Pictures of our best modern golfers show how the head not just stays back but it drops somewhat and, generally, even moves backward some inches.

Almost sacrilegious, this seems. Yet we have a logical cause of it. Since the hips move so far as they can to the left, and turn whenever they can proceed laterally no farther, so when shoulders tilt, elevating the left and depressing the proper, our bodies bows out toward the marked. If your head doesn’t proceed with all the body, it has in to the future down unless we suddenly grow a few inches during the downswing. An archer’s bow may be weak as one example of what we mean.

The bow may measure five feet from tip to tip before it’s strung. When it is strung it curves outward and also the distance from tip to tip is less than five feet. If the archer draws it to shoot an arrow, the tip-to-tip distance continues to be less.

Every time a golfer hits the ball as they should hit it, his body takes the spot from the bow: It curves out toward, the marked, as well as the distance from check out feet is under when he stands around the ball.

Another reason the top drops slightly as the ball is hit is almost all of the better players create a rather definite knee bend when they enter into the hitting area. They convert it into a practice to keep both knees bent during the swing, as they should be, and when they bring the club right down to the ball with great speed, the centrifugal force exerted with the flying club head seems almost to tug them down just slightly and therefore bend their knees very bit more.

Our third injunction with this first move in the top was, Make no effort to go the club.

The club, of course, will fade. It will be moved by the shoulders. Cures mean is always that no effort needs to be made out of the wrists, hands, or arms to generate the club move. That is the important point. If we could turn the arms, hands, and wrists into wood for a part of a second since the downswing begins, it would be perfect.

Then they as well as the club would be “frozen” into one solid unit and they also would all open down together without trouble, motivated through the rocking, turning shoulders. Then if, some electronic impulse, we could switch them abet to normal again as the hands got down to concerning the hip position, we would have the perfect movement.

The complete downward action is initiated by the lateral movement on the hips to the left. Since at the pinnacle we are in the tightly coiled position, this hip action causes the shoulders to rock to the right and turn.

The rocking action, using the left shoulder coming and also the right going down, is what moves the arms and the club. When the right shoulder boils down (rocks slightly) because it starts to turn, it brings the upper lawful arm from the just side as well as the swing starts down on an inside line. It can be if your shoulders turn, throwing the proper shoulder high and out toward the ball, that this swing goes outside. Keeping the head back helps the slight rocking action which brings the right shoulder down.

One of the most valuable things in golf is causeing this to be .first movement from your top without letting the angle between the shaft and the left arm open. The irregular thing about this is that in the event the hip, shoulder, and hand actions are correct, the angle is not going to open. When they are wrong, it’s going to.

When the best shoulder begins to transfer high toward the ball, the arm-shaft angle begins to open, even when no peril is done with the hands to swing the club.

More often than not the angle is opened up as the hands are trying to take a step with the club. But even minus the hands doing anything the angle will unexcited open if your wrong shoulder action is made.

The beginning down from the top might be visualized in many ways. You can mediate of it as being the “wooden freeze” just mentioned, a momentary period during which nothing happens except what is motivated with the hips.

You can also imagine a triangle, formed on two sides with the shaft of the club and also the left arm, with all the third side an imaginary line on the dub head to originate the left shoulder. From your top this triangle must be tilted and brought down a ways without changing the size of the imaginary side.

This we call the “eternal triangle,” since it must be retained so long as possible. For the reason that speed on the club head increases, the imaginary side on the triangle lengthens, of course, plus the arm-shaft angle begins to open up. Nevertheless the triangle needs to be kept constant provided that possible.

We’ve got said several times that the arm-club angle ought to be held as long as possible. From our technique words keep, gain, and retain, you could have gotten the notion that a conscious physical effort should be created to fill this angle. This is not true. What we should mean is, if your swing meets your needs, the angle will automatically be preserved, until late inside the downswing. So, whenever we say the angle must be held, we mean you have to work with adopting the apt hip, shoulder, and hand motion which will permit the wrists to remain cocked as well as the angle preserved. Do nothing at all, in any event, to lose the wrist cock.

This is the second installment of my comprehensive rankings for baseball’s minor league farm systems. These will be slightly more expanded overviews as the season has finished and there is a much grander picture to interpret. The draft in June really shook things up, and, to effect it gently, the minors are a mess. Grabbing Bronze in Beijing and the slew of prospect related trades caused quite a stir with the overall rankings, but let’s first look at the top movers and shakers.

On Their Way Up-

These are the clubs that have shown the greatest amount of improvement. Be it a catapult launch to the Top Five or simply climbing over the trash, these clubs have made the greatest strides since the last ranking in February.

Pittsburgh

San Francisco

Kansas City

Toronto

Fallen From Grace-

These clubs have taken big hits since February. These clubs have managed to fall far, be it from injury, lack of talent, or graduation of talent. Regardless of how they got there, these teams have taken a step aid in 2008.

New York (AL)

Cincinnati

Atlanta

Colorado

Note: Bold indicates that the player is still retains his rookie eligibility (less than 150 ABs or 50 IP). Player otherwise stated has been graduated to the big leagues.

Onward to the rankings!!!

30. Chicago White Sox

I adore Kenny Williams. He’s a great GM that can pull off a number of trades, but his farm system is probably at its weakest in quite some time. Before they were graduated, Lance Broadway and Chris Getz were the best this system had to offer in current talent. With the pair out of the picture, the mantle is passed to 2008 Draft Pick SS Gordon Beckham. He’s the leading star of the system. OF Jose Martinez has a very high ceiling but needs some time to fill out. I like RHP Drew O’Neill in the lickety-split to Majors reliever mold and OF Jordan Danks, John’s little brother, is an interesting athlete but lacks power. The top arm is LHP Aaron Poreda. He can hit 100 MPH with his fastball, but lacks secondary pitches. The bullpen seems like the most probable site, but if he can refine his slider and change he could be a dominant starter. RHP Jeff Marquez is a sinkerballer acquired from the Yankees for Swisher. It’s a power pitch he has to control to get outs because his secondary stuff isn’t powerful to look at, and his ceiling is a #4 starter or middle innings reliever.

29. Houston Astros

At least they signed their #1 overall pick this year, right? Houston has had a clunker of a system for what feels like ages. Hunter Pence was the last quality player produced for at least the past five years. C Jason Castro has a good skillset for a catcher, and will more likely than not be the franchise catcher replacement for Ausmus. RHP Jordan Lyles has a clean delivery and a good fastball, which is always a big plus for a guy out of high school. OF Jay Austin gives them a very unique set of skills but he has got to reveal he can hit at the pro level, something he isn’t doing honest now.

28. Detroit Tigers

D-Train is a mess and the Tigers failed to finish above .500. So much for the big offseason spending spree. To make matters worse, their farm barren as heck. SS Cale Iorg and RHP Rick Porcello represent the best the Tigers have to offer. Iorg could be good someday and Porcello could be an ace in the making with his stuff, the rest of the farm isn’t pretty. RHP Brandon Hamilton is a long ways off but he has the stuff to turn it around. LHP Casey Crosby has the potential to be top of the rotation. RHP Ryan Perry, the first pick in June for the Detroit club, is a solid closer but out of this year’s entire relief class he was the one I was least excited about. Detroit may give him a chance to launch but he looks better in the 9^th inning to me.

27. Arizona Diamondbacks

The D-Backs offloaded Brett Anderson, Carlos Gonzalez, Aaron Cuningham, and Chris Carter to grab Haren in the offseason to manage two games above .500 and miss the playoffs by two games. Thankfully Haren is a great starter, because little is left on the farm. RHP Jarrod Parker still has an explosive arm one year removed from the draft, and the graduation of Scherzer makes him the best righty on the farm. OF Gerardo Parra is the best hitter left down there, and he’s solid, while SS Reynaldo Navarro had a very ragged season at the plate. LHP Daniel Schlereth is an impressive lefty talent out of the bullpen, chances are that’s all he’ll be in his career.

26. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs shipped off a noble number of players to get Rich Harden, but for a relatively poor system that meant miniature. After producing stud C Geovany Soto, the Cubs are looking very thin on the farm. The best pitcher is enigma RHP Jeff Samardzija. He has the sheer stuff it will simply be a matter of Jeff learning to strike people out. Out of the bullpen in the bigs he still failed to strike 1 guy out an inning, and this is a broad deal for a guy that gets a lot of fly balls. RHP Andrew Cashner can light up radar guns but his command can fail him. The Cubbies also got immensely talented yet injury prone RHP Chris Carpenter out of the draft. 3B Josh Vitters hit will but lacked power. He has time to grow. Personal accepted 2B Tony Thomas needs to stop striking out as much to be able to become the legitimate speed/gap power threat he can be.

25. Modern York Mets

The system was emptied by the Santana trade and has remained as such. The prospects in the Mets’ system simply lack the potency of other clubs. The highlight of the system is still OF Fernando Martinez, who’s talent works on and off much akin to bipolar disorder. At one moment, he’s a lanky guy with the potential for wiry strength and a .300 average. The next he’s a puny fourth outfielder with no power and lacking defense. He’s only 20 so he has plenty of time. SS/3B Wilmer Flores has a massive ceiling. He performed very well in the Appy League and managed to hit .307 combined at the age of 16 (turned 17 at the end of the season). Even though he got roughed up in the bigs a bit, I still like RHP Eddie Kunz coming out of the bullpen. RHP Brad Holt is the best starter in the system, and sadly that isn’t saying very much. 1B Ike Davis has very marvelous raw power and a good arm, so he could go elsewhere other than first. SS Reese Havens will probably wind up behind the plate with his solid bat.

24. Cincinnati Reds

The graduation of the Big Four (Cueto, Bruce, Votto, and Bailey) caused this system to plummet. 1B Yonder Alonso, the top pick from June, immediately becomes the best prospect. He’s a very advanced hitter that will hit for high average and solid power from the left side. C Devin Mesoraco had a so so year at Dayton, and 3B Juan Francisco clubbed 23 HRs for Sarasota. SS Todd Frazier is a solid hitter, and handled Sarasota and Dayton very well. RHP Homer Bailey is an eternal enigma, and RHP Josh Roenicke should be a decent middle reliever. LHP Matt Maloney will be a back of the rotation starter.

23. Seattle Mariners

As of right now, the M’s have yet to ticket RHP Joshua Fields. If they do, he would become the best relief prospect in the system. RHP Phillippe Aumont had a solid rookie debut, going 4-4 with a 2.75 ERA for the Timber Rattlers, which is superb considering how raw a prospect he is. SS Carlos Triunfel is still in the system, and is a legitimate stud. He showed surprising speed and now is a legitimate five tool threat at short. OF Dennis Raben has exceptional power but can be overaggressive at the plate. OF Michael Saunders had a solid year on the whole, and has superlative potential. OF Carlos Peguero has legitimate power and but needs to put the bat on the ball more consistently this year hitting .299 at High Desert, although he still strikes out entirely too distinguished.

22. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies will take a World Series title for a fall in the prospect standings. They had to lose quite a bit to regain Joe Blanton, giving up more than the Cubs to grab a slightly worse pitcher. It paid off with a ring so who can complain? The best of this system came from the draft. SS Anthony Hewitt is painfully raw but has the best raw ability of anyone on the farm. OF Anthony Gose can also be profiled in this manner, with talent a notch or two below Hewitt. OF Zach Collier has an gripping bat, and 3B Cody Overbeck did well in the NYP league. RHP Jason Knapp can hit 100 with his fastball but is inconsistent. RHP Carlos Carrasco and LHP Joe Savery had uninspiring years at AAA and AA respectively. RHP Kyle Drabek has to approach all the way back from Tommy John surgery. This system could surge in 2009 as it has a dreadfully large amount of talent. OF Dominic Brown will need a lot of power and learn to hit lefthanders to make an impact in the bigs.

21. San Diego Padres

The Pads had a terrible 2008 and hope to reload this offseason by moving Peavy, which will make this system rocket to the top. Since these rankings are down before any trades go down, you’ll have to wait till February to see where they land. 1B Kyle Blanks had a monster year at San Antonio, with fantastic power and a good average. He needs work at fielding his position better and manage to keep his weight down to stick around. 2B Matt Antonelli is the real deal, and will be the Pads second baseman of the future. OF Cedric Hunter had a very good year, and his bat should eventually lead him to the bigs. RHP Josh Geer had a mediocre year in the minors but performed well in 5 starts in the bigs. RHP Wade LeBlanc struggled mightily, RHP Will Inman went 9-8 with a 3.71 ERA at San Antonio, and RHP Mat Latos looked like the best arm in the system, although only pitching 56 innings. The Pads picked up a very advanced hitter in 1B Allan Dykstra, and OF Jeff Decker is essentially a second Matt Stairs with a better arm.

20. Colorado Rockies

Ian Stewart finally earned the graduation he deserved, and the system has suffered as such. It also doesn’t succor when talent like LHPFranklin Morales creates more questions than answers (82-83 BB:K). OF Dexter Fowler is a hands down favorite, batting switch with good speed and a patient approach at the plate. 1B Joe Koshanksy can slug minor league pitching well(133 HRs in the minors), but he needs to take that next step to come the bigs. OF Charlie Blackmon is an impressive athlete that had a solid debut. RHP Jhoulys Chacin is the top arm after going 18-3 with a 2.03 ERA. He has a good heater that he controls well and his secondary stuff isn’t too far leisurely. RHP Casey Weathers was having a good year till he blew out his elbow. LHP Christian Friedrich was the steal of the draft, and the polished lefty has two great breaking pitches to compliment his 94 MPH heater

19. St. Louis Cardinals

A sure lack of impact keeps this system relieve. 3B Brett Wallace mashed after he was drafted in June, but he needs to stay mobile to continue on at third. SS Peter Kozma had an off year with the bat but if he can easily rebound. SS Niko Vasquez has an awesome name and a good bat, he’ll need to improve his range to stay at short. Passions for stud OF Colby Rasmus were reigned in this year after a weak campaign, but he can turn it around. C Bryan Anderson lacks power but makes beneficial contact and will be an invauluable reserve for Yadier at the bigs. OF Jon Jay had a breakout campaign and could push for time in the bigs or be a valuable trading share. LHP Jaime Garcia could tranquil be a serviceable #4 starter, RHP Chris Perez proved that the Cards can let Izzy walk this offseason. RHP Jess Todd had a fantastic year in the minors (2.88 ERA) and could be more than bullpen back.

18. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

SS/3B Brandon Wood finally got graduated, and should be a 25-30 HR a year threat. C Hank Conger bats switch and hits very, very well for a catcher. He needs to be more mobile behind the plate and work on throwing out baserunners. RHP Nick Adenhart had a rough year but his fastball-slider-changeup combination will allow for a recovery in 2009. RHP Jordan Walden had a superlative year, and he should make AA next year with his 100 MPH heat and 80 MPH slurve. RHP Sean O’Sullivan had an ugly ERA at the launching pad in Rancho Cucamunga, and he could be a workhouse #4 if he makes the bigs. OF Peter Bourjos had a good year with the Bees, and he simply needs consistency at the plate to be a big leaguer. RHP Tyler Chatwood is short for a pitcher, but his plus curve and plus heater have made him a prospect.

17. New York Yankees

The Yankees managed 89 wins and failed to sign their 1^st round pick and 2^nd round pick (Gerrit Cole and Scott Bittle). This system lacks the impact righties it had a year ago and several stars have fallen. Emerging from the wreckage are OF Austin Jackson and C Jesus Montero. Jackson is a five tool threat and continues to develop now that he is fully committed to baseball. Montero is very young and has tremendous power, but his size may force him to move off the backstop. Both had very good campaigns in 2008. OF Brett Gardner has no power, but he could be a slap leadoff hitter and burner in center field. Young OF Kelvin De Leon made his pro debut, and some scouts have compared him to Alfonso Soriano. RHP Designate Melancon is ready to help the big league bullpen right now, RHP Dellin Betances needs to attach in a full season so his talent can finally show, RHP Andrew Brackman is pitching again after Tommy john surgery and hopes to regain his 100 MPH heater so his 6′10″ frame can make it to the bigs. LHP Jeremy Bleich hopes to give this system some desperately needed depth as a lefty on the mound and RHP Brett Marshall, if healthy, could be a major coup in the 6^th round.

16. Washington Nationals

Another team that failed to imprint their first round take, the Nats missed out on a huge arm in Aaron Crow. The top talent took a step back in 2008 or got graduated. The former is comprised of OF Chris Marrero, LHP Ross Detwiler, and OF Michael Burgess. Marrero has the sheer talent to overcome a .250 AVG that was 2008, and Detwiler can do much better than his 5.59 ERA at Potomac. Burgess has to cessation striking out at such a prolific rate and make contact or he’s in trouble. The latter is composed of top pitchers Colin Balester and John Lannan. On the farm, RHP Jordan Zimmermann looks to be the top pitcher and he’s a personal current (he pitched with a broken jaw. Respect earned). The battler managed a 2.89 RA between two levels and could make his appearance as early as 2009. RHP Shairon Martis had a so so year in the minors and probably will help the big league club next year. OF Destin Hood has a lot of talent, rating plus in all categories except speed and fellow 2008 draftee OF J.P. Ramirez got $1,000,000 in the 15^th round for his exceptional bat and to keep him out of Tulane.

15. Atlanta Braves

Atlanta has a knack for grabbing very good, very young talent. They missed out on a 1^st round pick this past June and their top choice was LHP Brett DeVall, the top lefty talent on their farm with his low 90s heat and solid curve. The top pitcher is RHP Tommy Hanson, a 22^nd round steal that went 11-5 with a 2.41 ERA across two level. His three solid pitches (89-92 fastball, 12-6 curve, and improved change) and his ability to effect changes on the fly expose we may notice him as soon as 2010. OF Jason Heyward was a definite steal in last year’s draft even though he went 14^th overall. His game compares favorably to Junior’s (yes, that Junior), and he managed to hit .316 in his first pro season. OF Gorkys Hernandez had an off season, but the youngster is an absolute burner that could hit leadoff in the years ahead. OF Brandon Jones made the bigs and should take over in left for 2009. SS Brent Lillibridge had a downer year but could easily rebound. OF Jordan Schafer was suspended 50 games for testing positive for HGH and his year suffered as a result. He looks like a solid candidate for center field, only lacking power.

14. Cleveland Indians

The addition of OF Matt LaPorta makes this a far better system. He can hit for power and for contact and will play a respectable left field. Speedy OF Trevor Crowe had a rebound season, hitting .302 between AA and AAA. He won’t hit for power but at the least will be a solid 4^th outfielder. 3B Beau Mills had a fantastic first season, hitting .292 with 21 HRs and could be elite if he avoids striking out as often. SS Lonnie Chisenhall was a surprise pick at 29, but he has a trustworthy bat with occasional pop but needs a position to play. C Carlos Santana was a colossal grab from LA, especially since he proved he can hit this year. RHP Trevor Haley got more money in the 2^nd round than Chisenhall, and the Indians hope his frame fills out and he gains consistency so that his 95 MPH heat may gain a couple more ticks and his secondary stuff can back it up. LHP Eric Berger has low 90s heat and a superior curve that helped him get a 2.11 ERA in his pro debut. LHPs Chuck Lofgren and Tony Sipp need big rebounds as Lofgren struggled and Sipp will be coming off surgery.

13. Baltimore Orioles

C Matt Wieters is the Next Gigantic Thing in the Minors. The switch hitting catching has all five tools and he can lead a pitching staff. His first pro season he hit .355-27-91, walked 82 times to 76 strikeouts. He had an OPS of 1.053, and it was his first season. He could start in Baltimore tomorrow if need be. OF Nolan Reimold has a great bat, and should be a .280-25 HR hitter in the bigs. He has a fantastic arm and decent speed but he’s a little old (turned 25 on 10/12). 3B Bill Rowell has all the talent in the world, he just needs to figure it out. After a rough season at Frederick, he quiet projects to be a big home run threat. RHP Chris Tillman had a breakout season, going 11-4 with a 3.18 ERA. He has a nice clean delivery, a 94 MPH heater and a good curve. He needs work on his changeup to become a big time pitcher. RHP Jake Arrieta is a favorite, and he did very well his first pro season and made the Olympic team. He went 6-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 20 starts. He has a high 90s fastball with great late movement, but his secondary pitches all need refinement. LHP Brian Matusz was the top pick from June. He has dominant secondary stuff, but he needs to work with his fastball more (a problem that plagues Clay Buchholz). His curve is his best pitch, which he compliments with a fastball that hits 94 and an above average change. OF Xavier Avery is a very raw outfield prospect who is more an athlete than a ballplayer fair now. Work at the dish will be his primary goal.

12. Kansas City Royals

This system hit a home run in June, managing to lure 1B Eric Hosmer away from Arizona State with the tune of $6,000,000. He has extraordinary power from the left side, a quick bat, and a very great approach at the plate. With a plus arm (he hit 95 off the mound) and good range he could be a respectable defender at first. Fellow draftees LHP Mike Montgomery, 2B Johnny Giavotella, and RHP Tim Melville were some of the best of the draft for KC. Montgomery is a tall athletic lefty with three plus potential pitches (a 94 MPH fastball, a low 70s curveball, and a high 70s-low 80s changeup with great late movement.) Giavotella draws comparisons to Dustin Pedroia offensively and he plays a decent second. Melville was a steal in the 4^th round, with a 91-94 MPH fastball and a great curve. He’s tall (6′-5″) and a projectable athlete on the mound. RHP Daniel Cortes had a solid season at AA, going 10-4 with a 3.78 ERA. He’s got an impressive fastball (sits in the mid 90s with expansive movement) and an ever improving 12-6 curve. He has to mix in his changeup to become a number 2 or 3 in the future. SS Mike Moustakas has a lot of power for a shortstop, smacking 22 HRs in his first pro season. He’s a amazing hitter with average speed and a cannon at short. He may eventually have to move, but his bat will take him to the bigs.

11. Pittsburgh Pirates

Signing 3B Pedro Alvarez was huge. He was the best talent in the draft, with plus tools across the board. LHP Daniel Moskos should never have been drafted ahead of Matt Wieters, but his 95-97 MPH fastball and two breaking balls still make him a candidate to close or inaugurate (better out of the pen to me). OF Andrew McCutchen has five solid tools but the Pirates have yet to graduate him. Expect him to make the bigs and stay at some point in 2009. 3B Neil Walker bats switch, has good power potential (some of it sapped by injury), and a solid bat. He struggled at AAA and he has some hefty competition in Pedro Alvarez. RHP Bryan Morris was acquired from the Dodgers in the Jason Bay deal. He has a 92-95 MPH fastball with good movement, a very sterling downer curve, and a change that needs work. OF Jose Tabata needed a change of scenery after the mess that was New York, and now he has another chance to fill out, get some power, and become a stud. RHP Daniel McCutchen (no relation to Andrew) has two solid fastballs and a great curveball. He should help the rotation soon. OF Robbie Grossman bats switch and has excellent power potential, but lacks any other just tools. RHP Quinton Miller has a 90-94 MPH fastball, biting slider, and mediocre change. He would’ve benefited a couple of years at UNC but the Pirates offered him $900,000 so that he could form on their farm.

10. Toronto Blue Jays

This system could rocket to the top come next year if all the chips fall objective so. OF Travis Snider is a hitter, pure and simple. His cannon in right compliments his powerful bat and solid contact skills, and he has a good eye for seeing his pitch to hit. 3B Kevin Ahrens had a tough go of it at the plate but has the overall skillset to overcome and earn the comparisons to Chipper Jones. C J.P. Arencibia is a personal accepted, as he hits for power and defends his position well. He’s a clubhouse leader who managed a monster 2008 (.298-27-105). LHP Ricky Romero regained some respect this year, although he needs a lot of work to live down going 6^th in the 2005 draft(one of the strongest drafts in history) and playing like he has been. LHP Brett Cecil has a 90-92 MPH fastball that compliments his filthy slider, and he went 8-5 with a 2.88 ERA on his way to AAA. 1B David Cooper has a sweet lefty swing, and hit .300 among three levels after getting drafted in June. RHP Matt Daly might be a steal out of Hawaii, as he has a plus fastball to go with a curve and change that he needs to learn to control.

9. Minnesota Twins

OF Aaron Hicks is a beast. A switch hitter, he has a quick bat, lightning fast speed, a fantastic arm, and decent power, he is a five tool threat and will most likely fulfill that expectation. RHP Carlos Gutierrez has a power sinker and average slider that could play out of the pen or starting. RHP Shooter Hunt, other than having an awesome name for a pitcher, has a fastball with titanic movement and a breaking pitch that looks like a curve but gets up on you like a slider. He has a changeup that he needs to use much more regularly for it to be a weapon. OF Ben Revere simply had an awesome season. The $750,000 first rounder hit .379 and swiped 44 bases at Beloit, and he has leadoff hitter written all over him as he strikes out rarely. C Wilson Ramos had a good year offensively, and the youth simply needs time and refinement to make it to the big leagues.

8. Los Angeles Dodgers

This is a very unique farm. SS Chin-lung Hu at this point only needs to prove he can hit in the bigs, as he is simply a vacuum at short. OF Andrew Lambo doesn’t have good speed, but he can rake with his decent power and good contact mechanics. 3B Josh Bell got injured but he has some of the best power in the whole system. LHP Scott Elbert looks much better coming out of the pen and should make an impact in 2009. RHP James McDonald is a converted outfielder that had a good year between AA and AAA. His best weapons are his sweeping curve, 89-92 MPH heat with life, and his changeup which has plus travel at times. RHP Ethan Martin was the top pick for the Dodgers. He will be an asset to any NL club as Martin is a good hitter. But his 94-96 MPH heat, sizable change, and good slurvish curve make him a occupy to rep to the bigs. RHP Josh Lindblom caught fire after signing and made it to AA with his mid 90s heavy fastball and hard curveball. He’ll be a threat out of the pen. OF Kyle Russell is an true question mark. He has fantastic hitting potential but a dreadful relate with wood bats. He could boom or bust as dictated by his work with wood.

7. Florida Marlins

This is the marquee system for pitching depth. Chris Volstad got his deserved cup of coffee and performed phenomenally. RHP Ryan Tucker made a very strong case for the Fish to put him at the back end of the bullpen, and his fastball would play design up as opposed to starting. RHP Brett Sinkbeil more than doubled his pro innings totaled with this year and his stats suffered as such, but his sinker-slider combo will make the bigs most likely as a starter. LHP Sean West had a very strong year following labrum surgery (2.41 ERA in 20 starts) and with more innings he’ll design a case to be in the Fish’s rotation. Enigmatic RHP Jose Ceda was acquired from the Cubs for Kevin Gregg. He has a special fastball (can hit 99 with agreeable movement) and a very nice slider as a complementary pitch. 2B Chris Coghlan is a very good hitter and much better defender than incumbent Uggla, as Chris managed to hit .298 with Carolina and walked more than he struck out. 3B Matt Dominguez hit above expectations at Greensboro, but needs to keep it up as a glove at third will not take you to the Majors. What hasn’t been said about OF Cameron Maybin? He is a five tool threat and will be in center next season for the Fish. The breakout star of the year is OF Michael Stanton. .293-39-97. That’s right, 39 bombs in his first elephantine pro season. Albeit he struck out like a machine, but his hitting potential is simply through the roof. He can play the outfield pretty well and occasionally shows plus urge. C Kyle Skipworth was the top pick from the draft and he gives the Marlins a true blue chip catching prospect. He can hit very well and he plays his region respectfully. 1B Logan Morrison is Major League ready with his bat but his defense lacks. He will push Sanchez off of first by midseason barring injury.The Marlins simply stole OF Isaac Galloway at #238 for a measly $245,000. He is a very raw product, but he flashes potential plus skills in the outfield and at the plate. He’s got a 35/65 shot of reaching his total potential and being a star.

6. Milwaukee Brewers

This system would be in the top five if not for losing Matt LaPorta. Luckily, this is a very strong system especially how it reloaded in the draft. AA Huntsville had a heck of a lineup this year, as the next four all played for the Stars in 2008. SS Alcides Escobar had a great year hitting .328 with 9 HRs. He has above average speed (34 SB in 42 attempts) that he’s using to his advantage, that coupled with his slick fielding and breakout offensive year place him squarely in the vast league picture. OF Cole Gillespie also had a solid year, and projects as a .280 hitter with 15-20 HRs a year. He has modest speed but knows how to work the bases (17-18 SB), plays an average outfield, but is a leader on and off the field. 3B Mat Gamel had a very strong season. Gamel has an impressive bat (.325-20-99) but desperately needs work on defense (30 errors, an improvement over 54 last year!). C Angel Salome is an offensive catcher at this point, as he struggles on defense with solid numbers at the plate (.281-13-83). RHP Jeremy Jeffress has had numerous off the field issues but smooth has a great fastball. High time for the Crew to put him in the pen as his secondary stuff isn’t showing progress. OF Caleb Gindl played for the Power this year, managed .301-13-81. He has a stout arm to go with his quality lefty bat. Now for the draft products. C Brett Lawrie hails from Canada and he simply has a superb bat. Possibly a .300 hitter from behind the dish, he could combine that with his above average power to be a force. If he can learn to catch fleet, he’ll be starting for the Brew Crew in no time. OF Cutter Dykstra, Lenny’s son, has great speed and a solid bat but he needs a defensive home. LHP Josh Romanski is a polished pitcher, and although he doesn’t have one absolutely dominant pitch, he knows his repertoire well and will construct the bigs easily. LHP Evan Frederickson has a 91-93 MPH fastball (topping at 95-96) and a dirty power slider, although he needs refined command to be elite. RHP Jake Ordozzi is a very good athlete, as he has speed and power. However, his delivery is very clean and he repeats it well enough that he’ll halt on the mound. He has a sneaky fast 91-93 MPH fastball to go with a slider that needs a bit of work.

5. Boston Red Sox

1B Lars Anderson had a big season, as expected given Lancaster’s cozy environment. He’s got a legitimate bat, roughing up pitchers for a .317 average. He has tremendous power potential, and he slugged 18 HRs between Lancaster and Portland at the tender age of 20. He turned 21 in September, and could push Youk to third and Lowell out of the equation by 2010. I regret betting against RHP Michael Bowden, and he stepped up big this season going 9-7 between AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket with a 2.62 ERA. He’s got a uncouth 90s sinker, with very heavy movement. He has a solid change and a big 12-6 curve. He could be a number 3-4 starter in the bigs. Personal favorite LHP Nick Hagadone blew his elbow out but is making a very speedy recovery. He’s got a fastball that hits 97, a power slider, and a changeup that shows good sink and a proper speed change. He’s an ace or #2 in the future, or a power reliever. RHP Daniel Bard has a 100 MPH fastball and a great slider, and has improved greatly after heading to the backend of the bullpen. SS CaseyKelley is a raw athlete, who exhibits good raw power and is a smooth shortstop. He unbiased needs a lot of plate experience to get a feel for hitting. 3B Michael Almanzar is a very projectable 17 year old (turns 18 12/2). He has great bat speed, a skill that cannot be taught, and he is a natural in the field (his father played pro baseball). OF Ryan Westmoreland is an athlete at this point, with tremendous speed and power potential. He has a solid arm and can cover the outfield well.

4. San Francisco Giants

The Giants had three picks in the first round in 2007, and that could be a marquee draft for them even in OF Wendell Fairley doesn’t develop at the plate. He has lots of time, but he needs work. The headliner of this system is LHP Madison Bumgarner. The 18 year old set the bar very high his first pro season, going 15-3 with a 1.46 ERA in 24 starts, striking out 164 people. He turned 19 on August 1^st. He walked a meager 21 and gave up 3 HRs in 141.2 IP. He has a mid 90s heater that touches 97 at times and a solid curveball. He needs to work out his changeup to make the big leagues, but he will in due time either as a frontline starter or power reliever. RHP Tim Alderson had a obliging first pro season, but was overshadowed by Bumgarner. He went 13-4 with a 2.76 ERA in the hitters’ paradise of the California League. He has fantastic command of his gross 90s fastball and superlative crude 80s curveball. He’ll probably make the bigs faster than Alderson, and he only needs some work on his changeup. RHP Henry Sosa has 100 MPH fastball and a dirty curveball. He’ll probably wind up a closer, but if he can make a changeup and learn to pitch he’ll be a monster starter. 2B Cut Noonan is my common second baseman in the Minors, bar none. He’s an advanced hitter that makes good contact but lacks power. He has above average speed and plays a solid second base that will improve with time. He compares to Utley very well except he lacks the power of the world champs’ 2B. 1B Angel Villalona is someone Giants’ fans can get excited about. He was 17 for most of 2008, turning 18 on Aug. 13^th. He will be a masher down the road, with potential to hit 30+ HRs a season. He needs to learn some patience and to sever down on strikeouts. He has entirely too much upside for his BB:K of 18:118 to snuff him out. The Giants got C Buster Posey at #5 in 2008, and that is considered by many to be a coup. He’s a staunch defender, with a strong (94 MPH off the mound) and accurate arm. He has great bat speed that will lend to a strong average and plus power for a catcher. He’s a fantastic hitter at a skill position. 3B Conor Gillaspie has a very worthy bat, he’ll most likely hit for average and get extra bases rather than homers. He has above average speed, but his range at third is limited. He has an average arm and soft hands so he’ll probably finish at third.

3. Tampa Bay Rays

Well the cat is out of the bag, LHP David Price is a beast. Mid 90s heat with great life, a high 80s power slider and a low 80s changeup. He is the ace of the future in Tampa. RHP Wade Davis made it to AAA this year. He has a low 70s sweeping curve and a 94-96 MPH fastball and a changeup that could become better than average. RHP Jeremy Hellickson went 11-5 with a 2.96 ERA between High A and AA. Low 90s heat that hits 95, a great curve, and a very obedient feel for pitching will capture him to the bigs as a solid 3-4 starter. LHP Jake McGee has electric stuff, but had Tommy John surgery and will probably restart as a closer. His 97 MPH heat and filthy sliderprofile better out of the pen and getting afflict reinforces this sentiment. OF Desmond Jennings has plus plus speed, a good leer, and doesn’t strike out worthy. He profiles well at the top of the order and needs to play the outfield a little better and stay healthy. SS Reid Brignac has a solid bat and good actions at short. It’s just that he isn’t as good as Bartlett or Beckham, and would be best off used as trade bait. SS Tim Beckham is your prototypical five tool shortstop. He will eventually push Bartlett off of shortstop. LHP Kyle Lobstein is a two way player that has three decent pitches. His fastball has average velocity (high 80s peaking around 92) and he has an above average circle changeup and a curve that shows qualified tilt and depth at times. He has room to grow and will likely gain a few more MPH.

2. Oakland Athletics

This system acquired a great deal of talent and probably could rank higher. RHP Michel Inoa was the top pull from the international market this year, and the 16 year old is very projectable with a low 90s fastball, a solid curve and developing changeup. RHP Trevor Cahill and LHP Brett Anderson were both important parts in Team USA’s bronze medal. Cahill has a indecent 90s heater, a dastardly good curve, and a serviceable changeup. Anderson is a finesse lefty, with a fastball that hits 90. However he has unbelievable command and mechanics to go with two breaking pitches and a changeup that he can place and throw for strikes. 2B Adrian Cardenas was taken from Philly, and he profiles as a middle of the order hitter from the left side of the plate. He’s a fantastic hitter and moderate fielder, and he went .296-5-40 between two levels and two organizations. LHP Josh Outman already made his big league debut, and he has a low 90s heater, a slider with good late movement and a decent change. He’ll be a #3 starter. 1B Sean Doolittle had a fabulous start to his pro career, slugging 22 HRs on his way to AA. He has a great feel for the strike zone and is a solid defender to boot. SS Cliff Pennington came back from the dead and made his big league debut. He is a slap and switch hitting shortstop that won’t hit for much power but could take some bases. C Josh Donaldson was the best the A’s got for Rich Harden. He’s an offensive minded catcher that could eventually learn his position better but won’t be more than average. 2B Jemile Weeks was the top retract in June. Rickie’s little brother is a good baserunner with great speed that can hit very well. He won’t have as much power as Rickie but probably will hit for a superior better average. C Petey Paramore is a pitcher’s catcher, as he knows how to handle a staff and play his position. He’ll need to work hard to be a great contact hitter, as his bat speed will restrict his power numbers.

1. Texas Rangers

Texas at number one came to me by the fact that the hardest position to acquire talent at was catcher. It was during the Olympics and it simply dawned upon me that Texas had some of the best young catchers in the minors and bigs: C Max Ramirez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and C Taylor Teagarden. Upon closer inspection of the rest of the talent, it was exquisite definite that Texas was on top. June simply reinforced the minors most cogent force. Teagarden is a grand catcher in that he hits the ball well and is titanic behind the plate. His gamecalling needs work but he is very edifying and helped the US get a bronze. Ramirez is a solid hitter but lacks unhurried the dish. OF Julio Borbon is a well-organized speedy outfielder. He swiped 51 bags between two levels this year and projects to hit for a good average in the bigs. SS Elvis Andrus is detached the top prospect on the farm. He’s young, projectable and will become a superlative five tool shortstop in the future. OF Engel Beltre was stolen from the Red Sox for Eric Gagne. The 18 year old has five tool potential, but he has to fill out for that power to approach to fruition. RHP Neftali Feliz is very young and dominated in 2008. He went 10-6 with a 2.69 ERA at 20 years old. He’s got a smooth delivery, 100 MPH heat with impressive life. He has a high 70s curve but lacks sigh. His changeup needs to be refined but what 19-20 year old doesn’t need work on their change? RHP Blake Beavan went 10-6 with a 2.37 ERA at Clinton with his mid 90s heat and mid 80s slider. He needs a changeup and needs to strike people out to become a big league starter. RHP Michael Main only got 13 starts in the minors, but he needs to work on his change. His fastball ranges from the low to high 90s, topping at 97 with honorable movement. His curveball is good but it needs work, and he needs to fetch a limited more durable to be a front of the rotation starter. RHP Eric Hurley has a mid 90s sinker and a beneficial slider, and he’ll be a number 3 starter down the road at best. 1B Justin Smoak is a premier slugger. He’s a lot like Mark Texeira, a switch hitting first baseman that mashes for a obliging average and plays Gold Glove defense at first. LHP Robbie Ross was a engage in the supplemental round. He has a 90-94 MPH fastball, a sharp slider and a changeup he’ll improve. He’s short for a pitcher (6′0″) but he’ll be very satisfactory.

And there it is. My next update will be in February after all of the trades. Peavy to anyone will shake things up, Tampa is probably going to move some talent, and I wouldn’t be shocked if Los Angeles moved some talent (either of them).

Hope you enjoyed it! Till next time!

PP OUT!

The All-Star festivities officially began today with the annual futures game as some of the best young minor leaguers faced off in what is really a Minor League All-Star game. The players featured in this game normally do quite well in their career and sometimes even do so not so long after the game. Players featured in the all-star game in 2007 include Clay Buchholz, who through a no hitter less than 2 months after the game, Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees’ fireballing future ace, rookie of the year candidates Jacoby Ellsbury, Joey Votto, and Jay Bruce, as well as all-stars Evan Longoria and Geovany Soto. Cameron Maybin, who went to Florida in exchange for Miguel Cabrera, was also in that game as was Carlos Gonzalez, the focal point of the package of youngster the A’s got back for Dan Haren. Franklin Morales pitched in the World Series for Colorado, but 3 months earlier he was in the futures game. Matt Garza has grown into one of Tampa Bay’s best young starters, but a year ago, he was simply the future. Here’s a look at the youngsters who played in this year’s futures game so you can say that you knew them when…sort of.

US Roster

LHP Brett Anderson- Oakland

Anderson also came over to Oakland for Dan Haren and could be on their roster this season as the A’s head for the playoffs. He is a 6-4 lefty with good advise of the strike zone. He has a low 90s fastball and a high 80s changeup which looks identical to the fastball leaving his hand. His high 70s curveball is his out pitch in the minors but it needs more break because big leaguers could crush it.

RHP Jake Arrieta- Baltimore

Arrieta was the Orioles 5th round pick in 2007 and he has surprised people with how posthaste he has developed. He has a low 90s fastball with a slider that reach about 82 and a big mid 70s curveball. He could be in Baltimore’s bullpen before the season ends.

RHP Trevor Cahill- Oakland

It’s not surprising that so many of these prospects are Oakland’s. They have a great farm system which includes former 2nd round pick Trevor Cahill. Cahill has a vulgar 90s fastball which has more break than a normal fastball and has two fine off speed pitches in the changeup and the fastball. He’s a very intellectual pitcher and has mammoth confidence for his age. He is probably the best sinkballer prospect in the minors.

RHP Will Inman- San Diego

San Diego’s Inman came over to the Padres as the central prospect in the Scott Linebrink deal. He is a little too reliant on the fastball, but he pounds the strike zone with it consistently at 91-94 MPH. He throws a slurve well which is a rare pitch and could confuse some big leaguers. His changeup needs work for it to be an effective off speed pitch. He will eat innings and won’t poke a lot of guys.

RHP Ryan Matthews- Colorado

Matthews was a late round rob for the Rockies out of high school in 2003 and was a two way threat in college. He can play 1st and pitch out of the bullpen. He’ll likely end up in Colorado’s bullpen either this season or next.

RHP Kevin Pucetas- San Francisco

Pucetas could be the next in a long line of emerging young San Francisco starting pitchers. His stuff is a bit raw, but he could be in the rotation sometime next season and at least by 2010.

LHP Clayton Richard- Chicago Sox

The Sox Clayton Richard could be up with the Sox very soon. He is a big 6-5 240 left hander who is currently at Triple-A and just waiting for his shot.

RHP Jess Todd- St. Louis

Todd has very good stuff. He has a fastball that’ll come 94 or 95, but primarily is around 92. He has a good, hard slider around 86, 87 MPH. He throws a 2 seam fastball that’ll reach 90 on occasion and a nice little splitter/circle change. Because he has 4 satisfactory pitches, he has the shot to be in the Cardinals opening day rotation in 2009 if he works at it.

RHP Casey Weathers- Colorado

Weathers’ was the Rockies 1st round pick in 2007, 8th, and was a part of a very good Vanderbilt team in college. He could be in the Rockies’ bullpen by the end of the month, especially if Brian Fuentes is dealt and he could take over the closer’s job, if not immediately, then next season. He touches 96 MPH consistently and can work back to back nights. He also throws an 88 MPH power slider that is part of the reason why he is dominating in Double-A.

C Bryan Anderson- St. Louis

Anderson is a very good catcher, but probably doesn’t have a future in St. Louis with Yadier Molina doing so well behind the plate. Still, he could be put in a prospect package to another team if the Cardinals decide to go after a starting pitcher and if that happens, depending on the team, he could be starting by the end of the year and certainly by next year.

C Lou Marson- Philadelphia

Carlos Ruiz and Chris Coste have been good for the Philles at catcher, but Marson is the future. He doesn’t have great power or hurry, but he can hit for average and hits stout line drives. He is very advanced behind the plate for his age.

C Taylor Teagarden- Texas

Teagarden could be the future for Texas behind the plate. He has great power for a catcher, but strikes out a lot. He has the perfect swing for Texas’s ball park and should be a future 30 homerun guy with a low .250 average.

3B Jamie D’Antona- Arizona

D’Antona is another member of Arizona’s promising farm system. He has great power and could expose some of that this season for the power starved Diamondbacks. He doesn’t have great upside because he is already 26 years old, but he is good in the short term.

SS Jason Donald- Philadelphia

Donald had a nice short, compact stroke that will allow him to hit many homeruns. He’s not a precise speed threat. He is blocked spot wise at both short and 2nd by Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley respectively, but he has the arm strength to move to either 3rd where they’d prefer, or right field, where he’d fit better. Either way, he’ll be very reliable and the Philles are very high on him.

3B Mat Gamel- Milwaukee

Gamel was rumored in the CC Sabathia deals, but with Ryan Braun in left field for good now, the Brewers will preserve Gamel, who is an trustworthy hitter. Bill Hall is at 3rd now for the Brewers, but he may have to move back to the outfield, because Gamel should be the Brew Crew’s 3rd baseman next season.

2B Chris Getz- Chicago Sox

Getz is an good defender and could make a splash at the big league level next season, especially if the White Sox do not resign Orlando Cabrera. The Sox like Alexei Ramirez better, but Ramirez could move to short if Cabrera is gone and Getz could step in at 2nd. That would be a very obliging young double play combination.

3B Wes Hodges- Cleveland

Hodges is an grand contact hitter at 3rd and could be the Indians starting 3rd baseman in 2009. Casey Blake is there now, but he should move to the outfield next season. Hodges is making Indians’ fans forget the bust that is Andy Marte.

SS Cliff Pennington- Oakland

If Bobby Crosby continues to be this injury prone, Pennington could be the A’s shortstop in 2009. He’s a former first round pick and he has huge upside. He plays good defense and hits for a profitable average. If shortstop doesn’t work out for him, he could replace mark Ellis at 2nd.

SS Chris Valaika- Cincinnati

Valaika is not going to be a major impact prospect, mostly because he is not even the best shortstop prospect that the Reds’ have, but he does have great tools and could surprise people with another team.

CF Dexter Fowler- Colorado

Fowler could be the Rockies’ center fielder on opening day 2009, because the Rockies’ do not currently have a lot of talent in center. He should come up when the rosters expand to 40 this season. He is a 5 tool outfield that plays enormous defense, hit for average, hits for average, and runs well.

LF Greg Golson- Philadelphia

Golson has a good future, but finds himself looking up at a crowded outfield in Philadelphia, so he could break in somewhere else. He reminds some guys of a Carl Crawford type with his amazing speed.

LF Matt LaPorta- Cleveland

LaPorta was the main fragment going from Milwaukee to Cleveland for CC Sabathia. He is a dynamic power hitter, who isn’t a great contact hitter. He doesn’t have great urge or play large defense but his overall hitting prowess makes him a good candidate to be in left field or at DH for the Indians next season.

LF Andrew McCutchen- Pittsburgh

McCutchen is ready for the Majors right now, but has no room in Pittsburgh’s crowded outfield. If either Jason Bay or Xavier Nady is traded, notice for McCutchen to take over their spot and be a solid years and a possible 5 tool outfield for years to come.

CF Nate Schierholtz- San Francisco

Schierholtz has done something that most of these kids haven’t and that’s play in the majors. Schierholtz looked pretty good in 72 career at bats with the Giants and could be serve with the team in a month or two. He has great power and could be a 20-30 homerun a year guy, but he has very little plate discipline.

World Roster

RHP Philippe Aumont- Seattle

He was the 11th pick in the 2007 draft for Seattle and he has the witness for a future ace. He is only 19 years primitive but he already has a good breaking fastball that reaches 95-96 on occasion and some decent, improving offspeed stuff.

RHP Carlos Carrasco- Philadelphia

Carrasco is the Philles’ primary trade bait as they look to get a guy like Erik Bedard for their rotation. He has a low 90s fastball that can reach 94 on occasion and some mediocre breaking stuff. He needs work on his command, but he has the tools to be great someday and he is only 21.

RHP Jesus Delgado- Florida

Delgado was a throw in from the Red Sox to the Marlins for Josh Beckett in 2005, but he has emerged into a very good pitcher. The Marlins rotation looks full for a while, but he could advance up as a reliever and be pleasing good. He has the stuff to do so.

RHP Shairon Martis- Washington

Martis may be best known for his 7 inning no hitter in the world baseball classic. He has very good stuff and is emerging as a guy who could be in Washington’s weak rotation next season. He has a great understanding of how to pitch and has great control. If there is anything for Nationals’ fans to find exciting about, it just might be Martis.

RHP Eduardo Morlan- Tampa Bay

Morlan was another of the players going to Tampa Bay from Minnesota for Delmon Young and more of the reason why that deal was so good for the Rays. He is one of the Rays’ top relief prospects and could be in their bullpen very soon. He could be their closer of the future with his hard stuff.

RHP Julio Pimentel- Kansas City

Pimentel is a savvy relief pitcher in the Royals system. He doesn’t overpower guys, but he has great control and pinpoint situation. The Royals are not very estimable and someone like Pimentel could make their bullpen at some point next season. However, he’s not the type of guy that’ll be a enormous factor for the team.

RHP Henry Rodriguez- Oakland

Oakland has a lot of guys in this game, but their brightest may be fireballing Henry Rodriguez. He has a high 90s fastball that has reached 101 MPH. His secondary stuff is unruffled raw and he’ll need it to succeed in the majors, but he’s only 21 and should be a force in the A’s rotation soon.

RHP Hector Rondon- Cleveland

Hector Rondon looks like a future starter for the Indians. He wasn’t on their radar all that much before the season, but has shot up the prospect board with a dominating season, in which he leads the league in strikeouts. He throws a good fastball, but the reason he has been able to get so many strikeouts this year as been his improving off speed stuff, namely the curveball and changeup.

RHP Fernando Salas- St. Louis

Salas is a right hander closer, currently in AAA. He throws a good mid 90s fastball that won’t flatten out. With Jason Isringhausen a free agent after the season and Ryan Franklin getting old, Salas could be the future closer of the Cardinals by 2010. He could be in their bullpen by some point next season.

LHP Polin Trinidad- Houston

Trinidad is showing good stuff in the minors right now and is a promising future starter for the Astros. He’s a lefty with a good fastball that can eat innings. He won’t be a star, but he could be a back of the rotation guy and the Astros horrible rotation could use him. He could be called next season.

C Wellington Castillo- Chicago Cubs

Castillo is a good hitter, but if he has a future in Chicago, it is not going to be at catcher with Geovany Soto emerging there. The Cubs have not said what they idea to do with him, but if he keeps hitting, he could be trade bait. He played some 3rd before and it is possible for him to move there.

C Jesus Montero- New York Yankees

Montero probably isn’t good enough to remain behind the plate long term and with Jorge Posada at the pro level, he should be happy about that. However, he can really hit, hitting .300+ at age 18, and there is an open site at the pro level right at first nefarious for him.

C Pablo Sandoval- San Francisco

Sandoval is a good defensive catcher, but unless he learns to hit better, he could be a career minor leaguer. His versatility allows him to play all around the diamond, but he is better suited, at his size, late the plate.

SS Elvis Andrus- Texas

Andrus was one of the major prospects that the Rangers got in return for Mark Teixiera. He’s only 19 proper now and he has a good feel for his swing. He’ll develop power and emerge into an all-star caliber hitter at shortstop. He is so good that the Rangers are even considering moving Michael Young, to another region or to another team, to make room for him next season.

2B Scott Campbell- Toronto

Modern Zealander Scott Campbell is performing well in the minors right now, but his future is still unknown. He doesn’t do one thing great; he is fair a fine player. The Blue Jays already seem heavenly space up the middle for the future and Campbell will probably be buried in the depth chart.

SS Ivan DeJesus- Los Angeles Dodgers

DeJesus looks to be the future at shortstop in Los Angeles if Rafael Furcal leaves as a free agent. He has a genuine glove and good bat and should be very productive at the big league level.

3B Juan Francisco- Cincinnati

Juan Francisco is an athletic 3rd baseman who can really hit it well. He is currently in long season Single-A, but he is still young and, with some work, he could perform someone’s ample league team in the future.

2B Luke Hughes- Minnesota

Hughes, from Australia, has a solid future in Minnesota in the infield. 2nd cross might not be his indispensable position when he does come up, but he can play anywhere in the infield. He is a solid hitter and a solid base runner. He hits to all fields and impresses scouts with his glove. He could get the call to the big leagues sometime next year.

SS Ramiro Pena- Original York Yankees

Pena’s obvious jam is that he is blocked at his primary position by none other than Derek Jeter. Ouch. He also is blocked by several other more talented shortstops in the farm system, but if he works on his offense, he has the tools to be a decent at best player.

1B Angel Villalona- San Francisco

Villanova, the Giants’ 1st base and 3rd base prospect, is the youngest of these youngsters at just 17 years old. Time will only tell wat happens with Villalona and the Giants, but they are in need of hitters and Villalona has the upside to be great for them. He’ll probably end up as a first unfriendly in the majors, but he is an elite power prospect.

CF Gorkys Hernandez- Atlanta

Hernandez was basically a throw in prospect to Atlanta for Edgar Renteria this past off season, but he is emerging into the Braves top outfield prospect. He hits for average and runs well both on the bases and in center field. He has legitimate range and looks to be the Braves future center fielder after Andruw Jones left. He could come up next season for the Braves.

CF Che-Hsuan Lin- Boston

Lin is a good line drive hitter to all fields, but doesn’t have the legitimate power to hit more than 10 homeruns in a season. He runs well in the outfield and has a cannon for an arm. Like most Red Sox prospects, he doesn’t seem to have a future in Boston because of the talent they already have at the big league level.

CF Fernando Martinez- New York Mets

Martinez is far and away the Mets’ best prospect since the Johan Santana deal. He’s only 19, but could be with the team next season sometime. He has great raw power. He’s a great athlete and he’s got a center fielder’s range, but a right fielder’s arm.

RF Gerardo Parra- Arizona

Parra plays great outfield defense with good range and a good arm, but he’s looking up at a very elephantine Arizona outfield right now so it doesn’t look like he’ll get his shot with the Diamondbacks. He could be trade bait or go help another team out as a free agent and emerge into a fine player.

RF Wilkin Ramirez- Detroit

Ramirez seems to be the Tigers’ best outfield prospect after they traded so many youngsters away in the off season. He can play all 3 outfield positions and is composed very young. He’s at Double-A now, but could be higher up in the minors and possibly the majors very soon.

Now, I’m no “expert”, just a “thinker”, but…

Ever been late to something? Me too. Ever seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get things accomplished? Me too. Ever wonder why it seems that others get more done than you, often with seemingly less effort? Me too. What is going on?

I broke it down one time, geometry proof-style, like I do a lot. I figure out what I “know” about a problem or area first, and then work aid until I start seeing some common denominators. The one constant…the one common…the one commodity, asset, or given or whatever you wish to label it as, that every single person has regardless of their race, creed, gender, religion, social or economic site is time. We all get 24 hours in a given day. And don’t get scientific with me and start spewing about leap year and all of that stuff. We get 24 hours. Donald Trump gets 24 hours. Bill Gates gets 24 hours. A homeless person gets 24 hours. A one-legged, partially blind, anorexic, pot-bellied pig gets 24 hours. It levels the playing field. Or so it would seem.

Unless one person perceives the passage of those 24 hours differently from someone else. What do I mean by perceive? Ever see a sports replay on TV in slow motion? Why do they do that? What is the purpose of slow motion? S o that you can really see everything that happens clearly and completely since at “real” speed everything happens so fast you may have missed some nuance of the athlete’s feat. So sitting on your couch you are going at “real” speed, but the replay you are watching is going at, call it “half” speed. Your perception of time passing, specifically the time event that occurred when the play happened, is sped up.

What? I view the replay was in slow motion? It is. So it is artificially making it seem that you were able to see all of that play completely, which would have meant that you saw the “valid” event transpire slower. That is the same as saying that your mind was thinking faster, since what we see is a function of our eyes taking in images and then our brain processing what they are, breaking down lighting, colors, textures, etc. and then cross-referencing them with our memory to try and identify the football as a football. The quicker our brain works, theoretically, the quicker we can process images we see, and then the quicker we can react, either with a cheer for a touchdown scored or if we were a player on the field our reaction may have been to tackle the receiver, for instance.

Does this mean that the perception of the passage of time is not constant? I believe it does mean that. And I am not alone. Scientists and philosophers and athletes a heck of a lot smarter and a heck of a lot more physically capable than I, agree. Saint Augustine of Hippo, a Saint of the Catholic Church and arguably one of the greatest “thinkers” of the past thousand years wrote extensively on it…in the sixteenth century! Ever heard an athlete say he or she was “in the Zone”? What do they mean? They always record it as seeing the play move like it is in slow motion and they are moving way faster than everyone else. A batter sees a pitch curving, a basketball player sees the defender’s steal attempt early and adjusts his dribble,et al . Their perception of the passage of that time event was elevated, it was sped up. Their brain was processing information at extremely fast rates. Faster than it was “really” happening.

Ever try to obtain a hover whilst it is flying? Fine hard to do. Sucker sure is flying fast. Or is he? Maybe his little brain is processing what he sees through his hundred eyes really, really fast. So when we swing our big clumsy hand in his direction, he sees it coming arrangement ahead of time and can react very early to avoid our grab. So maybe a Love Bug, that lives only 48 hours or so, is thinking really mercurial too. Maybe a second passing for him is like a year passing for us because his little brain is really cooking. Then he “really” lives, as he perceives living, for 48 years.

This all begs a put a question to. If different species can have different perceptions of time passing, can individuals within the same species have the ability to perceive the passing of time differently? Those athletes who have spent time “in the Zone” will announce you that they can sense time passage faster than “normal”. So maybe one can alter their perception of time. But is it something that can only be done in spurts, or can you permanently change your settings on this one?

An athlete gets “in the Zone” usually when he/she is confronted with a “special task”, like needing to hit a Randy Johnson curve ball because it’s a full count and it’s the bottom of the ninth in a World Series with two outs showing on the scoreboard. So maybe the brain sends chemicals or impulses to the eyes and arms and legs at an increased speed and those tools react unprejudiced like they normally would, only they are reacting sooner because the brain has processed the image and ordered a response faster than it “normally” does. And maybe the brain can do that extra fast job because it calls on a special section of the brain that keeps handy the images that the person sees regularly and often, kind of like it is in RAM to expend a computer analogy, or in a cache, is even better. So the brain does not wade through the ump-teen-million images in the brain marvelous, but accesses this “cheat sheet” to gather an appropriate response. And I suppose that “cheat sheet” allotment of the brain has all of those images level-headed there because the athlete has been “practicing” every day for the past ten years swinging a baseball bat at all manner of pitches, including really fast curve balls. So thebatter’s brain calls up this image, this memory, identifies the pitch as a curve ball, estimates its speed based on comparisons to pitches that it knew the speed of (from reading a radar gun or something for instance) and calculates when and how fast the arms need to swing to make contact. It then issues that order to the arms and voila! the batter hits the seemingly un-hittable.

It then seems to me that we can indeed adjust our ability to perceive time passing. And if my theory is upright, we do it just like thebatter’s brain. His brain “knows” things from repetition and comparison. So if we want to perceive time passing slower so that we can react earlier than others, we need to catalog a lot of data. We need little archival bits of information about how long it takes to accomplish all sorts of things. Starting with easy stuff like how long it takes to brush our teeth, or run three copies, or walk two blocks, or eat one hamburger, etc. Then we need to verify those times by checking them more than once. Then when the brain calls on the “cheat sheet”, it has things to compare to that are known and useful and appropriate. The brain can then “react” faster than normal and you can be “in the Zone” more often, maybe even regularly.

As a side point, maybe the reason people with photographic memories (theoretically) seem more “capable” than others is that their brain’s “cheat sheet” includes information for comparison’s sake, not only in regards to time passage but also including archival bits of information of actual data and images that are then quickly available for processing.

So being gradual, or not accomplishing what others seem to, or feeling the 24 hours you get is inadequate, is our own fault. It is probably the product of a lazy mind. What’s a lazy mind? I’ll talk about that another time. Suffice it to say, if we practice seemingly mundane tasks in our mind (it was called imagination when I was a kid) and gauge real world time passing during mundane tasks, we will compose a catalog, a “cheat sheet”, that is comprehensive. The more comprehensive our “cheat sheet” the more favorable we will be. The more capable we are, the more productive we will be. The more productive we are, the more successful we will be, and I don’t fair mean earning money (although there’s nothing wrong with that either). Being on time to an appointment with a friend so that he doesn’t think you don’t leer the value of his time will equal more successful relationships. Unbiased as an example.

My advice: Mediate all of the time about all of the time.

This is the second installment of my comprehensive rankings for baseball’s minor league farm systems. These will be slightly more expanded overviews as the season has finished and there is a much grander picture to interpret. The draft in June really shook things up, and, to put it gently, the minors are a mess. Grabbing Bronze in Beijing and the slew of prospect related trades caused quite a race with the overall rankings, but let’s first look at the top movers and shakers.

On Their Way Up-

These are the clubs that have shown the greatest amount of improvement. Be it a catapult launch to the Top Five or simply climbing over the trash, these clubs have made the greatest strides since the last ranking in February.

Pittsburgh

San Francisco

Kansas City

Toronto

Fallen From Grace-

These clubs have taken big hits since February. These clubs have managed to fall far, be it from injury, lack of talent, or graduation of talent. Regardless of how they got there, these teams have taken a step back in 2008.

New York (AL)

Cincinnati

Atlanta

Colorado

Note: Bold indicates that the player is collected retains his rookie eligibility (less than 150 ABs or 50 IP). Player otherwise stated has been graduated to the big leagues.

Onward to the rankings!!!

30. Chicago White Sox

I fancy Kenny Williams. He’s a great GM that can pull off a number of trades, but his farm system is probably at its weakest in quite some time. Before they were graduated, Lance Broadway and Chris Getz were the best this system had to offer in current talent. With the pair out of the picture, the mantle is passed to 2008 Draft Pick SS Gordon Beckham. He’s the leading star of the system. OF Jose Martinez has a very high ceiling but needs some time to fill out. I like RHP Drew O’Neill in the quick to Majors reliever mold and OF Jordan Danks, John’s little brother, is an keen athlete but lacks power. The top arm is LHP Aaron Poreda. He can hit 100 MPH with his fastball, but lacks secondary pitches. The bullpen seems like the most probable status, but if he can refine his slider and change he could be a dominant starter. RHP Jeff Marquez is a sinkerballer acquired from the Yankees for Swisher. It’s a power pitch he has to control to get outs because his secondary stuff isn’t remarkable to look at, and his ceiling is a #4 starter or middle innings reliever.

29. Houston Astros

At least they signed their #1 overall pick this year, right? Houston has had a clunker of a system for what feels like ages. Hunter Pence was the last quality player produced for at least the past five years. C Jason Castro has a good skillset for a catcher, and will more likely than not be the franchise catcher replacement for Ausmus. RHP Jordan Lyles has a clean delivery and a good fastball, which is always a big plus for a guy out of high school. OF Jay Austin gives them a very unique set of skills but he has got to prove he can hit at the pro level, something he isn’t doing fair now.

28. Detroit Tigers

D-Train is a mess and the Tigers failed to finish above .500. So distinguished for the big offseason spending spree. To design matters worse, their farm barren as heck. SS Cale Iorg and RHP Rick Porcello represent the best the Tigers have to offer. Iorg could be superb someday and Porcello could be an ace in the making with his stuff, the rest of the farm isn’t blooming. RHP Brandon Hamilton is a long ways off but he has the stuff to turn it around. LHP Casey Crosby has the potential to be top of the rotation. RHP Ryan Perry, the first acquire in June for the Detroit club, is a solid closer but out of this year’s entire relief class he was the one I was least aroused about. Detroit may give him a chance to start but he looks better in the 9^th inning to me.

27. Arizona Diamondbacks

The D-Backs offloaded Brett Anderson, Carlos Gonzalez, Aaron Cuningham, and Chris Carter to grab Haren in the offseason to manage two games above .500 and miss the playoffs by two games. Thankfully Haren is a gigantic starter, because little is left on the farm. RHP Jarrod Parker still has an explosive arm one year removed from the draft, and the graduation of Scherzer makes him the best righty on the farm. OF Gerardo Parra is the best hitter left down there, and he’s solid, while SS Reynaldo Navarro had a very weak season at the plate. LHP Daniel Schlereth is an impressive lefty talent out of the bullpen, chances are that’s all he’ll be in his career.

26. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs shipped off a good number of players to get Rich Harden, but for a relatively bad system that meant little. After producing stud C Geovany Soto, the Cubs are looking very thin on the farm. The best pitcher is enigma RHP Jeff Samardzija. He has the sheer stuff it will simply be a matter of Jeff learning to strike people out. Out of the bullpen in the bigs he still failed to strike 1 guy out an inning, and this is a big deal for a guy that gets a lot of fly balls. RHP Andrew Cashner can light up radar guns but his instruct can fail him. The Cubbies also got immensely talented yet injury prone RHP Chris Carpenter out of the draft. 3B Josh Vitters hit will but lacked power. He has time to grow. Personal favorite 2B Tony Thomas needs to stop striking out as much to be able to become the legitimate speed/gap power threat he can be.

25. New York Mets

The system was emptied by the Santana trade and has remained as such. The prospects in the Mets’ system simply lack the potency of other clubs. The highlight of the system is aloof OF Fernando Martinez, who’s talent works on and off noteworthy akin to bipolar disorder. At one moment, he’s a lanky guy with the potential for wiry strength and a .300 average. The next he’s a itsy-bitsy fourth outfielder with no power and lacking defense. He’s only 20 so he has plenty of time. SS/3B Wilmer Flores has a massive ceiling. He performed very well in the Appy League and managed to hit .307 combined at the age of 16 (turned 17 at the slay of the season). Even though he got roughed up in the bigs a bit, I still like RHP Eddie Kunz coming out of the bullpen. RHP Brad Holt is the best starter in the system, and sadly that isn’t saying very much. 1B Ike Davis has very good raw power and a good arm, so he could go elsewhere other than first. SS Reese Havens will probably wind up tedious the plate with his solid bat.

24. Cincinnati Reds

The graduation of the Titanic Four (Cueto, Bruce, Votto, and Bailey) caused this system to plummet. 1B Yonder Alonso, the top pick from June, immediately becomes the best prospect. He’s a very advanced hitter that will hit for high average and solid power from the left side. C Devin Mesoraco had a so so year at Dayton, and 3B Juan Francisco clubbed 23 HRs for Sarasota. SS Todd Frazier is a solid hitter, and handled Sarasota and Dayton very well. RHP Homer Bailey is an eternal enigma, and RHP Josh Roenicke should be a decent middle reliever. LHP Matt Maloney will be a befriend of the rotation starter.

23. Seattle Mariners

As of right now, the M’s have yet to sign RHP Joshua Fields. If they do, he would become the best relief prospect in the system. RHP Phillippe Aumont had a solid rookie debut, going 4-4 with a 2.75 ERA for the Timber Rattlers, which is superb considering how raw a prospect he is. SS Carlos Triunfel is still in the system, and is a legitimate stud. He showed surprising urge and now is a legitimate five tool threat at short. OF Dennis Raben has exceptional power but can be overaggressive at the plate. OF Michael Saunders had a solid year on the whole, and has superlative potential. OF Carlos Peguero has legitimate power and but needs to put the bat on the ball more consistently this year hitting .299 at High Desert, although he still strikes out entirely too mighty.

22. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies will take a World Series title for a fall in the prospect standings. They had to lose quite a bit to acquire Joe Blanton, giving up more than the Cubs to grab a slightly worse pitcher. It paid off with a ring so who can complain? The best of this system came from the draft. SS Anthony Hewitt is painfully raw but has the best raw ability of anyone on the farm. OF Anthony Gose can also be profiled in this manner, with talent a notch or two below Hewitt. OF Zach Collier has an interesting bat, and 3B Cody Overbeck did well in the NYP league. RHP Jason Knapp can hit 100 with his fastball but is inconsistent. RHP Carlos Carrasco and LHP Joe Savery had uninspiring years at AAA and AA respectively. RHP Kyle Drabek has to come all the way back from Tommy John surgery. This system could surge in 2009 as it has a dreadfully big amount of talent. OF Dominic Brown will need a lot of power and learn to hit lefthanders to perform an impact in the bigs.

21. San Diego Padres

The Pads had a unpleasant 2008 and hope to reload this offseason by moving Peavy, which will make this system rocket to the top. Since these rankings are down before any trades go down, you’ll have to wait till February to see where they land. 1B Kyle Blanks had a monster year at San Antonio, with fantastic power and a good average. He needs work at fielding his location better and manage to keep his weight down to stick around. 2B Matt Antonelli is the real deal, and will be the Pads second baseman of the future. OF Cedric Hunter had a very good year, and his bat should eventually lead him to the bigs. RHP Josh Geer had a mediocre year in the minors but performed well in 5 starts in the bigs. RHP Wade LeBlanc struggled mightily, RHP Will Inman went 9-8 with a 3.71 ERA at San Antonio, and RHP Mat Latos looked like the best arm in the system, although only pitching 56 innings. The Pads picked up a very advanced hitter in 1B Allan Dykstra, and OF Jeff Decker is essentially a second Matt Stairs with a better arm.

20. Colorado Rockies

Ian Stewart finally earned the graduation he deserved, and the system has suffered as such. It also doesn’t help when talent like LHPFranklin Morales creates more questions than answers (82-83 BB:K). OF Dexter Fowler is a hands down favorite, batting switch with genuine rush and a patient come at the plate. 1B Joe Koshanksy can slug minor league pitching well(133 HRs in the minors), but he needs to take that next step to reach the bigs. OF Charlie Blackmon is an impressive athlete that had a solid debut. RHP Jhoulys Chacin is the top arm after going 18-3 with a 2.03 ERA. He has a good heater that he controls well and his secondary stuff isn’t too far late. RHP Casey Weathers was having a good year till he blew out his elbow. LHP Christian Friedrich was the steal of the draft, and the polished lefty has two great breaking pitches to compliment his 94 MPH heater

19. St. Louis Cardinals

A distinct lack of impact keeps this system back. 3B Brett Wallace mashed after he was drafted in June, but he needs to stay mobile to continue on at third. SS Peter Kozma had an off year with the bat but if he can easily rebound. SS Niko Vasquez has an awesome name and a good bat, he’ll need to improve his range to cease at short. Passions for stud OF Colby Rasmus were reigned in this year after a weak campaign, but he can turn it around. C Bryan Anderson lacks power but makes good contact and will be an invauluable reserve for Yadier at the bigs. OF Jon Jay had a breakout campaign and could push for time in the bigs or be a essential trading piece. LHP Jaime Garcia could still be a serviceable #4 starter, RHP Chris Perez proved that the Cards can let Izzy walk this offseason. RHP Jess Todd had a fantastic year in the minors (2.88 ERA) and could be more than bullpen help.

18. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

SS/3B Brandon Wood finally got graduated, and should be a 25-30 HR a year threat. C Hank Conger bats switch and hits very, very well for a catcher. He needs to be more mobile behind the plate and work on throwing out baserunners. RHP Nick Adenhart had a rough year but his fastball-slider-changeup combination will allow for a recovery in 2009. RHP Jordan Walden had a superlative year, and he should accomplish AA next year with his 100 MPH heat and 80 MPH slurve. RHP Sean O’Sullivan had an ugly ERA at the launching pad in Rancho Cucamunga, and he could be a workhouse #4 if he makes the bigs. OF Peter Bourjos had a good year with the Bees, and he simply needs consistency at the plate to be a big leaguer. RHP Tyler Chatwood is short for a pitcher, but his plus curve and plus heater have made him a prospect.

17. Novel York Yankees

The Yankees managed 89 wins and failed to sign their 1^st round pick and 2^nd round select (Gerrit Cole and Scott Bittle). This system lacks the impact righties it had a year ago and several stars have fallen. Emerging from the wreckage are OF Austin Jackson and C Jesus Montero. Jackson is a five tool threat and continues to develop now that he is fully committed to baseball. Montero is very young and has tremendous power, but his size may force him to fade off the backstop. Both had very favorable campaigns in 2008. OF Brett Gardner has no power, but he could be a slap leadoff hitter and burner in center field. Young OF Kelvin De Leon made his pro debut, and some scouts have compared him to Alfonso Soriano. RHP Mark Melancon is ready to relieve the big league bullpen just now, RHP Dellin Betances needs to put in a full season so his talent can finally demonstrate, RHP Andrew Brackman is pitching again after Tommy john surgery and hopes to obtain his 100 MPH heater so his 6′10″ frame can make it to the bigs. LHP Jeremy Bleich hopes to give this system some desperately needed depth as a lefty on the mound and RHP Brett Marshall, if healthy, could be a major coup in the 6^th round.

16. Washington Nationals

Another team that failed to sign their first round lift, the Nats missed out on a huge arm in Aaron Crow. The top talent took a step back in 2008 or got graduated. The former is comprised of OF Chris Marrero, LHP Ross Detwiler, and OF Michael Burgess. Marrero has the sheer talent to overcome a .250 AVG that was 2008, and Detwiler can do much better than his 5.59 ERA at Potomac. Burgess has to stop striking out at such a prolific rate and make contact or he’s in trouble. The latter is composed of top pitchers Colin Balester and John Lannan. On the farm, RHP Jordan Zimmermann looks to be the top pitcher and he’s a personal favorite (he pitched with a broken jaw. Respect earned). The battler managed a 2.89 RA between two levels and could make his appearance as early as 2009. RHP Shairon Martis had a so so year in the minors and probably will help the big league club next year. OF Destin Hood has a lot of talent, rating plus in all categories except speed and fellow 2008 draftee OF J.P. Ramirez got $1,000,000 in the 15^th round for his exceptional bat and to keep him out of Tulane.

15. Atlanta Braves

Atlanta has a knack for grabbing very good, very young talent. They missed out on a 1^st round hold this past June and their top choice was LHP Brett DeVall, the top lefty talent on their farm with his low 90s heat and solid curve. The top pitcher is RHP Tommy Hanson, a 22^nd round steal that went 11-5 with a 2.41 ERA across two level. His three solid pitches (89-92 fastball, 12-6 curve, and improved change) and his ability to make changes on the fly prove we may see him as soon as 2010. OF Jason Heyward was a definite steal in last year’s draft even though he went 14^th overall. His game compares favorably to Junior’s (yes, that Junior), and he managed to hit .316 in his first pro season. OF Gorkys Hernandez had an off season, but the youngster is an absolute burner that could hit leadoff in the years ahead. OF Brandon Jones made the bigs and should take over in left for 2009. SS Brent Lillibridge had a downer year but could easily rebound. OF Jordan Schafer was suspended 50 games for testing positive for HGH and his year suffered as a result. He looks like a solid candidate for center field, only lacking power.

14. Cleveland Indians

The addition of OF Matt LaPorta makes this a far better system. He can hit for power and for contact and will play a obedient left field. Speedy OF Trevor Crowe had a rebound season, hitting .302 between AA and AAA. He won’t hit for power but at the least will be a solid 4^th outfielder. 3B Beau Mills had a fantastic first season, hitting .292 with 21 HRs and could be elite if he avoids striking out as often. SS Lonnie Chisenhall was a surprise pick at 29, but he has a good bat with occasional pop but needs a position to play. C Carlos Santana was a great grab from LA, especially since he proved he can hit this year. RHP Trevor Haley got more money in the 2^nd round than Chisenhall, and the Indians hope his frame fills out and he gains consistency so that his 95 MPH heat may win a couple more ticks and his secondary stuff can assist it up. LHP Eric Berger has low 90s heat and a good curve that helped him get a 2.11 ERA in his pro debut. LHPs Chuck Lofgren and Tony Sipp need colossal rebounds as Lofgren struggled and Sipp will be coming off surgery.

13. Baltimore Orioles

C Matt Wieters is the Next Big Thing in the Minors. The switch hitting catching has all five tools and he can lead a pitching staff. His first pro season he hit .355-27-91, walked 82 times to 76 strikeouts. He had an OPS of 1.053, and it was his first season. He could originate in Baltimore tomorrow if need be. OF Nolan Reimold has a titanic bat, and should be a .280-25 HR hitter in the bigs. He has a fantastic arm and decent hurry but he’s a slight conventional (turned 25 on 10/12). 3B Bill Rowell has all the talent in the world, he just needs to figure it out. After a rough season at Frederick, he tranquil projects to be a titanic home run threat. RHP Chris Tillman had a breakout season, going 11-4 with a 3.18 ERA. He has a nice trim delivery, a 94 MPH heater and a good curve. He needs work on his changeup to become a big time pitcher. RHP Jake Arrieta is a favorite, and he did very well his first pro season and made the Olympic team. He went 6-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 20 starts. He has a high 90s fastball with great late movement, but his secondary pitches all need refinement. LHP Brian Matusz was the top pick from June. He has dominant secondary stuff, but he needs to work with his fastball more (a problem that plagues Clay Buchholz). His curve is his best pitch, which he compliments with a fastball that hits 94 and an above average change. OF Xavier Avery is a very raw outfield prospect who is more an athlete than a ballplayer right now. Work at the dish will be his primary goal.

12. Kansas City Royals

This system hit a home run in June, managing to lure 1B Eric Hosmer away from Arizona State with the tune of $6,000,000. He has incredible power from the left side, a quick bat, and a very pleasurable approach at the plate. With a plus arm (he hit 95 off the mound) and good range he could be a respectable defender at first. Fellow draftees LHP Mike Montgomery, 2B Johnny Giavotella, and RHP Tim Melville were some of the best of the draft for KC. Montgomery is a tall athletic lefty with three plus potential pitches (a 94 MPH fastball, a gross 70s curveball, and a high 70s-low 80s changeup with great tedious movement.) Giavotella draws comparisons to Dustin Pedroia offensively and he plays a decent second. Melville was a win in the 4^th round, with a 91-94 MPH fastball and a great curve. He’s tall (6′-5″) and a projectable athlete on the mound. RHP Daniel Cortes had a solid season at AA, going 10-4 with a 3.78 ERA. He’s got an impressive fastball (sits in the mid 90s with great movement) and an ever improving 12-6 curve. He has to mix in his changeup to become a number 2 or 3 in the future. SS Mike Moustakas has a lot of power for a shortstop, smacking 22 HRs in his first pro season. He’s a fantastic hitter with average run and a cannon at short. He may eventually have to move, but his bat will take him to the bigs.

11. Pittsburgh Pirates

Signing 3B Pedro Alvarez was huge. He was the best talent in the draft, with plus tools across the board. LHP Daniel Moskos should never have been drafted ahead of Matt Wieters, but his 95-97 MPH fastball and two breaking balls serene make him a candidate to close or start (better out of the pen to me). OF Andrew McCutchen has five solid tools but the Pirates have yet to graduate him. Expect him to make the bigs and stay at some point in 2009. 3B Neil Walker bats switch, has good power potential (some of it sapped by injury), and a solid bat. He struggled at AAA and he has some hefty competition in Pedro Alvarez. RHP Bryan Morris was acquired from the Dodgers in the Jason Bay deal. He has a 92-95 MPH fastball with good movement, a very good downer curve, and a change that needs work. OF Jose Tabata needed a change of scenery after the mess that was Current York, and now he has another chance to fill out, get some power, and become a stud. RHP Daniel McCutchen (no relation to Andrew) has two solid fastballs and a substantial curveball. He should help the rotation soon. OF Robbie Grossman bats switch and has excellent power potential, but lacks any other true tools. RHP Quinton Miller has a 90-94 MPH fastball, biting slider, and mediocre change. He would’ve benefited a couple of years at UNC but the Pirates offered him $900,000 so that he could develop on their farm.

10. Toronto Blue Jays

This system could rocket to the top come next year if all the chips fall fair so. OF Travis Snider is a hitter, pure and simple. His cannon in right compliments his powerful bat and solid contact skills, and he has a good eye for seeing his pitch to hit. 3B Kevin Ahrens had a tough go of it at the plate but has the overall skillset to overcome and earn the comparisons to Chipper Jones. C J.P. Arencibia is a personal favorite, as he hits for power and defends his position well. He’s a clubhouse leader who managed a monster 2008 (.298-27-105). LHP Ricky Romero regained some respect this year, although he needs a lot of work to live down going 6^th in the 2005 draft(one of the strongest drafts in history) and playing like he has been. LHP Brett Cecil has a 90-92 MPH fastball that compliments his filthy slider, and he went 8-5 with a 2.88 ERA on his way to AAA. 1B David Cooper has a sweet lefty swing, and hit .300 among three levels after getting drafted in June. RHP Matt Daly might be a buy out of Hawaii, as he has a plus fastball to go with a curve and change that he needs to learn to control.

9. Minnesota Twins

OF Aaron Hicks is a beast. A switch hitter, he has a quick bat, lightning fast speed, a wonderful arm, and decent power, he is a five tool threat and will most likely fulfill that expectation. RHP Carlos Gutierrez has a power sinker and average slider that could play out of the pen or starting. RHP Shooter Hunt, other than having an awesome name for a pitcher, has a fastball with great movement and a breaking pitch that looks like a curve but gets up on you like a slider. He has a changeup that he needs to utilize powerful more regularly for it to be a weapon. OF Ben Revere simply had an awesome season. The $750,000 first rounder hit .379 and swiped 44 bases at Beloit, and he has leadoff hitter written all over him as he strikes out rarely. C Wilson Ramos had a good year offensively, and the youth simply needs time and refinement to make it to the big leagues.

8. Los Angeles Dodgers

This is a very unique farm. SS Chin-lung Hu at this point only needs to display he can hit in the bigs, as he is simply a vacuum at short. OF Andrew Lambo doesn’t have first-rate speed, but he can rake with his decent power and good contact mechanics. 3B Josh Bell got injured but he has some of the best power in the whole system. LHP Scott Elbert looks much better coming out of the pen and should create an impact in 2009. RHP James McDonald is a converted outfielder that had a good year between AA and AAA. His best weapons are his sweeping curve, 89-92 MPH heat with life, and his changeup which has plus fade at times. RHP Ethan Martin was the top pick for the Dodgers. He will be an asset to any NL club as Martin is a good hitter. But his 94-96 MPH heat, great change, and good slurvish curve make him a pick to get to the bigs. RHP Josh Lindblom caught fire after signing and made it to AA with his mid 90s heavy fastball and hard curveball. He’ll be a threat out of the pen. OF Kyle Russell is an true question mark. He has fantastic hitting potential but a poor portray with wood bats. He could exclaim or bust as dictated by his work with wood.

7. Florida Marlins

This is the marquee system for pitching depth. Chris Volstad got his deserved cup of coffee and performed phenomenally. RHP Ryan Tucker made a very strong case for the Fish to put him at the support end of the bullpen, and his fastball would play diagram up as opposed to starting. RHP Brett Sinkbeil more than doubled his pro innings totaled with this year and his stats suffered as such, but his sinker-slider combo will make the bigs most likely as a starter. LHP Sean West had a very strong year following labrum surgery (2.41 ERA in 20 starts) and with more innings he’ll make a case to be in the Fish’s rotation. Enigmatic RHP Jose Ceda was acquired from the Cubs for Kevin Gregg. He has a special fastball (can hit 99 with good movement) and a very nice slider as a complementary pitch. 2B Chris Coghlan is a very good hitter and distinguished better defender than incumbent Uggla, as Chris managed to hit .298 with Carolina and walked more than he struck out. 3B Matt Dominguez hit above expectations at Greensboro, but needs to keep it up as a glove at third will not take you to the Majors. What hasn’t been said about OF Cameron Maybin? He is a five tool threat and will be in center next season for the Fish. The breakout star of the year is OF Michael Stanton. .293-39-97. That’s right, 39 bombs in his first full pro season. Albeit he struck out like a machine, but his hitting potential is simply through the roof. He can play the outfield pretty well and occasionally shows plus speed. C Kyle Skipworth was the top pick from the draft and he gives the Marlins a apt blue chip catching prospect. He can hit very well and he plays his position respectfully. 1B Logan Morrison is Major League ready with his bat but his defense lacks. He will push Sanchez off of first by midseason barring injury.The Marlins simply stole OF Isaac Galloway at #238 for a measly $245,000. He is a very raw product, but he flashes potential plus skills in the outfield and at the plate. He’s got a 35/65 shot of reaching his total potential and being a star.

6. Milwaukee Brewers

This system would be in the top five if not for losing Matt LaPorta. Luckily, this is a very strong system especially how it reloaded in the draft. AA Huntsville had a heck of a lineup this year, as the next four all played for the Stars in 2008. SS Alcides Escobar had a great year hitting .328 with 9 HRs. He has above average speed (34 SB in 42 attempts) that he’s using to his advantage, that coupled with his slick fielding and breakout offensive year place him squarely in the spacious league picture. OF Cole Gillespie also had a solid year, and projects as a .280 hitter with 15-20 HRs a year. He has modest speed but knows how to work the bases (17-18 SB), plays an average outfield, but is a leader on and off the field. 3B Mat Gamel had a very strong season. Gamel has an impressive bat (.325-20-99) but desperately needs work on defense (30 errors, an improvement over 54 last year!). C Angel Salome is an offensive catcher at this point, as he struggles on defense with solid numbers at the plate (.281-13-83). RHP Jeremy Jeffress has had numerous off the field issues but still has a great fastball. High time for the Crew to put him in the pen as his secondary stuff isn’t showing progress. OF Caleb Gindl played for the Power this year, managed .301-13-81. He has a gigantic arm to go with his quality lefty bat. Now for the draft products. C Brett Lawrie hails from Canada and he simply has a superb bat. Possibly a .300 hitter from unhurried the dish, he could combine that with his above average power to be a force. If he can learn to catch fast, he’ll be starting for the Brew Crew in no time. OF Cutter Dykstra, Lenny’s son, has great speed and a solid bat but he needs a defensive home. LHP Josh Romanski is a polished pitcher, and although he doesn’t have one absolutely dominant pitch, he knows his repertoire well and will obtain the bigs easily. LHP Evan Frederickson has a 91-93 MPH fastball (topping at 95-96) and a dirty power slider, although he needs refined command to be elite. RHP Jake Ordozzi is a very good athlete, as he has race and power. However, his delivery is very clean and he repeats it well enough that he’ll pause on the mound. He has a sneaky swiftly 91-93 MPH fastball to go with a slider that needs a bit of work.

5. Boston Red Sox

1B Lars Anderson had a big season, as expected given Lancaster’s cozy environment. He’s got a legitimate bat, roughing up pitchers for a .317 average. He has tremendous power potential, and he slugged 18 HRs between Lancaster and Portland at the tender age of 20. He turned 21 in September, and could push Youk to third and Lowell out of the equation by 2010. I regret betting against RHP Michael Bowden, and he stepped up big this season going 9-7 between AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket with a 2.62 ERA. He’s got a low 90s sinker, with very heavy movement. He has a solid change and a big 12-6 curve. He could be a number 3-4 starter in the bigs. Personal favorite LHP Nick Hagadone blew his elbow out but is making a very speedy recovery. He’s got a fastball that hits 97, a power slider, and a changeup that shows good sink and a proper speed change. He’s an ace or #2 in the future, or a power reliever. RHP Daniel Bard has a 100 MPH fastball and a good slider, and has improved greatly after heading to the backend of the bullpen. SS CaseyKelley is a raw athlete, who exhibits good raw power and is a unexcited shortstop. He just needs a lot of plate experience to get a feel for hitting. 3B Michael Almanzar is a very projectable 17 year old (turns 18 12/2). He has great bat speed, a skill that cannot be taught, and he is a natural in the field (his father played pro baseball). OF Ryan Westmoreland is an athlete at this point, with tremendous speed and power potential. He has a solid arm and can cover the outfield well.

4. San Francisco Giants

The Giants had three picks in the first round in 2007, and that could be a marquee draft for them even in OF Wendell Fairley doesn’t develop at the plate. He has lots of time, but he needs work. The headliner of this system is LHP Madison Bumgarner. The 18 year old status the bar very high his first pro season, going 15-3 with a 1.46 ERA in 24 starts, striking out 164 people. He turned 19 on August 1^st. He walked a meager 21 and gave up 3 HRs in 141.2 IP. He has a mid 90s heater that touches 97 at times and a solid curveball. He needs to work out his changeup to make the big leagues, but he will in due time either as a frontline starter or power reliever. RHP Tim Alderson had a good first pro season, but was overshadowed by Bumgarner. He went 13-4 with a 2.76 ERA in the hitters’ paradise of the California League. He has fantastic command of his crude 90s fastball and superlative low 80s curveball. He’ll probably make the bigs faster than Alderson, and he only needs some work on his changeup. RHP Henry Sosa has 100 MPH fastball and a dirty curveball. He’ll probably wind up a closer, but if he can develop a changeup and learn to pitch he’ll be a monster starter. 2B Nick Noonan is my favorite second baseman in the Minors, bar none. He’s an advanced hitter that makes good contact but lacks power. He has above average urge and plays a solid second base that will improve with time. He compares to Utley very well except he lacks the power of the world champs’ 2B. 1B Angel Villalona is someone Giants’ fans can collect excited about. He was 17 for most of 2008, turning 18 on Aug. 13^th. He will be a masher down the road, with potential to hit 30+ HRs a season. He needs to learn some patience and to cut down on strikeouts. He has entirely too much upside for his BB:K of 18:118 to snuff him out. The Giants got C Buster Posey at #5 in 2008, and that is considered by many to be a coup. He’s a staunch defender, with a strong (94 MPH off the mound) and accurate arm. He has great bat race that will lend to a strong average and plus power for a catcher. He’s a extraordinary hitter at a skill position. 3B Conor Gillaspie has a very good bat, he’ll most likely hit for average and get extra bases rather than homers. He has above average speed, but his range at third is limited. He has an average arm and soft hands so he’ll probably stay at third.

3. Tampa Bay Rays

Well the cat is out of the bag, LHP David Price is a beast. Mid 90s heat with broad life, a high 80s power slider and a low 80s changeup. He is the ace of the future in Tampa. RHP Wade Davis made it to AAA this year. He has a low 70s sweeping curve and a 94-96 MPH fastball and a changeup that could become better than average. RHP Jeremy Hellickson went 11-5 with a 2.96 ERA between High A and AA. Low 90s heat that hits 95, a great curve, and a very suitable feel for pitching will take him to the bigs as a solid 3-4 starter. LHP Jake McGee has electric stuff, but had Tommy John surgery and will probably restart as a closer. His 97 MPH heat and filthy sliderprofile better out of the pen and getting hurt reinforces this sentiment. OF Desmond Jennings has plus plus speed, a good eye, and doesn’t strike out much. He profiles well at the top of the order and needs to play the outfield a little better and stay healthy. SS Reid Brignac has a solid bat and profitable actions at short. It’s just that he isn’t as good as Bartlett or Beckham, and would be best off used as trade bait. SS Tim Beckham is your prototypical five tool shortstop. He will eventually push Bartlett off of shortstop. LHP Kyle Lobstein is a two way player that has three decent pitches. His fastball has average velocity (high 80s peaking around 92) and he has an above average circle changeup and a curve that shows good tilt and depth at times. He has room to grow and will likely gain a few more MPH.

2. Oakland Athletics

This system acquired a great deal of talent and probably could rank higher. RHP Michel Inoa was the top pull from the international market this year, and the 16 year old is very projectable with a low 90s fastball, a solid curve and developing changeup. RHP Trevor Cahill and LHP Brett Anderson were both principal parts in Team USA’s bronze medal. Cahill has a low 90s heater, a dastardly good curve, and a serviceable changeup. Anderson is a finesse lefty, with a fastball that hits 90. However he has fantastic command and mechanics to go with two breaking pitches and a changeup that he can spot and throw for strikes. 2B Adrian Cardenas was taken from Philly, and he profiles as a middle of the order hitter from the left side of the plate. He’s a fantastic hitter and moderate fielder, and he went .296-5-40 between two levels and two organizations. LHP Josh Outman already made his big league debut, and he has a improper 90s heater, a slider with good unhurried movement and a decent change. He’ll be a #3 starter. 1B Sean Doolittle had a fantastic start to his pro career, slugging 22 HRs on his blueprint to AA. He has a great feel for the strike zone and is a solid defender to boot. SS Cliff Pennington came aid from the boring and made his tremendous league debut. He is a slap and switch hitting shortstop that won’t hit for mighty power but could rob some bases. C Josh Donaldson was the best the A’s got for Rich Harden. He’s an offensive minded catcher that could eventually learn his space better but won’t be more than average. 2B Jemile Weeks was the top prefer in June. Rickie’s cramped brother is a generous baserunner with great accelerate that can hit very well. He won’t have as much power as Rickie but probably will hit for a superior better average. C Petey Paramore is a pitcher’s catcher, as he knows how to handle a staff and play his region. He’ll need to work hard to be a substantial contact hitter, as his bat accelerate will restrict his power numbers.

1. Texas Rangers

Texas at number one came to me by the fact that the hardest spot to come by talent at was catcher. It was during the Olympics and it simply dawned upon me that Texas had some of the best young catchers in the minors and bigs: C Max Ramirez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and C Taylor Teagarden. Upon closer inspection of the rest of the talent, it was pretty sure that Texas was on top. June simply reinforced the minors most cogent force. Teagarden is a great catcher in that he hits the ball well and is great behind the plate. His gamecalling needs work but he is very good and helped the US fetch a bronze. Ramirez is a solid hitter but lacks slow the dish. OF Julio Borbon is a super speedy outfielder. He swiped 51 bags between two levels this year and projects to hit for a good average in the bigs. SS Elvis Andrus is still the top prospect on the farm. He’s young, projectable and will become a superlative five tool shortstop in the future. OF Engel Beltre was stolen from the Red Sox for Eric Gagne. The 18 year old has five tool potential, but he has to fill out for that power to come to fruition. RHP Neftali Feliz is very young and dominated in 2008. He went 10-6 with a 2.69 ERA at 20 years weak. He’s got a composed delivery, 100 MPH heat with impressive life. He has a high 70s curve but lacks command. His changeup needs to be refined but what 19-20 year weak doesn’t need work on their change? RHP Blake Beavan went 10-6 with a 2.37 ERA at Clinton with his mid 90s heat and mid 80s slider. He needs a changeup and needs to strike people out to become a big league starter. RHP Michael Main only got 13 starts in the minors, but he needs to work on his change. His fastball ranges from the low to high 90s, topping at 97 with qualified movement. His curveball is good but it needs work, and he needs to get a little more durable to be a front of the rotation starter. RHP Eric Hurley has a mid 90s sinker and a good slider, and he’ll be a number 3 starter down the road at best. 1B Justin Smoak is a premier slugger. He’s a lot like Mark Texeira, a switch hitting first baseman that mashes for a good average and plays Gold Glove defense at first. LHP Robbie Ross was a grasp in the supplemental round. He has a 90-94 MPH fastball, a animated slider and a changeup he’ll improve. He’s short for a pitcher (6′0″) but he’ll be very good.

And there it is. My next update will be in February after all of the trades. Peavy to anyone will shake things up, Tampa is probably going to disappear some talent, and I wouldn’t be shocked if Los Angeles moved some talent (either of them).

Hope you enjoyed it! Till next time!

PP OUT!

Blaming your moves, shots and swings for your golf mishits and mishaps? Well, no matter how much time and effort you have been spending over practicing your moves to perfect your game, you still won’t achieve your goal if you use unsuitable or defective types of golf equipment, will you?

Now is high time for you to consider the following golf tips that involve checking on your equipment’s quality.

If you plan to choose used golfclubs as beginner’s tools, scrutinizing before purchasing is a must. The clubheads, the shafts, and the grips are golfclub parts that should pass inspection first before landing a decent spot in your golf equipment cabinet. Another excellent golf tip that will get you through the game is making sure that the set of used golfclubs you’re eyeing have region consistency. It will also succor a lot if you check first the price of unusual clubs vs. used.

A golf tip for a golfer that plans to regrip his clubs: Be cautious. This is because the grips are the only contact points one can access to affect the shot. Before carrying out the regripping, know the core grip of the club and your hands grip size. To determine your core size grip, measure the diameter of the butt of the shaft you’re going to re-grip. The shaft’s diameter should match the grip’s core diameter. In determining your hands grip, the available size grips are regular, mid-size, oversize and jumbo. Use only the best re-gripping materials that will provide optimum performance for your golf clubs.

Another golf tip or advice is that using ill-fitted clubs will be an obstacle to your golf playing success. A golfer must reflect his or her body type in choosing the best-fitting equipment to assist and deliver his backswings efficiently. Too steep angles in carrying out backswings may be avoided if one selects the perfect fitting equipment available.

Custom golfclub fitting makes a better option than just buying unique golf clubs. Getting custom fitting golfclubs is a golf tip that translates to a very worthy investment. The uniqueness of each person is attributed to the need of this procedure of buying new golf clubs. A custom fitting produces golfclubs that specifically suit the height, strength, swing characteristics and clubhead speed of the golfer.

The type of club shaft also helps in predicting whether you’ll do good in a game or you won’t. There’s a choice between a steel club shaft and a graphite-made club shaft. This golf tip aims to make you realize which type of golfclub shaft will benefit your game. Observations bid that the steel club shafts are more preferred by professional golfers while graphite shafts become more popular with women, senior players and beginners. Steel shafts are less expensive than graphite shafts though.

One more golf tip that could help you is that the golf clubs that must be the main whisper of your bag must suit your skill level. Since various skill levels need various golf clubs, it won’t be wise to just use or bring a golf club that is just lying around. And, don’t ever forget about the maximum golfclub load your bag is allowed to hold. You can only bring 14 golf clubs in your bag. No more. No less. Aside from your skill level contemplation, your mastery of a obvious golfclub and your being comfortable with using it must also be achieve into consideration in deciding which golfclub to hit.

A good combination of the right moves and estimable choice of equipment will better arm you to become the best golfer you could ever be.

Now, I’m no “expert”, just a “thinker”, but…

Ever been late to something? Me too. Ever seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get things accomplished? Me too. Ever wonder why it seems that others get more done than you, often with seemingly less effort? Me too. What is going on?

I broke it down one time, geometry proof-style, like I do a lot. I figure out what I “know” about a problem or plot first, and then work back until I start seeing some common denominators. The one constant…the one popular…the one commodity, asset, or given or whatever you wish to label it as, that every single person has regardless of their run, creed, gender, religion, social or economic status is time. We all salvage 24 hours in a given day. And don’t get scientific with me and start spewing about leap year and all of that stuff. We get 24 hours. Donald Trump gets 24 hours. Bill Gates gets 24 hours. A homeless person gets 24 hours. A one-legged, partially blind, anorexic, pot-bellied pig gets 24 hours. It levels the playing field. Or so it would seem.

Unless one person perceives the passage of those 24 hours differently from someone else. What do I mean by perceive? Ever see a sports replay on TV in slow motion? Why do they do that? What is the purpose of slow motion? S o that you can really see everything that happens clearly and completely since at “real” accelerate everything happens so mercurial you may have missed some nuance of the athlete’s feat. So sitting on your couch you are going at “real” speed, but the replay you are watching is going at, call it “half” speed. Your perception of time passing, specifically the time event that occurred when the play happened, is sped up.

What? I thought the replay was in lifeless motion? It is. So it is artificially making it seem that you were able to see all of that play completely, which would have meant that you saw the “real” event transpire slower. That is the same as saying that your mind was thinking faster, since what we see is a function of our eyes taking in images and then our brain processing what they are, breaking down lighting, colors, textures, etc. and then cross-referencing them with our memory to try and identify the football as a football. The quicker our brain works, theoretically, the quicker we can process images we see, and then the quicker we can react, either with a cheer for a touchdown scored or if we were a player on the field our reaction may have been to tackle the receiver, for instance.

Does this mean that the perception of the passage of time is not constant? I have it does mean that. And I am not alone. Scientists and philosophers and athletes a heck of a lot smarter and a heck of a lot more physically beneficial than I, agree. Saint Augustine of Hippo, a Saint of the Catholic Church and arguably one of the greatest “thinkers” of the past thousand years wrote extensively on it…in the sixteenth century! Ever heard an athlete say he or she was “in the Zone”? What do they mean? They always describe it as seeing the play move like it is in slow motion and they are moving way faster than everyone else. A batter sees a pitch curving, a basketball player sees the defender’s steal attempt early and adjusts his dribble,et al . Their perception of the passage of that time event was elevated, it was sped up. Their brain was processing information at extremely hasty rates. Faster than it was “really” happening.

Ever try to catch a skim whilst it is flying? Pretty hard to do. Sucker sure is flying fast. Or is he? Maybe his little brain is processing what he sees through his hundred eyes really, really quick. So when we swing our big clumsy hand in his direction, he sees it coming intention ahead of time and can react very early to avoid our grab. So maybe a Love Bug, that lives only 48 hours or so, is thinking really fast too. Maybe a second passing for him is like a year passing for us because his little brain is really cooking. Then he “really” lives, as he perceives living, for 48 years.

This all begs a question. If different species can have different perceptions of time passing, can individuals within the same species have the ability to perceive the passing of time differently? Those athletes who have spent time “in the Zone” will tell you that they can sense time passage faster than “normal”. So maybe one can alter their perception of time. But is it something that can only be done in spurts, or can you permanently change your settings on this one?

An athlete gets “in the Zone” usually when he/she is confronted with a “special task”, like needing to hit a Randy Johnson curve ball because it’s a paunchy count and it’s the bottom of the ninth in a World Series with two outs showing on the scoreboard. So maybe the brain sends chemicals or impulses to the eyes and arms and legs at an increased hasten and those tools react impartial like they normally would, only they are reacting sooner because the brain has processed the image and ordered a response faster than it “normally” does. And maybe the brain can do that extra snappily job because it calls on a special part of the brain that keeps handy the images that the person sees regularly and often, kind of like it is in RAM to use a computer analogy, or in a cache, is even better. So the brain does not wade through the ump-teen-million images in the brain proper, but accesses this “cheat sheet” to get an appropriate response. And I pronounce that “cheat sheet” share of the brain has all of those images collected there because the athlete has been “practicing” every day for the past ten years swinging a baseball bat at all manner of pitches, including really snappily curve balls. So thebatter’s brain calls up this image, this memory, identifies the pitch as a curve ball, estimates its speed based on comparisons to pitches that it knew the speed of (from reading a radar gun or something for instance) and calculates when and how posthaste the arms need to swing to make contact. It then issues that order to the arms and voila! the batter hits the seemingly un-hittable.

It then seems to me that we can indeed adjust our ability to gape time passing. And if my theory is right, we do it just like thebatter’s brain. His brain “knows” things from repetition and comparison. So if we want to gape time passing slower so that we can react earlier than others, we need to catalog a lot of data. We need little archival bits of information about how long it takes to attain all sorts of things. Starting with easy stuff like how long it takes to brush our teeth, or run three copies, or walk two blocks, or eat one hamburger, etc. Then we need to verify those times by checking them more than once. Then when the brain calls on the “cheat sheet”, it has things to compare to that are known and useful and appropriate. The brain can then “react” faster than normal and you can be “in the Zone” more often, maybe even regularly.

As a side point, maybe the reason people with photographic memories (theoretically) seem more “capable” than others is that their brain’s “cheat sheet” includes information for comparison’s sake, not only in regards to time passage but also including archival bits of information of actual data and images that are then quickly available for processing.

So being tedious, or not accomplishing what others seem to, or feeling the 24 hours you get is inadequate, is our own fault. It is probably the product of a lazy mind. What’s a idle mind? I’ll talk about that another time. Suffice it to say, if we practice seemingly mundane tasks in our mind (it was called imagination when I was a kid) and gauge real world time passing during mundane tasks, we will compose a catalog, a “cheat sheet”, that is comprehensive. The more comprehensive our “cheat sheet” the more worthy we will be. The more righteous we are, the more productive we will be. The more productive we are, the more successful we will be, and I don’t just mean earning money (although there’s nothing wrong with that either). Being on time to an appointment with a friend so that he doesn’t reflect you don’t recognize the value of his time will equal more successful relationships. Just as an example.

My advice: Think all of the time about all of the time.

History of Golf Club “Woods”

Golf clubs typically consists of irons and woods, however recently there are now hybrids. Woods have two classes: drivers and fairway woods. The 1 wood, also known as the driver, is the longest and also has the lower loft out of any golf club in a player’s bad In addition it also has the longest range of any club and as such is designed to hit off the tee for the first shot of long-yardage holes (typically par 5s and par 4s). Drivers have lofts that are typically close to 10 degrees. It is possible to also use the driver from the fairway; however, this requires a lot of skill and usually is never necessary. This paper will focus on the technology and materials science behind the driver, specifically the Big Bertha 460.

The head of a wood is roughly spherical in shape with a slightly bulging clubface and a flattened sole that slides over the ground without digging in during the swing. The first “wood” clubheads were made of wood which was followed by beech wood prior to the twentieth century, and later persimmon. Occasionally old-fashioned woods had a metal sole and/or a metal/plastic faceplate and were very heavy and dense. Old-fashioned woods also had a small surface area causing a small sweet spot. Nowadays, modern club heads are usually hollow steel, titanium or composite materials. Mature woods did not become replaced by modern “woods” until the 1990s as many on the PGA tour were still using persimmon woods until this time.

In 1991, Callaway Golf developed the unique Big Bertha driver which introduced players to the “oversize” driver with a larger and deeper clubhead (190cc in volume). This gave maximum club face and a deeper center of gravity causing a much larger sweet spot and more forgiveness.

Today, most drivers are constructed out of titanium. Titanium has a higher strength to weight ratio than steel and has better corrosion resistance, so it is an ideal metal for golf club construction. Manufacturers can also earn clubheads with greater volume, which increases the hitting area, and thinner faces, which reduces the weight. The USGA has curbed the volumetric growth of drivers by instituting a size rule which states that no clubhead can measure greater than 460 cubic centimeters. Today the Big Bertha 460 is made of all titanium and is 460 cubic centimeters in volume.

Big Bertha 460

Flat shape

Callaway Golf engineers designed the Big Bertha 460 Driver with a shallower face, flatter shape and the highest moment of inertia (MOI) ever in a Callaway Golf all-titanium head. This causes longer and straighter ball flight on off-center shots.

Stretched Head Design

The head size is 460 cubic centimeters in volume. The wider head shape produces the highest MOI ever in a Callaway Golf all-titanium head, which causes increased stability and straighter drives. A deeper center of gravity offers higher overall trajectory and is beneficial in getting the ball airborne.

Correct Alignment Stripe

The alignment stripe works in conjunction with the Chevron logo. This allows golfers to consistently square the club face at address to ensure correct alignment.

CT/VFT Face Design

There is a modified version of VFT Technology in which face thicknesses are designed specifically to maximize performance under the USGA Characteristic Time test. This results in a more robust face for increased ball hurry on shots hit all over the face

Loft

The Big Bertha 460 allows golfers the choice of loft at 9, 10, 11, or 13 degrees. The 9, 10, and 11 degree models feature a 1 degree closed face angle and the 13 degree model has a 2 degree closed face angle.

Shaft

The standard shaft is made by Aldila and is available in light, regular, or stiff versions. As is typical with drivers, custom shafts are available.

The Future

The latest innovation emerging in golf, is the use of scandium or carbon fiber in club heads. This metal has a greater strength to weight ratio than Titanium. Many golf professionals feel that it is the material of the future in golf, as scandium heads offer advantages over the traditional metal alloys.

Sources

1. http://www.callawaygolf.com/Global/en-US/Products/Clubs/Drivers/BigBertha460Driver.html

2. http://www.usga.org/playing/clubs_and_balls/guide/guide_to_the_rules.html#

3. http://www.equip2golf.com/archives/history/callaway_frameset.html? callaway.html~archives

4. http://www.tgw.com/manufacturer/callaway/hotnew_bb460.jsp

The sun is three hours away from dropping below the western horizon, beyond right field. The late afternoon sky is a deep azure blue and the announcer keeps up a steady chatter of baseball statistics, jargon, and hopeful anticipation as people casually stroll through the cyclone fence gate, hand the attendant their ticket and shove the offered program or game schedule in their pocket or purse. It is rare to see a lone individual enter. Most advance in groups-families, friends, church groups, school children, buses full of elderly fans.

Teenagers and adults linger around the concession stands talking and preparing their hotdogs, pizzas and drinks before heading for the grandstands or a seat on the freshly mown, green grass slope just outside the third base horrible line.

The long awaited opening baseball game is about to start. My wife and I look forward to this particular evening all year long. It is an event in itself to assist a major league baseball game in a stadium like Seattle’s Safeco field. But we seek forward to the season’s opener held in a small town field called Joe Martin stadium in Bellingham, Washington. The Bellingham Bells, www.bellinghambells.com, are members of the www.pacificinternationalleague.com.

The game is certainly the center of attention but we also enjoy all the activities held in the ball park to entertain the crowd. The game mascot, a person wearing a colorful, full size chicken costume, leads the crowd in various cheers, helps the young vendors sell their drinks and popcorn, and of course leads us all in a rousing version of Take Me Out To The Ball Game during the seventh inning stretch.

The same gregarious fowl jumps on top of the home team’s dugout at a signal from the announcer and leads everyone, who’s willing, in a funky chicken dance to an veteran roller skating tune.

Early on in the game small kids are brought out to don baseball shoes, sweatshirts and caps-all adult size-and hurry from base to base accompanied by cheers and laughter from the crowd. This is just one of the crowd pleasers involving the youngest fans. Two or three youngsters, selected beforehand, place their foreheads on the end of bats resting upright on the ground and spin in a circle without raising their heads up from the bats. At the completion of ten revolutions, they drop their bats and attempt to race to the finish line, staggering and falling down from the dizziness. Right behind the bleachers a radar trap is set up to measure the speed of young potential major league pitchers, or just kids who adore to play baseball.

There seems no end to the imagination of the management. Each unique season seems to bring new forms of entertainment. Last year we watched the baseball helmet races. Three or four giant size helmets cut out of wood are held up above the left field fence. At the signal, the helmets all bob down the length of the fence to the finish line, the score board upright, as the crowd watches and cheers for their favorite color. It’s not unusual to peer some of the players leave their respective dugouts, joining in the fun to cheer on their favorite helmet.

There are numerous note raffles, memorabilia give-aways, contests of all sorts. It is an evening of delightful entertainment that takes many forms beyond the enticing, intermingling smells of foods, oiled leather, the crack of the bat, the sights and sounds of America’s favorite pastime.

The evening is not complete without a visit in the booth by some local dignitary or prominent businessperson. It’s interesting to note the enthusiasm or lack of it some of these visitors receive.

The ball game resumes and a silence settles over the crowd as the pitcher sets and throws. Murmurs of approval journey through the crowd as we listen to the soft whap of the ball hitting the catcher’s glove. We are close enough to gape the players faces, the grimaces and grins, the nervous frowns and the flashes of excitement as the pitcher winds up again. The first baseman is zigzag over slightly, mitt out and ready, as someone in the bleachers yells instructions to the tall speedy infielder to “close it up”. The batter takes his swing and, with the crack of the bat, every head in the park inclines upward watching the baseball soar up, up, over our heads to disappear behind the fence. We all listen pensively for the sharp crack of ball hitting glass and are rewarded instead with the metallic whump as it bounces off a hood, trunk lid or car top. We all grown in mutual sympathy but no one will move their car. There is plenty of parking space in the large lot across the street from the entrance where the vehicles are safe from errant balls. It’s more a matter of prestige, it seems, to proudly show off the dent or cracked window. It’s probably the only time when distress of this sort is met with a shrug and smile and a comment like, “that’s okay. I have insurance”.

The sun is beginning to plot, the air takes on a slight chill reminiscent of the winter so recently past. We all commence to pull sweaters or coats on, adjusting collars and helping friends with theirs. Some had been sitting on blankets but now they shake the blankets out over laps or shoulders as the players return to their dugout for the top of the next inning.

The fresh air lends a special picnic like flavor to the all pervasive odor of hotdogs, pizza slices, peanuts, popcorn, and drinks. Little kids, to restive to remain sitting with their parents, open to run and play all around the bleachers but no one seems to take notice and no one seems to mind; it’s a section of the small town ball game mentality; it’s what kids are supposed to do there; it’s allotment of the reason the ball park exists.

Excitement mounts, fans adopt a more serious mood as the final inning begins. Laughing, teasing and casual comments move in both dugouts as the players concentrate on raising the final fetch. It seems as if the entire ball park leans forward slightly to urge their team on to success. Even the little children pause in their play to lean against the cyclone fence or the bleacher rails and watch. The announcer’s voice takes on a tone of quiet urgency as the pitcher winds up and three successive players fall to the weary young man’s fast ball. The sun has sunk below the horizon, as though it knew ahead of time which team would win, and lost interest. But we haven’t. One side of the ball park groans and rises to leave in dejection while the other side, ours, leaps to their feet in wild exultation, shouting congratulations to the team members and one another.

We walk slowly to the gate enjoying, vicariously, the win and, consulting the game schedule, fabricate plans for the next visit to our favorite spring and summer do of G-rated entertainment: Small town, Pacific International League baseball.

The game had gone to extra innings. No one dared go home, even on a chilly October work night such as this. The Chicago Cubs, that seemingly goat-cursed team, had ridden a nine game winning streak at the very demolish of the season to overtake the Saint Louis Cardinals and fetch the division. Now they were a heavy underdog at the cusp of appearing in the World Series for the first time in generations, battling a mighty Los Angeles Dodgers team that had run roughshod over the entire league all season long.

Antoine Caldwell, the star left fielder was striding to the plate with two outs in the 14^th inning to a thunderous roar that shook the darkened Chicago sky. His face gave no indication of the vast gravity of the current situation, the Dodgers having scored one run in the top half of the inning to tie the game. His visage was as a stone, determined to weather the coming storm.

The speedy pinch runner Caesar Fernandez had just successfully stolen third base after advancing to second on Jerry Stone’s bloop single, giving hope to the long suffering fans that endured the first two batters striking out unceremoniously to the Dodgers ace closer, “Cannon” Collins, who glared now at Caldwell as a lion eyeing his dinner. A rhythmic chant of “Aaaaaay-Ceeeee!” reverberated through the stadium, spilling out into the streets beyond the ballpark where thousands had gathered to witness firsthand this hopefully momentous occasion.

One of those fans was a certain Sean Thompson, thirty nine years along and more than a little consumed by the adore of the game. He had vivid dreams of playing professionally while in his teens, though precise life had caught up with him. He had taken the noble road and provided for his wife and children, though never giving up his love of the game. More than a few vendors had near to recognize his face among the thousands that had flowed through Wrigley Field’s gates.

This night, Sean was with his two best friends, Mike Graziano and Pete Ostrowski, both adult miscreants in every sense of the word. Although ample of heart, they continually walked the fine line between decent citizenship and downright boorishness. Neither one was married and continually dragged Sean, most of the time unaware of their intentions, into questionable situations that required Sean to clarify in great detail to his wife Debbie.

She had been the anchor in his life that kept him grounded and content, allowing him to be a man but reminding him gently but firmly of how a man was supposed to behave, despite Mike and Pete’s best efforts to contaminate him with adolescent behavior. Debbie had also bore him his two boys, Daniel and Chris of whom Sean was fiercely protective. He guided them with a firm but gentle hand, teaching them everything he knew about baseball and dreaming for the day when they would themselves would suit up for the Cubs. It was fortunate indeed that they shared their father’s passion for the game. Glued to the television with rapt attention the boys never seemed to notice when their father and his friends appeared briefly, the camera focusing on Mike dancing on his seat without any rhythm to insist of.

Antoine Caldwell had indeed earned his pay thus far with his present at-bat. He had fouled off five pitches, two of by what means he was not even sure himself.

Three balls.

Two strikes.

Stout count ladies and gentlemen.

Cannon Collins possessed by what many judged to be by far the most corrupt slider in the game which he had given Antoine a full dose of mixed in with a changeup and fastball that the radar gun registered at ninety-six miles an hour. Antoine held his hand up for time which the umpire immediately granted and thus began the batters ritual of backing out of the batter’s box, practice swinging the bat, looking around at the crowd, spitting, tapping the shoes and finally digging in with his back foot and tapping the plate twice with the head of the bat. The entire process was designed to calm the batter and focus his thoughts on the task at hand, but it had helped Antoine not at all. Though his face was as stone and he stood as one possessing a backbone of steel, only he himself knew that his guts were jelly and his mind was a morass of adrenaline-driven temporary insanity. He knew that this next pitch would be the ONE, and he also knew he had better do something spectacular with it. He caught himself gripping the bat tight enough to turn his knuckles white, but had that thin sliver of consciousness to loosen them as he readied himself for destiny.

Sean, Mike and Pete stood along with the rest of Wrigley Field, those on the rooftops across Sheffield Avenue, Waveland Avenue, the entire city of Chicago, and a nation titillating to see if the curse would be broken and history made. They joined in the mighty chorus of voices seeking redemption for years of being on the butt end of the joke. Pete being somewhat more than legally intoxicated, was screaming in some incomprehensible language that only he could possibly understand though Mike was thoroughly entertained by the gibberish and could not seem to retain from laughing in a manner that would make a hyena proud.

Collins leaned forward on the mound, glaring in at the catcher, waving off three signs before nodding his agreement. He then rose up, his head tilted low and eyes darting towards Fernandez on third, an obvious thorn in Collins’ side. Fernandez was being conservative and not leading off the base by much. He knew that a wily pitcher of Collins’ caliber would not let him get away with stealing home so he had settled along with his heinous coach that Antoine would somehow deliver magic.

“AYE-CEE! AYE-CEE!” The thunderous chant shook the very foundations of Wrigley Field and indeed some paint actually chipped off that evening from said thunder. Collins went into his stretch and the ball flew from his hand along with a loud grunt that escaped him with the concern. Fernandez danced along the third base line, ready to explode for home and glory.

The pitch of course was a textbook slider that Antoine very nearly did not pick up. In fact he was so inconclusive that he did not take a usual mighty hack at the ball but only had the wherewithal to throw the bat head in the direction of the outer half of the plate, hoping to foul off yet another pitch and wait for a mistake from Collins. In this instance however the ball smacked the head of the bat in an angle that shot it three feet over the Dodger’s first baseman’s head. He leaped upwards for the softly hit line drive but as with many first basemen his more athletic years had passed him by and the ball intersected with the outer laces of his glove and skipped into honest field.

Pandemonium.

Fernandez did not high-tail triumphantly home, he made sure there was no chance of anything going wrong this time and he sprinted for all he was worth after seeing the ball squirt past the tip of the first baseman’s glove. Antoine on the other hand loped to first base with an astounding feeling of a gigantic weight released from his soul after seeing the fair fielder realize the pointless peril of trying to throw out Fernandez at the plate.

Fans erupted from the stands; security overwhelmed against the flood of delirious humanity that poured from it seemed everywhere. Pete grabbed a thoroughly insecure Sean and kissed him full on the mouth to which he replied with a variety of spits and curses. Mike of course was euphoric as well and sought to repeat the offense, but Sean squirted away from his grasp with moves that would develop Walter Payton jealous. He instead reached for the pretty blonde that stood directly behind Sean and laid a passionate kiss fully on her surprised lips. Her boyfriend who also was giddy, did not seem to mind for this was an occasion where the love flowed from Chicago Cubs fans as considerable as the Mississippi to the sea.

The celebration rang from the streets of the North Side for the entire night, and the police were quite relieved that it was a mostly peaceful one aside from the usual drunk and disorderly shenanigans. It took nearly a week for the tumultuous celebrations to die down as Cubs fans from all over the country reflected on where they were when Antoine Caldwell’s half-hearted swing saved Chicago.

The radio in the car was Sean’s best friend on the way to work, and the local A.M. sports channel that he had listened to for years was abuzz with talk of the Cubs and the upcoming World Series against the seemingly invincible New York Yankees who were a heavy approved to add another championship banner to their already unsurpassed collection.

As the commercials blared their usual monotonous songs of how everyone should piece with their money for one reason or another, at the verge of resuming the live talk, there came a commercial that caught Sean’s rapt attention.

“Listen up Cubs fans! Keep your dial right here on WGN720 radio with Pat Hughes and Ron Santo for your chance to be the lucky winner of an opportunity to sit on the Cubs bench during this historic World Series as an honorary player! Be the ninth caller this week when you hear Harry Caray tell “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” and you can be one of our qualifiers! DON’T LISTEN TO ANNNNNEEEEONE ELSE HERE IN CHICAGOLAND!!”

“I won’t.” Sean whispered with a wide grin.

It was the last rainout makeup game of the Thursday night slow pitch softball league, and Chicago weather in late October was dreadful at best. Both sides had properly ingested various amounts of “softball antifreeze” otherwise commonly known as beer, as dictated by time honored ballplayer tradition. Temperatures hovered in the upper thirties and there was even a hint of frost on the grass. Sean, Mike and Pete played for a team feared far and wide by none known as The Underthinkers and their foe this evening, Slimdawg’s Pub, were both vying for the plunge league crown. Both teams had a history of dislike for each other, having met many times on many different fields, the outcomes bringing the victor bragging rights until the next meeting. The number of conquests was nearly even for both teams, which helped fan the flames of the rivalry.

The game itself, unlike the temperature of the air, was quite heated. There had been a misplayed ground ball to third that had resulted in a hurried throw to first, tailing to the third baseman’s right and planting squarely into the side of the batter streaking down the line to first base. Words had been exchanged though cooler heads had prevailed, getting play re-established.

The next inning contained a hard scuttle into second base and although steel cleats were not allowed, the impact had bruised the shortstop’s calf attempting to turn a double play quite deeply. That time both the shortstop and the runner had to be separated and the umpires called both team managers to the pitcher’s mound to inform them that any more incidents would result in the immediate removal of anyone participating in antisocial behavior.

In the seventh inning the Underthinkers found themselves in a favorable position by scoring five runs and taking an 18 to 16 lead in the top half with a timely double by Pete to the right field fence with the bases loaded. Feeling confident with a two run cushion going out to play defense, there were smiles and springs in their steps as they took their positions.

As pitcher, Sean looked around the field to ensure that everyone was ready, took a deep breath and turned towards home plate. His opponent had singled twice in the game, a skilled and versatile batter who was salubrious of hitting the ball anywhere despite his smaller size. A further danger to consider was his speed, having proven through the season that he could turn singles into doubles given the opportunity. This was evidenced by Sean’s first pitch smacked low and hard along the third base line, and a slight bobble by the third baseman was all it took for the opposing batter to beat the lightning throw by half a step.

Next up was the Slimdawgs number seven batter, and older fellow who now relied on savvy as a young man’s strength had reach and gone. Sean was familiar with him and knew not to give him an outside pitch that would easily be driven to right field and advancing the runner to third or home. He held the ball in his hand lightly with his index finger covering the seam. Aiming towards the outer half of the plate, Sean released the ball with a twisting motion and upon nearly reaching the plate the ball took a dive towards the inside corner. The batter took a mighty swing and made contact on the tiny of the bat, which sailed weakly to the shortstop.

One out.

Number eight and nine batters up and one out; things looked favorable still.

A tall young blonde college student type swung the bat lazily at the plate, not being experienced he did not demonstrate the behaviors of veteran players whose mannerisms sometimes did affect the way the defense lined up to them. This one however was all business. Sean craftily recognized his aggressive stance and for three series gave him only pitches with an arch on the extreme edge of legality. The batter fouled off two of them to the far left, his swing more accustomed to a blazing ninety mile per hour fastball from his high school days, far ahead of the pitch.

Two strikes.

One to go.

As soon as Sean released the next pitch he knew he had made a grave error. His leaning curveball was designed to appear to aim straight for the head of the batter then curve viciously succor over the strike zone. This particular one however was aimed too far to the left and broke out over the outer half of the plate, meeting the barrel of the bat and rocketing its device only ten feet from the ground out into left field. The Slimdawgs bench erupted as the runner on first advanced speedily to third and a jubilant batter stopped at first.

Face pinched in irritation, Sean received the ball flicked support to him from the shortstop, who pounded his glove to present his readiness to end this threat of defeat to a hated enemy.

Now the situation had changed considerably.

Two runners on base and the winning run coming to the plate.

Number nine batter for the Slimdawgs was another young fellow, though far shorter in stature his eyes blazed with determination to not let down his mates. The entire game he had been far too aggressive at the plate, swinging at nearly every pitch that was even remotely close. Sean saw this as a golden opportunity to end this once and for all with a double play. His first pitch was flat and short, hardly an arch on the pitch and as expected the batter took a mighty hack at the ball, fouling it off almost straight down, nearly missing bruising the ankle on his right foot. Sean smiled slightly, he knew this fruit was ripe for the plucking. The batters emotion would take care of the hard part, all he had to do was put the ball in the valid place. His next pitch sailed at a high arch, though fair a tad short of the strike zone. With a say the batter swung at the ball as if he were trying to situation it in the next county. What it did however was lazily dribble back to Sean who looked back Speedyman at third then threw the batter out swiftly at first contaminated.

Two outs, number ten batter up. The odds were swinging to the favor of the Underthinkers.

The batter in the tenth position was usually the most substandard on the team and the substantial majority of coaches placed them in said state on the batting order, and now Sean gazed upon a recent face coming to the plate. Muscles tightened by tension started to ease in Sean as the batter strode to the batter’s box. His appearance lent more to one perceiving him as a librarian or a high school English teacher. No more than five foot five inches broad, thin,balding and seemingly devoid of any muscle tone whatsoever, this dwelling appeared to Sean to be in the bag. The batter stopped in the batter’s box with and ungainly stance and took two ghastly uncoordinated practice swings before readying himself. Sean felt no need to do anything out of the ordinary with his pitches as this guy would be lucky to hit the ball to the edge of the infield grass. His first pitch was a batting practice beauty and the batter hacked dreadfully at it with what appeared to be an ax swing.

Strike one.

The very next pitch was very similar to the first, a bit higher on the arch. The result of the swing was also similar in that the swing was gruesome and contacted only air.

Steeee-rike two.

Oddly enough the Slimdawg bench did not appear to have the manner of a team that was on the precipice of a humiliating defeat. Of course there was some concern in the player’s faces, but downfall was not displayed on any of them. They yelled encouragement to the batter, who had stepped away from the batter’s box to lower his head towards the ground as if in prayer. His shoulders rose with a deep breath and he then proceeded to take his place in the batter’s box once again.

“Meat”, Sean thought to himself.

He released the pitch with ease, his only concern being that the ball crossed the strike zone.

Something was not quite right.

The batter, instead of being in the clumsy stance that the Underthinkers had been presented with, had quickly assumed a position of readiness that any veteran lifeless pitch softball player would be proud of. His swing was as sweet as Sean had ever seen, and when the ball contacted the bat he knew from the ping as well as the grunt from the batter that this was bad.

Very bad.

He watched in fear as the ball sailed well over the left center field fence. Turning back towards where the batter was walking nonchalantly down the first base line Sean saw him turn to glance at one deflated pitcher. What was even more heartbreaking was watching him mouth the word “Gotcha.” The Slimdawgs had erupted in joyous celebration, fairly running out to meet the vanquished Underthinkers and shake their hands as softball etiquette dictated.

The week passed by with Sean listening and dialing constantly, his ear tuned to the sound of Harry Caray’s oh so familiar voice much to Debbie’s consternation and scolding. Near the end of the week Sean himself was becoming quite wearied of hearing the song. Of course the boys sided with their father and had even awakened him from a much-needed nap on the couch to dial the radio station. This had resulted in a nicely bruised shin where Sean had leaped into awareness and attempted to run through the coffee table next to the couch on a mad dash to the telephone.

Debbie had scolded him profusely after that.

Friday came and Sean peaceful had not succeeded in getting through to WGN720, not even to be informed that he was a gradual caller. At this point he had come to the conclusion that the whole scenario, which he had envisioned a thousand times in his head would indeed only exist there in the realm of his imagination. The softball defeat the previous night had only further dampened his gloomy disposition.

It was nearly quitting time and the thought of the whole thing had nearly escaped his conscious thought, but as the tiny radio quietly oozed out its gout of information, the unmistakable intonation of Harry Caray’s voice pinged his eardrum. He glanced at the phone with disdain but then sighed, “What the hell.”

Fumbling fingers punched the numbers that had now been branded into his brain. His first attempt resulted in the painfully accustomed busy dial tone. Sean hesitated a moment wrangling with the plan of objective setting the phone down and retiring the view altogether but his fingers with a mind of their own dialed the oft-accursed numbers one last time.

It rang.

“At least I made it this far“, he thought, hearing the words grumbling inside his mind. The ringing kept going and just as he was once again ready to throw in the towel…

“YOU ARE CALLER NINE! WHAT DO YA THINK ABOUT THAT?!!”

Somewhat in shock Sean managed to get out “Awesome!” with a slight flutter in his voice.

The D.J.’s yell was far too cheery, Sean’s impression was that either his disposition was entirely forced or the guy had just completed three lines of coke.

“WHAT IS YOUR NAME FRIEND? “

“Sean…Sean Thompson.”

“OKAY SEAN YOU ARE REGISTERED TO SIT ON THE BENCH DURING THE WORLD SERIES AS AN HONORARY PLAYER AND YOU ARE GOING TO STUDY YOUR SIGNS RIGHT? “

Sean hesitated, not quite sure what to say with the incredulity of the moment.

“Uhhhh…yeah!”

With a hint of annoyance at such a lively caller the D.J. rambled on, “STAY ON THE LINE SEAN AND WE WILL Fetch YOUR INFORMATION AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU MY FRIEND! YOU ARE THE VERY LAST PERSON TO BECOME ELIGIBLE!”

Sean fairly beamed.

The next week was agonizing once again for Sean, as over fifty people had become registered for the contest and only seven would be chosen, even with that if the Series only went four games it was a long shot. Day after disappointing day other people’s names were announced and to Sean the majority of them were the type of people who had no real appreciation for the game of baseball, honest a desire for fifteen minutes of fame.

Friday arrived featuring a Sean Thompson nearly insane from thoughts of lost opportunity residing alongside thoughts of finally realizing a long desired dream. With shattered nerves he completely ignored his work, spreadsheets and reports be damned.

The station had broadcast that the final winner that would be sitting on the Cubs bench for Game Seven of the World Series was to be announced sometime after lunch so naturally Sean had skipped going anywhere and was transfixed on the radio. His co-workers were somewhat annoyed by his constant nervous finger tapping but knowing of his passion for baseball they merely shook their heads as they walked past his desk or grinned amusedly at the folly. They also admired the fine art doodles that had been produced instead of production figures and graphs.

One-fifteen rolled around and no announcement. Sean had been somewhat lucky in the fact that his supervisors, of which there were seemingly far too many, were too busy to notice his blatant lack of production to this point of the day. He had however, been joined at his desk by a few of his co-workers that were taken in by Sean’s agitation and the suspense of the moment.

Finally a supervisor took notice of Sean’s lack of enthusiasm and the crowd, dispersing people and doing his best impression of an authority figure in informing Sean that he needed to get his work done “or else”. Ten minutes later as Sean was about to carry out a spreadsheet the radio came alive to his ears with a boorishly loud “THIS IS IT! THE LAST SPOT ON THE CUB’S BENCH FOR THE WORLD SERIES!” accompanied by standard canned radio drum roll music.

“SEAN THOMPSON!”

“YOU ARE THE HONORARY PLAYER TO SIT ON THE CUB’S BENCH DURING GAME SEVEN OF THE WORLD SERIES AGAINST THE NEW YORK YANKEES! CALL US HERE AT THE STATION TO CONFIRM AND CONGRADULATIONS!”

It seemed to his coworkers that Sean had been electrocuted. He danced a very bad Irish jig around his desk and whooped like desert Bedouin warriors about to engage in battle with the infidels. It took several minutes and several bosses to dissipate the crowd that had gathered around Sean’s area, partially because they too had joined in the celebration. For the next week the smile never left his face.

World Series Game One had resulted in the expected Yankee domination, a twelve to two drubbing. Game Two had started in the same fashion but Antoine Caldwell had once again worked magic with a three run homer in the fifth along with timely base running and solid middle relief pitching had led to an unexpected one run victory for the Cubs in Yankee Stadium. Game Three at Wrigley, the first in a very, very long time was another pounding by the Yankees noteworthy to the dismay of Cub fans everywhere. Game Four was nearly a mirror image of Game Two with the exception being the hero of the day was Tony Castagliano, a reserve utility player coming off the bench to smack a late inning three run bomb to give the Cubs the procure. Game Five at Wrigley was a classic pitcher’s duel with the final score being one to nothing in favor of the Yankees. This game was also pivotal in the aspect that the competition became quite heated with hard slides and a few hit batsmen. The umpire very quickly took control of the situation when a pitch sailed at ninety miles an hour behind the head of Yankee star Josh Goodwin. Stern warnings were issued to both sides and bench clearing was avoided by a narrow margin.

As the games progressed Sean became increasingly excited with the prospect of his sitting in the Cubs dugout and religiously sat with his boys in his living room analyzing every play and every coaching move on the television. It seemed to him more and more like it was his destiny to see the ivy from a different perspective. Debbie was in good spirits to see him this inflamed, like a child awaiting Christmas morning but she also hoped that this phase passed quickly as his time with her had suffered indeed. She smiled gratefully at him and the boys as they were enraptured with Game Six, realizing that she should count her blessings. He was such a sterling father and husband she thought to herself.

“He deserves a shrimp distraction.”

With a loving peek that Sean never saw, she stepped back into the kitchen and checked on the chicken farfalle that filled the house with a superior smell.

Game Six at Yankee Stadium could easily fall into the category of one of the classics. The first scoring occurred in the Yankee second inning by a broken bat single that fell just out of the reach of a diving Cubs second baseman Chris Heller with a runner on third. Then a double off the left field corner scored the wielder of the broken bat single, Yankees third baseman Tyus Lee. Yankee Stadium was at fever pitch until the Cubs struck back immediately in the top of the third inning with a leadoff walk off of Yankees starter Oscar Mendez followed two batters later with what appeared to be an easy pop flee in right field that carried three hundred and fifteen feet to a two run homer. No more runs were scored until the eighth inning but there were spectacular defensive plays on both sides that kept fans attention riveted. Yankees second baseman Karl Holmes stymied a Chicago threat in the fifth inning with a truly memorable play, racing to slash off a seeming single up the middle only to make a bare handed stab and starting a double play with a throw to the shortstop between his legs, the only angle remotely possible for success. Yankee Stadium had erupted as never before. For the Cubs it was a nearly backwards diving center fielder Benny Kattke that snared a two out two men on screaming line drive that appeared to be a sure two accelerate scoring double or triple had he not retained possession of the ball in his webbing by the thinnest of margins.

The teams traded runs in the eight from solo homers by the Yankees right fielder Feliz Hernandez and the Cub’s hero from the fifth inning Benny Katke. The ninth and tenth innings followed with little drama only routine defensive plays the kept the game tied.

The eleventh inning turned the heads of the baseball world.

At the top of the inning the Cub’s first two batters were retired on easy ground balls to the shortstop and second baseman, but then the wheels fell of the train. The first fastball from the Yankee’s closer mistakenly placed in the fat part of the plate promptly ended up in the upper deck in left center field of Yankee Stadium courtesy of John Krystowiak, sent in to pinch hit at the last moment.

Bottom of the eleventh with a leadoff wobble and a scorching single past the Cub’s closer left the Yankees with no outs, two men on and millions of Recent York fans smelling blood in the water. The Cub’s coach Bud Whittaker, a bulldog faced man of sixty years made a crucial decision that would change everyone’s destiny. Pointing his finger in the direction of the bullpen, he stomped out of the dougout and made his way to the pitcher’s mound. Coming out of the bullpen was a surprise, the Cub’s normal ace starter Kenny Hill. Bud took the ball from his dejected closer, slapped it into Hill’s hand and if lip readers were correct, uttered more than a few profanities then turned back to the Cub’s dugout.

Hill got the next batter to fly to shallow right field and the tremendous throw to the plate froze the Yankee baserunners where they were. The next batter grounded to the Cub’s Ishimuri Yokoshiro at third but the tying Yankee run advanced to third with the failure of the Cub’s to turn a double play due to a nearly errant throw from Yokoshiro.

Two outs and two men on.

Yankee fans screamed when their best power hitter Josh Goodwin strode to the batter’s box seemingly attempting to influence the outcome of the contest merely by their united will.

The first two pitches from Hill were contemptible balls, one flying high into the New York night straight backwards. The next was a bullet line drive towards the left field contemptible pole that had Yankee fans screaming in anticipation of victory. The ball hooked foul and missed history by two feet. Hill then changed his near and instead of attempting to overpower his opponent he threw a change up inside that just missed being strike three much to the dismay of Bud Whittaker who was quite vociferous in his disagreement with the call. A slider well outside the strike zone resulted in ball two.

Two and two.

Hill shook off the catcher four times then nodded. He went into his delivery and a sweeping curveball missed high.

Three and two.

Hill was starting two show the stress he felt inside as beads of sweat trickled down the sides of his cheeks as he shook off the catcher four more times. The earth underneath Yankee Stadium shook with the utter of thousands of voices as Hill delivered his next pitch, a slider that hung and erupted from the bat of Goodwin. Rocketing towards the left field seats, the ball was just clearing the fence when the glove of one Antoine Caldwell reached a height it had never achieved before and with a pop of leather upon leather the Yankees were forced to game seven by mere centimeters.

A speechless, ecstatic and elated Sean Thompson was headed to Fresh York to sit on the Cub’s bench tomorrow night.

Overwhelmed could best describe Sean’s demeanor as he stood against the far wall of the visitor’s locker room at Yankee Stadium, leaning as nonchalantly as he could attempting to give the impression that he was not actually about to scream with delight comparable to a little girl unbiased receiving a pony on her tenth birthday. To him he was standing among giants thought the giants themselves never really thought they held that mythical title. They were just guys playing baseball.

Bud Whittaker placed himself in the middle of the locker room and all eyes focused on him, waiting on the pudgy bald headed skipper’s grizzled words of wisdom that would be remembered for generations to come should they prevail. He did not speak immediately, turning and eyeing each and every one of his players. Finally with a boom he exclaimed, “Just win the damn game.” He then turned towards the tunnel leading to the dugout with smiles, laughter and a team retaining far less tension following closely. Sean took up a region at the wait on of the pack and tried to soak in every second, imagining what it was like to experience this every day, every summer. He spied the field approaching his vision and as he entered the dugout he was simply awestruck by the moment and the panorama. The dirt that he had seen so many times on television was fair in front of his face. He could smell the grass and it was sweeter than anything he had ever imagined. This was heaven incarnate to him.

Coming somewhat to his senses, he milled through the players to the rear of the dugout and sat down. After the players settled in, the starting lineups were announced and they all stood for the National anthem. It was a seeming whirlwind to Sean, all happening far too fast for his taste. After all he wanted to savor every minute. He wondered if Debbie and the boys could see him and given the number of cameras everywhere, there was no doubt that he would garner some attention.

Just as the thought occurred to him a microphone appeared out of nowhere and very annoying voice belonging to a far too metrosexual reporter shrilled, “I understand you are the winner of the contest to sit on the bench with the Cubs tonight! How do you sight the game shaping up? “

Sean hesitated for a moment, somewhat awestruck still then responded thoughtfully,” If our pitcher can keep it inside and low on the Yankees number two and three batters and withhold his pitch count to around thirty to forty for the first three innings then we should be okay. We will also have to challenge their catcher tonight as I understand he has had some sigh with his throwing shoulder. Even more important is to preserve level heads in the batter’s box and watch for that slider rotation on the ball as it leaves his hand.”

The reporter and his cameraman were rendered speechless with Sean’s insight but that didn’t last long.

“Alright folks there you have straight from Coach…what was your name again? “

“Thompson…Sean Thompson.” A wry grin started to form on Sean’s face.

“Back to you in the studio.”

When the first pitch left the Yankee starter’s hand Sean was electrified. Here it was all unfolding before his eyes. The game progressed somewhat as Sean had predicted, the Yankees building a one to nothing lead through the fifth inning with the Cubs starting pitcher hitting his spots and keeping the power of the Yankees stymied. A stolen base followed with a long single to just field had resulted in the only scoring thus far. The Cubs had opportunities to score but had not capitalized with two inning ending double plays and an easy fly to centerfield quashing any chance of offensive damage.

Innings six and seven saw the Yankees glean two more runs off of a tiring Cubs starter, making mistakes with pitch placement. After a run-scoring double to the right centerfield wall by the Yankees Josh Goodwin, Bud Whittaker trudged out of the dugout and pointed the dreaded finger to the bullpen. He felt that in this instance he was going to need some fiery pitching so out trotted the infamous reliever Felix Alexander, known to be exceedingly aggressive and quite successful at it. His temper was legendary throughout the league, his non pitching hand broken twice after blown saves and some property injure to boot as well as more than a few hit batsmen. He took the ball from Bud’s hand while the coach was patting his starter on the back with a view of pure ferocity. Bud smiled. “Go after em’ kid.”

With two outs already, it only took one ninety-six mile an hour fastball and one perfect slider popped straight up to retire the Yankees. Still the Cubs were down three to nothing with two at bats to go. In the eighth it seemed as if they would break through, the leadoff batter hit by a pitch obviously aimed at his torso followed with a successfully stolen base, a ground ball through the gap between the shortstop and third baseman with no outs put the Cubs in favorable shape to mount a rally. Unfortunately the next batter hit the ball on the ground very hard right to the Yankee second baseman positioned perfectly next to the base and instead of conceding the run for the double play the shortstop fired the ball home after getting the first out and in a very close play got the out much to the anxiety and agony of millions of Cubs fans and Yankee haters. The next batter smacked a deep cruise ball to left center but it hung in the Modern York breeze and was caught easily ending the Cub threat.

Sean’s heart raced. He had decided conclusively that being this close to the action was infinitely more gut wrenching than watching the game on T.V. He had kept fairly quiet, taking in the sight and smell of it all and not bothering anyone. No one had bothered him either, as the players and coaches were far too focused to socialize with guests. His brain was on fire with the tension and his muscles were actually starting to ache. The players didn’t even notice that he was adding to their shouts of encouragement and groans of dismay when things looked difficult.

In the Yankee half of the eighth inning is when the fireworks began. Felix Alexander’s first fastball registering at a blistering ninety eight miles an hour passed the leadoff Yankee behind his head. Immediately the home plate umpire issued a stern verbal warning to both teams with Felix at the center of his wrath. The rest of his pitches for the inning were far less threatening though extremely well placed and he managed to retire the side without any further damage.

In the top half of the ninth inning, the Cub’s last chance to grasp destiny, Caesar Fernandez managed to wile his way to a straggle on a very close call by the umpire with a three and two count. Antoine Caldwell strode to the plate calmly though no one really realized what a instruct atomize he was inside.

“This is it man.” He breathed silently to himself, then dug in.

With a grimace Jeff Ignasiak, the Yankees closer, let loose his first pitch, a fastball intended on accumulate Caldwell by surprise. To a degree he did as Antoine’s swing was a mite on the slow side and ball met bat at an angle that sent it sailing toward the right field fence. Upon impact with the ground a puff of white chalk on the foul line swirled into the air and the first base umpire vigorously signaled a fair ball sign. Speedy Caesar Fernandez easily scored and Antoine trotted into second base. Sean and the rest of the players pumped fists into the air, clapped and shouted their approval. The Cub’s still had a long intention to go as they were quiet down two runs, but it seemed as though the momentum had indeed shifted in the Cub’s direction.

That momentum seemed to fall apart when the next two batters flied weakly to center field and left field respectively, holding Caldwell on second. The city of Chicago prepared itself for yet another disappointment.

Up next was a pinch hitting Jack Paige, strode confidently to the plate, glaring in the direction of the Ignasiak who returned the stare equally. As Paige dug in there were obviously unkind words exchanged between him and the Yankee catcher to which the umpire raised his hands signaling time out and reprimanded both players. The little group of three at home plate then settled into their positions.

That’s when it happened.

Ignasiak fired the ball with all his might and his true intentions may never be known, but his fastball screamed in high and tight to slam into the Paige’s batting helmet, so hard that the ball ended up almost to the Cub’s dugout. Paige immediately fell in a heap, unmoving.

Immediately the Cub’s bench emptied and rushed in the direction of the pitcher’s mound where the Yankee infielders had already moved themselves when they saw Paige go down. The Yankee bench immediately followed their rivals and the mass of humanity met violently at the grass in front of the mound. Fists flew and curses rang, the umpires attempting in vain to control the melee. After what seemed longer than it really was, cooler heads prevailed and the major combatants were pulled to their respective sides. Jack Paige had recovered, sitting woozily in the batter’s box and was being attended by the medical staff that got him on his feet and gave him the green light to hurry down to first nasty.

Sean had not moved from his standing position from the rear of the dugout, though when the incident happened his natural reaction was to go pummel the senses out of Ignasiak. He had caught himself and realized he was far out of his league by about thirty pounds and six inches. Debbie would have whacked him upside his head anyway, he had thought to himself.

When the dust had cleared and the teams had gone back to their respective benches they were missing more than the usual number of players as the umpires had had their fill of the ugly behavior. Ejections had claimed enough players on both sides that the coaches were scrambling to get their lineups back in order.

Bud Whittaker and the other coaches were talking in low voices at the other end of the dugout, peering intently around the dugout and glancing down at the lineup card. Nervous and agitated, they were shaking their heads and their lips were tight with concern. Finally Bud shrugged his shoulders and headed up the stairs out of the dugout, striding slowly and thoughtfully towards the home plate umpire who was obviously in no mood for any shenanigans. Bud calmly spoke with the umpire and pointed in the direction of the Cub’s dugout briefly. The umpire nodded thoughtfully at Bud’s words and then waved for the other umpires to join him in a conference. They formed a circle with arms crossed and exchanged words and various facial gestures suggesting a dilemma of some sort. If one was watching on television the words “It’s your call.” were plainly visible coming from the first base umpire to which the others nodded in agreement. The home plate umpire shrugged and nodded in the direction of Coach Whittaker.

Bud turned and walked back to the dugout, never raising his head. He descended the steps and without hesitation made a beeline to the rear of the dugout, players moving out of the way. To Sean’s amazement, he stopped directly in front of him, took his hat off and breathed heavily. “Son, here is the situation. We don’t have enough players left and I am gonna have to establish you in there batting right now. Can you hit at all? “

Sean nearly choked.

“Uh.”

“Yeah.”

“Alright then, I know you don’t really have time to warm up, but here is what I want from you. Do your best to draw a walk from this guy and don’t try to be a friggin’ hero. I need men on base and let the other guys hit you around. Got me? “

“Yes.”

Sean was nearly ready to collapse with nervousness. He was definitely not ready for anything like this. Placing a batting helmet on his head that had been offered him, he went to the bat rack and began examining bats. Taking out one after the other and swinging them halfway to check the feel, he finally settled on a black bat that belonged to one Antoine Caldwell, who was now sitting on second base. Sean made his method up the steps and lightning energy raced through him as he stood on the grass.

“Oh my God” he breathed, soundless. He strode slowly to the on deck circle, staring in every direction at the thousands upon thousands of eyes that seemed to bore holes through his skull.

At home in Chicago a shrill bellow emitted from one Thompson household, as the boys had rushed to the kitchen and dragged their mother into the living room. There on the wide cover was Sean standing in the on deck circle looking as a deer in headlights.

Pete and Mike were jumping on their chairs and Booger’s Sports Bar and screaming to anyone who would listen.”That’s Sean! That’s our buddy Sean! OH MY GOD!”

Cub nation as a whole was in shock. Everywhere across the country people were Googling Sean’s name as it appeared on the screen along with every stat at the bottom of the television screen at zero.

The announcers for the game commented, “Now this has got to be the strangest thing I have ever seen in a World Series. Apparently this guy is an honorary guest player thrown in there as the Cub’s have no one else left to put in the game! I clear hope this works out for Bud Whittaker and am not sure if it is even legal!”

The other announcer received a paper rushed to him and after quick glancing at it stated loudly, “There seems to be no rule against this action as the young man was on the roster albeit honorary. Let’s see how this plays out, shall we? “

Jeff Ignasiak had been ejected and in his place was one of the most feared Yankee pitchers of all, virtually unhittable all season and a solid starter thrust into the closer role due to the present circumstances. Daryl Bell had sigh of his pitches and also commanded a tall paycheck along with a comparable ego. By his side was the Yankee pitching coach who informing him of the residence resulted in a carnivorous smile from Bell. “Meat,” He thought to himself, chuckling.

The Cub’s third base coach stood next to Sean and said, “Son don’t be nervous, just keep a cool head and you’ll be fine. You play at all? “

Sean replied, “I play in a slow pitch softball league but haven’t seen a fastball in years.”

“Good enough then, go do what you need to do.”

Just then Sean’s eyes lit up with recollection.

“Hey Coach, I have an idea, just play along with me.”

Puzzled, the coach cocked his head to the side slightly, “Do not do anything listless, got it? “

“No problem!” Sean smiled like a kid in a candy store.

He strode up to the plate at the umpires direction and stood in the box much like a Itsy-bitsy League player determined but obviously not physically equipped to handle the situation.

Daryl Bell did not shake off the catcher on iota and nearly smiled at what was facing him. “Three pitches and show me da money,” he chortled quietly. He set himself to deliver the first pitch.

Sean watched the windup and guessed correctly that he was going to get nothing but fastballs. When the pitch came in the swing he presented was not even grand of a Shrimp Leaguer. Awkward and clumsy, it brought a sob from the Yankee throng, and weep of anger from Bud Whittaker and the coaches and groans from every Cub fan watching across the country.

The second pitch came in as the first, ninety six miles an hour and straight down the middle of the strike zone, and Sean gauged the timing carefully before taking an even uglier hack at the ball.

One strike left.

One pitch and it would be done.

Bud Whittaker stomped angrily out of the dugout calling for time. His eyes were filled with rage as he approached Sean, and seemed ready to strangle him. Sean stood support from the batter’s box and strode to meet Bud.

“What in the name of God are you doing? Did you not hear a damn thing I said? ” Bud’s teeth were clenched in rage.

“Coach, trust me on this one, that’s all I ask.”

“Huh? “

“Just trust me and everything will be delicate. I got him right where I want him.”

“Oh you do, do you? ” He noticed something in Sean’s eyes.

“Alright smart guy, do whatever it is you were gonna do, but I will skin you myself if it doesn’t work. Got me? ” His finger nearly touched Sean’s nose and there was fire in his eyes. He glared at Sean one last time and turned back to the dugout.

Confidence that had previously surged through him was now tinged by a shade of doubt. “God help me, I hope this works.”

His feet planted firmly in the batter’s box, resuming the clumsy crouch from the previous two pitches Sean readied himself for the next pitch that he had bet the farm on.

“Knees bent slightly, back elbow up, head down, keep your eye on the ball, level swing.”

Daryl Bell began his windup and at that instant Sean’s stance changed to something more akin to a right baseball player. A ninety seven mile an hour fastball roared directly towards the strike zone.

Sean had guessed correctly.

With a grunt he swung mightily, pivoting his hips to access more power and those who witnessed the swing claim to this day it was one of the sweetest they had ever seen. There was very little sensation when Sean made contact with the ball and his follow through was a perfect circle, so he knew then it was a apt one. He hesitated running, forgetting where he was and watching his ball go. When he had realized the enormity of what he had done he began screaming and whooping as a madman, starting to trot towards first base.

Those in attendance screamed as one as the ball rocketed into the New York night straight towards the left center field fence. The Yankee left and center fielders raced to where the ball was heading, but it soon became clear to them there was no retrieving it and they simply stopped, dropped their heads and started a defeated trudge back towards the infield.

Yankee fans everywhere felt the wind leave from their chests and the lamenting began. Long suffering Cub’s fans across the globe however were screaming in jubilation and the thousands in attendance at Wrigley Field watching on the Jumbotron rushed to the grass and danced in the aisles delirious with victory energies. Sportscasters and writers were already proclaiming this the greatest moment in sports history.

As Sean began rounding first substandard his and Daryl Bell’s eyes locked. Daryl took one memory from this historic World Series to the grave with him and it was the amateur that had fooled him and the rest of the world completely mouthing one word.

“Gotcha.”