Pinehurst Not The Course I Remember

The next two weeks North Carolina and in particular Pinehurst is the golfing capital of the world.  You have to give the USGA credit to bring an Open to a golf course where all the USGA knows about what it is going to look like is a blue print trying to restore the old course to the way it was built in 1905.

The last time I was at Pinehurst was 1991 during the end of year championship where only the top 30 players were entered.  Then it had been remodeled and the small greens, you could hardly hold your ball on the green and if it rolled off you were in deep rough.  The old timers on tour complained that as a modern course it was an unfair course.  Please bring it back to the way Donald Ross built it.  It took 23 years to happen but as I watched ESPN's coverage it looked like the black and white photos that I have seen from 1914.

I have never played Pinehurst.  So I can only marvel at the shots made this weekend and next during the Woman's Open.  Back during the 70's when it cost $50 dollars to play the course I thought the cost for me was too high then and now when it cost 200 or more I just think it is too far to drive spend that kind of money and think if you spend the night there.  I will just be happy that maybe one of the greatest golf course in the world I live in driving distance of the course.

I will watch with pride that within the confines of Tobacco Road the Mecca of college basketball has one of the greatest golf courses in world.  I will be pulling for Phil, Webb Simpson and any golfer that has anything to do with North Carolina.

Coleman Pitt Post 58 was heading to Apex tonight for their third straight night of baseball.  I was in Raleigh and while heading toward Rocky Mount about 5pm I could see in my rear view mirror a huge cloud which hit the Triangle and Apex and the game was rained out.  As of right now no makeup date has been schedule. CP 58 has a week off now since this is Nash County School System's weekend for high school graduation no games are scheduled until next Wednesday when Garner comes back to Rocky mount.

Those of you that went Wednesday to the Garner game they are called Garner National.  Post 232 in Garner is not supporting this team so the coaches have held tryouts and are playing as an  open team.  Their next problem is they have no home field because Wake County Schools charge team 150 dollars an hour to rent any high school field.   I can assure you there is not many Legion teams east of I-85 that sell enough tickets to pay the rent much less add the umpire fees.

The old time Legion guys that support baseball are dying off and the younger guys don't care for baseball like the old timers do so as you look around the east not only are select teams taking players from Legion these new summer scholastic leagues are all so taking away players and with it a way of life in summers  past is dying in our area.

Errors And Mental Mistakes

Coleman Pitt post 58 has started conference play this week and last night against Apex CP 58 committed eight errors leading to an 8-5 lost. Tonight against Garner National who came in 7-0 Post 58 was once again was generous making five errors and it seemed Garner made them pay every time. When batting Coleman Pitt found Garner not quite as generous as they had three errors on the night. Coleman Pitt took a 1-0 lead in the first when lead off batter Linwood Jones single and reach 3rd on a throwing error. David Williams hit a sac fly to center to score the first run. The top of the third a CP 58 error lead for Garner to score three times to take the lead. CP tied the score in the bottom of 4th with a single and four base on balls. Two errors helped Garner in the fifth to score twice and lead 5-3. Christian Perry singled in the 7th and Linwood Jones double over the center fielders head to cut the lead to 5-4. Khalil Macklin opened the 8th with a grounder to short who through wild to first and Macklin stands on second with no outs. One out Macklin tried to steal 3rd but was thrown out and with it the last CP chance. Once again in the ninth an error help Garner scored twice to beat Post 58 7-4. Garner out hit CP 58 9 to 6. MJ Jones took the lost but once again defense didn't help Jones. Linwood Jones lead with two hits. He was joined by Khalil Mackin, Forest Bell,Christian Perry,Luke Mills with Post 58 hits. Thursday ColemanPitt travels to Apex. They drop to 4-2 on the year while Garner goes to 8-0. One note Adam Bayless who had a seizure on the field May 29th has elected to not continue with Legion. I know it is only game three of the NBA playoffs but when the Spurs play team ball like Tuesdsy night it is hard for anyone to beat them

Couldn't Catch It Tonight

Coleman Pitt Post 58 tasted defeat for the first time this year spotting Apex  6-0 lead after three innings and defense played a big Part with  four errors.  Showing heart CP   58 cut the lead to 6-5 but never was able to tie or take the lead finally giving up two more runs in the ninth to lose their first conference game of the season 8-5.

CP 58 out hit Apex Post 124 getting ten to only seven for Apex but when you add all the errors 8 on the night CP made a game of a game they should have lost by ten in seven innings.  Blake Helms started on the mound for Post 58.  He allowed  four hits walked two but could not over come the four errors in the first three innings.

Will Edwards took over in the fourth and pitched the last six innings giving up two runs in the ninth.  He kept P 58 in the game giving up three hits and five free passes. Four more errors came during those last six innings and Edwards seemed to always be in trouble but wiggle off the hook every time until the ninth.

Alex Yarem got the win for P124.  Henry Simpson was the only Apex player collecting two hits.
David Williams had three hits and Chase Roupe had two. Linwood Jones, Christian Perry, Ryan Williams, Griffin Parker and Kalil Macklin all had one hit.  Macklin hit a towering fly ball in the bottom of the seventh caught at the wall which could have given P58 the lead.

Post 58 is home again Wednesday night when they host Garner.

This Friday the Northern Nash football team will be hosting a Barbeque chicken dinner from 11am till 3pm. Boiled potatoes, string beans with the chicken will be sold for $7.  If you buy ten plates or more they will deliver by calling Pat Griffin at 252-813-0493

Thank Goodness Goodbye Maryland

I was pulling hard for UVA tonight as they laid  the leather to Maryland and are the only ACC  team in the College World Series as the beat Maryland 11-2.  It marks the last official activity of Maryland as an ACC member.  I am so glad the quitters will not represent the the ACC.  It would however been hard to explain if Maryland went to Omaha and won the Series and left the league giving the ACC their second all time World Series championship for the league. It would have been a hard pill to swallow having to hear that the second title ever came from a team no longer in the league.  Thank you Virginia!

The ACC sent seven teams to the NCAA tournament which is about 11 per cent of all the teams in the field.  They are one out of eight that will be in Omaha which is about 12.5 per cent which means the ACC held their own during the tournament.  They still are alive to win it all.  The key for me will be whether UVA hits the ball and scores runs.  The pitching should keep them in every game. Virginia plays their first game in the World Series Sunday at 8pm against Mississippi. Go ACC!

I'm pulling hard for the San Antonio Spurs but after two games the Heat have played better than I expected.  Even though they lost by 15 in game one the Heat was leading with under five minutes to play and then LaBron went down and out.  I don't expect to LJ to miss any more games.  Hope Tim Duncan and company can get one in Miami or they just might be in trouble.

I know TV has a lot to do wth why the NHL is down to game four of the Stanley Cup Finals and the NBA is only looking at game three on Tuesday.  Here it is almost the middle of June and a winter sport hockey and a winter sport basketball is still being played. You know both sports started their playoffs around the 20th of April and are not through yet.

Tuesday Post 58 is home as they host Apex Tuesday night.  If you want to see a good brand of baseball you need to see this team.  They begin conference play with Apex.  Coach Hank Jones wanted to play better quality teams in conference and that is why we are in the same division as the Triangle teams because if you remember last year between Ahoskie, Windsor, Edenton and Albemarle those four could hardly get enough players to play each and every game.

  Last year was once we got to the park was there enough in the other dugout to play tonight.  When we did most of the time only played seven innings and that is not helping your team prepare for the playoffs.  If Post 58 has a good record at the end of the regular season playing in this division then we will be prepared once the playoff starts a July 3rd.  Come see a fun team Tuesday Apex and
Wednesday with Garner.  We will have a good idea about this team by 11pm Wednesday night.

Chase For Triple Crown

I hope you had a chance to hear the  comments by one of the owners of the horse California Chrome. If there is ever an example of poor sportsmanship and you want to hear poor sportsmanship try to find it on the internet some where.

Those that haven't heard it he blamed horse racing as to why his horse lost the triple crown. He thinks in order to win the triple crown your horse should have to run all three of the triple crown races.  The horse that won Saturday's Belmont this is the only race of the triple crown races that the horse had entered.

I have always amagined that when I won the lottery that I would buy a thousand acres of land and put up white fences and go in  the horse business.  I would think horses are just like human athletes that they get injured.  Some horses are slower developers than others and you run them when you think
They are  ready.

California Crome 's  owner claimed his horse was tired where a fresh horse was able to win the race.  You know one of the dramatic parts of the Belmont that the Belmont is a mile and a half which is a brutal race for horses. Just maybe the race was too far for the Crome.

I know nothing about race strategy but if I was in the second lane and the race track is shorter the closer you are to the rail why then do you run your horse as if he has the fourth position.  So the owner admits his horse is tired and now your jockey runs a poor race then why do you think your horse should win

The only time I watch horse racing is the  Triple Crown races and this year I didn't watch one of them live so I didn't care too much about any of the races.  Twenty four hour a day sports TV and radio there is plenty of time to see the  race ten times.  It also leaves plenty of opportunity to hear some one who has every excuse for losing  rant and let the world know what a poor sport he is.

Moss Picked By Giants

The third year in a row a Rocky Mount High School baseball player had been drafted by a Major League Baseball team.   Benton Moss  a junior at the University of North Carolina has been drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 15th round.

According to MLB.com Moss is believed to be a relief pitcher  in his future if baseball is his future.
The junior at Carolina is on the Morehead Cain scholarship  which has sent him the the Rocky Mountains his freshman year, to Africa his sophomore year and last summer in the office of the New York Yankees.

Moss from Enfield was enrolled in the I B Program while at Rocky Mount High School and his grades at Rocky Mount were so good that several classes at Carolina he got credit for and now at the end of his junior year  he is just short of qualifying for graduation from UNC.

The big question now is will Moss sign and play pro ball this summer and go back to Carolina in the fall to finish his business degree or do the rules of the Morehead allow him to leave the scholarship early?  Regardless it is a nice situation to find yourself and I don't know of many people who wouldn't love to have his decision to make.

Great start for Coleman Pitt Post 58 as the are undefeated with four victories and a tie.  Pitching and the defense have been outstanding so far as they have given up only 16 runs in five games while the offense hasn't been bad scoring 45.

Post 58 is in a new division this season playing with the Raleigh area teams and we don't have to wait long to find out  whether this 4-0 start will hold up in the new division as they host Apex and perennial power Garner Tuesday and Wednesday night.  The two home games so far there was an outstanding crowd at the opener against Wayne County.  The crowd was good against Pitt County since the threat of rain persisted the entire game. We will find out a lot about this years Post 58 who has a double header at home Saturday at 3pm hosting Roxboro.

Ninety Degrees

I find it very funny that the NBA players Association thinks 90 degree temperatures in San Antonio's Arena was too hot to play.  Just Friday college baseball players are playing outside in upper 90 degrees in some places so what's the big deal.

I have sat in Reynolds Coliseum a many a night when it was forty outside and near a 100 inside.  I am sure the folks at Duke could attest same type conditions in Durham.  The issue is LaBron had cramps and didn't play the last five minutes.

I have no issue what ever with LaBron getting cramps and having to sit out.  Just maybe the Heat could have done a better job to protect their players with more fluids and less playing time.  Anyone who has ever in the middle of the night felt their calf cramp up and your big toe pull straight knows that LaBron had little choice about playing until relief came.

The question that I see  is how really good is Miami without LaBron? Just last week San Antonio without their all star point guard Tony Parker came from behind at the half after Parker sprained  his ankle in game six of the Western Conference finals on the road at OKC.

Then there is the six titles during Michael Jordan's run three before his first retirement and three when he came back.  None for the Bulls without him.  Can this Miami team beat anybody without LaBron?

I find it hard to sit and watch NBA basketball because of the one on one play.  I can however watch The Spurs do to the fact they play as a team.  In fact they led the league in assists this season.  If it weren't for a three point shot from the front row by Ray Allen last year in game six San Antonio would be chasing  six titles during the Tim Duncan era.

Post 58 has stayed unbeaten beating Post 39 6-3.  They are now 4-0-1 on the season. Their next action is Tuesday night at home.