Yankees, Braves, Catchings, and Croom

First, an article about the Yankees hosting Buses for Baseball, which is for kids who can't otherwise afford to go to a Major League game. Those on the Yankees involved with the kids included Johnny Damon, Mike Myers, and Miguel Cairo. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070717&content_id=2091970&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Here's an article about Yankees 1st baseman Andy Phillips, a Christian, and how much better he's playing now than last year and earlier this year. Last year he was dealing with the illness of his wife, and this spring his mom was seriously injured in a car accident. But everyone is doing fine now, and so is he on the field. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070717&content_id=2091745&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy&partnered=rss_nyy.

Next, an article about the Braves Christmas in July program, where they collect new toys that are donated by fans at some games in June, and then the players and others hand deliver them to kids in local hospitals. Those involved with the Braves included Tim Hudson and his wife, Matt Diaz and his wife (Christians), Jeff Francoeur and his fiancee (Christians), and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. I think that just the fact that the players came and spent time with them meant more to the kids than the toys though. I thought that this last part of the article about Francoeur was great:

Then there was 12-year-old Darcy Chaffin of McDonough, Ga.

Her spirits rose when Diaz, his wife, Leslee, Braves Spanish broadcaster Fernando Palacios, and former Brave Marty Perez dropped in to visit. Her spirits soared when she heard that Jeff Francoeur was in the building. While she enjoyed her visit, as the group moved on, no one knew what was going to happen next for Chaffin or Francoeur.

At around 2:45, more than two hours after the visiting began, the Braves players met in the hospital lobby to leave for Turner Field. As Francoeur was leaving, his fiancé, Catie McCoy, shouted at him to turn around. Chaffin, wearing a robe and a sanitary face mask, pushing a portable IV, with her nurse and parents in tow, had made her way down to the lobby just in time to catch Francoeur before he left.

The Braves right fielder turned around, walked back to where the group was standing, his face aglow with his signature smile. He then took a knee, gave the girl a big hug and posed for a couple of pictures.

"I looked around the whole hospital for him," she beamed afterward.

It was the kind of miracle that only happens at Christmas -- or in Atlanta, Christmas in July.

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070717&content_id=2092061&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl&partnered=rss_atl.

Here's an article about Fever forward Tamika Catchings, a Christian, helping take care of her sister Tauja's little boy: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070718/SPORTS05/707180400/1223/SPORTS05.

Lastly, a Q & A article about Mississippi State head football coach Sylvester Croom, a Christian. Here's a quote from him about why he took the job at Mississippi State after losing out on the same job at Alabama:

... But at the same time, you know, I am one of those people who believe that the good Lord has things planned for your life, and I've always thought to prepare myself for the eventuality of whatever came along. ...

Here's the article: http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stories/071807aal.html.