Radio Guy's Blog - Mar. 10, 2009

"A New Enterprise"

Let me first say that this whole blog thing is a new enterprise for me – one that I’ll probably pursue to get better at as time progresses. However, one thing I’ve noticed about blogging and bloggers is there seems to be more of them than actual readers! However, if you know of where I can pick up some more readers, then let me know.

Let’s face it, this winter hasn’t exactly been conducive for a lot of outdoor activities. In fact, I think I can pinpoint about four days in total since the Holidays that you even think about venturing outside with the kids for any extended period. However, that obviously didn’t resonate with one of my friends recently who ask why I didn’t take my oldest son out to play shinny on the local rink more often? He said it was “the best way to toughen kids up.” To which I retorted: “Isn’t everyone that lives here between Oct. 1 and March 30 already tough enough, and further toughening based on the weather is actually being guilty of stupidity?” That pretty much ended the conversation on toughness.

For the record, isn’t just about time we stopped casually referring to the James A. Richardson International Airport by its full name and graduated to reference our soon-to-be-new terminal as just Richardson International? When you hear O’Hare, Pearson and LaGuardia, you automatically know where these airports are located, right? Let’s think big, people.

I have this to say on the whole steroid issue in baseball: Whatever happened to “Just Say No?”

I scratch my head sometimes in bewilderment when I read stories about player contracts in baseball. For instance, where is the baseline for what went on last month when 2008 Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum re-signs for one year with San Francisco for just $650,000 and slugger Manny Ramirez rejects an initial offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers that would pay him $45 million over two years. I fail to understand the disparity, especially when every team is clamoring for better pitching.

Still with baseball, get used to superstar players opting out the World Baseball Classic in years to come even more so than this year. That is unless Major League Baseball and its Player’s Association can get together and have those players that are not injured seriously committed to participation in the event. Otherwise an epidemic is just around the corner and the tournament will become a junior national event at-best in the future.

Speaking of the WBC, I’m going to watch with a lot of interest to see if the Japanese can repeat again. They certainly impressed me four years ago with their small-ball game and I’m wondering if any of the other nations have any game plan to counteract that this time around.

It would be the understatement of the 2009 if I didn’t admit that the announcement regarding an expansion franchise in Zion, Illinois was a huge breath of fresh air around every Northern League office. Certainly, Kevin Costner’s association with the new club will add to the credibility of the franchise and league overall, but now some serious works needs to be done in getting a team in the Minneapolis area.

Next time you have a chance, ask Goldeyes’ pitcher Brandon Kintzler about his first winter in Winnipeg. And be sure to query him on washing his truck on a cold December night, only to show up at work the next day three hours late when he couldn’t open the doors the next morning on the frozen vehicle.

One of the biggest thrills I’ve experienced this off-season so far was being able to read to my oldest son’s Grade 1 class at Earl Grey School in February. His teacher put my boy on a stool right beside me and I was able to hold his and his classmate’s attention for an hour (How? I don’t know) while reading a selection of about four books. If you’ve never read to a kid or haven’t for a while, I would encourage you to do so. You might find you get more out of it than the kid.

Peace, out!

-- Paul