Superstition, It’s all part of the game

My column published in an August issue of The Madison County Journal. www.mainstreetnews.com

By Dallas Bordon

As a big sports fan, I many goals that I would like to accomplish. One goal has always been touching Howard’s Rock in Clemson’s Death Valley before running down the hill like the players do before each home game. Another goal involved going inside of the Atlanta Braves locker room and dugout before a game. Both of those goals were accomplished several years ago. The meaning of touching a famous rock in Clemson's Death Valley or the 1995 World Champions baseball sign in the Braves clubhouse is what the players do for luck before their games.  Superstitions, like the ones I just mentioned, are all part of sports and the athlete’s rituals used with hopes of bringing good fortune. Playing sports growing up from Little League baseball to college intramural sports, I had my weird superstitions and ways of doing things before the game. Now I sit back and wonder if the dumb things I did like drawing in the dirt before batting or chewing the same flavor of gum in each game, actually gave me some special powers or good luck. No, it’s all just part of a mind game now that I look back on it because if drawing in the dirt with my bat and chewing the same flavor of gum was all that powerful, I would have eventually received a college baseball scholarship somewhere right? There were no special powers in that dirt or gum.

On one fall day, I touched Howard’s Rock in Clemson’s Death Valley, took a deep breath, and away I went down the hill. I really didn’t feel any special powers. What I did experience, was a near bone breaking experience as I tumbled halfway down. Thank God the stadium was empty and no one was around to see my version of “stop, drop, and roll.”

I got to walk down the tunnel at Turner Field and touch the 1995 World Champion sign like the Braves do before entering the field. I felt no special powers doing that either. What I almost got was a trip to the Braves first aid training facility after nearing getting hit in the head with a batting practice foul ball while walking through the Braves dugout. Thank God for a famous voice from legendary manager Bobby Cox and his “Heads up” yell to me, otherwise I would have received a “KO.”

While neither of my entrances into these two arenas was for playing purposes of course, I still somehow missed the magical feelings that many of the players feel after going those rituals. I was excited being there, but I experienced just the opposite. So I raise the question; do those superstitious powers really help in sports? We’ve all heard of the different rituals that players go through; some disgusting and some as simple as not stepping on the foul line when running onto the field.

For me in Little League, aside from drawing in the dirt and chewing the same flavor gum each time, wearing a batting glove with two of the fingers from the glove missing was a charm. For some major leaguers like Vladimir Guerrero, having players spit on his batting helmet and then rubbing extra pine tar on top gave him extra luck. Former Boston Red Sox Nomar Garciaparra, known as the human rain delay, would step out of the batters’ box after each pitch to adjust his sweatbands and batting gloves giving him an extra feeling of comfort or power. Major League pitcher Turk Wendell had several superstitions to help his psyche during games.  Wendell would brush his teeth between innings. I don’t know about power in teeth brushing but I’m sure he has very clean teeth. He even wore a necklace that consisted of teeth from animals he killed. Players put their uniforms on the same way each time hoping that superstition would bring luck. Caron Butler of the National Basketball Association always drinks Mountain Dew from a two liter bottle before each game. And then there was my favorite former Detroit Tiger Mark Fidrych who would talk to the baseball telling it where to cross the plate. He would also build mounds of dirt on the pitcher’s mound.

Superstitions and the hope that they bring luck is all part of sports.  So next time when at Raider Field, if you see softball coach Doug Kesler rubbing the head of a redheaded kid before games or you see football coach Chris Smith chewing blades of grass while coaching, remember that superstitions are all part of the game.    

Memories from a former little leaguer

My column published on this week's sports page of the Madison County Journal. www.mainstreetnews.com

By Dallas Bordon

Deep into the heart of baseball season and Little League All-Stars, I find myself drifting way back to my days of playing Little League baseball. I start to recall the way some things have changed such as the different types of bat bags, uniform pants that go all the way down to your cleats, high priced bats, the black-out worn under the eyes and many more things that seem to be popular now. I don’t remember putting so much emphasis on using a certain type of bat. If it felt good and we could swing it, we would use it every time. If we couldn't find a hit in a certain bat we would simply search the dugout until we found one that would. We didn't care about brand names or styles of cleats, sweatbands, or batting gloves; we used what felt comfortable and sometimes superstitions had a lot to do with what we used. I once used a batting glove for two seasons that had two fingers torn off just because I thought it gave me luck and no matter how stupid it looked, I didn't care. Back before the long style of baseball pants were introduced, we wore the elastic leg bottom pants that would go long enough to cover our knees. We also didn't wear the solid color socks or the socks that had the stirrup stripe made into the sock. We had the old fashion stirrup sock that was a separate sock we pulled over our white sock. They were aggravating at times because the stirrup part of the sock would come out of our shoe and would dangle behind our ankles at times. And eye blackout? Most of us never even knew what that was. The only black-out we sported under our eyes would come from getting hit in the eye by the ball. 

There are similarities today that exist from my days in little league. I remember what each game meant to us and how we would carry bragging rights with us to school each day after a win. Even though my coaches would try to instill in us that win or lose, it’s just a game and we should have fun playing the game. To us guys on the team, we found ways to disagree; to us it was more than just a game.  When I think about playing baseball growing up, my thoughts go back to those days away from little league. It was a league and a game played between the neighborhood kids where we would often find any open field or someone’s back yard to invade. We would choose teams the best we could and usually the worst players always were selected last. While living in South Carolina, my house was always the “home” stadium. We had the largest backyard and even had baselines drawn with white chalk-powder we purchased from the local sporting goods store down the street. We even played the old famous game of pickle, sometimes called “hot box” where we would lay out two of my dad’s old car mats, put a defensive person at each base and two runners on the two bases. The game was then played with the runners running between the two bases trying to avoid getting tagged out. The person tagged out became the defensive player. The games of “pickle” and those neighborhood backyard baseball games turned my parent’s yard into our neighborhood sandlot. It was a place where we mimicked baseball heroes and a place where bragging rights meant more to us than any kind of trophy. It was a place we grew to love the game of baseball and played every chance we had on that chalked base-lined backyard. It was a place that will hold memories never to be forgotten. It was our field, our time, and we played without parents getting mad at coaches or us for the mistakes we made on that field. And regardless of the styles of pants, cleats, and bats we used back then and the fact that not a one of us now recall who won what or when, we had fun and it was just a game.

Westbrook: from MC Little Leaguer to 100-game winner

Column posted in The Madison County Journal May 9th, issue

Jake Westbrook is pictured with
Grayson Hix following a team
practice.

By Dallas Bordon

Somewhere in the yard of Cauthen and Joan Westbrook, you might be able to find some sort of diamond. Not the kind that you see in a jewelry store and not even one of value — except to the Westbrook family.

On this homemade diamond some 26 years ago, a young fellow by the name of “Jake” was being taught different pitches as well as the fundamentals of the great American game of baseball. Whatever teaching tools the elder Westbrook used seemed to be successful in setting a foundation for the once Little League all-star player, Red Raider, and now a Major Leaguer Jake Westbrook.

At the age of 35, Jake Westbrook has reached his 100th career major league win. After 259 starts, 1,664.2 innings pitched, Westbrook reached the mark he has always wanted to reach.

“A hundred wins for me is a sign of longevity and kind of grinding it out year after year,” Westbrook said. “It’s definitely not 300, but for me it was a goal of mine. It’s something I’ll always have with me.” After two previous attempts this season at reaching win number 100, Westbrook got what he wanted. St. Louis jumped out to a 6-0 lead and held on to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers last week, giving Jake his 100th professional career win.

Jake is in his 17th year of professional baseball, four of which he played in the minors. He received the call to the show in 2000, sporting the pinstripes of the New York Yankees. His first stint in the majors was a bumpy visit with a 0-2 record and an earned run average of 13.50.

Four years later with the Cleveland Indians, Westbrook turned the tables and posted a 14-9 record with a 3.38 earned run average, earning him a spot on the American League all-star roster. His earned run average that season of 2004 poised him at number three in the American League with the lowest ERA. He ranked eighth in 2004 and 2005 in the American League with 14 wins in ’04 and 15 wins in ’05.

Perhaps his most memorable moment came in 2011 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals where he was the winning pitcher of game six in what is said to be one of the best World Series games ever. Needless to say, he now owns a World Series ring, quite an accomplishment for a kid who went from pitching in his parents’ yard with dad/coach Cauthen to a major leaguer and hometown star.

Westbrook’s time in the majors hasn’t been without rough times. Drafted with the 21st pick in the first round of the 1996 amateur draft by the Colorado Rockies organization, Westbrook made his Major League debut with a short stint for the Yankees in 2000. He made only five starts in 2008 and 2009 following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow but returned from the injury that is known for some as a career ending injury. In two different seasons, he has been on the disabled list, with the most recent stint caused by a strained oblique muscle that ended his season early last year. He has battled the ups and downs of a major league baseball career and is on path to have what might be his best season to date. “One of the luxuries I have is that my ball still moves,” Westbrook said. “Lots of times, whether it goes where I want it to or not, it still runs down in the zone. It still can be good, and I can have some success.”

As for the youth recreation and Little League ball players in Madison County, he’s pretty much a hero. He never forgets the path that was paved for him to where he is today. He’s a humble person and enjoys working with the kids who are playing recreation department sports and little league ball players teaching them the things he once learned with his dad in the yard. Taylor Garrison Hix, whose son Grayson plays baseball in the Recreation Department’s program, appreciates Westbrook’s efforts with the kids.

“I love how Jake takes time out with all the kids at the recreation department, such a great guy,” said Hix.

Westbrook fondly remembers his days playing in Madison County.

“I just remember how fun it used to be playing sports growing up,” said Westbrook. “Whether it was football, baseball, or basketball, it just seemed like there was always something to play year round. And as a little boy what else would I rather be doing? Playing with and against my friends and cousins was a lot of fun.”

On March 28, 2008 Raider baseball coach Charlie Griffeth and Madison County High School retired Jake’s number 12 as a reward for the records he set as a Red Raider. A little leaguer turned professional, Westbrook has reached yet another goal: a 100th career win.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to get to 100, and it’s good to get it done,” Westbrook said.

As for the elder Westbrook, Cauthen, you can find him spending time in his yard with his grandchildren — probably teaching them those same fundamentals of baseball. 

Career Stats on Westbrook (as of May 4) 

Wins: 100 Losses: 96 

ERA: 4.23 Games played: 299 Games started: 259 Complete Games 15 Shutouts: 4 

Innings pitched; 1,664.2 Hits: 858 Earned runs: 783 Home runs allowed: 141 Hit batters: 59 

Walks 538 Stirkeouts 939 2013 Stats Wins: 2 

Losses: 1 

ERA: 1.07 Games: 5 

Games started: 5 

Innings pitched: 33.2 Hits allowed: 30 Runs: 5 

Earned: 4 

Home runs allowed: 0 

Walks: 17 

Strikeouts: 18 

 

Raider guys take second in state tennis tourney

Posted on the Madison County Journal website: www.mainstreetnews.com

Ben Strickland hits backhand in Saturday's state championshipmatch.
 Photo by Dallas Bordon

By Dallas Bordon

JONESBORO: The Madison County Red Raider tennis team made history this season by advancing to the state championship for the first time. 

They came up just short of the top prize Saturday as 5A-AAAA Columbus won the championship with a 3-1 win over Madison County. 

The expected rain that was due to the area held off just long enough to get the matches in at the Clayton International Tennis Park in Jonesboro.

A rain-out would have given number one seed Madison County home court advantage on Monday or Tuesday, but as it turned out, plenty of the Raider faithful made the trip to Jonesboro.

Trey Morris remained undefeated on the season, winning at the number one singles (2-0). Ben Strickland battled to a tie-breaker but came up on the short end of a 2-1 loss. With the number one doubles team of Zach Peneguy and Adam Sartain falling to Columbus 2-0 and the number two doubles Hank Sartain and Koti Nguyen also losing 2-0, all eyes were glued to Strickland's match. 

With Columbus leading overall 2-1 with Strickland and Tyler Terrell (number 3 singles) still playing, Columbus needed just one win to seal the championship. 

Columbus got the win after Strickland fell 6-4 in the tiebreaker. Terrell's singles match was halted at that point as Columbus got the needed 3 wins. 

The Raiders (22-4, 12-0) were able to reach the championship round by defeating Carrollton and S. Effingham in earlier post season play

Madison County's Westbrook wins 100th game

Madison County's Jake Westbrook, after three straight attempts, reaches his 100th career Major League Baseball win as the Cardinals defeated Milwaukee 6-5. Westbrook exited the game after six innings leading 6-1. His season earned run average is now 1.07.
Line On Westbrook: 6 IP, 6 hits, 1 run (earned), 3 walks, 4 strikeouts. Record 2-1.