Diamond Notes > 2007

Goals, Injuries and Reality By: Richard Magrath-August 28, 2007 Once a Tiger, always a Tiger. For my entire life I have worn orange, loved orange and bled orange. I have this desire, a cancer if you will, that engrosses my life and there is nothing that I can do about it. I tried to hide from it when I signed to play baseball at Furman University, but the illusion that tried to sustain me was to no avail. I wanted to be a Tiger even if I have to overcome some adversity to do it. The thought of playing college baseball had not crossed my mind until the end of my junior year. Without the benefit of Diamond Prospects, I was virtually an unknown until my last game that season at Summerville. Somebody saw a raw pitcher with a live, strong arm and a developing curveball and mentioned it to Coach John Rhodes of the Diamond Devils. Before I knew it, I was playing on one of the best teams in the country with the likes of Justin Smoak and Reese Havens.  Although I felt a little overwhelmed, I had a very good summer and came to the realization that I could hold my own collegiately. The exciting summer culminated when I pitched a complete game shutout in the first elimination game of the CABA World Series. A day later, I jumped on top of the pile to celebrate a World Series Championship. Meanwhile in the recruiting process, my stock had risen a great deal due to a productive summer. Coaches from Clemson, South Carolina, Furman, the College of Charleston and The Citadel came to watch me pitch on several occasions. The Citadel and Furman offered first with Clemson and C of C regularly keeping in touch. Growing up a Tiger, Clemson obviously was my first choice. However, the recruiting process started to become very stressful, and I wanted to go ahead and make a decision. Shortly after going on a visit to Furman, I felt that was the best fit for me athletically and academically. I shunned the possibility of other offers and prepared myself to be a Paladin. With the scout following that playing on a premier travel team brought me, pro scouts started showing interest via questionnaires during the winter of my senior year. About twenty teams requested correspondence and the Mets even sent me a Christmas card. I was completely overwhelmed by the influx of interest from Major League teams. I made it clear through the questionnaires that I was adamant about attending college. Nonetheless, fifteen pro scouts were in attendance for my first high school game my senior year. Unfortunately, I didn’t see them again and went undrafted that June. However, I felt the added attention that I received from scouts was somewhat warranted. For the first time in my baseball career, I became confident that I could play the game I love, well. When I reported to Furman University for my freshman year, I had one goal in mind: to be in the weekend rotation when we opened up with the University of Kentucky. This dream began evolving into a reality through fall practice as I had a lot of success. I was progressing towards being a pitcher as opposed to a thrower. The game began to be more mental as I learned the little things of being a pitcher. I started watching for batter tendencies and ways to exploit those weaknesses. For the first time in my young career, I had a plan when I toed the rubber. Everything seemed to be falling into place for me, and I appeared to be set for a breakthrough freshman year. After winter break, I came back to Furman in great shape and primed to win one of the weekend starting jobs. During our second intra-squad scrimmage I overextended on a pitch and felt a pinch that did not feel right. I knew that if I mentioned it to my coach or trainer that my starting position would be put in jeopardy. Every time I threw, I was cognizant of a pain in my shoulder but self-diagnosed it as tendonitis. The pressure I put on myself to perform now outweighed the possible repercussions later. I ended up nailing down the weekend position and pitched in three games at the beginning of the year. My pitching performances were mediocre at best and I could feel my shoulder gradually becoming worse. I had lost velocity, command and effectiveness-not a good recipe for success in college baseball. After laboring through four innings and giving up three home runs at Davidson, I shut it down. I tried rehabbing for about two months to no avail. Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Alabama performed an arthroscopy of my shoulder to repair a partially torn rotator cuff in May. Although there was no determining factor that led me to leaving Furman, I decided to go ahead and make the switch to Clemson. I made the switch in hopes of playing baseball, but I realize that there are many variables that could ruin my plans. As of now, I have not been granted an athletic release from Furman. However, if a release remains ungranted, I will treat it as a blessing in disguise and, I will not rush back, and jeopardize the recovery of my arm.  My goal is to play baseball for Clemson University. I do not know what the future holds, but I will do everything in my power to achieve my goal. For now, I will be standing in Death Valley Memorial Stadium with 86,000 of my closest friends to root on my Tigers. .

Compiled By: Austin Alexander-August 24, 2007 A burning question that begins at a young age and becomes a divisive topic at the prep level has been asked and addressed by a number of college coaches and scouts. What do they think about multiple sport athletes, do they believe a second or third sport helps or impedes a player’s development and how are multi-sport guys affected in terms of exposure. We apologize in advance that names, schools and organizations could not be attached to the responses, Diamond Prospects had to protect their identities to avoid violations, either at the collegiate or professional level. This article is long, we’ll go ahead and acknowledge that, but equally as informative, enjoy the read. A Division I Head Coach said: I love multiple sport athletes and wish there were more of them. They are a dying breed. When I was in high school, everybody played more than one sport. Those guys are more projectable in my opinion. First question you ask/wonder, “What can they be when they concentrate on baseball year round?” Regarding recruiting, yes, it can hurt if they don’t get out there. That summer before their senior year is critical. If they are not playing, then we would never see them. They need to do their homework, determine who will be at what showcase, what travel team do they want to play for and then put together a game plan from there. An American League Scout said: Playing multiple sports is beneficial for the baseball player all the way thru high school. Obviously playing football takes away from the player’s practice and game time in the fall and some time in the summer if he is participating in a passing league or football camps. But that helps with mental toughness and overall strength and agility. Basketball, to me, is the most beneficial in that for the most part, it doesn’t conflict with baseball season and is great for keeping a kid in shape during the winter months. Also, basketball is great for hand-eye coordination, body control, first step quickness and lateral movement. Soccer is solid for footwork, lateral movement and first step quickness, but conflicts a lot with baseball season depending on when your state has their soccer season. Also, playing multiple sports helps create a well-rounded athlete – a player that has been in various competitive scenarios and pressure situations. This can all carry over and help with any situation mentally or physically on the diamond. A Junior College Head Coach said: From the perspective of a red neck, who is dumber than a box of rocks, I am inclined to believe guys that play more than one sport are more mature physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically. They have a tendency to be able to adapt, overcome and adjust better in tough situations. So in terms of development, the more sports a kid can play, the better rounded he is likely to be. As for developing his baseball skills, if he gets the right information and works at the fundamentals, he will develop. No one can teach a kid to be athletic, but if the kid is athletic, then he has a chance to develop. I know one of the big buzzwords today is “exposure” but in reality no one can hide a player! If a kid can play, someone will talk about him and the best advertisement in the world is word of mouth, so his name will get out and someone will see him. As for being seen by every Tom, Dick and Harry, well all they are going to do is discuss his flaws and that wolf pack has a tendency to breed similar thoughts, so “exposure” is not always a good thing. Plus, identifying skills is not hard to do, but identifying a true baseball player is, because a true player is one who has the ability to adapt, adjust, overcome and fail forward. That, my friend, is pure heart and mental toughness and it does not always show up on the radar gun or on the stopwatch. It is the one thing that sets players apart and it is the one thing you cannot “showcase” in one day! A Division I Recruiting Coordinator said: I have had very good experiences signing two-sport players, they to tend to develop quicker and bring a certain mentality to the table, no doubt. BUT, generally speaking, they are behind skill-wise and have a wider gap to close. I’d like to see a study done of freshmen who start at the Division I level, how many of them played another sport in high school. My guess is that number would be fairly low. In terms of exposure, it is impossible to argue that kids who play baseball around the calendar, don’t put themselves in front of more recruiters than those who play half of the time. You just cannot dispute that. Of course you’ll hear the old adage that if you are good enough, someone will find you. Personally, I wouldn’t want ONE person to find me, I’d prefer to have a lot of options, not just one. I wish all of these quality travel programs and showcase outlets had been around when I played, it give kids a bigger stage to sell themselves. Now, I don’t mind players playing in obscurity because I have to fight fewer school to sign him but the more you play, the better you get. And the better you get, the more interest you will receive. A Division I Head Coach said: Multi-sport participants are meant for a specific individual with an extraordinary work ethic. I believe a young man participating, and succeeding, in more than one sport immediately shows signs of maturity and self-governance, which are both critical in succeeding in college. When we learn a player is a multi-sport athlete, it is an immediate credit to that young man’s personality. If we are recruiting a player, I am encouraged by him being able to play two sports at the high school …

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By: Austin Alexander-August 13, 2007 Whether I find myself in the mix of casual baseball people or those who consider themselves “diehard fans”, I continue to be amazed when folks don’t know the language of baseball. Over the next few weeks we will explore The Dickson Baseball Dictionary and pull terms out of it that you need to know, what they mean and where the expression originated. Hopefully at the end of our little quest through diamond diction, you will have a greater knowledge of the jargon used around our nation’s pastime…you may not be a baseball genius but you might learn just enough to fool some people! Can-of-corn: A high fly ball that allows a defensive player time to stand under the ball and catch it easily. This expression comes from the old time grocery store where the grocer used a pole to tip an item, such as a can of corn, off a high shelf and let it tumble into his apron, which was held out in front of him. It can be used this way, “Andruw Jones settled under that can-of-corn for out number two.” Mendoza Line: Figurative boundary in the batting averages between those batters hitting above and below the .200 mark. Named for light-hitting Mario Mendoza who played for the Pirates, Mariners and Rangers between 1974 and 1982, his lifetime batting average was just over .200. Hitters that are hovering above or below this low-water mark are said to be “flirting with the Mendoza line.” To the layman, this is not a good thing! Ribby: Slang for RBI or Run Batted In. Use of this baseball idiom may go like this, “David Ortiz led all of Major League Baseball this year with 147 ribby’s.” Yakker/Bender/Uncle Charlie: A sharp-breaking curveball. The etymology of these terms is traced back to the late 1970’s and, then-starting pitcher, Dennis Eckersley. The Hall of Famer is said to have coined an array of baseball slang, he’s known to have had baseball’s greatest vernacular…next to Yogi Berra and Casey Stengal of course! Used in a sentence, it may sound something like, “Josh Beckett’s yakker/bender is really keeping hitters off-balance today.” Tools of ignorance: Catcher’s equipment-the mask, shinguards, chest protector, helmet and mitt. The term is based on the notion that catching is a grueling, painful job that a smart player would try to avoid. Kitchen: The area of a batter’s torso. A pitch that rides in on a hitter. When a pitcher crowds a batter with a pitch, he is often said to be in the hitter’s “kitchen”. This expression is as old as baseball itself. If a batter got jammed and broke his bat, older players used to say, “He got in his kitchen and broke a few dishes.” Or, “He rattled a few pots-n-pans in Pujols’ kitchen.” Dinger/Bomb/Big Fly/Tater/Gonzo/Round tripper/Ya-Ya/Clout/Moon shot: A homerun. Each word above, to name a few, can all be used to describe the sexiest thing in sports-The Homerun! Whatever you chose to call them, Barry Bonds has 758 of them. Enough for today’s lesson, more to come next month… .

Battling Adversity: Mental & Physical By: Josh Evans-August 8, 2007 Battling injuries, physically and mentally, can be one of the most trying aspects of baseball. I started pitching when I was thirteen years old and arm problems were the last thing on my mind. I was always classified as a “spot guy” or “control pitcher” living in the lower velocity class. For the most part, it used to seem that the guys that threw harder were more likely to have problems than those of my stature. Obviously nowadays, that is far from the truth. I attended James Island High School in Charleston, SC, under Coach Tom Hatley. JI always had a good program, competing for a championship every year. Throughout my five years there, I finished with a solid career overall, earning a few awards along the way. Following high school, I went onto play at Spartanburg Methodist Junior College. As a freshman, my main role was out of the pen on the weekends and a few spot starts during the week. I finished up my first year 6-1 and nothing short of high expectations for myself for my sophomore year. It was shortly after I left school, while working out in the off-season, the bumps in the road for my career began. In June of that summer, I had my first shoulder surgery. Never having any problems in the past that I couldn’t play through, this was all new to me, surely having doubts on what would come of it. I worked hard and followed my physical therapy programs to a tee. It seemed as soon as I started turning the corner, more problems came into play. Constant pain in my elbow would end up leading to yet another surgery, only within two months of the first. I have always worked hard on and off the field; however, I was starting to realize that no matter how hard you work, some things you can’t completely control. There’s no doubt that there is a certain amount of mental strain that comes along with these injuries when you never know how they will end up. I have seen many friends, teammates, etc. who have never made it through just one injury or surgery, mainly because of the mental aspect of fighting through the obstacles. Luckily rehab went well that year with both the elbow and shoulder and I was back in time for my first start my sophomore year. I got lit up like I never had, by a team that had no business being on the same field as us. I had to realize that even though I’d have pain here and there from the operations, that I was going to have to compete like I had in the past and not let the team down. We rolled through the rest of the year straight to the World Series where we captured the school’s first win out in Grand Junction. I ended up 10-1 and yet again, had high hopes for the rest of my career. I had signed with Division I, Elon University who was expected to make a good run the next couple years. I went home and worked out all summer as always. Pain in the arm came and went like always, but never anything major. I got to Elon ready to jump in and help the team, when it came to a screeching halt once again. I tried throwing sidearm, submarine, every possible way I could to avoid the pain, but it just wasn’t going to happen. The end result was that my first shoulder surgery had failed. I was ready to have a third surgery within only about a year of the first two, but this one was different. I couldn’t play the upcoming year. Hearing those words from the doc made me want to jump over his desk at him, but I knew I was at a standstill. I had some decisions to make. Everyone who knows me will tell you I’m as stubborn as they come, so after the news had settled in, the thought of giving the game up wouldn’t be a factor. It was a long, frustrating road back, but with the help of some good people and daily hard work I was back in action. I then signed to play at Charleston Southern for my remaining two years. My first year back was pretty good, but still not what I expected out of myself. I came into my senior year ready to go. Pro day in the fall came and I hit 89 on the gun, which I’ve never done before. I was pumped. The next day I woke up and could barely move my arm. The trainers put me in a sling. I knew I had no time for anymore MRI’s, doctors, or even any extensive rehab. Luckily, after working through it for a couple weeks, we found that some scar tissue had broken up and I was able to get back in the saddle again. My performance my senior year was below par, and the worst of my career, exactly the opposite of what I needed. The odds of me playing after college with my arm history were almost impossible as it was, and a bad last year certainly wasn’t any help. For some reason, I still wasn’t going to settle for not playing anymore. I had a tryout up in Chicago with the Padres in September I had prepared for all summer. More bad news followed, arriving to Chicago that weekend only to see rainstorms all weekend! They gave us an option to go out to Phoenix for another tryout a week later, so I did it. I threw pretty well out there, but didn’t get picked up. I went back home and started working. It was a couple weeks later I heard from Les Lancaster, the manager for the Reno Silver Sox Independent team out in Nevada. He was looking on at the tryout out west …

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Where have you gone Cal and Tony? By: Austin Alexander-August 3, 2007 .Today’s game is full of trades, free agency, baggy uniforms and player’s being given days off. Long gone, it seems, are the traditional athletes who actually placed value in playing hard, playing everyday, playing in one city and playing for the love of the game. .Amid allegations of steroid use, dog-fighting and fixing games, the sports arena has become a soap opera, in some ways a complete disgrace. On Sunday, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn (right)were immortalized in Cooperstown, NY, baseball’s Hall of Fame. Ripken and Gywnn take us back to a time when the game was still pure, back to when hard work, selflessness and being humble was still considered cool. .Batting titles, MVP’s, gold gloves and lots of hits became the calling card of this year’s induction class. Unfortunately, future generations will only be given the opportunity to memorize the statistics of Ripken and Gwynn, not even close to the measure of the men they were. The hours upon hours that Ripken and Gwynn spent signing autographs for young baseball fans is legendary. And just in case you were wondering what they charged for their John Hancock? There was no fee and the moment was usually complete with a handshake, conversation, smile and photograph. .Consider that each grew up, played professionally and still reside in the same city. They are both a true product of the only town they have ever called home. To take it a step further, both have built ballparks and remain very visible in the amateur baseball world. Both guys are fixtures on the clinic circuit and are involved on a daily basis with the future of baseball. .Most of us are not old enough to have seen Joe DiMaggio play but we are well-aware of the way he played and the class that he exuded on and off the diamond. Just like a line in the Paul Simon song said, "Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?" When the Yankee Clipper met the musician years later, he asked Simon what that line actually meant. Simon explained that it was used figuratively, wondering where have all the heroes gone. I ask the same question. Where have you gone Cal and Tony? Who is going to carry the torch that young baseball fans can really look up to as a role model? No one did it finer than these two men and I salute them both as the hardware they have accumulated over the years doesn’t even hold a candle to the impact they have had on the game and the people they encountered. Job well done and congratulations on the recognition you both have garnered this week! .

Bonds versus Aaron: A Statistical Comparison By: Austin Alexander-July, 27 2007   One career was marred by racism, the other by performance enhancement allegations. Two power-hitting outfielders separated by a generation have been drawing comparisons all year long, today we’ll take an in-depth look at baseball history and why Hammerin’ Hank’s record is the most revered in all of sports.   Barry Bonds is now eerily close to surpassing a numerical figure that has stood my entire adult life. Seven Hundred and Fifty-Five dingers. Astounding. The homerun record is widely recognized as the biggest number in any sport, American’s have always been fascinated with the long ball and for the past 33 years, Hank Aaron’s name has been the one we associate with it. When Aaron pursued the record in the early 70’s, his chase was surrounded by racism and death threats even landed in his mailbox prior to the April 8, 1974 landmark homer.   Bonds and baseball avoided a potentially embarrassing moment this past weekend as the Giants spent three days in commissioner Bud Selig’s backyard. Milwaukee was also the stage for Aaron’s first 354 jacks and his last 22 as a Brewer. How would fans have reacted had Bonds hit the record-breaker in their stadium? Would they cheer, would they boo, would they litter the field?   With Bonds in the midst of a seven-game homestand and the mark of 755 in eminent danger of falling, a myriad of potential problems face the game. Most of Bonds’ signature homeruns have been hit by the Bay and the Giant hopeful hope two more splash hits land in McCovey Cove this weekend because San Francisco plays 15 of their next 22 games on the road. Aaron has already stated that he will not be in attendance, Selig has waffled on the topic with each inquiry. Either way, a Bonds bomb in a visitor’s uniform could prove to be a black eye for the game.   Bonds does have supporters, as did Aaron during his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s record. He also has a host of detractors and most them reside east of the Bay area. What does it do to the state of baseball for the image of a ‘roided up’ Bonds circling the bases to a chorus of boos during #756?   Regardless of one’s opinion of Bonds, a greater understanding of his accomplishments warrants an appreciation. Let’s take a look.   In sports debating, an argument is sure to ensue as soon as era’s crossover and father’s try to trump the opinions of their sons. It is best to compare players against their contemporaries and what they accomplished against their peers. Let’s now take a magnifying glass to two of baseball’s most prolific players of all time.   With the majority of our audience as anti-Bonds folk, we’ll split his career into the pre and post-2001, the period of time that allegations have placed him as a substance user and then beyond. Before 2001, Bonds won three Most Valuable Player awards, finished second twice in the voting and was a member of eight all-star teams. Bonds had homered 494 times, stolen 471 bases and won nine gold gloves. At that time, he was considered by many as baseball’s best player and among the all-time elite. If you’d polled an America that had already fallen out of love with Bonds years earlier, most would have named him a first ballot Hall of Famer.   Then he went a got really, really good. Of course everyone has their own opinion on the matter and I believe the media has more than covered the topic but consider this. The era that he dominated during the next five years was the steroid era whether you choose to believe it or not. Sources much closer to Major League Baseball than me have put the number at over 50 percent, including the pitchers that Bonds tortured between 2001 and 2005.   The ballpark that Bonds calls home has seen the fewest homeruns of any other stadium since its opening in 2000…and that is counting all of the ones that Bonds has hit there. The right-centerfield porch that Bonds takes aim at sits 421 feet away from homeplate with a 25-foot wall to boot.   In today’s game, hitters can face three or four specialized arms in a single game, seldom do they get the opportunity to take shots at a tired arm in the late innings. Though expansion is one argument against the talent level in major league baseball now, the borders have now been opened and players from across the globe make big league jobs more competitive. Plus, scouting has become much more sophisticated than it was 50 years ago, fewer secrets exist and the best of the best play at the highest level.   Let’s just face it, Bonds is good, very good. I have never been a fan of the guy. His personality has always been surly and I am opposed to performance enhancement activity but to deny yourself that we have witnessed the career of baseball’s most prolific hitter is pure ignorance.   In the coming days, Bonds will pass Aaron. Sometime next year he will get his 3,000th hit to make him one of only four players (Willie Mays, Eddie Murray and Aaron) to accomplish that feat. Add in his 514 bags and he is the only 3,000-500-500 guy in the history of our game and you have to take notice. Factor in that his seven MVP’s are more than twice of anyone else (no other player has had more than three in a career) and you have to declare him the most dominant player in the most explosive offensive era that the game has ever seen.   Aaron had a stellar career and should be forever praised for his work as a civil rights activist and power hitter. This forum was not intended to demean the 23 years he spent in professional baseball. Rather, I felt it was …

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Baseball: The Canadian way, eh? By: Brian Harrison-July 17, 2007   Gretzky. Lemieux. Howe. Orr. Canada is a country rich in athletic history, but it is more known for its dominance on the ice than its success on the diamond. This past week our Diamond Devils baseball team took a trip north of the border to see what these Canadians could do with a round ball and a piece of lumber. This was not your typical baseball road trip, so we were anxiously awaiting what was in store for us in this hockey nation. It proved to be a quite interesting experience for our group of southern boys who were now in a world where sweet tea was replaced with orange pop, and every sentence could be turned into a question by ending it with “eh”. We were forced to live without Sportscenter, the dollar menu and free text messaging. Every time we would ask for ice in our drinks, they would look at us as if we had lost it. Oh, not to mention we were thousands of miles away from our families and for that matter anyone we know. This meant that all that we had was our little group of 22, and of course our lovely waitress Megan from the pizza place. She does not play baseball, though, so it was up to the rest of us to see how good these Canadian baseball teams were. We ran right through our first two games, racking up consecutive wins by scores of 10-0 and 7-0. The second contest was highlighted by an Alex Gilstrap (Easley) no-hitter and homeruns by Cody McElhaney (Midland-Valley) and Steele Myers (Jordan, NC). Our third game was a little more interesting as we played a highly-touted Ontario Blue Jays team, but we pulled out a 7-6 win with Andrew Turner (Hartsville) killing a late rally to earn the save. It seemed our most fun times in Canada were those when we felt most at home, playing the game of baseball. In between games, and during them for that matter, we played a game of another sorts to pass some time. The way you play this game is you try to get someone else to say the word “mine” and if they do, they have to do ten push-ups. For example, I could say, “Hey BJ whose glove is this?” If he says mine, that’s ten. “Whose sunglasses are those?” Mine. That’s ten. Even if there is a pop-up in the infield…Mine. You’ve got ten. I was a victim of that one. We did push-up in airports, food courts, parking lots, restaurants and in the grandstand…You know you are bored in a place when it takes an elementary school game to keep you occupied. But, I do think we are all a little stronger as a result of all those push-ups. While it is easy to look back on the trip and see all the negatives, which include hard-to-find gas stations and steep prices, there were some bright moments in the trip too. We got to see Niagara Falls, learn about a slightly different culture and some of us flew on a plane for the first time. There was no humidity, stress was nonexistent in Canadians as was any evidence of being exposed to sunlight. And police were almost as hard to find as a good meal! On a serious note, we came together really well as a team over the course of the week. There was a friendly rivalry between our team vans that got us to stick up for each other, sometimes even helping out a fellow van member in, say, a wrestling match. Next year, all of us will go our separate ways, except for the Easley trio heading to Erskine together, but we strengthened some friendships in Canada that will keep us in contact for years to come. There is no sugarcoating that Canada was somewhat of a disappointment, especially after losing the championship game 3-2 to the host team. At the end of the trip, we all could not wait to get back in the USA. It was fitting that as we crossed back across the border we heard the voice of Chris Daughtry assuring us that we were going home. I do not mean to offend any Canadians when I say this but if you ask me whose country I would rather live in, I would say “mine” in a heartbeat…wait that’s ten. I had better go rep these out, eh? About Brian Harrison: Harrison signed with Furman University in November of 2006 and was taken in the 29th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this month in the MLB Draft. Harrison is widely regarded as one of the top right-handed hitters in the Class of 2007. .