Reds Alert

Saturday I made my first visit to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota to see the Lakeland Flying Tigers play the Sarasota Reds. It has served as spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds for several years (and the White Sox before them), but they have moved to Arizona starting spring 2010.

The Sarasota Reds are last in attendance in the Florida State League and in last place in their division.

Unless another MLB team moves spring training to Sarasota (Baltimore is rumored to be a possible replacement) Sarasota wil llikely have no team in the FSL next year.

Being here makes one appreciate Joker Marchant Stadium and the Tigers' long affiliation with Lakeland.

Do you recognize this guy?

Remember this kid? Tigers showcased him at the end of the '07 season as the next Al Kaline. The Tigers raved about his potential!

Obviously, just trade-bait. He was gone before '08, and I'm sure the Marlins are still wondering what the hell happened.....Gotta love the off-the-field part of the game in professional baseball....

That's right, it's Cameron Maybin. Today he's hitting .202 in limited action with the Marlins.

Who's Your Tiger? -- mine won the game today!

Ok Bloggers who is your Tiger? Mine is Brandon Inge. His home run won the game today. We finally beat a National League team. Of course, it is always a team effort - there is no "I" in team. Just wondering who else you guys admire individually

Is Leyland a Tough Boss?

Jim Leyland was ticked last night after Zumaya put three Astros on with walks in the eighth, leading to a blown save and the end of the seven-game winning-streak.

"You've got to throw strikes up here," he said (to the Detroit News.) "I'm tired of looking at walks, and that's everybody. Too many people are walking, too many people."

Ease up, Jim. We're on a streak. There were no walks the night before. Does excoriating them in the paper shame them into not making walks? 'Course, what do I know, I'm unemployed, and when my name was in the paper they were usually quoting me.

Is Leyland a tough boss? I think so, but he hasn't asked me to work for him.

Fun at the Ballpark

Joker Marchant Stadium. June 24, 2009.

Ready for Freddy

Freddy Dolsi, seen here during spring training 2008, has been called up from Toledo to take Ryan Perry's spot in the bullpen.

The Best Baseball Poem?

Certainly the best one I've read in years, maybe since I was amused and thrilled by "Casey at the Bat" as a 10 year-old.

Unfortunately, John Updike's lawyers would sue me for violating copyright if I reprinted the whole thing, but I can tease you with a few lines, and give you a link and one of Tom Hagerty's fantastic photos (which he, unlike Updike, graciously allows us to use.)

"It looks easy from a distance, easy and lazy, even,

until you stand up to the plate and see the fastball

sailing inside, an inch from your chin..."

--excerpted from Baseball by John Updike

http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2009/06/22

Other favorite baseball literature?