Sports | DeKalb TV

Dincoff & Rinehart Moving on to College Careers

This past Monday, we had the pleasure of welcoming Bri Rinehart and Rachel Dincoff to the Dekalb TV studio. We were conducting an interview for the Ben Davis Sportstalk Show.

Both just graduated from Dekalb High School this past June. Now that the calendar will shortly be turning to August, we wanted to have the chance to talk with both of them before they left for college to continue their sports careers.

Bri will be attending St. Francis University in Fort Wayne, while Rachel will be going to IPFW, also in Fort Wayne. Rinehart will be playing basketball, while Dincoff will be continuing her track and field career.

The thing that stood out for me while doing the interview was simply the fact that these two fine young women are such good friends. When scheduling the interview, I just wanted to have them both on the same show, not realizing how tremendously well that they get along.

As is typical with young people I’ve had the chance to do the show with, they were both nervous initially. but as the show went on, they got comfortable, and were laughing and telling some great stories.

Bri and Rachel both played four years of varsity basketball at Dekalb. Rachel also was a four year track participant, that culminated with her winning the state championship in the discus this past Spring.

Both certainly seemed to enjoy their careers at DHS. They told some good stories about their experiences, especially stories about playing for Dekalb girls basketball coach, Nick David.

From watching them play over the years, both Bri & Rachel were treemndous competitors who hated to lose. They worked hard throughout their playing days at Dekalb, and the results speak for themselves.

We talked about senior night this past season, when Bri & Rachel played for the final time on the home hardwood. It was a festive and fun filled evening, with senior player and parent introductions that started the evening, and then the game against Heritage.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the fun stopped. With four minutes to go in the game, Bri went hard to the floor while making a cut out on the left wing, and before she hit the floor, she was writhing in pain. A torn ligament in the knee, high school career over.

That’s all behind her now, as she is well on the way to recovery. She expects to play in the Fall.

The day after we did the interview, Rachel was heading to Baltimore to participate in a National track and field event.

As I told Bri & Rachel, it seemed like they had been around forever at DHS. Now that they have left, it is a void that will not be easily filled. Great luck to both of them, as their careers have been unique and enjoyable. They are forever, Dekalb Barons.

47 Years Ago Today, My First Big League Game

I mentioned in a story a while back about experiencing my first Major League baseball game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium back in 1965 when I was 10 years old.

Well, today is the anniversary of attending that game 47 years ago. Over the course of time, details become blurred as to what happened, and what might have happened.

Box Score From My First Major League Game Back in 1965

If you love baseball, check out the web site baseball-reference.com, and you will be hooked on spending inordinate amounts of time reading about just about anything that concerns professional baseball. This is the web site that I referenced when looking up details about that first game that I attended. It is where you can find the box scores from any game, which was my modus operandi.

I do know that I attended the game with my Dad and two brothers. I do remember that it was part of a promotion called “Grandstand Managers Night.” This was a promotion where a few weeks before the game, you could answer some baseball questions in the local newspaper, and it would enable you to get discounted seats. If I recall, we ended up with great seats in the area behind home plate, just up a little ways.

The anticipation was killing us as we counted down the days before the game. Finally, July 24th arrived, it was a Saturday evening game, and we were on our way.

Our team, the Cleveland Indians, were having a good year. They were 54-39 at the time, and in third place. They were playing the defending American League champion New York Yankees. The Yankees were beginning their 12 year decline, as they stood at 47-50, and in 6th place.

Here are some facts from that game. There were 48,777 people in attendance, which was huge for Cleveland at that time. The Indians starting lineup featured Larry Brown at short, Max Alvis at third, Leon Wagner in left, Rocky Colavito in right, Fred Whitfield at first, Chuck Hinton in center, Joe Azcue behind the plate, Pedro Gonzalez at second, and my hero, “Sudden” Sam Mcdowell on the hill. Not all household names, but they were our heroes none the less.

The Yankees featured the great Mickey Mantle. As well as Tommy Tresh, Bobby Richardson, Elston Howard, Joe Pepitone, and Clete Boyer.

The Indians won 3-0, behind McDowells 5 hit shutout. He notched 10 strikeouts, including Mantle 3 times. Cleveland had RBI’s from Brown, Alvis, and Wagner. “Daddywags” RBI was a long home run over the center field fence in the third inning.

The game lasted 2 hours and 33 minutes, and it was 90 degrees at game time.

Funny thing is, I never noticed the time that elapsed, or how hot it was. It was that much of a magical time with my Dad & brothers.

Still Treasures After All These Years

A few weeks back, it was reported that a family in Defiance, Ohio, had stumbled upon a treasure trove of baseball cards in the attic of an old home they were clearing out.

These cards were in pristine condition, and they dated back to around 1910 or so. They included Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, and of course, the great Ty Cobb just to name a few.

They were from a very rare set, of which there were a limited amount that ever went to print. The experts say that chances are, there will never be a find like this ever again. The cards are valued at around 3 million dollars.

This brought to mind all of the card collecting that I did when I was young. I started collecting around the mid 1960’s, and by the time I had reached my late teens, I had amassed quite a collection. My brothers and I, along with friends from that time, spent hours discussing, buying, and of course trading these treasured pieces of paper.

Back then, Topps pretty much controlled the card market. Today, there are countless companies that put out “the next best thing” in the collecting industry.

After I pretty much had quit collecting, my sons took over, and they amassed quite a collection themselves.

I spent a good portion of time over the past year or so getting the cards that I had, as well as my boys cards organized into albums. They are now neatly arranged alphabetically into “books,” and they are there for easy viewing. They include cards that go all the way back to the 1950’s.

I certainly doubt that the collection that I have would ever approach 7 figures, but to me and my sons, they are priceless.

MLB’s Second Half Gets Under Way

On Friday night, after a 4 day hiatus for the All-Star break, MLB started the second half of their season. If the second half is anything like the first, we are in a for a wild ride.

When Friday began, the Rangers, Yankees, and White Sox were in first places in the American League, while Washington, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles headed up their respective divisions in the National League.

Keep in mind, that for the first time, there will be 2 wild card teams from each league. As of right now, there only a few teams that you could say are out of the race for the playoffs.

Many surprises in the first half, including the aforementioned Nationals and Pirates playing great baseball. On the other end of the spectrum, the Phillies, decimated by injuries, are 14 games out.

The battle tested Yankees & Rangers are taking care of business as was expected. The White Sox & Angels are also both playing very well.

Individually, we’ve seen the emergence of Bryce Harper in Washington, as well as a 10 win first half from Yu Darvish. Matt Kemp of the Dodgers was off to a sizzling start before being injured. Josh Hamilton of Texas slugged 4 home runs in a game. There were 4 no hitters tossed, including 2 perfect games. Knuckleballer RJ Dickey led baseball with 12 wins.

I had the opportunity to see 7 games in the first half, including witnessing Norwell’s Jarrod Parker come close to tossing a no-no against Texas.

Baseball. America’s Pastime. Get on the bandwagon, as the best is yet to come.

Rieke Park Hosts District Ten Little League Baseball

A few weeks back I wrote an article that featured the old home of Auburn Little League Baseball, Thomas Park. On Wednesday night, my son Ethan and I had the chance to go to the new home of Auburn Little League, Rieke Park, and take in a couple of fun games.

Both games featured 9-10 year old all-star teams, in what is called the “District Ten President’s Tournament.” On one field, one Auburn team was hosting a team from Leo, and on the other field, a different Auburn team was hosting a team from Don Ayres (Homestead area).

I had a rooting interest in both games, as in the game with the Leo team, a friend of mine who works at CK Technologies, Matt Obrien, his son Mike was the starting catcher. The other game had Dekalb’s baseball coach, Chris Rhodes as an interested spectator, as his son Easton was playing shortstop.

Both games had their ups & downs, as well as ebb & flow, but for 9-10 year old’s, I saw some pretty good baseball. I kept going back and forth between the fields just so I could enjoy the action from each contest.

If you haven’t been out to Rieke Park, take an evening to stop by and have an enjoyable time in an enjoyable atmosphere. It has developed into a very nice & comfortable facility. League President Mike Stafford and his core of volunteers have done a tremendous job in helping to make this one of the top-notch facilities in NE Indiana.

Payton Rhodes, Coach Rhodes, Ethan Prebynski, and Sam Yarian

When the evening was winding down, and the sun was setting off to the west, Leo rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the last inning to eke out a 13-12 win, and to move on in pool play.I said my good-byes to Matt and his family, and I hurried over to the other field to watch the last half inning of a solid 7-3 win for Auburn.

Mike & Easton both played well for their respective teams, and most importantly, seemed to have fun, and to enjoy themselves while doing so.

No truer words were ever spoken when we say that “Little League Baseball is about the kids.”

The “Dog Days” of Baseball Summer

Can the Texas Rangers Win Their 3rd Straight Pennant?

During the past week, as Major League baseball was grinding its way past the mid-point of the regular season,the 2-time defending American League champion Texas Rangers suffered their longest losing streak of the season, as they lost five straight. They still lead their division, but that lead is tenuous as the hard charging LA Angels are nipping at their heels.

Baseball takes its annual “All-Star” break next week, and the Rangers, along with numerous other teams, will come out of the break with hard decisions to make. Do you become a buyer, or seller, or just play the hand that you have?

Two years ago, Texas was able to acquire Cliff Lee before the trading deadline, and the move helped them to their first American League pennant. Last year, they bolstered their bullpen, the main deal being to get Mike Adams from San Diego. That move helped in getting them to within 1 strike of winning the World Series.

This year, they picked up veteran Roy Oswalt a few weeks back, but they are still looking for more pitching.

The question always is, how much of the future do you give up to win now? Texas is a veteran laden team, built for today. After the season, position players Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, & Mike Napoli, as well as starting pitcher Colby Lewis are all free agents.

I’m not saying that this year is must win, or do or die, but the Rangers window of opportunity isn’t open forever.

With the rumored availability of Cole Hamels from Philadelphia, or Zach Greinke from Milwaukee, I wouldn’t be too surprised if General Manager Jon Daniels is actively pursuing one of these pitchers, or even more probable, going after someone who we don’t even know is available.

The Rangers, as well as the Angels, have taken their place right along side of the Yankees & Red Sox as movers & shakers as far as making deals at the trade deadline.

Look for a deal or two in the not too distant future.

Chicago, My Kind of Town

Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, sang the words in one of his numerous hit songs, “Chicago, my kind of town Chicago is.”

On Wednesday night, I had the pleasure of enjoying baseball on the 4th of July in Chicago, at U.S. Cellular field as 2 first place American League teams hooked up, the Texas Rangers, and the host Chicago White Sox.

Members of US Military Take Their “Positions” Before the Game

In addition to what promised to be a great baseball game, the festivities included a number of activities before, during, and after the game that focused on American military personnel, both past & present. The after game festivities were capped off by a dazzling fireworks display that was simply top-notch.

Before the game, I was put in my “baseball nostalgic” mode, as my son Ethan & I walked over to the parking lot next to the field where old Comiskey Park used to reside, and took in, even though I had only been there once before, a favorite baseball sight of mine.

Bernie in the Old Left-handed Batters Box

In the parking lot, there is a spot that is marked off where the old home plate area used to be. You can stand in the exact spot where the batting boxes were, and just relish in the thought of all of the great players, and historical baseball events that happened right there.

Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, etc., etc., just to name a few, all took their stances there, dug in, and simply hit away. A World Championship was won by a team that played there in 1917. One of the darkest hours of major league baseball also occurred on that spot, the “Black Sox Scandal” of 1919, when the Sox “threw” the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

As you would expect on a night like this, it was a great game. It was a game where 9 innings wasn’t enough. It was a game that featured excellent defense, good pitching, and timely hitting.

Thousands of Baseball Greats Have Stood on this Very Spot

The Rangers jumped on top by 3 in the first inning, the Sox came back for 4 in the second. A Josh Hamilton home run (his 26th), tied it in the third. It stayed that way until the 10th, when newly acquired Kevin Youkilis won it for the home team with a single to left. Youkilis also added a couple of sparkling defensive gems.

All in all, a great night for baseball. Chicago, my kind of town.

Baseball Rules, Written & Unwritten

I was talking with my good friend Larry at lunch the other day, and the topic turned to the rules of the game of baseball, and the enforcement of those rules by umpires.

Larry and I have both umpired a number of youth baseball games over the years, as well as both of us doing our fair share of coaching. I’m talking 20+ years of experience for each.

We’ve both seen and heard some comments from fans, as well as coaches that just want to make you shake your head.

One of the most common things that you hear is “the tie goes to the runner.” Years ago, I had a coach come up to me after a close game that his team lost to my team, and his comment was “I can’t believe that that umpire who worked our game would not admit that the tie goes to the runner on a bang-bang play at first base.” What this coach, or any coach who utters that phrase is only showing ignorance of the rules. If anyone can show me a rule book that states that “the tie goes to the runner,” I’ll eat the rule book on the spot. There is no such rule. In baseball, there is no such thing as a tie. It’s either safe, or out. No questions asked.

Spot Behind Centerfield Fence at Thomas Park in Auburn

A situation happened the other day down at the Little League where a coach was screaming for his first baseman to tag a runner who had just been called safe at first because the runner had turned to his left to go to first base. When the umpire would not call the runner out, the coach was irate. If he had read his rule book, he would know that the runner has to make an “athletic” move towards second before the umpire can deem that he was trying to advance.

I’ve seen parents sit behind the fence in centerfield at old Thomas Park in Auburn berating the umpire for missing balls & strikes calls. The umpire is about 2-3 feet from home plate when he makes his call. Those parents were more than 200 feet away.

Something else that grinds my gears that you are seeing more and more of, is that when a runner is on second base, and he signals to the hitter what he thinks the pitch is going to be, that means that the next time up to bat for that baserunner, he is getting hit by a pitch. It happened just the other night in my son’s Summer league baseball game. This is something that goes on all the time. You try to figure out the other teams signals. Sorry Mr. Catcher, or Mr. Coach, if you can’t change your signs when there is a runner on second, I guess you really probably aren’t smart enough to be coaching.

When people scream and yell, especially at the youth levels of baseball, and they are let’s say, mis-informed on rules, it’s only an embarrassing situation not just for the person doing it, but for their children as well.

Bob Feller – A True American Hero

There was a lot of news splashed across the sports pages last week about the “lying to congress” trial of Roger Clemens. In one of the articles that I read, it said that Clemens might be the greatest right-handed pitcher in all of the history of baseball.

With no due respect, because in my opinion he doesn’t deserve any, Clemens can’t even be compared to the GREAT Bob Feller. Not as a pitcher, not as a hero, and not as a true ambassador to the game of baseball.

Bernie with Bob Feller, Spring Training 2009

Feller burst upon the scene of major league ball back in 1936, straight off of the farm in Van Meter, Iowa. He was 17 years old when he made his major league debut. Young in years, but not young in baseball acumen. And boy, could he bring the heat. When he first came up to the “bigs,” only the legendary Walter Johnson was compared to Feller in the speed in which he could bring the fastball. Throughout the ensuing years, maybe only Nolan Ryan could throw as hard.

Bob Feller’s career spanned the years of 1936-1956, all pitching for the Cleveland Indians. He had a career record of 266 wins, and 162 losses. Good, but not great you say?

If you are somewhat familiar with American History, you know that the worst armed conflict in the history of the WORLD started in 1941 for the United States. That conflict would be World War II.

When the 1941 baseball season ended, a season in which Feller won 25 games and threw 343 innings, he was one of the first Major League players to enlist in the armed forces. He became part of the United States Navy. He didn’t ask for any special treatment, like quite a few athletes and entertainers would do. He went straight to serving his time on battleships that were in the thick of battle mostly in the Pacific. He served his time honorably.

When the war finally ended in 1945, Feller had missed all of the 1942, 1943, 1944 seasons, and most of the 1945 season. These were prime years of his baseball career. Believe me when I tell you, he never once regretted how he had spent those years defending his country. I’m not going too much out on a limb when I say that he would have won 100 more games if he had not missed those years.

Back in Spring Training of 2009, my friend Bruce Frazier and I had the opportunity to attend a game between the Indians and the Texas Rangers out in Arizona. About the second inning, we noticed someone sitting over at a table on the concourse along the third base side. He was signing autographs. We went over to investigate.

It was the great Bob Feller.

I’m even choked up now as I write this as to how honored I was to meet him. We all chatted for a bit, and had our pictures taken with him. We ended up going home, and I had the pictures printed out. Bruce went back a few weeks later, while Mr. Feller was still signing, and had our pictures signed. I proudly display the picture in my home.

Unfortunately, though Mr. Feller was in pretty good health when we met him, later in 2010 his health deteriorated quickly, and he passed away in December of that year. He was 92 years old.

Bob Feller, baseball history, American history, baseball hero, and a true American hero. Rest in peace Bob.

New Monument at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

I had the opportunity over the weekend to be in Texas and to see two MLB baseball games between the Texas Rangers and the Colorado Rockies. I had never seen the Rockies play in person, so it was a neat experience from that perspective. Also, it gave me the chance to see Michael Cuddyer play, who is in his first year with Colorado.

Michael came up through the Minnesota Twins organization, and started his professional career playing for the Ft. Wayne Wizards in the late nineties. We got to know him at that time, and we will be doing a story on his career in an upcoming posting.

I have truly gained a loving affinity for the Rangers ballpark. It is a great place to watch baseball. My son Joey, who works for the Rangers, will always take me on a special tour, and it is fun to see different parts of the stadium from an employee’s perspective.

Bernie Next to Statue of Shannon Stone & Son Cooper

If you get the chance to go there and watch a game, there is a new Monument to see that is right outside of the West entrance. A statue has been erected that commemorates Fathers and their children going to the ballpark. The statue is also a memorial to Shannon Stone.

About a year ago, Stone and his son were attending a game there. Early in the game, as Josh Hamilton was running off the field at the end of an inning after making a play, he harmlessly tossed the ball towards Stone and his son, as he has done countless times with fans throughout his career. Tragically, as Stone went to catch the ball, he lost his balance and fell over the railing in front of him, and he fell about 20 feet to the concrete below. As he was quickly attended to by emergency personnel, his last words were that he was asking about his son (who was 6 yrs. old), and if his son was alright. He passed away a short time later at a local hospital.

The statue is a touching reminder as to how fragile that life is. Things can change in the blink of an eye. Live life to the fullest with the ones that you love, and do it each and every day.