Let’s talk sports. That’s how I will start my column each week, changing it to “Let’s talk baseball,” or “Let’s talk football,” etc. because this column is all about sports and having some fun, some controversy, some opinion and some highlights.
I will cover national, state and some international sports and issues and look for some local angles with your help. This will be an interactive column, and I will seek out your comments, thoughts and information if you send them to me. I will share the best of the best with the sender’s name and city, if you care to share. If you agree with me, great. Let me know. If you think I am full of beans, let me know that, too. I will print both sides.
Now, most of you have read sports columns for years. You have your likes and dislikes, and I am sure this column for will hit both of those scenarios. But this one might be a bit different, because you can be a part of it if you choose to.
OK … enough of that, let’s get down to business.
Let’s Talk Baseball.
Limiting this column to one aspect, let’s talk about the changes of MLB to entertain fans and change time-honored cornerstones. In another column, we will talk about seven-inning doubleheaders, instant replay and the potential of robot home plate umpires, but for today, let’s discuss extra-inning changes.
Throughout baseball history, extra-inning games were part of the fabric of the game. A long game could affect your pitching staff and your players’ energy level for days to come, but could inspire great performances and legendary 20-inning games. Starting each inning with a “ghost runner” at second (as kids, we also called them “invisible man at second”) sounds like a kids’ pick-up game rule. Last guy out runs at second to start the next inning. The pitcher comes in with a runner on, rather than a clean slate, and certain teams are not built for small-ball strategy. I think it undermines the integrity of the game. Let’s get back to basics and play the game. Do you agree or disagree?
On another note: we want YOU on our team, so if anyone out there has any stories, any subject matter or any league information – be it rec. leagues, church leagues, high school conferences or local sports events – please send them to me at mike.blake@mountvernonnews.com. Also, if any of you want to be a source for events, please contact me and we will talk … sports.
Your assignment for the week: A future column will be about football mascots, from the classic to the crazy. If you have a local high school mascot story – how it came to be and its evolution over time, and an image or two, send them in. You will get credit for the information and we can have some fun … we may even turn it into a larger story if we get enough of them.
See you next time.
