Memory Lane

As I was cleaning my room (for literally freaking hours) I ran across a lot of my old high school English papers. Of course, before I threw them away I had to read them. One particular passage caught my eye and made me miss my baseball playing days. This was for Thomas Teckman's AP English class and had a due date of May 3rd.

 "To our little town of Fort Loramie, baseball means nothing. When I came through there was a group of guys that gave all they had to the sport. We were always putting in the extra work to get better and always willing to sacrifice anything for each other. We had a passion for both the game and each other that, even if we only graduate with memories, will last a lifetime." 

No, it's not really worded the best, but its 100% true. This is the part about baseball I miss the most. Guys competing together with a jaded sense of what's really important in life, and having a blast doing it. Hour and a half practices, 30 minute lifting sessions, and playing football and basketball to get in shape. Playing baseball was never like that again.

And the best part? We won the 2007 State Championship a little more than a month later.

The Interesting Case of Justin Verlander

MVP or not? That is the question I'm addressing today. First of all, let me say this. He is a deserving candidate, and if I had a vote, it would go to him (as long as he doesn't blow up in the final month), but I don't think he will win it. Why? Well here are a few reasons:
1) He plays in Detroit, not New York or Boston, and there are some Yankees and Red Sox having great years. It's unfortunate, but that means that ALL of the east coast writers are voting for Granderson (NYY), Gonzalez (BOS), or Ellsbury (BOS), before they even think about casting a vote for Verlander. Is it right? I don't believe so. Here's why... Thanks to my good friend Ryan Mosher for pointing these facts out: Verlander is 14-0 when pitching after a Tigers loss this season. That alone is eye-popping. He also has a WAR (wins above replacement) of 6.4 according to fangraphs.com, and of 7.7 according to baseball-reference.com. Granderson is at 6.8 on fangraphs and 5.3 on baseball-reference. Gonzalez is 6.1 on fangraphs and 6.4 on baseball-reference. Ellsbury is an 8.2 on fangraphs and a 6.8 on baseball-reference. So of the other "candidates," only two have a higher WAR according to fangraphs.com. This isn't even counting defensive WAR though, because Granderson could be replaced by literally anyone in the minor leagues. Anyways, moving on!
2) His numbers are comparable to Cy Young winners from the past. For example, in 2008, Cliff Lee went 22-3 for the Cleveland Indians. He led the league in wins, ERA (2.54), shut outs (2), home runs per 9 innings (.5), walks per 9 innings (1.4), and WAR (7.3). Lee finished 2nd in complete games (4),  ninth in strikeouts (170), and averaged 7 1/3 innings pitched per start. The Indians finished that year 81-81, so without Lee they would have been 59-78, 19 games under .500.
Verlander's numbers are similar with a few starts left to go. He's 22-5 and leading the league in ERA (2.44), strikeouts (232), and WAR (7.7). That's the triple crown for pitchers. Even though it's more common than the batting triple crown, it's still only been done 25 times in baseball history. He's tied for 4th in shutouts (2), tied for second in complete games (4), and is 7th in walks per 9 innings (2.0). He doesn't crack the top 10 in home runs allowed per 9 innings, but also averaged 7 1/3 innings pitched per start. The Tigers record without Verlander, as of right now, would be 59-57, two games above .500.
For the record, Lee won the AL Cy Young award in a landslide, but finished 12th in the MVP voting.
3) The writers' assumption that since a pitcher doesn't play every day, they can't be the most valuable player. I hate it, but that's the argument, and they're the ones who vote. For another look at an even better comparison, here's an article by Tom Robinson of The Virginia Pilot that points out if Steve Carlton didn't win the MVP in 1972, no pitcher should. If you don't have time to read the article, his numbers dwarf Verlander's (it was a different sort of baseball back then), and he ended up finishing fifth in the MVP voting. The specifics are mind-boggling.
4) The Tigers have other pitchers. As Robinson's article points out, the most any other Philly pitcher won in 1972 was four. FOUR! Detroit has Max Sherzer and Rick Porcello that have 15 and 14 wins respectively, and who knows how good Doug Fister's record would be if he wasn't playing in Seattle for the first half of the year (he's 4-1 as a Tiger, matching all 1972 Phillies not named Carlton).

Finally, this is just a tidbit about one of the stats sometimes used to judge a pitcher: the "if the Tigers didn't have Verlander they'd be a .500 team" argument. This isn't a factor that screams MVP. Sure, if you take Cliff Lee away from the 2011 Phillies they're still 35 games above .500, and if C.C. Sabathia isn't in New York they go from 33 games over .500 to 21 over. But look at some of the very legitimate 2011 NL Cy Young award candidates. Ian Kennedy is 19-4. With him the DiamondBacks are the feel-good story of the season with an 83-61 (21 games over .500) record. Without him, their record would be 64-57 (just 7 games over .500) and they'd be looking up at the San Francisco Giants. Perhaps an even better instance is Clayton Kershaw, who at 17-5 is leading the Dodgers through a horrific season. They are 70-72 overall (2 games under .500) and without him they would be 53-67 (14 games under .500). I don't think it's as useful of an argument as others do.
I love the season that Justin Verlander is having (even though he's killing my Tribe). It's so much fun to watch pitching dominate a league that was not so long ago ruled by the long ball. It excites me that we are looking at a starting pitcher and considering him for the MVP, but I can't make myself believe he'll win it.
And that, my friends, is the interesting case of Justin Verlander.

Indians' Social Suite Experience

Today was almost perfect. Summer is officially gone and fall has arrived, especially with the winds off Lake Erie blustering around Progressive Field. I got to spend a lot of quality time with my father, bonding over perhaps our strongest passion: the game of baseball. We got to the game two hours early so we could watch the Indians’ batting practice, and it was just like old times. My childhood centered around trying to catch home run balls or begging players to toss me one, and so being in the right-field bleachers with dad again was like a blast from the past. The only difference today was that we BOTH got baseballs, instead of none like before. Even though the Indians dropped 8.5 games out with the loss, it was fun to see the players during BP. We normally don’t get there soon enough to watch the home team hit, or in time to see the pitchers shagging balls in the outfield. Indians’ All-Star closer Chris Perez was hysterical. He was running all over the place, chucking sinkers at the batboy, and talking to people in the crowd. It was great.

My actual experience in the Cleveland Indians Social Suite was great. I had never been in a suite before, so this was completely new for me. Now, it was a free pair of tickets so I wasn’t expecting much, and there wasn’t any free food (unfortunately), but it was so much fun to spend that time in a great environment with my dad. It started on the ceremonial first pitches when Cleveland Browns wide receiver Greg Little and cornerback Joe Haden tossed strikes to Jason Donald. Haden was wearing a half Colt McCoy and half Grady Sizemore jersey, pretty funny. It was nice because the suite provided some warmth on the chilly evening, but the comfort didn’t last long.

No, I’m not talking about the five-run first inning the Tigers had, or even the three run second. I’m talking about the annoying suitemates that joined us. I have never felt so trapped at a baseball game before in my life. The amount of ignorance coming out of her mouth was incredible. I’m sorry, but just because someone has responded to you on Twitter before doesn’t mean your friends. And I assure you that you screaming to the umpire will not change his mind. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that Miguel Cabrera can’t even hear you telling him he sucks. Lastly, just because a guy had a bad outing (seems like every time for Fausto Carmona), it doesn’t mean he is a bum and needs demoted. Saying that you read an article that the Dolans are just trying to make the team look attractive to a buyer so they can move the team out of town isn’t original. It’s the freaking plot to Major League. Give me a break. She was soon joined by an annoying twit of a boy who kept yelling at Jhonny Peralta. Like Jhonny chose to leave Cleveland last summer when the Indians traded him? Sheesh. I blame poor parenting.

Aside from the annoying sound of a voice ringing in my ears the entire time, it was great. It was the first time I got to watch an Indians game with Tom Hamilton playing in the background. Unfortunately, that woman was talking so much nonsense that I could hardly hear him.

I did learn something about major league baseball today. I have officially declared that Miguel Cabrera has now become a “stop-what-you’re-doing-to-watch” player when he’s hitting. He is an incredible hitter, and if Tigers fans were smart they’d stop crying for Verlander to be MVP and focus on their legitimate MVP candidate.

The social suite was an incredible experience, and it is definitely something that will catch on throughout all of sports. There are plenty of stadiums and arenas that have unused suites at every game, and there are hundreds of thousands people using social media and the connection will be brilliant.

Another New Day

Last Wednesday, Jesse and I decided to do something a bit different, again. Just a week or so after we did the game re-creation, we decided to do another blast from the past and broadcast from the stands. We tossed our phone line out the window and plugged in right behind Section J of Cooley Law School Stadium. This one was my idea. Jesse asked me what I wanted to do, if anything, and I was reminded of a movie I got for Christmas. My dad got me the PBS documentary on this guy named Harry Caray, and broadcasting from the crowd was something he did a couple of times every year. It was a ton of fun! We had people sitting around us and listening in to what we were saying, there were people taking pictures with us and of us, and I got to get some in-game ice cream! It was a lot of fun and something that I hope I can do for years to come.

Tomorrow the final leg of the 2011 season begins against the Dayton Dragons, and it brings a whole new excitement level to the broadcast booth. The game is the same, but there are some key differences. For example: couple of runs in the first two innings in a regular season game can be considered a rough start for a pitcher, but if he rebounds and finishes six innings its, "no harm done and its a good outing," even if the team is losing. In the playoffs though, it's more like, "I can't believe ______ gave up so many runs and put us behind the eight-ball!" It's a whole new ballgame now!

On another note, tonight is a special night for my dad and I. Why? Because we are sitting in the Cleveland Indians Social Media Suite! I know that all the haters can say that I shouldn't be that excited to watch a series that will make the Indians an afterthought in the AL Central race, but I still have faith. In all honesty, the fact that the Tribe is still considered "in" the race in September is a bonus to a season of fun. The fact that both ESPN the Mag and Sports Illustrated picked the Indians to finish fourth in the division and here they are in second place and the only challenge to the top team in the AL Central, I am proud. I was one that was pretty sure this year would be another miserable season, but the team surprised everyone.

The next couple of years in the AL Central are going to be a blast. The Royals are up-and-coming, the Tigers are the veterans and the Indians are somewhere in between. The exciting thing to look at for each of these teams is how old each of the starters are. The Royals are all very young, everyone knows that, but the Indians and Tigers are young too. You might be surprised that I'm saying this about the arch rival Tigers, but they have a great combination of youth and experience. Justin Verlander is the clear-cut Cy Young award winner and best pitcher in the American League. Oh yeah, and he'll be 29 next year. Scherzer, Fister, and Porcello are a very solid rotation, and their ages on opening day will be 27, 28, and 23. Then they have young Jacob Turner waiting in the wings, who will be 21. There's a legitimate candidate for MVP at first base in Miguel Cabrera, who will be 29, and probably the 2011 Comeback Player of the Year at shortstop with Jhonny Peralta, 30. Those guys can be considered the "old guys" when you look at Alex Avila, 24, Austin Jackson, 24, and Delmon Young, 27. What's my hair-brained idea for the Tigers to take it to the ultimate level? I know they have some money to spend, and that second base and third base are needs for the 2012 season... but what if a top-line pitcher becomes available? One who happens to be left-handed, in the prime of his career, and used to tear up the Tigers? Yes, I'm talking about C.C. Sabathia, who can opt out of his Yankees contract after this year if he wants to. Can you imagine that rotation? Verlander, Sabathia, Fister, Scherzer, Procello or Turner. Incredible. Sorry, that rant went a little longer than expected.

Don't worry readers, I'm going to daydream about my two favorite teams (the Tribe and the Cincinnati Reds) after my post-game report from the Social Suite!

Game Recreation

I know, this is my longest break between posts since I started this, but here's the thing. I started to write very detailed posts about the baseball trading deadline, and also the Man League Universal fantasy football draft (if you're bored and want to check in on guys taking fantasy football entirely too seriously, check out the website: www.manleagueuniversal.com... no joke), but when I was proofreading my first couple of paragraphs of each one I realized how boring that would be to read, so I cut it. I'll post my thoughts on both things at the end of this post, but I experienced something that was seriously career-changing last night.


What could it be? You might ask... well the title of this post should give it away. If you guessed Game Recreation (and pronounced it REE-CREE-AI-CHUN, and not REC-REE-AI-CHUN (I love spelling out enunciation, by the ways)) you are the big winner!! Last night, instead of sitting in the broadcast booth and watching the game like every other night, Jesse (the #1 broadcaster) and I sat in the hallway outside our booth where we couldn't see a single thing. We had one of our lovely colleagues messaging us the game online and telling us what happened, and then it was up to us. We had two mini-bats to recreate the sound of the ball being hit, a ball and glove to re-create any pitch, and crowd noise that we played on a loop through the computer. Confused? Let me give you an example:


The text would come through and say: #4 Billy Hamilton. We knew from starting line-ups that our pitcher was Egan Smith. I'd set up the at-bat like normal, with things like "Hamilton is batting .268 on the year and leads all of professional baseball with 90 steals..." Just then I'd get a message that says: first pitch ball. The pitch may have been a curveball in the dirt, it may have been a change-up that just missed, but it was completely up to my discretion so I would say something like, "First pitch fastball JUST MISSED Hamilton! He had to limbo out of the way to avoid getting beaned!" And so on.


You may be thinking, why exactly would you do this? Well, it's the only time of the year we do it for the Lugnuts, and it's paying tribute to the first broadcasters of the game. Before there were radio booths at each stadium, broadcasters had to announce the game like this... EVERY GAME! They'd get a telegraph in from the stadium (we couldn't find a telegraph in time so we had to use our computers and the internet. I know, lame) and then would broadcast the game just as shown above. It was purely up to our imaginations last night, and it was brilliant. I got to call two home runs, on the Lugnuts' Marcus Knecht's shot I got to say something like, "A TOWERING drive to left field! Theo Bowe just turns and waves to it as it leaves! Home run number 16 for Marcus Knecht..." and so on. The home run that Bowe hit in the inning before I had our right fielder almost making a Kenny Lofton-esque catch in right field to rob it, but it was just out of reach. It was an experience I will never forget, and hope to continue on in the future wherever I broadcast at.


So all of my explaining of the Game Recreation has taken up a LOT of room already, so I'll keep my thoughts brief on the trading deadline and fantasy football. Deadline: I like what the Indians, Rangers, Tigers, Blue Jays, Phillies, and  Colorado did. I wasn't impressed with the Cardinals, Yankees, and Reds. Indians get a top-line rotation guy until 2014. I could care less about this year, this sets them up with a solid rotation with guys like Choo, Cabrera, and Santana in their best years (maybe too early for Santana, but I think by 2013 he'll be awesome). The Rangers kept my friend Jared Hoying and sured up their bullpen, making them a contender for back-to-back AL Champs. The Tigers made small adjustments that made their team the clear-cut best in the Central. They'll make the playoffs this year, and the post-non-waiver-deadline (too many hyphens?) deal they made for Delmon Young was great. It's already paying dividends. Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos continues to wheel and deal guys and get much better returns than what he's giving up, and he didn't trade any of the Lugnuts, so I'm pumped for that. Of course I have to mention Colorado, getting three great pitching prospects for one guy is huge, and I wish all the former Indians' farmhands the best. My hope is that this deal turns out like the Beckett-for-Hanley deal, with the Red Sox winning a couple titles and the Marlins getting a superstar. I  don't like lack of movement and stupid deals. I felt getting rid of Rasmus in St. Louis was dumb, and especially for Edwin Jackson. Far weaker talent in return, but that's what Toronto seems to do. The Yankees are a team that desperately needed to make a move; the rotation is depending on Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia and A.J. Burnett for goodness sakes! They might make the playoffs but they're not going anywhere against Detroit, Boston, or Texas. And finally the Reds. What are they doing? Their pitching has been subpar, they've got a load of talent, and they play in a bad division (with Milyucky taking advantage of that mediocracy). I'm not saying trade away the farm here, there's no need for that. I just think they could have pulled a deal like the Tigers to get a guy quietly having a good year and then worry about things more in the offseason.


Fantasy Football (holy crap this is getting long (that's what she said)). It's a lot of fun, a TON of people do it, there is money changing hands and most likely coming to me this year, and grown men (and sometimes women) will act like complete idiots for a 16-week span. Not much different from avid fans of actual football teams, unless you're a 49er's fan, and are banned from having any tailgating fun for the 2011-2012 season.


I love baseball, I love sports, and I love anyone who took the time to read all of this! If you have any comments (good or bad) or questions (serious or sarcastic) feel free to contact me through Facebook or email: kylerludlow@me.com

Give me a break

I am as happy as the next guy that the NFL settled their incredible problems (trying to split up $9 billion must have been difficult), it is frustrating to me that we have to watch football on Sportscenter like its the week leading up to the Super Bowl. Hey guess what, at 10 AM players can show up. That's a report that everyone cares about. What the Jets are going to do to follow up Rex Ryan's guarantee for a SB victory... IT DOESN'T MATTER! Tell me about this a week before the season starts and it's actually relevant. I don't care if Ryan is "Amped up" and leaving voicemails to all the season ticket holders. Everyone should be excited. Heck, I know that I'm looking forward to Fantasy Football just as much as the next guy, but give me a break.

We had some tremendous baseball games last night, and the fact that the Indians and Angels game is pushed to the bottom of the order so we can hear Adam Schefter talk about NFL free agency. The Royals beat the Red Sox in 14 innings last night, and yet all we got to see baseball-wise is the Yankees beating the Mariners and the Rangers offensive outburst over the Twins. I hope that this isn't a preview of what lies ahead until the season starts, but I fear like us baseball-first fans are screwed.

This made me think about the other lockout that looks to be no where close to cutting a deal, the NBA. I'm excited about this. Why?  Because 1) the NBA is flawed and the only part of the season worth watching is the Playoffs and 2) we'll get to see more HOCKEY! I am one that absolutely loves hockey and the way those guys play the game. I have told people time and time again that hockey players are the best professional athletes in the world. Why? Well listen here... You have a game of hard-hitting action for 60 minutes, much like football. You have high-speed, non-stop action, like the NBA (in the playoffs), except harder because they're doing everything on ice. You have hand-eye coordination, with a tiny puck being handled by a stick, bringing a baseball edge to the game. It's really a combination of all the "major" sports of the USA. You could even argue it has some soccer qualities too, seeing as the endurance quality of hockey is a major part of the game, just like in the beautiful game. Hockey is awesome, and I think that with the NBA lockout we might see a rise in interest in the NHL, which would make life more fun for me!

I want to add that I have been eagerly watching this Sportscenter to see the Jason Kipnis walk-off single in the improbable ninth-inning come back. I'm hearing all about how offensive linemen are the unsung heroes of the NFL, and have yet to see one of the best plays of Monday. How about Kipnis getting his first hit in the form of a walk-off single to right field? That should be a story in the first 20 minutes of a Sportscenter.

I'm happy that we'll have football in the fall... but give me a break!

Taking the Series

The Lansing Lugnuts may be the hottest team in baseball. Take a seat Pittsburgh, move out of the way Philly, its time to GO NUTS LUGNUTS! There's simply no other way to put it. This team is so fun to watch, it's hard to contain myself on the air sometimes. I am watching future major leaguers before my eyes... Our starting outfield reminds me of the early days of the Dayton Dragons when they had Kearns, Dunn, and Pena roaming 5/3 Field... It is a privilege to watch these guys play everyday. It is easy for everyone around this team to see that there is something different about them. They take losing personally, and so they decided they're going to just not do it. It's incredible to watch. I've also learned that the more you hang around these guys, the more they get to know you. I've had some fun conversations with guys in the past few days that have made me change the way I think about professional athletes.

I was always one that cherished getting autographs, but I think that I'm turning into a picture man now. I'll explain... One of my prized possessions is my Omar Vizquel autographed baseball. It's awesome. I remember waiting for Omar to come out of the Indians dugout and sign autographs before a game, and sure enough, I was one of the lucky dozen to get his Herbie Hancock (Tommy Boy, anyone?). I also got a Ronnie Belliard autographed baseball signed on an All-Star ball. (I don't know what's more shocking, that I once considered Belliard my second favorite player, or that he was actually an All-Star). I didn't get this autograph myself. I think I somehow conned my mom into buying it off eBay, and my emotional attachment to it is minimal. When I was younger I was all about autographs, but now I think a picture, conversation, or a memory is much more valuable to me then anything else. I will always remember talking with Dustin Antolin in the dugout about how much snakes freaked him out, or listening to K.C. Hobson brainstorm future business ventures.  I put pictures in this same category because when I'm old and my great grandkids think I'm losing my mind, I'll be able to find these pictures and jog back the great times I had with different people.
Here's a challenge for you old enough to do so... Look back at your high school yearbook. Don't look at the pictures first, look at the "autographs" or the signatures and notes people left for you. After reading some of those, find some pictures with you in them. If you're like me, the memories from one picture will last a lot longer than reading some note.

Memories trump autographs any day.

All-Star Game and thoughts

I'm sitting in my hotel room in Mentor, OH getting ready to head to Classic Park to watch the Lugnuts sweep the Captains, and I just thought I would take a quick moment to write a new blog. I drove myself to Ohio so I can take a mini-vacation after this game, spending time with my family, fiance, and friends etc. So far the team has played well, and it's fun to think that one day I'll be watching some of these guys play in the Major Leagues. I mean, I want all of them to make it one day, but realistically I know it'll only be a few of them at best. It's so fun to watch these young men (I can say that because I'm 23 and older than almost all of them) come together and play the great sport.

ANYWAYS. I thought I would take some time to talk about the Major League All-Star game. It's a flawed system. How can we have the game mean something, but still let the fans vote the starting line-ups? Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy for Jeter getting his 3,000th hit the other day, but there is no way he should have been the starting shortstop at the All-Star game. The fans got it wrong. The fact that Dick Vitale is blowing Twitter up about guys not going is 1) annoying and 2) stupid. I get it, the game is for the fans, well then take the stupid home field advantage off as the reward for winning. If the fans get to vote the players in, yet we make it mean something, it seems like we will always have the problem we face this year. Granted, I can't argue that there were players I thought should have made it and didn't, but I'll put that fact aside. Dicky V argues that it is a bad decision by the players not coming because the money from this game goes into the player's pension fund... Do you think the people of Arizona will come whether Jeter plays shortstop or Jhonny Peralta? I'm pretty sure that's not a big deal. I don't know, it just seems to me that we had a couple of guys bow out this year (A-Rod from injury, Jeter because he didn't deserve it, I mean injury, and Sabathia because he pitched yesterday) and now people are blowing it out of proportion. "Cal Ripken Jr. never missed an All-Star game" as someone on ESPN said today... Newsflash, Ripken played for 2,600 straight games. That's like saying, "Well, Ozzie Smith never missed a routine ground ball" as you watch Edgar Rentaria boot a ball. Give me a break.
I love the All-Star game. Let the best players play. Yankees fans are getting ticked off because their guys are going to the game. Boo hoo. You have a frickin all star team every day. Robinson Cano is in the HR, Granderson is leading off and playing CF. Welcome to the world everyone else lives in where a few players at best play in the mid-summer classic.

I'll jump off my soapbox now. I love the game of baseball, and we're in such a great position right now. It's going to be even better when next spring all we have to contend with on Sportscenter is playoff hockey since the NBA will still be in lockout. That's another soapbox for another time.

It's Been a while...

It's been a while and I apologize. Not that there is an angry hoard of readers pounding down my door or something, but I want to make this something I am more consistent with.

One thing that I'm coming to realize is that it is very hard to walk the line of telling people what I see and not offending people. I can come off as harsh sometimes because of the way my analysis of situations is, and I really don't mean to at all. I want guys to do well and succeed, and making routine plays is something that they should be able to do at this level. Sometimes I forget the fact that most of the guys I'm broadcasting are younger than I am, and I know I made a ton of mistakes on "easy" plays when I was younger too. My goal this week is to find a better balance of encouraging yet critical. It's a tough line to have to walk, and I truthfully didn't even know I was doing it until pointed out to me yesterday. I can't hold the players on my team to the same standard I hold players like Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore... Those guys are big leaguers and one or two guys from this team might get lucky enough to be in the show one day.

On another note, I'm still not getting enough sleep because I am so excited about work every day. It sounds lame, but it is nearly impossible for me to sleep at night because I'm so excited for the next day, and then when I finally do get to sleep I want it to go as fast as possible so I can get back to work. My challenge is going to be to take that excitement and translate it to the broadcasts in a positive way.

I started to sit in home run territory during batting practice on our last road trip. I feel like I can get a better read on how players are hitting from there because that's where I'm used to watching guys like Cabrera and Sizemore take BP from. I am easily distracted, so sometimes when I sit right behind home I can lose focus on what I'm actually there doing. I'm going to start mixing it up though so I can eventually be much better at it.

I have some interviews on the webpage now, here's the link to the Press Box page of the Lugnuts' website. Enjoy!

KL

Playoff Push

This has been an exciting series here in Dayton for a couple of reasons. On Friday, there were a total of 36 hits and 26 runs scored. Even though we came on out the losing end of it, the game was a fun one to call. The bad thing is that it knocked us out of the final playoff spot for now. I'm currently writing this from the press box at Fifth Third Field in Dayton as the guys start to prepare for the first half finale. We need a Great Lakes Loons loss and a victory here to make it in. Then we'd win by percentage points, which is kind of lame, but hey, were talking PLAYOFFS here!

The other reason that this series has been so exciting for me is because I'm home. I've literally played a half dozen games on this same field (lifetime batting numbers here: .500 BA, 5 RBIs, 2 2B), it's a stone's throw from my college and hometown, and there have been a bunch of people coming out to "watch" me broadcast! It's been awesome. On Friday night my fiance and her family were here and they visited the booth, which was VERY cool. Then on both Friday and Saturday my father was here to check things out. On Saturday my uncle and sister plus her boyfriend all visited me as well. It was very nice to see all of them and for me to finally show them what I'm doing with my life. They have listened in the past but have never actually SEEN me in action. My family is coming down again today to spend Father's Day here, which should be fun. And my mom will get to come up to the booth for the first time ever, so it's bound to be an eventful day.

So the podcast idea hasn't really left the ground yet. I'm thinking that starting fresh in the second half of the season would be a great idea, but I'm not sure yet. We're going to have a few days off, which means that the last thing on my mind is going to be the podcast. I'm going to be working at the golf course and actually making money! Exciting right??

Rain Delay/Podcast

As I sit and write this new blog, the Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly" plays on the Cooley Law School Stadium scoreboard. It reminds me of my days of playing Rock Band with my friends back home in our fictional band "Da Flyers." Now we've moved on to bigger and better things and have turned in the fake guitars and drums for the real thing. We've got a new name (Amateur Hour) and have more fun than any four people who are mediocre musicians ever have before.

ANYWHO! My addition to the media department here in Lansing isn't really felt unless you get time to actually listen to a game. I'm trying to fix that. For my birthday I got a Blue Yeti USB microphone, and it is seriously like handing a sniper rifle to a 12-year-old going to shoot on the range for the first time. I am totally flabbergasted by the capabilities that this thing has. I'm planning on starting a podcast to be shared on the Lugnuts website for everyone to enjoy. I was just tinkering around today and ended up chatting with myself for twenty minutes! Imagine the fun Jesse and I will be able to have! I'm hoping to get some of the Lugnuts players involved too, which would make it really fun.

For the next few days I'm going to be working on one major thing while I broadcast... SMILING! I know, it sounds weird right? But think about this for a minute... I have perhaps the greatest job any sports fan could want, what's not to be happy about? I love baseball, I love my job, and I want the people listening, whether stranger, family, or friend, to know that I love what I'm doing. So there's my goal. Let's see how it works out!

First Try

OKAY so this is my first time doing an actual blog. I have a couple of goals in writing this, and that is 1) to become a better writer 2) spend my time more productively 3) keep a on-going, never-ending progression from a college graduate to a professional broadcaster.

I am reminded every day how blessed I am. I have been a "professional" broadcaster for just a little over a month now, and every day I learn more. My boss (the wonderful Jesse Goldberg-Strassler) has been extremely patient with me, and I can feel my broadcasting and press-release writing getting better daily. Lansing has been a great place to go out for my first "real world" experience. I'm still trying to get a better idea of how to spend my time when I'm not at the stadium. Jesse has made it clear that the key to longevity as a broadcaster is not getting burnt out, so I want to make sure I'm keeping that in mind. The tough thing is adjusting from college to "real-life" because as a student I would just burn the candle at both ends, and that wouldn't be a good thing in this case.

I am just finishing up a trip home. I've gotten to work 4 days (for actual money!), hung out with my amazing friends, family and fiance, and had a great birthday. 

This wraps up my first blog post ever. I'm looking forward to more posts!