Coaching Middle School...

For all my readers: I've been off the computer the last few weeks. I know, what a shocker!

I've come out of retirement and I have a job (at least thru the middle of May, that is). I'm coaching middle school girls' softball. Oh, have times changed. I'm not sure who is learning more, me or them! The girls are awesome, would you believe there is 44 of them! After three weeks of practice, I now have three teams -- one A team and two B teams. Luckily, I have an assistant coach to oversee the two B teams. As for the A team, they are unbelievable. Of the 13 girls on the A team, nine of them have plenty of "club experience" and I'm anxious to see how we do in our nine-game schedule.

Many of the girls have already advised me that we will have our hands full with a couple of opponents. Our goal is to make the playoffs -- a one day affair on May 15 with the top four teams in the league going at it.

I must admit, I already have a favorite player. She's a real dynamo! She's maybe four feet, six inches tall. She catches. She pitches. And she plays infield (although it is hard to see her at second base). She reminds me of Billy, in my fiction novel, Billy's Victory -- the story of an 11-year-old boy who leads his Little League team to the championship. She has a great attitude and she is in sixth grade and will be a starter on the team, a team dominated by eighth graders. Our first A game gets underway April 6.

Can't wait.

Middle School Update (April, the 6th)-- Girls win! Girls win! My A team scored four runs in the bottom of the first and added two more in the third as they rolled to a 6-2 win this afternoon. One down and eight to go.

Daly Watch...

John Daly finished 55th at the Transitions Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida, on Sunday. Daly's 2-over-par, four-day total of 286 put him on the money list for the third time this year. Big John, competing in his sixth PGA tournament of the year, garnered a check for $12,150.00, giving him an accumulative payoff of $45,941.00 for his efforts as he continues his comeback and his return to the PGA tour.

Sun Devils out of NIT...

It is only Tuesday night, March 16, and we are already down to two Pac-10 teams left in March Madness.

The Arizona State Sun Devils, playing at home at the Wells Fargo Arena in the first round of the NIT, lost tonight to Jacksonville, 67-66, on a banked-in, 3 pointer by Ben Smith with 1.9 seconds left on the clock. Mr. Smith shocked the ASU crowd when he let loose a hail-Mary jumper from way beyond the three-point line. The ball banged off the backboard and ripped through the net, ending the Sun Devils' season at 22-11.

 Let's face it, and maybe I'm the last one to give in, the Pac-10 is down...and the Sun Devils just proved it. What will California and Washington do this week?

Keeping track of John Daly...

I said in a previous post that I'd keep track of John Daly and his return to the PGA tour.

Big John finished 24th at the Puerto Rico Open today, carding a 10-under 278, which was good enough for a check worth $26,000 and some change. I lot of money in my book, but probably not as much as Daly would have liked. But, it is his best finish to date and it's just his fifth tournament on his comeback trail.

Daly finished nine strokes back of the winner, rookie Derek Lamely. And now Big John heads for Tampa Bay, Florida, on Thursday for the opening round of the Transitions Championship at the Innisbrook Resort.

The agony of a Wildcats' loss...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: In some ways I'm glad it's over. My body is tired. Everyone around me is shaking their head and telling me to take it easy...it's only a game, they say. But I'm a die hard Arizona Wildcat fan and for the first sixty seconds following a loss, chances are I'm not going to agree to anything.

The agony of a Wildcats' loss hurts this old timer, no matter when it happens, but it is especially agonizing when the loss means the end to Arizona's chances for a Pac-10 tournament title, or more importantly, a prestigious NCAA tourney bid. What hurts the most, as I watched the Wildcats disappear from the court at Staples Center this afternoon, after absorbing a 75-69 loss to UCLA, is the fact "The Streak" has ended.

Arizona has been to the "Big Dance" every March for 25 consecutive years -- a record very few colleges and universities will ever match, not in this day and age of college basketball, anyway.

I must say, it is not the fault of the current crop of Wildcats who took the court today, they have fought their way through a tough season and you could say they even over achieved. With 16 wins and 15 losses, Sean Miller and his young Wildcats finished over .500, and barring a NIT invite, that's the way it will end. But the future is bright for the Arizona basketball program, and the Wildcats will return next season with a more experienced team and will be one of the favorites to capture the Pac-10 title in 2011.

And yes, another streak will begin.

I remember Willie Davis when...

My favorite baseball team in the mid 1960s was the Dodgers.

I remember watching Maury Wills as he moved to his left and to his right, covering his shortstop position with ease. I remember Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale blanking every opponent in the National League with their blazing fastballs and timely breaking pitches. I remember Johnny Roseboro's quick throws to second and I remember him straddling the plate and then diving to tag out the runner at home.

But I'll never forget the man who in 1961 replaced my favorite Dodger, centerfielder Duke Snider. The man was quick and agile and could run down a deep fly ball in the gap with the best of them. His name was Willie Davis. Willie died Tuesday at his home in Burbank, California at the age of 69.

Davis retired from baseball in 1979. He spent 14 years with the Dodgers and still owns a half-a-dozen club records. He stole 398 bases in his career and had a lifetime batting average of .279. It's been well-documented that Davis led a troubled life since his retirement from baseball. I don't need to go there. Instead, I'll remember his play in center field as he helped the Dodgers roll to World Series titles in 1963 and 1965.

He will be missed.

"I'll have what Mickey Rooney is having"

I caught a glimpse of Mickey Rooney at the Academy Awards last night. Talk about an Energizer Bunny. I'll have what he's having. The man is 89 years old and will turn 90 in September. The man has been married eight times -- his current wife is Jan Chamberlin, who was at his side last night at the awards. His first wife, back in the early 1940s, was the beautiful Ava Gardner. Between and during his eight marriages the man made over 200 films.

He earned an Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, five Oscar nominations, one Emmy Award and two Golden Globes. He's a Hollywood legend that keeps on ticking. I still remember his performances as Mi Taylor in National Velvet (released in 1944, alongside another child star at the time Elizabeth Taylor), and Mitch Forney, William Holden's sidekick and helicopter pilot in Bridge at Toko-Ri (released in 1954).

I would like to spend a day, maybe even a week in his den, at his home, in Westlake Village, California, which is incidentally the same city where Vin Scully and Mike Scoscia resides, among others. The history in that den must take your breath away. While I'm at it maybe I'd stop over and see Vinny and Mike -- the memorabilia in their respective dens must be out of this world as well.

Wise wins it with another buzzer-beater...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: It is always a good day when the Arizona Wildcats win a basketball game.

It is even a better day when the Wildcats close out their regular season with a win at home against an old Pac-10 nemesis such as the USC Trojans. But it is an off-the-charts victory when they get a last-second, winning shot by a senior point guard, who just happens to be playing his final game at McKale.

And that's exactly what happened this afternoon as the Wildcats survived double overtime and knocked off USC, 86-84, as Nic Wise banked in a shot with 1.5 seconds left on the clock. What a way to go out! Could you ask for more of a dramatic ending? A Wise finish, indeed!

Now, after saying that, there is a chance the Wildcats might end up in the postseason NIT and possible find themselves at home at McKale for a first-round game. If that happens, then Wise would have an encore. But let's don't' go there. The Wildcats (16-14) have a Pac-10 tournament to win. Three mores wins and Arizona could be heading for the big dance. The scenario which is going though my mind at the moment is down right crazy. What if? What if Arizona beats UCLA on Thursday, knocks off California on Friday and beats ASU on Saturday in the Pac-10 tournament final.

My goodness, that would be "March Madness" at its best. It's been a wild afternoon. I think I'll take a sedative and call it a night.

Millsie makes me feel old...

I can't believe Brad Mills is 53 years old. Boy, that makes me feel old!

It seems like it was just the another day the former Arizona All American third baseman was scooping up ground balls and throwing bee bees across the diamond to first-sacker Terry Francona at the Wildcat Field (now known as Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium). But, my goodness, that was in 1978, and now "Millsie" resurfaces finally on the "big stage" as he takes over the manager duties this year for the Houston Astros.

Mills, Boston's bench coach the last six seasons, spent 10 years as a manager in the minor leagues, following his four-year playing career in the majors (1980-1983). As for 1978 thru 1980, those were three years during the "glory days" when Arizona baseball was at center stage -- which included Pac-10 titles, College World Series' invites and national championships. Things have changed at Arizona and the Wildcats haven't won it all (the College WS) since 1986 (the Wildcats also won the CWS in 1976 and 1980).

I'd love to see Arizona return to Omaha this year and bring home their fourth title, but that's another story altogether. For now, I still have the memories of the days of Brad Mills and Company.

Foggy second-half performance lifts Wildcats to Pac-10 win...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Arizona Wildcats' guard Kyle Fogg has the UCLA Bruins' number.

Back in January he slashed his way around and through the host Bruins, scoring 25 points to lead the Wildcats to an early season Pac-10 win. Last night at McKale, he did it again, only this time, the likable guard did his damage from long range. Fogg netted a career-high 26 points -- including seven 3-pointers to lead the Wildcats back from a 10-point halftime deficit and turned the game into a hard-fought 78-73 win for Arizona.

Fogg ignited a 49-point outburst by the Wildcats in the final 20 minutes and he had plenty of help from two more guards -- Nic Wise with 12 points and MoMo Jones with 16. It looked like two different Arizona teams on the court at McKale Center last night. In the first half, the Wildcats shot poorly and seemed completely frustrated trying to deal with the Bruins' defense. They scored just 29 points. But the Fogg lifted midway through the second half and the Wildcats roared back from a 14-point deficit and ran off the court, waving to the screaming fans, after pulling out their five-point win.

Don't look now, but the Wildcats are not in the Pac-10 cellar, nor are they sitting somewhere between fifth and ninth. Instead, they are in fourth place and will close out their regular season Saturday morning at home against Kevin O'Neill and the USC Trojans. A win Saturday could give the Arizona Wildcats (15-14 overall, 9-8 conference) a third seed for the Pac-10 Tournament. I for one, would just as soon see the Fogg hang around at McKale for the weekend.

Go Wildcats!

Thornydale Little League a class act

My grandson is in good hands as he starts his sixth season in the Thornydale Little League organization.

I must say the organization is one of the top, if not the top, youth baseball organizations in the city. My grandson, Jadon Price, is now 10 years old and his skills and knowledge of the game has progressed rapidly over the last few years to the point he's being noticed more and more and may be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come. The Thornydale LL officials and coaches see to it that the players are brought a long slowly, allowing the young player plenty of time to bloom.

Thornydale LL, which is located just a few blocks south of Mountain View High School in Marana, sees to it that the coaches also get top-notched instruction as well. Case in point, last night a hands-on, coaches clinic was held at Sportspark and the Thornydale coaches received expert advice from former major-leaguer Jason Hardtke. Hardtke is the current hitting coach for the Missoula Osprey, the Class A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Hardtke played parts of three seasons in the major leagues, playing a total of 67 games for the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs. A career .231 hitter, primarily used as a pinch-hitter, Hardtke had a career-best .268 batting average in 56 at-bats with the Mets in 2007, with two home runs and eight RBIs.

Hardtke was drafted in the third round by the Cleveland Indians in the 1990 amateur draft. He played parts of 10 seasons in the minor leagues with seven different organizations, and hit .291 for his minor-league career. His best season came in 1999, when he hit .328 with 12 home runs and 61 RBIs for Triple-A Indianapolis.

With the help of the Thornydale LL, I fully expect to see my grandson playing shortstop for Mountain View High School by the year 2016. Hats off to the Thornydale Little League.

It's family day at the ball park...

I'll be heading off to Tucson Electric Park in a couple of hours with my son and grandson to see the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies in the opening game of the "final season" of spring training.

We intend to take it all in. Who knows how many games I personally will see this spring. At $18 seats along the first and third baselines, and who knows how many hot dogs and sodas, I'm probably looking at a $100 bill or so...maybe more. I know that's nothing compared to the green stuff you'd have to hand out, up in Phoenix at Chase Field, but for an old retired fellow that's a pretty big dent in the old social security check.

Luckily my son -- a captain with the fire department -- will slip me some cash. All kidding aside, it'll be worth every penny to the trio from the Price family who can never get enough of baseball. I'm a little sad that my grandson will miss the spring training games in the future. It's been a part of my life for over 50 years, way back to when the Cleveland Indians were here. When I was my grandson's age, I watched Rocky Colavito chase fly balls and Minnie Minoso scurry around the bases. I saw guys like Duke Snider and even Mickey Mantle pepper the left field fence at Hi Corbett Field with line drives that seemed like they were shot out of a cannon. My grandson will miss all of that, unless his dad packs up the car and takes him to Phoenix, that is. Spring training will be missed. After today, my grandson will miss it, too.

Spring Training Update: Not a good start for Diamondbacks. Rockies knock around Buckner and Howry en route to a lopsided 11-1 victory. My grandson, Jadon, was not disappointed as he received his share of autographs, including a valuable signature from one of his favorite Diamondbacks, Mark Reynolds (see photo at top).

Golf Channel's Being John Daly gives us a raw look of PGA's bad boy...

I settled in last night and watched the first segment of the Golf Channel's reality show, Being John Daly. It was a raw look into the life of Big John -- the PGA's bad boy who is back on the tournament trail.

The initial episode shows John as a Kevin Costner's Tin Cup --waffle house, --good ole boys at his side outcast, who rolls into town in his RV ready to battle with the PGA elite. He's changed his ways. He's left drinking and gambling behind. He' lost weight and has endorsed a colorful clothing line that would brighten up the dullest course on the tour.

In one scene you get the impression his tailgating buddies would just as soon he pop a cold one. Instead, Big John tells them he's down to two vices, cigarettes and sex. The reality show takes a: Will he make-it-approach scenario? Will Daly overcome his demons and set the PGA tour on fire with his booming drives and his soft touches around the green? You get the feeling that the Golf Channel will be there to the end, whether he succeeds or fails.

I spent the last few days blog-surfing and I found that my fellow bloggers and their readers are split on whether they love or hate Mr. Daly. But they all agree, he's a cult figure, a hero to the common, weekend golfer. Chances are not all of the TV golfing audience will tune in and watch Daly's plight every week, but Golf Channel is counting on a majority of them will.

I love my maple bat...

I read recently that many of the maple bats used in the minor leagues are now banned -- gone forever from the bat rack. The bats are likely to shatter at some point and the remnants fly through the air and end up lodged in the throat of a player, or worse -- a fan in the stands.

I love my maple bat. It's a beautiful piece of lumber. I keep it in my bat bag along with my Louisville Slugger (which has a crack in it at the moment) and my aluminium bats -- which I use 99 percent of the time. Once or twice a year, usually at an event such as the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series, I'll pull out the maple bat from my bag and head for the batter's box -- knowing full well that the next hit off it could be the last. The maple bat has yet to be banned from the MSBL, but the league may follow suit soon.

If that happens, I'll have my teammates autograph it and then I'll stick it in my trophy case.

Talk about no respect...

As we head into March there is still no respect for the Pac-10 in the college basketball rankings.

When California shutdown both Arizona and Arizona State last week to clinch at least a tie for the conference title, you would think now that the Golden Bears have a 20-9 record under their belt that maybe that would warrant an appearance in the rankings. But no, California didn't even make the also-rans in the AP poll released yesterday, and as far as the ESPN/USA Today polls go, the Bears were no where to be found in the top-25. But if you check further they did make the also-rans at No. 36 -- collected an outstanding (that's a joke) two votes.

Now I did find a team with 19 wins in the rankings and of course you will need to go all the way to the East Coast practically to find that team. No surprise there. It's 19th-ranked Georgetown with 19 wins and eight losses. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Golden Bears fan. I'm a Arizona Wildcats' fan and my readers know that, but is the Pac-10 really that bad? In the eyes of the pollsters, the Pac-10 deserves to stay in the cellar...forever.

I would like to see two Pac-10 teams get in the NCAA tourney and make some noise, reach the sweet sixteen at least, and prove the pollsters wrong.