Shameless Self-promotion

I'll be working the Saint Louis University basketball game tonight as the Public Address voice inside Scottrade Center!

I'll be filling in for Guy Phillips tonight as the Billikens host the Xavier Musketeers. Game is on ESPN 2 as well. . .tune in maybe you can catch me in the background!!

Weight-loss updates

Here are the results of my weekly weigh-ins.
(Check below for details on the weight loss)

Starting weight: 221 pounds-total weight loss is in parenthesis
One week, January 14: 213.5 (7.5 pounds)
Two weeks, January 21: 209.5 (11.5 pounds)
Three weeks, January 28: 206 (15 pounds)
Four weeks, February 4: 203 (18 pounds) Even with a Super Bowl blowout!
Five weeks, February 11: 199.5 (21.5 pounds) I believe I am leading the pack. The half-way weigh-in is Wednesday. We'll see.
So you know, Didn't win the half-way. Lost the most weight not the highest percentage. On with the updates:

Six weeks, February 18: 196 (25 pounds)
Seven weeks, February 25: 193.5 (27.5 pounds) I wasn't confident of a good week and still dropped two and a half! As long as the weight is still dropping I'm ok with that.
Eight weeks, March 3: 193.5 (27.5 pounds)
Uh-oh, now the weight isn't dropping, at least not this past week. I'll have to work a bit this week. It'd be nice to hit the 30 pound mark!
Nine weeks, March 10: 191.5 (29.5 pounds) couldn't quite get to 30 total, but at least I lost this week!

New Year, New Goals

Ok, ok, ok I know I still don't update this as I should. It can just be a New Year's resolution. Though I really hate making "resolutions." Doesn't that just set you up for failure. It sure seems to.

That being said, I am trying to lose weight. In fact quite a few folks on staff here with the Grizz are trying to lose weight, so we turned it into a contest. For cash! We all entered with $50 and go about trying to drop the pounds over a 12-week period. The person with the best weight-loss at the half-way point gets their entry fee back. The person with the best weight-loss after 12 weeks gets the rest. Best-case you lose the weight and you win 500 bucks in the process. By the way we go by percentage.

Soooooo, I thought I'd keep folks informed about my progress. I'll just let you know how I am doing and leave the other guys' to themselves.

We only weigh in three times publically: at the start-January 7, at the half-way point-February 18th and at the end-March 28th. I try to track weekly. From now on you can check my progress in subsequent postings.

I'll keep you updated. Wish me luck.

A Prince of a Man

Here it is, this is the blog that I promised. . .

I have told you previously that one of the best things about my job is the people I get to meet. This past season, I had the extreme honor of meeting and visiting with former Negro League player Prince Joe Henry. The Grizzlies did a salute to the Negro Leagues Night on August 3rd against the Chillicothe Paints. Hopefully people know the story of Prince Joe, but probably not everyone.

Joe is a Brooklyn, IL native who played roughly four full (parts of eight) seasons in the Negro Leagues, beginning with the Memphis Red Sox in 1950. Injuries forced him to leave the game in 1952, but he resurfaced with the Indianapolis Clowns in 1955. His nickname comes from some of things he did while "playing" with the Clowns, like turning his back to the pitcher before spinning around when the pitch came. When he hit a home run he would slap the catcher's hand, slap the umpire's hand, even have a conversation with a fan before circling the bases. He once came to the plate in the middle of the summer in a full tuxedo, tails and all. He was Clown Prince Joe Henry. Or Prince Joe. When it was decided in the early 2000's that Negro Leaguers would get a pension from MLB, Joe applied, only to be denied, numerous times, for various reasons. I won't get into the full story, though I will include some links to a couple of really nice stories regarding that issue.

The reason I wanted to write is because of what Prince Joe did for me. He transported me to a time I can only now read about. We talked for two half innings (one of them a long inning) on that humid, hazy August night, and it wasn't enough. I usually keep guests for a single half inning, yet I could have spent hours visiting with Joe about the things he saw, the players he played with, and what he called a better education than you could get at any college in America.

He told me the Grizzlies brought him back to a game he loved, and a game that he thought he was through with, yet I think anyone that had a chance to visit with Joe felt the same about him. Joe reminded all of us what the game is meant to be and why we work in this wonderful game. He was eloquent and nostalgic and just a true joy to visit with. Of all the interviews I have had the chance to conduct, this was my favorite. Hands down.

Price Joe still lives in Brooklyn, IL. He suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and, I believe, he is confined to a wheel chair. Don't let that fool you, he is as sharp as I assume he ever was. He writes a column for a weekly newspaper, the Riverfront Times. It is called Ask a Negro Leaguer. Fans write in with questions and he answers. I haven't seen the column for a couple of weeks and I hope they haven't discontinued it.

I think there are plans to repeat our salute to the Negro Leagues next season with the Grizzlies. I am sure, if at all possible, Prince Joe will be part of our night. If you're a baseball fan and in the area, or you're a Grizz fan and you missed the first night, don't miss it again. It will be well worth it. Trust me.

Below are some of the articles I mentioned, as well as a link to our audio page, which I included part of that interview-where he talks about his situation. It is mostly the second half-inning we spent together, simply because it was shorter.

http://riverfronttimes.com/2004-11-17/news/prince-joe-s-lament/

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1999290

http://www.gatewaygrizzlies.com/team/archive/

More to come

So I've changed the layout/color scheme. Let me know if you like, or not. . .
If you don't know, I have had A TON going on since the season closed. I apologize for not getting more up here. I have a blog planned that I have been wanting to do for a while. I'll get that up soon. I swear!

Above is part of what has kept me so busy recently. That is Katherine Marie (Katie) Pott. She was born on the 13th. She is our second daughter. She joins big sister Madeline (2) at home in St. Louis. Katie, and wife Emily are doing fine.

As I said more to come, so stay tuned. . .

Saturday

Just back from Washington. . .

I was wrong. Not about the guys being optimisitc, or about spirits being up, just that the Grizz would still be playing. I certainly didn't think the umpires would play such a prominent role. Not making excuses, just saying way too much influence on a game that should have been decided by the players on the field.

I'll write some more about the season in a day or so. For now thanks to everyone who listened on a nightly basis, and for those that sent e-mails from all over! I certainly appreciated it. I hope I accurately conveyed the games, and emotions/feelings that go along with them! I had a great year. This was a talented and dedicated group of players/coaches!

Friday night pre-game

Backs against the wall. . .or something like that. Use whatever cliche you care to, the Grizzlies need to win, or their tremendous 2007 season will come to a disappointing end. I have a good feeling about tonight. I didn't say the series. . .I said tonight. The guys are in great spirits and nobody seems ready to be finished. Hollenbeck has pitched well against the Grizzlies this year-14 innings, 15 strikeouts. But, they beat Hollenbeck once this year (with Toro on the mound and in this park!) and the other time the Grizzlies faced him-they won the game though Hollenbeck didn't get the loss. Plus remember Albert Ayala with the Rascals? He shut the Grizzlies down twice. The third time, he lasted 1.1 innings the third time he faced this team.

The playoffs are weird, in any sport, often it is a team that does something they haven't done all year and they win because of it. Sometimes a team that isn't supposed to win does. (See '06 Cardinals or '03 Grizzlies) Only time will tell what this team can do. These guys aren't thinking about anything but tonight.

I'm optimisitc. I think everyone is. I'll write again post-game.