Winter’s remedy, summer’s sport

February 13, 2015July 23, 2021 ~ Dan Johnson ~ Leave a comment

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in The Collegian, Grove City College’s student newspaper, on Feb. 7, 2014.

Baseball is a beautiful sport. Many writers have waxed poetic on the subject, and worthily so.

Summer calls in the smell of leather; the cracking and popping of the ball in mitt and on bat; the batter marking his territory in the dirt.

As I write, a large cap of snow sits mockingly on every large patch of grass. The arm of the true baseball fanatic begs for the ache that comes after a half hour long toss. Their legs long to stretch out across a field, any field, to run after the ball in flight.

Major league pitchers and catchers report to spring training tomorrow — not a moment too soon, as the football season came to a dreadfully one-sided end Sunday night. (N.B. the editor’s note here.)

Yet it’s funny how long a third of a year can seem. The satisfying pop in a glove a month or two from now will be the assurance that the painful months of waiting are ending at long last. Continue reading “Winter’s remedy, summer’s sport” →

Tigers make splash by acquiring Price

July 31, 2014July 31, 2014 ~ Joe Setyon ~ Leave a comment

Editor’s Note: Dan Johnson contributed to this post.

Just minutes before the 4 o’clock non-waiver trade deadline, news surfaced that the Rays had traded their ace, David Price, to the Tigers as part of a 3-team deal that also included the Mariners.

Details are rather sketchy at the moment, but it appears that the Tigers will send starting pitcher Drew Smyly and minor leaguer Willy Adames to the Rays and center fielder Austin Jackson to the Mariners. Seattle, in turn, will send middle infielder Nick Franklin to Rays. While this deal shows the lengths Seattle and Detroit are willing to go to win right now, it is also a sign of Tampa Bay giving up on 2014.

Detroit goes all in

This is a deal that will work very well for Detroit. The Tigers reacted to the Lester deal with an even bigger one. Both Oakland and Detroit gave up a big piece of the outfield to acquire that talent, though the A’s had more pitching depth to begin with.

Continue reading “Tigers make splash by acquiring Price” →

Good Stories, June 28

June 28, 2014 ~ Dan Johnson ~ Leave a comment

I’ll be working on Monday’s post this weekend. It’ll be back to baseball, based on a recent signing.
If I’m lucky, I’ll have enough information for multiple posts on the topic.

In the meantime, here are some good reads from the past few days to tide you over:

ISAIAH AUSTIN — I needed to start with this story, because whether or not you care about the NBA or its draft, this is a remarkable young man you should know about. Matt Norlander tells the story far better than I can summarize it, so I’ll leave you to read his wonderful perspective on Isaiah Austin.

VIN SCULLY/MIKE MATHENY — I know I said reads, but the video here was the right combination of quirky and endearing to include the link. Deadspin can have its charm, but it’s nothing like that of longtime Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully. The site also changes his wording a bit, but if you can get past that, the video is a fun little story (seemingly out of nowhere) about Mike Matheny’s first day of classes in college.

JOEL EMBIID — The man who might have been the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft a week and a half ago went at No. 3 despite a foot injury that will likely keep him out for a good portion of the season. Grantland’s Jordan Conn writes on Joel Embiid’s journey to the NBA and the small basketball-loving contingent of his home country Cameroon.

U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM — Soccer in the U.S. is on the rise. Grant Wahl describes the significance of the national team making it through Group G. A great read today, as the round of 16 kicks off at noon with Brazil vs. Chile. The U.S. will face Belgium, who won Group H, on Tuesday.

FANS OF U.S. SOCCER — In a similar vein, SI writer Chris Ballard takes a step back to write this long-form piece as a U.S. supporter rather than a member of the media, incorporating his first-hand recollections of the 1998 World Cup to draw a picture of the “brave new world of American soccer fandom.” If you’re at all interested in a fan’s perspective of the spectacle, it’s worth a read.

BONUS VIDEO — No story here; this is just a raw display of power. That’s why it’s just the bonus, for you power-loving baseball fans out there. Mike Trout hit the longest home run of the year last night into the fountain at Kauffman Stadium. Here’s footage of his solo shot.