As the tens of you who read this site probably know, Tiger Woods won at Bay Hill yesterday with a dramatic birdie on the 72nd hole (again).
This should really come no surprise to those in the golf world, as Tiger has won Bay Hill six times now, the last two years in dramatic fashion:
2008 Bay Hill
25 Footer for victory on the 72nd hole
2009 Bay Hill
16 footer for victory on the 72nd Hole
I could watch these clips for hours on end, in addition to the many others Tiger has accumulated over the years. I suggest to anyone who is preparing for a game, boardroom meeting, or whatever to pull up Tiger's best hits on youtube or any other site you can find. Few things motivate, inspire, or move me as much as watching Tiger's excellence and passion for being the best.
A few more gems from Tiger:
72nd Hole of the 2008 U.S. Open: Making birdie to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate
Chipping in at 16 on Sunday, 2005 Masters
I suggest watching the entire two-plus minutes of the Masters clip. The tension and buildup leading to and during the shot are unreal, not to mention the goose bumps of excitement I get every time I watch it. Amazing.
Tiger does not approach every facet of the game the way Nicklaus, Palmer, Hogan, or Player did. He plays in a different time where throwing your hat down and screaming exuberant expletives is acceptable, mainly because he made it that way. When he burst onto the scene by turning pro in August of 1996, golf was transformed like never before. His father, Earl Woods, claimed that he would be a transcendent figure worldwide. While opinions on how transcendent Tiger is are debatable, this much is for certain: Tiger has changed the game of golf singe-handedly. And again, it has been amazing to watch.
Here's to hoping Tiger never stops our jaws from dropping and our bumps from goosing...
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
WBC Continued...
After running over to the TV to catch the 9th inning of the USA Puerto Rico game last night I couldn't help but let out a yell as David Wright's base hit dropped inside the right field line, bringing home Brain Roberts and Jimmy Rollins, securing a spot in for the US in the WBC semifinals.
If you looked on the field you saw pandemonium ensue as Rollins crossed home plate. If you looked in the stands, you wouldn't know if it was a walk-off hit in the WBC or a Marlins - Nationals game in August. That was the drawback.
Again, I'm not sure if we can fill stadiums for every game of this thing, but I KNOW we can do better than 13,000 people for a WBC elimination game involving the US on its own soil. But I digress...
If you were a fan of baseball and/or the USA, last night was a special night. Great, intense baseball is being played. Turn on your TV or buy a ticket to see it!
If you looked on the field you saw pandemonium ensue as Rollins crossed home plate. If you looked in the stands, you wouldn't know if it was a walk-off hit in the WBC or a Marlins - Nationals game in August. That was the drawback.
Again, I'm not sure if we can fill stadiums for every game of this thing, but I KNOW we can do better than 13,000 people for a WBC elimination game involving the US on its own soil. But I digress...
If you were a fan of baseball and/or the USA, last night was a special night. Great, intense baseball is being played. Turn on your TV or buy a ticket to see it!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The World Baseball Classic
Now that the WBC is going, I thought I'd share a few thoughts on what I think should be changed, what can be changed, and if it can work in the long run.
The timing of this tournament is a huge concern for me going forward. You cannot help but feel you are watching a spring training game when there are 75 pitch counts and a couple thousand people in the stands. That kills me.
Can it be changed? I don't know. I've heard some say that it would work better at the conclusion of the season because guys would not have to worry about getting into shape earlier than usual, which I agree with. However, I'm not sure that any more guys would want to gut it out over the course of three additional weeks after the season than do now before the season.
I, like many fans I'm sure, hope that this turns into an event that fills stadiums and engrosses all country's involved. The overall premise of the WBC is great, and I applaud the players who are behind it 100%. At the same time, I totally understand the reasoning of those players who turn down invites to play. They are sitting on million dollar contracts that in some cases cannot be protected if they hurt themselves in the tournament.
I'd be hard pressed to find one GM who is for the idea of his players playing in this tournament at any time of year. An organization is only worried about themselves, and a GM is only worried about his players being healthy for the season. The WBC does not guarantee that Derek Jeter or Ichiro won't tweak a knee or break a bone, and I'm afraid this fact will never change the stance organizations have on it.
How do you create a WBC that players cannot come up with good reason not to play? I don't think you can. As long as MLB players are making millions and have guaranteed contracts, teams (and players in some cases) are not going to get behind the idea of playing in this thing.
Just look at some of the US players that could be on this team:
CC Sabathia
Tim Lincecum
Cole Hamels
Roy Halladay
Cliff Lee
Jonathan Papelbon
Joe Mauer
Ryan Howard
Chase Utley
Lance Berkman
Matt Holliday
Josh Hamilton
...and I am sure that there are names I left out.
This is not to show that I disagree with the makeup of this year's team - I feel that they have done a good job of putting together a well-rounded team as opposed to a team of all-stars. However, it would be nice if the rotation was Sabathia, Lincecum, Hamels, Peavy, Halladay (or something like that) rather than going to Jeremy Guthrie as your guy after Peavy and Oswalt (like they did the other day).
I think the best move going forward is to have the classic at the conclusion of the World Series. Advertise it during the whole postseason, get it out there to as many people as you can. With March Madness coming up the WBC is not as talked about as I feel it should be. Get it on one of the big 4 networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX) to ensure that anyone who wants to watch it will. I don't want to have ESPN Deportes or ESPN 8 (the ocho!) to see a game.
Even though it would be in the fall weather should not be an issue. Pick domed stadiums - Seattle, Arizona, Houston, Toronto, Milwaukee - to gaurantee that weather will not effect the games.
Since its at the end of the World Series, pitch counts would not have to be used because pitchers will be in game shape. This would create more realistic, in-season-like games instead of having to take your ace out in the 3rd because his pitch count is up.
As for the brackets, I'd like to see more of a series format rather than the 4 team, 4 pool bracket that exists now. Figure out a seeding system (possibly from the results of this year's tourney or the International Baseball Rankings) and have 8 3-game series in the first round, 4 in the second, 2 in the third, and a final 3 game series for the championship.
I didn't like the fact that the US knocked Venezuela around in their first meeting then lost 5-3 in the second yet they have a lower seed and have to play Puerto Rico in the first game of the second round...that doesn't seem fair to me. Both teams beat each other once, both teams lost once, yet the other team gets a higher seed because they won a game in which both teams knew they were moving on? I think that really waters down the intensity of the games. Put more on the line in each game and see what happens. Seed the teams 1-16 and set matchups up accordingly for three game series. You can still have the first round in four locations, each hosting 2 3-game series each.
I really think if they take the time (and money in the right places), this can become a truly fun and great event. Right now it is interesting, but not important, in part because it is new and in part because those involved in planning in need to fine tune some things. . I would hate for it to go away and/or be watered down with any gimmicks because in my opinon, the WBC could be a great tool to spread the game worldwide and pump national pride into baseball.
The timing of this tournament is a huge concern for me going forward. You cannot help but feel you are watching a spring training game when there are 75 pitch counts and a couple thousand people in the stands. That kills me.
Can it be changed? I don't know. I've heard some say that it would work better at the conclusion of the season because guys would not have to worry about getting into shape earlier than usual, which I agree with. However, I'm not sure that any more guys would want to gut it out over the course of three additional weeks after the season than do now before the season.
I, like many fans I'm sure, hope that this turns into an event that fills stadiums and engrosses all country's involved. The overall premise of the WBC is great, and I applaud the players who are behind it 100%. At the same time, I totally understand the reasoning of those players who turn down invites to play. They are sitting on million dollar contracts that in some cases cannot be protected if they hurt themselves in the tournament.
I'd be hard pressed to find one GM who is for the idea of his players playing in this tournament at any time of year. An organization is only worried about themselves, and a GM is only worried about his players being healthy for the season. The WBC does not guarantee that Derek Jeter or Ichiro won't tweak a knee or break a bone, and I'm afraid this fact will never change the stance organizations have on it.
How do you create a WBC that players cannot come up with good reason not to play? I don't think you can. As long as MLB players are making millions and have guaranteed contracts, teams (and players in some cases) are not going to get behind the idea of playing in this thing.
Just look at some of the US players that could be on this team:
CC Sabathia
Tim Lincecum
Cole Hamels
Roy Halladay
Cliff Lee
Jonathan Papelbon
Joe Mauer
Ryan Howard
Chase Utley
Lance Berkman
Matt Holliday
Josh Hamilton
...and I am sure that there are names I left out.
This is not to show that I disagree with the makeup of this year's team - I feel that they have done a good job of putting together a well-rounded team as opposed to a team of all-stars. However, it would be nice if the rotation was Sabathia, Lincecum, Hamels, Peavy, Halladay (or something like that) rather than going to Jeremy Guthrie as your guy after Peavy and Oswalt (like they did the other day).
I think the best move going forward is to have the classic at the conclusion of the World Series. Advertise it during the whole postseason, get it out there to as many people as you can. With March Madness coming up the WBC is not as talked about as I feel it should be. Get it on one of the big 4 networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX) to ensure that anyone who wants to watch it will. I don't want to have ESPN Deportes or ESPN 8 (the ocho!) to see a game.
Even though it would be in the fall weather should not be an issue. Pick domed stadiums - Seattle, Arizona, Houston, Toronto, Milwaukee - to gaurantee that weather will not effect the games.
Since its at the end of the World Series, pitch counts would not have to be used because pitchers will be in game shape. This would create more realistic, in-season-like games instead of having to take your ace out in the 3rd because his pitch count is up.
As for the brackets, I'd like to see more of a series format rather than the 4 team, 4 pool bracket that exists now. Figure out a seeding system (possibly from the results of this year's tourney or the International Baseball Rankings) and have 8 3-game series in the first round, 4 in the second, 2 in the third, and a final 3 game series for the championship.
I didn't like the fact that the US knocked Venezuela around in their first meeting then lost 5-3 in the second yet they have a lower seed and have to play Puerto Rico in the first game of the second round...that doesn't seem fair to me. Both teams beat each other once, both teams lost once, yet the other team gets a higher seed because they won a game in which both teams knew they were moving on? I think that really waters down the intensity of the games. Put more on the line in each game and see what happens. Seed the teams 1-16 and set matchups up accordingly for three game series. You can still have the first round in four locations, each hosting 2 3-game series each.
I really think if they take the time (and money in the right places), this can become a truly fun and great event. Right now it is interesting, but not important, in part because it is new and in part because those involved in planning in need to fine tune some things. . I would hate for it to go away and/or be watered down with any gimmicks because in my opinon, the WBC could be a great tool to spread the game worldwide and pump national pride into baseball.
Friday, March 6, 2009
About my Father
For those of you that don't know who my father was, this was a great little piece written by Bruce Jenkins, a sportswriter for the San Francisco Chronicle and an old friend of my Dad.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/threedotblog/detail?blogid=60&entry_id=36165#comments
My father passed away in May of 2007, but his influence, especially in the game of baseball, still resonates with those that knew him. As one of his three kids, that always makes me proud. This article is a great example of the many "what-ifs" he had during his career as a scout, and probably the biggest mistake the San Francisco Giants made in the draft the past 20 years.
My father was by no means perfect. Some of his vices had the most harmful implications on a human body (i.e. smoking, adding salt to anything, drinking anything that had sugar in it), and he rarely thought about what he said before he said it. On the flip side, he had more friends than most, was sharper than any of his peers, always provided for us, and was always supportive of our decisions.
When it came to baseball, I always valued his opinions over everyone else. I felt that he was the best evaluator of talent I ever knew, which was good because that helped put food on the table for us. In the inexact science of baseball scouting, he was about as accurate as one could be, especially when it came to projecting what a kid would look like in 5-10 years.
He may have had only a high school education, but his IQ when it came to baseball was off the charts. Thanks to Bruce Jenkins for helping more to understand this, and for keeping his legacy alive.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/threedotblog/detail?blogid=60&entry_id=36165#comments
My father passed away in May of 2007, but his influence, especially in the game of baseball, still resonates with those that knew him. As one of his three kids, that always makes me proud. This article is a great example of the many "what-ifs" he had during his career as a scout, and probably the biggest mistake the San Francisco Giants made in the draft the past 20 years.
My father was by no means perfect. Some of his vices had the most harmful implications on a human body (i.e. smoking, adding salt to anything, drinking anything that had sugar in it), and he rarely thought about what he said before he said it. On the flip side, he had more friends than most, was sharper than any of his peers, always provided for us, and was always supportive of our decisions.
When it came to baseball, I always valued his opinions over everyone else. I felt that he was the best evaluator of talent I ever knew, which was good because that helped put food on the table for us. In the inexact science of baseball scouting, he was about as accurate as one could be, especially when it came to projecting what a kid would look like in 5-10 years.
He may have had only a high school education, but his IQ when it came to baseball was off the charts. Thanks to Bruce Jenkins for helping more to understand this, and for keeping his legacy alive.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
It has begun...
Hello to all,
My hope with this blog is to share my thoughts and opinions with all who care to read. I will rant and rave about anything that comes to my mind, be it sports (which you will read a lot of on here), movies, politics, family, or anything else that I care to write about.
I have always loved to write on things I am passionate about. Hopefully doing that here will create an entertaining and insightful blog for my readers.
As for the name of the blog, I always enjoyed the conversations I had and the people I met while playing first base in high school, college, and pro baseball. I spoke with friends, foes, and people I looked up to very much while they were on first base, and while they were not always long or exciting, it always gave me a unique perspective of the game and the world around me. That is what I want to bring to this blog.
Thanks in advance for reading and talk to you soon...
My hope with this blog is to share my thoughts and opinions with all who care to read. I will rant and rave about anything that comes to my mind, be it sports (which you will read a lot of on here), movies, politics, family, or anything else that I care to write about.
I have always loved to write on things I am passionate about. Hopefully doing that here will create an entertaining and insightful blog for my readers.
As for the name of the blog, I always enjoyed the conversations I had and the people I met while playing first base in high school, college, and pro baseball. I spoke with friends, foes, and people I looked up to very much while they were on first base, and while they were not always long or exciting, it always gave me a unique perspective of the game and the world around me. That is what I want to bring to this blog.
Thanks in advance for reading and talk to you soon...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
