we are all a little mad...especially in march.

i admit. i have been sucked into the NCAA tournament. probably more this year than i have in my entire life. this is all in special thanks to the boyfriend who breathes basketball. i have made my bracket. and im not doing too terrible. it should be interesting seeing as cam is a DUKE fan and i have LOUISVILLE winning it all. this could lead to some awkward conversations.. haha 

here you go fans. don't worry. my baseball brackets are farrrrr more impressive.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-xplUGuaBaHTzVmbHRFbFRyaVU/edit?usp=sharing  

p.s i don't know how to delete using a pdf...so the blurry ones are michigan :) 

oh....and before i forget. 

OPENING DAY IS IN 6 DAYS.

go blue :)

follow my man :)

I am going to take a moment and pause from the topic of baseball because...

...CAM GOT A BLOG :)

If you didnt know Cameron is a high school English teacher, at St. Joseph Catholic High School, and a mighty fine one at that. He decided to start a blog to write about his teaching experience. For those interesting in the field of education or anything similar too, I highly suggest you follow him. He is a wonderful writer and he has amazing suggestions for anyone looking to teach, or who just is curious for that matter.

 here is the link:

My Life As A High School Educator

http://camwood03.blogspot.com/

comment back and let me know what you think!

enjoy :)

20 & 149

well it has been forever. sorry my fellow fans.

but i do have good news...

20 days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training :)

this could possibly be the best news i have ever received due to the fact that i am beyond sick of winter.

i dont ski, or snowboard, or build forts... so to me winter is dreadful. 

however, on another positive note. 149 days till the Ogden Raptors opening night! 

for those of you who are unaware i will be going on my 6th year, this year, working for the Raptors. they are the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league team (aka farm team). it is the most amazing opportunity in the world and i cant believe how lucky i am to spend my time there. it is my family and it is my life.
 the players, the coaches, the owner, my boss, my coworkers and all the fans make it the happiest place on earth, and i learn so much from them. they have allowed me to be myself and that is what keeps me coming back. 

this summer there is a strong chance my life will change, for the better! if you all remember the boy i previously posted about..well ;) ..thats for another time...

but i cant wait to share my little corner of the world with him. 

dont worry fans, the sun will come out again, the fog will lift and the buds of spring will be in bloom. it is almost here. 

20 days until unlimited rays :)

..:in love:..

I've always been passionate about one thing and that has always been baseball. Baseball was my first love and it taught me so much. I think once you find something you are so deeply passionate about it grows to consume your life. Fortunately for me a couple of months ago my true love entered my life. His name is Cameron Wood. We met through mutual friends on May 30, which happened to be his 23 birthday, and our love story just grew from there. I decided to write this post because Cam has been there for me through so much lately and he has helped me keep my head on straight. I think that's what makes a perfect couple. Two people who know each other on such a level where they are willing to see past the others fault and just love them.
With Thanksgiving around the corner I am really trying to focus on what I am grateful for. I am so thankful for my life, I wouldn't change it. It has been a very difficult two years for me and through all the struggles and the tears I formed some sort of wall. This wall was built from trust issues and insecurities and the feeling of being lost but I found someone who broke that down and helped me believe again. It was a feeling I haven't felt since years ago. I am happier than I have ever been, more in love than I could possibly imagine and within the year I hope to marry this boy and continue to be this happy for the rest of eternity.
Hopefully this Thanksgiving we all recognize what truly matters and what we are truly grateful. Happy holidays my fellow fans :)

heroes among us

In honor of Veterans Day this past week, I thought I would share something a little more personal.
My family has been involved in the United States Military for many generations. 
Because so, I have much respect for the Military and for all of the men and women serving our country. Through all these men and women, one of my greatest heroes is my great-grandpa, Theo Nelson. 
I am very blessed to have been so close to him while he was on this earth. For some reason he has been on my mind a lot recently.
I remember growing up in his house, with the smells of the fireplace, the pictures mounted on the wall, and the clocks ticking, but mostly I remember standing on the tree stump in his back yard listening to the soothing sound of trains passing by. Sometime when I really can't find peace in this world I go back to those days, of simplicity and love, and I try to re-live it as much as possible.  It is one of those sights and feelings that you will never forget, no matter how old you get or how distant your life becomes; from what it used to be.
But its hard, living in such a world where silence can never be found. You can lose yourself in the materialistic and the deceiving notions of what true happiness is. To me; true happiness is wearing my grandpa's cowboy hat, its watching an F-16 fly over an American Flag, it is holding hands with the man I love, it watching a baseball game on a summers night...
And It is standing on a beaten down, rustic old tree stump and just listening. 
There are heroes among us every day and they get over looked by vain and selfish acts. They can be a physical person or in my case they can be a memory. We need to find these heroes and believe in them with all that we have. 

I want to share with you a video that my Uncle Todd Kunz, anchor for eyewitness news in eastern Idaho, showed on his local station, 

WWII Buddies Reunite After 63 years

How can you not love the man in this video? :)
I know that I will see him again some day but until that day arrives I will so desperately hold onto his memory and his legacy because that is where I find happiness. 

..:i am second:..

Clayton Kershaw, star pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, just became the newest and the youngest recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award on Oct. 28, just before Game 4 of the World Series. 

The award was named after the Pirates Hall of Famer and 15-time All Star, who died in a plane crash, on New Years Eve 1972, while on his way to deliver relief aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. 

After winning the NL Cy Young award last year, which was expected, no one saw this coming.

 Not even Kershaw himself.

This award recognizes the player who best represents the game through positive contribution, (both on and off the field) through community service and sportsmanship.

Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, have founded the "Kershaw Challenge." A charitable organization that encourages people to help at risk children. They have also provided assistance to a charity called "Arise Africa," this organization helps build and sustain an orphanage in Luska, Zambia called "Hope's Home." 

Alongside with books and other forms of charity Kershaw has proven worthy of this presitgious award.

On field Kershaw has posted a 61-37 record and leads the Majors with a 2.79 ERA and a .215 opponents batting average.

This award isn't just given based on stats or records, this award is presented to our everyday heroes that change the world, just because that is who they are.

 They don't do it for the fame or the glory. They don't do it for the awards or medals. 

They do good because they are good. 

They have been raised well and they have been disciplined. Maybe we all need a little of that in our lives. Someone to give us hope,  to show us that there is something more out there.

Someone to teach us that if we try we might actually leave an impact on this world.

We can start here. Follow this link and donate today to support Kershaw's Challenge.

You will be surprised what you get when you give. 

http://www.kershawschallenge.com/

..:post hoc ergo propter hoc:..

after this, therefore because of that 

I have been dreading writing this post because this means the end of the 2012 baseball season.

A season where unexpected triumphs turned into expected titles, a season where a triple crown was worn and where trades shocked the world.  

For those who don't know I am a Political Science major at Weber State University. Odd? I know. Doesn't quite seem like a major fit for someone who wants to work in baseball for the rest of their life.

But one thing I have learned through my major that affects baseball is the logical fallacy;

"post hoc ergo propter hoc"

As the title of this post shows, it means- after this, therefore because of that.

One event is caused by another. 

In the world of politics I firmly believe in this fallacy.

However, in the world of baseball..not so much. 

Game 4.

On paper the San Francisco Giants had the odds against them. The Tigers, who had swept the Yankees to make it to the playoffs, were the favored team. 

So what exactly went wrong?

The Tigers went down in flames after losing 4 games to none, causing the Giants to snatch the Series title right from underneath them. 

Cabrera, the 1st triple crown recipient since 1967, alongside with THE ace Verlander and Prince Fielder should have won this. 

This series was a blur but it proved that this game is not won by paper but it is won on the field.

Who would have thought that Cabrera, who is running as AL MVP would strike out in the last inning after having a .231 average. What if he didn't strike out would the series be over?

Or what if Verlander, Mr. Invincible, didn't lose game 1 and had a chance to pitch game 4. Would the tigers have taken the series, or at least been tied and onto game 5?

What if Fielder batted more than a measly .071 average? 

What if Omar Infante didn't get hit on a wild pitch?

Jim Leyland, manager for Detroit, said "We got beat, you can sit here and try to find some reason or excuse. They beat us, and they earned it. We didn't hit enough so you just turn the page and move on. Congratulations to the Giants. They did a fantastic job."

Does one event really lead to another?

Some say yes? I say in this game; There is no such thing as a coincidence

So, baseball is over for another 16 weeks, until the pitchers and catchers report to their designated spring training. The season of freshly cut grass, sunsets behind the American flag, devastating losses and triumphant nights are over. For the time being. 

Until then, I will be covering baseball off the field. 

Because this game never ends.