Diamond Gems — musings on baseball locally and nationally
Baseball is back! Are there any four better words in the English language than “pitchers and catchers report?” I guess for many women it might be “will you marry me?”
Spring training is baseball at its best. All the teams begin even in the standings, everyone knows this will be their year. Even Cubs’ fans have high hopes this time of year. General managers believe all their off-season moves will work out. Players think this is the season that everything will fall into place. It is a time of hope, of eternal optimism.
The Stars open their home season April 3 with an exhibition game against UAH. The regular season begins April 5 as the Stars host a five-game series with the Mississippi Braves.
Former Sparkman star Whitney McKinney is playing for Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Florida. After 20 games he has a .295 average, with four doubles and eight RBIs.
Ex-Bob Jones hurler Chris Dennis has pitched well out of the bullpen this season for Auburn. He has a 1-0 record with one save, a 2.16 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 8.1 innings.
Second baseman Chris Cooper, another former Bob Jones Patriot, is hitting .338 with three home runs and 22 RBIs in for the University of Montevallo.
Former Patriot pitcher Josh Hester is 5-0 with a dazzling 1.55 ERA in 29 innings pitched for Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn. He has struck out 32.
As much as I sometimes hate to admit that there are other sports worthy of mention I need to send out congratulations to the Sparkman High School girls’ and the Madison Academy boys’ basketball teams who both brought home state championships!
Jim Sandoval can be reached at casandman@aol.com
chelsea mcintyre wrote on Sep 15, 2007 9:32 PM: