Baseball

"Did they have backsies back then?"

This was one of Robby's many questions while we're watching the long lost broadcast of the 1960 World Series Game 7.

Some of our conversation:

Robby: So that's Roberto Clemente? (I always call Robby "Roberto.")

Me: Yep.

Robby: Wow. (we watch for a few minutes) Dad - I asked Santa for a Clemente Jersey for Christmas. I really hope he brings me one.

Me: I'm sure he will. (getting online now to order)

He wouldn't stop with the questions. Everything from backsies to, "Is this game in New York or Pittsburgh?" to "Who are the Phillies four great pitchers now, Dad?" "Are they better than the Pirates from back then?" It is one of those slivers in time where you feel like you are above the room, just looking down at the conversation, and say to yourself, "Don't ever forget this."

Robby: Is Roberto still alive?

Me: No, buddy. He's not.

Robby: How did he die?

Me: Well... he was delivering food and clothing to poor people in Puerto Rico, where he grew up, and his plane crashed. He died while he was still playing baseball and it was really sad. He had exactly 3000 hits, which is kind of a big deal."

Robby: Oh... did the poor people get their food?

Me: I'm not sure, kiddo. I don't know if he was flying there or flying back but I'm sure that someone made sure that they got some food.

Robby: Well that's good. Making sure they got their food is a big deal, too, right?

At around this time Sammy came down from upstairs (Sammy who has just been to the Baseball Hall of Fame and is becoming a pretty big baseball fan) and Robby immediately says:

Robby: Sam - do you know how Roberto Clemente died?

Sammy: No.

Robby: He died in a plane crash giving food to the poor.

Sammy: (Not really caring) Really.

Robby: No - you don't understand Sam - it was reeeeally sad!

It was about this time that Sammy realized what was on TV. I need to disclose that - despite my best efforts - Sammy is a bigger Yankee fan than Pirates fan. I can't really blame him. The Pirates have sucked since I was slightly older than he is now (MOMENT OF REALIZATION...) Holy shit. I'm old. Holy shit. The Pirates have been horrible forever. Anyway - my only saving grace is that Sammy is a fan of the OLD Yankees - not the current Yankees. He could care less about A-Rod or Jeter - his heroes are Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle.

Bob Prince: Next up to the plate Roger Maris

Sammy: ROGER MARIS!?

Me: Yup - he was on the Yankees during this game. What's so special about Roger Maris, Sam?

Sammy: Ummm... he broke Babe Ruth's record, Dad. C'mon!

Bob Prince: (A few minutes later) Coming to the plate... Yogi Berra.

Sammy: This is AWESOME!

I'm a total dork, but Sammy is right - this is awesome!

It seems that baseball does get passed along from father to son and on and on down the line. Just before this broadcast I called my dad and asked him a few questions about the 1960 Buccos.

Spring training is only 2 1/2 months away.

Sheesh! I'm sorry...

Let me open by saying I apologize for not giving you your Morrisquads fill. I will strive to never let it happen again.... but it will happen so don't kill me. I do have five kids, you know.

OK - several things have kept me from posting recently. They are...

1. My blackberry broke while we were in the rain at the Harrisburg Senators game. Now I realize that I don't write my blog with my blackberry but I use my blackberry in gathering and organizing my ideas. (Stay with me... I'm about to let everyone in on a little secret). Since I carry my blackberry with me all the time, as I notice something that I find funny or humorous I make a note to myself on the blackberry. Then I'll go back to the device when it is time to post and the nuggets of hilariousness are sitting there for me to pluck from my electronic gathering tool. Follow? So - now that I have my blackberry back I'll post more. Okay?

2. I've been "slightly" obsessed with my fantasy baseball team recently. (If you ask Geana or any of my fellow league members the word "slightly" may be replaced with "completely" but I digress...) See - I gave up in early August and traded away my entire team for a few AWESOME players that I am permitted to keep into next year. Well as it turns out - I've skated into the playoffs and I'm actually beating the number one seed this week. I have a team full of guys named "Homer" "Gio" and "Skippy" but somehow I'm winning. He has a team full of superstars making millions of dollars who refuse to sign autographs and like to get drunk at bars with loose women. Anyway - I actually have a legitimate shot at winning this week and I can think of nothing else except winning at the moment (I can't help it... I'm competitive - but in a good way... really... I promise.) Don't get me started... I could go on but in the interest of keeping some readers I'll stop. Here is a cute picture of Sammy following my team and watching the Phils on TV. He's getting obsessed too. (By the way, the screen shows my team at 153pts and my opponent's team at 95. That's Brad Penny on the television - shutting out the Phillies after not pitching in weeks. The Phils have J. Happ pitching. Happ should be winning but he's not because he's on my opponent's team.)


3. School is starting and Geana has a job. For those of you who don't know, Geana got a teaching job for this fall. She has been preparing lesson plans and going to "teacher's only" days at her school. We're also trying to get the kids on a decent school schedule (going to bed early) and get all of their back-packs, lunch boxes, uniforms, etc. ready for the first day. Climbing Mt. Everest would be easier.

4. Lastly - football has started.

Williamsport = The Best Place on Earth.

The game was won in the final inning by the team from Georgia. One kid on the team from Washington State had the worst day of his young life, I suspect. We'll call him Brad Lidge. He was called on to relieve the starter in the final inning of the game. The starter, we'll call him Cliff Lee, had pitched incredibly - giving up one run through 5 and scattering about 6 hits. Little Lee opened the 6th inning with a walk and the manager immediately called for his closer. In comes the twelve year old Brad Lidge. He has a one run lead. The score is Washington 2, Georgia 1. There is a runner on first. Nobody is out. His job is to preserve the lead... and the win for his team. Lidge proceeds to throw three consecutive wild pitches - advancing the runner from first to second... second to third... and lastly third to home. Tie game. There were some intermittent hits and walks after this and, frankly, I can't remember how the go ahead run came in but the top of the 6th ended with Washington being down 3-2, having given up the lead, with only one more set of at bats to try to win the game... or go home. Young Lidge, for all intents and purposes, had lost the final elimination game for his team. He was visibly upset. But there was hope...

In the bottom of the 6th, Georgia brought in their closer - we'll call him Lee Smith. The kid was GIGANTIC! Like - I wouldn't be able to make contact off of this little leaguer. Anyway, in true baseball fashion, Lidge was given the opportunity to redeem himself in the bottom of the inning. There were two outs, the tying run on third - the winning run in scoring position on second base. This was when mighty Lidge comes to the plate. Redemption time. After several blistering fastballs, the count runs to 3-2 and the brave young kid fouls off, what seems like, 20 pitches. At this point Lee Smith is bringing nothing but heat. It's sheer power vs. skill. Lidge keeps fouling off pitches... he's staying alive. Battling. Finally - Smith reaches back for something special and blows a high hard one right past a swinging Lidge. The Georgia team erupts in celebration while young Lidge throws his bat and helmet and cowers into the dugout - where his coach embraces him and tells him, surely, not to cry for they have had a great season.

My dad, the boys, and I all piled into the car yesterday to venture 3 hours into the mountains in order to catch a glimpse of the Little League World Series - happening in Williamsport, PA.


Well, it's official. The LLWS has officially topped my list of fun things to do with the kids. If you like baseball, if you like free and fun places to take the kids, and if you like climbing up to the top of a hillside only to slide down headfirst on a cardboard box - then this event is for you. (The one draw back is that beer is not permitted. I know... I know... you CAN watch baseball without drinking beer - but it isn't quite the same.)



After exiting Interstate 80, the drive to Williamsport winds you through the Appalachain Mountains and, at moments, looks down upon the Susquehanna river below. We passed several card shops and fresh produce stands along the scenic drive. This is little town America through and through. Upon arrival, there are two stadiums - Volunteer Stadium and Lamade Stadium - that are connected by an awesome concourse including food stands, picnic tables, souvenir shops, and sunflower seed stands (SWEET!). Games were scheduled at 12pm, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, and 8pm.

We got there just after the 2pm game started. We peered through the gate, hoping to find five vacant seats in the packed Volunteer Stadium to no avail. As we were standing there gawking at the Latin American team taking on Japan, Orel Hershiser breezed by us. It happened so quickly that I barely had a chance to tell the kids who he was. "HOLY CRAP! THAT WAS OREL HERSHISER, KIDS," I told them. "Who?" "You have so much to learn, children." Orel had just grabbed a hot dog, it appeared, and was heading back into the Press Box. So cool.

We finally settled in on the hills beyond the right field fence at Lamade Stadium. We figured that we could grab a drink, find some cardboard (for the hill), and wait for the 4pm game to start. The best way to describe the atmosphere there is like a folk festival. Lawn chairs littered the hillsides beyond the outfield fence and the smell of grilled hot dogs and hamburgers filled the air. The kids behind us stretched out a blanket and displayed their impressive collection of baseball pins that they had diligently collected throughout the week here in Williamsport.

The kids met new friends, slid down the hills, and talked about pins and baseball cards, while my dad and I sat back and enjoyed America's pastime being played by twelve year old boys from all over the world on a field in rural Pennsylvania - where 15 thousand baseball fans flocked to see them, cheered, and ate grilled hot dogs while they watched... and longed for a cold beer.

Rain... it breaks stuff

My parents and I took the boys to the Harrisburg Senators game on Thursday while Geana took Ella and Anna to a doctor's appointment and then got their nails done.


There are two things that I enjoy photographing more than anything else... the kids... and baseball. When the two things intersect, I thoroughly enjoy the task of snapping away photo after photo. I took this picture as we got there and uploaded it to twitpic right away... good thing I did.

When we got to the ballpark it was about 85 degrees, and rising, with 99.9% humidity. By the third inning we had spilled one large Sprite, realized that we forgot our sunblock, and went to the potty 3 separate times. (As an aside - Metro Bank Park still uses old school urinals. The last time I saw these were in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium in 1988. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about - instead of individual white porcelain urinals - they have a single stainless steel trough that runs the length of the bathroom wall. Guys have to claim their spot, unzip, and just let her rip. No privacy. No shame. No nonsense. The boys thought this was great! Upon seeing the trough, James said, "Dad - what is this? Do you take a bath in there?" Ummmm.... no.)

The kids were miserable... like "end of the world" kind of miserable. At one point we went to the ATM machine, which was in a small air conditioned kiosk, and James said, "Dad - this is the best part of the whole trip so far!" We stayed in the kiosk until an old lady came up behind us and we had to vacate the premises. I think she thought we were robbing the machine.

Then... the skies opened up in the 7th inning. It poured. And poured. And poured. Then it let up for a second... and then it poured again. We were soaked. Before the rain started, it was up to 90 degrees and the rain was a welcome relief. I've never stayed in my seats during that type of rain at a ballgame. They were still playing and we were the only people in the seats. The first baseman for the Curve, Jason Delaney, felt sorry for us and gave us their warm-up ball after they were done and starting the bottom of the 7th. Here is Sammy and my Dad in the rain with the ball. The large streaks in the picture are the rain drops pelting down from the sky.

Eventually the umps delayed the game and we left. I took a hundred awesome pics - most before the rain came. When I went to upload them to the computer, it didn't work. Likely because the rain got the camera wet. The pictures above came from my phone that I sent to facebook or twitpic. My phone died, too. As we speak it is sitting in a bag of rice - still trying to dry out. Please keep my phone in your thoughts and prayers... UGH. I learned a valuable lesson this week - STOP TAKING PICTURES WHEN IT RAINS, MORON!

Other than the phone breaking (the camera works again), we had an awesome time. Minor League baseball with the kids is so much fun! I recommend it for anyone with kids. It's actually more entertaining than the big leagues, because of the close proximity to the players and the fun games in between innings. Sammy caught a t-shirt, too.

Distracted...

First of all - I'm posting this while trying to watch the three boys and keep their excitement contained for our trip today. We are leaving for Harrisburg to see the Senators play the Altoona Curve in about a half an hour. It should be fun!

Yesterday, at the Morris house, we had a little kid's party for the quadruplets. There were twelve kids here - five of them were ours. We played on the water slide and sang happy birthday... all of the usual stuff. I think that I could get used to this staying home stuff. (I took off W-F of this week).

I'm searching for stuff to write as I'm telling Robby and James to let Sammy go to the bathroom in peace... so I'll just leave you with this picture from yesterday. I'll be posting more pics of our baseball trip today to my twitter account. Follow me if you haven't done so already... a link is on the right side of this page. BYE!

All Stars!

I sat down last night to watch the HR Derby with Sammy. Is there any better sporting event to share with your 7 year-old son? I think not. We donned our team's uniforms, got some ice cream, and settled in for the extravaganza. It started off with David Cook - the legend from the other TV show that we watch together. Neither of us made it all the way through it (we fell asleep) but we had fun saying, "Back - back - back - back.... GONE!" a la Chris Berman for awhile.

Fast forward 24 hrs. to this evening and we took our spots on the couch again... watching the hype, adoring our players, and waiting for the game to begin. This time it was Anna and me watching the game. Sammy joined us later (after his game of war with Mommy) but the night started out with just me and Anna. I started taking notes right away. Here were some of the priceless moments that I enjoyed this evening watching the game with my 4 year-old daughter:
--

TV: From the New York Yankees... Shortstop - DEREK JETER!
Anna: Daddy - why do they call him Derek Cheater? Are all the Yankees cheaters?
Me: Yes, dear.
Anna: That's what I thought.

--
Pepsi will be happy to hear that, as we're sitting there together drinking our generic brand of root beer and watching the festivities drag on and on, Anna turns to me and says, "Daddy - why do they keep saying 'Pepsi' all the time? Maybe we should be drinking that instead of root beer." Holy crap! That marketing stuff really does work!
--
Why is it that the Pirates didn't even have a representative in the "All Stars Among Us?" Not one of them was wearing a Pirate's jersey. We really do stink.
--
Sammy came in just as the game was beginning and proceeded to expound on how he learned, at the local library, that baseball started during the Civil War when soldiers needed a break from fighting and made up baseball to pass the time. That's why it's called the National Pass Time.
--
By the bottom of the 1st - Anna was asleep and Sammy was ready for bed. A fun night was had by all - for sure!

Brilliant Idea #389

Have a 6 year-old tball game start at 8pm.

I guess the 6 year-olds can handle it. The game didn't get over until about 9:30 and then the ice cream and sodas didn't get over until about 10:00pm. Sammy had a blast and said, "DAD - I felt like I was in the World Series!"

And, really, I felt like I was watching him in the World Series. It was really cool to see him on a nicely manicured field, under the lights, and actually playing the game of baseball... with outs and everything! He played second base.


Did I mention that I was there without Geana? With four year old quadruplets? Whose normal bedtime is prior to 8pm?

In the Morris parenting system, the children are raised by two separate, yet equally important parents. The Father - who seems to get into predicaments when the mother is not around, and the Mother - who decided to go out tonight. These are our stories. (DUM DUUUM)

Ella deciding that she wanted to go home. This went on for about five minutes straight:



Anna's Muddy Feet:



James wants a seat:



Anna & Ella want nachos:



Robby's skanky feet:

Curveballs

I could never hit a curveball. Now I see that the ball was actually thrown STRAIGHT and it was simply a result of my eye shifting from foveal to peripheral viewing. Someone tell Adam LaRoche.

Adults vs. Kids

The girls had their annual (I guess it's annual - this is our first season) girls vs. Parents softball game. I was super excited for the game... but came home utterly amazed at people's... umm.... lack of awareness (nah), blatunt disregard for safety (nah), f-ing stupidity... that's it.

Someone should tell these 30 to 40 year-old men that they are playing FOUR YEAR OLD GIRLS! Seriously - I wish I had my video camera with me because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Some of these dudes were crushing the ball to the fence. Literally - taking a stance and swinging as hard as they could. One guy actually hit the fence on a fly. Never mind that there were about 10 four year-olds about 15 feet in front of him - none of which were actually paying attention enough to follow what was going on or be alert if a screaming liner happened to be hit their way. Way to go dude... you can hit a softball, thrown from a pitching machine, to the fence on a tball field. Hey - maybe you should unzip and whip it out, too. This'll really show all of the other parents how manly you are. One thing is for sure - it would be equally inappropriate.

Only one kid actually took a line drive off of her head today... Anna. She's fine - but of course it happened to my kid. That dude's kid was probably picking her nose, ducking behind the pitching machine for safety. Geana asked Anna if she was okay and she was upset that she didn't catch the ball but she stayed in the game. In related news, Anna came in second of about 30 girls in a cut-throat game of "Simon Says." She only lost to a 6 year-old but was visibly upset when she was eliminated. She is, hands down, the most competitive of my kids. One time we were playing "The Quiet Game" and about 20 minutes after I thought we had completed the game she tapped on my shoulder asking the non-verbal question, "Yo Dad - can I talk yet?"

Speaking of injuries - Sammy is on the 15 day DL. He helped coach firstbase today and followed the coach around because of his cast. He actually thought it was a lot of fun.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there!

Sac Bunts and Grand Slams

We went to the Riversharks game yesterday. The kids lasted until about the sixth inning when we finally had to get up and head over to the funzone. (We didn't actually go into the funzone because the moon bounce was broken and all other activities were a bit old for our crew). Dewon Brazelton pitched and I got to see Junior Spivey play SS. It felt just like 2002.

At one point - Sammy asked, "Why is that guy holding his bat out sideways like that?" This was a monumental moment for me because it is the first time Sammy asked me a legitimate question about the goings on in a professional game. HE'S PAYING ATTENTION AND FOLLOWING THE GAME! YES!! Season tickets... here we come! I told him that he is trying to just push the ball back towards the pitcher and it's called a bunt. Brilliantly, he replied, "but he'll get thrown out. Why would he do that?" Now it was my pleasure to explain how the sacrifice bunt works. See there were guys on 2nd and 1st base and he was trying to bunt them up a base. I'm not sure if he understood at first but then on the next pitch the batter laid down an awesome bunt up the 3rd base line. The throw came from the pitcher to 1st and the runner actually beat it out for a bunt single. After he saw the play, I'm pretty sure he got it.

Today we were watching the Cubs play the Marlins on WGN (the conversation about baseball quietly being on WGN all the time will come next year, presumably) and the bases were loaded for Derrek Lee. Sam looked at me and said, "If he hits a homerun, Dad, he'll get a grand slam." Again - I'm loving this! Then Lee did it. He went yard and hit the Grand Slam! High fives and chest bumps followed in our living room.

Sammy also is aware that a lefty who is facing a fireballer like Dewon Brazelton could line a screaming foul ball down the third base side, into the stands. Having the memory of his head injury fresh enough in his mind, he didn't take any chances when a lefty came to the plate and took the proper precautions.

T-Ball & Softball

I've said this before - but I'm back for real this time. I just couldn't get into a groove with consistent writing or recording since our fire and Sammy's accident. This time - I'm committed. It's summertime, we have lots going on that I can write about, and I have the time to do it. No more excuses... (I may even record some podcasts).

The boys and girls have started little league and I don't know who is having more fun - the kids or me. There is something about watching the awe in the kids eyes and the joy that it brings them even if they are just playing in the dirt or wearing their glove on their head. I'm not helping coach their teams as I did with Sammy but I'm still teaching them everything I know (which isn't much). For example - yesterday I taught James how to swagger up to the plate and stare down the pitcher before stepping into the batter's box. He's four and he's hitting off of a tee, but he did an incredible job. After all, baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical - right?

Ella isn't too fond of actually playing softball, but getting dressed up makes it worth the fun. Geana made them hair ties that match their jerseys and have little softballs on the ribbons. Ella loves that part of the game and that's what matters.

By the way - the boys are all on the same t-ball team and the girls are on the same softball team this year. Next year Sammy's going to be on a team, Robby and James on a different one, and Anna and Ella on yet another. I sat down to put the game schedule into my calendar last night for both the girls and the boys and it took me FOREVER. I can feel the change coming (if it hasn't happened already). The difficulty of having five kids is subtly shifting from "It is tough to keep track of all of them and keep them all safe" to "It is tough to coordinate all of their activities and make sure nothing overlaps and that we make it there on time." I see this only getting harder until we make the next transition into "I can't believe my kids are actually going out on dates."

Well - so long! I'm going to be writing more consistently now (I'm telling myself this as much as you guys). Check back for more posts in the next day or so. I'm hoping to actually record a podcast from the kids' t-ball game this Saturday, LIVE FROM DERMOND FIELD! (We'll see).

Hope Springs Eternal

It's spring... well... almost. It's March - how about that? Yesterday we got about 5 inches of snow and today it is about 20 degrees outside... but hey it's March. At lunch today I was able to watch a few innings of the Mets playing against the Cardinals. It was awesome.

Anyway - I have several pieces of information to share with folks...

1. Our latest Discovery Health show is going to premiere on March 10 at 9pm. Our first show, Double Identical Twins, will air at 8pm.

2. I'm going to Spring training in a week and 2 days. I'm hoping to post pics and musings from down there.

Haven't We Suffered Enough?

Last night Sammy and I went to watch the Pirates play the Phillies. I feel obligated to report that The Pirates looked like crap, Snell was inconsistent as usual, and the offense couldn't muster any sustainable production against Brett Myers. The game could've easilybeen a blow out instead of a close game.

Sammy had fun, though. We actually were given the tickets by Chris's (the babysitter who saved our kid's lives) son. He won the tickets at their block party and gave them to Sammy and me because he knows that I am a Pirates fan and that Sammy roots for the Phils.

Sammy had a blast, especially because we sat right behind Rhyno, the TNA professional wrestler. Sammy has never watched a day of wrestling in his life, but we may have to add that to our TIVO recordings, now. The kid had a bit of trouble seeing the action whilesitting behind this guy:





The guy was HUGE!

Life is moving forward here at my parent's house. We're off to eat some breakfast... until next time....

Fathers, Sons, & Baseball...

Today Sammy had a little league game. He went 2 for 2 against the pitching machine today... talk about awesome! Just last year he had only one hit against the machine. Today, on the first day against the machine, he doubled the total. He also had 2 outstanding grabs in the field. All around, he had a great game.

I took some video before, after, and in between innings which I hope to post soon. I couldn't tape during the game because I had to work the pitching machine. (Perhaps the highlight of my season so far.)

I meant to ask this question last week but it slipped my mind. Was it wrong for me to wear my "Yankees Suck" t-shirt to Sammy's Little League game? Was it even more wrong that we were playing the Yankees the week that I wore it? I didn't think so...

My Secret Decoder Ring

In preparation for the fantasy baseball season, this past Wednesday I ordered Ron Shandler's "Fantasy Forecaster 2008". When you purchase the book right from his website you get special access to all of the stats and charts in .pdf and .xls formats. Mmmmm.... stats.

I was like the kid in "A Christmas Story," waiting for my Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring. I was checking my e-mails every half hour at work on Thursday and Friday to no avail. I actually even called their customer service on Friday to see if the order had been processed. At that time I was informed that the e-mails granting access to the online files were sent over night. I came home and turned on my laptop... waiting... waiting... waiting...

I went to bed around 11pm, without receiving the e-mail. When I woke up on Saturday morning, there the files were, in my inbox - with a little bow wrapped around them in the form of a high priority flag.

I sat on the computer for most of the afternoon yesterday pouring over the complicated sabermetric analysis tools, thinking about the upcoming season, and drinking my ovaltine.

31 days until Pitchers & Catchers report.

Hotels & Yankee Tickets!

Dad made the reservations for the hotel today and I bought the tickets for the first game of our spring training season. Astros @ Yankees. Have I mentioned lately that I hate the Yankees?

I logged onto www.yankees.com at 10:00am and purchased the tickets. I logged on again at noon (just to see if anything was still available) and the tickets were all sold out. Unbelievable. SPRING TRAINING GAMES!! Not only that - the Yanks tickets are way more expensive than any other team's spring training tickets. Have I mentioned that I hate the Yankees? I guess they have to pay A-Rod somehow.

As a point of reference - I attempted to purchase the cheapest available seats - 200 Level way out by the outfield - $17/ticket. They would only let me buy the $27 tickets on the website - 200 Level behind home plate. There was not an option to buy the $17 seats until all of the other 200 level seats were sold, forcing those of us who are diligent enough to get online first to buy the more expensive seats... I didn't want to wait and try to get the $17 tickets for fear that I miss the window of opportunity and get shut out from getting tickets altogether. I got 4 tickets at $27 a piece (in two different rows).

Pirates' cheapest tickets are $9. I could go to three Pirates games or go to ONE Yankee game.

The Bleak Mid-Winter

As the embers in my fireplace burned into the early morning, I poured over statistics in the latest release of Baseball America's 2008 Almanac. It was frigid outside and the bitter wind could be heard whistling in the night air. I smelled the musky smoke and heard the cackle of the fire and realized that we are entering the coldest two months of the year. Two months of coats and hats, gloves and scarves. Two months that are barren of baseball and where Sportscenter features stories on hockey and horseshoes. But, much like the warm fire in the cold arctic air, I had my XM radio. My little electronic device that brings me talk about baseball every day, every minute, and every second of the year - if only I choose to listen.

I fired up the gadget and on this particular night the talk was of Roger Clemens' possible steroid use and of the recent trade of Nick Swisher from the Oakland A's to the Chicago White Sox. Ahhh... the warmth of baseball.

While I listened to the voices talking at me about prospects and performance enhancing drugs, my mind drifted to our upcoming trip to Spring Training. I've gone twice before. The first time it was just Dad and me. The second time, we took Pap along.

Actually - now that I think about it - this will be the fifth "baseball trip" with my father. The first one was in 1988 or 1989 when my father and I drove around the mid-west and took in an Indian's game at old Municipal Stadium, a White Sox game in their brand new Comiskey II, and we tried to tune into Bucco games over the AM radio in our rental car as we drove through the night in far off cities. We took a train back from Chicago and got to ride in a sleeper car, realizing that it was less glamorous than we had expected and much more uncomfortable. Our second trip was more than 10 years later - after my graduation from college. We went to a bunch of parks along the east coast including The Vet, Shea, Yankee Stadium, Fenway, Camden Yards, then we headed west to Wrigley, and Jacob's Field - stopping in Williamsport for the Little League World Series along the way. Our two trips to spring training followed that.

As the years pass, I wish I had a better chronicle of each of our trips. What stands out in my mind the most about our spring training trips was the Bloody Marys that Pap ordered us at a local bar in Tampa, the Mustang convertible that we rented, and the college hoops that we watched in our hotel room each night. It's funny that the baseball games seem to be secondary on these vacations. Ironically, you look forward to the trip thinking about the cold beer and the games that you'll watch and enjoy, but when you come home what you remember most is the time that you spent with your loved ones.

Pitchers and Catchers report in 40 days.

The Morris Report

I feel compelled to give my 2 cents about this thing.

Unless you've been living in cave - you know what happened in Major League Baseball yesterday. Former Senator George Mitchell came out with his report, commissioned by MLB, to address the Steroid issue in baseball today.

Honestly - MLB can't do anything right. The way this report is structured and published, there is clearly a big window for players to claim slander and that the two or three main "informats" are lying. Yes - they asked the players to participate and the players declined - but that was the BRILLIANT strategy that was structured by the Players Union because they DIDN'T HAVE TO PARTICIPATE. What is going to be interesting is what Congress does with the report. I don't care what Selig says they are going to do b/c he ultimately won't do anything unless he's forced. Congress inevitably is going to bring up the issue of the records and statistics which will be fun to watch. The whole thing is rooted in the anti-trust exception which gives Congress control over EVERYTHING that MLB does (albeit indirectly).

Also - if I'm a politician - nothing but good pub for me can come from me helping to clean up a rotten game. It's a politician's dream - great publicity for them, huge media coverage, visible impact in something that people care about. (as opposed to a direct impact on something like... I don't know... education - which people care about but not as much as baseball).

If MLB was smart they would take the issue and split the union over it (players NOT using Juice vs. players who ARE), theoretically weakening the union and breaking their stronghold on everything from collective bargaining to steroid testing. If I'm Selig I say, "Clearly we have a problem that we have to fix - but I can't do it alone. I am pleading to the individual players who don't cheat, and who also want to clean up our game, to work with MLB and to rid our game of this poison. If you're not a cheater - join with me to eliminate the cheating from your game, my game, and America's game. It's not enough to be the best athlete you can be... you also should strive to be the best person you can be. Be a role model to the children of the US, be a role model to your own children. X number of children suffered medical illnesses due to steroid use in the US last year. Help us overcome this catastrophic realization." If I'm Selig - I keep pleading with them until they come forward. Be over the top and be diligent. If nothing more - he looks like he is doing all he can and the players union is hindering him. Congress will then attack the Union and not MLB. Use Congress to break up the union to your benefit. That's too obvious, though.

Don't get me wrong - they'll never get rid of steroids, greenies, etc. There isn't even a test for HGH because the body produces it naturally and everyone produces different amounts at different ages of your life. What Selig doesn't get is that, currently, he's trying to save face instead of turning this issue around breaking the union up. For years the union has controlled MLB and right now Selig holds all of the cards but he doesn't realize it. He needs to fine the owners and GM's who willingly knew that players that were using to make him "seem" unbiased. Then he needs to go after the players...

There are players who are not using. There has to be. He needs to find them and get them to help him (or at least appear to be trying to get these guys on his side). Then he says to Congress, "I've been trying to get players and their union to cooperate but they won't. I'm certain that there are clean guys in this game, but they won't come forward. I've implemented stringent testing but it's not enough." If Fehr is getting heat from congress, Selig can promise (in a back room somewhere) to back off in exchange for something like... say... a salary cap. Granted - that's shooting high - but depending on how vigilant Congress is he could really spin this thing in his favor.

That would be my strategy if I ran baseball. There may be holes in my plan because a lot depends on Congress's leverage, but I think that will be there. Selig could even turn around and plead to congress for help. See - that's the way a witch hunts work. You need to align yourself on the side that's going to look the best in the public eye and ride it as far as you can. You'd be surprised how much MLB could accomplish with this if they just play it right. Then you use your strong relationship with congress and stance on steroids as leverage in collective bargaining.

Ok - I'm done, now. More about the kids tomorrow!

Ho hum.

Is anyone watching the Rockies play the Red Sox? If so... do you really care about this series? I don't and let me tell you why...

The Red Sox are the new Yankees and I can no longer stand them. The days of them being the lovable underdog are gone. Their starting line-up and rotation has a payroll that teams like the Pirates can only dream of. I mean - they paid the "Japanese Giants" $51m just to talk to Dice-K. The Pirates ENTIRE payroll is $38m (USA TODAY MLB PAYROLL DATABASE). That's why I hate the Red Sox.

I can pull for the Rockies but I really don't like the guys on their team. Jeff Francis... Brian Fuentes... Yorvit Torrealba... Matt Holiday... blah.

I am just not interested.

Case in point... Geana just came up and asked if we could change the channel. I hesitated for a second (I mean - it is the World Series), I look at the score (10-1 Boston), and say sure. Now I'm watching Friends and laughing, instead of watching baseball and falling asleep.

Not to mention, laying in bed with Geana which is always nice.

Ooo - Family Guy is coming on... gotta run!

Letter to Sammy

Dear Sammy,

I don't know what has happened in the past 5 or 6 months, but all of a sudden you seem to be taking an interest in sports. Your mother and I have even talked about it (yes - we talk about you behind your back). You ask to wear your Phillies clothes, you ask to watch the baseball playoffs, and then you actually follow along for a couple of innings before you get bored.

This is so cool to me!!

Getting up on Saturday's to go to soccer isn't a chore like some of your former activities used to be for you. You seem to really want to go and are excited to be playing. Now - don't get me wrong - I'm not going to be one of those Dads who forces sports on you. I mean - I did theatre in high school and college and actually pursued it as a career for awhile. I am a big sports fan, but I understand that there are other things in life, too. Which is why I LOVE it that you've really taken to playing the piano, too. Dude - this is so awesome! I guess what I'm trying to say is that - more and more - I see myself in you and it is a really weird, and cool thing. Watching you grow up is fun, especially when I can directly associate with what you are doing and are interested in. Your interests may change as the years pass - and that's okay. Every parent says that watching their kids grow up is cool - but until you experience it, I don't think you truly appreciate it.

Next year we'll go to some more Phillies games together and maybe even some Eagles games (if the Steelers have a bye week).

Ok - I'm leaving work now so that you can play me some tunes on the piano before we get ready for bed. Heck - it's Friday - maybe you can stay up and watch the NLDS game with me if you want to. We'll have to ask Mommy... but don't worry - I'll sneak you my XM radio to listen to the game in bed if she says no.

Love,

Daddy