By Kathryn Bobel, Director of Group Sales

Well, after a hefty two-year hiatus, Kathryn’s vague, ethereal, and all-together not too relevant blogs are back!  This season, I’m sure we’ll run the gamut from Fox’s New Girl to my hapless but always lovable Cleveland Indians to Sex and the City to the always entertaining Meta World Peace (I can’t believe I have to legally call him that).  So, let’s put this Mac I received for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad!) to good use! 

I have to say, this sleek little silver computer has made me feel very Carrie Bradshaw-esque—sitting in a quaint, but decidedly modern NYC apartment having thoughts flow from mind to fingertip with not so much ease as deliberate thought.  One minor difference, though—I live in a quaint, decidedly college-student-turned-young-adult apartment that overlooks a house that in its backyard has a back-hoe, a Caterpillar, and a 1987 Caddy all in various states of disrepair.  As I attempt to construct some semblance of an adult apartment (dishes that match, a bed with a mattress that actually sits on a frame, and a television that doesn’t require rabbit ears or foil) and an adult job (staff meetings, sales goals, stilettos) I find myself pondering the answers to certain questions: what do I want to do, who should I be, where should I be? 

For some, these questions are ambiguous and elusive, but for others, like myself, they always seemed to answer themselves with little dedicated, conscious thought.  I’m not quite sure how, but through my latter high school and collegiate years, the answers just fell into place. However, as time and life go on, things can change. You can change.  At the ripe old age of 25, things changed. I was shaken to my core and for the first time in my life, I began to question my place in the world. Where do I go from here? Before, it was elementary school then middle school then high school then college then internship then job.  Check, check, check, check, check, and check. The thing is, I don’t have another check on deck. It can’t be a linear shot from here to retirement, can it? So, for the last year or so, my mind has raced–raced from point A to point F to point C to point M and back to point B.  My first reaction when the world around me started to spin faster and faster was to grasp tighter and tighter.

Then, EPIPHANY. Perhaps my eternally racing mind wasn’t meaning to cloud the present, but was instead attempting to map out my future—it was attempting to find my next check. I’m not sure that check is walking up to the plate yet, but until it does, I’ve learned—with the help of a few key individuals—to let my grasp loosen and enjoy the moment. Live your life. Love your family.  Love your friends. Tell them you love them. Depend on them. Thank them. Be immensely appreciative of them.

My little sister (she’ll be 21 this year, but I still think of her as the curly-haired little weirdo who refused to take her bike helmet off at dinner from the ages of three to five) has a single quote in the “About Me” section on her Facebook page:  “Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone, and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.”  She might have had helmet hair for a good two years, but I guess the previously curly-haired weirdo is on to something.

The point of this excessively wordy blog summed up in a single sentence? Approach each day with more vigor, enthusiasm and love than the last, and you won’t go wrong.  Thanks, Em.  Love you.

In her fourth year with the Crawdads, Kathryn is a native of Indianapolis, IN and graduated from Bowling Green State University in December 2008 with a degree in sport management.  She has previously worked with the Indianapolis Indians and USA Track & Field.  In her spare time, Kathryn enjoys following the Cleveland Indians and BGSU athletics.

By Luke Addison, Concessions Assistant

The most wonderful time of the year has returned once again in full force. Spring is here, with a 80 degrees and sunny forecast for Wednesday.  Spring training is in full swing, where optimism reigns supreme and my Indians are still mathematically alive for the playoffs.  Saturday will bring me together with all other Irish-for-a-day to give thanks to Saint Patrick with green beer.  Yet, roaring head and shoulders above all the rest, comes the beautiful phenomenon that is March Madness.

We all fill out the brackets.  We all stand around the water cooler and discuss which team is a lock to pull off the 12-5 upset, why team x made the dance when team y was left out (when really neither has a shot at winning it all), our super secret sleepers, and to laugh at the non-basketball fan in sales who is making their picks based solely on team colors and mascots (yet will beat us all handily).   Businesses will lose millions of dollars of productivity from its workers as everyone constantly tracks the accuracy of their $5 bracket.

And yet, it is all worth it.  To chase the dream of the perfect bracket is a fire that burns inside millions of Americans.  This year, Yahoo is giving $5,000,000 to the person who can correctly predict all 63 games (play-ins do not count).  I’ll save you the hours of research and agonizing decision-making because I already have crafted the winner.  Yes, it’s true.  I have yet to decide how to spend my newfound riches, but I am certain it will make life as an intern easier.

Without further ado:  the picks

Round of 64: The first 2 days of the tournament always provide some of the greatest and most memorable moments in sports.  This year’s Cinderallas (seeded 10 and lower) come in all shapes and sizes.  On Thursday, Davidson gets the ball rolling with a bracket busting upset of Big East tournament champion Louisville.  Somewhere, Steph Curry is smiling through all of his ankle pain.   Later that afternoon, Long Beach State nails the inevitable 12-5 upset over New Mexico.  Fear the Beach.  A legend from my home area, Bob Huggins, leads his Mountaineers to a mini upset over 7^th seeded Gonzaga.  As that game ends, viewers are flipped over just in time to witness the ending to the stunning upset South Dakota State pulls on Baylor.  Baylor’s And-1 style is its downfall in its loss to the 27-win Jackrabbits, who take home the annual “Nobody Has Ever Heard of Our School Before We Won This Game” trophy.  Friday wastes no time picking up the slack as #11 NC State takes down San Diego State.  Now living in North Carolina and seeing some Wolfpack fans around the park, there’s no doubt its upset city in the day’s first game.  Not to be outdone, the St. Bonaventure Bonnies oust ACC tournament champ Florida State.  One of my best friends back home I call Bonnie sometimes and she will be quite proud of the effort her boys give against the ‘Noles. #13 Ohio wins that evening to represent the MAC and #10 Purdue wins to keep my dad happy. 

Round of 32:  A few of upsets dot round 2 (I refuse to call the play-in games round 1).  Things stay calm in the East and Midwest, but heat up in South as #5 Wichita State knocks off #4 Indiana.  I went back and forth forever on the Duke-Notre Dame game, but after having my fanhood questioned I had to move the Blue Devils on.  (Notre Dame also receives no benefit of the doubt for continually thinking its average football program is above playing in the Big Ten or any other conference.) The West sees #6 Murray State continue its winning ways against #3 Marquette.  You can knock them for having a soft schedule, but there is something to say about having only one loss this late in the year. 

Sweet 16:  A couple of 6 seeds make the headlines with their bids into the quarterfinals.  UNLV avenges its loss in the 1991 final four by knocking off the Dukies.  I would love to have my beloved Blue Devils all the way to the final line but the combination of weak perimeter defense combined with weaker post offense and a questionable Ryan Kelly dooms them against a UNLV team featuring Mike Moser who is about to become a household name.  Ditto for Long Beach’s Casper Ware, whose darling run ends in a heartbreaker to Michigan State.  The big one though comes in the East where Cincinnati takes the battle of Ohio from Ohio State.  Yancy Gates outplays the overrated Jared Sullinger and William Buford has just enough of an off night to propel my sister’s alma mater into the Elite Eight.

Elite 8: Kentucky is too talented for UNLV; Mizzou’s perimeter talent overwhelms Michigan State; Syracuse avenges its loss to Cincinnati in the Big East Tourny; and Kansas knocks off UNC in the Roy Williams Invitational.

Final Four:  Missouri’s senior depth overcomes Kentucky’s freshman talent to send the Tigers to their first final.  Kansas also takes out Syracuse. The highlight of Selection Sunday was watching the reaction of the Kansas players feeling snubbed about their number two seed and mean mugging the camera during their air time.  Loved every second of it.  That’s my kind of team.

Championship:  Kansas 78, Missouri 73 It’s unclear if these two teams will keep the rivalry going once Mizzou bolts for the SEC, so this will have to do for maybe the final chapter in one of the best rivalries in college basketball. It just doesn’t feel right having Missouri as champion, so round 3 of the Border War goes to the Kansas.

Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk, KU.  If you need to borrow any money, let me know.

Luke is beginning his first year with the Hickory Crawdads as a concessions assistant.  Previously, Luke has worked in baseball with the Akron Aeros, the Cleveland Indians Double A – Affiliate.  He was born and raised in Uhrichsville, OH and attended Kent State University where he earned a degree in Sports Administration and a minor in Business.  Luke has simple tastes, enjoying warm weather, funny jokes, and dancing.

By Andrew Buchbinder, Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations

Man, it was good to see some baseball at L.P. Frans Stadium last Saturday.  If you missed it, you didn’t miss out on any Crawdads Baseball (that starts on Thursday, April 12 at 7 p.m. vs. the Asheville Tourists, featuring Thirsty Thursday pres. by Buffalo Wild Wings and some Opening Night fun, pres. by 1290 WHKY… never a missed opportunity for a plug ) but you did miss out on some great high school ball with the first-ever Prep Showcase Showdown.  We were able to get in three of the initially-scheduled four games, and really ended up having some great weather.  There’s a good chance that this could become an annual event, so be sure to keep an ear to the ground after our season for more details on next year’s probable showcase.

Being as engulfed in pro ball as we are, sometimes it is easy to forget how high of a quality of high school athletics this area and state have, and that quality was in full gear last Saturday with rematches from last year’s Class 4A and Class 3A State Championships.  Not only was the quality on the field impressive, but the quality of the field was equally stunning.  It is not atypical in a climate such as ours to have the field not look its finest as we just get out of the winter months.  Such is not the case this year.  Maybe the relatively mild winter (knock on wood) has helped, but I prefer to give all the credit in the world to Head Groundskeeper Andrew Tallent.  He’s worked tirelessly throughout the offseason, and it shows.  Never in my previous three seasons here have I seen the field look this good on March 9.  Just another sign that this season of Crawdads Baseball, the 20th, is going to be the best.

On a totally different topic… I was scrolling through the Charleston RiverDogs site a moment ago looking for some details on the 2012 SAL All-Star Game, which will be at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park this season (my absolute favorite ballpark and city in the league, by the way) and came across the ESPN commercial we did with them in 2010.  How awesome is this???  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2zQf6bxsZo Funny inside story… Joe Bonadonna, the runner at second in the video who is of, er, somewhat shorter stature, was roaming around the tent was set up for the cast and crew with refreshments and snacks, and got screamed at by a production assistant for being somewhere he didn’t belong.  The prod. assistant mis-identified the 5’6″ (maybe) Bonadonna for an extra.  I feel your pain, Joe.

Andrew is in his fourth season as director of broadcasting and media relations for the Crawdads, and sixth season in Minor League Baseball.  Previously, the Larchmont, NY native worked for the Bakersfield Condors Hockey Club (ECHL) and the Bakersfield Blaze Baseball Club (California League). He loves bacon.

By Kyle Titus, Concessions Assistant

Can you feel it? It’s right around the corner. The temperatures are climbing, the date is getting closer and spring training is already under way. Right around the corner will be opening day, with a new twist. Instead of the regular 8 teams that make the post season, Major League Baseball has approved the new 10 team, 2 team wild card format. That is not the only thing that will be different this season. There are many icons of the game that have changed their zip code. The biggest one of course is Albert Pujols who took his talents to the west coast. Pujols a two time World Series champion and arguably the best player in the game, in a shocking and stunning move, spurned the Cardinals and went West to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for greener ($$$) pastures. He is not the only big name slugger to have moved. The other would be Prince Fielder who is now with the Detroit Tigers. Prince chose the team his dad once played for and in a continental shift of power two of the biggest bats in the game now have teamed up with the American League and left the National League with an identity crisis.

Not all is lost though; the Cardinals and Brewers still hold two powerful teams that will keep people guessing. The 10 year $254 million dollar contract Pujols signed while devastating the Cardinals fans and organization in the long run is just too much money and year to give to a 31 year old first baseman for a Midwest smaller market team. In fact I would put my money on the Cardinals actually winning more games this season with a healthy Adam Wainwright coming back into the fold and some of the production Pujols gave being replaced by former all-star Carlos Beltran.  The Brewers on the other hand have known all along they would not be able to bring Fielder back, but still have one of the strongest and deepest starting rotations in all of baseball as well as last year’s MVP Ryan Braun still wearing the blue and gold. However the shift in power will be great when you have two of the game’s biggest sluggers changing leagues entirely. There will be new names and faces garnishing attention in the National League. There will be a dog fight in the American League as to who truly is the biggest slugger and seeing if all the money thrown at these big dogs was truly is worth it. The Phillies are the only team in the National League who has the payroll to compete financially with the American League power house, but has been shown now over the last decade money doesn’t always bring championships so this year should be fun to watch regardless.

The new playoff format this year should make things really interesting especially heading down to the playoff hunt. With the added 5^th team this now makes winning the division a premium. Instead of going straight into a 5 game series, the wild card winners will now face off in a 1 game playoff. This makes that stretch run even more important as to having your “ace” on the mound for that one game set. Following that the wild card team will then go on to face the team with the best record in their respective league. This makes the path for a wild card team to win it all much more unpredictable. I don’t know how you could possibly add more drama or excitement then last year’s Cardinals who made a remarkable comeback to win it all and with the best game possibly in baseball history taking place in that game 6 of the World Series but baseball sure is going to try!

With all that said the game as we know it will still be the same, however seemingly different down the stretch. There will be new stars and names mentioned, there will be new teams and the trade deadline should be all that more interesting with more teams still considered in the “hunt” then ever before. All I know is baseball is back and this will be a season worth watching.

Kyle is beginning his first season as a Concessions Assistant with the Hickory Crawdads. He was born and raised in Binghamton, NY and graduated from SUNY Cortland with a degree in sports management. Kyle has worked previously with the Hagerstown Suns also of the South Atlantic League and the Oklahoma City Barons, an AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, doing group sales. Kyle enjoys playing baseball, basketball and cheering on his St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.

The Hickory Crawdads are hosting the 2012 Prep Baseball Showcase Showdown at L.P. Frans Stadium on Saturday, March 3. The showcase will consist of four exciting match-ups featuring high school teams from around the area, including rematches from last year’s Class 3A and Class 4A State Championship Series. The first game of the showcase will start at 9 a.m. Leading up to the event each game will be previewed here.

Game 4: 4:30 p.m.

Holly Springs Golden Hawks vs. TC Roberson Rams 

The fourth and final game of the 2012 Prep Showcase Showdown will feature a rematch of last year’s Class 4A State Championship.  The Golden Hawks came out on top last year, beating the Rams 2 games to none to win the State Championship, its schools first state championship in any sport.  This matchup, however, will feature a very different Holly Springs team from last year’s State Championship game. 

The Golden Hawks finished last season on a 21-game winning streak thanks in large part to its veteran leadership.  This year the Golden Hawks will look to replace its 11 graduated Seniors to compete for the TRI-9 title and make a run back into the playoffs. 

Three key contributors from last season that are returning are C Joey Roach, SS AJ Sconzo, and 3b/OF Mike Roach.  Joey Roach and Sconzo will return as the Hawks 1-2 punch in the batting order this year. Joey Roach led all Hawks last year with a .375 average from the leadoff spot and looks to continue that success this year.  Hitting .330 last year in the 2 hole, Sconzo will anchor the left side of the infield as well as contribute offensively.  The Hawks also expect Mike Roach to contribute after overcoming an injury last year to becoming a key contributor in the playoffs. 

The Hawks major concern in 2012 will be pitching.  They return very little on the mound and will have to replace all but 10 innings from last year’s team.  As the season goes on, pitching will be key to their success.

TC Roberson has much more coming back from last year’s State Championship run.  They have the #1 preseason ranking by IMPACT Baseball in the 4A Class and expect to compete for a State Championship again this year. 

Leading the Rams this season will be Senior James Nevant.  Nevant has signed to play with Notre Dame next year and will anchor the team’s outfield.  Tim McKeithan also looks to come back from a broken thumb injury and contribute offensively.  McKeithan’s athleticism has helped him become an outstanding defensive SS and he will be taking his talents to Brown University next year. 

Dillon O’Kelley has won many big games for TC Roberson and looks to continue his dominance on the mound this year.  The Senior’s various arm angles and great off speed stuff has helped him become a premier pitcher within the league. 

The Golden Hawks look to defend their title as the Rams hope to finish this season hoisting the State Championship trophy.  It promises to be a very entertaining matchup. 

Jeff has begun his first year with the Crawdads as a Media and Community Outreach Assistant.  The Waukesha, WI native attended school at Northeastern University where he played varsity baseball for the Huskies while earning his degree in Communications.  Jeff is an avid Wisconsin sports fan and enjoys staying active any way possible.

The Hickory Crawdads are hosting the 2012 Prep Baseball Showcase Showdown at L.P. Frans Stadium on Saturday, March 3. The showcase will consist of four exciting match-ups featuring high school teams from around the area, including rematches from last year’s Class 3A and Class 4A State Championship Series. The first game of the showcase will start at 9 a.m. Leading up to the event each game will be previewed here.

Game 4: 4:30 p.m.

Holly Springs Golden Hawks vs. TC Roberson Rams

The fourth and final game of the 2012 Prep Showcase Showdown will feature a rematch of last year’s Class 4A State Championship.  The Golden Hawks came out on top last year, beating the Rams 2 games to none to win the State Championship, its schools first state championship in any sport.  This matchup, however, will feature a very different Holly Springs team from last year’s State Championship game.

The Golden Hawks finished last season on a 21-game winning streak thanks in large part to its veteran leadership.  This year the Golden Hawks will look to replace its 11 graduated Seniors to compete for the TRI-9 title and make a run back into the playoffs.

Three key contributors from last season that are returning are C Joey Roach, SS AJ Sconzo, and 3b/OF Mike Roach.  Joey Roach and Sconzo will return as the Hawks 1-2 punch in the batting order this year. Joey Roach led all Hawks last year with a .375 average from the leadoff spot and looks to continue that success this year.  Hitting .330 last year in the 2 hole, Sconzo will anchor the left side of the infield as well as contribute offensively.  The Hawks also expect Mike Roach to contribute after overcoming an injury last year to becoming a key contributor in the playoffs. 

The Hawks major concern in 2012 will be pitching.  They return very little on the mound and will have to replace all but 10 innings from last year’s team.  As the season goes on, pitching will be key to their success.

TC Roberson has much more coming back from last year’s State Championship run.  They have the #1 preseason ranking by IMPACT Baseball in the 4A Class and expect to compete for a State Championship again this year. 

Leading the Rams this season will be Senior James Nevant.  Nevant has signed to play with Notre Dame next year and will anchor the team’s outfield.  Tim McKeithan also looks to come back from a broken thumb injury and contribute offensively.  McKeithan’s athleticism has helped him become an outstanding defensive SS and he will be taking his talents to Brown University next year. 

Dillon O’Kelley has won many big games for TC Roberson and looks to continue his dominance on the mound this year.  The Senior’s various arm angles and great off speed stuff has helped him become a premier pitcher within the league. 

The Golden Hawks look to defend their title as the Rams hope to finish this season hoisting the State Championship trophy.  It promises to be a very entertaining matchup. 

The Hickory Crawdads are hosting the 2012 Prep Baseball Showcase Showdown at L.P. Frans Stadium on Saturday, March 3. The showcase will consist of four exciting match-ups featuring high school teams from around the area, including rematches from last year’s Class 3A and Class 4A State Championship Series. The first game of the showcase will start at 9 a.m. Leading up to the event each game will be previewed here.

Game 3:  2:00 p.m.

 South Point Red Raiders vs. Northeast Guilford Rams

The third game of the day will feature an extremely interesting rematch between the reigning 3A Champions, South Point Red Raiders, and the Northeast Guilford Rams.  South Point won a well fought State Championship last year as the Red Raiders beat the Rams 2-games-to-1, winning the decisive game by a score of 8-5.  

The Red Raiders are looking to replace five seniors who led them to the State Championship and a 27-3 record last year.  Head Coach Jason Lineberger will look to lead the 5^th ranked Red Raiders, according to Impact Baseball’s preseason poll, back to the State Championship.

The Northeaster Guilford Rams are returning 6 starters from last year’s State Runners Up team.  Included in those returners are Jaylin Davis and Caleb McCann, both Appalachian State recruits, who look to lead the Rams in 2012.  Davis, All-Conference his Sophomore and Junior years, hit .500 last year with 10 Home Runs and 47 RBIs.  McCann, All-Conference his Sophomore and Junior years as well, has moved from 2b to SS this year and will be called upon to carry the majority of the pitching load this year.  Josiel Colon will also look to contribute coming off a year where he hit .400 with 7 Home Runs and 31 RBIs. 

The rematch promises to be a well fought game featuring two of the premier teams in Class 3A baseball.  Will the Rams exact some small revenge, or will South Point make an early statement during the 2012 season?  Only one way to find out.  First pitch is 2:00p.m. at L.P. Frans Stadium on Saturday, March 3.

Jeff has begun his first year with the Crawdads as a Media and Community Outreach Assistant.  The Waukesha, WI native attended school at Northeastern University where he played varsity baseball for the Huskies while earning his degree in Communications.  Jeff is an avid Wisconsin sports fan and enjoys staying active any way possible.

By Jeff Dickson, Director of Food & Beverage

Part 2 of series of blogs on the National Baseball Hall of Fame, it’s inductees, names still on the ballot, the voting process, and what it takes to make it to Cooperstown. 

With over a month having passed since the latest round of Hall of Fame voting (wow, this offseason is flying by) it’s time to not so much reflect on previous ballots, but to look ahead. How will the voting go in future years? How should it go? There will surely be a lot of controversy surrounding ballots over the next few years, most of which is based on the issues of the Steroids Era and the apparent inclination of voters to leave the best players of this era off.

Mark McGwire. Edgar Martinez. Jeff Bagwell. Rafael Palmeiro. These four players averaged almost 480 career home runs. They were among the best hitters of their eras, yet only one (Bagwell) received even 40% of votes to make it in the Hall. To varying degrees the word ‘steroids’ has something to do with that. Most everyone knows about McGwire and Palmeiro and their appearance before Congress. Martinez and Bagwell, however, have never been reported or even accused with any shred of evidence of any involvement with performance enhancing drugs.

To be fair, voters have made cases against them both that have nothing to do with PEDs. Martinez, with 309 home runs, a .312 career batting average, a .933 OPS and an outstanding 127 OPS+ should, by all accounts, be a surefire Hall of Famer. But the fact that he spent the majority of his career as a designated hitter turns some voters off. I find this line of thinking absurd. Would he really have been a better player, or more valuable to his team, if he had played below average defense, like many former players enshrined in Cooperstown, while putting up those numbers? This wouldn’t even have been much of an issue with Martinez, however, as he was actually a solid third baseman before suffering injuries which led the Mariners to put him in the DH role. Because it was best for the team. So how is that a negative against him?

My larger point here is that DH is a position in baseball, and Edgar Martinez is the best DH of all time. Others, Paul Molitor for example, spent a lot of time as DH but because they also played in the field are in the Hall. But where is the cutoff for spending too much time at DH? Half of a player’s at bats? A quarter? Obviously, it makes no sense to put arbitrary limits on such a thing, but that just illustrates the point that it makes no sense to leave such a great hitter out of the Hall of Fame.

Another reason for Martinez’s low vote totals may just be the fact that he played in the steroid era and is guilty by association. Or, even if that isn’t the exact thinking of voters, his numbers just don’t mean the same had he put them up in the 70s or 80s. Even more so than that, Jeff Bagwell is fighting an actual perception from some voters that he did take, or may have taken, PEDs. This, mind you, is without even a shred of proof. The only thing one can say when making a case that he took PEDs is that he came into pro ball as a skinny kid and became one of the more muscular players in the game. I mean, it’s not as if someone can gain strength and mass simply by lifting weights and working hard. Oh, wait…

Without getting into a specific debate about what constitutes PEDs and the difference between what you can buy at your local GNC and what is considered illegal by Major League Baseball (lists, by the way, which often overlap) I want to touch on the idea that voters can leave someone out based on unsubstantiated allegations.

With Martinez you can make a case, albeit a poor one in my opinion, that he is not a Hall of Famer – steroids or no steroids. But with Bagwell it seems that a lot of voters agree that his numbers alone would get him in the Hall, but they think he took PEDs so they won’t vote him in. This is absolutely ridiculous. And not only is it not fair to Bagwell, it’s not fair to all the clean players who will come after him. For all the voters who are on their high horse about this and want to part in trying to figure out who did or didn’t take PEDs, I say make it easy on yourself. Either stop trying to guess and go only on what you know, or give up your vote.

One more thing on Bagwell for the (probably small) contingent that doesn’t think he has the numbers to be in the Hall. Not only did he have 449 Home Runs, a .297 batting average, .948 OPS and 149 OPS+ while playing in the pitcher friendly Astrodome, but he stole 202 bases while playing above average defense. He was a complete, and terrific, player. He played alongside Craig Biggio for 15 seasons as the faces of the Astros franchise. Biggio, with over 3,000 hits is very likely to make it in the Hall, possibly even on the first ballot as voters may reward him for having no links to PEDs and for playing his entire career with one team. And while I love Biggio, he is one of my favorite players of all time, Bagwell simply was better. His 111 OPS+ is nowhere near Bagwell’s, and while they did play much different offensive roles this still illustrates how much more of prolific hitter Bagwell was.

This is not to take anything away from Biggio, as I would vote him for him in a heartbeat; it is just a good comparison considering all their years played together, the majority of when their home park was as bad a hitter’s park as you could find in the 90s. But if you vote Biggio in, you have to vote Bagwell in. And if you don’t vote either of them in, then you might was well stop voting altogether.

 Jeff is entering his second season with the ‘Dads and first as the director of food & beverage.  The Oneonta, NY native joined the Crawdads in 2011 as a concessions assistant, and has previously worked with the Oneonta Outlaws as a sports marketing intern.  Jeff is a die-hard fan of the Philadelphia Phillies and North Carolina Tar Heels.

The Hickory Crawdads are hosting the 2012 Prep Baseball Showcase Showdown at L.P. Frans Stadium on Saturday, March 3. The showcase will consist of four exciting match-ups featuring high school teams from around the area, including rematches from last year’s Class 3A and Class 4A State Championship Series. The first game of the showcase will start at 9 a.m. Leading up to the event each game will be previewed here.

Game 2: 11:30 a.m.

Cherryville Ironmen vs Randleman Tigers

Cherryville Head Coach Scott Heavner leads the class 1A Ironmen into battle against the defending 2A State Champion Randleman Tigers. Cherryville went 20-9 (10-2 in 2A/1A Southern Piedmont League) in 2011 while the Tigers defeated 2010 State Champion East Rutherford 2 games to 1 in dramatic fashion when shortstop Dylan Richardson took the relay from left fielder Tyler Walls before hitting catcher Zack Bach to nail what would have been the tying run at the plate, and instead gave them the state title.

Seniors Will Albertson and Dylan Richardson help lead the Tigers offensive attack. Albertson, a catcher and outfielder, hit .476 with 9 doubles and 6 home runs. Richardson, a shortstop, hit .524 with 7 doubles and 6 home runs while going 1-0 with one save in four appearances on the mound.

Easton Welch (Jr.) is the top pitcher returning for the Tigers. He went 5-0 with four complete games, 2 shutouts and 1.21 ERA in 2011.

Randleman, under head coach Van Hurley, comes into the year ranked number one in the class 2A rankings and Cherryville is number five in the preseason 1A poll from Impact Baseball.

Check back for the preview of the second game between the South Point Red Raiders and Northeast Guilford Rams. For more information on the event click here, and for tickets click here.