Who's On Third?

As winter rolls on my baseball withdrawal worsens.  I search the internet for the latest hot stove moves.  I surf for the most recent prospect highlights from the Caribbean, Mexico and Venezuela.  I keep an eye on the Japanese Professional League whose season starts about the same time as ours.  I have even been watching the Australian League scores and Jim Kaat’s work in New Zealand.  My wife periodically asks me “How many days?”.  I can usually give her the countdown to when pitchers and catchers report, opening day and this year the World Baseball Classic.  Bonus! 

But as I look forward to the coming season, I find myself looking back to my own playing days.  No, you never heard of me.  I was not a hot prospect.  I was a good high school player with a plus glove and arm but only an average bat and little power or speed, although I was an excellent bunter.  Those tools may get you a chance to walk on for a college team, but no one was handing me any offer letters.  Thankfully, I have come to terms with my talent and I am definitely not one of those guys who’s past gets better as they get older.  If I did that, by my age, I would be ready to enter the Hall of Fame.

When I mentioned I was looking back to my playing days, I am actually referring more to my early days.  Specifically, to my inspirations in the beginning. 

Where I grew up in Pennsylvania, I was located in a small miracle like area of sorts for the new sensation of cable television.  We had stations from several major markets and I could see a ball game almost any time during the season.  I had stations that were either from or broadcast games for Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York and Pittsburgh.  In the 70’s and early 80’s I was truly the proverbial kid in a candy store.

For those not as obsessed as myself, let me give you a little run down of the teams in those markets.  Pittsburgh was a powerhouse through the entire decade.  Even after the loss of Roberto Clemente, the Pirates, led by Willie Stargell, Dave Parker and a solid pitching staff were rivaled only by the Reds in the first half of the decade.  The Orioles had one of the greatest pitching staffs in the history of the game (only the second staff with four 20 game winners) and appeared in three series in the 70s and six in a seventeen-year span.  The Mets had the miracle ’69 season and another Series a few years later but were beginning to fade as the decade progressed.  The Yankees made three straight Series appearances and four in six years.  These were the days of Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson and Catfish Hunter.  The Phillies finally shook off twenty-five years in the doldrums with three straight division titles and their first ever world championship followed by another Series three years later.

 Needless to say, I had great games to watch at all times.  This was the fuel to my fire.  The spark however, that was my father.  My Dad grew up in Philadelphia, in the heart of the City.  He was a diehard A’s fan idolizing Connie Mack, always hoping he would find a way to bring back a string of championships like he had twice in the past.  It was not to be and the A’s joined the move west to Kansas City and eventually Oakland.  My father remained an A’s fan until he passed away.  Dad also loved the Phillies and knew every member of the Whiz Kids.  He made me the baseball fan I am today.  Even when I got older and we had our typical father son disagreements, we could always talk baseball.  (Yeah, I know, it sounds sappy but it’s true.) 

So, when I decided I wanted to start playing, dad asked me where I wanted to play.  Well, that was the easiest answer of my entire youth.  Third base, of course.  When I looked around at the men playing third, I knew where I wanted to play.  The Pirates had Bill Madlock and the Yankees had Graig Nettles.  But then there were two Hall of Famers in the Phillies Mike Schmidt and the Orioles Brooks Robinson.  Why look anywhere else?

When I started to play Little League, I begged the coach to play third and he gave me my chances, but he also moved me around to other positions.  I gave each one my best, but I always wanted to go to “my spot”.  Dad worked with me and the following year I moved up a division and my new coach put me at third and that is where I stayed for the next decade.    

Then one day as he was working with me in the back yard he mentioned a new name to me. He told me about another third baseman who grew up in Philadelphia and became an All-Star playing in Philly.  Judy Johnson.  Now, at this point I was about ten years old and the name stuck in my head for two reasons.  First, my father loved the game and he was telling me about an all-time great who came from and played in his hometown.  Second, my mother’s name is Judy, and his name stuck with me for obvious reasons.  He told me what he knew about him.  He explained he played in the Negro Leagues and that he retired before he had the chance to see him.  This prompted a whole new set of questions about the Negro Leagues and why these players could not play in the majors.  At ten, this was as difficult to grasp as it is for me today.  Dad even had an old book with two photos of Judy.  I wish I had that book today but I can still see both photos.  The next fall I went to the Library and found a book about the League and read it cover to cover.  I learned names and read stories I never knew existed.  A whole new part of game opened up for me.  I soaked in all I could about Johnson, Robinson and Schmidt and wanted to be just like them. 

To some extent I emulated the three of them.  As I mentioned I had a plus glove and arm.  I was very good in the field and could throw out anyone from deep behind the bag.  Unfortunately, that never carried over to the bat.  So, my professional career ended long before it started.  Even though I never made the show, I do have a few memories of my playing days I will always cherish.  As a twelve-year-old, I played in Howard J. Lamade Stadium, the home of Little League Baseball.  I played third base that day.  I went 4 for 5 with 4 doubles and 4 RBI.  It was and still is my favorite day playing the game.  Earlier that same year, I also had the chance to play on the home field of the Original League in Williamsport.  This was not my home league, but the man who was my second father was an officer of the league and he made the arrangements.  He also introduced me to Carl Stotz.  A man I firmly believe belongs in Cooperstown.  How many professional ball players would never have had the chance without Little League Baseball?

In the coming years, I would find new and better information about the trio who drove me.  I learned that Judy Johnson was not actually from Philadelphia but nearby Wilmington, Delaware. Years later, I lived in Wilmington and was able to see how the city now appreciates and celebrates the man.  Through events, I was able to meet and shake the hand of both Mike Schmidt and Brooks Robinson.  I never had the opportunity with Judy Johnson.  They say never meet your heroes.  I met two of the three and I have to say I am glad for it.  From everything I have read about the third, I would not have been disappointed. 

Recently, I stumbled upon a gentleman on Twitter.  He happens to be the president of the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City.  After following him and seeing the wealth of information that he and his connections share, I was reminded of Judy Johnson.  That is what brought back all of these memories.  Thank you, Mr. Kendrick. 

Judy Johnson played his first professional season 98 years ago.  I am so glad my father introduced me to him so I could have the perfect man to round out the trio that I tried to emulate on the field.

If you are as obsessed with the game as I am and would like to discuss more about any facet of baseball history, please look me up on Twitter.  I am @TWR_Individual.  I may not have all the answers, but I will have a great time finding them with you.  I would also like to hear about who your on the field influences were.  Who did you want to play like?

2016 - It Wasn't So Bad Afterall

 As we wind down 2016 and look back on what seems like a dumpster fire of a year, I want to stop and look around for a few moments.  We are all too familiar with all of the contentious, sad and maddening events of the past year.  You know what I am talking about.  I will not soil my post with mentioning even a one of them.  Instead, I want to take a look at what went right in the world this past year.  Believe it or not, it was some pretty great stuff.

I am going to fire off a long list of people and their accomplishments and achievements.  I am going to start with the most obvious place for celebration, sports.  I also want to cover many other fields that have achieved milestones that may have flown under your radar.  I am sure I am going to miss many, many topics and people along the way, but here is my list to make you feel better about 2016.

Athletic Achievements

Michael Phelps becoming the most decorated Olympian in his final games.  But, he handed the swimming torch over to Katie Ledecky who has a bright future.   

Brazil and Germany took home the Football (Soccer) golds.  Impressive wins for traditional powers. 

The US Women’s Gymnastics Team was spectacular.  Simone, Gabby, Aly, and the team, Brava!

Kimia Alizadeh whose sport is Taekwondo, became the first Iranian woman to bring home an Olympic medal.  Take the advances where you can find them.

Golf returned to the Olympics.  Justin Rose and Inbee Park brought an end to a century old drought for the game.

South African sprinter, Wayde van Niekerk shattered Michael Johnson’s world record for the 400 meters. 

Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, did what has never been done before.  He won the 100 meters for a third time.  He was so impressive in doing so, I would not be surprised to see him in his trademark bow pulling stance four years from now.

The Pittsburgh Penguins raised the Stanley Cup again adding another title for the City of Champions. 

Peyton Manning and a suffocating Broncos Defense brought a Super Bowl win back to Denver. 

Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers brought a championship back to the city for the first time in 52 years.  There is still hope Indians fans.

Leicester City FC broke through to take the Premier League championship in what could be the greatest upset in league History.

Real Madrid came away with an impressive and record setting eleventh UEFA Cup.

Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Ben Zobrist, and the Chicago Cubs broke the curse of the billy-goat and about a dozen other self-inflicted curses with a World Series victory.  They have a great foundation and have the opportunity to keep this going for a while.

Serena Williams added another Wimbledon title to her record setting collection of major wins. 

In men’s golf, Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson, and Jimmy Walker all became first time major champions.  Everyone had unique stories and are forces to be reckoned with in the future.

Not to be outdone on the women’s side, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson, Brittany Lang, Ariya Jutanugarn, and Chun In-gee showed that they can do it too with four first time major winners.  The women’s field is opening up and getting much deeper than it has ever been.

Jimmie Johnson joined an exclusive club as one of only three men with seven NASCAR championships.

Nico Rosberg brought home his first Formula 1 championship for Mercedes and Germany.

Medical Advances

Johns Hopkins University is leading the way with brain controlled prosthetics.  New technology has been developed that will allow fine motor skills. They are also getting close to replicating the sense of touch through artificial limbs.

Nano Retina has developed a sophisticated chip that can restore eyesight to people who have been declared legally blind.  The can bring an individual with sight of 20/200 bac to near 20/20. 

Hongjie Dai and his team at Stanford University have developed long lasting batteries meant for use in internal devices such as pacemakers that will allow patients to live without replacements for up to several years more than current devices.

Researchers at MIT and Harvard University are closing in on what they believe is a potential cure for diabetes.

Scientific Advances

Computer Scientists at Brown University are developing technology that will allow robots to learn from one another.  This will remove the burden of programming each one individually.  Robots can be taught their own tasks and will in turn cross-train their peers. 

Paleoanthropologist Lee Berger took a random discovery of two South African spelunkers and proved their find was evidence of a new species of human beings.  This could fill in many gaps in human evolution.

Astronomers at Cal Tech presented evidence of a ninth planet in our solar system orbiting our sun every 15,000 years.

Researchers at Rutgers and Stanford Universities developed a means to inject healthy nerve tissue into the brain to treat Parkinson’s Disease.  Successes in mouse trials could lead to human trials within the next ten years.

NASA has completed the James Webb Space Telescope.  Launching in 2018 it will replace the Hubble Space Telescope and provide greater detail and a look even deeper into space.

Through conservation efforts the Giant Panda, West Indian Manatee, Arabian Oryx, Louisiana Black Bear, Amur Tiger and several other animals have been removed from the endangered species list.  There is still a long way to go, but these are positive steps.

Centenarians

Kirk Douglas turned 100 this week.  If a plane crash, a massive stroke and acting with Arnold can’t stop him, nothing will.  Happy Birthday!

The National Park Service turned 100 this year.  If you realize it or not, you have probably enjoyed time at a site run by the NPS.  Here’s to 100 more (at least).

The first Charlie Chaplin films were released in 1916.  Yes, they are silent.  Yes, they are black and white.  Yes, they are still classics.

The first modern grocery store, Piggly Wiggly opened 100 years ago, in Memphis.  Thank them every time you walk into your local mega-mart.

The San Diego Zoo turns 100 this year.  One of the world’s premier zoological parks.

Making it halfway to the century mark in 2016 are Batman the original television series, The Beatles first American concert, and Star Trek.  Also, celebrating 50 years are Adam Sandler, Halle Berry, Kiefer Sutherland and Janet Jackson.

You see, 2016 was not completely bad.  In fact, some really great stuff happened this year.  I know I have only scratched the surface and there is much more to add, but you get my point.  You can even extract light from some of the darkness.  I know we lost many wonderful people this year.  But after the initial sadness wears off, celebrate the lives of: Arnold Palmer, Glenn Frey, David Bowie, Prince, Florence Henderson, Gene Wilder, Kenny Baker, Harper Lee, Maurice White, John Glenn and the list goes on.   In the words of Theodore “Dr. Seuss” Geisel “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

In the case of 2016, I am not going to cry.  I am going to smile because of what we have done.  For those who know me, they will see this as a positive message from a usually cynical person.  It happens occasionally.  But maybe it is because the year is ending, I am choosing to look at what we have done to move society forward.  I challenge everyone to go find one new thing you did not know about that went well this year.  Hold on to it and carry it into the new year. 

Extra Innings with a Seamhead

I have many obsessions. But I have only one addiction, baseball.  Well, two if you count coffee.  Baseball is certainly an obsession of mine, but like anything you are fascinated with you can put it away for a while.  I call baseball an addiction because I cannot put it away for the winter.  The first embers of the hot stove are heating up.  My twitter feed is filled with teams, networks, writers, leagues, anything that will feed my need.  I surf websites regularly to keep up on the trade rumors, free agent news, history of the game, or any other nugget of information that will satisfy me.  I am a Seamhead.

Baseball people have a unique way of looking at their sport.  You have camps.  In other sports, the measuring sticks are the same throughout most of their history.  Yes, stats evolve, but the arguments remain the same.  Baseball has old school traditionalists and new age Sabermatricians.  I find myself somewhere in the middle.  I understand and find value in the cold hard numbers, but I believe there is more to the sport than just stats.  I see value in the intangibles a player brings to a team.  But intangibles do not win championships.  I favor a healthy blend of both worlds.  This approach comes in handy when watching the sport at other levels.

As a devotee of the sport, I love more than just Major League Baseball, and I am endlessly enthralled by every level of the game.  I pay close attention to both the Little League and College World Series.  I am very happy now that the MLB Network carries the Caribbean Series and I am looking forward to the return of the World Baseball Classic this Spring.  I constantly read about the history of the game reaching as far back as the true early days in the late nineteenth century.  I feel great joy in seeing where the game is going.  Australia and Europe are experiencing a surge in the popularity of baseball. New players are introduced to the game at the youth level.  The game is as strong as ever in Latin America and East Asia. I would love to see games on MLB from here also.

As for me, I spent my youth playing America’s pastime.  When I went as far as my talent would allow, I coached Little League in the Senior division for six years.  Then I moved into umpiring.  I called thousands of games.  I started at the Little League level and worked my way up through high school and then into college.  I became pretty good.  I was asked to work in a summer wooden bat league for talented college players.  I also tried my hand at administration for several years.  I was the umpire consultant for my local league and was on the district board as the administrator for the Big-League level (16-18-year-old players). 

All of this background was to establish a foundation for the point of my essay.  I, like most other fans have hopes and wishes for the game we love.  I want to share a few of mine with you.  You may not agree with my suggestions.  That is perfectly okay with me.  This is just how I feel.

1.      Start games earlier.  This is a popular battle cry.  I happen to agree, especially when it comes to the post season.  Isn’t it better for the west coast to miss the beginning of a game than the east coast to miss the end?  The arguments are plentiful on this one, so I will leave it at that.

2.      Let the All-Star Game be what it is supposed to be.  The All-Star Game was meant to be an exhibition to showcase the best players in the league.  Because we had one tie, we lost our collective minds.  I still believe, as I did when it happened, Commissioner Selig made the right call.  But let’s get our heads back on straight.  We stopped that game to prevent player injuries that could impact the remainder of the season.  So, in reaction, we said “This time it counts”.  Now we have ruined the Mid-Summer Classic to affect change to the Fall Classic.  Stop already.  Leave the All-Star game as a fun, fan friendly exhibition and find a better way to determine home field advantage.  I have heard many good suggestions.  Among them; simply use the best record, best inter-league record (either for the individual team or the league as a whole), or just go back to alternating. 

3.      Figure out the designated hitter. I must admit I struggle a bit with this one, but we need to figure it out so fans will not have to endure hours of announcers, commentators and reporters droning on about the differences between the leagues.  Personally, I love pitchers that hit.  I love the strategy involved and managers having to think innings ahead.  Teams also get a big boost with a pitcher who can handle a bat.  I feel if you only want to see balls mashed over the fence, go watch beer league softball.  Even in the American League, small ball still works.  Thank you, Tito!  I know the DH will never go away, but let’s find common ground so we can talk about more interesting things.

4.      It is time for MLB to move into new territory.  I fully realize this is years, maybe even decades away, but I would love to see teams in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico and eventually Japan.  Yes, I know there are economic and political barriers to overcome.  Why can’t baseball help pave the way?  Looking past those barriers, I do have a concern that this could, in turn, hurt the existing leagues that have been thriving in those countries for the better part of a century.  I think it is worth exploring.

5.      Hall of Fame, figure it out already.  I think the Hall has made progress in the election of new members.  However, we still face the inevitable steroid discussion every winter and at the ceremony when Hall talk is in the news.  My personal feeling is, it happened, move on.  Put Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro and anyone else deemed worthy in the hall.  Let’s face it, with the number of reprobates currently in the Hall, are we truly hurting the aura of membership?  Bob Costas suggested putting a sign at the entrance stating essentially that the era happened and you can make up your own mind.  I agree. 

6.      It is time to help the Umpires out.  As I mentioned above, I was an umpire. I understand how good they are.  I was also privileged to have been mentored by a former Major League Umpire, so I have insight.  Knowing how difficult it is to call a 90-something mile per hour pitch on the corner of the plate, I can tell you they do an amazing job.  If you have not seen a baseball moving in the mid-80s break about two feet, you should try it.  I could not have more respect for what these men do.  That said, they face constant scrutiny over every pitch.  I have seen a number of systems and I think they could be close to helping on balls and strikes without slowing down the game.  I know the men in blue don’t want to give up the control, but we have proven that replay works and your reputations are only helped, not hurt.  Let’s give it a try.  Side note to the fans at every level, give them a break.  Most umpires do it for the love of the game, not to sway an outcome.  Mistakes happen.

7.      College Baseball deserves more respect.  College baseball is gaining popularity and MLB teams are now looking at top players differently than they had several decades ago.  We should too.  I am glued to ESPN every June to watch the sport’s pinnacle in Omaha.  There are future Major Leaguers on almost every team.  The games are beautiful to watch.  For a baseball fan, this is every bit as great as March Madness.  If all you know of the college game is the piercing “ping” of the bats, times have changed.  While the bats are still aluminum, new technology has reduced the flight of the ball and dampened the sound considerably.  Gone are the slugfests.  The game now closely resembles the pros.  If you have not watched a college game, I encourage you to try one.  I am sure you will love it.

8.      The Majors should take a page from the minors.  Have you been to a minor league baseball game any time, ever?  It is one big party.  In between watching the game’s rising stars, most all minor league games feature mid inning games, entertainment and just plain silliness. Let’s keep in mind, it is still a game.  Now, a few major league teams get it to a lesser extent, but why can’t we have more fan participation at the highest level of the game?  No sport anywhere appreciates their fans more than baseball.  I believe that.  We have interactive fun throughout the minors.  Games in Latin America feature constant music, live music, during the games.  Japanese games are more fan inclusive.  But when we get to the highest level of the sport we want fans to watch and be entertained.  Forget that, let’s have fun!  (Just not the wave.  I hate the wave.)

9.      Patience is a virtue, ask a Cubs fan.  Indians fans, just wait, it will come.  I can say this as a lifelong fan of a team that waited 97 years (76 if you only count the modern game) for their first championship and another 28 for the second.  I am watching the rebuilding process now in hopes of number three.  Keep in mind you do have a pennant to look at in the outfield.  There are eight teams led by the Rangers who have not won their first series.  Washington as a city is now on their third team with no championship since 1924.  While no team should have to wait 108 years, with 30 teams, a drought is inevitable. 

10.  To casual fans and Seamheads alike, I say expand your horizons.  I am not going to go into great detail here.  I will instead give you something to explore if you wish.  Here is a list of teams who have won championships this year.  If you want to grow your love of the game, google some of these teams to discover where they are from and what they are about. 

a.      Chicago Cubs

b.      Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

c.      Venados de Mazatlan

d.      Maine-Endwell

e.      Netherlands

f.       Santurce

g.      Brisbane Bandits

h.      Doosan Bears

i.       Coastal Carolina University

j.       McGill University

k.      Pericos de Puebla

l.       Ciego de Avila

m.    Leones de Escogido

n.      Tigres de Aragua

o.      EDA Rhinos

I would love to hear from all baseball fans no matter your level of interest.  I would like to know what you love about our game.  

Who’s Got Next? (Or,What Sport am I Watching Now?)

As a sports fan, these are the greatest few months of the year.  It is the only time when all four major (US) sports are active.  Baseball is reaching its zenith.  Football is in full swing.  The college season is at the midpoint, while the professionals are about a third of the way.  Hockey has dropped the puck on a brand new season and Basketball is just days away from their own tip off.  What a time to be a sports fan.

But is this really it?  Is there more out there?

I grew up in a place geographically located to give me exposure to multiple television markets.  Even with the limited channels we had, I had exposure to seventeen different “big four” teams. I loved it and was riveted to all four sports.  I also stayed glued to the set for all of the Tennis and Golf I could find.  This was usually limited just to the majors with the occasional special event like the Ryder Cup or Davis Cup.  We also had the Olympics come around every four years.  But they only showed a few events geared to what the American audience wanted to see.

About the time I was moving into high school, a wondrous thing happened, ESPN.  It was nothing like it is today with wall to wall college and pro games on multiple channels.  In the beginning they had to be creative with programming.  It was the greatest thing any true sports fan could wish for.  They had sports that were, shall we say, different, with the likes of Billiards, Bowling, Lumberjack games, Pro Rodeo and a favorite of mine Australian Rules Football.  This was to help fill programming around the staples from the NCAA like the College World Series and March Madness. 

It was the exposure to the “alternate” programming that really caught my interest.  Nothing was going to change my love for the big four sports, but here was a whole new world of competition.  That is what it is really about for me.  I love the competition.  This only became stronger when I left for college.  I went to a school that has all of the traditional sports.  It also has, a full complement of smaller sports.  Since my school was committed to the smaller sports, we were good in a few and that gave them some well-deserved exposure.  It was at this time that I added soccer (football) and lacrosse to my list of favorites.  At first I was only mildly interested.  Then as I learned the rules, what was happening on the field was making sense.  I began to understand strategy and movement.  I thought, “Hey, this is great!”

It was then I realized that there is much more to see to give me that thrill.   I began to seek out new sports.  Shortly after college, the Olympics made a change.   In the past both the Summer and Winter games were held the same year and there was the long four year wait for the next go around.  Now, the Winter Olympics would stagger with the Summer games and we would have them every two years.   Television coverage improved and became much more extensive.  We began to see more and different events.  Ah, more for me to absorb.   

Then, somewhere in the nineties, someone realized that women play more than Tennis and the programming opened up even more thanks in no small part to the US Women’s Soccer Team and the WNBA.  Finally, the LPGA would make it to television and get the exposure it richly deserves.  The Women’s College World Series would join the men on ESPN each year.  I thought this was wonderful, and long overdue.  Keep it coming.

So here I sit, in a virtual paradise for sports programming.  All four major sports have their own networks.  Tennis, Golf and Auto Racing each have networks dedicated to their own niches. Regional sports networks are everywhere.  The English Premier League and UEFA matches are telecast in the United States.  We have live coverage of the Australian Open.  I can see the LPGA event from South Korea or this week’s European Tour stop.  One click away is the Formula 1 race from Monaco or the Ryder Cup matches from Hazeltine.  It is great sitting with my wife, also a sports fan, watching the MLB playoffs or this week’s NFL matchup.  It is wonderful and I do spend hours flipping from one channel to the next, mostly when my wife is out of the room.  But with this saturation of our most popular sports, I no longer get to see Irish Hurling from Dublin, Rugby from Auckland, Curling from Winnipeg, or Cricket from Johannesburg.  Thanks to the internet I can still get my fill when I want it, but I do miss those days on ESPN.  The gold blazer days.  (If you are old enough, you will understand that reference.)

What is it that has me looking for more?  Looking for new and different sports?   The competition.  As I mentioned above, I love the competition.  I have friends who are dedicated to one or two sports.  The guys who are totally immersed in football or basketball.  They watch the film breakdowns on the NFL network.  They are in several fantasy leagues.  They can tell you any stat from last night’s games.  I am good with that, but it is just not me.  I, in my OCD influenced world, have levels of fandom.  From the completely compulsive to the mildly fascinated, I have my sports organized.

I will admit, for my favorites, baseball and golf, I will get much more in depth than I will for other sports.  For baseball I follow the minor league system down to its lowest levels.  I also keep up with college baseball and softball up until tournament time when I dive in head first.  Golf, my other top sport keeps me busy.   I have been a lifelong follower of the PGA Tour.  Along the way I began to obsessively follow the LPGA Tour.  Then came the Senior, now Champions Tour.  I now follow the European Tour with the same fervor that I have for the American tour.  Let’s not forget about the Web.com Tour where the stars of tomorrow are coming from.

Then there is the next level where football, basketball and hockey reside, where I am content in knowing detail, but I don’t need it to the nth degree.  There is a lot I follow with each of these sports and I want the broad knowledge, just not to the same level.  I love football and am just about as detailed with the NFL as I am with baseball.  However, while I keenly follow both the FBS and FCS levels of college football, I cannot revel in the stats beyond the Heisman candidates and top schools.  Basketball and Hockey are much the same.  I follow the NBA and NHL but other than March Madness and the Frozen Four, I don’t follow beyond the pros.  I love these sports though.

Level three are the sports I like but don’t hang on every game.  Soccer lands here.  Since college I have been a fan of soccer.  I follow the English Premier League, UEFA and the MLS, but only to know the teams.  I do not get to the player level, other than the true stars.  I do make an exception to this when the World Cup comes around.  This is my every four-year guilty pleasure with both the men’s and women’s tournaments.  I love the World Cup. I will also include Tennis, Motor Sports, and Horse Racing in this group.  I was once much more interested in Tennis, but somehow drifted away a bit.  I still know the top players and will be sure to watch the majors and occasionally stop on the Tennis channel.  While I am not a great racing fan, I still find myself stopping to watch the big races.  I watch all of the circuits and will be sure to watch at least part of the races from Indianapolis, Daytona, Monaco and a few others.  As for Horse Racing, everyone loves the spectacle of the Triple Crown.  A beautiful well trained horse is a sight to behold.

Level four is where I group the sports that I have watched and enjoy but don’t always know the players.  Lacrosse, Rugby, Cricket, Australian Rules Football all fit the bill here.  As does a fading favorite in Boxing and the relatively new MMA.   I will also include several Olympic events.  swimming, track and field, various skiing and snowboarding events and I love to watch rowing.  I know all of the rules but don’t need to know the participants to enjoy the event. 

Level five have the curiosities.  These are the events that are only ever seen at the Olympics, On ABC’s Wide World of Sports or the early days of ESPN.  The Good for a lark sports like polo, curling, handball, field hockey, wrestling and the list goes on and on.  Once every few years and I am perfectly content.

I have one more group.  A group of sports that are beloved by millions.  I too enjoy many in this group, but I will never be able to be as fervent as all of the others.  My reason, these are judged sports.  Please do not get me wrong.  I consider each of the individuals athletes in every sense of the word.  They are highly skilled and well trained.  I just cannot seem to muster the same enthusiasm for these as other sports where the players determine the outcome.  In this group I give you gymnastics, diving, figure skating, and many more.  I like them, I just can’t love them.

Did I leave anyone out?  I am sure.  Will I develop new loves and obsessions?  Without a doubt.  When I find a new sport, the first thing I will do is learn the rules, at least the basics.  That makes the watching so much more enjoyable.  Then, if it stays with me, I will continue to follow it.  It may move up in my ranks.  It may not.  Either way, I am certain I will continue to watch. 

Do you enjoy a sport that is not in the mainstream?  If so, and I have not mentioned it here, I would like to hear about it.  I welcome your comments and maybe you will give me my next sports obsession.