The game I love to watch

So what does it mean for me to report on a daily basis, to basically write down what I see on the baseball field and off it? It means that I get to enjoy thinking up of a story to write when I get back home from the ballgame. As a correspondent, I have had the pleasure to write my articles to you, the reader, about my experiences at the V.A. I always find it fun to write what I feel about the games because I am getting my opinion out there for you to read it. That's what makes it worthwhile to me. I know that you enjoy reading what I write. I have heard nothing but good things from the people who have approached me when they mention this blog.

It's no secret that I like to write. I am quite an opinionated person, and I have no problem with that. What I try to do is to make the articles that I write enjoyable and fun for you to read. I don't want to do it the plain and vanilla way. I'd like to try to give my articles a certain type of spice to it. Like Emeril Lagasse would say for his inetresting meals, let's give it another notch! I look at writing simple articles as some sort of challenge. I always like it when I'm presented with fun challenges, and challenges that aren't too pressing for me. Pressure situations are the type of challenges that baseball players always have to deal with. For example, when a pitcher is faced with the daunting task of getting two more outs with the bases loaded, he has to find a way to get those two outs or else he might give up a run or two.

Also, there's that time for base stealers where they have to decide whether to steal second base or not. When is the right time to go? You see, strategy plays a whole lot into the game of baseball. It is a thinking man's game, even though it's not exactly like the popular board game Chess. Managers always have to use strategies in games. That's what they do. They're just like the field generals in classic battles. They have to find a way to help put their teams in winning positions. The main thing about the game of baseball, though, is that this is a fun game to watch. It always has been a fun game to watch, and it has stood the test of time.

Why do I cover the game of baseball? It's because I want to. I enjoy watching baseball. I love the game even though I know I can't play it. Not all of us can be able to suit up and play on that diamond. I appreciate the way baseball players conduct themselves on the field. Unless they get upset and start arguing with the umpires, they are usually calm and collective. Baseball players just have that cool swagger about them that I definitely respect. Baseball is a career for these guys. This is what they aim to do on a daily basis. They want to play on a baseball field, and they want to have fun. I haven't yet seen a player who played baseball just because he was playing it. Baseball players play because they have a passion for the game.

You won't find a sport that is so entrenched in its history than baseball. I'm only talking about the United States, of course, because I know that almost every other country houses legit competitions for the game of Soccer, but I digress. My own niece plays Soccer and she loves it, so there you go. Baseball goes way back here. Baseball was invented on humble purposes, and it just happened that it only grew to be a huge sport in this country. Baseball is still, without a doubt, the national pastime. Think about the longevity of this sport. Think about all the stories that so many players who have come and gone have made for their careers. Think about all of the ballparks that have been built and knocked down throughout this time. It's simply amazing.

Baseball has that certain appeal to me that makes me think back to its history in some shape or form whenever I'm watching a game in the current time. Of course, other sports can do that to you as well, but baseball is far different than the other sports. It's a sport that has heavily relied on its history to progress. Baseball should stay committed to heavily rely on its history, because what happened for baseball in the past is rich. Baseball has a rich history. Way back when in the 1800's the Knickerbocker Nine were formed in Hoboken, New Jersey. The Cincinnati Reds were the first team to be officially called a professional baseball team. The New York Yankees, love them or hate them (and I would be in the latter), have a huge row of World Series trophies that speak 26 different stories. Plus, don't ever forget about the interesting, for lack of a better word, moments that Major League Baseball has gone through.

The Boston Red Sox selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. The Chicago Black Sox scandal of 1919. The constant moves of numerous franchises. The breaking down of the color barrier in baseball. The tearing down of such classic gems like the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field. The Pete Rose betting on baseball fiasco. Oh yes, the steroid episodes of recent times. All of these times are filled with stories, and just like any other story, each of these stories have their endings, and it's up to you to go back and read these stories for what they are, and how much they mean to the game itself.

Yeah. This is the game I love to watch, and this is why I cover baseball. This helps me write what I can write.

The More Things Change...

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That's not a new saying, but if you were to sum up the transition from the Frontier League to the Prospect League for the Chillicothe Paints with that saying, you would be pretty spot on.

Rest assured, many things have changed since the end of last season. The players from the previous roster have moved on to either continue their professional careers playing the game that they love or to take a step back and realize that it was the end of the line for them. That's a critical thing, and it's similar to something that all people, even people like you and me, make. We all make tough decisions in our lives to pursue something that really matters to us. If it's something worth fighting for, then go all out for it. In Spring Training, that's what baseball players do. They fight for roster spots to show that they are capable of playing the game that they love. That's passion for you. For some players from last year's Paints team, they decided to give it another go, while others felt content with what they did and they have no regrets stepping away from the game of baseball.

Of course, it was gutwrenching to see just how the 2008 edition of Paints baseball fade away from the spotlight of the Frontier League. When you stop and think about it, we were at a disadvantage since day one of that season. The odds were not in our favor. We were playing against The House. Some reports came that certain players (and I won't name any names) refused to sign on with the Paints because of the low quality facility that the team would play in wasn't sufficient for them. V.A. Memorial Stadium became, in the eyes of the top players of the league, obsolete. Compared to the shiny new ballparks that every other team was building, ours was old news. We had a classic ballpark, but it was probably too classic at that point.

For us diehard Paints fans, that was hard to take. If you know us, then you would know we have grown to love V.A. Memorial Stadium, and so much so that it has become a home away from home for us. It's a place to temporarily get away from the common everyday struggles of life that may not look so appealing. That's our ballpark, and especially with the help of team owner Dr. Chris Hanners, we made that ballpark what it is today. It was special back then, and it still is now. Think of the players in the past who called the V.A. home. Scott Pinoni, Mitch House, Brian Tollberg, Gator McBride, Steve Martin, and Travis Garcia.

Those names I just mentioned all have their numbers retired, never to be worn again. There are different reasons for why their numbers were retired, and one only needs to go back into the archives of this franchise to understand just what went on in the cozy ballpark near the V.A. hospital. All of those numbers tell some sort of story. Those stories are gripping and telling. Those stories make you appreciate that player, but more so, it teaches you something. The one thing that remained constant was the passion and true competitive spirit that they had when they played the game.

I have gotten to know one of these players personally. Travis Garcia wore the number 24 for the Paints from the 2006 season to the 2008 season. He played shortstop for the Chillicothe Paints. He did a good service for the community of Chillicothe while he was here. He was as nice as they came, and he was one of a kind. I was thankful when I first spoke to him in the beginning of the 2007 FL season because at that point, I will admit, I wasn't full of confidence. I wasn't sure of myself. It's funny how things play out because everything just got better after I had established a true friendship with Travis. Things just became much more clear for me. Every day that I had with him was special, just to say hello and to check on how he was doing. That alone made it worth it not only for me, but for him as well.

Travis Garcia now plays for the South Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League, and last I checked, he's doing quite well. In 29 games played, he's batting .266 with 5 doubles, 4 homeruns, and 18 RBIs. He currently leads the Blue Crabs, along with another player, in total hits with 33. He's second on the team in RBIs. Putting those numbers aside though, Travis is still the kind hearted person that he was back in Ross County. He still plays the game with the same intensity and passion that he's always had dating back to his early days of playing ball.

2009 will be the beginning of something new for Paints fans. The Paints will be back, but in a new league. That league is called the Prospect League, where players who are still elligible of playing in college will be playing in this league. They have the same passion and love for the game of baseball. The game itself never changes even though the setting does. Dr. Hanners vows to make the experience of watching the game fun again, something that he notes that the organization got away from in recent years. Fun will be back in the ballpark, and it doesn't hurt to have more fun at the V.A. Paints fans who were with the team since the beginning in 1993 will recall the countless stories of how fun and humorous it really got at the ballpark. Those memories, unlike the value of franchises, are priceless.

So relax and sit back. The more things change, the more they stay the same. This is still the game of baseball we're talking about here, so enjoy your time at V.A. Memorial Stadium. Cheer on the new squad of Paints players as they hit the FieldTurf surface. 2009 will be a fun year for all of us.

CornBelters!

The winning name in Normal's "name the team" contest was announced today: the Normal CornBelters.

Possible mascot names are Nibblet, Shuck and Kernel.

I only have one request: please, please have grilled corn on the cob at the ballpark.

Rockford Signs Russian Pitcher

The Rockford RiverHawks have signed righthanded pitcher Viacheslav Vasilyev. Vasilyev, 24, is 6'3" and weighs 195. He was the Russian Baseball League's MVP in 2007 and also was impressive in an outing against Team USA that same season. He is the first Russian player to sign with a Frontier League club.

Visit the Russian International Baseball website.

UPDATE: According to the Frontier League website, Vasilyev has been placed on the suspended list due to visa issues.

Zavada reaches "The Show"

Clay Zavada became the first Southern Illinois Miner to reach the majors when he was promoted by the Arizona Diamondbacks today.

Zavada pitched in twelve games for the Miners in 2008, going 2-1, 1.72 with four saves. In 15 2/3 innings, he struck out 22 batters while walking only four.