Posts belonging to Category Videos

It has been nearly a week since the Cincinnati Reds first basemen, Joey Votto, launched a 10^th inning, walk-off home run, deep into the left-centerfield bleachers at Great American Ball Park.  The opposite field blast was his 16^th of the season—he now has 17—and only added to his already impressive resume for the N.L. M.V.P.  In my personal opinion, Joey Votto has clearly been the best hitter in all of baseball over the course of the 2010 season.

When I say best hitter, I’m not just referring to what is reflected by his robust slashes of 320/.419/.588.  Rather, what makes Votto the best hitter in baseball is the consistency in his approach to every at-bat, and his ability to crush any mistake that a pitcher makes.  He recognizes pitches and maintains a selectiveness that simply cannot be taught; it’s the type of thing that elevates a player to superstar status.

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There’s not much to say about Chicago White Sox announcer Ken “Hawk” Harrelson that hasn’t already been said; you either love him or find his style of broadcasting utterly intolerable.  In an age of broadcasting objectivity, Hawk rests in a league of his own as the epitome of the “homer” announcer.

As a lifelong White Sox fan, Hawk has been the voice of the organization for my entire life and has called all of my most cherished White Sox memories.  You can say what you want about the man’s professional approach–or lack thereof–towards broadcasting, but Hawk’s level of enthusiasm is contagious, and that’s precisely why White Sox fans love him.

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I have always considered the stealing of home to be one the most exciting plays in baseball.  Maybe it’s because I grew up watching “The Sandlot,” and had Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez embedded into my memory at an impressionable age, but there’s just something about the accomplishment that makes you rise out of your seat on the couch with anticipation, just as if you were in a seat at the park.  It’s one of those plays that happens so unpredictably fast, that it’s over before anyone knew it even began.

Yet, when Colorado Rockies rookie Chris Nelson stole home in the eighth inning of Thursday’s victory against the Cincinnati Reds, I found myself seated, and more than anything, confused about what had just happened.  A rookie, stealing home—the 1^st of his career, nonetheless—in a tie game, in the heart of a pennant race.  Excweese me? Bacon Powder?

But now, days later and after watching far too many replays, I can’t help but believe that Nick Masset set himself up failure.

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Yes, you read that correctly.  Prior to Wednesday night’s game against the visiting Atlanta Braves, NHL superstar Sidney Crosby took batting practice at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, and impressively failed to humiliate himself.  In fact, he did quite the opposite. Sid went yard.

He turned on a pitch, lining into the right field bleachers where it then one hopped a stair, and bounced out of the stadium.

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