Bowden and baseball misc.

First of all, a couple of articles about Florida State head football coach Bobby Bowden, a Christian, on his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame yesterday. The first one is from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes: http://www.fca.org/vsItemDisplay.lsp?method=display&objectid=981BF8E5-7F00-4C3B-8CE335E779D439DC.

The second Bowden article is a great article from a link off of the above article: http://www.miamiherald.com/603/story/172683.html.

Here's just a happy article about Braves infielder Yunel Escobar, who escaped from Cuba three years ago and then was reunited with his parents and sister in the U.S. this year. His mom just recently was able to leave Cuba and come to the U.S. Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/07/18/escobar_0719.html.

Next, a Q & A article with Nationals 2nd baseman Ronnie Belliard. This one is a little different in that most of the questions were asked by kids. Here's a quote:

Question: When you go out onto the field, you write something in the dirt behind second base. What is that?

Belliard: I write "Jesus." That's what I write when I go over there.

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070719&content_id=2097077&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was.

Also, an article about Julio Franco's happy return to the Braves after 1 1/2 years with the Mets. Here's a quote:

Franco spared no dramatic image in describing his return to the Braves at the age of 48. Cut free earlier this month by the team the Braves are chasing in the National League East — the New York Mets — Franco said he fell to his knees and prayed for deliverance back to the team that once before had rescued his career.

"I asked God, if I don't come to Atlanta, I might as well pack it up," he said before his first game back Thursday against St. Louis.

"I wouldn't go anywhere else, because at my stage and age, if I go anywhere, guys don't know how to use me and they don't know me as well as this organization.

"I'm home."

Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/07/19/julio_0720.html.

Lastly, an article that I happened upon about Triple-A Durham Bulls shortstop Ben Zobrist, a Christian, hitting a game-winning home run last night against the Indianapolis Indians. He's trying to make it back to the Devil Rays after playing there last year and earlier this year. Here's the article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070722/SPORTS/707220395/1193/NLETTER12.