Sports Beat

SPORTS BEAT

By Rich Briggs
February 29, 2008

Baseball, in its purest form, is a beautiful game, a beautiful sport. At one time, in this country, baseball was the national pastime. Horse racing, boxing, college football, and baseball used to be the sports that ruled the sports scene in this country for the longest time at the beginning, and even into the middle, of the 20th century. Professional football never made any inroads into the public consciousness until the late 1950s when the Baltimore Colts played the New York Giants in 1958 for the NFL Championship. It was the first game ever televised and it went into overtime. That was the first time a championship game required more than regulation time to decide the final score. The Colts won that game 23 – 17.

At that time, baseball had all of the characters and all of the talent. The New York Yankees
were a Murderer’s Row of talent and they steamrolled their way to numerous World Series titles. Baseball was a game appreciated by the masses, as much for the beauty of the game as for those who played it. When a double play is properly executed, especially by the second baseman and the shortstop, to first, it is one of the most incredibly exciting plays in sports. When a first baseman has to extend himself with his legs and scoop a ball out of the dirt with his glove, it looks like it is done with excellent precision.

An outfielder extending himself and robbing a hitter of a sure base hit is highway robbery and a pleasure to watch from the crowd, especially if it occurs in front of the home crowd. An outfielder climbing the wall to glove the ball and rob a hitter of a sure home run, especially if that would be home run can mean a difference in the score, or preserving a no hitter by the pitcher, is an exercise in grace, hustle, and heart. Plays like these are appreciated by the crowd and the media alike because of the athleticism and heart involved in making the plays look easy.

A pitcher throwing a no hitter, or a perfect game, is a sight to behold. Media outlets break into these games in progress to track the progression of the pitcher’s feat, especially into the ninth inning with the game, and the no hitter/perfect game, on the line. Feats like these are rare and should be appreciated when they are accomplished.

Of course, the home run is always a crowd pleaser because it assures the team of at least one guaranteed run, and more if there are men on base. Like the commercial used to say “Chicks dig the long ball!” However, two feats even more impressive, and even rarer than the home run, are the triple and the inside the park home run. These are the ultimate forms of hustle and determination and are sure ways to ignite a home crowd when they occur by the home team.

Baseball used to be all of this and it was, at one time, one of the most exciting games played, despite the slower pace than that of, say, football, basketball, or even hockey. The purity of baseball used to be the hallmark by which everyone watched the game. But, in the past decade, and even longer, baseball has been marked by marijuana and cocaine usage and, now, the use of steroids and HGH (Human growth hormone). These stains on the game have made it even more difficult to watch because of the clouds that now hang over it due to some of the games biggest stars – Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmiero, Sammy Sosa, and now, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite.

We here in the Pittsburgh region have not had to deal with any of this, directly. While we had the cocaine trials in 1985, none of the above have permeated this area since that time. Now, we have just been subject to some bad baseball. There have been no stars in this region since the early 1990s, when the Pirates were winning division championships. That is what is most heart wrenching. The last time the Pirates won a World Series, I was in eighth grade. It has been nearly 30 years and almost two full generations since this region witnessed a World Series championship. That is almost unheard of. I know the Chicago Cubs fans have gone much longer than we have in witnessing a title, but at least they have seen some decent baseball in the last few years. We cannot even claim that.

Cody and I have had a number of conversations over the years regarding this and he and both agree that this is going to get much worse before it gets any better. Cody used to live and breathe baseball. Now, he couldn’t tell us much more than I can. He is now as much of a football junkie as I am. My hope is that his son, Nicholas, sees a World Series title before he gets old and gray. The Pirates are back (did they ever leave?) into a rebuilding mode and it is going to take more time for this team to get back to any semblance of competitiveness. The only way any kind of a stand is going to be taken, and for a message to be sent, is for people to boycott PNC Park and stay away from the games. However, that is not going to happen. People go to the park because of the atmosphere it provides and they want to see a baseball game. But, as long as Bob Nutting continues to be the owner of this franchise, expect more of the same. He is a brilliant businessman, but a terrible baseball man. Until, and unless, that changes, the Pirates will be going nowhere fast. What a shame, because baseball can be a beautiful game, again, in Pittsburgh.

Cody went to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last weekend. I’m happy for Cody that he is enjoying the benefits of being in the media and owning a publication. This affords him the luxury of being able to attend events such as these, as long as he files the proper paperwork for his credentials. The scouting combine is the ultimate meat market for professional prospects and the NFL teams in attendance take note of the drills and the numbers produced from those drills. This gives them some information to go on in preparation for the NFL Draft in April.

Cody had invited me last year to go this year. Unfortunately, my commitments to school prohibit me from making the trip. I did not watch any of the coverage of the combine on television because there are things that are not measured at the combine that I feel carry more weight than 40 yard dashes, vertical jumps, and how much a lineman can bench press. Don’t get me wrong, these items are important. But what cannot be determined are the heart, guts, and soul of a football player until he gets onto the field in a game that matters. No one comments about a 40 yard dash time during a game because that statistic is irrelevant. Showing the want to in breaking a tackle, squeezing out the extra yard for a first down, or trying to break the plane of the goal line for a touchdown shows me just as much, if not more, than statistics at a camp or a combine.

I am speaking from a coaching standpoint. Even though I coach youth basketball (junior high), the concept still remains the same. You look for the intangibles in players who will help you win ball games and show you heart when the game is on the line. All of the talent in the world means nothing if a player does not have the heart and the guts to put it on the line for his team. Too many talented players have wasted that talent by doing stupid things, both in the game and in their personal lives. Show me a player with heart and I will produce the best player s/he can possibly be. However, I am still happy that Cody was able to go to Indianapolis and move among the movers and shakers of the industry that is the NFL.