Baseball is a tough game

As a sports fan, everyone wants to see their team do well. It has an even bigger impact when that team is right in your town and you have been a season ticket holder and one of the biggest fans of the team since their inception back in 1993. The team, and it’s players take on an even bigger role once you really begin to get to know the players as real people and not just as the guys on the field, getting paid to play a kids game. Once you begin to open your house to these players each summer, there is no going back to being only a casual fan again.
Before the beginning of the 2008 baseball season, the Sioux City Explorers of the independent American Association traded a dependable first baseman to the Chico Outlaws of the Golden League for a pitcher that had put up decent numbers in his career but nothing outstanding. Plus, the Golden League is not as high of a level as the American Association and you never know how the pitcher will be able to adapt to the tougher league.
The pitcher that came to Sioux City that year was Nick Singleton and he immediately began to show that he was an outstanding pitcher. With any run support at all, he would have been the top pitcher in the league. Even without the help of his team, he was near the league lead in innings pitched, strike outs, and earned run average. Even more important to my family is about a month into the season; Nick moved in with us and instantly became a true part of our family.
As the season went on, Nick continued to be a major part of our family, and he also went on to dominate the league. At the end of the season, he was named Right Handed Pitcher of the year in the league, becoming the first player staying with us to win an award. Nick returned for the 2009 season however instead of staying with us, he shared a house with a few other players. He still came over for a meal occasionally and did his laundry here. We saw him at every home game and my son continued to wear the replica jersey that said “Singleton’s little bro” on back with Nick’s number 17. Even though he wasn’t with us, he continued to be family and still is today.
Now as nice of a story as this makes, the most important thing about the game of baseball at this level continues to be winning. That is why I was torn today when I received word from the team’s general manager that Nick, along with pitcher Tyler Meigs, had been traded to the Gary-Southshore Railcats of the Northern League for three pitchers.
This was tough for my family to hear. As I had mentioned, Nick was like family. Plus, Tyler had been at the house nearly every night last summer playing video games with the player that we had staying with us for the majority of the season. However, the three pitchers that the team received in return all put up outstanding numbers for a Gary team that has been in the league championship series the last couple of years, losing to the Fargo-Morehead RedHawks last season.
Baseball is of course a game and the players change all season long. This isn’t the first time we have lost a player who was very near and dear to our family. It isn’t easy but we all know by now that is how the system works, we can’t change it, we can only adapt. All we can do at this point is call Nick and wish him the best as he heads off to the Chicago area next summer.

An Idiots Introduction to Volleyball

I would like to be the first to admit that I know very little about the sport of volleyball. Is this unusual? Is it real popular? Of course, it is a rather bad thing for me to admit since I have spent the last three days working 4 games per day at the NAIA National Volleyball Championship in Sioux City, IA.
Maybe I do know more than I give myself credit for but before I started working the games last year, I had never attended a match. I am proud of myself that I am starting to pick up on the rules and am now very good at recognizing an amazing play. It helps that the quality of volleyball has been outstanding this week.
The biggest issue I have though is with some of the rules that involve the net. I am not sure I understand why some times they can touch the net and cross the white line and other times they can’t. Even more confusing is the signals the officials use when they make one of those calls. I decided it was time to end the confusing and use the internet to solve all of my questions.
After a quick Google search, I found my way to volleyball.com and was thrilled at what I found. At this wonderful site, I found everything from an officials signal chart to an explanation on the official score book. I was also able to finally find out what PAVO is since I keep hearing about it over and over again.
Even though I am a relative novice to the game, I will admit that I am very impressed by the ability of these athletes and the condition they must be in. I have never seen anyone other than a wrestler roll on the floor and be back on their feet ready for action that quickly. These women are ready to sacrifice their body by diving anywhere for a loose ball. I wish that some of the basketball teams I had coached over the years had been so aggressive. Now, if someone could just teach me the proper pronunciation of Libero, I would be all set.

When adding a photo, I was looking for one that your faithful blogger happened to be in but the only ones I am in, I am not able to use without purchasing. Sorry.