Everyone is aware of news stories about parents bludgeoning each other in the stands or the “Texas Cheerleader Mom” hiring members of the Corleone Family to “whack” the coach, another kid or the French and Russian Judges. (I don’t know that lady. But, I recall buying Girl Scout Cookies from her outside the Walmart.) In fact, just this week a dad in nearby Canton, Texas was convicted of shooting his son’s football coach. (I’m not on a first-name basis with that guy. But, we buy our tobacco and deer corn at the same store.) Competitive Youth Sports is a minefield, fraught with perils, be it baseball, hockey, football, motocross or Azteca-Style Horseback Riding (Indeed, one of our faithful readers’ sons is the preeminent young rider in South Texas). At such a tempestuous time, we brave few must remind ourselves why we expose ourselves and our children to the ugliest displays of selfishness, violence and self-aggrandizement. To clarify, we do it because our kids need our support in this competitive world. In reality, if we’re big enough to make a baby, we are big enough to keep the implicit covenant to teach him/her about life. And, where better to do that than the odorous cauldron of emotions and histrionics of sports? However, sometimes those emotions get the better of us. So, we must constantly check our motives.

Society wants your kid to fail. Don’t take it personally. But, society doesn’t want to see your kid at the top. They want their kid at the top. (Again, nothing personal.) It’s a numbers game. From a secular, purely mathematic perspective, there just aren’t too many spots at the peak of the proverbial podium. So, if your kid wants to stand there, he’s got to pull somebody off, slide on sideways and knee somebody else in the groin to force his way. And, it is not just that impersonal in sports. Every pursuit worth pursuing requires grit and determination. So, smart parents hedge their bets by playing the ‘Sports’ game, the ‘Academics’ game and a wildcard (like dance, ceramics or Olympic-Style Curling). Kids need our support. They need their own pit-crew to succeed in this endless drive for advancement. Like EVERY race, things get heated, tense and demanding. Successful kids today need parents ready after school to pull them in the front door, wipe their noses, shove a protein-rich, vitamin-packed, Strawberry-Banana NASA bar in their mouth, stab an electrolyte IV in their arm, update the spreadsheet on BM’s and throw them into the car to listen to soothing Classical piano all the way to their Business Leadership for the Nine-Year-Old Entrepreneur Seminar. Society is a punitive dog-eat-dog place. Nothing personal, just a numbers game.

The Parent/Child Pursuit Covenant is this: If you honor him, he will honor you. (This applies to girls too.) If you give him the support he needs, he will compliment you with sincere effort in all his pursuits. Never was there a child who didn’t want the approval of his parents, so the above is a hard and fast rule. Another aspect of The Covenant: your child’s youth will test the depth of your belief in your core values. In other words, do you believe in your platitudes enough to invest your child’s youth? For example, how many seasons in a row will you poke out your chest and pronounce,

You never lose if you never quit

if your child has still never won anything? How many years will you tell your son

There are no short-cuts if you want to succeed

as you and he continually watch his peers getting ahead by way of parental favoritism and politics? The PCP Covenant implies that he is not the only one who is being tested. You’re both being tested. You’re in this together.

Relating to our motives for pushing our kids, I wrote the following in my epic masterpiece, DADDY BALL:

As good fathers, our most fervent wish is simply to have each spring afternoon develop as follows:

1. Drive to ballpark with son, hitting all the lights.
2. Son remembers all his equipment, and carries his own bag.
3. Win coin-flip.
4. The sun shines brightly into the dugout of the other team.
5. Infield plays tight, fundamental defense.
6. Outfielders keep their heads in the game.
7. Son pitches two or three innings, just to let the dog out a little. He fires blistering cheese, while buckling knees with that filthy knuckle-change thingy.
8. Son breaks tie with a walk-off double and RBI in bottom of the last inning.
9. As dusk falls over the ballpark, father and son walk to parking lot while all other dads make-way; other moms silently contemplate the father’s strong jaw and incomparable manliness, as well as the son’s easy swagger.
10. Dad puts arm around son, and they both smile.

That sounds fair enough, doesn’t it? We’re not asking too much there, are we? It’s important to remember that every daddy is trying to pave the way for HIS son’s walk-off, game-winning base-hit. So, in order to reduce the sometimes unrealistic pressure to succeed, remember that some afternoons will end with failure. Now, ask yourself: In failure, where is the first place your child looks? (Yes. He looks at you, seeking understanding.) So, remember to believe in him enough not to lose faith after one bad game. A real father finds the virtue in each loss.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering
produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

--Romans 5:3-4

We’ll actually expect to lose on occasion because we trust that our kids are strengthened by it, in the long run. Our motives have got to be centered on the growth of our children, not the results of the game.

There has never been a team in youth sports that fell apart because of the players. No videotaped bludgeoning of a referee was ever meted out by the kids. And, no bitterness amongst the players ever continued for a season without the implicit sanction of a petty parent. As the old adage goes, youth sports would be a picnic if it wasn’t for the parents. (Please cease and desist with all comparisons between me and Tennis-Dad from Mont-De-Marsan, France.) Sports for our kids have become rugged, ugly testing grounds for their character and the quality of their upbringing…….. And, guess what…… That’s what childhoods are supposed to be. So, parent and child: remember your covenant, support each other, check your motives, buckle your helmet and get in the game.