Story #50, 51 -- Back to reality...

Just because I was in San Francisco busting my hump (and enjoying myself quite a bit) with the whole 2007 Futures Game thing didn't mean that I could ignore my normal MiLB.com responsibilities. I had a pair of notebooks due, and they're linked to below.

Click here for my notebook detailing the past week in the Pioneer League. AND/OR click here for my notebook detailing the past week in the Northwest League.

San Francisco pics are coming! Check back soon!

Story #48, 49 -- A last glimpse into the Futures

SAN FRANCISCO -- My (work) weekend concludes with a pair of stories, written pre-game and post-game, about players involved in the Futures Game. Like I said before, the only word for the weekend is ridiculous, and I will have more on the details of it once I get back to Sac Town and can collect my thoughts, photos etc.

Click here for a story on Lexington Legends outfielder James Van Ostrand, who joined another couple of Canadians on the World Team roster. This story gave me another chance to talk with Mike Saunders, a coulda-been-an-NHLer turned up-and-coming-baseball player. Good times.

Click here for a story focusing on the U.S. Team's starting pitcher in the exhibition, Durham Bulls right-hander Jeff Niemann. Making the cut as 1-of-20 pitchers selected in the game out of all the Minor Leagues is one thing, becoming the 18th pitcher to ever start in a Futures Game is something else all together.

Again, check back sooner as opposed to later. Details and photos of really fun stuff this weekend is coming.

Story #47 -- Mark becomes a Hall of Famer...kind of

SAN FRANCISCO -- From MiLB.com, to MLB.com and now to the Baseball Hall of Fame's official Web site. Speaking with legends of the game like David Winfield and Juan Marichal is bound to take you somewhere, that's for sure. This weekend has been ridiculous, that's the only word I can use to summarize it. The city, the event, the stories...just ridiculous.

Click here to read about two Hall of Famers giving back to baseball's next generation of stars.

For the record, both Winfield and Marichal are, without a doubt, the best interviews I've ever had. It's nice to talk to a couple of players with a bit of poetry in their words instead of the normal cliche machines most athletes are. Winfield has a bit of wit about him I've never encountered in an athlete, he slips in some jokes and sly remarks effortlessly, which makes the interview process that much more fun. As for Marichal, he doesn't speak the best English, but he speaks it well enough. And like I've said before, people with some grasp of the English language usually command it better, and Marichal was no different. He didn't say a lot, but what he said was definitely powerful.

Story #46 -- Welcome...to the big show.

Holy crap! I just saw my Futures preview on MLB.com, and about lost it. MiLB.com is one thing, but to make it onto baseball's grandest (online) stage, well...I'm blown away. Of course, I think the rest of the stories I'm writing this week will make their way there too, but still. Wow. It just didn't sink in, what I'm getting into this weekend with the Futures Game, until about right now. Again, just wow.

Share in the glory by clicking here!

This story will be updated later today, after it is re-posted, after I get some quotes from JUAN MARICHAL and DAVID WINFIELD soon after my arrival in San Francisco. Yeesh, I can't take it.

Time to hit the road...

Story #44, 45 -- Back to the Futures

Here are the MiLB.com stories about the U.S. pitching staff that I promised the other day. I leave for San Francisco tomorrow and I can't help but be a little nervous. I keep seeing all the commercials for the MLB All-Star weekend all over the TV and it's starting to sink in-- hey, you're going to that buddy. It's my first experience at an event of this magnitude so it's leading to mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness.

Click here for a quick look at the 10 U.S. players set to take the mound.

Click here for an closer look at Harrisburg Senators hurler Collin Balester, a surfer turned pitcher ready to leave his mark at the Futures Game Sunday. I really liked this story, probably because it wrote itself thanks to a good balance of story and good quotes.

Enjoy! I'll keep you posted on my adventures in San Francisco this weekend...

Story #42, 43 -- The Futures begins now...

I'm about three days from packing up my laptop and duffel for another road trip, this time to San Francisco for the 2007 Futures Game-- the 'IT' All-Star event of the Minor League season. We're talking AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, and a whole lot more...well, professional environment to boot (TV coverage on ESPN, my bosses at MiLB.com are flying out etc.).

So let's get this party started. Below are 2-of-4 stories I've written previewing position players on the U.S. team for the Futures Game. Today the outfield, tomorrow the pitching staff (that's a hint to check back tomorrow for my pitching previews too)!

Click here for a quick look at the five players in the U.S. outfield.

Click here to take a closer look at Chattanooga Lookouts (a fantastic Minor League name/logo) outfielder Jay Bruce, who is primed and ready to showcase his skills after garnering his first Futures Game nod.

Funny is funny...

I mean, I'm a Linkin Park fan and I still think this is hilarious. The guy nails just about every good burn about LP there ever was. If you're a fan this is a must-see. I enjoy the part after the pause in the middle the most, but the whole video is solid...

Story #40, 41 -- Notebooking my way into July...

HAPPY JULY+1, everyone. I had a couple of stories go up on MiLB.com today that are worth a quick read if you're bored and curious about short-season rookie league baseball. I know I am!

Click here to read a notebook chronicling the first couple of weeks in the Pioneer League. The league is home to Nick Brockman's Helena Brewers, so if you want to better understand what Nick's up to, or at least what his team is up to, check it out.

Click here to read a notebook chronicling the first couple of weeks in the Northwest League. The league is home to the Yakima Bears and I was able to pull some info from Paul's paper. It's amazing how small the world can be and how much you overlap with people you know.

Also, I meant to mention my 'stats' in my last post for the month of June. In total, I wrote 24 stories, which included coverage of the 2007 California/Carolina League All-Star game as well as miscellaneous notebooks and features of the normal day-to-day variety.

I hope July is even busier (since it will pass the time faster as my time out here winds down, the plan is to be back to Maumee during the first few days of August). This month will start off with the Futures Game in San Francisco, so make sure you're checking back regularly for stories and pictures related to that as I write/take them...

Yosemite National Park, complete coverage...

I am re-posting a link to my pictures documenting my adventures with my parents at Yosemite National Park. I found out that Flickr! only allows you to create three 'sets' of photos, and since I'm not going to pay for anything to post photos on a blog, I decided to free up a set heading into my coming weekend.

The Futures Game adventure is coming, and I'm planning on taking pics. So yeah, I have updated all of the old post's links with this slideshow link as well, so all the excitement is in one place for your enjoyment. You will thank me later, I'm sure...

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you want to see a really cool feature Flickr! has, click here. It's a good way to see all my pictures scattered across this blog...and WHERE I took them. Just click, you'll get it.

Story #39 -- Have a 'Peek at the Week'

Ugh, I hate Peek at the Week. It's a pain to research, tedious to write...BUT OH SO MUCH FUN TO READ! Ha, right. Anyway, click here for the link to that story over at MiLB.com.

As for my week, I have some preview stuff due for the Futures Game before heading to San Fran this weekend. Should be a good time, so be sure to check back.

Story #37, 38 -- Get your 'Nac on...

Hey, everyone. I'm back in Sac Town after an excellent couple of days with the parents at Yosemite. But just because I was on vacation doesn't mean that I didn't have stories in motion, and the links to them over at MiLB.com are below. Enjoy:

Click here for a story on Helena Brewers third baseman Zach McAngus, who had to work a bit harder than most to bridge the gap --literally-- from Hawaii to the continental United States.

Click here for a story on High Desert Mavericks second baseman Jesus Guzman. This was the first story I've done through an interpreter, and I'm impressed with the quality of Guzman's quotes. When you don't know a lot of English, what you say is much more powerful. I think it's the short sentences.

OK, back to work. The vacation's over for now-- there's lots to do before the Futures Game this weekend!

Yosemite National Park (day 2)

FISH CAMP, CALIF. -- I thought I would have a couple of sets up today, a morning and evening set, for our second day in Yosemite. No such love (darn you Flickr!). Anyway, all of the day-two pics are up now, so enjoy them. Click here to check out our adventures!

EDITOR'S NOTE: The slideshow includes both days at the park now, I had to free up a Flickr! set for my Futures Games pictures.

Story #36 -- Whoops.

FISH CAMP, CALIF. -- My bad everyone. I noticed that my number of stories on the blog didn't match the number of stories I had written and --low and behold-- I missed posting a story that ran on MiLB.com on June 12.

Click here to read that story, which is about Winston-Salem Warthogs pitcher Kyle McCulloch. And please, forgive me...since I'm sure you all care so much!

EDITOR'S NOTE: It just hit me why I missed posting this story, it ran in an E-Zine to Chicago White Sox fans and well-wishers. My bosses never forwarded the E-Zine to me, as in times past, so the story just faded from my mind. I'm happy I caught it, and you should be too!

Yosemite National Park (day 1)

FISH CAMP, CALIF. -- Greetings from the outskirts of Yosemite National Park. I'm posting a link to a slide show of some pictures I took with my parents during our first day out here. As far as parks go, this one easily stacks up in amazingness to other ones I have been to like Yellowstone or Acadia, so the pictures are pretty spectacular.

Enjoy them by clicking here! and check back tomorrow and Friday for more!

EDITOR'S NOTE: The slideshow includes both days at the park now, I had to free up a Flickr! set for my Futures Games pictures.

Mmm...fattening.

My mom, posted up in front of The Squeeze Inn, home to one of the best burgers in Sac Town, the Squeeze Burger. I heard about the place from my most-excellent friend Sarah, who caught it on a Food Network show showcasing the top 10 burgers in the United States. This place is tiny, there's a row of bar stools inside and that's about it. Our order took about 30 minutes to process and the place is AC-less, so it was quite the wait. Still it was worth it for...

A SQUEEZE BURGER! Sorry the picture is a little blurry, I think the fat is creating a lardy haze around the burger. That entire orangish/yellow area engulfing the entire front of the burger is cheese, let me assure you that. When the burger is cooking, they put a mound 2-3 inches high of cheese on top of the burger, which proceeds to melt onto it and onto the grill. The cook then pulls out an Exact-O-like utensil and slices the burger (cheese and all), off the grill. This leaves the 'skirt' (so Sarah tells me it is called) of cheese, which has the delicious kinda-burnt-but-still-good cheese taste you find with pizza sometimes. Case and point: The skirt makes the burger good.

(To top it off, the Squeeze Burger is only $4.80, which is quite a steal for 1/3 pound burger.)

OK, I probably won't get this again due to my pseudo-diet out here, but it's a must-eat if you're in the Sac Town area. Getting the food and the uniqueness of the burger is an experience you just have to enjoy once in life, so make sure you get on it...

Story #35 -- Southern League All-Stars in good hands

Ha, don't get excited. MiLB.com isn't footing the bill to send me to Pearl, Miss., for the Southern League All-Star Game. The league did release it's managers for the exhibition though, and I got to write a brief blurb about them. It's not that exciting compared to say, last week with the California/Carolina League All-Star Game or next week with the Futures Game, but it's a story and you have the right to enjoy it. So check it out:

Click here to get your read on!

Things should be exciting for me over the next few days. My parents are coming into town and we have plans to head to Yosemite National Park Wednesday through Friday, so I'm busy working out some stuff now to make the next few days relaxing. I promise I will have pics and anecdotes either during or after said trip, so make sure to check back this week.

Or...it was MURDER!

Story #32, 33, 34 -- Banner Island Ballpark (in print)

My adventure in Stockton, Calif., concludes today with a trio of stories in this week's Farm's Almanac's 'On Location' section on MiLB.com. Now this isn't to say that someday, somewhere I may write another story or make another visit to Stockton, but I'm guessing it won't be any time soon. So get your fill now, people, via the links below:

Click here for my perspective on Banner Island Ballpark. OK, it's more like a general rundown of the ballpark, but it's still interesting, I promise. Also, my editor informed me that I may be the first person in the history of MiLB.com to use the phrase 'tasty vittles,' on the Web site. I told you all I'm going to make history out here, ha.

Click here for Ports radio announcer Zack Bayrouty's take on Banner Island Ballpark. Bayrouty's a great guy, very helpful and in a great position to kick-start an amazing career. I'd like to take this opportunity to give him all my best.

Click here for Carolina League star Jason Delaney's take on Banner Island Ballpark. Delaney said that the Carolina League All-Stars left at 5 a.m. PCT the day after the game, and that he didn't arrive back into his apartment until 1 a.m. EST. I told him I felt for him. That sucks.

(Feel free to check out the previous post for pictures that will make some of the things I talk about in these stories come alive.)

Banner Island Ballpark (in pics)

Stealing a page from Molly's book of 'How to Post Picture's Online,' I'm posting a link to Yahoo!'s Flickr! to satisfy your photo needs. Click here to (hopefully) view a slideshow of pictures I took while in Stockton. If you click on the picures, my description should pop up for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for more on the ball park by the way. I have three stories coming in the next day or so on Banner Island Ballpark. It's just the theme of the week...

Story #28, 29, 30, 31 -- Yeah. Believe it.

OK, now that it's not the wee hours of the morning, and I'm not in a hotel in Stockton, Calif., but back at the apartment in Sac Town, I can bust out this post proper to wrap of my couple of days on the road covering the 2007 California/Carolina League All-Star Game. Here's my blow-by-blow recap of the past 48 hours:

Monday: I made the 40-minute drive to Stockton and got there just in time to check into my Best Western suite. Now by suite I mean one-room 'heck hole' that was poorly planned to the point that I was moving furniture so I could work at a table AND watch some TV (the typical routine for the working man in the virtual office). I'm glad I did because the CWS game I had watched all day was...well, still on. I am talking of course about the Cal-State Fullerton and Irvine game, which ended the longest CWS game ever. I sure can pick 'em.

I also experienced the worst pizza-ordering debacle in my life. I was all about another Mountain Mike's Pizza when I saw them in the phone book, but the hotel was out of their delivery area. The next SIX places I called rattled of the same response. Finally I called the front desk and had them suggest a place, only to find out (after the ordering process) that they only accept cash when they deliver to hotels. I was looking to charge, so that was out. I settled on Domino's, which tried to tell me it was $17 for a medium, one-topping pizza. I'm not kidding. They was $17 for a medium, one-topping Domino's pizza in Stockton. I settled on a medium pizza, cheesy break and a 2-liter FOR $12, one of there specials. Explain to me how that all makes sense if you can. Finally, with a less-than-stellar meal in my belly, I caught some shuteye.

Tuesday: Woke up, touched base with my editors and headed to Banner Island Ball Park. Let me make this clear, Stockton is a pretty trashy-looking place (places with incredibly high crime rates often are), but the area around the ball park is GORGEOUS.

After speaking with a columnist for the Stockton Record, I came to find out that when the city was looking to rejuvenate the riverside, they spoke with a lot of city planners...including Toledo's. I guess Stockton and Toledo are basically the same city (on a river, run-down industrial area downtown, same population and demographic), and so it comes as no surprise that Stockton is a lot like Toledo in the post-moving-the-Mud Hens-to-downtown era. There's tons of street parking, trendy restaurants and, of course, the sports arenas right on the river and it's amazing. It'd almost warrant a visit back, if it wasn't all Stockton seems to have to offer. Maybe worth a stop if you're in the area sometime.

I got to 'meet' Bridget Marquardt, who was an honorary coach and threw out the All-Star Game's first pitch (a Playboy bunny, two-time cover girl, dates Hef etc.). By meet I mean I was Johnny on the spot with gum when she needed some, and I had her sign my roster. I never got into E!'s "Girl's Next Door," though I've seen snippets while channel surfing or hanging out with Mary. The cheap thrills that come with this job, huh? ESPN Radio's Mike and the Mouth was also broadcasting from the press box before the game, so that was neat to see (and hear).

As for the actual event, the Home Run Derby was a good time, and the game was UGLY! There were six errors in the contest, which was pretty much over after the Cal League went up 3-0 in the bottom of the second. But for more on all this stuff, let me direct you to a MiLB.com link here:

Click here to go the MiLB.com's home page for the 2007 California/Carolina League All-Star Game. Every story on this page is mine-- from the main, to the Home Run Derby recap, to the notebook and the pitching preview (though that went up a day late). All of the stories were complete between the hours of 4 p.m. and midnight, two in an hour after the game concluded around 10:15 p.m. All in all, I pulled the intense deadline writing off, and I'm pretty happy about it.

I will get pictures up as soon as I can. I'm exploring another way to post the pictures online instead of making a huge list of them in my next post. After checking out Molly's blog (located on the left) I may steal her picture-posting thunder since it seems easier and more pleasant to look at.

Case and point, check back soon for more on my All-Star adventure!

Story #25, 26, 27 -- Gearing up to be an All-Star

STOCKTON, CALIF. -- Greetings from one of the most crime-riddled cities in the United States. Oh, and the home of the Class A Advanced Stockton Ports and Banner Island Ballpark, which will play host to the 2007 California/Carolina League All-Star Game.

Yep, here's where things get a bit (more) interesting. It's time to roll up the sleeves and get to some serious work. Since the pitching matchups for the game have yet to be announced, that puts my workload at four stories due tomorrow, at various times of the day.

I will have to preview the pitching matchup in the morning, begin my notebook throughout the day, recap the Home Run Derby ASAP while the All-Star Game begins, than rock the running gamer to have the recap of the game in posthaste after its conclusion. It's going to be a lot of running around, a lot of writing on a tight deadline...basically things a real journalist does. It's time to get busy.

For the record, I have been busy in the previous days. For proof of that, feel free to check out my preview of the All-Star Game, as well as my previews for a couple of short-season leagues that kicked off their seasons with Opening Day today.

If you're too lazy to go to MiLB.com, here they are:

Click here to read my preview of the 2007 California/Carolina League All-Star Game (and be sure to check back in the next day or so to read the rest of my All-Star articles).

Click here to read my preview of the 2007 Pioneer League season. A shout out to Nick "Home on the Range" Brockman, who is interning with the PIO League's Helena Brewers this summer. His blog has been added to list on the left if you want to see what he's getting into in Montana. My guess is tumbleweeds and banjos.

Click here to read my preview of the 2007 Northwest League season. Some props to Paul's publication, the Yakima Herald-Republic. Many rosters were not released until today, making deadline tough to meet. The Yakima Bears were no problem, however, as the Herald-Republic was all over the announcements of their roster and coaching staff.

OK, like I said before-- check back soon too see if I pull this All-Star Game off.

It's baaaaaack...

To quote Sanford from 3-South: "I wish I had money for one of these, my body is craving one. It's like in the wild when a bear craves a monkey, but there aren't any around because it's molting season..."

The good news is that I do have the money, and I hope to eat one tonight for dinner. I have heard from a couple of sources in Maumee that Pizza Hut's P'Zone is back, but it's not on the online menu so I fear it may not be rereleased in Sac Town yet. For those of you who don't remember the P'Zone, try to remember what you were doing in 2002. What I was doing was playing a lot of videogames with my friends, using the P'Zone as my primary form of sustenance.

UPDATE: The Sac Town Pizza Hut has them, and I ate the heck out of one tonight for dinner. For the record, the P'Zone is still ridiculously declicious...

Bear Grylls: Did you ever know that you're my hero?

While most people get down on summer TV and its less-than-stellar lineup, as each week passes more and more 'quality' shows are kicking in (this observation is pretty easy since I find myself with excess time here in Sac Town more often than not).

Now I don't know why I have such an affinity for trashy TV. Maybe I associate shows like FOX's 'Hell's Kitchen,' and MTV's 'Rob and Big' with last summer, when Tim and I passed the slow time in Athens laughing at the laundry list of expletives, amazingness and more these respective shows showcased. Eventually I stopped caring enough to explain to people why to watch these shows, I just made them watch, then watched them become hooked as well.

Now for the record, Man vs. Wild starts back up again tonight. Those of you who know me should know that I think that Bear Grylls is the man. If you dropped me in the middle of Ohio with a flint and a water bottle, you would find me curled up in the fetal position soon after. Drop me in the middle of the desert, or a volcano...and then ask me to drink the excess moisture from elephant poo to survive well-- that's why I idolize Bear Grylls.

Check out Man vs. Wild if you never have (Friday -- 9 p.m., Discovery). You shan't regret it.

Story #23, 24 -- Another week, another Farm's Almanac

I am a bit too busy to write a cute paragraph today, but I wanted to make sure my latest two stories made it from MiLB.com to the friendly confines of my blog for your enjoyment ASAP.

Click here...and I mean it, CLICK IT, to read a story about how the Cal League, traditionally a hitter's paradise, has had a few standout pitchers so far this season. I enjoyed this story, and it's by far the longest I've wrote since I've been out here too, not like that matters.

Click here for a feature on Visalia Oaks pitcher Dallas Buck. He's having the kind of season that had me thinking I'd meet him this coming week at the CAL/CAR League All-Star Game, but he was snubbed. Good thing I was on the ball to write a feature...or was told to write a feature. Whatever story works for you.

OK, back to work. Keep checking back for stories and more details about my trip to Stockton, Calif., for the All-Star game next week.

Story #22 -- Tucson dominates PCL All-Star vote

If you read this blog for something other than my stories that find their way onto MiLB.com, well...I wouldn't bother checking in for about a week.

I have 10 stories due between today and Tuesday. As you can see, Story #22 (which I'd like to make a big deal about what with being the double deuces and all), is the tip of that ice berg. Perspective: I wrote 21 stories in a month and a half. In a week I am writing 10 more. Hmm...

All of this ends with the 2007 California/Carolina League All-Star Game Tuesday and I will be in attendance, in Stockton, Calif. So maybe there will be some interesting posts between now and then not concerning MiLB.com, but most certainly baseball.

Ugh, I need some sleep.

PS- Story is this week's PCL All-Star team online voting results. I'm sure you can check back here next week for more on that gem of a subject :p

Story #20, 21 -- For your Saturday afternoon reading pleasure...

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- And so (almost) ends a busy week. A couple more player features in today's Farm's Almanac brings the week's MiLB.com story total to six, and that's not counting a story I finished that doesn't run until later this coming week.

Six stories in a week is hardly something to write home about (though I do e-mail regularly), but it brings my June total to eight stories. To put that in context, I wrote 12 stories in the month of May...so yeah. It's been a busy week to say the least.

I look forward to more of them though! The All-Star Games are coming...

Click here to read a feature on Round Rock Express pitcher, Philip Barzilla. He's a candidate for one of the best names in the Minor Leagues in my opinion.

Click here to read a feature on Sacramento River Cats second baseman, Kevin Melillo. The day after I interviewed him, he went out and hit a walk-off homer in an extra-innings victory for the 'Cats over the Express. I seem to bring some good luck to my interviewees.

Enjoy and don't forget to check back. This next week's a busy one too!

Story #19 -- Fans give Ankiel an edge in PCL vote

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- Three days after joking with a colleague about having yet to write a story off a press release (he had to in his first week), here I am with my third release-based story in a week. That's OK with me though, the more stories, the better.

Click here for a summation of the first week of fan voting to select the 2007 Pacific Coast League All-Star Team. I'd tell you the exact numbers, but MiLB.com swore me to secrecy, ha.

LIVE BLOG -- 2007 First-Year Player Draft

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- Hey, everyone. I'm finding myself with a bit of downtime this afternoon so I'm going to pass it in the most productive fashion ever-- live-blogging! The first round of baseball's 2007 First-Year Player Draft is going to be on ESPN2 so I figured it would be a fun way to try something new with the blog. I only know so much about what's going on (part of why I'm watching the draft in the first place), so I will do my best to make this an entertaining as possible. I'm starting at 2 p.m., so check back! Until then, check out the Draft's main page on MLB.com...

1:55 p.m. -- Draft, draft, draft, draft. Draft, draft, draft, draft. DRAFT, DRAFT, DRAFT, DRAFT. DRAFT, DRAFT, DRAFT, DRAFT...Draft-draft, draft-DRAAAFT, draft-draft! CHARGE! Ahem, excuse me. Let it be known that I have NEVER been this...excited?...when it comes to watching a draft, be it NFL or NHL. So yeah, maybe this is a good idea, even if this first post isn't proving that.

1:59 p.m. -- Did I mention there are 1,588 players available in this draft, which is the largest in all of sports. Baseball, still the sport with the most ridiculous talent pool in America. I wouldn't be surprised to be a few ex-Ohio Bobcats here and there...just maybe not in the first round.

2:00 p.m. -- This is the first time that MLB's draft has been televised. I hope that wasn't for a reason. Hmm. the promo featured A-Rod, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter, Manny Remeriz and Joe Mauer. I only hate about half of them, be it due to (alleged) steroids use or their affiliation with the New Tork Yankees. Off to a good start.

2:06 p.m. -- I still have an unexplained affinity for Peter Gammons. He's just the man.

2:11 p.m. -- "Yeah, Bud. Yeeeah!" I see that baseball fans like their commish more than say, NHL fans (die, Gary Bettman!). Bud did make a good point-- coverage on ESPN will make the Draft a success in the future. Again, something I wish ESPN would realize about the NHL. The Devil Rays are on the clock! It's on! T-minus five minutes and counting...

2:21 p.m. -- David Price, a LHP from Vanderbilt University is your first-round, first-overall pick. and, man, he let the cliches roll! Enjoy these nuggets of joy from his Vandy bio: Major: Sociology ... Favorite movie: Coming to America ... Favorite TV shows: Family Guy and The Fresh Prince ... Dream dinner guests: David Justice, Will Smith and Christina Milan ... Craziest ambition: To sky dive. Stellar. Just pack the parachute right, that may void your contract real quick.

2:28 p.m. -- The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the clock. Even though I know they're a train wreck, I think that if I could adopt any MLB team as my own, it'd be the Pirates. Why? A) They're Pirates. B) They're in Pittsburgh, and I love that city. C) I love underdogs. It's something I will have to think about in the future as a further define my teams in the major sports.

2:43 p.m. -- So many high schoolers being drafted. I still think you should have to play a year of college before you can head to the highest level in any sport. That's just me (a jealous me who wants the money these guys are going to get). Also, I think it's ridiculous that players can be drafted, refuse to sign and then be drafted another year. "I don't like you (or your money offer), so I'm out of here. See ya'!" Baseball...yep.

3:00 p.m. -- Nine teams down in an hour. Twenty-one to go...

3:07 p.m. -- The San Francisco Giants select LHP Madison Bumgarner with the 10th overall pick. Bumgarner has the best name of those drafted so far, so good for him.

3:12 p.m. -- We have our first Canadian selected by the Seattle Mariners with the 11th overall pick, RHP Phillippe Aumont. That's what I'm talking ab-oot.

3:23 p.m. -- THEME OF THE DAY 1: Pitchers, especially left-handed pitchers. It's tough to find leftys with power, as most are control pitchers. All the guys I'm watching get selected have 90 mph fastballs at least, so maybe old stereotypes are starting to break.

3: 32 p.m. -- THEME OF THE DAY 2: Lots and lots of high school players getting drafted. Word on ESPN2 is that its been predominantly college players in the past few years, so snagging talent early seems to be the thing to do in 2007.

3:41 p.m. -- The steroids commercials that show the "something ELSE" that can happen to guy if they abuse them, modeled by a deflating basketball, scares me...a lot.

3:44 p.m. -- THEME OF THE DAY 3: Drafting from your home state. The Texas Rangers took RHP Blake Beavan from Texas, the Atlanta Braves selected Georgia-native OF Jason Heyward...and so on and so on. Makes sense financially, of course, to keep the scouts close to home as much as possible, and who doesn't like a hometown, feel-good story?

3:55 p.m. -- The second college player is selected with the 19th overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies, LHP Joseph Savery out of Rice University. Savery is in the running for 'best name' in the draft as well.

3:58 p.m. -- Los Angeles Dodgers pillar Tommy Lasorda-- still looks old.

4:00 p.m. -- Twenty teams down in two hours. Ten to go...

4:05 p.m. -- THEME OF THE DAY 4: Freakishly tall players. I know you want your pitchers to be able to throw downhill and everything, but, yeesh. Everybody selected has been six-feet tall, or taller (and again, they're mostly high school kids)! Where's the marginally tall guys with the quick legs?

4:15 p.m. -- OK, I don't mean to make the connection just because this is baseball, but there are a lot more steroids ads on TV during the draft. With hockey it's Sonic and Dodge, other sports maybe Gatorade and...I dunno, Big Macs. But baseball and steroids, even the ads are synonymous.

4:25 p.m. -- Man, the ESPN commentators are plugged into the place's PA, and it's just giving me a headache listening to them talk. It's not the topic or the amount of time they've been talking, it's quite simply the reverb. Talk, talk talk...echo, echo echo. Ugh, even the scouts seemed annoyed by it because whenever they show (and discuss) the draft room, the scouts all look around like God is speaking to them. They seem pretty annoyed as well, so it's not just me.

4:32 p.m. -- I wonder what Bud Selig does in between announcing picks. Does he sit there saying the players name over and over to make sure he can pronounce it? Wind sprints? This thing is set to go until 8:30 p.m. tonight so I hope whatever he's doing is exciting.

4:36 p.m. -- Usually when you hear the word ceiling used this much, it's referring to women in the work place. It's interesting that high school players are so heralded in this draft. It's almost like MLB organizations see player with potential, and they want to get their hooks into the kid ASAP to teach him their way to do everything. College players almost sound like tainted goods because they've been honing their game...not with a pro organization. I hope that degree is worth it, fellas.

4:39 p.m. -- I'm slowly becoming a Tigers fan, and it scares me because I equate Detroit with evil. They just drafted the best high school pitcher available, RHP Frederick Porcello, with the 27th overall pick. If they're willing to throw him cash, which they've had no problem with in the past, they steal another great player late in the first round. Solid.

4:46 p.m. -- I saw former San Francisco Giants manager Felipe Alou when I was in San Jose chilling with those Giants (and Gigante). Cool to see him on the TV on Draft Day.

4:47 p.m. -- The San Francisco Giants just had their third pick in the first round, the most by any team, and they finally didn't take a pitcher. With the success they had developing RHP Tim Lincecum into a MLB force this season, I'm optimistic about the Giants pitching staff in the future.

4:48 p.m. -- The damn Yankees are on the clock, but they end the first round with their pick.

4:53 p.m. -- The Yankees select RHP Andrew Brackman (dude's almost seven feet tall!) with the final pick of the first round. The commentators proceed to sit around and talk about his elbow possibly exploding. Nice.

As much as I'd like to stick around and watch the hour of commentary that follows analyzing the past three hours, I need to hop in the shower. While I doubt anyone was actually following this live, it was still fun to do. I hope those of you who took the time to read through this after the fact enjoyed yourselves.

Check back in the next few days for more stories. Until then, later on...

YOU'RE MY BOY, TEEMU!

Story #18 -- Lake Elsinore sending six to Cal All-Star Game

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- Click here to read my quick blurb that went up today on MiLB.com about the release of the California League All-Star Team roster. The 2007 California/Carolina League All-Star Game is coming soon, and I think I'm going so be prepared for some more interesting stuff on the topic in the future.

More stories coming in the near future as well, so get excited!

Story #17 -- DiMiceli receives first Ashford award

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- OK, enough about the NHL and Food Network, let's get back to work, shall we? I've been doing just that. On top of a few stories that will run later this week, I had another story fall into my lap with a quick turnaround onto MiLB.com today.

Click here to read about a cool award the River Cats gave out, honoring a local amateur umpire. The guy the award is named after, Emmett Ashford, was a pretty cool guy as well (he was the first black umpire in MLB, the Pacific Coast League etc., no small feat).

I'm sure you all are glad to back reading stories instead of my mindless rants. I promise that, in the next couple of days, they will not be in short supply. Until then...

Yes, this is what gets IMed about in the world...

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- certain emerging radio personality in Northwest Ohio is trying to tell me that Giada de Laurentiis, the host of the Food Network's "Everyday Italian," is less attractive than Rachael Ray...all-around annoying food figure who does such fantastic shows as "30-Minute Meals," and well, that whole talk show thing.

While this may just sound like the rant of a college student who actually has the time to sit around and compare hotness between two of the Food Networks personalities, I still consider this a worthless debate, thanks mostly to this picture:

Rachael Ray (left), and pure hotness, aka Gia (right)

OK, sure. Neither is an unattractive woman. But when it comes down to a woman who rocks Italian food with an Italian accent, or this generation's Fran Drescher of food (ugh, her laugh makes me want to punch infants), I think this is a pretty open-and-shut case. And yes, feel free to settle this on the comment board, if any of you feel as strongly about this, ha.

A little hockey and Hartford, for your reading pleasure...

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- There's a pretty decisive game four of the Stanley Cup playoffs on tonight and I'm seizing this opportunity to say a little something about them. I've remained quiet on the subject --other than to kick the Red Wings fans when they were down and cheer for the Penguins a bit (and a lot of good that did)-- so I figure I might as well say something now.

The finals matchup has been excellent. The intensity is there (hitting, scoring, speed) and so are the two best teams (at least in the playoffs thus far). I am pretty confident that Ottawa will win tonight and send it back to Anaheim with nothing decided. I don't know, it just feels right. Ottawa has been the best team in the playoffs this year, just not in the first few games of this series. I think that will continue to swing more into their favor, the longer this series goes.

And that's OK with me. I'd like to see the Senators win it all, both for Canada and myself. I mean, if the Pens lost to a team of destiny, who am I to complain? The Pens will rebound next year, with Crosby as the captain, and keep moving forward. I've got time. I can wait.

But there has been a ominous cloud circling this year's playoffs. I felt some of the action in the early rounds (the lack of upsets especially) was a bit off putting. I like the upsets and ridiculousness of the playoffs, and it was kind of lacking this year. Coupled with the NHL's rating woes --damn VS., damn that channel to hell-- and Chris Pronger's inability to stay on the playing surface...I don't know. It's just been a hallow post season for me.

(I do think it's funny that Steve Nash's absence can ruin an NBA series, but Pronger's absence seems to only make his team play better. I think that's mostly because opposing team's key on him so much, especially during power plays, and the Ducks rely on him too much. I mean he's good, but he's not superhuman. The Ducks are a better team without him, sometimes.)

But yeah, it's sad that I've actually clicked away from the action to watch...sigh...the Cleveland Cavilers and other NBA post season games. It's just been a good year for the NBA's second season.

Enjoy the classic Pronger pic. Long live the Whalers.

Story #14, 15, 16 -- I'm not lazy, I promise...

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- Hey, everyone. My apologies to those of you who have actually made the effort to check in on this blog from time to time. I'm sure it has been just thrilling to stare at the same posts for (almost) two weeks now.

I've been busy, be it in the form of traveling to Cincinnati for Memorial Day weekend or work, work, work...and work. I've been so busy, actually, that I haven't even been posting the stories I've completed recently, and I assure you that's going to change now.

Here's what I have been up to since June started:

Click here to read my favorite story I have written since signing on with MiLB.com, "MLB debut worth the wait for Haynes." This is the first clip-worthy story in my eyes, and it was fun to write, do the interview for and even research. The gist: a decade of playing in the Minor Leagues finally rewards a player with a Major League at-bat. It's the feel-good story we all like to read (I hope).

Click here to read another player feature, "Omogrosso works his way back." This one about Winston-Salem Warthogs closer Brian Omogrosso, who has possibly the best last name I've had to write over and over in a long time. But the story is more than that, I promise. ... Say it though-- "Omogrosso."

Click here to read my first attempt at a weekly installment MiLB.com runs called "Peek at the Week." Basically I look through all the Minor Leagues for series in each league worth taking note of. It's a lot of stats and such, but it was still a lot of fun to write too.

OK, I know that doesn't look like much, but I have more stories on the way and I am starting to pour more and more into them. That should make them better reads, and with my brother (possibly) set to come into Sacramento sometime next week, this blog should have something interesting to talk about too.

Stay tuned...

Story #12, 13 -- Written from coast to coast...

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- OK, the "coast" of the Ohio River to be more precise.

Greetings from the Buckeye State. That's right, I'm in Ohio, seeing Mary once more before she heads to Greece this summer and enjoying the extended Memorial Day Weekend. It was a hectic week leading into this opportunity, and this one has been no different.

(FYI-- next week will, shocker, also be hectic. But I'm OK with that.)

I was able to knock in a few more stories and 40 more hours this week. Some of aforementioned hours were in Sacramento, Cali. Some of them were about 10,000+ feet in the air between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Cincinnati, Ohio. And some of the writing was done at Mary's desk while she was off at work.

Case and point, (cue the music) keep a look out for Mark Shugar and his amazing, fan-tacular 'virtual office,' it could be coming to a city near you. Tickets on sale now.

Alright, here are my stories that went live on MiLB.com today:

Click here for my story about High Desert Mavericks third baseman Michael Saunders. He's Canadian, he chose baseball over hockey despite "NHL potential," so what's not to like? A shout out to hockey moms in the story, who says you can't put a personal touch on a story?

Click here for my story about Salt Lake Bees radio announcer Steve Klauke. I've done a few announcer stories before, but this was one more like what I expected. Fourteen years of experience, loves the team and the city, can list players and moments, etc. Steve was a nice guy and made for a heck of a story. Fun to write (hopefully) means fun to read!

Well, everyone have enjoyable holiday weekends. I'm looking forward to The Taste of Cincinnati tomorrow (went last year, deeeee-licious), so I hope you have something fun planned too!

A picture worth 1,000 words...

Take that, Red Wings fans. At least the Penguins lost to a team of destiny...

Story #11 -- Storm, JetHawks redefine 'offensive onslaught'

When the bossman calls, you have got to accept the charges. Even if it was actually just an IM, and calling for a couple-hundred word notebook about a Minor League Baseball series that, well, defines (at least to me) what Minor League Baseball can be all about.

The Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore Storm (props to Marty, who is a fan of the Storm logo-- a pair of eyes) and Lancaster JetHawks got together this past weekend. Here's a quick rundown:

GAME 1 -- Lake Elsinore 30, Lancaster 0. Two guys have six-hit games. Another goes 5-5 with two home runs. If you listen closely on a still night in California, you can still hear the JetHawks bullpen crying.

GAME 2 -- Lake Elsinore 12, Lancaster 14. If not for a JetHawks player making California League history for hitting four home runs in one game, this one would have been another ugly Storm win. In fact, the JetHawks were down, 9-0, at one point.

GAME 3 -- Lake Elsinore 21, Lancaster 6. Well, there goes the JetHawks "momentum." A Storm player hit for the cycle and racked up eight RBIs. That's a new career-high for him, which he had just set two days earlier with seven RBIs in the opening game of the series.

Click here to read about the highlights in this ridiculous series, via MiLB.com (and me!).

Like the subhead reads: 83 runs and 23 home runs on 95 hits combined. The Storm had an inning with 12 runs scored. That's enough said.

And you were watching the Preakness Stakes this weekend, weren't you?

Story #10 -- Cowboys duo broke Pioneer no-no barrier

Well, this is the story I have been slaving over. We're talking almost a week of eight-hour (plus) days filled with interviews, research and writing, and here's the final result.

Click here for the story.

The story is about the first no-hitter thrown in the Pioneer League...and the second, which came just nine days later. Tony Jeli and Joe Feria were the pitchers, and both played for the Twin Falls Cowboys.

The year was 1942, which made this story next to impossible to research. Very little remains of the team (literally, the team no longer exists and the stadium has been long-since torn down), including articles and people who could chronicle the events a bit better.

All in all, while my boss said he liked the story, it found its way onto MiLB.com heavilly edited (we're talking close to 200 words shorter). It was a lot of work, with little to show for it.

I'm chalking this up as a hallow victory, at best.

Story #9 -- Cassel eyes return to mound

Whew. What a week. But "don't take your seats 'cause it's not over."

This is just the first of what should be two MiLB.com-related updates today, the latter being a bit more near-and-dear to my heart (more about that when it happens). Until then, feel free to kill some time reading a player feature I wrote earlier this week on Winston-Salem Warthogs pitcher, Justin Cassel, which filled a "Prospect Report" in an E-Zine to Chicago White Sox fans.

Check out the story here!

And don't forget to check back later. There's more to come! I will have the new post up, hopefully, before I head out to Raley Field. The River Cats are finally back in town, and will be so for the next week. I smell a change of pace in my near future, and it smells delicious.

It's the end of the world as we know it...

Just a short story. I fired this bad boy up for the first time yesterday. I know that may sound absurd to some of you because I have been out here for a few weeks, but when you have like four forks/knives/spoons and a few miscellaneous dishes to your name, well-- you have to spend a week or two "filling" the dishwasher.

Long story short, after fiddling with a dial here and a setting there...I basically thought I had programmed the dishwasher to destroy the Earth...with a heated dry afterwards. This thing is loud. Like, "they forgot to push the button on Lost" loud. The only difference is I had "pushed the button" so to speak, willingly, possibly ending life as we know it for some clean cutlery.

(My apologies to those who don't get the Lost reference, I don't blame you for not watching).

I mean, this thing pulses pure, unadulterated loudness. I say pulses because it will work for a minute or two, turn off for five minutes and than scare the crap out of you when it decides to turn on again (with a sound comparable to a small vehicle driving into your humble abode). I almost dove for cover once...almost.

Luckily I survived (though I was nervous at the time because I was sitting directly across from the dishwasher at my computer working). And the dishes came out clean, score! I did learn a valuable lesson though: run the dishwasher during the day, or better yet, when I'm out of the apartment. Running this thing at night would be "sleep-suicide," to say the least.

And that's the dishwasher story.

Story #6, 7, 8 -- "The Farm's Almanac" bonanza! (pt. 2)

Here's the batch of stories about Raley Field I promised the other day. I thought that the "Farm's Almanac" was a weekly, Wednesday installment, but something held it up going live on MiLB.com this week. But the stories are finally up and here are the links.

Click here to see this week's installment of the "Farm's Almanac" in its entirety. I once again have all three stories in the 'On Location' section.

Or, if you want to skip right to the stories:

Click here to read, "Fans flock to Raley Field," a general story about the ins and outs of Raley Field, and the surrounding area.

Click here to read, "Doskow followed vibe to Sacramento," a story about the River Cats radio broadcaster and what he likes about working at Raley Field.

Click here to read, "Even the enemy impressed with Raley," a story about Tuscon RHP Casey Daigle's take on Raley Field (interesting side note, Daigle is married to Team USA softball pitcher, Jenny Finch, so he's got that going for him).

Behind the scenes at Raley Field...

Get it? Three stories about my home field coming later this week so check back!

Story #3, 4, 5 -- "The Farm's Almanac" bonanza!

Well today is an exciting day. My three stories I wrote during my time in San Jose went 'live' on MiLB.com and are linked to here for your enjoyment.

Click here to see the "Farm's Almanac" in its entirety and how my stories tie into it (hint: all three of the 'On Location' stories are mine).

Or, if you want to skip right to the stories:

Click here to read, "Where Giants play, 'Gigante' roams," a general story about the ins and outs of San Jose Municipal Stadium, and the surrounding area.

Click here to read, "Ritzo answered 'call' to San Jose," a story about the Giants radio broadcaster and his take on the stadium, team, manager and more.

Click here to read, "Burriss knows the way to San Jose," a story profiling Giants shortstop, Emmanuel Burriss, and his take on San Jose.

And if you like San Jose, just you wait. The Sacramento River Cats are back in town tonight and I will be attending my first game --as a journalist-- at my home park, Raley Field. I will be doing a similar profile of Raley Field for next week's "Farm's Almanac," while conducting a few player interviews as well.

Four-straight days of baseball games starts today, and I couldn't be happier!

More San Jose shots...

Hello. I'm back in Sacramento and I had a few minutes (not to mention, my AT&T internet is working...FINALLY!), so I thought I would post a few more pictures I took while in San Jose.

Most of these pictures were taken as reference shots for a story I wrote about San Jose Municipal Stadium, so my apologies if they are incredible random. That story, and two others, will be posted later today so be sure to check back! As always, enjoy!

There was a lot of stuff painted on the walls of the enterances and concourse at Municipal Stadium. This mural above is of the Giants' mascot, Gigante (pronounced like there is an 'H' at the beginning). Gigante is a pretty goofy-looking mascot, so I throughouly enjoyed him. Oddly enough, Gribb sent me a rap video as a joke...and Gigante showed up in it! For those that want to see Gigante in action, check out the Mistah Fab, "Ghost-Ridin'" video. For those of you with a vested interest in any of the Ghostbusters movies...well, just prepare.

More random art. This door is locked, and as far as I can tell-- it's not a phone booth.

This is about, I dunno, a 10th of a elaborately painted wall depicting the history of the California League and the San Jose Giants. It lists the championships, it lists the different make ups of the league...it's basically a history lesson cave man style. To the left of this wall was probably an equal stretch of wall just depicting the logos of every Minor League league and its respective teams. Someone has a lot of time on their hands, that's for sure.

Like I said, a lot of art. These shots can't even begin to display half of the images.

The Club House (aka the store). This is a new addition to the park, and is one of many recent changs. A new outfield wall was installed before this season, and a JumboTron was just erected in right field before the 2006 season. Last season also marked Gigante's 'birth,' which I hope was as exciting as it sounds. Case and point-- this team is on the up-and-up. Winning a championship in 2005 and being the favorite to do it last year/so far this year helps too.

A place for the kids to hang out. There's all kinds of inflatable stuff, and there is also a batting cage, pitching/radar gun area. That's leaving out the petting zoo you caught some of in my last post. I dunno, I think this is a decent amount of attractions for a Class A Advanced club.

Story #2 -- Reflecting on April, looking towards May

SAN JOSE, CALIF. -- For those of you who may be interested, below is the link to my second story I have completed for MiLB.com. As the name of the story suggests, it recaps what happened in April and previews some of the goings-on to come in May. The Minor Leagues are far from boring, that's for sure, so highlighting just a handful of players, teams and other odds/ends was an interesting chore.

This was by far one of the most labor-intensive stories I have even been assigned (in terms of research), but it was also one of the most satisfactory to complete. I'm sure things will only get busier and more intense as the season goes on.

But yeah, the story. Check it out here! Enjoy!