Baseball in November

There is nothing quite like playing baseball in November. I must say, it is the highlight of my year. This all started in 1993 when I was invited to go to Orlando, Florida to play in the Roy Hobbs World Series. That first year our team went 1-5, but it was amazing. I was hooked.
Now every year our team goes to Florida to play a week long tournament at the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins spring training complex' in Fort Myers, Florida.
This year our team had no pitching. I had thrown in just one inning prior to the tournament due to finger and shoulder injuries. What's weird is I had the most innings pitching of anyone on our staff. In other words, no one else had even thrown one inning.
I was shocked that our pitching held up. It was our hitting that hurt us. We had a hard time adjusting to wood bats. We went 2-5 in the tournament, but we only really lost one game. Our first game we lost 10-0, but after that we should have won three other games.
We lost in the second round of the tournament, but more than the wins and losses was the good times and good company. I loved going out on the beach and listening to live music.
One night we went to Coconut Fest, a huge town festival that Derek Wright called Strawberry Days on steroids. Survivor was playing an outdoor concert. It was a lot of fun. The whole week was a lot of fun.
Over the years I have made some of the best friendships of my life playing baseball. I love the guys on my team. We have a bond that comes from years of playing together. It is really what sports are about. When the tournaments and seasons are over, the friendships are what endures. I could go play with other teams and other tournaments, but that's not that fun.
Playing baseball with a group of friends, guys whom you choose to play with, makes all the difference. The jokes, the laughter, the food and the companionship. It can't be beat.
As time goes on, I don't remember so much the wins and loses, but I'll never forget the people I play with.

Favre and Packers Dumb and Dumber

I’m still waiting for someone to offer me money to shut up and go away.
I wonder if I put that option on e-bay how much money I could raise?

I’m sure some people would go all in.

I say this because apparently the Green Bay Packers have offered Brett Favre $20 million dollars to go away.
I’m no agent, but that sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Take it Favre.

As a Packer fan, this whole fiasco is making me consider being a Bears fan.

Whew, I’m glad that thought didn’t last long.

But seriously, what is wrong with Green Bay’s front office? How much is it really going to set the franchise back by giving Favre another year? I know he had a chance. He put the Packers in a bind, but refusing to let Favre compete for the starting job is just plain dumb.

The shareholders are restless. Their stupidity rivals Favre’s stubbornness.
If Favre is really determined to come back, why not get something of value for him?

Trade him to the Bears. What harm could he do with that offense?

Even if he was traded to the Vikings and he helped them become a playoff team, it wouldn’t look near as dumb as offering him that much money to go away.

Who wouldn’t want to get a draft pick out of the Vikings rather than to pay Favre $20million to call it quits?

The Packers have blown it now. They have lost their leverage.
This whole thing could have actually helped Green Bay. The Packers got nothing when Favre decided to retire. Now they could get something of value by him coming back if they haven’t already waited too long.

The Minor Leagues

Maybe it's because the Brew Crew is in the process of getting swept by the Chicago Cubs, and I need something to keep my mind off the pain, but there is so much to love about Minor League Baseball.
I just finished writing a lengthy feature for the Daily Herald on Orem Owlz manager Tom Kotchman, who topped the 1,500 win mark in June and will be honored on July 31 by the Owlz.
Kotchman has been managing in the Minor Leagues 30 years. That is hard to comprehend. Since 1990, he has had just one losing season.
Every year I wonder if he's coming back and every year he does. I have hosted some of Kotchman's players in the past and know how much respect his players have for him.
I took batting practice with Casey Child, one of his former players last week. Casey hit .325 with 11 home runs and was an all-star under Kotchman in Boise, Idaho. He struggled the next year and Casey said Kotchman told him, “Where do you want to hit. Just tell me where you're most comfortable and I'll hit you there all year."
Casey was released after his second year, but he to this day has a lot of respect for Kotchman.
Kotchman could have been managing in the Big Leagues or at higher levels in the minor leagues but he has stayed at the Rookie level so he could see his family more. He gets it.
There are so many interesting stories in minor league baseball. I would love to cover an independent minor league baseball team. When a player does well, fans pass the hat and put money in it to reward the player for a good night.
How cool is that?
I am currently collecting stories to include in a book that will have a minor league baseball storyline. To me, players in the minor leagues are much more interesting than those in the Major Leagues or the NBA.
Minor League players are a lot like high school players. The game still matters to them. The passion for the game is still alive and that's refreshing to me.