Skip to main content

The Field of My Dreams



Because this blog will be mostly coming from a fantastical basis, and the prompt was not contrived by myself, I will take the liberty of making the most of this day dream (or dream day) by changing some things about the athletic department here at Southern Utah University.

If you have read any of my earlier posts, it would be clear that I grew up playing baseball.  In fact, it is my favorite sport.  My grandfather and I would show up nice and early on the crisp Saturday mornings at SUU's baseball field in Cedar City, Utah.  Watching both teams go through their warm-up routine was exhilarating and filled my whole body with a desire to one day play on that very same field, wearing that very same black and red Thunderbirds jersey.

Image result for Suu baseball field

Sipping a Pepsi and eating sunflower seeds, we would sit behind the guy with the radar gun who was keeping track of how fast each pitch was coming in.  Every time that radar gun registered a pitch that was over 90 mph I would turn and grin and my grandpa, who would return my excitement with a similar expression.  The ping of the bat, the wind blowing in from center field, the mountains that towered over us and Centrum Area behind the left field fence all seemed to add a hint of glamour to the stage.

Sadly, with SUU's entrance into the Big Sky conference, baseball was no longer required.  With the program not being one of great financial worth, it was cut and now the glorious field that I dreamed of playing on is now a dreaded soccer field.  I don't have anything against soccer, but it just doesn't compare to baseball in my mind.

That would be my one single move as the Athletic Director of SUU.  To bring back my baseball team and help fulfill those dreams of the local high school players that are similar to what I was.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hey Now, You're an All-Star?

Have you ever bought what looked like a big box of candy (my preference would be something like Milk Duds or Skittles) and walked out of the store with your mouth watering only to find that this “big” box just holds a little tiny bag of that favorite candy you just paid for?   Disappointment, frustration, anger, even a loss of appetite. This is how I feel when I clear an evening to watch the NBA All-Star Game. There are a few things that are fundamentally wrong with this game and the advertisement that is surrounding it.   There is something even more wrong with the people who pay so much to go and worship a group of athletes who half-try in a competition against the “best in the world”.   But, if you were one of the players in this game, and there was next to nothing to gain for winning, and everything to lose if you get hurt, who could blame you for not playing hard and putting on a good display of effort and skill.   And how many players have fallen off the...

Recap: NBA Finals Game 4

CLEVELAND, OHIO -- After scoring a monster 86 points in the first half on Friday, June 9th, the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to defeat the Golden State Warriors in game 4 of the NBA Finals by a final score of 137-116. The Cav's point guard Kyrie Irving put up a walloping 40 points as he and LeBron James led the way to victory.  An important note to make is that the Cavs had three of the top five leading scorers in this game four matchup with Kyrie, LeBron and Kevin Love all scoring more than 20 points and combining for 94 points altogether. The usually handle-savvy Warriors turned the ball over 12 times and recorded only 5 steals while giving up 11 offensive rebounds.  When basketball is considered a game of possessions, it is hard to overlook these statistics and not attribute them to a key factor in this loss for the Warriors. A major statistic that may boggle some minds is that the Cavaliers recorded 24 three-pointers, while the Warriors recorded only 11....

Southern Utah Rivals

The Kanab Cowboys and Parowan Rams have been playing against each other since the beginning of time, it seems.  There is something that is very unique about this so called "rivalry", and it is definitely worth noting.  It has been nearly 70 years since the Rams have outscored the Cowboys in a gridiron grind-out.  Yes, nearly 70 years since the Rams have beaten the Cowboys.  But, there is something stirring in the water this football season that just might become an even more interesting situation.  The new Parowan Football Head Coach, Carter Miller, played college football with Kanab Football Head Coach, Bucky Orton.  Bucky reportedly texted Carter upon hearing about his new job in Parowan with an explicit version of, "Oh, shoot!"  With the implication that the near 70 year streak Kanab has over the Rams may be in jeopardy, especially when it is taken into account that some of the best talent around was part of that Miller-package fo...