June, 2012 | DeKalb TV

Baseball Rules, Written & Unwritten

I was talking with my good friend Larry at lunch the other day, and the topic turned to the rules of the game of baseball, and the enforcement of those rules by umpires.

Larry and I have both umpired a number of youth baseball games over the years, as well as both of us doing our fair share of coaching. I’m talking 20+ years of experience for each.

We’ve both seen and heard some comments from fans, as well as coaches that just want to make you shake your head.

One of the most common things that you hear is “the tie goes to the runner.” Years ago, I had a coach come up to me after a close game that his team lost to my team, and his comment was “I can’t believe that that umpire who worked our game would not admit that the tie goes to the runner on a bang-bang play at first base.” What this coach, or any coach who utters that phrase is only showing ignorance of the rules. If anyone can show me a rule book that states that “the tie goes to the runner,” I’ll eat the rule book on the spot. There is no such rule. In baseball, there is no such thing as a tie. It’s either safe, or out. No questions asked.

Spot Behind Centerfield Fence at Thomas Park in Auburn

A situation happened the other day down at the Little League where a coach was screaming for his first baseman to tag a runner who had just been called safe at first because the runner had turned to his left to go to first base. When the umpire would not call the runner out, the coach was irate. If he had read his rule book, he would know that the runner has to make an “athletic” move towards second before the umpire can deem that he was trying to advance.

I’ve seen parents sit behind the fence in centerfield at old Thomas Park in Auburn berating the umpire for missing balls & strikes calls. The umpire is about 2-3 feet from home plate when he makes his call. Those parents were more than 200 feet away.

Something else that grinds my gears that you are seeing more and more of, is that when a runner is on second base, and he signals to the hitter what he thinks the pitch is going to be, that means that the next time up to bat for that baserunner, he is getting hit by a pitch. It happened just the other night in my son’s Summer league baseball game. This is something that goes on all the time. You try to figure out the other teams signals. Sorry Mr. Catcher, or Mr. Coach, if you can’t change your signs when there is a runner on second, I guess you really probably aren’t smart enough to be coaching.

When people scream and yell, especially at the youth levels of baseball, and they are let’s say, mis-informed on rules, it’s only an embarrassing situation not just for the person doing it, but for their children as well.

Bob Feller – A True American Hero

There was a lot of news splashed across the sports pages last week about the “lying to congress” trial of Roger Clemens. In one of the articles that I read, it said that Clemens might be the greatest right-handed pitcher in all of the history of baseball.

With no due respect, because in my opinion he doesn’t deserve any, Clemens can’t even be compared to the GREAT Bob Feller. Not as a pitcher, not as a hero, and not as a true ambassador to the game of baseball.

Bernie with Bob Feller, Spring Training 2009

Feller burst upon the scene of major league ball back in 1936, straight off of the farm in Van Meter, Iowa. He was 17 years old when he made his major league debut. Young in years, but not young in baseball acumen. And boy, could he bring the heat. When he first came up to the “bigs,” only the legendary Walter Johnson was compared to Feller in the speed in which he could bring the fastball. Throughout the ensuing years, maybe only Nolan Ryan could throw as hard.

Bob Feller’s career spanned the years of 1936-1956, all pitching for the Cleveland Indians. He had a career record of 266 wins, and 162 losses. Good, but not great you say?

If you are somewhat familiar with American History, you know that the worst armed conflict in the history of the WORLD started in 1941 for the United States. That conflict would be World War II.

When the 1941 baseball season ended, a season in which Feller won 25 games and threw 343 innings, he was one of the first Major League players to enlist in the armed forces. He became part of the United States Navy. He didn’t ask for any special treatment, like quite a few athletes and entertainers would do. He went straight to serving his time on battleships that were in the thick of battle mostly in the Pacific. He served his time honorably.

When the war finally ended in 1945, Feller had missed all of the 1942, 1943, 1944 seasons, and most of the 1945 season. These were prime years of his baseball career. Believe me when I tell you, he never once regretted how he had spent those years defending his country. I’m not going too much out on a limb when I say that he would have won 100 more games if he had not missed those years.

Back in Spring Training of 2009, my friend Bruce Frazier and I had the opportunity to attend a game between the Indians and the Texas Rangers out in Arizona. About the second inning, we noticed someone sitting over at a table on the concourse along the third base side. He was signing autographs. We went over to investigate.

It was the great Bob Feller.

I’m even choked up now as I write this as to how honored I was to meet him. We all chatted for a bit, and had our pictures taken with him. We ended up going home, and I had the pictures printed out. Bruce went back a few weeks later, while Mr. Feller was still signing, and had our pictures signed. I proudly display the picture in my home.

Unfortunately, though Mr. Feller was in pretty good health when we met him, later in 2010 his health deteriorated quickly, and he passed away in December of that year. He was 92 years old.

Bob Feller, baseball history, American history, baseball hero, and a true American hero. Rest in peace Bob.

New Monument at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

I had the opportunity over the weekend to be in Texas and to see two MLB baseball games between the Texas Rangers and the Colorado Rockies. I had never seen the Rockies play in person, so it was a neat experience from that perspective. Also, it gave me the chance to see Michael Cuddyer play, who is in his first year with Colorado.

Michael came up through the Minnesota Twins organization, and started his professional career playing for the Ft. Wayne Wizards in the late nineties. We got to know him at that time, and we will be doing a story on his career in an upcoming posting.

I have truly gained a loving affinity for the Rangers ballpark. It is a great place to watch baseball. My son Joey, who works for the Rangers, will always take me on a special tour, and it is fun to see different parts of the stadium from an employee’s perspective.

Bernie Next to Statue of Shannon Stone & Son Cooper

If you get the chance to go there and watch a game, there is a new Monument to see that is right outside of the West entrance. A statue has been erected that commemorates Fathers and their children going to the ballpark. The statue is also a memorial to Shannon Stone.

About a year ago, Stone and his son were attending a game there. Early in the game, as Josh Hamilton was running off the field at the end of an inning after making a play, he harmlessly tossed the ball towards Stone and his son, as he has done countless times with fans throughout his career. Tragically, as Stone went to catch the ball, he lost his balance and fell over the railing in front of him, and he fell about 20 feet to the concrete below. As he was quickly attended to by emergency personnel, his last words were that he was asking about his son (who was 6 yrs. old), and if his son was alright. He passed away a short time later at a local hospital.

The statue is a touching reminder as to how fragile that life is. Things can change in the blink of an eye. Live life to the fullest with the ones that you love, and do it each and every day.

Celebrating Fathers Day

This past weekend, as happens every year in mid-June, “Fathers Day” was celebrated across the USA.

For me, I was truly blessed to have not only a great Dad, but a great Father-in-Law as well. Both of these wonderful men taught me so much in the game of life, that it would be impossible to ever attempt to give back to them all that they gave to me. In so many different ways, they didn’t talk a good game, they led by example.

All that I can do, is to try to lead by example, and to make my 3 sons a reflection of all that my Dad & Father-in-law did for me.

What are the keys to producing that reflection of the excellence that was shown me? As my youngest son Ethan so eloquently pointed out to me a few years back when he was very sick at Riley Children’s Hospital, our lives are built around Faith, Family, and Friendship.

I’m proud to say that while the boys were growing up, Maureen & I always attended church with them each and every week. Our family developed a strong spiritual bond that can only help to enhance a solid set of morals, as well as work ethic.

We would do a lot of things together, as a family. Even when money was tight, we would find ways to travel, to experience different things, do things that would help to expand your mind and make you think.

We read together, played together, worked together, grew together, and most importantly, prayed together.

If and when my boys would start a family, I only hope that they can pass along some of the same life’s lessons that were passed to me, and that Maureen & I have hopefully instilled in them.

To me, the greatest gift in all of this, is for your kids to grow up, and to become good, solid, moralistic contributing members of society.

Happy Fathers Day to my “Dads,” Ben Prebynski & Joe Pecko. Happy Fathers Day as well to my Joey, my Brandon, and my Ethan. You all have truly blessed my life, and made me very happy.

Note: I will be traveling out of town this week. My next article will appear Tuesday, 7/3. Thanks! – Bernie

America’s Past-time on “The Rock”

In a previous post, I talked about being in San Francisco a few weeks back and being able to see Norwell’s Jarrod Parker almost throw a no-hitter.

While in “the City by the bay,” I had the opportunity to see the game of baseball from a different perspective, and what it meant to a certain group of people in our not so long ago past.

One of my personal “bucket list” items was the chance to visit the old Alcatraz Prison that sits on an island in the middle of San Francisco bay. We made the arrangement for tickets a few weeks ahead of time, because if you don’t, there’s a good chance you will get shut out of going out to the island on a certain day.

Once you get out to “The Rock,” if you enjoy history, you will be immediately mesmerized by the whole atmosphere of what went on in the past, as well as its current state.

It is a self guided tour, and you can take as much time on the island as you like. When you get to the cell block, where the prisoners were kept, you are given headphones to listen to someone guide you through what went on in every nook and cranny of the prisoner’s quarters.

When the “guide” led you out into the “recreation area” of the yard, I was particularly enthralled. Even though it is now dirt, dusty, weedy, and most of all lonely, you can picture how it was from 1934 until it closed in 1963 for the prisoners when trying to pass their time.

The favorite way to pass time, and get a little bit of exercise as well, was to play the great game of baseball. You can still see how the “diamond” was lined up, and where the hitters and pitchers did their thing. There were a number of prison teams back then, and from the way it was described, some pretty good players to boot.

As you can see from the picture, due to space constrictions, it wasn’t that long of a shot to hit one over the center field fence. I’d guess about 250 feet. We were told that if you hit it over the fence, that it was an automatic out.

Only on weekends were you allowed to play baseball in the recreation area. Two and a half hours on Saturday, and two and a half hours on Sunday, and may I say, the time had to be earned.

It was truly a learning experience, and something that I will not soon forget.

Brown & Brown, Little League Champions

I was working at my office yesterday when I realized that the date of June 14th had some special meaning for me. It was 8 years ago to the day that my Major Little League team had won the Auburn City Championship.

Brown & Brown, 2004 Auburn Little League Champions

There are obviously special moments or times in all of our lives. But that night was truly magical for a number of young men who worked tremendously hard to accomplish a sports related goal that at one time seemed so far off and impossible to get to.

Just two short years before, my first year of coaching this team, we went 0-19. At that age, do you think that this group of kids didn’t take a lot of heckling from some of their peers at school?

But you know what, that year’s 12 year old group continued to work hard, and the 10 & 11 year old’s stayed focused and worked hard as well, and the team started to develop a “vibe.” We might not have won any games, but we had fun, and we learned the game of baseball – together.

During the Winter, the kids & I would get together on Sunday’s, at the old McIntosh gym, and we would do baseball related stuff, and we further developed that team “vibe.”

That next Summer, led by our now 12 year old’s Nathan Haley, Taylor Ladd, Phil Michlow, Kevin Laher, Adam Middleton, and Kyle Wehr, Brown & Brown promptly lost their first 2 games of the season.

Then it started to click, and the hard work started to pay off. A 13 game winning streak followed, and Brown & Brown was sitting atop the standings. They would finish 14-3, which was the best record in the league. A championship game loss to Jim Tremble’s Elks team still did not dampen what this team had accomplished in the course of a year.

We would continue our workouts over the ensuing Winter, and when the 2004 season started, Brown & Brown was on a mission. The team once again finished 14-3, which was good for overall 1st place.

After a semi-final win over Auburn Motors, Brown & Brown would face Wible’s in the championship game.

Wible’s got out to an early 2 run lead thanks to a Scott Baker home run. But then in the first 2 innings, Brown & Brown would put 10 runs on the board, keyed by a Shea Parrish grand slam home run, and Brown & Brown never looked back. They would win the game 11-7, and they will always have on their resume the 2004 Auburn City Little League Championship.

I am forever grateful, and will always have a special place in my heart for Ethan Prebynski, Casey Weaver, Shea Parrish, Zach Vance, Karl Scattergood, Jake Hammel, Landon Emenhiser, Tyson Stewart, Sean McGuiggen, Nate Hinrichsen, and Andrew Davis.

Also, to my coaches throughout those 3 years, Dan Middleton, Bill Weaver, and Ernie Vance, thank you as well.

As a side note, Prebynski, Weaver, Parrish, Vance, & Emenhiser all went on to play high school baseball for Dekalb, and Davis was a team manager.

Thanks again, and God bless all of you!

Dekalb’s Boys of Summer

Over the years, Dekalb High School has been the “breeding ground” for many baseball players who have gone on to play at the collegiate level, as well as the professional level.

Currently, Jarrett Grube, class of 2000, is playing at the AAA level with the Seattle Mariners. Since Jarrett graduated from Dekalb, there have been a number of players who have made their mark playing college baseball.

Some who come to mind from the 2000’s include Troy Krider, Scott Hartman, Kevin Carper, Joey Prebynski, Chris Hansen, Jimmy Long, Kyle Beckman, Lyndon Coleman, Adam Sanborn, Caleb Ehmke, Colton Miller, Jonathon Knowles, and Skyler Rottger to name a few.

On Tuesday night down in Fort Wayne, 4 ex-Dekalb players, all currently playing at the college level, found themselves competing in a game in the Fort Wayne over 18 Summer League.

Logan Sparkman, Zach Pfafman, Ethan Prebynski, & Jarrod Forrest

Zach Pfafman, who plays at Evansville, Logan Sparkman, playing at Oakland, and Ethan Prebynski, playing for Trine were playing on one team, while Jarrod Forrest, who plays at Bellarmine, was on the other team.

It was a good game that had some good pitching, some timely hits, and for the most part, some good defense.

It was just a lot of fun watching these guys compete, who for so many years I watched grow up and become solid baseball players, as well as good young men.

You know what the best part is? This Sunday, these same 2 teams hook up in a doubleheader up at Trine University in Angola, and I’ll have the opportunity to watch them compete not just for one game, but for two.

As the umpire likes to say, “PLAY BALL!!”

Norwell’s Jarrod Parker, Oh So Close to a No-No

Last Monday night, I had the pleasure of being at the Oakland Coliseum to watch a baseball game that presented quite a bit of intrigue for me.

Parker Warming Up Early in the Game vs. Texas

Jarrod Parker, from Norwell High School is Ossian, Indiana (NHC Conference Member), was going to be going to be pitching against my beloved Texas Rangers.

If you recall, it was back in 2007 that Parker led Norwell to the state championship, who had an unblemished 35-0 record. He was then drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round (top ten) of the amateur draft. Arizona traded him to Oakland this past off season.

Parker was dominant from the get-go. He was in total command, as he had the Rangers off balance and hitless through the first seven innings.

Going into that seventh inning, Parker had thrown 103 pitches. He had three innings to go, and not a lot of pitches left if he was going to throw a no-hitter. Manager Bob Melvin had to be squirming on the Oakland bench as he probably knew that Parker most likely wouldn’t be able to finish the game, whether the no-no was intact or not.

When Parker got through the seventh inning by retiring Texas on only 4 pitches, the door was still cracked, if only slightly, that Parker might be able to finish the game.

The Athletics certainly have to be very careful with the health of Parker’s valuable right arm. He has already had “Tommy John” surgery, and they certainly can’t take any chances by stretching him out any further than need be.

So with having thrown 107 pitches, the 8th inning got under way. One of the best contact hitters in the game, Michael Young, led off for the Rangers. On the first pitch, Young shot a hard grounder up the middle for a clean single. In the blink of an eye, the no hitter was gone.

Oakland won the game 12-1. Parker got the win. (Melvin took him out shortly after the Young base hit).

It was a performance to remember by “one of our own” from NE Indiana. Happy to say, I was one of the one’s there to be able to enjoy it in person.

Little League Cathedrals

During my life, I’ve had the true honor of being able to be part of Little League Baseball at 2 very different, but very unique baseball facilities.

One, Hamlin Field in Akron, Ohio, where I played in the mid 1960’s. And two, Thomas Park here in Auburn, In., where I coached for many years during the 90’s & 2000’s.

Speaking nostalgically about my youth, it was truly a different time and place. From early Spring, to late Summer, the world revolved around Hamlin field. At that time, there were 6 “major league” teams. You had to try out. Unfortunately, many kids were cut, something that you don’t see today. I was cut the first time that I tried out after my third grade year in school. I was so devastated, that I didn’t try out the next year. Then after my fifth grade year of school, I tried out again, made the Dodgers, and played 2 years in the “majors.”

Even though the Dodgers had two sixth place finishes, some of my best memories from childhood focused on those 2 years of Little League baseball.

Visitors Dugout at Thomas Park Along 3rd Base Line

When my sons started playing here in Auburn, I got involved in coaching. I derived just as much enjoyment, if not more, from coaching as I did playing. I certainly look back with a sense of accomplishment on how many young lives that I hope to have touched in even a small, positive way.

Unfortunately, they stopped playing baseball at Hamlin Field in Akron many years ago. It’s now just a weedy, grown over field sitting next to the Hamlin Steel Co. Part of it is also a parking lot.

With the new Rieke Park in Auburn, Little League Baseball moved away from Thomas Park a few years ago. Some teams still practice there, but I’m sure that in a few years, it will go the way of Hamlin Field in Akron.

So many great memories, so many great times. Rest in peace Hamlin & Thomas.