Anecdotes, Antidotes, and Anodes

March Madness . . . How to Pick 'Em

My love for sports is probably because of this man.

My love for sports is 100% because of this man.

He was a great athlete...and once he didn't play football or baseball or basketball, he officiated football and baseball and basketball...and once he didn't officiate football and baseball and basketball, he was the announcer for the Antlers Bearcats Football Team for many years !

My earliest memories of watching sporting events with him was when we lived in the boondocks of southeastern Oklahoma.  We had an antenna and could receive two channels on our itty- bitty black and white TV:  KXII TV out of Ardmore-Sherman-Denison, and KTEN out of Ada.   To change the channels meant going outside and using a pipe wrench to twist the pole so the antenna faced a certain direction.  I knew it was facing the right way when Daddy or Mom would yell, "That's it. Stop."

It was always a sad day when one of those "wind comes sweeping down the plain" kind of storms would blow the antenna over, landing it on the roof of our house or sending it sailing into Wren Shaw's pasture.

As long as I can remember, Daddy would always have the TV on with ANY kind of sporting event and the radio on at the same time listening to another event.  There were many Saturdays when he had the TV on, the transistor radio on, and the car radio on, too.  Sometimes it was my job to sit in the car and then come into the house to report the latest score.   I loved it.

Once I was old enough, he 'taught' me how to run.  Yes, there is a technique of running and he coached me.  I can still see him running up and down the football field or basketball court in that striped zebra shirt.  There was hardly a high school player who could out run him, even though he was several years older.  He had those broad shoulders, tiny waist, and legs that were strong and churned like pistons.  Emmitt Smith comes to mind.

He taught me sports etiquette.  To this day, I have never booed a call and it sends me up the wall when the crowd does that.  It also irks me that fans applaud unforced errors in tennis.  In my tennis-playing-days, we just didn't do that. 

So, what does all this about my dad have to do with March Madness ? 

It means that the love he instilled in me for sports lives on today.  Whether it's college basketball or football, the World Series,  the Super Bowl,  or Grand Slam Tennis, I'll be watching, if possible.  Even though he's been gone almost thirty years, sometimes the urge hits me to reach for the phone, call him, and ask, "Hey, did you see that play?"

While filling out my brackets for The NCAA Basketball Tournament, there were those memories of when Daddy and I would predict scores for just about anything.  He was usually the winner 90% of the time. 

One of my strategies for choosing my teams was very scientific...watching Bracketology, taking notes,  comparing what the experts said, and listening to Dick Vitale, which, for me,  is like hearing fingernails scratching on a chalkboard.

But, my youngest daughter has the best strategy of all. 

Here it is how she chose her teams for this year's March Madness Brackets:

I like Missouri and St. Louis because Natasha went to both.
Indiana will go far because they had that basketball movie.
UNLV beats Baylor because Vegas is cooler than Waco and there's more glitter in Vegas.
I have friends in Michigan so Michigan and Michigan St will win the First Round.
They make good baseball bats in Louisville, so I think they'll win.
Any team that shares my love for orange will get past the first round, so count Syracuse in for Round 2.
Kansas State will get to the Elite 8 because I love to see Jake and Hilary jump up and down and yell alot.  EMAW
The President likes Harvard, so I'm rooting for an upset!
In a fight, a Seminole would slaughter a Longhorn, so sorry Texas you go down in Round 2.
Gonzaga goes far because I like to say GON-zaaahhh-GA!
Ohio State, the OTHER OSU. I guess I gotta make them get past the First Round. I can pretend it's my team in the tourney right?
Georgetown beats Belmont because last time I checked, Belmont was a horse race.
Even though I love Hardcore Pawn, I gotta go with Kansas in the First Round.
Wisconsin = cheese and I love me some cheese.

...and that is how I chose my bracket!

************************

Her granddad would be so proud !

Why Do Baseball Players Spit SO MUCH ?

I wrote this post in 2009 after watching the World Series with no favorite team in mind.  But now that the Texas Rangers are in the World Series, I'm watching with much more interest.  Being born in Paris, Texas qualifies me to be a Rangers fan.  Even though I now live in Colorado, I lived in "Okrahoma" for 40-some-odd years and was always a fan of any professional team in Texas since we never had one in my home state.  It has surprised me how many "hits" this blog gets with people "googling"  "Why Do Baseball Players Spit So Much."  Here's my take on all the flying saliva...

First posted November 9, 2009 :

Now that the World Series has ended, once again withdrawal has set in.  Anytime a sporting event that lasts for an extended period of time ends, such as Wimbledon, The Olympics, football season, or a PGA golf tournament, (I'd rather watch paint dry) I go into a funk-of-sorts.

Was it just me, or did the players spit more this series than any other ? Seems as though I spent more time counting the players hawking loogies than watching the actual game.  I had to wonder if  baseball players create more saliva that the rest of us?"

It became apparent there were many expectorating styles.  Some players were proficient in blowing spit through their teeth.  Others fashioned their lips in an "O" and blew their spit into circular motions through the air. For those on the bench, the spit seemed to be sent down to the ground between the legs rather than through the fence.

Why do baseball players spit so much ? I can't remember ever seeing Roger Federer or Maria Sharapova coating the tennis court with spit.  Or, Tiger Woods sending it sailing before he tees off or makes a putt.  What about hockey players ? Would their spit freeze on the ice ?  About the only thing I've ever seen hockey players spit is their teeth.

When tobacco chewing was in vogue, there was no question as to why they spit. Swallowing tobacco juice might cause a bit of indigestion, and possibly rid the body of worms.

Now that we all know about the chance of tobacco usage causing cancer, many players wanting to avoid that and be role models, gave up tobacco for sunflower seeds.  But as far as I could tell, very few of the players had sunflower-seed-hull-filled-spit.  Most of the spit just looked like plain 'ole spit.  Although the consistency did vary.

Then I wonder, what position spits the most . Obviously, the catcher would have to be quite talented to get a wad of spit out from behind his mask. Because the cameras generally focus on the batter, or the batter on deck, their flying globs are captured more than any others.  The pitcher also does his part to keep the mound moistened.  We won't even mention the coaches and managers.

Wonder if they've ever thought about how much spit there is when sliding into home plate ?

I did notice that A-Rod sent his flying in different directions...even on his uniform. Hopefully, Kate will help him become less messy with his technique.

Chase Utley always had a little spittle attached to that growth of hair under his bottom lip.

Then there's Robinson Cano who always seemed to have a big pink bubble covering most of his face.

As far as Derek Jeter is concerned, I'm not even sure he ever spit because my focus was on those blue eyes.

The HPA (Health Protection Agency) has cautioned that spitting could increase the risk of spreading H1N1.  If this is true, both stadiums should have been quarantined.

Have you ever tried to spit that much ?  If you haven't, may I suggest that you try.  It's almost impossible to produce that much spit, even with a cold or sinus infection, where snot is involved.

Maybe next year I'll give up my obsession with counting spits and focus on adjustments.

***********************************

Updated October 19, 2011:  During this World Series, any number of games can be played that involve counting the number of times any particular player spits.  We'll not even mention drinking games that can be created with this action.

Choose your team, or player, or coach . . . and have fun tallying up the spits.

Go Rangers ! 

 

 

The View from My Soap Box

Obviously, there have been other things to do here than blog !  Besides, I rather like that birthday post created by my youngest and like having it at the top !

The "because you's" brought a smile to my face and, and at the same time, tears to my eyes.  What a precious gift that was !  Made me proud. 

Also, made me quite aware that both my daughters are capable of hacking into my accounts. 

Note to self:  Change Passwords ! 

The past week has been packed with all sorts of things that weren't on my To Do List. 

But one thing that has been a daily routine is:  Watching Wimbledon !

With the womens' and mens' finals rapidly approaching, I feel the impending withdrawal already happening in my body.

It also causes me to think back to a time when I held a Jack Kramer wooden racket in my hand and could scoot across a tennis court like I was 16.  Oh !  Wait !  I WAS 16.

It also causes me to think back to a time when we were taught NOT to applaud unforced errors.

ENTER:  My Soap Box

What happened to that ?  I loved it when the crowd knew a little tennis etiquette.  Why is it now 'ok' to applaud someone's 'mistake?'  Not every point needs a reaction from the crowd ! This isn't a hockey match where the crowd waits in anticipation for one of the players to use a racket to whack someone up-side the head !

My Soap Box Thought:  I wish we could get back to an earlier time when we were more respectful at tennis matches.

And what's with the women squealing, screaming with each stroke of the ball ? 

If you please, Grunting Each Shot !  Monica Seles seems to be the gal who started this more than obnoxious habit!

There are many quirky reasons that determine who I want to win, and this 'phenomenon' is at the top of my list.  You Grunt !  You aren't my favorite !

Maria Sharipova is reported to grunt at over 100 decibels. 

My SoapBog Thought:  "This habit is ruining womens' tennis !" But then, there's there volume button on my remote, which is used during these screaming matches. 

Wimbledon is one of my favorite Grand Slam events for a couple of reasons.  One of them being the "wearing of white."

It's amazing how many different looks appear on the Wimbledon courts.

Wimbledon is the most traditional tennis tournament and that conservativeness is reflected in the white clothing rule. But the color restriction is not limiting players to express themselves and challenge the set rules.

 

Bethanie Mattek Sands is always attracking a lot of attention and for Wimbledon 2011, she reinvented herself in cooperation with Lady GaGa's designer– the jacket  adorned with white tennis balls, may have challenged the officials, but it is likely to end up in the Wimbledon Museum. 

Another of Bethanie's monstrosities is shown at the left.

What was she thinking ?

 

 

 

Then there's Venus . . .

 

The top photo didn't seem too. . . um . . . how do I say UGLY,  until it seems to take on a personality of it's own in the second photo.

There it seems to be taking flight in the form of a kite or hot air balloon.

That's where we get a glimpse of the gold hot pants.

But, wait !  What's that ?  A brown elastic wrap !

At least the hot pants and elastic wrap could have been the same color.  Couldn't they ?

Venus may be a great tennis player, but her fashion sense is a bit off kelter.

I mean, that just can't be comfortable.  And judging by the way the tugged and pulled on it during the match, it wasn't.

The one positive thing about the outfit is the fabric. It is pretty, so maybe she can put this jump suit back on the cutting board and design something else . . . possibly some dust cloths.

In Venus' defense, I did read several tennis blogs that discussed her outfit, and surprisingly enough, there was a higher percentage of those who liked the outfit than not.

So, who am I to not like the jumpsuit ?

 

 

 

 

My Soap Box Thought:  H-m-m-m !

 

 

JUCO World Series

(Eight related JUCO stories are at the bottom of this post &
Updated Bracket for June 1 & June2, 2011)

Posted in 2007

"If You Build It...

They Will Come..."

The Grand Junction Alpine Bank Junior College World Series celebrated its 50th anniversary with the final game between Chipola Florida College and New Mexico Junior College. Chipola was the first team to qualify for the tournament and it was also the team's first visit to Grand Junction. New Mexico Junior College was ranked the number one team in the polls. In 2005, it was the first trip to JUCO by this team from Hobbs; it was the first time in the history of the state that a team was represented from New Mexico; AND it was the first national baseball title for Coach Ray Birmingham's team.

There were 9,593 fans in the stands to cheer on their favorite team. Suplizio Field is a special place for me. When theHansMan picked me up at the airport for my first visit to Grand Junction thirteen years ago,(our first real date) we headed straight to Suplizio Field to watch baseball. The field is named for Sam Suplizio, Mr. Baseball, who passed away December 29, 2006. 
A total of 127,688 fans enjoyed watching the talents of these young men over the course of eight days. That attendance surpassed the previous record attendance of 126,455 set in 2000.
JUCO is a place where you can sit down by a total stranger, and by the seventh inning stretch, you are swaying and singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" with that person as if you had known him for years. For instance, before the first swing of the bat, you learn that the gentleman sitting next to you (see Mr. Scott's picture to the right) has a grandson who wears #2 and is a pitcher for one of the teams... or that one young man had dedicated his performance to his terminally ill mother who is fighting ovarian cancer...or that one of the coaches always tells his team a joke just before they take the field...

JUCO is a place where teenagers are signing autographs possibly for the first time in their lives...and probably not for the last time. Kirby Puckett still holds a batting record of .688 when he played for Triton in 1982. Those young men who toss those batting gloves and other memorabilia to the wildly waving, out-stretched hands of local youngsters, may never know the positive impact made on those young lives.
But there is more to watch than just a baseball game. To insure having that very special seat in 'the third-base' stands, theHansMan and I arrive about 90 minutes before the games.  This allows ample time for wandering under the bleachers to watch the antics of a younger generation, (did those youngs girls leave the house looking like that or did they remove some of their clothing and add all that make-up after they left the house?), or to get my minimun daily requirement of grease in one brat with sauerkraut, or to get a general feel for the camraderie among the players for both teams as they go through their traditional warm-up exercises.  Since there is a saying, "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words," here are a few photos that could have been taken at any baseball game, at any ball field, in any city in the United States...but, they were taken at Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colorado, on Saturday, June 2, 2007.

Remember the young man I mentioned earlier who dedicated his perfomance to his mom ? That young man, Drew Parker, earned the Preston Walker Most Valuable Player award after his Indians defeated the opposing team 7-3. He picked up his second victory of the series Saturday afternoon after throwing 6 1/2 innings in a 27-12 victory over Spartanburg, South Carolina Methodist College that clinched the Indian's berth to the national final.  He struck out 14 batters in a total of 16 1/2 innings at the series and also earned saves in key victories over Spartanburg and San Jacinto, Texas College-North as his team won the national title in its first trip to the JUCO World Series.
The final score was, as mentioned above, 7-3.  Have I mentioned who won?  By now, you may have already figured that out, but I haven't intentionally named the champion.  Why?  Because both of those teams were winners.  In fact, every team who made it to Grand Junction, Colorado, for the JUCO World Series were ALL winners.
For those who have visited this blog today for the first time, and were at any of these games, may you have experienced Mountains, Mesas, Monuments, and Memories...There will be more opportunities to experience Mountains, Mesas, Monuments...and make more Memories because Wayne Baker, the National Junior College Executive Director, signed an agreement that will keep the World Series in the Grand Valley for the next ten years. All of us in Grand Junction look forward to welcoming you back next year.

Please feel free to comment by clicking on the little word 'comment' and filling in the boxes...your information is secure...Any word above in color is a link to more information. Just click on it to read more...

For the first time in fourteen years, the championship game will be televised on CSTV on Tuesday  06-05 (today) 4:00 p.m., Thursday  06-07, 2:30 p.m., and again June 11 and 21 both at 12:00 noon. 

"It is a culmination of a great week," JUCO Tournament Chairman Jamie Hamilton said.

 

 

Click the LINKS :

 Things to Do in Grand Junction

Hotels in Grand Junction

Grand Junction & JUCO

 

More links with stories and photos about JUCO in Grand Junction:

May 27, 2008  JUCO World Series

May 28, 2008  Play Ball, Brett

May 30, 2010 Dave Dravecky

June 4, 2010 Gators Invade Suplizio Field

 June 2010 Texas Sized Hailstones Pound Suplizio Field

June 1, 2010  Scenes from JUCO

Birds, Cracks, Hotdogs, Etc. from JUCO

Why Do Baseball Players Spit So Much ?

********************************

2011 Teams Qualifying as of this minute:

(These are links taking you the teams' home pages.)

Southern Union AL Bisons (41-18)

 Chipola FL Indians (39-20) (See story above)

 Grayson County TX Vikings (42-15)

 Seward County KS Saints  (44-18)

Potomac State WV Catamounts (35-10)

Central Arizona College Vaqueroes  (52-13)

 Navarro Junior College TX Bulldogs  (42-17)

Jefferson MO College  (43-20)

South Georgia College (33-31)

Iowa Western Community College  (40-18)

Alpine Bank JUCO Schedule:

Saturday, May 28

Game 1: Potomac State (W.Va.) College (35-10) vs. Jefferson (Mo.) College (43-20), 9 a.m.

Game 2: South Georgia College (33-31) vs. Central Arizona College (52-13), noon

Game 3: Southern Union State (Ala.) College (41-18) vs. Navarro (Texas) College (42-17), 3 p.m.

Game 4: Seward County (Kan.) Community College (44-18) vs. Iowa Western Community College (40-18), 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 29

Game 5: Missouri vs. Georgia, 10 a.m.  (Loser's Bracket)   Missouri OUT

Game 6: Alabama vs. Kansas , 2 p.m.  (Loser's Bracket)    Alabama OUT

Game 7: Chipola (Fla.) College (39-20) vs. Grayson County (Texas) College (42-15), 7:30 p.m.
Florida defeats Texas

Monday, May 30

 Potomac WV vs. Arizona  (AZ wins)

Navarro TX vs. Western Iowa  (TX wins)

Georgia vs. Seward KS  (KS wins)    Georgia OUT

Tuesday, May 31

Navarro TX  vs Chipola FL

Seward KS vs. Potomac WV  Seward, KS  OUT

Grayson TX vs. Western Iowa  (Losers Bracket)   Grayson TX OUT

Wednesday, June 1

Arizona vs.Navarro TX  game at 7:30 p.m.

Iowa Western vs. Chipola, FL  game at 3:00 p.m. Chipola FL  OUT

Thursday, June 2

Iowa Western vs. Navarro Texas  3:00 p.m.  IOWA OUT

Potomac WV vs  Central Arizona   7:30 p.m.

Friday, June 3  Game 18  7:30 p.m.

Potomac WV vs. Central Arizona

Saturday, June 4  Game 19  7:30 p.m.

Navarro TX vs. Central AZ

WINNER:  TEXAS

 

The following from this website:

For one week every year since 1959, junior college baseball is celebrated in Grand Junction, Colorado. From around the country, 10 teams vie for the NJCAA Division I national championship, and thousands of fans fill Sam Suplizio Field to cheer their favorite teams. The JUCO World Series is a proving ground for future Major League Baseball stars. Past greats such as Kirby Puckett and Curt Schilling and current big-leaguers Travis Hafner, Cliff Lee, Adam LaRoche, John Lackey and rookie Brandon Belt have made a stop in Grand Junction, as well as the No. 1 draft pick of 2010, Bryce Harper.

The Junior College World Series was first played in 1958 in Oklahoma. A contingent from Grand Junction, headed by Jay Tolman, then the dean of men at Mesa Junior College, and baseball coach Bus Bergman, made a successful bid to move the tournament to Grand Junction. The first tournament turned a modest profit, and ever since, Grand Junction has become synonymous with junior college baseball. Paris (Texas) Junior College won the first title in Grand Junction, the first of 17 national championships for Texas schools, led by San Jacinto College-North, which has won a record five crowns. JUCO has grown every year since, with more than 120,000 fans annually filling the stands.

Games are now streamed live on the Internet, allowing fans everywhere, including those stationed overseas in the military, to watch their sons, brothers, nephews and grandsons compete. The JUCO World Series is a special week every year that creates memories for a lifetime.

 

Gators Invade Suplizio Field...San Jac Gators, that is !

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SUPLIZIO FIELD in GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO, took on the look and feel of a swamp as it was inundated with alligators Thursday night, June 4. These were a very unique species of Gators as you might notice while scrolling down the page.

 

Mt. Garfield looks on during a perfect evening for baseball between San Jacinto, Texas, and Hutchinson, Kansas.

 

Batter Up...

As indicated by this flag, the wind joined us for the game. 

Some Gators like to sit atop...

...heads of smiling little boys...

...and old men ! 

There are 'graffitied' Gators.

And 'lap-Gators'...

There are precious pink Gators.

And a soon-to-be-a-San-Jac-Gator...

There are Gators who have been tattooed...

 

And, there are beautiful young Gators...

Mr. Juco mingled with the Gators.

There were cute little Gator-wrestlers...

...and Gators who are cutie-pa-tooties !

 

...and lots of fans who imitated Gators...

There were locals who turned into Gators.

Even Gator presidents come to JUCO .

Here is a group of Gators learning to spell  Y-M-C-A !

 

Even from the third base line, Gators can be spotted in the crowd.

 

There were lots of Gators in the dug-out.

 

Why does this picture...

...remind me of this :

The scoreboard says it all..."The Gators won the game."

 

 

And one last shot with this caption:
"My heroes have always been cowboys baseball players."

_____________________________________

Swampy's Commentary:

The call ejecting Nevada's Bryce Harper from the game for drawing a line in the dirt at home plate is still being debated as to whether it was the correct call or not. 

But one thing is for sure, THIS ARTICLE in the Daily Sentinel by Patrick Bahr entitled, "2nd-Fiddle Win: Harper's Ejection Overshadows Gator's Victory" is a far cry from being correct. San Jac came to Grand Junction ranked number one and possibly probably the best team to ever take the field in JUCO history.

Mr. Bahr, calling that a 2nd-Fiddle Win implies to me that you can't carry a tune in a bucket.

(Mr. Bahr can be e-mailed at the above link.)

 

Texas-Sized Hailstones Pound Colorado

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____________________________________________

For the JUCO fans waiting on a new post, all the photos from the San Jacinto, TX - Hutchinson, KS game are being uploaded and re-sized for the web. A new post is being created and will be up and running sometime soon.

Until then, here is some advice for JUCO fans...

 

Never...

 

Never...

 

Never...

 

Park in the center field parking lot !

OK. OK. So it wasn't a hailstone. It was an almost perfectly centered baseball that landed in the middle of this windshield during Thursday night's game between TX and KS.

Anyone want to take credit for this ?  Feel free to leave a comment as to which player you think nailed this windshield.  

 

JUCO 2010 - San Jacinto, Texas Gators

A word or three from Our Sponsor:

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And now to our regularly scheduled program...

Grab a hot dog, some lemonade and make sure your elbows are working so you can nudge into a spot in the bleachers at Sam Suplizio Field.  Anytime it's a 7:30 p.m., Monday-Fireworks-JUCO game, you better come early to claim your spot, or be ready to sit in someone's lap.

Sitting on the third-base line with the number one ranked San Jacinto Gators affords anyone with a camera many opportunities for some candid (and posed) shots.

Here are a few from the game between San Jacinto, Texas and Hutchinson, Kansas...

It's perfect baseball weather in Grand Junction. Colorado...about 75 degrees, NO humidity (that's just the way it is in the High Desert), a slight breeze, and the smell of caramel corn and brats-burning-on-the-grill wafting up from down below.

The San Jac team warms up on the field.

Some photos just don't need a caption.

"Oh, say can you see...

 

"...and the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air..."

"...and the home of the brave."

 

The doves are released and fly just above the Suplizio Field sign to remind us of what Memorial Day is really all about.

 

They fly high above the stadium lights...

 

...and there's  always someone in the crowd wondering..."which way did they go, which way did they go?"

 

JUCO fans comes in all sizes...

 

Little ones and...

...big ones...and...

 

...BIG GREEN...

 

...PLASTIC...

 

...PRETTY ONES...

 

My, how times flies when you're having fun...just a few minutes ago it was 6:40...and now it's 10:25...and San Jac has chalked up another win.   So, warm up the bus...cause...

 

...we're on it !

 

Only at JUCO in Grand Junction, Colorado

 

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Click this link for an inexpensive way to control bacteria growth and rust build up:
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_____________________________________________________

Blue Skies. Sunshine. Mountains. Monuments. Mesas. Suplizio Field. Memorial Day Weekend. The Star-Spangled Banner. Hotdogs.

Any guesses ?

Of course, you know. It's the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.

As always, HansMan has taken his seat on the third base line and is just in time for the Star Spangled Banner.

As always, I arrive a bit late, so he saves me a 'spot.'  I scrunch in between him and a gentleman to my left. When you are sitting so close to strangers, they don't stay strangers for very long.

I asked him if this was his first time to Grand Junction, and he told me that in fact, he had been here before.. . when he himself played in the Junior College World Series in 1983, playing for McLennan of Waco, Texas.  They won the championship that year.

So, I asked, "What brings you back this year?"

He told me that his brother was the coach for one of the teams playing.

(Keep that thought in mind.)

 

It's 9:30 a.m., and already five young men have scored during the first game of the series. While checking out the crowd, I think I recognize this gentleman...

Taking a closer look, I'm fairly sure it is...

. . . Dave Dravecky.  Since I am a quite shy, introverted-type person. . .

. . . I proceeded to ask permission to take his picture.  He asked me if I wanted him to smile. . . so, I snapped a couple of pics and asked this lovely lady to pose with him. 

 

The game progressed, and an hour later...

. . . Mr. Dravecky is joined by HansMan.  He was very gracious to take time to visit with Hans between a couple of innings.

. . . and after the game, he let me take one more photograph.

HansMan and I shared the conversations we had...mine with the gentleman to my left and his with Dave Dravecky sitting a couple of rows down and to the right of us.

As it turns out, Mr. Dravecky's former Minor League teammate was coaching one of the teams playing. That coach just happened to be the brother of the gentleman sitting next to me and the husband of the lady sitting next to Mr. Dravecky.

Only at JUCO in Grand Junction, Colorado.

NOW, for the rest of the story...

. . . a story of HOPE, COURAGE, and PERSEVERANCE. . .

Dave Dravecky's seven-year Major League Baseball career was cut short...way too short, in August of 1989.

Mr. Dravecky was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1978 and made the  major leagues with the San Diego Padres in 1982. He was selected to the All-Star game in 1983 and was at the peak of his career late in 1988 when doctors discovered cancer in the deltoid muscle of his left arm...his pitching arm. 

Doctors removed half of the deltoid and explained to him, short of a miracle, he would never pitch again.

Ten months later, Mr. Dravecky pitched to a standing ovation at the old Candlestick Park, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

Five days later, he took the mound again in Montreal. This time, his arm snapped as he released a pitch. He crumbled to the ground, never to pitch again.

"Ultimately, I knew baseball would not last forever." he said. "I knew that baseball was coming to an end. The most important part, when I threw that pitch and my arm broke, it was at that point I knew God was doing something bigger in my life."

"Baseball was a platform God used to get to that point and to find significance outside the game of baseball."

In 1991, Mr. Dravecky's left arm, shoulder and the left side of his collarbone had to be amputated to prevent the cancer from  spreading and possibly taking his life.

He and his wife, Jan, live in Colorado, and have founded a non-profit organization called:

"Endurance with Jan and Dave Dravecky."   (This is a link to their site.)

It is a place to bring comfort and hope to people dealing with cancer through God's word.

Mr. Dravecky hopes Endurance helps others learn to cope with what he encountered.

"I'm very comfortable in my skin now. I  like who I am. Overall, I'm very content where I'm at and who I am. It wasn't that way in the beginning," he explained.

"It took 30 months of counseling. The last twelve months in 1993, when we moved to Colorado, helped me with my anger issue. I think the thing I've been able to walk away with is, number one, it's not so much what you get out of life, but what you give."

Mr. Dravecky, who turned 54 this year, was the guest speaker at the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series banquet, Friday night, May 28.

He speaks to groups and organizations throughout the country, from corporations to Wounded Warrior programs and churches. 

"I've had the privilege to speak to athletes on several occasions. It's an interesting dynamic. I don't try to stay in one arena. I love the diversity of the audience. I enjoy telling my story, but to go back in the arena I was in is great," he explained.

"The most important thing I can tell them is baseball is a series of adjustments from one inning and one game to the next. Life is like that as well.

It's who you are, not what you do."

(Credit to Allen Gemaehlich of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel for the above story.)

For live coverage of the JUCO games, clink this link:  Panhandle Broadcasting

For JUCO posts from previous years, clink these links:

JUCO 2007

JUCO 2008 Brett Kinsel

JUCO 2088 Conners State

and for fun...

Why Do Baseball Players Spit So Much

 

 

 

 

 

Results of Saturday Sports Overload

Way to go Oklahoma State Cowboys !  Woo-Hoo.
ORANGE...Power !

Sam Bradford, we are hoping your shoulder injury is not serious and that you're back on the field soon.

Melanie Oudin !  WOW !  Just shows what someone can do when your philosopy is BELIEVE.  Wearing it on the shoes will probably get a large endorsement from some company.  Hoping you OUDINI your way through to the finals.   I BELIEVE you can do it.

John Isner had just TOO TALL of a game for Andy Roddick.  Literally and figuratively.

As for the rest of the day...there's still laundry to do, clothes to pack, floors to vacumn...BUT, no chips, salsa, or beer was consumed. 

Saturday Sports Overload

Woo-Hoo !

As if I had nothing more to do today than watch:

U.S. Open

Oklahoma State University vs. Georgia  at Stillwater

Oklahoma University vs. BYU  in the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas

Go Pokes !

Go Sooners !

Someone pass the chips, salsa, and beer.

Woo-Hoo !

What?

I need to unpack ?

What?

I need to do laundry ?

What ?

I need to RE-PACK ?

What ?

I need to sort through the mail ?

What ?

I need to pick the tomatoes and squash, and feed the birds, and vacumn...

What ?

Someone please pass the chips, salsa, and beer.