Same Name, Same Game: MLB

I was looking through the box scores a few nights ago, when I stumbled across a name I hadn't heard in a long time: Mark McLemore.

I remembered McLemore as a utility player for the Rangers and Mariners, and I wondered if he was making a comeback, Julio Franco style. I clicked the link to see his profile, only to see that this Mark McLemore was a white, rookie relief pitcher for the Astros.

Same name, different guy.

My next thought, naturally, was how many other pairings of MLB players have shared a name? With a little help from baseball-reference.com, here's the list I came up with. See if you can add to it, with the only limiting criteria being that at least one of the players should still be playing.

• Ramon Martinez - There was the pitcher (Pedro's older brother), and now there is the utility infielder.
  
  
• Luis Gonzalez - One will be forever remembered for his 2001 World Series-winning bloop, the other is just commencing what projects to be a decent career with the Colorado Rockies.
  
  
• Chris Young - Both of these guys are still going strong. There is the 6'10 Padres pitcher, and there is the Diamondbacks outfielder.
  
  
• Joe Smith - You'd think there would be dozens of Joe Smiths down the annals of baseball history, but that's not the case. One is a Mets rookie this season, and the other was a footnote on the 1913 Yankees.
  
  
• Randy Johnson - There are three, actually. In addition to the Big Unit that we all know and love, there were two Randy Johnsons in the early 1980s.
  
  
• Doug Davis - One is a solid, middle of the rotation pitcher for the Diamondbacks, the other collected one hit in 13 Major League at-bats.
  
  
• Jose Reyes - There's the NL MVP candidate, of course, but a player by the same name who had a cup of coffee with the Cubs last season.
  
  
• Craig Wilson - The lone remaining Craig Wilson has been a tremendous disappointment to the Yankees and the Braves. The other two were utility men who belted a total of eight homers; one in the late 1980s - early 1990s, and the other in the late 1990s.
  
  
• Jarod Saltalamacchia - Just kidding, there's only one! Seriously, though, I think I'm about spent on this game. Anyone else want to try?

Is it a Sport: X Games?

I've gotten a couple of comments lately on my debate about the merits of cheerleading as a sport, so I thought now might be a good time to pull out another Is it a Sport post.

And since the X Games 13 (wouldn't that be confusing if they used Roman numerals) is just starting, I figured that would be a good place to start.

I don't know many people who participate in extreme sports -- which to my knowledge include skateboarding, BMX biking, motocross, and a few other events -- but it seems like everyone who does has broken one bone at least once, if not multiple bones multiple times. Would the millions of weekend warriors lay it all on the line for an activity that isn't a sport?

Why the X Games might be considered a sport

I thought I'd stumbled upon something when I couldn't find anything about the X Games on ESPN; then I realized ESPN had created an entirely separate EXPN site. They must take it pretty seriously, or at least believe they can make a lot of money in the deal.

And then there is the risk factor mentioned above. In this morning's highlights of yesterday's action, I saw a skateboarder attempt a huge jump, only to lose his board and freefall 40 feet to the ramp. Ouch!

From what I can tell, the risk is a big part of what makes these activities so appealing. And take a look around: millions of kids around the country are getting into the so-called extreme sports, so much so that building skate parks has become a fad in many US cities.

Why the X Games might not be considered a sport

X Games activities are all about big speed, big jumps, big risk. But only since 1995 have these activities had a major forum for competition. And as we've discussed before, competition is a critical component for qualification as a sport.

Here's what I mean: if you take an activity that has historically been considered purely recreational, create a venue and throw some money at it, does that qualify it as a sport?

The other thing is physical fitness. If you're thinking right now that I couldn't do that stuff, save your breath. I can't. But I also can't do accounting, engineering, or architecture. While many of the X Games participants are extremely athletic, I'm not sure how much of an edge physical fitness gives them.

No one out there is fat, of course, but are these guys lifting weights, sprinting, or even jogging to better their chances at gold?

Final Ruling: X Games are not sports
Certainty: Varying degrees. Skateboarding is a lot closer to being a sport than motocross. Perhaps I shouldn't have lumped them all together.

Tony Dungy's Book Quietly a Bestseller

In the four-plus months since I opened shop at All on the Field, I've received a handful of emails encouraging me to promote this TV show or that product.

Of course, I've politely declined, because I don't view myself as a marketing puppet -- err, agent -- for those companies who are just out to make a buck.

I received no such request, however, from Tony Dungy or Tyndale Publishers, who published Dungy's new book, Quiet Strength. But for some reason -- even though I've yet to read the book myself -- I still feel compelled to promote it in whatever way possible.

Actually, there are several reasons:

• Dungy is a different kind of coach. Yelling and screaming has become the norm for football coaches these days, and guys like Jon Gruden seem to think they're the 12th man out there. But Dungy maintains his composure, and even after a blown assignment, he looks as if he's asking his player what he had for breakfast that morning. I have a lot of respect for that.
  
  
• Dungy is a winner. A lot of people thought the coaching style referenced above couldn't get the job done, but the Colts proved that wrong last year. I think Dungy, who was part of the 1979 Super Bowl champion Steelers, is a more fiery competitor than people realize.
  
  
• Dungy has overcome tremendous adversity. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for Dungy to persevere until he got a shot at head coach in 1995. Becoming a head coach is a tough enough journey on its own, much less having to overcome racial stereotypes and prejudices on the way.
  
  But the bigger adversity Dungy has overcome is the suicide death of his son, James, in 2005. Dungy went through a significant grieving process, but instead of going into hiding, he used the tragedy as an opportunity to reach out to others.
  
  
• Dungy is a family man. We all know that work can take up a lot of time, energy, and thought. Whatever your job is, multiply all that times 10 and you're probably approaching what it takes to be a successful NFL coach. But Dungy swims upstream, and he has consistently made time with his family a priority.

Quiet Strength is about to become a bestseller, so I don't know how much additional promotion it needs. What I do know is that Tony Dungy is a heck of a man, a rare example of a sports figure we can look up to on and off the field.

So, even if you're not a Colts fan -- or even much of a football fan -- do me a favor and go pick up a copy of the book. I will if you will.



UPDATE: For those of you who found this post by a Google search, welcome to All on the Field. Please feel free to take a look around, read a few other posts, and definitely check back in.

Since writing this post almost three weeks ago, I have kept my end of the "bargain" by buying Dungy's book. I'm about halfway through it, so I can give you a brief review.

If you're looking for a book about Xes and Os, this isn't it. Dungy definitely talks football, but only in the greater context of life and values. Of course, this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise if you know anything about the man.

Quiet Strength talks about a lot of the values Dungy lives by, such as faith, patience, and perseverance. Dungy realizes that these qualities supersede anything that take place on the football field, and his life is a testament to that fact.

Midsummer Blockbuster -- With a Twist

Okay, so I was wrong when I predicted that there wouldn't be any blockbuster deals at the MLB trading deadline.

Many minor (and a few somewhat major) deals were swung in baseball today, but it was the NBA that stole the show. As I am short on time and energy this evening, I'll put down a few thoughts and point you to a couple of good links on the day's goings on.

In baseball, the Texas Rangers stole the show. You may be wondering what in the world I'm talking about, but they received a boatload of highly-rated prospects in two separate deals. Yes, they gave up slugger Mark Texiera and lights-out closer Eric Gagne, but they also saved a ton of money and made huge progress toward the future.

The Rangers weren't going anywhere this year anyway, but I have a lot of respect for Jon Daniels' forward-thinking. Look for the Rangers to contend in 2-3 years; how does a Rangers-Marlins World Series sound in 2010?

For much more in-depth analysis of today's baseball trades, I'd recommend MLB Trade Rumors.

But the truly momentous news of the day belonged to the Boston Celtics, who landed Kevin Garnett. It's not every day you can add a five year 20-10-5 guy, and it's not every season when you can fill your lineup with the likes of Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen.

Celtics' GM Danny Ainge clearly expects this team to win now, but I'd be surprised if they do. The talent is obviously there, but I have a lot of questions about how three superstars will gel together. Two was a crowd in Los Angeles; why are we to believe three will be company in Beantown?

Time will tell, though. In the meantime, check out a post on the subject by Andrew at Empty the Bench, who thinks the deal was a great one for both sides.

How to Sell a Book, by Jose Canseco

While two of his more honorable contemporaries spent the weekend in Cooperstown, Jose Canseco tried to grab some headlines of his own.

Canseco, whose noted literary career continues with a second book this fall, claims he has some "other stuff" on Alex Rodriguez.

Powerful words from a powerful man, and it makes us all wonder, could "other stuff" mean steroids?

In Canseco's own words, "wait and see."

Ladies and gentlemen, that's how you sell a book.

In all seriousness, I predict Canseco will say that he witnessed or heard about Rodriguez taking amphetamines. It would be sort of a big deal if we found out A-Rod was using the Greenies now, but before 2006 everybody did it. In fact, not using was considered the exception.

I speculate, but I seriously doubt that actual steroids are part of the equation.

As for Canseco's credibility on the subject, I have mixed feelings. Canseco and Rodriguez were never teammates, but they played in the same league for eight years.

Canseco also doesn't strike me as the most trustworthy of sources, but much of what he wrote in Juiced has been proven true. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have predicted Palmeiro to be using the juice.

One thing I know for sure is that Canseco is not winning any friends in the baseball establishment, and any attempts for a 19th comeback as a right-handed, knuckle-curve throwing specialist out of the bullpen is looking doubtful.

Anything to sell a book and make a buck, I guess.