Many around baseball have heard of Ernie Harwell, the longtime voice of the Detroit Tigers, and he will be recognized on May 5 with another honor to add to his Hall of Fame resume. On that date, Harwell will receive the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award from Fordham’s WFUV Radio Spring Gala. The ceremony will take place on a Wednesday evening at the Gotham Hall in New York City.

Harwell spent 55 years in broadcasting, 42 of those years were spent as the main color person for the Tigers as he sat in the booth in Detroit from 1960 to 2002. Even though he is known for his time with the Tigers, he did spend some time with many other organizations.

His career actually began with a team called the Atlanta Crackers in 1946. After two years, he moved on to the Brooklyn Dodgers. After that stop, he traveled across town to the New York Giants and then went south to the Baltimore Orioles before becoming the voice of the Tigers in 1960. Some of the Awards that have already been thrust Harwell’s way include his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981, an induction into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1998 and an induction into the Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 1989.

Some other awards that are going to be handed out that night are as follows. Multi-time Grammy winner who is remembered for being an exceptional singer, mandolin player and drummer, Levon Helm, will receive the WFUV Sound and Vision Award. Also on stage will be seven time Emmy Award winning television journalist Bob Schieffer to receive the Charles Osgood Lifetime Achievement Award in Broadcast Journalism. One of the main people who are scheduled to attend and speak at the event is New York City Major Michael Bloomberg.

The famed Detroit Broadcaster, Harwell, will be the third recipient of the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award for Sports Broadcasting. The first winner of the award was none other than former Dodgers play by play man Vin Scully, who has also been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Last year’s winner was Dick Enberg who has made a name for himself over the years from his work with CBS Sports.

The Gala has attracted some of the most famous names in entertainment and sports. The presenter for Harwell’s award will be Baseball Hall of Famer and former Detroit Tigers outfielder Al Kaline. Harwell will be further honored during the night with a special video tribute that has been narrated by well known sportscaster Bob Costas.

Journalist Charles Osgood will present his own award to Schieffer, the host of CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”

WFUV is New York’s Rock and Roots Station and is licensed to Fordham University. Its relationship with the University spans 60 years and the station receives about a quarter-million listeners every week.

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2. Baseball Reflections From A Lifetime SF Giants Fan
3. The Mark Redman Award Effect: Edwin Jackson

To many,

Pluto has also written more books about Cleveland sports than anyone, ever. One of them, Burying the Curse: How the Indians became the best team in baseball, is the subject of today’s review.

Published in 1995, at the height of the Indians dominance in the American League’s Central Division, Pluto chronicles how a historically putrid franchise rose to the top of MLB. The Indians had been cursed for years, Pluto reports, with bad drafting and ownership that wasn’t willing to put up the money for talent that could actually win on the field.

In the book, Pluto picks apart the important parts of a season that Tribe fans will remember for the rest of their lives. Games are highlighted in which former Indian teams would have certainly thrown in the towel, but that this version kept fighting for a victory, even if it took extra innings to do so.

One of those games was the game in which the Indians clinched their first division title in more than 40 years. They were leading the division by almost 25 games and had a ton of baseball left to play, even in the strike shortened season, but it was a joyous day for those on the shores of Lake Erie. For the first time in nearly half a century, their team was being heralded as the team to beat.

As most know, that season did not end the way most dream stories do, as the Indians lost to the Atlanta Braves in the World Series. This book does a good job of depicting the actions and feelings of the Indians faithful during and after that season. Even though many wanted the World Series win, the Indians were still thrown a large parade when they returned home, and to outsiders, it would have seemed like they won it all.

Perhaps fans and writers alike were so confident because they knew the nucleus of the team was there to stay for a few more years, so bringing the real championship home seemed like little more than a formality.

Overall, Pluto does a great job painting the picture, an accurate picture of that memorable season in 1995, and he does it from somewhere between a fan and a journalist’s perspective. Cleveland had never seen anything like it and neither had Pluto, which shows in the writing of the book. This book illustrates that no one in Northeast Ohio, no matter their stature in the sporting world could have expected, or dreamed, what transpired on the diamond that year.

Book Grade: 3.75/5

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1. A Review of Hawk’s Nest Publishing’s Red Sox Coloring & Activity Book
2. Book Review: Fair Ball by Bob Costas
3. Book Review: More Tales from the Tribe Dugout

The Indians started the off season by firing their manager and his coaches, but keeping most of the other front office personnel in place. They staged some what of an extensive manager search and ended on former Washington Nationals’ skipper Manny Acta.

There was a big deal made in Cleveland about bringing Bobby Valentine in for an interview as well as some discussion about Indian legend Mike Hargrove coming back to coach the Tribe. As it turned out, the Indians didn’t want to pay the money it would take to pry Valentine from Japan and Hargrove probably didn’t want to come back to a team that is continually trading away their best players.

Another name in the discussion was former Tribe third baseman Travis Fryman, who currently coaches one of the team’s Minor League clubs. His interview seemed more as a courtesy from the Tribe then a feeling of genuine interest.

So, Acta is now in charge of the ball club on Lake Erie. Many have questioned why Mark Shapiro picked Acta, who got fired from one of the only teams that have been worse than the Indians in the past few years. Speculation has it that Shapiro wanted someone who wouldn’t question his moves, which seem to be primarily decided by ownership, and who would be willing to coach whatever players were there at not a very high price.

Former Indian C Sandy Alomar Jr.

One of the traditions in Northeast Ohio is for fans to want to bring back anyone and everyone who had a hand in the Central Division winning teams in the 1990s. Well, they got their wish this off season as Sandy Alomar Jr. was signed on as a coach. This hire may have received more press action and comments in the area then the hiring of Acta did. In retrospect, this was by far the best pickup the Tribe made all off season.

Following in line with moves that should be a trade mark of the Indians, Shapiro traded away a few more starters for some players to be named later and continually insists that the Tribe is headed in the right direction. There have not been any free agency acquisitions to publicize; in fact, the Tribe has virtually done everything possible to stay out of the news since ending the regular season.

There was some excitement around the Hall of Fame voting when former Indian Roberto Alomar was believed to be a lock to get in, possible wearing an Indians hat. Unfortunately, Tribe fans couldn’t even console in that good news as Alomar came up just short, and will have to try again next year.

With Spring Training just around the corner, the Indians are starting to try to find a way to possibly get some people inside of the park, but seriously, how many Grady Sizemore promotions can one team have? The Indians were at the bottom of the league in attendance last year, and things don’t look to be getting any better.

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Even though the Washington Nationals don’t have their own baseball history and Washington D.C. is not known as a hub for baseball traditionalists and major fans of America’s pastime, their stadium just may be one of the best in the league.

Nationals Stadium is obviously one of the newer Major League stadiums, and it certainly shows in almost every aspect of the park. From the second one walks up to the gate, it is obvious that the team has made a conscious effort to attempt to make a state of the art stadium that still harkens back to some of the past happenings in America’s game.

Perhaps the biggest draw back of visiting Nationals Stadium is that it isn’t in the best area of Washington D.C., but the team does a good job of making sure that the four or five blocks between the team owned parking lots and the stadium are well lined with police officers and other team personnel. While one may think it would be less expensive to purchase a parking pass, it was actually cheaper to park in the same lot and pay on game day than paying ahead of time.

Image by wallyg via Flickr

Walking up to the stadium, one will notice three statues that reference the history of baseball in the nation’s capitol. The two most popular by far are one of Josh Gibson, who was considered the Babe Ruth of the Negro Leagues, and Walter Johnson, one of the best pitchers of all time.

On the pillars inside of the stadium, one will see posters of the greatest players in the history of the game such as Bob Feller and Jackie Robinson. There are also many posters and collages that chronicle the history of baseball in Washington.

One of the major draw backs of the stadium is the team shop. It is by far the smallest Major League stadium team shop this reviewer has ever seen (it’s actually smaller than some Minor League shops as well). Due to this fact, there are not many options and even the options that are available do not have the sizes that fans of other teams may be accustomed to.

The best part of the stadium is the view. Even if one purchases the cheapest tickets available, they will be right on top of the action. Unlike older stadiums that continue to place fans vertically further up, making it harder to see the action, the Nationals’ park has a great view from every seat. The upper deck has more of a horizontal feel than a vertical one, which allows those in the cheap seats to have a better view of the game.

The presentation of the game is great as there are a good number of different types of food that one can chose from as well as pre-game entertainment right outside of the stadium.

Fans also have the opportunity to view the game from many other places in the stadium that creates a situation in which many people enjoy, being able to walk around the stadium while still being able to see the game.

Although one cannot see any of the major D.C. monuments from the stadium, the view is still nice, and on a clear summer night, one can still see some great architecture. Even though many discount the Nationals as a team, their stadium certainly should not be discounted as it is one of the best in the majors.

Major League Stadium Grade: 4.75/5

Overall Stadium Grade: 4.5/5

Related posts:

1. Stadium Review: Busch Stadium, Home of the St. Louis Cardinals
2. Stadium Review: PNC Park Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates
3. Stadium Review: Progressive Field Home of the Cleveland Indians

Upon arrival at Busch Stadium, one thing comes completely clear, the planners of this park certainly did all they could to remind fans of the rich history of the Cardinals, while also keeping a modern look present with the park.

The entire stadium is brick and is decorated all around with historical facts about the Cardinals and their impact on the history of baseball. While many stadiums today have incorporated monuments and statues into their décor, Busch has as many, if not more than any other Major League stadium. In fact, it may be the only stadium where one player has two statues. Stan Musial has both a medium sized statue in the middle of other famous Cardinals, including Ozzie Smith among others; he also has a much larger than life statue with his own brick pathway on the same concourse outside of the stadium.

Also featured with a statue is longtime broadcaster Jack Buck, but his memorial is complete with a soundtrack of some of the greatest calls in Cardinal (and baseball) history.

As many baseball followers may remember, the stadium the Cardinals played in before this one was also called Busch Stadium, and it is not forgotten. One can see where the old stadium was even though the new one was virtually built on top of it due to the fact that there are lines notating where the field was.

Speaking to some long time fans of the Cardinals in St Louis, it was obvious that they thought there was a need for a new stadium, but there was also some reservation in these sentiments as they were so used to the older building. The major concerns were that the ball carries differently in the new park than it did in the old one and they believe it is just not as consistent or reliable as in the old park.

Image via Wikipedia

While baseball fans are more traditional than any other group, this is not to say that the fans don’t appreciate the new stadium. While sitting in the stadium, one can see a beautiful view of downtown St. Louis with the arch able to be seen right over the skyline.

Other than what is mentioned above, the stadium has all of the bells and whistles of most modern ballparks. They have a decent menu of food offered at relatively decent prices for Major League ballpark food.

Their team shop is larger than normal and does offer more options for all genders and ages than most other stadiums possess. It was also clear that the city truly embraced the All Star game last year. Even though this reviewer’s tour took place a month after the game had taken place, the area of the city surrounding the ballpark was still alive with excitement and small arcs commemorating the game.

While walking around the outside of the stadium, a fan feels like they are taking a walk through history. Even though one can’t walk all of the way around the stadium on the walkway, the three-fourths that can be walked is both entertaining and educational. Every ten feet or so features a large brick commemorating a great moment in Cardinal history starting with the beginning of the franchise and carrying all of the way up through recent Cardinal events.

Major League Stadium Grade: 3.75/5

Overall Stadium Grade: 3.5/5

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2. Stadium Review: PNC Park Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates
3. Stadium Review: Cooper Stadium the Former Home of the Columbus Clippers

Image via Wikipedia

Blair County Ballpark gets its first praise from this reviewer from the title of the stadium because they have not yet followed suit with many other major and minor league teams and sold the naming rights to their stadium. This is not to say that it will never happen, but it is good to see that there are some modern stadiums around that still have names that are relevant to their community.

The ballpark was built for the start of the 1999 season, which was the inaugural season for the Altoona Curve. The Curve is the AA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and plays in the 12 team Eastern League. During their short tenure, they have had some success on the playing field as they have reached the Eastern League playoffs various times during the last decade.

Blair County Ballpark can be seen from the freeway when driving into the city and even the outside of the structure is picturesque. When viewing the ballpark from the road, one would not guess that it is for a AA team as it seems suited for at least a AAA ball club from afar. The entire ballpark is made of bricks and the pillars that surround the outside resemble designs of stadiums from many decades ago.

There is no doubt that the members of the Curve provide a great place for families to enjoy themselves. There are many places for children to have a good time if they are having a hard time sitting still throughout the contest. There is a kids’ play zone down the right field line which features carnival games such as trying to knock metal bottles over with a ball (just like Roy Hobbs did in the classic baseball novel and movie the Natural) or attempting to throw a ring over the neck of a bottle.

Also in the kid zone are a number of inflatable apparatuses where children are welcome to bounce around with their friends and let out some of their pent up energy. Blair County Ballpark also features a facet that many would not expect beyond the right field wall and that is a full blown wooden roller coaster. Children are welcome to use the roller coaster during the game, although they technically have to walk outside the stadium in order to get on it, and they are often accompanied on their ride by one of the team’s two mascots.

While the children have their place for fun, the Curve did not forget that adults sometimes need something else to enjoy when taking in a night out besides simply sitting and watching a game. In order to appease these people, the Curve installed a deck down the left field line equipped with a bar that sells a variety of adult beverages. The deck has many tables that are chest height with a great view of the field so fans can relax on the deck and still be able to follow the action.

Image via Wikipedia

Another surprising entity of the ballpark is that even though it is for a AA team, it features two tiers of concourse. This gives fans more of an opportunity to be able to move around without feeling congested during the contest and it also gives the Curve more places to be able to market their merchandise or food.

Further down the left field line, fans will also find picnic tables where they are welcome to sit in the sun and enjoy their ballpark food while still being able to see the action on the field. There are also picnic tables featured on the lower level tier of the concourse where individuals can enjoy their food, or where groups can reserve a section for their party.

In addition to being a beautiful place to take in a game, the Curve has put together a very affordable experience for those who are interested in entertaining themselves or their family. While many minor league teams sell tickets for no lower than $10, the Curve offer various places where fans can purchase tickets for around $8. Even though the team shop is not as expansive as others at this level, the prices of Curve merchandise, not those sanctioned by MiLB, are extremely reasonable. The price of food is another thing that should surprise many fans as it is much less expensive than even other teams in the Eastern League. For example, the price of a 16 ounce beer is just $4.

Parking is conveniently located right next to the stadium so the walk is short for all fans, even those who are not season ticket holders. As with everything else at the ballpark, parking is also inexpensive as it is just $2 to use aforementioned lot.

Since the ballpark is located relatively close to Pittsburgh, Curve fans can count on their team having the security of an affiliation with the Pirates for quite some time. The two organizations recently announced that they are going to lengthen their affiliation through 2014, but the Pirates have stated that they are sure the affiliation will go much longer than the next five years.

Altoona is the perfect place for a minor league team and both the fans and the team seem to have a great relationship that has made the Curve a successful organization over the past decade. There is no doubt that most baseball fans would enjoy a trip to Blair County Ballpark as it does a great job of bringing new age design and historic baseball architecture together.

Minor League Stadium Grade: 4.5/5

Overall Stadium Grade: 4/5

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2. Stadium Review: Cooper Stadium the Former Home of the Columbus Clippers
3. Stadium Review: Classic Park of the Lake County Captains

Recent polls have illustrated that baseball is no longer just a hip sport in the Americas as the interest and participation continues to grow across Europe. This growth has been marked by the institution of new clinics, the foundation of new federation web sites and grassroots programs that are being instituted for all ages. Much of this could be contributed to the fact that this year’s Baseball World Cup will take place in September in Europe.

The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) recently released a series of updates on the progress that the growth of the sport of baseball has seen across Europe along with the efforts that all major partners are putting forward in order to continue to grow the game over there. All of the indications above illustrate that baseball is growing at its fastest rate even in the European nations as the continent gears up for the BWC this fall.

According to IBAF President Dr. Harvey Schiller, “The efforts that our federations are making to grow the sport at the grassroots level, as well as all the time our partners are putting in to help us tell our story, are being positively reflected in our growth globally.”

Schiller further stated, “We are especially pleased with the growth that we are seeing in Europe leading up to this September’s World Cup. It is a very exciting time to be involved in the sport.”

While the BWC does not garner much attention in the United States, it does provide fans across the world another chance to see players from their country competing for an international prize.

There are many key points that illustrate the growth of baseball in Europe, and they are listed below:

-There are more than 40 players from no less than nine European countries that are currently playing in the North American major and minor leagues. This is the highest number ever and the countries that are represented are England, Portugal, Spain, the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and France.

-The growth has not only been featured on the older members of Europe, but many children are starting to pick up a mitt and bat as well. The first reports from Little League baseball in these countries have illustrated an increase in enrollment of over 10 percent for both boys and girls playing Little League baseball in all of the countries across the continent.

-Members from Major League Baseball recently concluded their European Academy tryouts which took place in six different countries. MLB will be working closely with the IBAF and a few other baseball organizations in Europe to continue to conduct coaching and player clinics in ten European countries. These clinics will go throughout the rest of this summer and early fall and are currently planned to occur in 2010 as well. The countries that are going to host these clinics include the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

-Pitch in for Baseball, a not-for-profit group that focuses on getting baseball equipment to those who may not be able to afford it or who may simply not have easy access to the equipment recently completed their first ever equipment giveaway in Iraq. Along with the giveaway, the organization also put on a clinic to teach those in Iraq the sport of baseball. Pitch in for Baseball plans to do this same sort of thing throughout Europe throughout the rest of the summer and into the fall.

-The IBAF has also been taking on their own projects while also helping out with many others. During the last month, the federation unveiled the first two of a series of websites that are going to be country-specific. The two that have already launched are www.baseball-france.com and www.baseballgermany.com. These sites are geared to provide all of the information dealing with baseball in these countries. The sites for the other countries across Europe should be ready to launch in the next month.

Obviously, the IBAF’s main concern at this point is gearing up for the World Cup. Tickets for the World Cup sites in the Czech Republic and Sweden went on sale on May 20. The other sites for the BWC will start selling the tickets for their games in the days to follow. One of the host cities, Barcelona, which is famous in the international baseball community as being the host of the Olympics during the 1992 games when baseball was first featured as an Olympic medal sport, will play host to games that will feature Spain, South Africa, Puerto Rico and Cuba. These games are scheduled to take place on September 10-12. The sites for the other first round games are Regensberg, Germany, Moscow, Prague and Sundyberg (Stockholm), Sweden from the 9-12 of September. The games in the second round will be split between the hosting countries of Italy and the Netherlands. The final round will be in Italy on September 27. There are a total of 22 nations that are going to compete for the world championship this fall.

The IBAF is a non-governmental organization that is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the organization responsible for administering men’s and women’s baseball at the world level. The headquarters of the IBAF are located in Lausanne, Switzerland, which is considered the Olympic Capital. They currently have 125 National Member Federations. The IBAF is the official organizer for many world baseball events including the IBAF Men’s and Women’s Baseball World Cup, the AAA (18U) and AA (16U) World Championships and the Olympic Games Baseball Tournament. It is also the sanctioning body of the World Baseball Classic, which happened earlier this year and is involved in many other baseball events across the world throughout the year. The federation’s mission is to develop the growth of the game of baseball around the world so that everyone, regardless of their economic or geographical situation will have the chance to participate in the game. The best way to find more information on the IBAF is to visit their website which can be found by going to www.ibaf.org.

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At the same token, the Indians are fortunate that they play in probably the weakest division in the majors where many believe that it will probably take all of 88 wins to be the champion.

General Manager Mark Shapiro has tried just about everything to try to get this thing turned around. He has called up players from the minors, changed the roles of some of the players already on the team and even signed some people off the street in an attempt to right the bullpen.

The constant problem throughout this season has been the bullpen. Although there were spells when the starting pitching was horrible (the first week or so), or when the hitters couldn’t buy a run (the first week of May), the bullpen has been the largest area of concern thus far.

One of the major moves that was made a few weeks ago was to call up outfielder/first baseman Matt LaPorta (the major piece from last season’s CC Sabathia deal) to get some major league experience. Despite grumblings that he would be better off in AAA because he needed more seasoning and would be able to play more consistently, but since the corner outfield positions were not producing, Shapiro made the move. LaPorta was not able to play consistently for a small amount of time because of a players only meeting where it was decided that the players who made the team out of Spring Training were those who really deserved to play.

This news was reportedly given to manager Eric Wedge and he abided by the veterans’ wishes for a few days until those players still were not hitting and is only using LaPorta just about four times a week. While he did struggle when first called up, LaPorta has started to hit in the past week, and with some more time at first base, could be a reliable everyday player in the near future.

As stated earlier, the starting pitching at the beginning of the year was horrendous. The starters were averaging just over two innings per start through the first week of the season. This meant that the bullpen was being called on for lots of work which could have contributed to their fatigue at this point. For the time being, the starters seem to have gotten through their early season run giving up barrage to put together some stellar outings over the past two weeks. 2008 Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee looks to have found his form once again and has allowed just seven runs over his past six starts. Even though he has only earned one win during that span, mostly due to lack of run production, he has posted an ERA of slightly more than 1.50.

Fausto Carmona, who in addition to having one heck of a sinker also has one of the best baseball names, has also turned it on as of late. Although it does seem that he works too slowly for his infielders to stay on their toes at times, he has been able to compile a few good starts to show why he was considered for the Cy Young Award in 2007. With Carl Pavano also providing some strong outings, the Indians should have their rotation set when Jake Westbrook returns from surgery in mid-July.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

With all of the sad spots on the Indians this year, Victor Martinez has given fans a reason to keep watching. Over the last few days, his batting average has climbed as high as .388 and he has consistently been second in the league in that category. A lot of his prowess at the plate seems due to the fact that he is getting so much time at 1B this year and does not have to worry about the catching duties as much as in the past. Obviously it is going to be hard for Martinez to continue on a pace that is this impressive, but he has turned a lot of heads in the early going this season.

The only player other than Martinez who could even be considered to be having a decent season at the plate is middle infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, or as Clevelanders call him “‘Drubes”. Cabrera’s average has dropped a bit over the past week, but it has been consistently over .300 throughout the season and with his impressive range, he is making it hard for Wedge to play Jhonny Peralta at SS everyday and has started seeing time at 3B.

Despite their early struggles, the Indians still have a realistic shot at turning this season around. If their current winning ways are not fools gold and they do actually mean something, the Indians could start to rise from the bottom of their weak division. Realistically though, they have to just focus on the team in front of them instead of worrying about the team that is three above them in order to keep their focus.

With so many young players on the team, it is getting harder for Wedge to give everyone enough playing time to keep all of the players fresh. For instance, outfielder Trevor Crowe has not seen nearly enough action despite the fact that he has been stellar in the outfield and actually made the team out of Spring Training. This is just one of the issues that Wedge will have to wrestle with for the rest of the season while he tries to save his job and turn this club around.

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According to IBAF President Dr. Harvey Schiller, “We are truly honored that Donna has decided to join us as we formulate our global plan for women’s baseball and its inclusion in our bid for the 2016 games.”

Dr. Schiller further stated, “There is perhaps no one more respected in sports or the development of women and girls in athletics than Dr. Lopiano, and we look forward to having her work with us in this very important endeavor.”

According to Dr. Lopiano, “Baseball is a global game that embodies all the ideals of the Olympic movement, and one of those ideals is fair play for all.”

Dr. Lopiano further stated, “I am honored that the IBAF recognizes the great global opportunity that they have in giving women of all ages the chance to take part in baseball at any age, and am looking forward to helping in any way that I can to get baseball where it belongs for both men and women, as part of the Olympic program.”

As reported earlier by BaseballReflections.com, the IBAF announced earlier this spring that it would add the women’s discipline to the federation’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. The complete committee that will be formed for this effort in women’s baseball will be announced shortly.

Baseball has become increasingly popular among the female gender across the world as over 30 countries currently offer a women’s league. In total, there are an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 girls playing baseball across the world. Japan won the bi-annual Women’s Baseball World Cup in 2008. The site for the 2010 Cup has not been announced yet. If the committee were able to get women’s baseball in the Olympics, the 2016 Olympics would replace the World Cup in that year.

Interesting Women’s Baseball Piece

With all of the recent attention being paid to women’s baseball on the international scene, the subject is not going unnoticed. BaseballDigest.com recently did an interesting piece on women’s baseball. This specific article refers to an upcoming women’s collegiate game in Springfield Mass. This contest will be the first all women’s collegiate baseball game played in over a century.

The link to this article is HERE!

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OF/DH Ken Griffey Jr.

Two of the first athletes who are to be featured on the site are baseball stars Ken Griffey Jr. and Torii Hunter. The site officially launched last week and one of their first items was to take a look back at the NFL draft while also taking a look forward to the draft in the NBA.

According to Jarett Sims, “With the way the economy has impacted journalism, there is a need to find a home for some of the most respected names in sports to voice their opinions on some of the topics of the day, and we believe PlayerPulse.com will be that place.”

Sims further stated, “We have seen so many top journalists hamstrung because of economics, and we intend to restore or expand their platform and to spread their word digitally.  We have identified a number of insightful athletes who are looking for a place to tell their stories to the fans, and their insight will give fans a much deeper view inside sport.  It will be a unique and wide-ranging marketplace of opinion and analysis which we think sports fans and our business partners will enjoy.”

Some of the big named sports figures who have made commitments to regularly contribute to the site include New York Mets pitcher J.J. Putz, former Washington Wizards coach Eddie Jordan, ex NBA’er Nick Van Exel, CBS’ Len Elmore, WFAN’s Ed Coleman, ESPN’s Jay Bilas and Fox’s Curt Menefee, Charles Davis and Brian Baldinger. In addition to athletes, the site will also feature some well known journalists who will be able to tell stories that they don’t usually get the chance to in the traditional media. Some of the names that are on the list of already committed journalists include New York Times‘ Liz Robbins, former Seattle Press Intelligencer columnist John Hickey, former Tampa Tribune writer Carter Geddis, and former Orange County Register writers Art Thompson and Robert Kuwada among others.

The site will also recreate a New York radio show that ran from 1989 until 1993 called Coleman and the Soul Man featuring FAN’s Coleman and Sims. The site will add regular podcasts with takes on a wide array of sports topics.

The wife of Dave Sims, Abby Corsun Simms, a New York City sports physical therapist, will also have a regular blog on the site with takes on rehabilitation and fitness.

Jarett Sims is a 25 year-old digital entrepreneur and writer who is looking to launch two different internet ventures this year, the first of which is PlayerPulse.com.

Sims has always had a passion for writing and is currently attempting to get a sports/crime novel published.

The other website that Sims hopes to get out to the public this year is Chilltopia.com which will be an educational site for children.

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