Since Tebow took over for Kyle Orton as Denver’s starting quarterback, the Broncos have won 6 of 7 games. But, as any person who has cable or Internet access knows by now, Tebow is not an ordinary NFL quarterback.

In a league dominated by pocket passers, Tebow often wins with his feet. In Denver’s win over the Raiders on November 6, Tebow passed for 124 yards and ran for 118. The following week, in a victory over the Chiefs, Tebow completed only 2 passes on 8 attempts. He is 33rd in the league in passing yards; and 35th in rushing yards. (Granted, in the Broncos’ latest win, against the Vikings, Tebow threw for 202 yards—and looked good doing it—and only carried the ball 4 times.)

It will be interesting to see where Tebow’s career goes from here.

Will he go the way of so many other feet-first, college-style quarterbacks in the NFL and 1) flame out when defensive coordinators figure him out, 2) lose much of his career to injury, or 3) evolve into a traditional pocket passer?

Or will Tebow, through some combination of attitude, work-ethic, and superior conditioning prove that non-traditional quarterbacks can succeed in the NFL and that some version of the spread-option is a viable offense at the professional level?

Plenty of other athletes have been successful with unconventional styles and techniques. Some are known now as innovators, others as novelty acts, and others as athletes who found creative ways to play to their strengths but whose styles are best not imitated.

Here are 9 examples:

Adrian Carambula, beach volleyball

In most cases, the difference between serving a volleyball overhand and serving a volleyball underhand is the difference between being a real volleyball player and being someone who just wants to get a passing grade in gym class. (For the record, I serve underhand.) I mean, you would never see a world-class pro volleyball player serve underhand, right?

Not exactly. Uruguayan beach volleyball player Adrian Carambula uses a type of underhand serve called the sky ball serve in which the server launches the ball 50 or 60 feet into the air. A ball that goes 60 feet up and only about 40 feet forward will be falling in nearly a straight line as it approaches players on the other side of the net.

I used my knowledge of parabolas and Microsoft Excel to approximate the difference between a standard jump serve (orange) and a sky ball serve (purple).

The sky ball serve was popular among Brazilian players in the 1980s but fell out of style shortly thereafter. Carambula is one of the few players who still favors it. (My research suggests that only a single paragraph ever has been written about the sky ball serve, and it has been cut and pasted to several hundred websites. It may have originated on Wikipedia.)

At the moment Carambula is ranked only 178 in the world and his career earnings are only $18,450. But he is only 23 and has four AVP Young Guns tournaments, each with a different partner. Here he is in action:

Monica Seles, tennis

In 1990 Monica Seles became the youngest player to win the French Open. The following year, at age 18, she became the world’s top-ranked player. Seles won 9 Grand Slam singles titles during her career. She ranks among the great women’s tennis players of all time. Had she not been stabbed by a deranged fan in 1993, she might be the conversation for greatest of all time.

But unlike other tennis greats, Seles hits with a two-handed forehand. There is nothing unusual about a two-handed backhand, but elite players who grip the racket with two hands on both sides of the ball are rare. The two-handed grip shortens a player’s reach. But in Seles’s case, according to OnTennis.com, “[She] manages to compensate for the shorter reach by being able to hit balls much harder, with more top-spin, allowing her to hit sharper angles.”

Seles learned her technique from her father and coach, Károly Szeles. While it hasn’t been widely imitated, France’s Marion Bartoli also adopted the style at the urging of her father-coach. Bartoli, who has a funky-looking serve to complement her funky forehand, two-handed her way to the 2007 Wimbledon final and the 2011 semis at Roland-Garros.

Here’s Seles against Steffi Graf in the 1990 French Open:

Shunsuke Watanabe, baseball

The “submarine” style of pitching, in which a pitcher releases the ball underhand and low to the ground, has been around for decades, perhaps originating with 1960s journeyman pitcher Ted Abernathy. But Shunsuke Watanabe, who plays for the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Japanese Pacific League, has taken submarine pitching to another, even lower, level.

Watanabe gets so low that he has a knee pad sewn into his right pant leg. He nearly drags his knuckles through the dirt on each pitch and releases the ball only a couple inches off the ground.

Watanabe adopted the extreme submarine style when he was in middle school because it suited his slight, limber build and because he lacked the size and arm strength to make the team as a traditional pitcher. Perfecting the low-release pitch not only earned Watanabe a spot on his middle school baseball team; it also earned him a place on Japan’s 2006 World Baseball Classic roster.

Jim Furyk, golf

Jim Furyk is known for his 16 PGA tour wins, including a victory at the 2003 U.S. Open. He’s also known for his unusual looping swing. Rather than embarrass myself by trying to write about golf, I’ll let Furyk explain his swing in his own words:

Mike Barrowman and Amanda Beard, breaststroke

In the mid 1980s FINA (that’s Fédération Internationale de Natation, international swimming’s governing body) changed the rules for the breaststroke, allowing body parts other than the head to break the surface of the water and allowing the head to sink beneath the surface. American Mike Barrowman took advantage of the rule changes, eschewing the traditional “flat style” of breaststroke, and pioneering the “wave style” of breaststroke. With the wave style, a swimmer throws his or her arms and upper body forward, over the water, then kicks with his or her head submerged, reducing resistance.

Barrowman set the 200 breaststroke world record in 1989 using the wave style. By the time he won the event at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, everyone was doing it (though not all were doing it well):

Amanda Beard—who has won gold (2004), silver (1996), and bronze (2000) medals in the 200 breaststroke, along with a silver in the 100 (1996)—swims neither the wave style nor the flat style. She swims the “undulating style,” which appears to mimic the movements of snake-like sea creatures.

While many athletes adopt unconventional styles to conceal their weaknesses, Beard was playing to her strengths. Only flexible (and usually young) female swimmers are capable of swimming the undulating style.

Rick Barry, basketball

Rick Barry was named to 5 All-NBA First Teams and 4 All-ABA First Teams. He won a title in both leagues. He was selected to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team. And he shoots his free throws granny-style, like Ollie from Hoosiers.

Barry argues that, when shooting underhand, the body is in a more natural, relaxed posture. This gives the underhanded free-throw shooter an advantage late in games when fatigue sets in.

Though Barry continues to be an advocate for the underhand foul shot, the style never caught on, not even among the Barry sons, Jon, Brent, and Drew (and Scooter, who never played in the NBA). But the shot worked for Rick, who hit 90 percent of his free throws and ranks 3rd all-time in free-throw percentage.

Jason Belmonte, bowling

Most people stop bowling with two hands when they are strong enough to roll the ball with one. And the overwhelming number of two-handed bowlers in the world today also use bumpers.

Australian Jason Belmonte started bowling as a toddler. And he never stopped bowling with two hands. But Belmonte’s form is much more sophisticated than that of the 4-year-old who can hardly lift an 8-point ball. His two-handed shovel technique puts more spin on the ball than more traditional styles, which is good for pin-action.

Belmonte was the 2008-09 PBA Rookie of the Year and claimed the 2010 Korea Cup title. In this segment from E:60, Jeremy Schaap makes Belmonte’s story seem much more dramatic than it actually is.

Dick Fosbury, high jump

In early high jump competitions, which date back to the 19th century, jumpers used the scissors technique, clearing the bar first with their inside leg then swinging the other leg over the bar. In time jumpers learned to turn their bodies sideways, rolling over the bar.

Dick Fosbury had a style all his own. He turned, going over the bar back first and flopping onto the mat. Fosbury developed the style, which earned the derogatory name “the Fosbury Flop,” in high school and finished second in the Oregon state meet his senior year. But many in the track-and-field world mocked Fosbury’s technique or dismissed it as a gimmick, and colleges weren’t interested in the young innovator. Only Oregon State, a program desperate for a high jumper, took a chance on Fosbury. In 1968, as a junior, he flopped his way to an NCAA title.

Fosbury achieved worldwide celebrity when he used his flop to set an Olympic record and win a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Within a decade, the once derided Fosbury Flop had become the dominant high-jumping technique.

Once Pujols started to tell the press he was open to looking at other options besides the St. Louis Cardinals I knew, in the back of my head, that Pujols was going to go against the words he spoke not that long ago.

“It’s not about the money every time. It’s about your family, uh you know, I’ve been blessed with $100 million which is more than what I deserve. It’s about being in the best city to play sports, you know not just baseball, sports at all. Our fans are the best.“

In a sports world filled with greed and fights over a couple more million dollars, Pujols stood out as the beacon of hope against greed and as loyalty to a team.

Or so we thought.

I am a Cubs fans who has been tortured by Pujols over the years. Yet a part of me still hoped to see him show loyalty to a city and fans who are some of, if not the, best fans in the country.

I’ve been to St. Louis, and I’ve been to a Cardinals game, and I can assure you that every day there’s a Cardinal’s game there is barely anyone without a Cardinals jersey on. The city lives and breathes baseball.

They love their players and are the reason why the players get to play in the first place. The fans pay for the tickets. The fans pay for the merchandise. Without fans to watch the sport, the sport doesn’t exist or thrive.

Has loyalty in sports become extinct?

I think it has.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a talented player taking a pay cut to stay with a certain team. Though I assume some have taken cuts to stay with the team they love, it surely doesn’t seem like it happens more than a player who leaves for the team who pays more.

I understand that what Pujols did was completely justifiable in business terms. A lot of people, if given the choice, would take a higher paying job than they already have, but that doesn’t make it right.

For some reason I still believed there was morals and loyalty in today’s athletes. It doesn’t seem like that’s the case. Call me naive, or call me an idealist. I don’t care.

This kind of betrayal and acts of hypocrisy is not right and should not be defended by anyone.

Please, whatever you do, do not raise your child as a Chicago Cubs fan.

I was raised a Cubs fan since the day I could watch baseball. Some of my favorite memories are watching the Cubs with my dad in our living room.

I was still young at that point, and I didn’t totally understand how much the Cubs sucked and have sucked for 100+ years now.

Initially, being a Cubs fan brought me joy and a sense of pride; but as I got older, especially after the 2003 playoff debacle, I began to see the Cubs as they truly were and are: losers.

But as true fans do, I stuck with them.

Worst decision of my life.

Since 2003 the Cubs have made the playoffs twice (2007 and 2008), and during those stints they failed to win a single game, allowing themselves to be swept in the first round both years. These losses were worse because just 2-3 years prior the White Sox had won the World Series with virtually a no-name team and one of the craziest managers I’ve seen in my life.

Since then, every time the Cubs, or any other Chicago team, goes on a hot streak or fans become excited and think the team is going to start playing well, I don’t join in on the excitement.

I don’t get excited when Sports Illustrated or ESPN predicts that the Cubs or Bears will have a good season; I laugh because I can’t think of anything more stupid to write or believe.

I am not a cynical fan, just one that has become so accustomed to the losing nature of the Cubs that I’ve lost total faith in the franchise.

So parents, please don’t do this your kids.

But if you must, I recommend you sharing this Pearl Jam song to them to calm their inevitable sadness.

New Astros owner Jim Crane during yesterday's press conference. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The Astros will have the distinction of being the only team to move from the National League to the American League. They will be one of only two teams to play in both leagues. The other is the Milwaukee Brewers, who jumped from the American League to the National League in 1998.

The purpose of the Brewers’ move was to ensure that both leagues had an even number of teams. When the Devil Rays joined the American League and the Diamondbacks the National, both leagues had 15 teams. In a 15-team league, on any given day of the season, one team would have to be idle or play an inter-league game. Such an arrangement wasn’t acceptable in 1998, so the Brewers made the switch (after the Royals decided they didn’t want to).

Apparently, Major League Baseball has overcome its aversion to season-long inter-league play—or has decided that league symmetry is more important. And now the Astros get to use a designated hitter.

Interleague Realignment Before 1900

The realignment that sent the Brewers to the National League in 1998 was the first inter-league realignment since the American League was established in 1901. Prior to that time, jumping from one major league to another wasn’t uncommon. Four of the 8 teams that comprised the National League’s roster from 1900 until 1952 joined the National League from the American Association.

The American Association (not to be confused with any minor league that has since used the name) was a major league established in 1882. Between 1887 and 1892 8 American Association teams—including 5 charter members—moved to the National League. The AA had major league talent and, from 1884 through 1890, its champion met the National League champion in an early version of the World Series. But the National League was older, better established, and more financially secure. And if the Senior Circuit wanted an AA team, it was in that team’s interest to switch leagues.

The Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1887 were the first AA team to leave for the National League. The Alleghenys, who became the Pirates in 1891, are the team that we today associate with Roberto Clemente, “We Are Family,” and 19 consecutive losing seasons. Two years later the AA’s Cleveland Spiders joined the National League. The Spiders had a couple nice years in their new league but folded after their disastrous 20-134 1899 season.

League Park, home of the Cleveland Spiders

In 1890 the National League acquired two more AA franchises, both of which still live today: the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Grays, who would eventually become the Dodgers.

The loss of the Alleghenys, Spiders, Reds, and Grays was one of the main causes (perhaps the main cause) of the league’s demise.

League-switching today happens with the approval of owners in both leagues. There is nothing hostile about it. For all intents and purposes, the American and National Leagues today are two conferences in one 30-team league. They share a commissioner, a players’ union, a draft, and a collective bargaining agreement. In the late nineteenth century, when the major leagues were autonomous, poaching a franchise from a rival league was a way of weakening the competition. (It was similar to what is going on with conference realignment in major college sports today.)

The American Association folded in 1891, but not before absorbing two squads—the Boston Reds and the Philadelphia Athletics—from the short-lived Players’ League (which is also recognized as a major league). Both of those teams died with the American Association, and there is no connection between the AA Philadelphia Athletics and the American League Athletics team that started in Philly and currently plays in Oakland.

In December 1891 the National League announced at its winter meeting in Indianapolis that it would absorb four more AA franchises: the Baltimore Orioles, Louisville Colonels, St. Louis Browns, and Washington Senators. Three of the four share names with later American League teams, but there is no connection between these AA/National League teams and their namesakes. (The American League St. Louis Browns and Baltimore Orioles are actually the same franchise.) Three of the 4 1892 additions folded in 1899, along with the Spiders. Only the Browns survived. They would later become the Cardinals. For much of the 1890s, the National League had a monopoly on major league baseball.

League-jumping actually predates the defection of the Alleghenys and other American Association teams. The Union League, yet another short-lived major league from the 19th century, played a single season before disbanding in 1884. The Union League champion St. Louis Maroons joined the National League the following season. In 1887 the Maroons moved to Indianapolis and became the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers played three seasons before folding.

The 1888 Indianapolis Hoosiers

Three teams have the distinction of winning pennants in two different major leagues. Last month the Brewers nearly became a fourth.

• The Cincinnati Reds won an American Association pennant in 1882. They won National League pennants in 1919, 1939, 1940, 1961, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, and 1990.
• The St. Louis Browns/Cardinals won American Association pennants in 1885, 1886, 1887, and 1888. They won National League pennants in 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1982, 1985, 1987, 2004, 2006, and 2011.
• The Boston Reds won a Players’ League pennant in 1890 and an American Association pennant in 1891.

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Josh Tinley is the author of Kneeling in the End Zone: Spiritual Lessons From the World of Sports. Follow him at twitter.com/joshtinley or send him an e-mail.

I, upon hearing the news, had no real strong opinions. I read both sides of the argument, but I still found myself without a real opinion on the subject. I don’t really care what Epstein did with Boston. I don’t care to hear about his success stories. I don’t even care to hear about his failures in Boston.

All I care about is seeing my Cubs team start winning and becoming a serious threat in the MLB.

I don’t care how it’s done as long as I see some actual progress. I am not expecting a turnaround immediately, but what I do want is a sign of stability and improvement the next few years. I think the majority of Cub fans would agree with me.

For a few years the Cubs did have a strong lineup on paper. But there’s always something prohibiting the Cubs from ever really making that extra step into being a consistent team that can win each season.

I’ll be honest and tell you that I rarely watched a full Cubs’ game last season. There wasn’t much to watch anyway. A team that goes 71-91 this season, hasn’t won a single playoff game in the last two visits to the playoffs, and hasn’t won a World Series since 1908 doesn’t deserve to have 30,000 fans in the stadium or their games shown on TV.

Harsh? Maybe. But there’s really no hiding the embarrassment that you feel once someone asks you who your favorite baseball team, and you answer “the Cubs.” I could stop calling myself a Cubs fan, but I’ve been raised as one since childbirth and no matter if I like it or not, the team will always have a special spot in my heart.

The release of Hendry and signing of Epstein has rekindled interest in this Cubs team.

It could just be false hope, but I do really want to like Epstein. I am hopeful (as all Cub fans are) that a change of face will be good. I know the Cubs have more problems than just the GM position, but I knew the Cubs were never going to win the World Series with Hendry at the reins.

I am not asking for a World Series. All I am asking for is a reason to be proud for being a Cubs fan.

Here is a list of some of the funniest bloopers in major league baseball history.

10. Randy Johnson kills a poor, defenseless dove with 95 MPH fastball.

On March 24, 2001, while pitching in a spring training exhibition game for the Arizona Diamondbacks, pitcher Randy Johnson went into his windup and delivered a 95 MPH fastball.

The problem was, it never actually made the plate. A dove soared into the path of the ball and was literally disintegrated in mid-air. The dove landed to the ground in a flurry of feathers, and the umpire called “no pitch.”

9. Florida Marlins Grounds Crew Has Adventure in Driving Rain

The Florida Marlins were hosting a game at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami (or whatever other of the 2,468 names that park has had in its existence). During the game, a driving rain literally drove the game to a complete halt, requiring the stadium grounds crew to then quickly cover the field.

There was just one slight problem—the grounds crew started unrolling the tarp in right field, and when it was fully unveiled, never even covered the infield.

It took the crew a full 19 minutes to figure out how to “stretch” the tarp.

8. Bill Buckner Will Probably Never Live This Blunder Down

Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner was an excellent player throughout his 22-year career, collecting over 2,700 hits and compiling a lifetime .289 batting average. However, one particular play on the night of October 25, 1986 landed Buckner in the Hall of Shame.

The ball that trickled through Buckner’s legs was not the sole event that lost Game Six of the 1986 World Series for the Red Sox, but it was final play of a bizarre string of events, labeling Buckner as a goat for the rest of his life, unfairly or not.

7. Robin Ventura Gets a Beatdown Courtesy of Nolan Ryan

In the 1993 season, power pitcher Nolan Ryan was in the twilight of his outstanding 27-year career, already having announced his retirement before the season began.

On Aug. 4, facing the Chicago White Sox, Ryan decided to go high and tight against hitter Robin Ventura. Ventura objected to what he thought was an obvious intrusion into his private space, and made his own decision—rush the old man.

Problem was, the old man could still handle himself pretty well in a scrape, getting the much younger Ventura into a headlock quickly and pummeling him with his right hand.

Think Ventura wanted a re-do on that decision?

6. Outfielder Nyjer Morgan Throws Hissy Fit and Allows Inside-the-Park Home Run

When the Washington Nationals played an interleague game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 22, 2010, O’s center fielder Adam Jones was given a very early Christmas gift, courtesy of Nats’ center fielder Nyjer Morgan.

On a deep drive hit by Jones to center field, Morgan went back on the ball and leaped at the wall to make the catch, failing to come down with the ball. In his anger at his inability to keep the ball in his glove, Morgan threw his glove down in complete disgust and walked away.

Jones, seeing the hissy fit thrown by Morgan, just kept on running, and by the time Nationals left fielder Josh Willingham finally retrieved the ball, Jones had scored behind two other runners for a three-run inside the park home run.

The play was the deciding factor in the O’s 7-6 victory, and Morgan was shipped off to the Milwaukee Brewers just over a month later.

Update: Morgan was actually acquired by the Brewers in March of 2011. Thanks to the commenters who pointed this oversight out, which should have been caught by the editor.

5. Ryan Raburn Allows Home Run off His Glove From Warning Track

On April 26, 2011, Detroit Tigers left fielder Ryan Raburn turned what should have been a Miguel Olivo flyout into an improbable home run.

There have been quite a few players in baseball history who have knocked the ball over the fence trying to catch a ball, but Raburn may just be the first one to it from the beginning of the warning track.

4. Manny Ramirez Performs Perfect Pirouette on Throw from Johnny Damon

The “Manny Being Manny” act played well for a few years before his suspected PED use and other issues finally took their toll, but on one particular night, Boston Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez wowed the crowd, and the internet world, with an unbelievable sight.

Manny decided to act as an outfield cut-off man for center fielder Johnny Damon. While it’s certainly true that Damon was never blessed with a strong throwing arm, Manny really didn’t need to cut off a throw from just 50 feet away.

But hey, it’s Manny being Manny.

3. Roger Clemens Acts Like a Wuss in Game 2 of 2000 World Series

Roger Clemens has certainly been accused of a lot of things over the years—in fact he’s currently accused of perjury, for which he’ll try to weasel out of….er… defend himself in a second trial next April.

However, in Game 2 of the 2000 World Series against the New York Mets, Clemens decided to whip the fat end of a broken bat at the feet of Mike Piazza—and then later claim it was all a big misunderstanding.

2. Steve Lyons Shows off Legs and a Bit More in Front of National Audience

On August 13, 1990 Chicago White Sox utility player Steve Lyons, who was already known for being just a bit off-kilter at times, bunted down the first base line and just barely beat the throw to the bag on a head-first slide.

After getting up, Lyons decided to do a little bit more than just dust himself off. Lyons forever became for being the first ballplayer in history to drop trow during a game.

1. Jose Canseco Finally Learns How to Use His Head

On May 26, 1993, while playing right field for the Texas Rangers, Jose Canseco started chasing after a ball hit deep to right-center field off the bat of Cleveland Indians designated hitter Carlos Martinez.

What happened next turned into the most viewed blooper in MLB sports history.

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Jeff Herbst (born and raised in the Midwest) has had a passion for sports ever since he could first walk. He works with Phoenix Bats, a company that creates world-class wood baseball bats such as their signature fungo bats for amateur and professional ball players around the world.

(And the only thing you need to know about 11Points.com to know it’s a cool site is that they have the immortal Jay Sherman featured prominently right under their header imploring people to buy their book.)

Out of the 11 photos, this is the one I found to be the most entertaining:

I’d make a Chien-Ming Wang joke, but that would be inappropriate. (Because, of course, he was born in Taiwan.)

Predictably, two out of the 11 photos make fun of A-Rod, baseball’s easiest punchline (with one of those photos including an appropriate Chien-Ming Wang joke). And then there is the photo below, which may just be the most inexplicable baseball card of all time.

Yes, that is future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, getting ready to either kick of hump a pole. Let’s all just assume it was the former and move along.

Check out all 11 accidentally dirty baseball photos here.

When I was in high school, I liked a certain type of girl.  It worked for me in high school, and I had a lot of fun, but as I grew older, I grew to appreciate other qualities.

I don’t need to spend time bashing the girls I dated in high school.  I DEFINITELY don’t need to start making up “facts” that support why I am now a better person either.  I just need to be honest and say that, quite simply, I changed.

Baseball bashers think differently.

On sports television, radio, and everywhere, talking heads bemoan the “idea” that baseball is just TOO long to watch.

Of course, they completely ignore the FACT that football games, on average, last almost a half-hour longer than baseball games.

Mike and Mike whined all morning that the game started too late…about how terrible baseball umpires are…they don’t call strikes…it makes the game too long; the game last night lasted for 3 hours and 14 minutes.

Of course, they were probably watching a game between the Colts and Bucs last night that started LATER, lasted LONGER, and featured several official replays that bogged the game down worse than any bad ball or strike call ever could.

Here is a fact: the length of the game doesn’t matter even one iota to Americans.  Anyone that loves football and claims to like it more because baseball games are too long is lying to himself, and everyone around him.

Full disclosure: when I was a little kid, baseball was my favorite sport.  I lived and breathed it.  I read record and fact books constantly.  I played it exclusively.  I watched it incessantly.

Then I discovered basketball.  Baseball took a back seat.  And as soon as I understood football, baseball was bringing in the bronze.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  The beauty of America is that we have the freedom of choice when it comes to our options for recreation.

I love the beauty of basketball when it is played correctly – a complete team playing together on both sides of the ball.  I love the excitement of football – some of the best athletes in the world basically squaring off and deciding who is the stronger man.

And I still like baseball – a game with a beautiful mixture of power and finesse, teamwork and individual excellence, and so much more.

But let’s just be honest with ourselves.  Football is more ideal for today’s world.  8 seconds of action (tops), 30 seconds to recover.  Could you think of anything better for our tiny attention spans these days?

America likes football because it caters to us.  It’s forced down our throats every day on SportsCenter, the radio, and on the internet.  Even my WIFE knows that Peyton Manning is hurt.

America likes football because you can watch it without thinking.  We are spectators in the coliseum, watching our gladiators mindlessly and amazingly beat each other down.

Even though attendance for baseball is incredible, the fact is that much of America doesn’t have time for baseball anymore.  It forces us to sit down, in silence for a few hours, and pay attention to subtle details.  Most Americans aren’t comfortable enough with themselves to sit down in silence for a few hours – period.

Let’s just be honest with ourselves.

Little kids prefer football to baseball because we feed it to them.  We created a game that they could tune in to for five seconds at a time.  We added some violence in there just for fun.

Basically, we have given them the greatest video game ever that they don’t even have to play.

When I was a kid, I enjoyed going to Chucky Cheese.  Today, I hate the place.  Does that mean that the pizza party place has changed?  No.  I have changed.

It gives me no right to bash the restaurant.  I don’t need to make excuses for it.

Baseball hasn’t changed one bit.  America has.

Case closed.  “Mystery” solved.

So let’s end the baseball bashing and stop the hypocrisy.

What a great, great night of baseball. Wow.

And for the record, my favorite part was the ending.

Sure, Shaughnessey was just saying what everyone else was thinking, but when your franchise has a history of curses and jinxes…you think it, don’t say it!

But don’t worry…his wife lets him know how she feels about it.

I have a feeling it’s going to be a rough few days for this poor guy. And the worst part? He didn’t even catch the fly ball. Just a bad few minutes for him all around. (But at least he’ll go viral!)

One team rarely mentioned in the discussion: The Detroit Tigers.

Because they aren’t as flashy as the other top teams, they haven’t received the same fanfare. Only now, when they’ve won 11 straight games, are they starting to get our attention. A closer look, however, suggests we should’ve been heralding the Tigers as a World Series sleeper for a while now.

Here are five reasons why the Detroit Tigers just might win it all this year.

1. Justin Verlander. And Justin Verlander three times in a seven-game series.

Sports Illustrated put it best when it called Verlander  “The Red Sox’ and Yankees’ worst October nightmare.”

Verlander has been epically dominant this season, not just Cy Young-award dominant, but Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson dominant. He’s been a throwback to aces of yesteryear, tossing a no-hitter and flirting with multiple others this year, and constantly going deep in games. On average, he lasts 7 1/3 innings per start.

He leads the American League in wins, ERA, strikeouts and innings. He’s 11-1 since the All-Star Break. He’s 10-3 at home but 13-2 on the road. Any way you look at it, he’s an unstoppable freight train. Theoretically, he can pitch twice in a five-game series and three times in a seven-game series. The way Verlander has pitched this season, that’s almost two to three guaranteed victories for the Tigers.

Verlander is such a difference maker that he alone puts the Tigers in the World Series discussion.

2. Jose Valverde.

Lost in the hoopla surrounding Verlander’s amazing year: Jose Valverde has saved 43 straight games. He’s provided type of reliability you want from your closer come October, not to mention an absolute bulldog mentality on the mound.

3. Venezuela.

The nation of Venezuela has contributed significantly to Detroit’s success. First off, it gave the Tigers Miguel Cabrera. The career .315 hitter is on the verge of his eight straight seasons with at least 26 homers, at least 100 RBI and at least a .292 average. If he weren’t so overshadowed by Albert Pujols, we’d be heralding Miggy’s start as the greatest opening stretch of a righthanded hitter’s career in the modern era.

Cabrera is underappreciated across baseball but not in the Motor City. He’s been a rock in the heart of Detroit’s order four straight seasons now.

Venezuela wasn’t finished with Cabrera. It produced Victor Martinez, a man whose arrival has boosted the Tigers as much as anything this season.

It isn’t just the usual All-Star caliber hitting (.324, 11 HR, 94 RBI this season) that V-Mart brings to the table. He’s mentored young Alex Avila and helped turn him into an All-Star catcher. Valverde credits Martinez’s advice for the re-emergence of his two-seam fastball.

Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen are well past their respective primes but they’re still professional hitter types who come through in the clutch. They hail from – you guessed it – Venezuela.

4. Lineup depth for the first time in years.

Entering the 2011 season, Tiger detractors wondered, “Who will contribute on this time aside from Verlander, Cabrera and Martinez? Detroit had the best high-end star power in the American League Central but also had the shallowest talent pool in many people’s eyes.

The Tigers have silenced their critics this year by showcasing great lineup depth. Few people saw Avila’s breakout season coming. Few of us expected Jhonny Peralta to have his best season after he hit .253 as a Tiger last year. And when did Brennan Boesch decide he was far more than a bench player?

Better yet, the Tigers didn’t rest on their laurels. They kept adding talent throughout the season, including utility man Wilson Betemit, talented Twins castoff Delmon Young and starting pitcher Doug Fister. More on the latter below.

5. Secondary pitching (maybe).

Of all the factors making Tiger fans hope for the best, secondary starting pitching is the shakiest. In reality, it could be the team’s undoing.

However, in theory, at least one of Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, Brad Penny and Doug Fister should step up in the playoffs. With Verlander pitching so well, it may only take one other guy to give Detroit the pitching it needs.

Fister looks most likely, having gone 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA as a Tiger. But Scherzer’s talent and Penny’s experience make them possible playoff redemption stories, too.

The Tigers may not be in the same class as the juggernauts but they’re much closer to the elite than many people realize. October should be interesting.

Zambrano apparently told club staff that he was retiring after the ejection. Sadly, two hours later, Zambrano’s agent made it clear that his client was not going to retire; instead, the Cubs put Zambrano on the disqualified list for 30 days.

Cubs general manager, Jim Hendry, said that it was the harshest punishment without actually releasing Zambrano. My question is: Why didn’t Hendry release Zambrano?

Zambrano has a history of being a loud-mouth, arrogant, and I’d say a very narcissistic player who has had some good years but who will no doubt be remembered as an overrated baseball player. It’s not that this day comes as a surprise to any Cubs fan. Zambrano had been trekking on a slow but sure mental downfall. It amazes me how an orphan-adopting and church-building person off the field can be become such a menace on the field.

There are a handful of players in every major league sport that act like this, but they still somehow get jobs from teams. The Cubs are one of these teams. In addition to Zambrano, they signed Milton Bradley, a player known to almost always start controversy, after he had a few good years. We all know how that ended.

What these guys (and most players who fall into this category) have in common is talent plus one or a few good seasons, and because of this teams are willing to take the risk.

I always found that to be disgusting.

Does anyone or any team in sports have dignity anymore? I can understand that teams want to win, but thinking these players will change usually causes more problems than anything. Thinking guys like this can help solve the team’s problems long-term is really asinine.

I totally believe in giving people second chances, but there comes a point where you must draw a line.

You would think the Cubs are already embarrassed enough to have not won a World Series in 103 years that they would think twice before signing players who have a knack of embarrassing the teams they play for. While Zambrano started off very strong in his early seasons, he slowly progressed into a completely unstable baseball player. This incident was nothing new. Things like this have been happening for a few years now, and it’s finally coming back to bite the Cubs in the ass.

It’s time release Zambrano and eat his $19 million salary. It could be the beginning of a much-needed clean-up, one that is imperative if the Cubs ever want to win a World Series again.

Oh the Twitter feeds. Everyone was rejoicing the lockout’s end. I’m sure President Obama is already planning to make July 25th a National holiday. And then I saw a tweet that caught my eye. It said “Football’s back. Can’t wait for fall to come.”

Whoooooaaaa. Excuse me, are you serious?!

I started to notice many tweets with a similar message. All saying they can’t wait for football season and for their team to kick butt this season. Don’t get me wrong: I love football just as much, if not more, than the next die-hard fan. But why are people wishing away the summer? This is something I’m not ok with, and I’m starting think many football fans are getting ahead of themselves.

Now I’m not saying people need to dismiss the preparation for the 2011 football season. But wishing away summer just to get to football season is foolish. I have three reasons why.

Reason 1: America’s Pastime

Yes, baseball is my reason. And for those of you who are quick to reassure yourselves that your football obsession is acceptable because you don’t have a baseball team, remember that I used to be just like you. But I realized that I couldn’t go an entire off season with only the lockout to talk about. Plus there’s lots of excitement going on in baseball right now.

If you’re a Cleveland Browns fan, are you really going to focus your attention on football when the Indians are near the top of the AL Central? How about Detroit fans? Sure, everyone expects the Lions to improve this year but check out the Tigers–leading the AL Central! In the NL Central the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers are back-and-forth in their fight for first. Fans need to enjoy this while they can.

I picked up baseball this year, and I’m following the Twins. You might wonder why I CAN wait to move on from baseball, but I have come to appreciate baseball for more than the success of a team, even if it’s more fun when the Twins win.

How can you not love the excitement of a ball game with your friends? I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t enjoy going to a baseball game. Beer, hot dogs and brats, rowdy fans, summer sun…what an awesome way to hang out with friends. Haven’t been to a game? Try it. I dare you.

Reason 2: Football will be sloppy anyway

An entire offseason is going to be squeezed into a few days to get teams prepared for the preseason. Certainly during the preseason, and maybe even into the regular season, the NFL will be sloppy. Perhaps not all of the team will be, but enough for it to show.

Here’s why:

The teams have had no practices. Sure, a few have had unofficial “team workouts” but they haven’t had real practice time. Another reason: the rookies have not had a chance to dip their toes into the professional world, and many coaches are still wondering exactly how they can maximize their unproven talent.

It’s going to be a rocky start for many teams. Getting overly excited for the beginning of the season will only leave you disappointed as your favorite team struggles to get their game face on.

Reason 3: After Fall comes Winter

Anyone who lives in the Midwest can understand this concept. Trust me, I haven’t forgotten what it feels like to shovel a path through 5 feet of snow or bundle up before heading out in the below zero temps. That is why I enjoy every bit of sun I can get. A heat index of 110? Bring it on. Besides, jet skiing, boating, campfires and fireworks are a few of my favorite summer things.

You really want winter to come so quickly???

All I ask of the football fans is to not wish away summer. It’s already going by fast. Enjoy what’s going on around you now. Football will be here soon. Enjoy your summer first!

As I often do when reading about baseball players, Hall of Famers in particular, I immediately decided to check out Wade Boggs’ Baseball Reference page. I love looking at the stats of old-time players in a perpetual personal process of putting everyone in the proper historical context in my own mind.

For some reason today something jumped out at me about Boggs’ stats that never had before the other times I’ve visited his Baseball Ref page (and, yes, there have been other times). What jumped out at me was the number 24, as in the 24 home runs that Boggs hit in 1987. Certainly this does not sound like a lot for a guy in the Hall of Fame, but it does when you look at the rest of the Boggs’ season totals and realize his next highest total was 11;  and never in the four years before or after his 24 home run season did Boggs ever hit more than 8.

Think about this in the context of today: in 1987, coming off of a season in which he hit 8 home runs, Wade Boggs slugged 24 long ones, or three times as many. Think a jump like that might arouse a little water cooler PED discussion in 2011? Ask Jose Bautista. Yet I’ve never heard Boggs’ name bandied about with righteous indignation by doubters of his preposterous (by his own standards) 1987 explosion.

No, Boggs isn’t…Brady Anderson.

For shits and giggles, I decided to look at the years surrounding Brady Anderson’s infamous 50-home run season – which no one believes was legitimate, right? – and see just how drastic a jump he made. What I found surprised me.

In 1996, Brady Anderson’s 50 home runs were 322% increase over his average season during the previous four years. In the four seasons after 1996, Anderson maintained a little bit more of the power than he had before, so his 50 home runs were only a 253% increase. Still, his 50 home run season rightfully jumps right out when you look at his career log and is an oft-cited, highly suspicious anomaly.

But look at Boggs! When he hit 24 dingers in 1987 it was a 355% increase over his established average from the previous four seasons. And Boggs actually showed less power after his monstrous 1987 season, averaging just 5.5 home runs per season after that, making his 1987 total 436% greater than the four years that succeeded it.

As much as I love looking at baseball statistics, and as much as I was caught up in the Steroid Era, and the numbers, and intrigued by crazy jumps in production, I’m surprised that Boggs’ 1987 season had never grabbed my attention before.

Now, let me stop right here and state something for the record: I am not (NOT NOT NOT) insinuating that Wade Boggs took steroids. I’m not saying that at all. It would be a ridiculous assertion. I merely find it interesting that while Brady Anderson’s 1996 season is always held up as one of the iconic steroid-fueled seasons in MLB history, I’ve never even heard a whisper about a season like Boggs’ 1987 jump, which actually featured a more pronounced jump than Anderson’s, unbeknowst to me before today.

And when I say I find it interesting, that’s it. I’m not trying to insinuate anything. It’s just interesting to me because I didn’t realize it, and in some ways it’s more interesting regarding Anderson than it is Boggs. For whatever reason, I had it in my head that Anderson’s gargantuan jump was the gold standard of HR jumps, as if the seasons surrounding his 50 were more like Boggs’ and less like Anderson’s solid though unspectacular HR production, which I had forgotten about.

Veiwing Boggs’ 1987 season through the context of today, I did get curious to see what was written online about it, and in the course of looking that up I learned something else new about baseball history that I either never knew or had forgotten about.

This thread at baseball-fever.com discusses how Boggs’ big jump in home runs in 1987 was actually part of a league-wide bump in power due to what was “generally accepted” as “an extra tightly wound batch of balls throughout the majors.” Apparently this batch of balls was used up 2/3s of the way through the season, so home run production tapered off in August and September, but not before a host of well-known sluggers could accumulate enough tightly-wound dingers to set career highs. (Sure enough, Boggs had 17 home runs by game 87 in 1987. He would hit just 7 more the rest of the way.)

So the explanation for Boggs’ home run surge seems pretty clear. I’m just surprised that I’d never heard about this batch of extra tightly wound balls before (or that I’d forgotten about it. I’m getting old.) Boggs’ home run binge and the probability of tightly wound balls make even more sense when you look at the individual home run jumps that were seen around the league, as explained by Calif_Eagle in a message in the thread that breaks down the league leaders:

On the NL side in 1987:

• For Dawson (49) a career high by 17 HR,
• For Murphy (44) a career high by 7,
• For the Straw, a new career high of 39, would tie this CH in 1988 with 39 again.
• For Eric Davis (37) a career high by 3.
• For HoJo (36) 2 off his career high of 38 in 1991 which would lead the league.
• Jack Clark (35) career high by 7.
• Will Clark (35) career high by 6.
• Mike Schmidt (35) below his career high by 13, but this was his final season over 30, or even over 20; HR ever. Schmidt would hit only 18 more over the next 2 seasons before hanging them up for the last time.
• McReynolds (29) career high by 2.
• Samuel (28), career high by 9.
• Of the 10 leading 1987 NL HR hitters, 7 career highs and 1 career high tie. Only Mike Schmidt, (at the end of the trail) and Howard Johnson missed career highs. Only HoJo had a career high year yet to come in the future, although the Straw did match his career high again in 1988.

On the AL side in 1987:

• McGwire (49) An all-time Rookie Record & a then career high that McGwire wouldn’t surpass for 9 seasons (probably when the Andro days had begun.)
• Bell (47) a career high by 16!
• Darrell Evans (34) 7 under his career high. His last 30+ season. He would hit 22, then 11 then retire.
• Dwight Evans (34) a career high by 2.
• Hrbek (34) a career high by 5.
• Joyner (34) a career high over his previous rookie season of 22 by 12. He would play 14 more seasons but would never hit more than 21 in his best year thereafter.
• Tartabull-(34) a career high by 3, in the future he would hit 31 twice in 1991 and 1993.
• Cory Snyder (33) career high by 7.
• 6 players would tie for ninth position (32) Brunansky, Carter, Jacoby, Nokes, Pagliarulo and Parrish. Brunansky tied his 1984 career high. Joe Carter’s 32 was a career high then but he would surpass it 4 times in the years ahead. Jacoby a career high by a whopping 15 HR. Nokes a career high by 8. Pagliarulo a CH by 4. Larry Parrish a career high by 2, in his 14th year of a 15 year career. he would hit 14 in 1988 then retire.
• So to sum up 10 career highs and 1 tie for a career high out of 14 AL HR leaders. McGwires season could be regarded as an 11th CH, counting the clean years only. (you could argue it anyway.)

So it seems pretty clear, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Boggs’ massive HR spike has absolutely nothing to do with any performance enhancer other than tightly wound balls (which, if you can’t tell, I think is fun to type).

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably wondering what the point of this post is. To be frank, I’m not actually 100% sure, but I think – and hear me out on this – that it has something to do with this whole hour-long Boggs/Anderson/balls obsession I just indulged being a microcosm for why I love baseball so much.

That I could randomly click on an article about Roger Clemens and Wade Boggs, then be inspired to go look at Boggs’ Baseball Reference page, and then that lead me to Brady Anderson’s page, which then led me to seek out information about the 1987 season…somewhere in this meaningless pursuit of random baseball knowledge is the beauty of this great sport and why it remains America’s pastime, at least to me, no matter what the Sunday night TV ratings may say.

Kerry Collins retired today and I saw many people talking about how he is in the top 10-12 in so many passing categories. Sure, that’s interesting, and I didn’t realize it, but I didn’t give it another thought. Comparing the relative percentage increases in Wade Boggs’ and Brady Anderson’s greatest HR seasons though? For that I busted out Excel and spent an hour writing a post that maybe 17 people will read.

So no, there isn’t really much of a point to this post, other than to discuss some arcane and essentially useless statistical information; except that it’s baseball, so it’s not really useless. All the stats, the myriad stats, and these kinds of discussions, it’s all what ties the game together through generations, and it’s what makes the game such a joy to follow every summer. These seemingly pointless conversations about trivial statistics are neither trivial nor pointless to people who truly love the game. (You know, the kind of people who participate in this.)

So just consider this, in its own figurative way, a mid-summer love letter to the sport of baseball. Ultimately, I suppose looking at it that way  explains the purpose of this better than anything else.

And besides, writing this was a hell of a lot more fun than thinking about this. I have all weekend to think about that.

In June’s edition, I regale you with tales and photos of my weekend journey way down state into steamy Marion, Illinois to watch the Southern Illinois Miners, as well as a Sunday evening tilt in Normal (IL) at the ”Corn Crib.” I’ll also update you on the progress of the Indianapolis Indians.

Mississippi River

The Frontier League

A few particulars on this Professional Independent Baseball League:

-It formed in 1993, and its 96 game season runs from mid-May through the end of August.

-The league is comprised of twelve teams in the Midwest and is not affiliated with a Major League Baseball team. 

-The level is generallycomparable to Single A ball.

-Team salary caps are only $75,000.

-All players must be under the age of 27 (and over 21).

-Players that are selected come from a minor league farm system or went undrafted in Major League Baseball’s Amateur draft

-Though about half the locales are near major cities with big league clubs (Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in particular), no stadium holds more than 7,000 spectators.

-More than 230 players, coaches, managers and trainers have moved on to Major League Organizations. Current players on MLB rosters include Atlanta reliever George Sherrill, Baltimore starter Chris Jakubauskas, Padres reliever (and Indianapolis native/Indiana State alum) Joe Thatcher, and recently-retired World Series champion (2002) and 2003 All Star Brendan Donnelly. Here’s a full list of alumni. (For more league history, click this link.)

Rent One Park and the Southern Illinois Miners

One of the two largest and newest stadia in the Frontier League is four year-old Rent One Park in Marion, a growing area just east of the university town of Carbondale. The park was constructed just west of Marion proper, and therefore was built in a big empty space surrounded by hotels and restaurants that offers no particular view – other than that of I-57 over the right field wall and a lake beyond the left field fence.

The 2010 season — just their fourth in existence — was historic for the Southern Illinois Miners, as they set a Frontier League record with a 20 game win streak (June 9-28), getting to 39-9 by the All-Star Break, and winning 64 overall, tying a Frontier League record. However, after capturing their first ever West Division title, the Miners were eliminated in first round of the playoffs by the River City Rascals, who Southern Illinois happened to face this night.

The Miners have also had four win streaks of at least eight games in their franchise’s brief history.

{Notable former Miners are former Arizona Diamondback reliever Clay Zavada, and former controversial Little League World Series star, Danny Almonte}

2011 has begun with similar success on the diamond in Marion, as through 28 of the 96 game season, the Miners have rolled to a league best 22-7 record and a two and a half game lead in the western division.

If you like artificial turf, Rent One Park is for you: grass, dirt, baselines, pitcher’s mound, the home plate area, and the warning tracks are all “artificial.” It certainly makes for a different experience while watching the game, but overall the fans of the portion of Illinois historically known as “Egypt” have taken an immediate liking to Rent One Park, as the Miners easily broke the Frontier League attendance record in their first season.

They’ve led in attendance every season since, which is more impressive when you realize the Miners are one of just a couple of Frontier League teams not located within 20 miles of a major city. Then again, as I was told, with nearby Southern Illinois University athletics on hiatus during summertime, the Miners are “essentially competing with County Fairs and American Legion Ball.”

The ballpark doesn’t necessarily have any unique features, and resembles Bowling Green’s semi-new downtown park I visited in April, but it’s a clean, friendly and comfortable place to take in a game, proven by the patriotic crowds continuing to show up despite a rough spell in the Illinois economy.

On June 18, however, riding an eight game win streak, the Miners were apparently due for a loss. And though their best pitcher was on the mound, he was uncharacteristically rocked, losing his first contest of 2011. Additionally, this victory was the first regular season win for River City at Rent One Park since September 2009. The Miners have quickly begun another win streak, now at two, after Monday afternoon’s win in Florence (KY). 

The Corn Crib and the Normal CornBelters

Perched atop a hill on the north end of the Normal/Bloomington city limits, The Corn Crib – a 12 million dollar multi-purpose stadium adjacent to Heartland Community College — opened in May 2010, also the team’s first season.

McLean County (pop. 150,000) is the #1 corn producing county in America–and you’re reminded of that feat often while inside the stadium gates.

This newest park in the Frontier League is the home of the Normal CornBelters, where we took in a game Sunday evening, June 19. Like Rent One Park, it also holds roughly 7,000, but as a multi-purpose stadium (soccer and softball), seems much bigger, with huge foul lines, abundant berm seating and large backdrops. The clubhouse is actually beneath the center field scoreboard, so when the home team’s hitting coach was ejected, he had to walk through the outfield, up the hill, and into the building.

Speaking of the scoreboard, one drawback is that there’s not a lot of information on it, especially for the visiting team (i.e. names, stats, photos). Nonetheless, like Marion, Normal’s Corn Crib is clearly a nice, new, spacious park of which the Frontier League should be proud. 

Replete with suites, good amenities, a vibrant atmosphere and passionate crowd, including a catchy “Let’s Go Corn” chant accompanied by enthusiastic horns, crowds continue to fill the yard. That said, a far below average 1,471 were in attendance on Sunday, but those who did show up, saw a come-from-behind win for the club’s 9th triumph in 11 tries.

Normal sits in 3rd place in the west at 18-11, after a 44-52 in inaugural season.

Indianapolis Indians

After a brutal 8-19 start to the season, the Tribe has not lost a series since April 30-May 3, going 27-18 in the process.

They sneaked over .500 last week, and as of 20 June, stand 35-37, 3rd in the brutal International League West – but just six back of the Wild Card with slightly more than half the season left.

Being the Pirates’ top farm club, Indianapolis has gone through many changes in the past 365 days, with just one player (Justin Thomas) is still on the current roster from a year ago today.

Alex Presley, whose success has inspired #FreeAlexPresley on Twitter and in blog posts by team broadcaster Scott McCauley, should be called up soon. Not having been promoted to Pittsburgh has drawn the ire of some, and perhaps rightly so, with many musing that his diminutive stature is no excuse for him to be overlooked.

Alex’s numbers are top notch {leads the International League in hits (90 in 70 games), is 3rd in average, 2nd in total bases, and 5th in steals}, and having interviewed him back in April, I can confirm he’s a mature, intelligent southern guy.

Lefty Garrett Olson, a 27 year old Californian who’s already appeared in over 100 big league games, has been stellar for the Indians (1.61 ERA) since coming off the DL a few weeks back.

John Bowker, of The “Bowker Effect,” continues to hit. The team’s winning ways (now 26 of 42) began when Bowker arrived on May 8.

The Indians also lead the IL in triples and stolen bases.

As their performance and weather ha swarmed, so have the crowds at Victory Field. Over 36 home tilts, Indy now stands 4th in attendance at over 7,000 per contest.

Next Indians update at the end of July.

*Editor’s Note on Photos: 

Gwinnett, the Triple A team for Atlanta, came to town June 11-14. Major League All-Star Jason Heyward made a couple of rehab starts (June 13-14), and 20 year-old Colombian Julio Teheran  (the top pitching prospect in all of baseball) dominated the Tribe over seven innings of three hit ball. He has a sub two ERA.