Sparky's Baseball Discussion Center

Well, its been almost a year

2008-04-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

I guess a lot has happened in a year. The Red Sox won the 07 World Series. I'm a year older. Nobody has looked at my blog, just like old times. Ok, well, I may be quitting this particular blog, cause there is no time to write all I want to, but anyway, for anybody that reads this, I'm back. At least for a day.

Red Sox Hopes Lie on Beckett and Fingers

2007-05-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

Boston leads the A.L. East by 8 games with a record of 26-12. Superb. But they could go downhill with the injury of Josh Beckett's middle finger. He has missed one start, and could miss a second on Friday if recovery needs more time. At 7-0, Beckett is vital to the Red Sox and their playoff hopes.

Boston Remains On Top For Now

2007-05-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

Still first in their division, the Red Sox are a strong 16-9. The New York Yankees, however, cannot figure their problems out. A mysterious plague seems to have quenched the Yankee furnace, although Alex Rodriguez is pursuing greatness as the best hitter of all time. Did he pick the wrong year? Read an ESPN writer's take on it.

Dice-K Can't find rythym yet again.

2007-04-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka lost for the 2nd time in a row, and this time he walked in the winning run. Come on, you just cannot do that. Now hitting in the winning run is feasible, but walking in, NO. Tough loss for the Sox, who are second in their division.

Sox Doing Fine

2007-04-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

Boston is now on top of the AL East at 7-4. Josh Beckett pitched well today, allowing only one earned run. A major reason the Sox are on top is because the NY Yankees have lost 2 key starters to injuries this year. Hopefully the Red Sox can build a big division lead.

Dice-K stunned by younger foe

2007-04-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

Rookie pitcher phenom Dice-K Matsuzaka and the Red Sox were shut out by just turned 21 year old Seattle pitcher Felix Hernandez who gave up only 1 hit the entire game. In Dice-K's rematch against former Japanese league player Ichiro Suzuki, Suzuki had his revenge, hitting off Dice-K.

3rd in division

2007-04-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

Boston is third behind Toronto and New York in the A.L. East with a 4-3 record.

Nice

2007-04-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

Boston wins on Tuesday.

Finally a win

2007-04-11T16:36:00.001-07:00

Boston comes back with a 2-1 win, but loses the overall series.

Not again.

2007-04-11T16:35:00.002-07:00

Again a loss. This time 8-4.

Texas Shuts Out Boston

2007-04-11T16:35:00.001-07:00

Friday the Sox were shut out 2-0.

Boston Wins Road Series 2-1

2007-04-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, the Sox wrapped up the season opening series against the KC Royals with a 4-1 win.

Red Sox Come Back

2007-04-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

Josh Beckett pitched a thriller, and the Red Sox won, 7-1.

Red Sox Bombed in Opener, Schilling Prematurely Pulled

2007-04-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at the game, about the 4th inning, I got up from my seat at the top of the dome to get a 1/4 pound hot dog and a large drink, which cost me 10 dollars roughly, and I missed the Royals' big inning. In the bottom of the 4th, the Royals smoked Curt Schilling for 3 runs and the ballgame. Schilling had never been yanked before the fifth inning since before 1997. Ten years. But yesterday, man, he was rocked. I felt sorry for him, but he is about 40 or so. Did you know he is a Christian? Most people only remember him for the bloody sock in 2004, and his MVP with the Diamonbacks in 2001. But yes, he is a Christian. He said so on national TV in 2004, and has his own website that says it too. Of course, we can never assume he is a real Christian even though he says so. We know only about ourselves, and are only accountable for ourselves. God knows the heart of men. But anyway, I had a great time at the ballgame. Except for the juicies, if you know what I mean. The final box score for the Opener was Royals:7 Red Sox:1

The next Boston game is on Wednesday.

Season Opener

2007-04-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

It's baseball season again in America, and today the Boston Red Sox open their season in Kansas City, Missouri against the KC Royals. Go Sox! This year should be good. Pictured left is BoSox slugger David "Big Papi" Ortiz. Last year he hit 56 homers. This year I hope to post the scores from each game, and a short recap and analysis if possible. I will be at the game today, so SEE YOU AT THE GAME. Look for me on TV if you can. Anyway, go Red Sox.

Did the cool song work?

2007-03-09T19:32:00.000-08:00

Did you hear the song "Eye of the Tiger" when you turned this site on? Let me know.
Thanks

New Blog Major Reading

2007-02-23T17:17:00.000-08:00

This new blog will be getting the major writing time. Hope you like it. http://christianveritas.blogspot.com

Back in Business

2007-02-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Figured out how to get back on blogger. Finally. Well, I guess the man is back on track now, and might even go back to regular blogging. See ya.

How could I miss this?

2006-06-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

As the Miami Heat win their first NBA Title, I missed the fact that they stunk except for Dwayne Wade, and Dallas only played stinkier, allowing the Heat to win. Now I'm not saying that it was a boring series, NO WAY, it's just that the Dallas pity party gave the Heat their first title. Shaq did not play well, Alonzo Mourning played awesome for brief periods, Udonis Haslem played great in Game 6, but not in any other games, Jason Williams did not shoot well, and the list goes on. Dwayne Wade played like Michael Jordan, and it was enough to win the championship.

X-Factor: Mark Cuban, Mavericks owner, was fined 250,000 after heckling the refs and starting a brawl with fans. Then head coach Avery Johnson sounded off about Jerry Stackhouse's suspension, which was well deserved by the way. It got the whole team down, and Dirk played like a jerk, except for the first half of game 6, but by then it was too late.

LAST STATEMENT for this season: The main thing is that the Heat won. But it was a bittersweet ending for me, as I am sure it was for many people.

I'M OUT.

3-2! Miami Heat stun Mavs in OT: And are now the magic number 1 away from first NBA Title!!!!

2006-06-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

Yet again, he is acting like he belongs in the Finals. This man has Superman on his side, he is the Flash, he has the drive of a champion, he is Dwayne Wade. The next Michael Jordan is emerging in front of our eyes, we never expected this man to be great, yet he is showing us that he is not just great, but that he is GREATNESS.

Now, do not forget where this awe-inspiring talent comes from. GOD. On Father's Day, the Father looked down on Wade and watched as the Heat took Game 5 from the Dallas Mavericks, 101-100 in OT. Wade made the game winning free throw, and he also broke an NBA Finals single game record with 21 made free throws enroute to 43 points.

I hope I get to play basketball with Wade in heaven. I do believe Wade is a Christian, as he has commented much about how God has given him his gifts.

Here are Wade's Finals stats: 34.4 points per game, .6 blocks per game, 2.4 steals, 3.6 assists per game, 7.4 rebounds per game

Well, gtg play chess. I did start the game Elizabeth. I'm OUT

The FIRE in Miami is blazing through D-Wade and the Heat

2006-06-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

Dwayne Wade has laid down his hand. He is revealing to us that he is Michael Jordan all over again, and the Heat are even with the Dallas Mavericks 2-2. It will now go to game 5, on Father's Day , and hopefully the Heat will hand it to the Mavs. Wade's stats for the Series are as follows, watch how the stats change between the first two and the last two games.

Game 1: 28 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, 6-10 free throws
Game 2: 23 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 11-14 free throws
Game 3: 42 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 13-18 free throws
Game 4: 36 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 8-9 free throws

Now you may think these stats are basically the same, they aren't. Wade stepped it up each time his team needed him to in Games 3 and 4, to hit shots that put them in the position to win. Games 1 and 2 he did not make all of his "pressure" shots.

Anyway, I'M OUT, and, anyone for a game of chess?

Note: Elizabeth Moore needs to tell me when she wants to start the chess game.

Update: 2006 NBA Finals

2006-06-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

The Miami Heat have dug themselves into a hole. Down 2-0 in the Finals, they will try to redeem themselves, to pull themselves out of this pit, this...nightmare they have fallen into. The Shaq Attack was crushed last night, as Erick Dampier, a beast on defense, shut down O'Neal. And, Dampier, who normally averages single digits in scoring, scored more last night than Shaquille O'Neal. Wow.

Last night, Sunday to be exact, the Dallas Mavericks rebounded from a 2nd quarter deficit to win by 14 points. And at one point, they were winning by 27.

But, the X Factor was neither Dampier, Nowitzki, nor even Jason Terry. No, it was the old warrior, the 13 year veteran, the 32 year old Jerry Stackhouse. He scored the last 10 points of the second half, including a 4 point play, to put the Mavericks up by 14, the total amount they won by. He hit 3 three pointers during that run, and the one that brought down the house was the 4 point play, as follows:

5 seconds on the shot clock, 8 seconds in the half, Devon Harris with the ball. Harris drives to the baseline, gets caught in traffic, looks to his right, and there's Stackhouse working into position on the wing, Harris passes through the defenders to Stackhouse, 1 second on the shot clock, J-Stack goes up, shoots..... HE SCORES!!!!!!!! And a FOUL!!!!!! and the crowd goes NUTS!!! He makes the shot, and the half ends with a Dwayne Wade desperation shot the caroms off the basket.

So there you have it, I'm still for the Heat, but then, my other favorite is the Mavericks, so I don't care who wins. This could be Stackhouse's last season, as well as Shaq's. So, I say good luck to both. I'M OUT.

NBA Finals

2006-06-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

What:2005-2006 National Basketball Association Finals (NBA Finals)
Who: Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat
When: Thursday, June 8, 2006

Now I will answer a few who, why, and what questions about the Finals, and if you have any arguements, please respond in the comments box. Or, any agreements will be fine as well.

Why did this matchup take place?
Well, the Mavericks have a power forward named Dirk, as well as Josh Howard and Jason Terry. Not to mention that head coach Avery Johnson has knitted his team tightly together this season. Miami is simple, Shaquille O'Neal. You may argue with me on this one, but look at it this way, would Alonzo Mourning and Antoine Walker have stepped up their game to aid an ill Dwayne Wade in game 6 if Shaq wasn't there? There was another by the way who scored 38 when he had the flu. Anyone for Michael Jordan? Oh, and would Wade have such great years without Shaq taking all the pressure off him?

What will the Heat do to defend Dirk Nowitzki?

Well, personally, I would put a quicker, faster man to guard Dirk, like Udonis Haslem, or Antoine Walker.

How about Shaq?

It's up to DeSagana Diop and Erick Dampier to stave off the Shaq Attack. Simple as that. They need to throw their weight around.... who cares if they foul...they have twelve between them.

Who will be the Finals MVP?

Mavericks:1. Dirk Nowvitzki 2. Jason Terry
Heat: the obvious... 1.Dwayne Wade 2. Shaquille O'Neal

AND... Who will win the Finals?

dun dun nu....... You pick. Write a comment. My favorite is the Miami Heat.

I'm Back

2006-06-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Well, after a long drought of posts, Sparky is back, and so are the Red Sox.

Also, if you read the post right after this one, note that I forgot to publish it about 12 days ago. So it is old.

The Red Sox are grrrrreat, at 31-20.

The NBA Playoffs are in stride in the Conference Finals.

Miami Heat vs. Detroit Pistons: 3-2 Heat
Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns: 2-2

I'mOUT

Baseball Game Today

2006-05-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

Today Anthony Reyes will be on the mound for only his second MLB start, as I go with my dad, brother, and grandfather to the game in Kansas City today.

I predict that the Cardinals will destroy the Royals. I look forward to an Albert Pujols homer or two.

Well, I'm off to a picnic before the game, so adios.

Oh and I had a good time in Iowa this past week, although it was sad to tell all my friends goodbye.

I'M OUT.

Back for a Day

2006-05-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I had a blast in Oklahoma, courtesy of the Kolb's, Moore's, Mai's,Ninnemann's,Paul's, and last but not least, the Pruett's.

On Tuesday, we pulled in to the Kolb's at noon, and spent the rest of the day and night there. Wednesday, everybody prepared a picnic for us, and even the Mazzocolli's were there to say hi. We had a few technical difficulties, with rain, and a few small arguing issues, but never-the-less, after we all decided to go over to the PBC(Providence Baptist Church), we all played in the church for a while, then went outside for a cap gun fight, and a football game. That night at the Kolbs we revisited Mazzio's Pizza and Braum's ice cream, and then sat down to watch a movie that night. We visited the Moore's the next day and ate all their choc. chip cookies.

For a two day trip, it was indeed one of the best vacations ever.

And yet again, tommorrow we will be headed for Iowa, to gather our belongings for the new house here. Until next weekend I'm OUT. Oh, and the Red Sox are atop their division again, after beating the Yankees last night 5-3, at 21-13. Now I'M OUT.

Vacating

2006-05-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

This next Saturday thru Thursday, I will not be posting, due to a huge baseball weekend, we are closing on our house, and I will be on vacation to the beautiful state of Oklahoma, to see some old friends. So, until next Friday at the earliest, I'M OUT. Oh, and I'll bet the Sox are back in first place by the time I'm back.

To catch up...

2006-05-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Sox took 1 from the Yankees, but the second game was postponed. They then lost to the Blue Jays, then beat the Blue Jays. So, they are still second in the division, and their record is 16-12. Man, if that game with the Yankees hadn't been postponed, they'd still be in first. Stupid Yankees.

NFL Draft

2006-04-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Jay Cutler
1. Houston Texans- DE Mario Williams
*a good franchise choice, may help out more than Bush
2. New Orleans Saints- RB Reggie Bush
*No surprise, you can't pass on him
3. Tennessee Titans-QB Vince Young
* Finally the Titans get a sucessor for Steve McNair. Can the Titans maintain a relationship with Mcnair?
4. New York Jets- T D'Brickashaw Ferguson
* A safe pick for them
5. Green Bay Packers- MLB A.J. Hawk
*The safest pick in the draft. When will Matt Leinart go? San Fran? Please? Not the Raiders!!??!!
6.San Francisco Forty Niners- TE Vernon Davis
* An awesome pick for them, but bad for the Denver Broncos(my favorite team)
7. Oakland Raiders- Safety Michael Huff
*Wow!! Not Matt Leinart?!? Awesome!! They got a great safety who can also be a cornerback. Look for him to shine.
8.Buffalo Bills-Safety Donte Whitner
*Very surprising that another team can pass on Matt Leinart. What is up? Wait and see...
9.Detroit Lions- OLB Ernie Sims
*Yet another team passes up on Matt Leinart. I can't even comment on this guy. How about Jay Cutler? When's he gonna go? I'm guessing the Vikings.
10.Arizona Cardinals -QB MATT LEINART
*Finally somebody takes him. He is ready for the NFL, but what about Kurt Warner???!!?? Leinart got a good team. Hope he is happy.
11.Denver Broncos-They jump in and they get.....QB Jay Cutler
*Wow, ok... alright.... I'm still shocked.... Good Pick Broncos.. He is a great QB
12.Baltimore Ravens-DT Haloti Ngata
*He is a fine player, but doesn't always play with passion. He is 335 pounds.What a chunk.
13.Cleveland Browns-DE Kamerion Wimbley
*Undersized DE, but he should perform well
14.Philadelphia Eagles-NT Brodrick Bunkley *They didn't have to move up
*They got a beast of a man. Literally, 295 pounds, he is the man that the Eagles need.
15.St. Louis Rams-CB Tye Hill
*He is a good Cornerback. Maybe not as good as Antonio Cromartie, but then Hill played more college ball than Cromartie. Time will tell.
16.Miami Dolphins-DB Jason Allen
*I'll tell ya, I don't know nothin about Allen
17.Minnesota Vikings-LB Chad Greenway
*Hey, I'm all for congratulating Greenway. As a former Iowa Hawkeye, I saw him a lot on TV when I used to live there. He is a good LB. He isn't afraid of hitting a burly running back, and he is very intense.
18.Dallas Cowboys-OLB Bobby Carpenter
*I hear he is an exceptional linebacker.
19.San Diego Chargers-Finally, CB Antonio Cromartie
*The Kansas City Chiefs wanted him badly. What a ripoff KC!! Right before you pick, he gets taken. One up for the Broncos.
20.Kansas City Chiefs-DE Tamba Hali
*The big dig on Hali, is that many people think he should have been taken at least 7 picks or so later.
21.New England Patriots-RB Laurence Maroney
*Not the kicker that David Moore wanted. Too bad David, but I guess you are stuck with Maroney. An average back, who knows, he could be good???????
22.San Fransisco Forty Niners-DE Manny Lawson
*Many think this man should have gone with Kansas City's scatterbrained GM's pick.
Now, I don't think I'm very familiar with anyone past this pick. If there is anyone, I'll comment. Otherwise, I'm gonna just list the names. Thanks-Sparky
23.Tampa Bay Buccaneers-OG Davin Joseph
24.Cincinatti Bengals-CB Johnathan Joseph
*Alright, I do know this guy is another great CB. He is just a little undersized at 5-11 187 pounds.
25.Pittsburgh Steelers-They jump in and grab WR Santonio Holmes
*I thought Chad Jackson should have been higher than him, but Holmes is second best.
26.Buffalo Bills-And they jump up to steal...DT John McCargo
27.Carolina Panthers-RB DeAngelo Williams
*He can be extremely good, better than New England's Laurence Maroney, so if he turns out to be good,(and should I mention that Carolina ALWAYS has an excellent RB) then watch in misery New England. No offenses David. I don't cheer for the Panthers. So don't worry.
28.Jacksonville Jaguars - TE Marcedes Lewis
29.New York Jets - C Nick Mangold
*Centers don't normally get drafted very high, but this guy has amazing potential
30.Indianapolis Colts -RB Joseph Addai
*I heard he is a good backup for the Colts.
31.Seattle Seahawks-CB Kelly Jennings
32.NY Giants-DE Mathas Kiwanucka

Two other notable picks are:1. New England's 2nd round pick of WR Chad Jackson. Boy, did they get a good WR. He is actually , in my book, the BEST receiver in the Draft. You should be glad about this one David.

2. Kansas City-3rd round pick (85th overall), QB Brodie Croyle
If he stays healthy, he is the ideal "pocket quarterback". He is horrible on the run, but from the pocket, he is awesome.

There are a lot of late picks that will be awesome in the NFL, because remember Terrell Davis, a sixth round draft pick? I hear he won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos.

That's it for Draft Weekend. See you in Ponca. I'm OUT.

Sox Get Smoked

2006-04-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

Poor Tim Wakefield. I was right, to a certain respect. He gave up five runs, three earned. The other two came on errors though, and catcher Josh Bard had four passed balls. Wily Mo Pena hit his second homer, but the Sox fell to 13-8. Josh Beckett will have to revive the Red Sox. He is still 3-0. Click here for the boxscore.

2006-04-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Have mercy. Manny Ramirez' towering shot in the eighth blew the Indians right out of Jacobs Field. Following the Guillermo Mota intentional walk of David Ortiz, Manny took a 1-0 pitch deep into right center. He intentionally hit the homer, because he took the intentional walk of David Ortiz as an insult, or rather a slap in the face. I mean, you know you'd be upset when you saw the batter in front of you get walked, just so the pitcher can face you instead of the walked batter, because you are the lesser hitter!!?!! So, Manny showed up the Indians, and the Red Sox are sitting on the AL East at 13-7, 2 games ahead of the Yankees. Curt Schilling had no decision, giving up 5 runs despite 8 strikeouts. The Yankees are on a 3-game win streak, but BEWARE Yanks, because the Boston Red Sox are playing with a chip on their shoulder, and they won't stop. And Oh by the way, Jon Papelbon has a MLB leading 9 saves. GO SOX!!!!!! BoSox Boxscore

A Look at how my Earlier Predictions are going

2006-04-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

I believe that a month ago I predicted the winners of the Divisions, and let's see how the pennant race is going. Hopefully, I will revisit this subject every few weeks. Unless my predictions prove horrendous though. As a reference in case you want to see the old post,
OldPost , and here are the standings.

In the American League:
Boston Red Sox-1st in the AL East, 12 wins-7 losses
New York Yankees-3rd in the AL East, 9-8, 2 games behind 1st
Chicago White Sox-1st in the AL Central, 13-5
Cleveland Indians-3rd in the AL Central, 10-9, 3.5 games behind 1st
Oakland A's-3rd in the AL West, 8-11, 2 games behind 1st

In the National League:
Atlanta Braves-2nd in the NL East,9-9, 3 games behind 1st
Houston Astros-1st in the NL Central,13-5
St. Louis Cardinals-3rd in the NL Central, 11-7, 2 games behind 1st
Los Angeles Dodgers-3rd in the NL West,9-10, 1.5 games behind 1st
Arizona Diamondbacks-5th in the NL West(boy, was I wrong about them), 8-11,2.5 games behind

That rounds it out, and I'm OUT.

Blue Jays take first two, Sox steal third

2006-04-24T06:56:00.001-07:00

The Red Sox finally recovered from their three game losing streak, and are still atop the AL East at 12-7. Papi hit a bomb, Papelbon has 8 saves, and Schilling and Beckett are still perfect.
BoxScore

Blue Jays take two, Sox rebound

2006-04-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

In a stretch of four days, the Boston Red Sox fell from 11-4 to 11-7. Then they rebounded last night on the shoulders of David Ortiz' home run to improve to 12-7. Not a bad record, seeing as Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett are still perfect, Jon Papelbon has 8 saves to lead the majors, and the defense looks outstanding. Still on top, but can they hold the lead in the AL East?
BoxScore

Another Streak ended by D'Rays

2006-04-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

5-1 was the final score. And again, it was Wake with the loss. Tim Wakefield is having one of those seasons again. Is he getting old? Hope not. He's only almost 40 years old. But, he may still have a few left in him, being a knuckleballer and all. It all depends on his consistency. But, so far, he is looking old. The only spark was provided Dustin Mohr's solo homer in the second. I found a better site for the box scores. SI.com is a little too impure with the swimsuit photo showcases. As a Christian, I know God does not tolerate that. So, here is the boxscore at-redsox.com . Hope someone appreciates the website change. Oh, and have I mentioned we have a house?!!? Oh, I did? Oh. I'm out.

Red Sox on a Roll, but looking bad in the Eighth

2006-04-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

The Sox have won four in a row now, but now they may stumble, with Tim Wakefield giving up three runs, and the Sox are down to their last two at-bats. David "Papi" Ortiz and Manny Ramirez have been held hitless.

The Sox' last two games have been great, with Jon Papelbon getting his sixth save, and Matt Clement pitched well. Adam Stern saved the game with his great catch, and the Sox won 7-4.

Yesterday they won 9-1 in a huge route, due to bad outfield play by the Rays. I'm OUT.

AMERICA, WE HAVE OUR HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-04-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

Finally, we have found our stop after what seems like a million years. The bus stops in front of a beautiful home right across the street from the Blue Springs Country Club. The deal is sealed, and in a few weeks, the Reuter family will be moving into a four bedroom home, with a huge pool that is equipped with an awesome diving board, and a POOL HOUSE!!!!!! where you can shower after a swim, and the backyard is huge, with plenty of grass space besides the pool. My brother Michael (whom you can reach @
ShiningArmor-a brand new blog ) and I will be golfing every day in the summer at 9 o'clock in the morning. All we have to do is cross the street, and ride our bikes or even walk up the golf path to the pro-shop to sign in. I can't believe that I finally get to move into a house. My family and I have looked at over 100 different houses, not to mention about a thousand online. No kidding. Well, let all this sink in, and to our friends in Ponca, HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL SOON.

2006-04-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Need a house. Almost got one. Bored out of brains. Am going to lay down now. Want to go golfing.

3 out of 4 from Mariners

2006-04-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

As the Easter season ends, and we look forward to the rest of spring and the beginning of summer, the Red Sox are busy keeping tabs on the rest of the AL East. They took three out of four games from the Mariners, and, though all three were close, the Sox were in command most of the way. Curt Schilling improved to 3-0, Jon Papelbon has six saves, and here are the first two Game 1 Boxscore, Game 2., Game 3 was a sucess on Easter Sunday, and Josh Beckett stunned the Mariners, with his third win to improve to 3-0, just like Schilling. Game 4 was awesome, and Mark Loretta hit his first ever walkoff home run.
Game 3, Game 4

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Christ Saves World!

2006-04-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little late, but perhaps you can reference this again next year.

For Christians, Resurrection Day should be the most important day of the year.
Forget the Easter Bunny, forget the Easter Egg Hunt, forget the belly-stuffing Easter brunch. Forget all the jellybeans, the chocolate. It is all a great tradition, but today we should all be on our knees, thanking God for sending His Son to die for us, and then conquering Sin and rising again. Again, one of the most familiar verses in the Bible, John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish, but will inherit Eternal Life." Isn't that awesome? And let's not forget that the reason He did this is because "God is love" 1 John 4:8. If God was not a loving God, we wouldn't be here in the first place, so we should be thankful. I won't take anymore of your time, so I'M OUT.

Nerve Racking Free on E-Bay

2006-04-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever bid on E-Bay? Well, if you haven't, you should know that is is the most nerve wracking experience you'll ever have on the Internet. Think about it. You find this item that would just make your dreams come true. So you bid on it. Then, you have to sit around and wait to see if your bid holds up. Then, someone outbids you with thirty seconds left. Your computer is slow, or E-Bay has trouble reading your next bid, so you are frantically pushing buttons to try and bid, and then it works! Ten seconds........ you sit back and think: "ahhhhh, now I get the so and so 3000!! It's all mine!! I am feeling so blessed today!! And then, some one outbids you with three seconds left, and you can't bid in time, so you lose :( . You fall into deep depression, and you keep muttering to yourself,"My life is over, my life is over, my life is over.... until you collapse from deep exhaustion. Well, there is a way to prevent this from happening!!!! Now you're like, "is he nuts? there isn't a way to get in in the last three seconds!!!!"

Well folks, there is!!! The answer is

auctionsniper.com

-they give you a few free snipes, then you only have to pay 1% of your win to them!!! That's right!! 1%!! That amounts to 50 cents on a hundred dollar item!! The most they charge is $9.95 on items over a thousand dollars.

Isn't that awesome? I use it, and the photo you see is the latest item I bidded on. It is a real collector's item. Hope you enjoy the benefits of Auction Sniper!!

Boomer stunned by Jays as Streak ends

2006-04-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

David Wells pitched like a minor leaguer last night, giving up seven runs in four innings. Is age catching up to Big Boomer? Simply put, the Sox were lazy last night, the only highlight being Big Papi's 3rd home run in the fifth. Another day, another game. Rebound, Sox! Here is the

Boxscore

And, thanks for the comments fellow Christians.

Papelbon Saves Day

2006-04-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

After a weird home run that bounced out of RF Wily Mo Pena's glove into the bullpen, it was up to Jonny Papelbon to save the day. He did, earning his 4th save, as he pitched a perfect ninth inning. Other highlights include Big Papi's fourth and fifth RBI's with a two run shot in the 7th, and Kevin Youkilis' diving catch in foul territory. The Sox remain in first, as they improve to 6-1.
Here is the

BOXSCORE

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

2006-04-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well, after a comment by an anonymous person, I'd like to acknowledge the fact that Jesus is what matters most in life. Baseball provides great writing material, but focusing on baseball before Christ is wrong. I admit that sometimes even I, a lifelong Christian, stumble sometimes. So, Anonymous, and anyone else for that matter, should know that I realize that Jesus is the only way to eternal life , and I am thankful for that. After all, why would there be life if all it was was the short time we have here, then nothing? What if there was no Heaven? We should all thank God that we as Christians have a life with Him to look forward to after we die. If you believe that there is another way to heaven, such as by being good, or with your money, you are wrong. Being good should automatically be included in your everyday life, but, we all sin, so unless you never sin from birth (which includes your thoughts along with your actions), and you should know the only One to do so was Jesus, then unless you accept Christ, you are bound for hell. That's right, a place where you won't be afraid to run you underwear up on a pole for all to see. If you think this is just a bunch of baloney, get a Bible, and read John 3:16. One of the most well-known verses in the Bible still carries a powerful message.

In case you have no Bible, here is the Scripture:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but will have Eternal Life." John 3:16

What a Scripture. And every word in it is true. You may not believe me now, but you all just wait until Judgement Day. As an old hymn says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus."

Thank you Anonymous. I had no idea I had it in me to write this. Again, thanks.

SWEEP!!!

2006-04-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

And the Sox take their rightful place atop the division this week with a three game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles. In the first game, the Sox ran away with a 14-8 win. Matt Clement took his first win of the year. On Saturday, Curt Schilling pitched brilliantly for seven innings,with four K's. His only err was a home run by Luis Matos in the sixth. Mike Timlin held it(1) for Jon Papelbon, who aquired his 2nd save of this year. Jason Varitek and Kevin Youkilis each had an RBI. Read Saturday's stats-

Here

And on Sunday, Tim Wakefield fluttered his knuckleball past the unsuspecting Oriole hitters for six freaky innings, as the Sox held the lead for a 4-1 win. Adam Stern batted in two, and Mike Timlin(2) and Keith Foulke(1) held the seventh and eighth innings, and the on-fire Jonathan Papelbon saved his 3rd game in a row, his second in two days as the Red Sox improved to 5 and 1.

Sunday's Boxscore

Sox Win a Thriller!

2006-04-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

After Tuesday's stunning loss, the Red Sox rebound and win a thriller, led by Trot Nixon's seventh inning home run. Josh Beckett's first career Red Sox start was a success, as he K'd 5 through 7 innings. Mike Timlin has his first hold of the year, and Jonny Papelbon got his first save of the year with 2 K's. The Sox are now 2-1, and will next face the Baltimore Orioles, in which Matt Clement(0-0) will start against Daniel Cabrera(0-0).

Here is last night's box score.

Boxscore

Roster on Opening Day

2006-04-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

The Sox have a great young bullpen, not to mention a few older relievers, but anyway, the Opening Day roster is as follows:

ClickHere

Season Opener a Success for Red Sox

2006-04-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

FINAL R H E
RED SOX 7 12 0
RANGERS 3 7 0
BOX SCORE PREVIEW
W: C. Schilling (1-0), L: K. Millwood (0-1)
C. Schilling: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
D. Ortiz: 3-5, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

The Sox prevailed with a Big Papi home run that broke open the game with a 5 run lead for the Sox. Curt Schilling pitched brilliantly.

Baseball Fever

2006-03-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to RUMBLE!!!! Baseball season is on its way and you'd better be ready. It's not gonna wait for you so ready or not here it comes! This year looks bright for these teams, starting in the American League, including the Red Sox and their all new defense, the defending champion White Sox, the Athletics with their young guns, and yes, I'll admit it, those Yankees. You can never leave those pinstriped pincushions (no offense, MVB) out of the picture. Well I love the Yankees, you might say. Bah humbug. They need to retire for a few years then maybe I'll change my mind about the pincushion name.

Oh yes, the National League. Well, allright. But maybe my next article can be about ridiculing the Yankees. It's mean, you say? Ok, I guess I won't write. I'll humble myself and follow the Fruits of the Spirit. In the National League, my picks are, the repeatingly good Atlanta Braves, them old redbirds(Cardinals), the Astros may be good, the D'Backs, and for a sleeper pick, the Dodgers.

Now to analyze them.

American League:

AL East Division Boston Red Sox- Theo Epstein's return this year helped the team morale a bunch. The returns of Big Papi, Manny Ramirez, and Jason Varitek(V-Tek) solidify the middle of the batting order, and new aquisitions Coco Crisp OF, Wily Mo Pena OF,Mike Lowell 3B, Alex Gonzalez SS, Mark Loretta 2B, and JT Snow 1B are great defensive players, and Loretta(.300 career batting average), Crisp, and Lowell(15 homers, 58 RBI's in I believe 128 games(?)) are pretty good hitters to add to the power of Papi, Manny, and V-Tek. The pitching is solid as well, with new aquisition Josh Beckett(15-8, 3.38 ERA), and relief pitchers Julian Tavarez(2-3, 74 appearances), and Rudy Seanez(7-1, 57 appearances). All hope lies on pitchers Curt Schilling and Keith Folke. Both were injured a great deal last year, and if they don't return to form, Boston's chances are damaged.

AL Central Chicago White Sox-When Jim Thome came to town, the Sox changed from a 1 run game philosophy to a more power surrounded philosophical plan. If Thome, 35 years old, can return to his old form, he and Paul Konerko(.283,40 HR, 100 RBI) could combine for 70 HR's and 200 RBI's. I don't need to go into depth about the Sox's superb pitching staff. They should have another Division title come October.

AL West Oakland A's- New faces Frank Thomas, Milton Bradley, and Esteban Loaiza(12-10,3.77 ERA) will impact the A's success. Loaiza joins a talented young staff that includes starters Barry Zito(12-13,3.86), Rich Harden(10-5,2.53), Dan Haren(14-12,3.73), Kirk Saarloos and Joe Blanton. Sophomore reliever Huston Street(18 for 18 saves) is amazing, and this year is his shot at stardom. Setup men Justin Duscherer, Jay Witasick, and Kiko Calero should have good years in the bullpen. The only problem with this picture is two of the newcomers, Frank Thomas and Milton Bradley. Thomas has been on the disabled list most of the last few years, and he need a standout year. Bradley has chemistry problems. This is his fourth organization, and everywhere Milton goes, he "breaks the good china", and he also has been on the DL following knee surgery last year. Good luck Oakland.

AL East New York Yankees-Oh them dreaded Yanks. Well, I guess they have a rightful place
here too. Newcomer Johnny Damon(.316,10 HR, 75 RBI, 18 steals) was stolen from
the beloved Boston Red Sox. He shaved his do while the Sox nation went boo hoo,
and now all he can do is say how happy he is to be a Yankee. Oh well. Let
bygones be bygones. He is just what the Yanks needed, and now Derek
Jeter(.309,23,73) can move back a slot in the order, as can A-Rod(.321,48,130,21
steals). Jason Giambi finally refound his groove(.271,32,87), and Gary
Sheffield(.291,34,123), and Hideki Matsui(.305,25,116) will round out the top six in
the order. It's Murderer's Row again. But, they have no pitching! The age and
injuries of big money starters Randy Johnson(17-8,3.79), Mike Mussina,
Chien-Mien Wang, Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright, Shawn Chacon, and Aaron Small are
horrendous. The bullpen is better with newly aquired relievers Kyle Farnsworth,
Octavio Dotel, and lefties Ron Villone and Mike Myers. They will setup Old
Reliable Mariano Rivera(7-4, 43 saves). This team is good, but can they win it
all, not to mention a division title? It all starts with pitching, as all the
greats can tell you.

Now for the National League:

NL East Atlanta Braves- They can't stop winning their division, can they? Well, 14 years in a row now they have been first. The problem is, they can't get past the Division Series, except of course a few times in the 90's. I feel they are just a good team in a very bad division. The Mets, Nationals, Phillies and the Marlins are horrible teams, as far as playoff contenders go, and the only team in the new millenium to reach the playoffs from the NL East besides the Braves is the Marlins, who won it all in 2003. But, never-the-less, I'll admit the Braves have some very impressive young talent, led by Jeff Francoeur, The Natural. New arrival Edgar Renteria replaces Rafael Furcal, and old Chipper Jones holds the offense together. The pitching still features grizzled old John Smoltz, who still has his fireball. Tim Hudson will co-anchor the staff with Smoltz, and the other starters are Horacio Ramirez and Jorge Sosa. Danny Kolb's closer experiment was disastrous, so Chris Reitsma will likely give it a shot this year. Lance Cormier and Oscar Villareal will set Reitsma up. The question remains, can they get past the Division Series?

NL Central St. Louis Cardinals-The Redbirds have a lethal offense. Man, if they were the Yankees, I'd say "it's another of those Murderer's Rows". Well, in St. Louis they call it a Gashouse Gang. Anyway, there's Albert Pujols, who had another monster year, and of course that NLCS home run in Houston. Man, they're still talkin' about that smash. Also Jim Edmonds and a healthy Scott Rolen. Retired Larry Walker will be missed, but new players Juan Encarnacion and Larry Bigbie, along with part-time Cardinals John Rodriguez and So Taguchi will spar for left and right field. Also new infielders include Junior Spivey and Aaron Miles are aboard. The pitching staff features Cy Young Chris Carpenter, Mark Mulder, Jason Marquis, Jeff Suppan, and former Oriole Sidney Ponson. Assuming Ponson doesn't get into any legal trouble, the rotation is solid, and the bullpen is strong, with new relievers Braden Looper and Ricardo Rincon helping the rest of the crew set up star closer Jason Isringhausen. I think the Cards have a shot this year, but, as I stated earlier, it all starts with pitching.

NL Central Houston Astros-Rocket Roger Clemens will not be eligible to resign with the Astros until May 1. And he may retire before then anyway. So, except for Clemens, the rest of the Astros is the same as last year, but wait, they signed Preston Wilson, who is a dynamic offensive AND defensive aquisition, and should complement the Morgan Ensberg and the Killer Bees, of whom only two remain, wrinkled Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman. The pitching staff looks hot though, even without the Rocket, with 20 game winner Roy Oswalt, Andy Pettite, Brandon Backe, and young pitchers Wandy Rodriguez and Eziquiel Astacio. The only question mark is the Astros road record, which was awful last year, at 36-45. They should win the Wild Card, if anything. Look for them to either get on fire down the stretch, or fade away.

NL West Arizona Diamondbacks-One sentence. The hottest chance in the majors. If they catch aflame, they can expect a Championship Series, and perhaps a, oh can it be, World Series. The D'Backs are my pick for the breakout team of the year. Among others, bigshot pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez was aquired from the White Sox for unhappy pitcher Javier Vasquez. Also signed was former Brave catcher Johnny Estrada, and free agent center fielder Eric Byrnes. Troy Glaus is gone, but Chad Tracy, who had a good year with a .308 BA,27 HR, and 72 RBI's, will start at third. If he can stay error free(had 29 errors two years ago as the starting 3B), he should have a breakout year. The weakness of this young team is their bullpen, as finally they decided on closer Jose Valverde last year. He had only 15 saves, and the setup men need to perform well to get the ball to Valverde. Former closer Miguel Batista, aquired in the Glaus trade, must successfully make the transfer to starting pitcher for the Diamondbacks to have their chance. If he does well, THEN I will pick the D'Backs to go to the Series. Lots of IFS, huh. Well, the D'Backs ARE an IF this year. It is up to them.

NL West Los Angeles Dodgers-My sleeper pick. Maybe I just like Nomar Garciaparra. Or is it because Adrian Beltre is on a hot streak? Who knows. Rafael Furcal, signed from the Braves via free agency, will play short, and Nomar will switch to first. 3B Bill Mueller was signed from the Red Sox, and CF Kenny Lofton and pitcher Brett Tomko were also signed. As mentioned earlier, Milton Bradley is gone, which may be a good thing. Workhorse Tomko was added to a strong rotation that includes veterans Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, and lefty Odalis Perez. The success of the bullpen depends on the health of Eric Gagne, but new aquisitions Dany Baez, who had 41 saves and a 2.81 ERA and Lance Carter will help out a good setup team. Health is an issue for the Dodgers, so their season depends on health.

Well, that rounds out my analysis, and special thanks to Baseball Digest as a reference guide to player names and rosters, and not to mention stats.

The last thing I want to do is predict for fun the winners this year.

Division Winners:

AL:

AL East:Boston Red Sox
AL Central:Chicago White Sox
AL West:Oakland A's
AL Wild Card:NY Yankees or Cleveland Indians

NL:

NL East:Atlanta Braves
NL Central:St. Louis Cardinals
NL West:LA Dodgers
NL Wild Card:Astros or Diamondbacks

AL Championship Series:

Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland A's

NL Championship Series:

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks

World Series:

Cardinals vs. A's

ALSO, here is a fun prediction for this year's sluggers, except you fans get to vote!

Photos

2006-03-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

I wish I knew how to download photos from the Internet. I know how to download my own pictures from my PC, but cannot figure out how to online. Would appreciate help.

Links

2006-03-28T04:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I finally got my links up on the site, thanks to WholesomeWorks. Thanks WholesomeWorks.

Sparky

Kansas City

2006-03-16T11:27:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, we are moving to Kansas City, Missouri. The house selection is poor, as many of the houses' constructers built the home in a southern style, with lots of drafts through the walls, windows, and floors. The climate there is hotter that Iowa, but still not like Oklahoma or Texas. They should build the homes in a more insulated style. Maybe my brother, who wants to be a house designer, should open his business there! Just joking. He would go to Arizona if he pursues this type of job, because of the family business already going on down there(my Dad's cousin is a millionaire home designer in Arizona). Anyway, we could use a lot of prayer, as there is nothing but an apartment in our near future.

Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Twain moving away from the Mississippi

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!!!

2006-02-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

Finally, after almost two months, we have crowned our champion. BIIIIIIIIGGGGGGG DRRRRRUUUUUUUMMMMMMMM ROOOOLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!...................

DAVID MOORE, WOULD YOU PLEASE STEP TO THE PODIUM TO RECEIVE YOUR TROPHY FOR YOUR NAME CHOICE, "TWAIN".
David, you stated that you picked Twain because of Mark(us) Twain. It seems you picked a good one, because you got 6 votes out of a possible ten.
For your efforts, you will receive a photo of your choice( a goofy one of my nasty haircut, which looks much better now), and you also get to play me on the Internet(you pick the game), and of course you get mentioned in this blog. GIVE IT UP FOR DAVID MOORE, PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The runner-up is none other than my Dad, who submitted Speed, OH, and Mrs. Kolb, whose name was Junior, which was added to Speed. Sorry, but I don't think you have time to play me on the Internet. If you do, CALL the Reuter residence.

ALSO mentioned is Honorable Mention "Dollface", submitted by Bethany Kolb. If it was a boy's nickname, you'd have first place Bethany.

My time is up, and it's been fun. Thanks for everyone's cooperation, and I hope it was fun for you guys too.

Getting Good

2006-02-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, lots of votes already. Four, to be exact. The standings are as follows,

Speed Jr.- 2 votes
Twain-2 votes

They are neck and neck folks, as we hit the home stretch. Only six more votes available, unless it is a tie, then I will have to decide I guess. Oh boy. David, looks like there is a traitor in the family. Don't slug her too hard. Just grab your parents, and make them vote. Oh, and Mrs. Kolb, note that I included your nickname in with Speed, so you'd have the glory too if Speed wins. But who wouldn't vote for Twain? I mean, you know, everybody liked Mark Twain, who wouldn't?

Good luck voters.

WHO IS THE WINNER!!!????!!!!!

2006-02-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

Hello my friends, it has been fun. Now, it is time to announce the winners. Drum roll............. and the winner is, OH HELP, I CAN'T DECIDE!!!!! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we have a tie!!!!! I need a vote between these two.

Twain or Speed JR., which will it be? Cast your vote in the comments section. As soon as I have ten votes, the winner will be announced. So hurry up and vote!!! The runner up will be decided after the winner is decided. The runner up candidates will be between one of these two (Twain or Speed JR.), and Dollface.

Thank you, and please VVVVVVOOOOOOOTTTTEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ATTENTION: LAST DAY TO PICK A NICKNAME

2006-02-15T15:26:00.000-08:00

My friends, this is your last chance. Do not fail me, or it will be the last time. No, just kidding. Hopefully tomorrow I will post the winner(s), and will then e-mail them concerning the prizes. Danka schon (thank you). I am trying to decide the winner, but there are too many good ones to pick from, and this nickname may stick, so I'm not picking anything like Booger, or Binky, and especially not Blubber Boy.

I'm Brainstorming

2006-02-01T13:17:00.000-08:00

Hey Sky, is that your nickname? That is funny! Don't forget the deadline is Febraury 15.

Michael's Nickname Contest

2006-02-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

I want a nickname too. You guys used to call me Michelle, but I want another one. Markus can't steal all the publicity!

Nickname Contest

2006-02-01T04:38:00.000-08:00

Hey, friends from Oklahoma! This contest is just for fun, but please think of something good! Click on the comments button at the bottom of these words, and submit a note about what nickname would fit me best, because Michael and I gave you guys(well, not your parents), nicknames, so it's our turn after all the Jacoozi's, Davy Crockett's, and the Sky is blue. Winners will be announced, by February 16. Please submit your pick by February 15, or yours will not count. Hopefully I will think of a better contest :) next time!!

Weather

2006-01-30T07:29:00.001-08:00

A blustery week it has been. Me thinks it is time for warm weather. Guten tag.

Madden 2006

2006-01-30T07:25:00.000-08:00

I hear from my friend David that Madden 2006 will not load right on his computer, a brand new Dell Dimension PC. This is the second complaint I have heard. I wonder why this happens? Well, could it be the Madden makers are not with the times, or is it just a certain computer malfunction? Well, who knows, let's just hope 2007 brings better luck.

2006-01-27T07:17:00.000-08:00

I have some really great friends, and every one of them has a funny nickname, as I do myself! Here are a few.

Markus-Sparky(Anderson)
Jacob-Jacoozi(Need a hot tub?)
David-Davy Crockett(King of the Wild Frontier)
Skyler-Sky(as in the Sky is blue)
Michael-Spike(but we always called him Michelle for some odd reason)
Andrew-Andy
and last, but certainly not least, Josh-Washy Joshy!
Sorry guys, but I just couldn't keep this great stuff to myself.
A tribute to the friends I left behind in OK.

Seriously Weather!

2006-01-27T07:14:00.001-08:00

Today, I have decided the weather here is just unpredictable. It is the middle of winter, and the temperature is 50! Unfortunately, it will shift to 32 and freezing rain tommorow. I wish we had the South's weather here. Oh, well. Happy Cold Front!

2006-01-27T07:14:00.000-08:00

To Davy Crockett in Oklahoma

2005-09-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Davy is so cool, and is a great soccer player, and bass singer. He is in my best friends club, and he rocks totally. I hope someday I can visit him. I will use the airlines, since gas costs are inflating. If he is reading this, he needs to e-mail me today and draw a happy face on his e-mail. Oh, and the Red Sox are going to win the World Series again, and the Pats are gonna threepeat. So long.

S

Cheating shows lack of sportsmanship, mars records of certain players

2005-08-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

In an age where cheating is in abundance, many of today's superstars are using some sort of illegal performance enhancing drug. As a Christian, I believe that if you cannot work hard to improve your athletic talent and be satisfied with the amount of talent that God gives to you, why play any sport? I once heard an old saying that states, "Cheaters never prosper." What that means is that if you cheat, the consequences are unavoidable, whether dealt out on earth in heaven. Certain Major Leaguers and Minor Leaguers have been caught taking drugs. Some, such as Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmiero are shoo-in Hall of Famers. The question is, could they have produced the numbers they have produced without steroids? That is the question I hope Hall voters consider before voting these men into the Hall of Fame. One thing is for certain. It appears that the players in question do not think of being godly role models to young men and women. That is a despicable thing. So now I speak to the next generation of athletes. Please, if you are reading this article, please realize that you decide the path of our country. Realize that what you do now, and later in life will either lead to the rising of a strong, Christian, free country or will only lead to our downfall. Remember not to cheat, but remember to work hard and earn your success. Success will not come to you through cheating, you must seize it by working hard, and make your own success. God bless you.

S

Who will win the home run title this year?
	David Ortiz
	Alex Rodriguez
	Manny Ramirez
	Ryan Howard
	Albert Pujols

Free polls from Pollhost.com