sports misc.

First, a good article about Colts head coach Tony Dungy, a Christian: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070906/COL05/709060327/1009/col05 (originally found at: http://www.aia.com/news.aspx?newsitem=248).

Here's a neat quote from Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka about the AL Rookie of the Year race. Matsuzaka and fellow Japanese teammate Hideki Okajima are both considered rookies even though they've pitched in Japan for several years before coming to the U.S. this year. Another Red Sox, 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia, is a true rookie. Here's what Matsuzaka had to say about it:

"[Matsuzaka] had an interesting answer," [Red Sox manager Terry] Francona said. "[He said], 'I've already been Rookie of the Year.' And he pointed at Pedroia and said, 'That's your Rookie of the Year.' I remember thinking, it was just in passing, but I remember thinking, 'Pretty mature attitude.' I don't want to hurt someone's chances of receiving awards ever, but I loved his attitude."

Matsuzaka was named Rookie of the Year of the Pacific League in 1999, his first year with the Seibu Lions.

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070906&content_id=2192614&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos.

Next, an article about Padres catcher Josh Bard, a Christian, and his older brother Mike, the assistant hitting coach for the Rockies. Their teams played against each other last weekend. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070906&content_id=2193692&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Here's a few articles about the NBA's trip to South Africa last week to help out and teach basketball: http://www.nba.com/global/bwb_africa_warms_up_070905.html, http://www.nba.com/global/bwb_africa_recap_070907.html, and http://www.nba.com/global/bwb_africa_recap2_070907.html. Here's the main page about it: http://www.nba.com/global/africa_bwb_2007.html.

Also, an article about Fever forward Tamika Catchings, a Christian, and the torn Achilles that she suffered in the decisive game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Shock. She should be ready for the next WNBA season, but will miss playing overseas this year. Here's a great quote from her about her recovery from the injury:

"I know God's not done with me yet," she said. "I'm just going to keep pushing forward."

Here's the article: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070907/SPORTS/709080304/1004/RSS02.

Here's a couple of injury reports from a couple of Christian MLB players. The first is from Red Sox pitcher Matt Clement, who's trying to get back to pitching by the end of the month after shoulder surgery last September. Here's the article (page down): http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/09/06/lowell_might_be_too_pricey/?page=2.

The other injury report is about Yankees 1st baseman Andy Phillips, who is trying to come back by next month after having wrist surgery to remove a broken bone (page down): http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spynotes065360848sep06,0,1754696.story.

Next, an article about Colts radio voice Bob Lamey fulfilling the wish of a 93-year-old man by visiting at his nursing home: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070912/SPORTS/709120426/1247/NLETTER12.

Lastly, a note about seriously injured Bills tight end Kevin Everett, who sustained a serious spinal cord injury during the Bills game against the Broncos last Sunday:

EVERETT IMPROVES The word "miracle" is being tossed around regarding the new developments in the ongoing physical battles of Buffalo Bills' tight end Kevin Everett. One day after the doctor who operated on Everett announced that it was unlikely Everett would walk again, things looked remarkably better. As Everett began to awaken partially from his induced sedation, he moved his arms and legs--providing hope for a more complete recovery. The people treating Everett used a new therapy immediately after the injury, one in which he was injected with a cold saline solution to minimize swelling. That may have contributed to the surprising good news just one day after surgery. As did the prayers of thousands.

Here's the webpage: http://www.sportsspectrum.com/daily/archives/070912.php.

To go along with that, here's what Falcons wide receiver Joe Horn had to say about Kevin Everett and his injury:

"Sometimes you need to focus on what's life and what's real," wide receiver Joe Horn said. "After seeing what happened to Kevin, God makes things happen for a reason. My prayers go out to him and his family.

"But you have to sit back sometimes, after playing 11, 12 years and realized that you are blessed. We are blessed to be physically able to play this game."

Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/09/12/falnot_0913.html.

Dungy, Williams, and baseball

I don't have much today, but I thought that I would go ahead before it gets to be a lot.

First, an article about Colts head coach Tony Dungy and Indiana Fever guard Tamika Catchings (both Christians) being awarded with the 2007 Chase Major Taylor Award by the Coca-Cola Circle City Classic. The award is "a tribute to African-American athletes, coaches, athletic administrators and officials who have made significant local and national contributions to youth while encouraging excellence in future generations". Here's the article: http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=7123d788-c330-4e20-9e51-aef21341382b.

Here's a note about Bucks guard Mo Williams and a charity event that he's holding, from an article about his upcoming season:

Williams will return to Milwaukee this weekend to play host to a charity event, a celebrity softball game at Helfaer Field at Miller Park. The event is free and open to the public and begins at 7 p.m. Saturday.

As part of the back-to-school event, the Mo Williams Foundation will provide backpacks for youngsters attending the softball game.

"I'm a baseball player; I played shortstop and pitched," Williams said. "Young adults are my main focus. I'm blessed to be in a position a lot of people aren't, and I want to use it as a gift."

Here's the article: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=651256 (originally found at: http://www.nba.com/news/linkcentral.html).

Next, an article about Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur, a Christian, and his great outfield play this season: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070822&content_id=2163755&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl&partnered=rss_atl.

Here's a great article about Braves 1st baseman Julio Franco, a Christian, written on his 49th birthday last Thursday. He's currently playing for the Single-A Rome (Georgia) Braves still, I think, but should be back to play with the Braves in Atlanta on Saturday. Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/08/22/franco_0823.html.

Lastly, a couple of notes from the Little League World Series games today. First, after Lubbock, Texas, beat Curacao in the world championship consolation game, they showed the Texas team huddled together on their knees praying. That was awesome. Later after Warner Robins, Georgia, beat Japan to win the world championship on a walk-off homer in the 8th inning (regulation is 6 innings), most of the Japan team was crying. After celebrating, the Georgia team went over to the Japanese team to shake their hands like the teams do after every game. However, since the Japanese players were crying, the Georgia players gave them hugs instead and tried to console them as much as they could with the language barrier. It was neat to see.

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.

Dungy, and MLB and basketball misc.

First of all, I mentioned Colts head coach Tony Dungy's (a Chrisitan) blog before, but that was before I had read any of his posts. After having read them, his blog is a must read. They're great, and give some idea of his day-to-day life. Recently, he's been tellling about his travels on his book tour for his Christian book Quiet Strength. It's a Christian blog too, where he sometimes tells about his faith too. Here's the blog page: http://www.mycolts.net/tonydungy/blog/Dungy_Perspective.

Also about Dungy, he was on Focus on the Family last week, Wednesday through Friday. I missed it, but I found that the show is available to buy on audio CD for a $9 donation. Here's more information on the CD: http://resources.family.org/product/radio+broadcasts/most+recent+/b01244d+tony+dungy-+a+man+of+quiet+strength.do. For more information about the broadcasts, go here:
Part 1: http://listen.family.org/daily/A000000512.cfm
Part 2: http://listen.family.org/daily/A000000513.cfm
Part 3: http://listen.family.org/daily/A000000514.cfm.

Here's another article about Orioles 2nd baseman Brian Roberts, a Christian, and the charity work that he does in Baltimore: http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070712&content_id=2082754&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp.

Next, a Christian article on 76ers forward Kyle Korver: http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5628.

Here's a great article about former MLB player and current minor league manager Brett Butler, a Christian. He's currently the manager for the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A team for the Diamondbacks. Here's some quotes about/from Butler:

Brett Butler has shared a bunker with some of baseball's most, shall we say spicy, elocutionists. Bobby Cox and Tommy Lasorda are two of the notable managers on that list.

But in some important ways, Butler is a manager of his own making. His production carries a hard PG rating.

We take you to an evening early in Butler's latest assignment, shepherding the Class AA Mobile BayBears of the Southern League.

"There was a point he got into an argument with the umpire and he was really going off," begins BayBears team president and part owner Bill Shanahan.

"I called up [to the press box] on the walkie-talkie and told them to turn off the music. Turn off everything. I knew he wasn't going to swear, and I wanted to hear what was going on.

"Another manager in the past, I would have turned the music up." ...

"I'm 50 years old and I've never really had a real job," he said. "I had a job in college and things like that, but all my life, I'm a baseball player. There are three things I love: I love the Lord, I love my family and I love baseball." ...

"God runs my life. If I'm supposed to manage in the big leagues, I will. If I'm not, then He's got another purpose for me. Right now, I'm the Double A manager. All I'm trying to do is get as many kids as I can to the big leagues." And one 50-year-old, too, in the process.

Here's the article: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/07/14/0715butler.html.

Lastly, an article about Fever forward Tamika Catchings, a Christian, and her season so far at the WBNA midpoint and her prospects of getting the MVP award: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070715/SPORTS05/707150392/1223.

baseball and football misc. and Catchings

There are several articles today. I just thought that these first two articles were interesting. The first is about the two Major Leaguers to have come from Cairo, Georgia: Braves outfielder Willie Harris and Dodger Hall-of-Famer Jackie Robinson: http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/06/01/0602cairo.html.

The second one is about Jets head coach Eric Mangini surprising his mom by attending her college graduation last week: http://www.ajc.com/falcons/content/shared-gen/ap/General_Football_News/FBN_Jets_Manginis_Mom.html.

Here's a good article on Diamondbacks 1st baseman Tony Clark, a Christian, and his wanting to stay with the Diamondbacks past this season. Here's a quote about the type of person he is from teammate Eric Byrnes:

If his teammates had any say in the decision, Clark would certainly be back. Well respected throughout the game, Clark has been a mentor to many of the D-backs' young players.

"He's the glue that holds everybody together between management, coaching staff and the players; he keeps the whole organization tight," outfielder Eric Byrnes said. "I have respect for him as a player, but even more so as a man and a teammate."

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070602&content_id=2000658&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Next, a good article about Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano and catcher Michael Barrett, both Christians, about their fight last Saturday. I liked the comment about in yesterday's Daily. I have to admit I've been there, done that though, unfortunately. Not fighting or cussing, but yelling and slamming doors though. I just get frustrated or upset and let loose, and fortunately a video camera isn't around to broadcast it for the whole world to see. I usually feel better afterwards, not that it makes it right though. From what this article says, everything seems to be okay between Zambrano and Barrett now. Their friendship and faith might be stronger for it. Here's some good quotes from Zambrano about it:

"I think the only person who can control my emotions is God," Zambrano said. "I have to build my relationship with God and make it stronger. He's the only one who can control me. I come from a family, and my dad is like I am. I think it's in my blood."

Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070602&content_id=2000557&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Here's an article about a youth baseball clinic that the Angels put on last week. Those involved included current players Reggie Willits and Chris Bootcheck, manager Mike Scioscia, and former players Jay Johnstone, Bobby Grich, and Dave Frost. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070602&content_id=2001940&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb.

Lastly, three good Christian articles from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes' Sharing the Victory Magazine. The first is about the WNBA's Indiana Fever Tamika Catchings: http://www.sharingthevictory.com/vsItemDisplay.lsp?method=display&objectid=125348AE-D2AB-4D6D-AC351CAAE3042ADA. Also included in the article is the address for her website and foundation, Catch the Stars foundation: http://catchin24.com/.

The next one is about Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright: http://www.sharingthevictory.com/vsItemDisplay.lsp?method=display&objectid=B83C1495-25DF-413B-951A51710FED0C58.

The last one is about the Arena Fooball League's Colorado Crush quarterback John Dutton: http://www.sharingthevictory.com/vsItemDisplay.lsp?method=display&objectid=D89FD4CD-1E5D-46CF-886A50B4AFA6E92C.

MLB, Catchings, and Colts singing

First of all, a great short article by Reds outfielder Josh Hamilton, a Christian. If I quoted any, I'd have to quote the whole thing basically, so you'll just have to read it: http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070518&content_id=1972006&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp.

Next, an article about the Red Sox helping to bring disadvantaged kids from Maine to a Red Sox game last week. Here's the article: http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070518&content_id=1972027&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp.

Also, an article about Tamika Catchings (a Christian) and the Indiana Fever's chances of winning a WBNA championship this season: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070518/SPORTS05/705180520/1247/SPORTS.

Lastly, there will be a couple of Christian Colts singing before Indianapolis Indians games in a couple of weeks. On May 31st tight end Ben Utecht will be singing the National Anthem before the game, which is Lombardi Trophy night. Also, on June 2nd punter Hunter Smith's group Connersvine will be having a concert before the game.