MLB, NFL, etc.

First of all, an article about Braves 1st baseman Mark Teixeira, a Christian, and he gives his teammates for his hot hitting since being traded to the Braves from the Rangers on July 31st. Here's a quote:

And considering it's his first month in a different league, the switch-hitting slugger has to be as impressed as everyone else by his gaudy statistics, right?

Actually, he said he's not.

"It's the lineup -- all the lineup," Teixeira insisted Tuesday, as if a .320 average with 10 homers and 31 RBIs in his first 26 Braves games had more to do with the hitters in the other spots in the lineup than the one batting cleanup.

"Obviously I've got to get some hits. But at the same time, if I get up to bat with two or three guys on base, I'm gonna get some RBIs. And that's happening all the time."

Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/08/28/brvnotes_0829.html.

Here's an article about Bengals linebacker David Pollack, a Christian, and how he's helping out the Bengals coaching staff while he's continuing to heal from a broken neck last season: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/uga/stories/2007/08/29/pollack_0830.html.

Next, a Q & A article with Colts tight end Ben Utecht, a Christian, including questions about what his wife's up to and his singing the National Anthem this summer: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070829/SPORTS03/708290428.

Here's an article about Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook, a Christian, going to make a rehab start last night to help him in returning from an injured oblique (side muscle) that put him on the disabled list: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070829&content_id=2177830&vkey=news_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col.

Unfortunately, Cook re-injured the muscle in his rehab start last night and probably won't return this season. Here's that article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070902&content_id=2185350&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Also, a note about PGA golfer Zach Johnson, a Christian. He is scheduled to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at the Cubs/Dodgers game in Chicago this week, on either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Wednesday night's game is on WGN at 8:00, but the other two games are only televised locally. I don't know what kind of a singer he is though! Here's the quote about it:

... Andy Pafko will sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on Monday, when the Cubs play host to the Dodgers. The singers for the rest of the Cubs-Dodgers series include Zach Johnson, Wayne Messmer and Bill Kurtis.

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070829&content_id=2177603&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc&partnered=rss_chc.

Here's an article about MLB umpires Ted Barrett (a Christian), Mark Carlson, Angel Hernandez, and Derryl Cousins--the umpiring crew for the Yankees/Red Sox series last week--visited The Children's Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx last Wednesday. They handed out stuffed animals and spent time talking with the kids there. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070829&content_id=2178052&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Next, an article to update the health of former MLB player and current minor league manager Brett Butler, a Christian, who is recuperating from a stroke: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/08/29/butler_0830.html.

Lastly, another article about the guys who wrote the Mark Teixeira Tribute song, Tyler Crawford and Andrew Hall. They sang the song at Turner Field before the Braves/Mets game Friday night. Here's a couple of quotes from an article about them and how they were going to sing on Friday night:

When not in class or attending church, the two work on their campus Information Technology Help Desk. ...

... Then there's guilt over how their three simple chords and harmony honed through church hymns bypassed the dues paid by real musicians ...

Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/08/30/texyoutube_0830.html.

Here's a link to a page on Crawford and Hall's website (http://www.titoandthegunshow.com/) that has the original song video and video of the two singing a slightly different version of the song, an interview, and a start to a new song about Braves pitcher Tim Hudson on the Braves pregame show last week: http://www.titoandthegunshow.com/audio_video.html.