The BIG…Little League…In All Its Glory

Batter up!

As a first-time umpire this past Sunday, watching the nine and ten year olds warm up, listen to their coaches (sort of), talk to family and friends through the fence, and even take a nap in the dugout – which one actually did – was quite pleasing. Baseball in the spring, it's part of American culture the way that Coca-Cola is synonymous with soda.

The first two games were interesting because another umpire was calling balls and strikes behind the plate. Moving from position A (behind first base) to position B (behind second base) to position C (behind third base) granted a different perspective of the American pastime. Some of the news should be labeled as bothersome, at least, while most observations should be attributed to the fact that mere nine and ten year olds were playing, making it comical more than anything else.

First, the good news: parents were not causing a ruckus about balls and strikes, nor were they complaining about calls down at first base. After seeing and hearing so many stories about parents causing problems during Little League games, that concern brought great concern. Luckily, it did not come to fruition.

Watching the kids enjoy the game, at least for the most part, brought a smile to many a face within the complex (six diamonds in all). Kids running as hard as they trampled down the base paths, echoes of, "Hey, batter, batter!" were heard throughout the day, and of course the jubilation from a team when a player scored a run made the day a success.

Now, the concerning issue truly stood out, literally. What on God's green earth are a select few of these kids being fed? At 180-pounds, as an adult, that's fine. But a ten year old kid should not weigh in excess of 130, 140, or God knows how much! No joking around; a few kids had to be over 150. It was terrible. Parents should be ashamed that they allow their children to be so inactive that they are practically running in cement as they go down the first base line. One kid could barely move forward beyond a walking pace, and that is no exaggeration.

To be fair, it was possible that some the kids had medical conditions that caused the nature of their weight to be high. Otherwise, however, the overweight kids were yet further examples of how American society far too often allows their children to sit around and play video games instead of going outside and playing. It's sad.

After changing duties with the other umpire for games three and four, something else struck the mind after stooping behind home plate for the first time that had long since been forgotten: some kids are just big for their age and do not look like they belong. You know, the kid that developed quickly and just is bigger, faster, stronger? There were a few of those kids playing that fit that description this past Sunday. Fortunately, not many overmatched their competition, or at least not many playing in the games that were being played on field no. 4.

Then, there were the wild pitches, and the comedy that ensued. One kid had a ball go between his legs…bet he couldn't do that again! Kids swung at pitches that were already in the catchers' glove, pitchers threw the ball five feet in front of home plate, batters bailed out of the batters box when the ball was delivered right down main street, true comedy my friends, true comedy.

Umpiring should be fun. It's a great way to make some money in between the spring and fall semesters.

NFL Draft

Just a few thoughts on the upcoming NFL Draft…

The safest pick in the draft? Jake Long, Offensive Tackle, University of Michigan. Why? As a rule, the truly elite Offensive Tackles stand out. Long's talents stand out heads and shoulders above any other Offensive Tackle in the 2008 NFL Draft; not to mention, Long could be the fixture for the Dolphins' Offensive Line for years to come. Now on to the predicted top 10 picks…

1 Miami – Jake Long, OT, Michigan

2 St. Louis – Glenn Dorsey, DT, Louisiana State

3 Atlanta – Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

4 Oakland – Darren McFadden, TB, Arkansas

5 Kansas City – Chris Long, DE, Virginia

6 New York Jets – Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State

7 New England – Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt

8 Baltimore – Cedric Ellis, DT, Southern California

9 Cincinnati – Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State

10 New Orleans – Keith Rivers, OLB, Southern California

Do any of the abovementioned predictions mean much, whether it's for factual reasons, or, more importantly, for predicting who will actually be great pro football players? Heck no. But that's why it is so fun to predict.

Playoff Time

With the Los Angeles Lakers victory over the New Orleans Hornets last night, the race for the no. 1 seed in the Western Conference will go down to the last game. Regardless, it is going to be a fantastic race to the NBA Finals. The Western Conference playoff winner will have run a gauntlet that is incredible. Hats off to that team in advance.

The one possible shame is that the Golden State Warriors appear to be out of the mix. Point blank, the Warriors are missing the interior defensive presence to overcome the other outstanding all-around teams that are present in the Western Conference such as the Lakers, Hornets, and even the Houston Rockets with old man Mutumbo manning the middle. But boy oh boy are the Warriors fun to watch.

And how about the Boston Celtics? Many critics, including myself, thought that the Celtics' easy path, as compared to the eventual Western Conference Champion, would cause them to flame out. But, the opposite may just take place. The Celtics possess home court advantage throughout the playoffs. That will be a factor for the NBA Finals, assuming the Celtics are no upset before reaching the NBA Finals.

The dark horse of the playoffs? Do not forget about the Rockets. A team does not win over 20 games in a row enjoys the necessary talent to go deep into the playoffs. And now, a few predictions:

Eastern Conference…short and sweet, it will be the Washington Wizards matching up with the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics win and will play the Lakers after the Lakers defeat the Hornets. And the champions? LA, baby. The Lakers are playing well without center Andrew Bynum. He'll be back fairly soon. The Lakers ability to have a true low post center will be the difference against the Celtics.

Kansas City Making a Move

How about them Kansas City Royals? Don't look now, Detroit fans, you're Tigers were swept at home by the lowly…wait, up-and-coming Royals!

The Royals won the way you would expect a potential division contender would – with starting pitching – during all three games in the Motor City. So who are these Royals? Get to know the following names, as the Royals' roster is young, very young.

Beginning with the Royals' starting rotation, Gil Meche, the opening day starter, will be thirty years old in September. Meche performed well enough last year to garner a 3.67 ERA for the Royals. If Meche has another season like he had in 2007, the Royals fans will be smiling.

Talk about dominant; Brian Bannister completely shut down the Tigers yesterday. Seven innings pitched, two hits given up, and no earned runs. And oh, Bannister is only twenty-seven years old.

Now that the old-timers have been discussed (you won't be laughing for long), say hello to Zack Greinke. The not quite yet twenty-four year old held the Tigers to one run over seven innings today.

The Kansas City fourth and fifth starters are not expected to dominate the way the first three starters have or will this season, but if left handed hurler John Bale and right handed veteran Brett Tomko can muster even .500 records this season, the Royals will be in playoff contention come September.

Now to the hitters…and the Royals have some young talent in the batters box every baseball fan should learn about.

To add much needed pop to the K.C. lineup, Alex Gordon, a twenty-four year old third baseman, already hit two home runs in his first fourteen at bats this season. Alex Gordon is a left-handed hitter, to boot. Look for Gordon to be a future MVP candidate in seasons to come while hitting thirty or more home runs from this season forward.

Could this be the breakout season for left fielder Mark Teahen? The twenty-six year old is off to a good start in 2008, earning four hits in eleven at bats over the duration of the Detroit series. Like Gordon, Teahen hits left handed.

Billy Butler, a twenty-two year old first baseman and designated hitter, should provide right-handed power for the Royals.

Veteran Jose Guillen has been a reliable hitter during his past three fully healthy seasons, hitting 32, 28, and 28 home runs. Guillen still has several good years left, as he's only thirty-two years old.

And of course there is Mark Grudzielanek, the veteran second baseman is likely to bat near, at, or over .300 this season, while providing plenty of leadership for the young K.C. hitters.

Will the Royals win the World Series? Unlikely. Will the Royals compete for a playoff spot and possible American League Central championship? Definitely. And the young talent is in place for the Royals to compete at a high level for years to come.