The Hitting Knob

Baseball, just like all sports, are looking for new ways to develop the sport, from youth, all the way through the professionals on television.  One new item that is attempting to creep into the scene is The Hitting Knob.  It is a weighted device that fits on the knob of the baseball bat, metal or wood, that makes the bat heavier but does not change the path of the swing or the barrel like heavy donuts or devices at the end of the bat do. It allows for:

• live hitting practice
• fits all bats
• improves technique
• builds power
• increases speed

TWO STEPS BACK

After two consecutive victories, Pittsburgh Steeler fans began to show some optimism for the football season left to play.  However, a bad loss to the Oakland Raiders on Sunday afternoon may have sealed the fate of, at best, a mediocre season, for the black and gold.  An upcoming match up with the New England Patriots poses yet another road block for the Steelers that could put the team at 2-6 going into the second half of the season. 

Big Ben's protection is still an issue as the halfway point in the 2013 season is on the horizon.  Injuries to multiple offensive linemen have led to a carousel by committee of plug in players to try and fill the jobs.

In national sporting news, the Boston Red Sox are now only one victory away from capturing another World Series for Beantown.  They will have the luxury of playing the remainder of the series, however it may swing, in Boston.  David Ortiz has continued his legendary postseason tear, having reached base 9 consecutive plate appearances.  Maybe they should try throwing it underhand.....then again Big Papi may be a future softball legend and we don't even know it yet.

Big Papi, David Ortiz, all smiles with a World Series ring within grasps. 

Pittsburgh's Goin' to da Super Bowl

After a horrific start to the season, the Steelers have turned themselves around and are right back in the thick of the division and wild card race in the AFC.  A game winning field goal gave dem Stillers a victory over the rival Ravens on Sunday evening at Heinz Field. For whatever reason, the city has taken a liking to the inconsistent Steelers, not winning either of their games in impressive fashion, but ending on top, nonetheless.  However, a bit overzealous talk in the Steelers lockeroom of playoffs may be a bit premature to be noting to the local newspapers.

This should humble them moving forward....less talk, more action.

In other sports news, old Pirate head coach, Jim Leyland, announced his resignation from the Detroit Tigers on Monday which in effect likely announces his retirement without coming out and directly saying it.  There are only so many packs of smokes one man can inhale in a dugout tunnel in one lifetime.

Nothing like every conceivable form of tobacco in a clubhouse to keep the troops calm.

The Marijuana Movement

As marijuana is becoming more accepted legally and socially around our country, the NCAA is grappling with the idea of how to combat the increased use of it amongst its student athletes.  The chief medical officer, Brian Hainline, is concerned that synthetic marijuana, which contains synthetic chemicals along with the natural herb is dangerous and that version is becoming the most popular.  However, it is not considered a performance enhancing drug in all reality, with the only upside really being the ability to relax easier.  Still, action is being taken to avoid this steep climb in use within its student athletes.  To deter marijuana use, the NCAA is lowering the threshold, effective Aug. 1, for what determines a positive test. The threshold is being reduced from 15 to five nanograms per milliliter. The change will make it easier to detect marijuana usage based on urine testing.

Many schools do their own individual testing and hand out their own punishments, not necessarily trying to embarrass or dismiss the offenders, but to encourage deterrence and counseling for those that may have a problem stopping use of the drug.  A school like Purdue, depending on the circumstance of the student, they provide somewhat of a three strike approach before game time and real punishment is actually implemented.  At a school like Virginia Tech, first positive test of a prohibited substance enforces game time lost (one-tenth of the season).

Legal or Illegal?

 In the cases of college athletes, whose sole tasks are to simply attend class and practice, they more evidently display deviance by using such illegal drugs as marijuana simply to relay a special image of themselves towards others or to be purposefully different than the standard student.  In the case of states that have not allowed marijuana to be used legally, this one breaks the law, and two reflects poorly back towards their teammates and athletic program they are a part of. 

Sending more than one message

In a time where our watches can now make phone calls, take pictures and do just about everything a computer can, our younger society finds itself vulnerable to drowning with the tidal wave of technology.  The NFL, arguably the most recognized sport brand in the United States, has been making the push to combat childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyles in youth with the NFL Play 60 campaign.  To further inspire the youngsters, many players  of area NFL teams visit local schools granted the Play 60 campaign to send a message straight from the role models' mouths.  The kids seem to absorb the message made by a filthy rich athlete much more easily than their loving parents.  However manipulative by the NFL, the campaign has proven very effective.  What could be better for the kids at these selected schools?  Obesity is a large issue (up 37% over the last 5 years) in our country. 

Who can forget this little guy from a Play 60 commercial?  Makes me laugh every time.  Probably could have started over Cam a few times last season from his performances.

Ravens visit play 60 school


The NFL, in my opinion, hit it on the head.  As video games and televisions become bigger and better, something must offset this in order to create a base for healthy lifestyles.  Start active, stay active.  Despite the link depicting a youth Crossfit session near the end, it does in fact send a great message that the players seemingly enjoy relaying and the children openly acknowledge.  Why couldn't we have had this in elementary school?  I would have loved to skip class for NFL sponsored pep rallies.

Stick n' move

To move away from the four major sport spotlight, particularly in the Pittsburgh area, because after all, there is human life and sports out side of federal street and the 10th street bridge, there is some good old fashioned boxing going down this weekend.  Timothy Bradley, undefeated and a titleholder and Juan Manuel Marquez, will go toe-to-toe this weekend in Vegas.  Marquez, according to the oddsmakers, is the favorite in the welterweight title bout.  The brief recent history behind both fights has them both associated with their recent success vs. the "best pound for pound fighter in the world" in Manny Pacquiao.  Bradley defeated Pac-man on a very questionable decision as the judges seemed to be asleep during the fight but nonetheless Bradley remained undefeated.  Marquez proved a little more worth as he knocked Pac-man out in his last fight, the trliogy of the fighters matchups which still hold questions as to who is the better boxer.

The time is not now...for now

So as the dejected faithful of the Pirates drudge to school and work today, the dreams of a World Series trophy enshrined in PNC Park will have to wait for another year.  It is a humbling time for a city and fan base that had built momentum over the past two seasons and the climax was last night's game in St. Louis.  The stage was set for a national upset and the birth of a new sheriff in Major League Baseball town.  Despite the efforts from Gerrit Cole, who pitched like anything but a rookie, Adam Wainwright was that much better in proving that experience and calculated coaching by the  Cardinals down the stretch, to set up the potential game 5 matchup with their ace at home, proved to be too much for the Pirates.

Let us rejoice for what has been accomplished, not what is yet to be achieved.  This is a huge leap that rapidly helped us forget, even just for a moment, the 21 years of anguish and failure that the franchise had endured. Now the scope focuses solely on football and hockey, at least in Pittsburgh, for the time being.  The hot, but not all that surprising start, from the Penguins, who will likely be a very real contender for Lord Stanley's Cup come May, and the Steelers, who look to break their worst start in fifty years by going 0-5. 

 

It is quite alright to let the image above fester for a while.  Look at it as motivation to avenge the feeling of disappointment the next time this opportunity presents itself to the organization (hopefully sooner than 21 more years from now).  For the front office and player personnel, this is an off season regiment in one image.  A division rival celebrating on their field, ending the Pirates plans of playing that lovable team of destiny.  Yes, we lost two straight to, in effect, blow the series.  But understand, the opponent has a crazy good elimination game record and jockeyed with the Pirates for the best record in baseball all season long.  So  they were no slouch, but they did persevere the way a champion should.  That is what we can learn from this.  That is how an experienced postseason team responds in the face of adversity. 

The time may be now

Even ESPN's Jayson Stark can smell what Pittsburgh is cookin' for the 2013 MLB playoffs....http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2013/story/_/id/9783114/mlb-pittsburgh-pirates-feeling-october-passion

Pittsburgh may be on a revolutionary path where the dormant Pirates are heading upward and the beloved Steelers are plummeting toward the first pick of the draft.

HOW BOUT DEM STILLERS?!?!

In the most exciting week of Pittsburgh baseball in the last 21 years, let's take a step back and see how those Steelers are doing.....ok that was long enough.  Back to the Buccos, who have captured national headlines and even been deemed the team of destiny by ESPN in latest discussions.  With all that is going right with the Pirates, what are the Steelers organization feeling about this?  Over two decades since Pirate talk has been crowding the lunch tables and radio waves this late into the year.  Some of the players on each respective team may not have even been born in 1992.  It is quite alright, the ship sails on to the gateway to the west in pursuit of a pennant.

I am more in awe of how normal Barry Bonds looks than the uniforms