League meetings were very interesting. Our breakfast buffet was good. Took a biscuit, slapped on some eggs and breakfast sausage and had a sandwich. Observing the dynamic of meetings like this is something I always find interesting. I'd say before everyone split up (coaches, umpires, and front office staff), there were 60 or so in the room.
No matter the group, I feel like there are always certain types of "characters," if you will, and yesterday was no different. There was the funny guy, the guy that, in response, tried to be funny, too, but wasn't, the guy that asks way too many questions, the guy that asks the right questions and earns the respect of the room, and the group in the corner who act like they are too cool to care.
But alas...
Opening night is finally upon us! This is a very exciting time for the players, the staff, and the front office. I know that I am feeling a combination of a lot of emotions. I am excited, I am nervous, and I am anxious. I just want to get that first inning out of the way and I think I will be ok.
Some more players arrived yesterday. A few sprinkled in throughout the afternoon, able to make it to last night's 8:00pm workout, while a few others arrived late in the evening.The roster will be at around 17 strong tomorrow. Some of these newer guys are going to be stepping onto the field with guys they still haven't even met!
One player to look out for? Craig Massey. He is signed to a temporary contract so it is unclear as to the length of his stay in Brainerd, but his hitting in practice thus far is giving coaches great reason to be excited. Now, with that being said, as Allen Iverson once famously pointed out: "We're talking about practice...not a game...but, practice!" Just some food for thought, though, for Lunkers fans unsure of what to expect from this year's roster.
Remember, fans: First pitch is at 6:05. If you can't make the trip to Alexandria, be sure to tune in on the radio at 1340 KVBR, or, online at either lunkersbaseball.com or northwoodsleague.tv. Something to keep in mind: the Northwoods League has invested a lot of money in each team's video capabilities and is taking great strides to ensure that it has top flight video quality for each game so be sure to check it out online!
For those who plan to tune in, I will almost always have a guest pre-game and a player come up to the booth during the game. Among other segments throughout the game, we will have a trivia question that will allow fans the chance to win prizes. Finally, throughout the game we will try remain very active on our Facebook page, encouraging fan interaction. We will likely even reward fans that remain active with Lunker prizes as well.
Once things get rolling, this blog will include stories from the road and player contributions, likely through video messages, so be sure to keep checking it out!
Hot Sports Opinion of the Day: Last week I commented on a few National League teams that were surprising people now, but that I didn't think were in it for the long run (Cincinnati and San Diego). Well, I think I found their American League counterpart and it pains me to say it: my beloved Texas Rangers. Why? Listen to these numbers. Versus teams under .500, Texas is 22-7. In other words, they are doing what they should be doing: beating up on bad teams. However, against teams over .500, Texas is an alarming 5-17, winning only one series against, in other words, a "good" team. Forturnately for Texas, they play in baseball's worst division, the AL West. But, they cannot keep this up and expect to compete down the stretch, let alone in the playoffs. As the season progresses, the good teams get tougher to beat when the games become more important. If they can't beat them now, don't expect them to win in August and September, unless something starts to change.
Sports Pick of the Day: Philadelphia over Chicago. The Flyers are down 0-2, but have not been grossly outplayed. As a matter of fact, many people believe they outplayed Chicago in their 2-1 game 2 defeat. Count on them to come out strong in front of their home crowd.
Record: 3-2
Streak: L1
Time for me to get back to work. Gotta prepare for the game!
Opening Night is less than 10 hours away!
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