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Ultimate Golf Fantasy-Part 3

Article by Dan Boever

Golf fantasies come in many packages.These dreams, these golf desires sit right next to winning the lottery for most of us. They are so unrealistic that it often pains us to think of them. It is tough to win a PGA event when you cannot break 85 at your local municipal golf course.

Most of us know where we stand in the golf food chain. It is because of that “reality” that most people think more of a course that they would like to play or a group that they would like to play with.

As great a guy as Springfield Cardinals marketing wizard Kirk Elmquist is, his golfing ability will never allow him to play on the PGA tour. As handsome as he is, he will not get an invite to the AT&T celebrity pro-am. He would, however, like to play Pebble Beach with a select group of men. His partners for the day would be Abe Lincoln, George Washington, and the creator of Pebble, “Jesus”. Kirk’s thoughts went to spending a beautiful summer day with three individuals who so greatly changed the course of history. Time alone with three men he would love to meet. I have a good feeling I know who would win that match.

One of our areas best players told me his dream would be to play Augusta. Realtor, Antonio Serrano said he would love to go and play but he would want to earn it. A win at the US Mid-Amateur would give him a special exemption to play at the Masters. Playing Augusta is one thing, but actually teeing it up with the world’s elite would indeed be an amazing experience.

Ozark Missouri High School freshman Will Hogan is a young man with ever-changing views of the ultimate golf fantasy. Early in his freshman year his dream was to simply make the Ozark Varsity Golf Team. He just wanted to simply make the team, and he did. Then his thoughts went to playing in the number one spot. He was able to play in the number one spot on several occasions. As the state tournament approached he wanted to win a championship. After day one his score was so good he thought he had a good chance to finish in the top 15, giving him All-State honors. He did all this as a skinny, punk freshman. His efforts were just two strokes shy of that top 15. As hard a worker as Will is, that dream is very attainable. As you might expect when I asked him about his future dreams, they included some lofty expectations, “My ultimate dream would be to play on the PGA Tour and have a very successful career.” The funny thing is when I talked to his dad, Barry, about his ultimate fantasy it also included playing on the PGA Tour (not gonna happen). That would be fun though to watch this father/son combo on Tour. A side note to Will’s story; he did win that State Championship last year as a junior and another fantasy is coming true next year as when he will attend the University of Missouri on a golf scholarship.

Golf fantasies are not always big. My son Justus is a wonderful 12 year old boy. When he started playing golf seven years ago his goal was not like the rest of us. You see, he wanted to hit it in the water. He could have cared less about getting it in the hole as compared to seeing that ball take off and dive into the pond. More than anything, he wanted to hit it and see that beautiful splash. He was very good at it, as are many adults… He will learn as he gets older that it it is not so cool to hit it in the water when you are keeping score.

On a daily basis I have grown men look at me and ask how they can get my job. They think it is pretty cool to go out to a golf tournaments and get paid to be there. In nearly 600 events since 1997 I have never missed a cut, I don’t have to count my score and if I slice it out of bounds or hit a top shot, people can laugh out loud and I do not care. Let’s see, great courses, friendly people who really want to be there and I am doing golf shows for a living. That sounds like a pretty good golf fantasy to me.

My wife consistently reminds me how good we have it. That is a fact of which I am fully aware. They call it being “blessed”. That I am.

About the Author

Dan Boever is a golf entertainer who has traveled the country for the past 10 years performing power trick shot shows for more than 600 of America’s largest companies and charities. Dan has been featured on CBS, ESPN, Fox Sports and the Golf Channel. Dan has been in 8 National television commercials and also appeared in the movie “Hoot”, which was released last May. For more information on how you can visit http:/www.danboever.com

Baseball stirrups

Article by jekky

A U.S. Naval Academy pitcher wearing stirrupsStirrups are uniform socks commonly worn by baseball players up until the mid-1990s, when major-league players began wearing their pants down to the ankles, setting a trend soon picked up by players in minor and amateur leagues. Until then, stirrup socks had been an integral part of the traditional baseball uniform, giving them a distinctive look. A high sock was needed because baseball players wore knickerbockers (“knickers”), worn by many boys in the late 1800s and into the 20th century. They are similar to football pants, came to just below the knee. The stirrup socks served to display team colors, stripes or team logos. For example, for several years the Minnesota Twins wore navy-blue stirrups with “TC” on the side, for “Twin Cites”. The Houston Astros wore black stirrup socks with a white star on the side. The stirrup sock colors were also the basis of team names, including the Cincinnati Red Stockings (later the “Reds”), Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox. For these reasons, traditionalists lament the recent “sockless” look in baseball uniforms.Stirrup socks are worn on top of long socks called “sanitaries,” usually white in color. This is because early color dyes in the outer stirrup sock were thought to pose health issues, as well as the fact that the inner, less expensive white sock could be changed more frequently. The stirrup sock lacked a foot, instead having a loop (“stirrup”) which fits within the instep of the foot, exposed part of the white undersock underneath. Over the years, the stirrup loop tended to get longer, exposing more of the white undersock, thus creating a look unique to baseball.However, by the 1980s many players were pulling the loop so high that only the white undersock and the loop itself showed – the rest of the game sock being hidden by their pants. For many years teams had enforced rules so that uniforms were worn “uniformly”, including team socks. For example, Leo Durocher, longtime manager of the Chicago Cubs, had a measuring stick in the clubhouse. Players were required to match the length of their stirrup loops to this stick at about 4 inches, exposing only a small part of the white sanitary. Increasingly lax regulation of uniform codes by Major League Baseball eventually contributed to players ignoring the traditional look.Although some teams particularly college teams continue to wear traditional baseball stirrup socks, another option has been to replace the stirrup/undersock with a “2 in 1″ combination sock that mimics the real thing, or simply to wear a single solid knee-high sock with knickers. The trend back to knickers and high socks is particularly evident among youth and high-school teams. A few pro players, such as Brian Tallet of the Toronto Blue Jays, Jamie Moyer of the Philadelphia Phillies and Juan Pierre of the Los Angeles Dodgers have been spotted wearing genuine stirrups recently to much fanfare. The minor-league Springfield Cardinals wear a 2-in-1 version of the traditional St. Louis Cardinals’ game sock that looks very much like the real thing.Other sports also use, or have used, stirrup socks, but traditionally wore a white sweat sock over, instead of under, the colored stirrup game sock (eg, basketball, football, hockey). There are still some sock companies manufacturing stirrup socks for baseball and other sports, including Twin City Knitting Company in Conover, North Carolina.Uni Watch, a site that is committed to the “Obsessive Study of Athletics Aesthetics,” advocates the use of stirrups in baseball. In fact, Uni Watch’s support of the stirrup is so large, a striped stirrup is present in the logo. Pictures and Products”SocksRock.com” Further readingLukas, Paul. “Hosiery History”. The Village Voice. June 6, 2001.Caplan, Jeff. “Not all major-leaguers abandoned the classic stirrup look”. Dallas/Fort Worth Star-Telegram. June 27, 2009.v  d  eBaseball conceptsFieldBackstop Baseball diamond Batter’s box Batter’s eye Bullpen Foul territory Foul pole Infield On deck circle Outfield Strike zone Warning trackEquipmentBat Ball Glove (defense) Batting gloves Batting helmet Cap Doughnut stirrups uniform Uniform number Shin guard Batting cage Pitching machineGame processInnings Extra innings Out Seventh-inning stretch Batting order Run On deckBattingAt bat Hit and run Sacrifice bunt Sacrifice fly Slap bunt Baltimore Chop Bunt Foul ball Foul tip Ground rule double Hit Hit by pitch Strikeout Double Triple Home run Inside-the-park home run Check-swing Walk-off home run Lefty-righty switch Double switch Line drive Batting count Sweet spot Pull hitterPitchingBalk Wild pitch Passed ball Beanball Pitchout Breaking ball Brushback pitch Changeup Curveball Pitch count Strikeout Striking out the sideBaserunningBalk Walk Stolen base Squeeze play Scoring position Bases loaded Small ballFieldingDouble play Force play Hidden ball trick In-between hop Triple play Unassisted triple play Pickoff Wheel play Catch Fourth out Rundown Tag out Appeal play Assist Infield shiftMiscellaneousIn flight Infield Fly Rule Bench-clearing brawl Pepper Safe Uncaught third strike Interference Golden sombrero Ground rules Instant replay Baseball jargon Slump Bench jockey You’re out Categories: Sports clothing | Baseball equipment

About the Author

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Frisco Roughriders Baseball Announce the Start of Their 2009 Season

Article by Dallas Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center

Residents of Frisco, Texas are proud to say that they are home to the celebrated Frisco RoughRiders Baseball Team! In 2003, the city of Frisco warmly welcomed the brand new and much talked about Dr. Pepper Ballpark, which became home to the Frisco RoughRiders Baseball, a AA class minor league baseball club.

Families are already pulling out their team colors and firing up their grills, excitedly awaiting the start of another thrilling season. The Frisco RoughRiders Baseball team will begin their much-anticipated 2009 season on April 9th on the road in Springfield. The excitement will come home on April 16th when the RoughRiders play their first home game of the season against the Springfield Cardinals.

During the 2009 regular season, the RoughRiders will be hosting 70 Texas League games and will also be hosting the 73rd annual Texas League All-Star Game on July 1. The 2009 season will also bring the RoughRiders all new faces to their coaching staff.

The reigning South Division Champion RoughRiders are a Class AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers major league baseball club. Prior to moving to Texas, the team played out of Louisiana where they were known as the Shreveport Captains. On April 3, 2004, the RoughRiders played their first game that kicked off the inaugural season

You can catch a Frisco RoughRiders baseball game at the much-noted Dr. Pepper Ballpark, where environment and character are unrivaled. Since being welcomed to Frisco in 2003, this 10,600-seat ballpark has won awards for its unique design, available facilities, and atmosphere. Dr. Pepper Ballpark was named the best new ballpark in baseball by baseballparks.com. Ballpark Digest has also recognized the park for Outstanding Ballpark Expansion and Additions.

Enjoying the award-winning Dr. Pepper Ballpark and the Frisco RoughRiders Baseball team to their fullest is simple when staying at the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center. Located less than 2 miles from the field, our Marriott will make catching a game very easy. Visit them at http://www.marriottplano.com.

About the Author

The Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center is lushly landscaped with scenic parks, ponds, upscale shopping and entertainment venues. Overlooking Bishop Park and Lake, our Dallas Marriott is near several Fortune 500 companies, such as EDS, Pepsico/Frito-Lay, JC Penney, Countrywide and Cadbury-Schweppes.