REMEMBER THE PAST ? ? ?

RACISM IN BASEBALL

So I'm sitting here watching Chinese Tapei vs. China in the World Baseball Classic. I find it just as interesting and just as polished a style of baseball as anything in the U.S. Is there anyone at all out there who can tell me why it took until about five years ago for Asian players to work their way onto major league baseball rosters? I suggest it's extreme racism on the part of U.S. owners and agents. Japan has been so big in baseball for so long, yet for years, we as baseball fans heard "they're too small", "their stadiums are smaller"...."they won't adapt to American game". Are you kidding me? Really? I could be wrong but nearly all Asian players that have entered the majors in the past 5 years have been all-star caliber. I know you may so..."well, those are the best that we're getting". Well I guess this is my point...and it will continue to be my point until the U.S. can handily beat the crap out of every other team in the world: We're not the best baseball country in the world. All you need to do is understand the game and watch the world baseball classic to learn what teamwork really means in terms of playing winning baseball. American sports has patented the "do what's best for me" attitude and that shows when we send our best baseball stars out to play the world.

FIELD OF DREAMS

Even if you're not a big baseball fan, Field of Dreams is a beautifully done movie with some good acting by a younger Kevin Costner, young Ray Liota and always entertaining James Earl Jones. If you DO know the story of Shoeless Joe Jackson, the movie can really touch a special chord, as questions of "what if" pervade through the story of Shoeless Joe's career and through life itself and what others mean to us. I suppose at this point in time, or even back then, this movie would be termed a chick flick of sorts, albeit a sports chick flick. Nevertheless, if you just want to chill out, sit back, relax and enjoy without having to get to wound up in an intense action drama, Field of Dreams is nicely shot movie for all ages.

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE.................

to connect "Field of Dreams" and a baseball blog with music. Absolutely impossible...I've finally hit in snag.......oh....wait. Field of Dreams took place in Iowa. Hmmm....didn't Anton Dvorak have a home in Iowa? HELL YEAH!!!! I've done it again.....BOOO YA. Anton Dvorak spent the summer of 1893 in Spillville, Iowa just after completing writing his "New World Symphony" in New York that winter. In addition, he was drafted in the 3rd round of the Major League Baseball draft by the newly formed Boston Red Stockings. OK - now I'm kidding. But he did spend that summer in Iowa. Although his "New World" is one of the greatest and most popular of symphonies you can go ahead and pick up Symphonies number 7 and 8 on recording. Complete diverse in character, one field with drama and the other with utter beauty for life. If you get the chance to see either of these two or the New World in live performance you will not be disappointed.