Legion Wins Home Opener

Head coach Hank Jones continues to look over his flock of Post 58 baseball players trying to find the right combination that when Tuesday comes around and conference play starts he will know what each player can give him this season.

Post 58 sent five pitchers to the hill and they gave up 16 hits between them. They walked eight batters but the good news after nine innings North Raleigh with all those base runners score but seven times and four of those came in the ninth inning to give them a 7-6 lead.

Cameron Ramsey lead off the bottom of the ninth with a single, Mike Smith hit a ball in the infield in which the throw to first went in the dugout and sent Ramsey to third and Smith to second. North Raleigh faced with having to cut off the runners coming home to tie the game brought the infield in and outfield to little league death. Collins Cuthrell hit a high school routine fly ball to center which would have score the tying run but with the outfield at little league depth the fly ball hit the ground and roll all the way to the wall scoring both Ramsey and Smith. Game over Post 58 -8 Post 297- 7'

Ramsey and Cuthrell both had three hits in the game, Thomas Berry had a pair, Michael Whitehead, T J Taylor and Hobbs Johnson each had a single.

I know this is real funny to say but I believe the Legion has much better depth at pitching this year than last. Hard to say that giving up 16 hits. Post 58 is now 4-3 and play Sunday in the Durham Post 7 showcase. Tuesday night they open conference with a game at Fleming Stadium in Wilson against Post 40 who will have seven Hunt players for Tuesday night's game.

Speaking of Hunt: The Warriors just did not have enough good pitching to take on East Rowan, ER sweeps Hunt 9-3 last night and 15-10 Saturday.

Bumped into Whit Barnes one day this week. Man oh man has a red shirt year helped Whit or what. He looks about 20 inches thick in the shoulders and told me he was on the Wake Forest depth chart as a back up lineman heading into this football season.

Saw Billy Godwin tonight at the Dunn Center escorting his daughter Mallory during the Debu-ette Presentaion Ball. Billy cleans up nice in a tux but I told him I like it better when he wore Purpleand gold baseball uniform.

State is the only ACC team eliminated from the NCAA tournament. The ACC went 6-2 Friday and Virginia Tech the only other team to lose Friday won today. They will mean seven ACC schools will play Sunday including North Carolina who beat California 12-3 Friday. Rocky Mount's Brian Goodwin went 2-5 scored a run and stole a base.

Brian Godwin's two out bottom of the ninth inning triple driving in two runs help North Carolina get into extra innings with Oklahoma in the winners bracket game in Norman Oklahoma. Goodwin is 4-9 two rbi's two runs scored and a stolen base in his first two NCAA playoff games. Goodwin was left stranded on third which couldhave been the winning run for the Heels. Oklahoma score in the top of tenth to down North carolina 7-6.

The Wizard Of Westwood

It has been thirty five years since John Wooden coach a basketball game. Having watched the National championship game in 1975 it seems like just yesterday.

Influenced by being an ACC backer I never gave John Wooden credit for what he accomplished during his coaching days at UCLA. Won ten National Championships all of them in a twelve year period. It was after he retired that I came to respect Wooden. I heard him say in a TV interview that he never used the word win at any time while he coached. He asked his players to give him the best they had. The largest salary that Wooden ever made coaching was $35,000.

Just last year on one of the college basketball broadcast you could tell that his mind was very good and active. John Wooden was not your average win at all cost coach.

John Wooden was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame in 1960, not as a coach but for his playing. He was a three time All American at Purdue where he earned the nickname "The Indiana Rubberman" for his ability to dive on the floor for loose balls. Purdue won the national championship in 1932 with Wooden as a guard.

He even played pro basketball for the then Indianapolis Jets and to this days still holds the record for making 134 straight free throws which is the professional record.

Married to his wife Nellie for 59 years Wooden has wrote a love letter to her on the twenty first of every month since her death. Those letters are on her pillow today.

There is more to life than basketball and John Wooden live that until his death. he has been quoted "Basketball is not the untimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins and that is the one that places his faith in his savior".

John Wooden was truly one of the greatest ever in college basketball. Player or coach, but much more a great human being.

Opener Time Change

Once again for the third time the first pitch for the home opener for Coleman Pitt American Legion Post 58 has been changed. first pitch will be at high noon on Saturday June 5th. Orginally it was scheduled for 3.00pm then shifted to 7.00 pm and now back to noon.

I have a good idea why it has been shifted. Sunday Post 58 will play in the Durham Post 7 showcase against an unannounced team at 2.30pm. This show case will have pro scouts on hand to watch all the teams. Post 58's work out will be at 10.30 in front of the scouts giving our guys their change to show case their talents.

Hunt High School begins the dream that all players dream of growing up playing for the State Championship. Game one in the best of three series begins tonight at 8.00pm at Mudcat Stadium in Zebulon. Game two is at 2.00pm Saturday and if needed game three later Saturday night.

Brian Goodwin and the Tar Heels of North Carolina try to make it back to the College World Series for the fifth year in a row. The Heels will pitch their best in Matt Harvey tonight when they begin NCAA play in Norman Oklahoma. North Carolina State pitching is not quite as clear as the Tar Heels as State had to throw the kitchen sink at Virginia Tech Saturday night to make it to the finals of the ACC tournament and again on Sunday against Florida State.

Ken Griffey quietly retired from baseball earlier this week without much fanfare. Griffey a home run hitter who has never had one hint of scandal involving performance enhancing drugs during his career.

There is out rage all over the place for the umpire missing the call Wednesday night preventing a perfect game from occurring. Thursday Jim Joyce the umpire in question was behind the place and when it was time to exchange lineups like is done in every game from high school on up the pitcher(Armando Gallaragga) who lost the Perfect game presented the lineup card to Joyce. They both shook hands and Joyce was seen wiping away tears.

Missing in all of the bru-ha over the missed call is that Joyce once the game was over opening admitted he blew the call. In our world today we all have excuses lined up that someone else is at fault. Joyce took it like a man and in returned those imvolved from the pitcher to Detroit's manager and team mates used extreme class when talking about the miss call.

Every day in our life is a learning experience. How we handle each and every situation that comes before us, becomes part of us as life continues. Regardless of whether he gets credit for a Perfect game or not, Galaragga will forever be known for the perfect game that never was. To me Armando Gallaragga made it to the Hall Of Fame because of his actions.

There is still Sportsmanship in this world.

Oil Spill

The oil spill in the Gulf Of Mexico has been spewing oil for a month now and there is not really any hope in site that they (BP) has any idea how to stop it. I like all Americans wants 59 cent gas. We have up to this point been “give me gas at all cost” but this oil spill may be the back breaker. Signs that the oil is heading up river in areas along the Gulf is now happening.

The Valdez oil spill in Alaska back in the 90’s was 11 million gallons of oil. To this point the Gulf spill has just gone over maybe 40 million gallons. The Valdes spill was almost on shore when the tanker leaked where this Gulf leak is out in the middle of the Gulf more susceptible to current flows and more likely to damage more area and maybe even North Carolina.

Just maybe it is time as Americans to demand different type vehicles fuels than depending on digging in the ground. How long before that digging empties all the holes anyway? We are a people of convenience. Give it to me now. Just maybe it’s time to quit being selfish and think about something other than ourselves.

Every time there has ever been a disaster sooner or later the world recovered. Hiroshima was completely wiped out from the first atomic bomb. Today only memories of the disaster linger for those who survived. That area is once again thriving with over 1.2 million people living there.

The area around Mount St Helen’s which was destroyed by a volcanic eruption thirty years ago and wiped out nearly everything as far away as 18 miles is now some of the most fertile land in the Northwest United States.

Prince William Sound which was the area hit when the Exxon Oil Tanker Valdez ran a ground has recovered. It didn’t happen over night but recovery was made.


Humans destroy for their wants not for their needs. You can ride through Rocky Mount and see abandon building no longer needed in human wants. There is not much evidence of the flood of 99 except historical markers and memories.

Mother Nature destroys and then turns around and helps repair. Will Mother Nature help us humans out of this disaster in the Gulf? We are approaching Hurricane season. Will we get a big blow to help dissolve our mess or will there not be a hurricane at all in the Gulf this year. The biggest question of all is if there is a hurricane in the Gulf this year will the winds worsen and push the destruction further up rivers? Could the winds speed up the process of coming up the East Coast?

I have only been deep sea fishing in the Gulf Stream once in my life. That green water I saw in the Gulf Stream is Natures interstate highway of the Atlantic Ocean. If this oil gets in the Gulf Steam Europe may be affected.

What will we think if we ride across a bridge and the shores of the mighty Tar River look like Tar?

We will not know how bad it can get until they stop the spill. Until then anything is possible because the end is not yet in site.

Home Opener Rained Out

Is it just me or what, can any one tell me the last time a triangle team and I am talking legion played a game in Rocky Mount during the regular season. Yes, Cary was here last year for the Eastern Championship but somehow or other no one else seems to ever get here. We must have have that Down East syndrome or something. Tonight's game against Durham has been rained out. I got the call from Joe Bell around five when it was just drizzling and that tells me Durham called and said they weren't coming. Convenient ain't it.

Next game for Post 58 is Saturday night at 7.00pm at Gryphon stadium.

N C State announced today that Chris Schaeffer the Pack's starting catcher will miss this weekend Regional as he has lingering effects from being knocked out in the ACC championship game Sunday. The pack is making that dreadful trip to Myrtle Beach while North Carolina gets to go to Beautiful Norman Oklahoma. I have not seen ESPN's TV schedule for the weekend to see if we will be able to watch either live of if we will have to use Game tracker.

There seems to be no clear answer to what kind of tournament the ACC needs to hold in baseball that will not wear out the pitching of all the teams. The best scenario that I have heard is let 5-12 play day one just like the basketball tournament. The winners then play the top four seeds in a single elimination tournament. If a top four seed makes it to the finals then they will only play three games just like any conference weekend. If any body else makes it then they will have to play four games and that is the punishment for not finishing in the top four.

What I really like about this proposal is all teams play and every thing is important for every team playing. This round robin format just doesn't cut it.

Tiger Woods will try to hold on to the #1 world ranking this weekend as he once again returns to golf. I just don't understand how the world rankings works. Tiger has one top ten finish in the in the last eight months any yet he is still number one. Both Phil and Tiger are playing in Jack's tournament The Memorial.

How bout those Atlanta Braves, they have taken over first place from the slumping Phillies. I have a good feeling about this Braves team.

Tonight is game three of the Stanley Cup. Somewhere along the way I have lost my care for this years Cup. The Hurricanes have not played in seven weeks.

Hunt Plays For Title

The Big East will try to win the State 3-A title in baseball starting Friday night at 8.00pm at Mudcat Stadium in Zebulon. The Hunt Warriors will take on East Rowan. The 3-A game will be the second game of the double header in Zebulon as the first game will feature the 1-A teams of East Wilkes and Dixon.

Friday is game one, Saturday the 1-A plays their second game at 11.00am and then game two of the 3-A title at two o'clock. If a third game is needed the 1-A will go at 5.00pm and if necessary the 3-a will go at 8.00pm for the title game. If Hunt is forced into a third game and there is no need for a third 1-A game the East Rowan and Hunt will play game three at 5.00pm.

This you may recall this is the same scenario in which Rocky Mount won the title in 2008, however that year the 3-A played at eleven and then the 4-A follow and Rocky Mount won the title in the 5.00pm game. LET"S GO HUNT win it for the conference.

Nash County American Legion Post 58 will play their first home game of the year Wednesday night at 7.00pm at Gryphon Stadium. I will be doing the PA again this year and will try to let you know tomorrow the roster of this year's team. The Legion lost a double header Sunday at Shelby after they had played in Asheboro on Saturday. Heading into Wednesday's home game they are now 2-3 but I understand head coach Hank Jones is playing everyone, 23 in all as if they are still trying out for the team and there will be a cut made by weeks end.

I have to give it to coach Jones. He don't mind riding all over the country to play anybody if that will help him prepare the team for the conference play which starts next week. Conference play determines seeding in the playoffs not your over all record, especially since they are not playing any team any where close to us. He is playing teams that he might meet in the state tournament.

Three teams from the state of North Carolina made the NCAA baseball tournament. North Carolina, State and Elon. That's right Elon not ECU, Duke or Wake but Elon. They will play in the Georgia Tech regional. State is in the Regional hosted by Coastal Carolina will play at seven Friday night and North Carolina also plays at seven but they will be in Norman Oklahoma.

The more I watch Lacrosse the more I like it. I saw a replay of Duke winning the Lacrosse championship this afternoon and I like the fast pace of Lacrosse over soccer. Sometimes in order to put the final touch on the past Duke winning the Lacrosse championship can now put to rest the Duke scandal of four years ago than rock the Duke campus, the city of Durham and the State of North Carolina. It may not have rocked the world but the news media sure did plaster it all over the world. I hope this championship can help heal the injuries the Duke players suffered four years ago from lies.

Let's Catch Up

Big weekend of sports while I was away let's see if we can catch up.

The Big East will send a conference team to the state finals for the second time this year as Hunt beat Chapel Hill in game three of the Eastern Baseball finals. They will play East Rowan this week for the state championship. They join Rocky Mount's basketball team as the other state finalist.

Pitt Community College lasted but two games in the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction Colorado. The college baseball season ended for Jim Leggett, Zack Woodley and Mike Williams Nash County players with the two losses.

Lenoir Community College lost in the JUCO World Series Div II in Enid Oklahoma. Local players Zach and Patrick Barnes along with Babe Brown finished up their seasons.

Brian Goodwin is now the only local player still playing college baseball this spring as North Carolina will be playing in the NCAA baseball playoffs. They are headed to the Oklahoma Regional. They will be joined by N C State who makes it and will be in the Coastal Carolina Regional. Sitting out a week did not hurt the Tar Heels as they made the tournament field and Boston College who lost two of three at the ACC tournament did not get in.

I don't care how far the ACC expands but any time they have a tournament they have to play it in North Carolina. Basketball just isn't a basketball tournament for the ACC unless it is played here. The football championship game has tried Atlanta and Florida but can't get anybody to go. I bet they have a record crowd next year in Charlotte. Speaking of record crowds the baseball tournament had it's biggest tournament ever. Even when they weren't playing their was a nice turnout for every game but when the only North Carolina team played and that would be N C State, the place was nearly full for everyone of their games including Sunday's first sellout in ACC history.

I did not see any sports to speak of at all this weekend. I did however see from 11.00pm until 1.30am Saturday night/Sunday morning's Wolfpack ACC tournament baseball game. If you didn't hang around until the end like I did there was a play in the championship game just like it in both games.

Saturday night a Wolfpack Runner was trying to score and a throw coming into the Virginia Tech catcher was up the third baseline and the catcher interfered with the Wolfpack runner without the ball. The Wolfpack runner was called out after he was tagged by the Gobbler catcher.

Sunday almost exactly the same thing happened and the Wolfpack catcher was called for interference. By the way the Wolfpack catcher is ok after getting out of the hospital with a concussion. Same play but two different calls.. I do think the Florida State runner should have been tossed from the game and the run was legal up to the tackle at home plate.

Hank Jones has a twenty three man American Legion squad right now and is letting everyone get their chance to make the team. It is almost like spring training. He will cut the squad later this week as conference play start next week. Legion's first home game is scheduled for Saturday.

We will catch up more Tuesday.