This weekend I'll have the honor of calling the last three days of the WVIAC Baseball Tournament.
Reid Amos -- the Voice of the WVIAC -- is unavailable due to obligations at his day job as West Liberty State's Executive Director of Media Operations. West Liberty is completing its transition to university status this weekend, which is a really big deal on the Hilltop. That'll keep Reid busy, so I'm pinch-hitting. So to speak.
The tournament is being held at historic Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It's my first visit here, and here are some unsolicited first impressions....
"The Point" is a multi-use facility; the host school, Pitt-Johnstown, plays baseball here in the spring, and there's high school football in the fall.
As such, the dimensions for baseball are quirky. It's just 290 down the lines, and only 336 to the alley in left field. There's an enormous fence on the left field side, 40 or so feet high, aimed at preventing a flood of cheap home runs. The uppermost 25 feet of the fence is wire mesh, supported by large, vertical steel columns.
That fence is crying out for a nickname. "The Green Monster" is already taken, so I was thinking of "The Mesh Monster" or "The Big Screen" instead. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Point Stadium rewards pull hitters, especially right-handers. But a ball hit straightaway will need a lot of juice to get out of the yard. It's 395 to the alley in right and 410 to dead center.
The playing surface is almost entirely artificial turf. The only dirt areas are the pitchers mound and home plate. Everything else -- infield, outfield, baselines, warning track, cutouts around the bases, all of it -- is turf.
That might offend some purists, but it has its benefits. An artificial surface can handle the tournament workload, with up to 11 games to be played in four days. It also takes rain well; tournament staffers tell me the field can be playable within only five minutes after a rain storm ends. The value of that quick of a turnaround is immeasurable in a weekend in which time is precious and an NCAA bid is at stake.
Artificial turf is also good news for the fielders, since it almost completely removes the possibility of a bad bounce.
Aside from the holy-cow-that's-deep dimensions between the alleys, Point Stadium is a hitters' park. Anything hit down the lines doesn't need to go far to get out; the artificial surface can turn seemingly routine grounders into singles and routine singles into extra-base hits. There's also not much foul territory, especially down the lines. That can keep at-bats alive longer than in many other parks.
The staff here is enthusiastic and really seems to enjoy being here. As a member of the media, I can tell you that means a lot.
Visually, Point Stadium is set in a very interesting area. It's called "The Point" because it sits at the confluence of the Stoneycreek and Conemaugh rivers, which combined to cut a deep valley into the western Pennsylvania hills. One such hill towers over the right field side of the stadium; Johnstown's old steeltown cityscape looms beyond center, and, across the street that runs parallel to the third base line is a series of abandoned steel mills that stand sentinel over what once was the economic lifeblood of the region.
Also, much of the movie All The Right Moves was filmed in Johnstown and at "The Point" (long before the installation of the artificial surface). What's more, it's just a long home run away from War Memorial Arena, home rink of the Johnstown Chiefs in the classic sports movie Slap Shot.
Time permitting, I'll bring you more thoughts from the WVIAC Tournament as the weekend goes along. You can hear every game, starting at 11:50 am Friday, online at smallcollegesports.com.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
ESPN Radio and local sports-talk radio
Perhaps you've seen ESPN Radio's new TV campaign, in which the Worldwide Leader differentiates itself from other, likely smaller, less national sports-talk radio outlets.
The spots portray non-ESPN personalities as as near-caricatures whose reliance on gimmicks like sound effects and catch phrases makes them more annoying than entertaining. They're good spots and get the point across.
They're also spot-on in that ESPN Radio, at the national level, is, in my opinion, the best game in town. (So to speak.)
But the spots stumble in one important respect: Most ESPN Radio affiliates don't carry network programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Those affiliates run local programs too.
Which is when they can become just like the caricatures in the TV commercials.
That's not to say all local sports-talk programs are cliched. All around the country, there are outstanding hosts, reporters and personalities that do solid, respectable, award-winning work.
But for every local program that excels, there are several others that become precisely what the Worldwide Leader tells us to avoid.
It's no great revelation to say that most local sports-talk programs are personality-driven. It's also no great revelation that, in radio, "personality" can be just another word for "ego."
Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. As someone who's been in sportscasting for years I know that it requires a little bit of an ego to turn on a microphone and presume that anyone will be interested in what you have to say.
But there can be a fine line between "a little bit" and "excessive." In sports talk radio, it's a line that often gets not blurred, but erased.
Which explains why many local sports radio hosts are yellers, screamers and grand standers. Or confrontational. Or come off like they're always right -- about everything. Or convinced that their opinions on any topic, or the tiniest details of their personal lives, are even remotely interesting to their listeners. The show is about them, for better or worse.
I've hosted talk shows. It was always my goal to get the facts right, be informative and entertaining ... and steer the focus of the show away from me and on to the news of the day and the show's guests. To put it another way, if I worked in a maternity ward I would know that the family wants to see the baby, not the obstetrician.
But in local sports radio, my outlook isn't universally shared.
So, when you see the TV commercials for ESPN Radio, have a chuckle and appreciate them for what they're saying.
And what they're not.
The spots portray non-ESPN personalities as as near-caricatures whose reliance on gimmicks like sound effects and catch phrases makes them more annoying than entertaining. They're good spots and get the point across.
They're also spot-on in that ESPN Radio, at the national level, is, in my opinion, the best game in town. (So to speak.)
But the spots stumble in one important respect: Most ESPN Radio affiliates don't carry network programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Those affiliates run local programs too.
Which is when they can become just like the caricatures in the TV commercials.
That's not to say all local sports-talk programs are cliched. All around the country, there are outstanding hosts, reporters and personalities that do solid, respectable, award-winning work.
But for every local program that excels, there are several others that become precisely what the Worldwide Leader tells us to avoid.
It's no great revelation to say that most local sports-talk programs are personality-driven. It's also no great revelation that, in radio, "personality" can be just another word for "ego."
Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. As someone who's been in sportscasting for years I know that it requires a little bit of an ego to turn on a microphone and presume that anyone will be interested in what you have to say.
But there can be a fine line between "a little bit" and "excessive." In sports talk radio, it's a line that often gets not blurred, but erased.
Which explains why many local sports radio hosts are yellers, screamers and grand standers. Or confrontational. Or come off like they're always right -- about everything. Or convinced that their opinions on any topic, or the tiniest details of their personal lives, are even remotely interesting to their listeners. The show is about them, for better or worse.
I've hosted talk shows. It was always my goal to get the facts right, be informative and entertaining ... and steer the focus of the show away from me and on to the news of the day and the show's guests. To put it another way, if I worked in a maternity ward I would know that the family wants to see the baby, not the obstetrician.
But in local sports radio, my outlook isn't universally shared.
So, when you see the TV commercials for ESPN Radio, have a chuckle and appreciate them for what they're saying.
And what they're not.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Baseball is an Every Day Game
Most everyone who knows me knows that I’m from Wisconsin. I have a lot of friends there, and the other day I was talking with one who’s a pretty devoted fan of baseball in general and the Milwaukee Brewers in particular. Our conversation went something like this:
“I’m not in a good mood today, Kyle.”
“Why? What's wrong?"
“I wanted to listen to the Brewer game today, but the station I usually listen to didn’t have it.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know, but it p----- me off. I had to find some other station far away and it barely came in.”
What went unsaid is one of the universal truths of professional baseball: It’s an every day game.
The length of the season and the amount of games make it so, and fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
Did your favorite team lose today? They’ll have a chance to win tomorrow.
Is your favorite player on a hot streak? You won’t have to wait long to see if he can keep it going.
Did something historic occur? If not today, it might happen the next day.
Was there a rainout? Don’t worry, there’s another game just around the corner.Is your team in a pennant race? The drama will continue tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that….
Baseball is an every day game.
The nature of baseball as an every day game is something we respect at Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River – the flagship station of the Princeton Rays. That’s why we’ll broadcast every game the the P-Rays play, no matter where or when it is.
Baseball is an every day game.
Baseball is also a wonderful sport on the radio. Yet, as a low minor league, the Appalachian League – of which the P-Rays are a member – doesn’t attract a lot of radio or broadcast coverage. In fact, last season, Princeton was the only one of the league’s ten teams to have all of its games broadcast on the radio.
Some Appy League teams will broadcast a portion of their schedule. For example, Greeneville has had many home games and select road games on radio. Bluefield has had its road games on the radio, but not home games. But we’ll bring you each and every P-Rays on game on The New River.
Baseball is an every day game.
It’s also woven into the fabric of summer. Who amongst us hasn’t been working on the yard, camping, or just sitting on the porch and shooting the breeze -- with a baseball game on the radio? It’s as much a part of summer as cookouts and heat waves.
Baseball is an every day game.
(Except for off days, of course, but there are only three during the 71 days of the Appy League season.)
I live in a city within the broadcast area of a radio station affiliated with a Major League team. But the station doesn't carry all the team's games. I never know from one day to the next if a game will be broadcast, even if it's on the schedule. So I don't rely on that station and will instead tune into out-of-town stations to hear other Major League teams, or will listen to a minor league game online.
Baseball is an every day game.
The Tampa Bay Rays' front office sends me a daily update on the club’s minor league affiliates. It helps me follow the progress of former Princeton Rays as they work their way up the ladder. Some will make it all the way to the Majors; most will not.
Every daily update brings with it something new. Every day the numbers are different. Every day the fortunes change for the young men who are trying to reach the pinnacle of their sport.
Baseball is an every day game.
There are many reasons why some Appy League teams don’t have their entire seasons broadcast, whether on the air or online. It requires a major commitment by a radio station and/or team to present a full-season schedule, even for the short-season Appy League. It can be difficult to find adequate staffing, and it can be a challenge for salespeople to sell baseball broadcasts to potential sponsors.
What’s more, some teams in Minor League Baseball believe that broadcasting their games – particularly home games – will harm attendance.
However, the Princeton Rays saw their attendance rise in 2008 – the first year all their games were broadcast on the radio.
We’re fully aware of the challenges involved with broadcasting a full season of Princeton Rays baseball. We’ve embraced those challenges.
So when the 2009 season comes around – Opening Night is June 23 – you’ll hear every game on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River.
We can’t wait to get started.
Baseball is an every day game.
“I’m not in a good mood today, Kyle.”
“Why? What's wrong?"
“I wanted to listen to the Brewer game today, but the station I usually listen to didn’t have it.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know, but it p----- me off. I had to find some other station far away and it barely came in.”
What went unsaid is one of the universal truths of professional baseball: It’s an every day game.
The length of the season and the amount of games make it so, and fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
Did your favorite team lose today? They’ll have a chance to win tomorrow.
Is your favorite player on a hot streak? You won’t have to wait long to see if he can keep it going.
Did something historic occur? If not today, it might happen the next day.
Was there a rainout? Don’t worry, there’s another game just around the corner.Is your team in a pennant race? The drama will continue tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that….
Baseball is an every day game.
The nature of baseball as an every day game is something we respect at Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River – the flagship station of the Princeton Rays. That’s why we’ll broadcast every game the the P-Rays play, no matter where or when it is.
Baseball is an every day game.
Baseball is also a wonderful sport on the radio. Yet, as a low minor league, the Appalachian League – of which the P-Rays are a member – doesn’t attract a lot of radio or broadcast coverage. In fact, last season, Princeton was the only one of the league’s ten teams to have all of its games broadcast on the radio.
Some Appy League teams will broadcast a portion of their schedule. For example, Greeneville has had many home games and select road games on radio. Bluefield has had its road games on the radio, but not home games. But we’ll bring you each and every P-Rays on game on The New River.
Baseball is an every day game.
It’s also woven into the fabric of summer. Who amongst us hasn’t been working on the yard, camping, or just sitting on the porch and shooting the breeze -- with a baseball game on the radio? It’s as much a part of summer as cookouts and heat waves.
Baseball is an every day game.
(Except for off days, of course, but there are only three during the 71 days of the Appy League season.)
I live in a city within the broadcast area of a radio station affiliated with a Major League team. But the station doesn't carry all the team's games. I never know from one day to the next if a game will be broadcast, even if it's on the schedule. So I don't rely on that station and will instead tune into out-of-town stations to hear other Major League teams, or will listen to a minor league game online.
Baseball is an every day game.
The Tampa Bay Rays' front office sends me a daily update on the club’s minor league affiliates. It helps me follow the progress of former Princeton Rays as they work their way up the ladder. Some will make it all the way to the Majors; most will not.
Every daily update brings with it something new. Every day the numbers are different. Every day the fortunes change for the young men who are trying to reach the pinnacle of their sport.
Baseball is an every day game.
There are many reasons why some Appy League teams don’t have their entire seasons broadcast, whether on the air or online. It requires a major commitment by a radio station and/or team to present a full-season schedule, even for the short-season Appy League. It can be difficult to find adequate staffing, and it can be a challenge for salespeople to sell baseball broadcasts to potential sponsors.
What’s more, some teams in Minor League Baseball believe that broadcasting their games – particularly home games – will harm attendance.
However, the Princeton Rays saw their attendance rise in 2008 – the first year all their games were broadcast on the radio.
We’re fully aware of the challenges involved with broadcasting a full season of Princeton Rays baseball. We’ve embraced those challenges.
So when the 2009 season comes around – Opening Night is June 23 – you’ll hear every game on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River.
We can’t wait to get started.
Baseball is an every day game.
Monday, April 20, 2009
'Mountain Lion Weekly' Update
We're down to the last three installments of 'Mountain Lion Weekly' here on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River.
Here's our scheduled guest list:
Tuesday, April 21: Concord football coach Mike Kellar
Tuesday, April 28: Concord baseball coach Kevin Garrett
Tuesday, May 5: Concord Director of Athletics Greg Quick
Each guest will have a lot to talk about.
Kellar and his staff are in the midst of their first spring practice season; Concord's annual spring game is Saturday, May 2 at 6:00 pm at Callaghan Stadium.
Garrett is trying to guide a young Lions team back to the WVIAC tournament, which begins April 30 in Johnstown, PA (more on that in a later post).
Quick has gone through many changes this academic year, and there are more changes on the way for the CU Athletic Department.
'Mountain Lion Weekly' is an hour-long talk show devoted to Concord athletics. It can be heard Tuesdays at 6:00 pm EDT on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River and on-line at theriver102.com.
Here's our scheduled guest list:
Tuesday, April 21: Concord football coach Mike Kellar
Tuesday, April 28: Concord baseball coach Kevin Garrett
Tuesday, May 5: Concord Director of Athletics Greg Quick
Each guest will have a lot to talk about.
Kellar and his staff are in the midst of their first spring practice season; Concord's annual spring game is Saturday, May 2 at 6:00 pm at Callaghan Stadium.
Garrett is trying to guide a young Lions team back to the WVIAC tournament, which begins April 30 in Johnstown, PA (more on that in a later post).
Quick has gone through many changes this academic year, and there are more changes on the way for the CU Athletic Department.
'Mountain Lion Weekly' is an hour-long talk show devoted to Concord athletics. It can be heard Tuesdays at 6:00 pm EDT on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River and on-line at theriver102.com.
Friday, April 17, 2009
The P-Rays Fans Mailbox is open!
New for the 2009 season, we've added a way for you to talk directly to us. We've created an e-mail account for Princeton Rays fans to submit questions, comments or observations.
The address is princetonraysmailbox@gmail.com.
Should you have a question about a P-Rays player or coach, want to know more about the goings-on around the Appalachian League, wish someone a happy birthday, tell us that you're listening or when you're going to be at the ballpark, or whatever, that's the place to go.
We'll check the mailbox frequently. If we like what you've submitted, we'll put it on the air during our full season of Princeton Rays broadcasts on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River.
For your e-mail to be eligible to go on the air you must include your first and last names, hometown, age, e-mail address and phone number where you can be reached.
By the way, these requirements are deal-breakers.
All information will be kept absolutely private.
We're looking forward to hearing from you at princetonraysmailbox@gmail.com.
Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River is in our second season as the exclusive full-season flagship station of the Princeton Rays. We'll broadcast all 68 games, home and away. Opening Night is June 23 vs. the Burlington Royals at Hunnicutt Field.
The address is princetonraysmailbox@gmail.com.
Should you have a question about a P-Rays player or coach, want to know more about the goings-on around the Appalachian League, wish someone a happy birthday, tell us that you're listening or when you're going to be at the ballpark, or whatever, that's the place to go.
We'll check the mailbox frequently. If we like what you've submitted, we'll put it on the air during our full season of Princeton Rays broadcasts on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River.
For your e-mail to be eligible to go on the air you must include your first and last names, hometown, age, e-mail address and phone number where you can be reached.
By the way, these requirements are deal-breakers.
All information will be kept absolutely private.
We're looking forward to hearing from you at princetonraysmailbox@gmail.com.
Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River is in our second season as the exclusive full-season flagship station of the Princeton Rays. We'll broadcast all 68 games, home and away. Opening Night is June 23 vs. the Burlington Royals at Hunnicutt Field.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Schedule Change
We have a change in our featured guest for tonight's edition of the "Mountain Lion Weekly" radio show.
Concord baseball coach Kevin Garrett -- scheduled to appear tonight -- has come down with the flu. (I just got off the phone with him and he's in rough shape.)
So tonight's feature interview will be with Concord cheer team coach Lisa Blankenship. Lisa was scheduled for "MLW" a few weeks ago, only to see bad weather scrub the show. But we recorded a conversation and we'll play it back tonight.
"Mountain Lion Weekly" is an hour-long program devoted to Concord sports. You can hear it tonight at 6:00 on the air on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River, and online at theriver102.com.
Concord baseball coach Kevin Garrett -- scheduled to appear tonight -- has come down with the flu. (I just got off the phone with him and he's in rough shape.)
So tonight's feature interview will be with Concord cheer team coach Lisa Blankenship. Lisa was scheduled for "MLW" a few weeks ago, only to see bad weather scrub the show. But we recorded a conversation and we'll play it back tonight.
"Mountain Lion Weekly" is an hour-long program devoted to Concord sports. You can hear it tonight at 6:00 on the air on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River, and online at theriver102.com.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Harry Kalas, 1936-2009
Sportscasting icon Harry Kalas passed away today at the age of 73.
His death has stunned and saddened sports fans in Philadelphia -- where his tenure as the Phillies' play-by-play announcer earned him a deserved spot in the Hall of Fame -- and all around the country.
Count me among his many admirers.
What made him so special?
First, his voice. Kalas seemed literally born to be a baseball announcer. He was gifted with smooth, deep baritone. In broadcasting terms, he had the pipes.
Second, his style. "Measured" would be one way to describe it. "Deliberate" is another. (Maybe we should coin the adjective "Kalasian" to label how he went about calling a game.)
Broadcasting baseball well requires proper pacing, and Harry Kalas had the gift for it. He knew when to speak quickly and when he could take his time.
He also knew when not to talk and let the sounds of the event take center stage. Such a knack is something younger sportscasters should always remember, and something even some long-time announcers never really grasp.
Third, his personality. Kalas' colleagues and former players alike remember his kindness and affability. He was a big-time announcer who didn't big-time people. That's something we can all learn from.
===================================================================
Message boards are filling with condolences and remembrances. Here's one that's particularly fitting, from a poster named "Leetee 1955" on the Washington Post website:
Kalas proud.
Rest in peace, Mr. Kalas, and thank you.
His death has stunned and saddened sports fans in Philadelphia -- where his tenure as the Phillies' play-by-play announcer earned him a deserved spot in the Hall of Fame -- and all around the country.
Count me among his many admirers.
What made him so special?
First, his voice. Kalas seemed literally born to be a baseball announcer. He was gifted with smooth, deep baritone. In broadcasting terms, he had the pipes.
Second, his style. "Measured" would be one way to describe it. "Deliberate" is another. (Maybe we should coin the adjective "Kalasian" to label how he went about calling a game.)
Broadcasting baseball well requires proper pacing, and Harry Kalas had the gift for it. He knew when to speak quickly and when he could take his time.
He also knew when not to talk and let the sounds of the event take center stage. Such a knack is something younger sportscasters should always remember, and something even some long-time announcers never really grasp.
Third, his personality. Kalas' colleagues and former players alike remember his kindness and affability. He was a big-time announcer who didn't big-time people. That's something we can all learn from.
===================================================================
Message boards are filling with condolences and remembrances. Here's one that's particularly fitting, from a poster named "Leetee 1955" on the Washington Post website:
Kalas proud.
Rest in peace, Mr. Kalas, and thank you.
Joe Alexander Update
Former WVU star Joe Alexander will wrap up his rookie NBA season this week.
It's been a difficult season for Alexander and the Milwaukee Bucks, whose playoff aspirations could not recover from major injuries to stars Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut.
Bucks fans are divided over Alexander's potential (see poll). However, according to this article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the team still seems sold on him and his work ethic is drawing raves.
It's been a difficult season for Alexander and the Milwaukee Bucks, whose playoff aspirations could not recover from major injuries to stars Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut.
Bucks fans are divided over Alexander's potential (see poll). However, according to this article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the team still seems sold on him and his work ethic is drawing raves.
Growing pains: Frustrating first year for Alexander
(Jack Orton)
Joe Alexander’s athleticism continues to intrigue the Bucks, but the rookie has had difficulty adjusting to the NBA.
Will Joe Alexander develop into a solid NBA player?
Yes: 51%
No: 49%
Total Responses: 1346
Ask Milwaukee Bucks forward Joe Alexander about his rookie season in the National Basketball Association and he flashes back to his early days at West Virginia University.
That is not necessarily a good thing.
"It's been like my freshman year in college was . . . real, real frustrating," Alexander said. "It seems like everything you do is wrong and in your own head you think it's right, but it turns out to be wrong again. That's just the way it is because you're inexperienced.
"It was harder than I thought it would be because by the end of your college career, everything is just so easy because I knew the game real well. But I didn't anticipate the game being so different at this level and there being so much more thought involved and strategy involved."
Two games, including one Monday night against the Orlando Magic at the Bradley Center, remain in what has been a challenging and trying season for Alexander, who was the eighth overall pick of the 2008 draft. At times, the intricacies of the pro game have been a bit overwhelming for the 22-year-old Alexander.
Coming out of college, Alexander was known for his exceptional athleticism but was viewed as a green prospect who would need plenty of seasoning in the NBA. The Bucks knew they would need patience with Alexander in teaching him the pro game and that has proved to the case.
"The mental part is absolutely the hardest part," Alexander said. "Physically, there's nothing wrong with the skills that I have. I can do that, which just shows you how much mental preparation and work that goes into the games because someone like me who physically can obviously play, I wasn't able to play when I first came in. That shows how much strategy and thinking and mental control (is involved)."
Among the problems Alexander has encountered has been harnessing his energy and just being in the right place at the right time on the court.
"I didn't know where to be," Alexander said. "It's not about thinking too much. It's just not knowing where to be. The professional game is a game of inches and angles where if I'm facing slightly the wrong way, I'm going to get burned. Or, 6 inches to the right or left and I'll be in the right spot. So those are little things that you have to learn and it takes a long time to do that."
Alexander's need to learn has been noted by his teammates, as well.
"Joe is so raw athletically," veteran forward Malik Allen said. "He still has a ways to go but the big thing is just channeling his athleticism. He's always been so used to going fast. Also, just learning the NBA game and playing in a system. They've asked him to play a couple different positions (small forward and power forward) so I think that's been on his mind but overall, his effort has been great and he's been willing to learn and I think that's the biggest thing. He's starting to show some flashes of being able to play."
Alexander's work ethic has never been questioned. He is often on the practice court working with assistant coaches long after the other players have left. On game nights, he is on the court early working on his game. The encouraging thing for Alexander and the Bucks is that, slowly but surely, progress is being made and that is translating into playing time.
Alexander has played in 57 games, averaging 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game. But coach Scott Skiles has turned to him more often in some recent games.
"It's very encouraging," Alexander said. "I think that if at the end of this year my minutes had really gone down, it really would have been tough for me mentally because I'm OK with not being considered good and not playing a lot. But I'm not OK with not getting better and not improving. So I'm really, really glad that toward the end of the year my minutes started to pick up because that's a sign of getting better."
Skiles agrees.
"He's made progress," he said. "It's not always evident in the games but it's evident to us when we're around him every day. Lately, I've been giving him some more minutes and he'll block a shot or he'll do something to affect the game. He's still got to get himself a little bit more under control. Slow down a little bit. But he's starting to take his shot with a little bit more confidence and he's moving around the floor better. He's made good progress."
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Proof That Common Sense May Yet Exist
But one thing on which everyone agrees is that Major League Baseball playoff games start much too late at night -- especially the World Series.
However, there may be hope.
This is an excerpt from Bob Wolfley's "SportsDay" column in the April 7, 2009 edition of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
It's about time -- literally and figuratively.
Bob Wolfley | SportsDay
Earlier Series start wanted
Fox Sports and Major League Baseball are working on an agreement to start 2009 World Series games sooner than they have in the past.
Both the network and baseball, in an almost annual October ritual, have been criticized for starting those games too late.
The president of Fox Sports, Ed Goren, said Tuesday that the two sides had been working to reach an agreement to get to the first pitches in those games sooner.
"We are working with baseball and I think we all have the same agenda," Goren said. "And this is to get to first pitch more efficiently than we have in the past. We are continuing to have discussions to make that happen."
Goren declined to be specific about how much sooner the sides are considering, but an industry source suggested all the first pitches in the Series might come as soon as 7:50 p.m. Eastern and perhaps no later than 8 p.m. Eastern.
In the Central time zone, that would be 6:50 and 7 p.m.
In order to accomplish that, Fox might go to air one-half hour earlier than it has in order to start the pregame programming. That would allow Fox to get to the first pitch sooner.
In the past, Fox typically has gone to air at 8 p.m. Eastern, with the first pitch coming around 8:20 p.m. in Games 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7. In Games 1 and 3, when player introductions take place, Fox goes to air at 8 p.m. Eastern, with the first pitch in the 8:35 p.m. range.
"The real question is how early we will be getting to first pitch," Goren said. "It will be earlier than in the past. I'm confident we will come up with a plan that will be effective."
Commissioner Bud Selig said during an interview with Sirius XM Radio on Monday that it was his desire to put in place earlier start times for the World Series this season.
Selig also said he would like to see a day game start for a Series game.
"I'm working hard because I happen to believe not only in a late afternoon game but in earlier starting times and I'm not going to be happy until we get those."
Goren said Fox was not considering an early afternoon start for any Series game. He did not address the issue of a late afternoon start.
"I don't expect that to happen," Goren said, referring to a day game start of 2 p.m. Eastern. "There is just a financial impact of selling commercials in an afternoon game compared to prime time."
Goren said viewers were not going to see day game starts in championship series in any major team sport: baseball, NBA or NHL, for example.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
MLW Update
Concord's academic year is winding down, but there's still much to talk about on our Mountain Lion Weekly program.
Tuesday, April 7, the featured guest will be men's basketball coach Steve Cox. We'll wrap up the 2008-09 season, update recruiting and look ahead to '09-'10.
The following Tuesday, April 14, CU baseball coach Kevin Garrett is set to join MLW. Concord is one of the favorites to win the WVIAC this year, and, at the time of this writing, the Mountain Lions are coming off an important three-game sweep at Shepherd.
Keep checking here for further MLW scheduling updates.
Mountain Lion Weekly is an hour-long talk show devoted to Concord athletics. You can hear it Tuesday evenings at 6:00 EDT on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River and at theriver102.com.
Tuesday, April 7, the featured guest will be men's basketball coach Steve Cox. We'll wrap up the 2008-09 season, update recruiting and look ahead to '09-'10.
The following Tuesday, April 14, CU baseball coach Kevin Garrett is set to join MLW. Concord is one of the favorites to win the WVIAC this year, and, at the time of this writing, the Mountain Lions are coming off an important three-game sweep at Shepherd.
Keep checking here for further MLW scheduling updates.
Mountain Lion Weekly is an hour-long talk show devoted to Concord athletics. You can hear it Tuesday evenings at 6:00 EDT on Classic Rock 102.3 FM The New River and at theriver102.com.
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"I've been trying to figure out why Kalas's death bothers me so. Now I know. It's because I'm becoming more aware of my sports fan mortality. When Washington had no team of its own between 1972 to 2004, I became more a fan of the sport of baseball than any specific team. At night I could listen to Chuck Thompson and Bill O'Donnell in Baltimore; Ned Martin and Jim Woods in Boston; Joe Tait and Herb Score in Cleveland; Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey in Detroit; Phil Rizzuto, Frank Messer, Bob Murphy, Lindsey Nelson and Ralph Kiner in New York; Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall in Cincinnati; Kalas and Richie Ashburn in Philadelphia and Jack Buck in St. Louis. These guys had an affinity for the game and could weave in some of the most marvelous stories in their play-by-play. They weren't the slave-to-statistics, check-out-my catchphrase guys most teams employ today. They were your companions, taking down the byways of baseball on leisurely nights once the out-of-town signals began to come in to my transistor radio. We as baseball fans are diminished by the losses of many of these guys, the likes of which we will never, unfortunately, hear again."