The Centennial Soapbox

The Coors Field Factor

wtnelson = Big Chief — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:43:51 GMT

This post has been a long time coming. I've been saying for months that I am going to post a blog dedicated to educating the masses about the real impact of the so-called "thin air" in the Mile High City, and I've finally decided to get around to posting it. Through the years, everyone from the casual baseball observer to the most ardent sabermetric statistician has postulated that many offensive statistics at Coors Field can be attributed in large part - sometimes even completely - to playing in the high altitude. You are about to find out that, while there is definitely some truth to that, the logic behind most of the conversation is flawed. I am going to tell you about the effects of the altitude, much of the reason for inflated offensive statistics, and the infamous humidor. The Coors Field Factor likely does not stem from what you think it stems from.

Believe it or not, there have been many university studies done on the effect of altitude on the flight of a baseball. I have read several of these studies, and the statistics seem to show that a baseball travels anywhere from 4-10% further in the 5,277 foot altitude at Coors Field than it would at sea-level. Most of the numbers seem to be in the 5% range. To expound on this point further, it is helpful to simulate the situation. Take a baseball game played in two different cities - say, Miami and Denver - with the exact same pitcher, the exact same hitter, the exact same pitch, the exact same weather conditions, and the ball struck exactly the same. A ball that would travel 400 feet in Miami would travel about 420-430 feet in Denver. To put it another way, a ball that would die on the warning track in Miami would land in the first row of seats in Coors Field. This is due to simple physics - there is less pressure in Denver due to the higher altitude, so the oxygen molecules in the air are more spread out, thus causing less drag on the baseball. While there is a difference in the two, the effect of altitude is actually rather miniscule compared to what one may think or hear.

While it is true that Coors Field is still a very, very good offensive ballpark, and it still relinquishes its share of homeruns, it is a fact that the numbers are nowhere near what they were in the first ten years of the park's existence. In fact, Coors Field ranked 13th among Major League stadiums in homeruns in 2009 at 2.2/game, tied with Chase Field and Comerica Park. This is still above average, but it goes to show that the altitude does not affect the flight of the ball in ways that you may think that it does. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of the much-talked-about humidor.

What caused baseballs to jump off of bats in the early days of Coors Field? It is actually quite the opposite of the effects of high altitude. Take something that is sealed in a material that doesn't breathe - a bag of potato chips, for example - into a higher altitude, and you will find that it expands due to the lack of pressure. In breathable materials, the opposite happens, since there is less moisture in the air at higher altitudes. To understand the effect that the region plays on baseballs, you have to know a little more about the geography of Colorado. In Colorado's semi-arrid climate, the air is very, very dry. When relative humidity gets above 30% along the Colorado Front Range, we say that it is "muggy" outside. In air this dry, what happens is that moisture and oxygen are removed from materials that breathe, such as leather. To demonstrate, take a new pair of leather boots that fit comfortably on your feet, and go into the mountains. You will find that they tighten as the moisture in them is removed, and they will become quite stiff and uncomfortable.

In fact, that is exactly how the humidor came to be. Tony Cowell, a Coors Field electrician, had this very thing happen to him in the early part of this decade during a hunting trip in the Rocky Mountains. As he thought about it, he realized that perhaps this could be a contributor to the homerun totals at Coors Field. He took his theory to Colorado Rockies president Kelli McGregor, who started measuring some old baseballs that were laying around. Sure enough, they were significantly smaller than the new baseballs, and even older baseballs from other parks. As it turns out, moisture and oxygen being drawn out of baseballs in storage was the single largest contributing factor to the flight of baseballs at Coors Field. As they dried, the cores became dense, the baseballs became slick and harder to throw, and the baseballs essentially turned into oversized BB's. There was no cushion to soften the blow of the bat. The difference between hitting a standard baseball and a Coors Field baseball would be akin to the difference between throwing a rock and an apple at a wall. This is how the humidor came to be. Since 2002, baseballs have been stored in the Coors Field humidor (which is similar to a walk-in meat freezer) at 70 degrees and 50% humidity. They no longer fly the same, and pitchers have an easier time gripping them. From 1993-2001, baseball games in Denver averaged 13.83 runs and 3.2 homeruns per game. From 2002-2006, those numbers changed to 12.25 and 2.58, respectively. In 2006 alone, average runs per game had dropped to 10.72, a full 3 runs per game lower than what they had been.

This brings up two questions: Why was and is there still such a stark difference in home/road batting averages for Rockies players, and why does Coors Field still relinquish high offensive outputs? I'll answer the second question first. What makes Coors Field so attractive for hitters are the tremendous hitter's eye in center field and the extremely wide gaps in the outfield. The power alleys in left- and right-center field are nearly 430 feet deep. It is a haven for line drive, doubles hitters. Still, Petco Park, Comerica Park, and Citi Field all have comparable outfields, but they don't relinquish nearly as many hits. This is because outfielders in Coors Field still play much deeper than they do in any other ballpark to guard against the ball carrying more than it does anywhere else. This opens up a lot of ground in front of the outfielders. While I haven't seen any statistical data, I would venture to guess that much of the reason that Coors Field is such a great offensive park is due to the fact that it is easier to hit a single here than anywhere else. Routine fly-balls drop in for singles, bloopers find the grass, and line drives that may hang up and be caught somewhere else fall in because the outfielders play so deep.

The answer to the first question is a combination of the altitude and the dry air, and it is also the answer to the question of why it has been so difficult for pitchers to be successful here. The fact that outfielders don't play as deep anywhere else as they do in Denver also contributes. The main factor, though, is that the ball doesn't break in Denver as well as anywhere else, even today. This is where the "thin air" comes into play. Without the help of heavy air, pitchers really have to snap the ball to effectively throw a breaking ball. Not only can this play mind games with the pitcher, it also wears them out, and when you combine that with the fact that dehydration is much harder to defend against as you go higher, it can make pitcher's lives hell. Also, prior to the humidor coming into play, the slicker, denser balls were hard to grip and hard to throw. I have to believe that this contributes in large part to the Rockies' collective offensive woes on the road through the years. Coming off a long homestand where the ball doesn't break as much can be devastating to a team when they go on a road trip, particularly in the West where they've had to face pitchers like Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, Jason Schmidt, Brandon Webb, Tim Lincecum, and many more dominant arms through the years. When you combine breaking pitches that the players aren't used to with the changes in the way the game is played in other parks, you could imagine how difficult it is for the hitters to adjust.

I hope that this has been interesting for some of you to read. The Coors Field Factor is a very real thing, but it is nowhere near what it used to be, and it is still used to unfair ends in a lot of analyses. It has made for some very entertaining baseball games through the years, and it has given seamheads something to talk about since 1993. It will continue to be talked about, and it will continue to be an interesting topic. It is not nearly as significant as it once was, though, and hopefully its effects won't be overstated in the future.

The Rockies have run promotional commercials during games since 2007. This is one of the original Rockies commercials from that year. Pitchers Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook are sorting through baseballs in the humidor prior to a game.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSSHvVREPPw[/youtube]

Heart of the Game

wtnelson = Big Chief — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 20:27:40 GMT

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I have to imagine that July 23, 2007, was a day that had a similar resonance for a lot of fans of the Colorado Rockies. Though I wouldn't remember the date without looking it up, I can still remember the day. I turned on my TV to see the headline on ESPN's bottom line: "AA Tulsa Drillers 1st-base coach Mike Coolbaugh killed by line drive last night". When I first saw it on the ticker, I remember thinking that it was sad and unfortunate. Then I thought, "Wait a minute! The Drillers? That's the Rockies AA team!" Though I'd never heard of Mike Coolbaugh, I couldn't help feeling a little sick. Unfortunate circumstances always hit a little harder when they involve some sort of an emotional tie to those involved. Mike Coolbaugh's name is one that will likely never be forgotten by fans of the Rockies.

The events that surrounded Mike Coolbaugh's random, unfortunate, and tragic death on July 22, 2007, are chronicled beautifully in the book Heart of the Game: Life, Death, and Mercy in Minor League America, written by S.L. Price of Sports Illustrated. There are some works of literature that can touch a nerve, or a lot of nerves, in a positive way. Heart of the Game is one of those.

The book takes the reader through the lives of both Mike Coolbaugh and the man who hit the foul ball that took Coolbaugh's life, Tino Sanchez. Coolbaugh and Sanchez have stories that are unique, yet strikingly similar. To put it simply, they are two kindred baseball souls. Both had professional baseball careers that define the term "baseball lifer". Both were career minor-leaguers, but were on opposite ends of the spectrum. Coolbaugh was a guy that always seemed to get overlooked, despite putting up tremendous numbers year after year in AAA and being pretty successful in limited stints in the big leagues. Sanchez rarely made it above AA, the guy with the bad attitude that managed to transform himself into a great teammate and a great person. It seems almost fitting, in a way, that their lives would come together in such a random, tragic moment.

Coolbaugh was the high school star, the quarterback of his Texas football team. Sanchez was the kid in Puerto Rico that loved baseball and grew up playing for his father. Coolbaugh had a clear professional career in front of him, a born athlete, and everyone loved him. Sanchez was never the most talented player, and he occasionally had issues with his work ethic and coaches. Somehow, though, both men ended up spending a significant portion of their lives toiling away on minor league fields as "organizational players", and their paths eventually crossed in 2007.

Tino Sanchez likely would have been out of baseball after a year or two in Single-A ball if it weren't for the work of former Colorado Rockies coach Dave Collins. Collins saw a kid that was talented, but lacked the work ethic necessary to survive in the cutthroat business of professional baseball. Collins took Sanchez under his wing, and, though he probably knew that Sanchez didn't have a shot to make it in the big leagues, turned Sanchez into a hard-working minor league success story. Sanchez ended up being released by the Rockies organization after a few seasons, but came back later to serve in a backup veteran role for the Tulsa Drillers in 2006, staying on for the 2007 season.

Coolbaugh was drafted, like his brother Scott, in the middle rounds of the June Amateur draft, way back in 1992. He spent portions of 15 minor league seasons with a number of organizations, though much of his career was spent with the Houston Astros organization. He got some big league time with the Milwaukee Brewers, Astros, and St. Louis Cardinals, but was never more than a September call-up, despite putting up consistently good numbers in AAA and having more than a few great years in spring training. After 2006, Coolbaugh turned his attention to being a stay-at-home dad while looking for minor league coaching jobs. On July 3, 2007, he was hired by the Colorado Rockies to fill in as the hitting coach for the Tulsa Drillers for the remainder of the season. 19 days later, tragedy struck.

On July 22, 2007, the Drillers were playing the Arkansas Travelers in North Little Rock, Arkansas, a team that Coolbaugh had spent significant time with as a player. In the 8th inning, Tino Sanchez strode to the plate with a runner on first base, where Coolbaugh was standing in the first base coaches box. Sanchez lined a foul ball down the first base line that struck Coolbaugh in the neck, causing hemmorhaging. Coolbaugh essentially died on impact. It is the only time that a member of a professional baseball team has been killed by a batted ball in the history of professional baseball. Mike Coolbaugh's father said it best in an interview for the book when he said, "I could put you in the coaches box, and you wouldn't get hit in the head to kill you, even if you stood there for 50 years." It was just a strange, random event that will likely never be understood fully by anyone.

The Rockies are an easy team to be a fan of. Though they've never enjoyed much success as a franchise, 2007 was a special year. Everyone remembers the Rockies incredible turn-around in June of that year and the incredible late September and October run that landed the Rockies in the World Series. Despite all of the franchise's struggles, a decision that was made that postseason demonstrated why many of us find it easy to be a fan of the team. In this decade, they have always placed an emphasis on character and comraderie, and that has never shown through more than it did that year. The Rockies voted to give a full playoff share to Mike Coolbaugh's widow, Mandy Coolbaugh. The World Series loser's share amounted to $233,505.18. Unfortunately, this was a move that probably didn't receive the publicity that it should have, but it is one that will never go un-appreciated by the Coolbaugh family.

Heart of the Game reads as an intertwined biography of both Mike Coolbaugh and Tino Sanchez, including interviews with family members from before and after the tragic events of July 22, 2007. The candid interviews with Mike's parents and brother, as well as his widow Mandy, are tremendous. Price manages to capture the love of baseball beautifully by portraying two individuals that lived the love of baseball all of their lives. It truly cuts straight to the heart of the game, and it will cut straight to the heart of the fans as well. It is an amazing story of perseverence and tragedy, with a little bit of everyday life mixed in. It is a story well-worth every ounce of ink that was used to write it.

Justice Long Overdue

wtnelson = Big Chief — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:30:05 GMT

Yesterday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame veteran's committee took a monumental step in correcting a couple of mistakes that have been made numerous times over by the Hall of Fame voters. The committee anounced its two nominations for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the 2010 induction. The two names are Dick LeBeau and Floyd Little.

Both men are long overdue for Hall of Fame induction. Lebeau's resume as a player and a coach speaks for itself, and I'm not going to say too much about him. I never had the privilege of seeing either player play football other than the occasional classic NFL Network moments, but what LeBeau accomplished in his time as a player is remarkable. 67 interceptions is a monumental feat for a career, and his coaching career deserves stand-alone Hall consideration.

The player that I really want to talk about, though, is Little. Being a Denver Broncos fan, I can tend to have a jaded view of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and more specifically, the Hall of Fame voters. It's a mindset of Broncos fans. For whatever reason, there seems to be a bias against Broncos players getting into the Hall of Fame. It's not just a strict "east-coast bias" either. For proof, the Kansas City Chiefs have had 7 players inducted, as well as founder Lamar Hunt and coach Hank Stram. The Oakland Raiders have had 11 players inducted alongside owner Al Davis and coach John Madden. The San Diego Chargers have had 7 players inducted. Of those franchises, only the Raiders have a level of success that is comparable to that of the Broncos throughout the franchise's history. However, the Denver Broncos have had a grand total of just 2 players inducted to the Hall of Fame, and of those two, John Elway was the only one that spent a majority of his career in a Broncos uniform. Gary Zimmerman played more years in Minnesota than Denver, but went into the Hall as a Bronco out of loyalty to owner Pat Bowlen. Suffice it to say that the ill-will in Denver toward the Hall of Fame is not undeserved.

The 44-person selection committee can help rectify some of that by voting yes on Floyd Little next January. Little was the Broncos original franchise player. So much so, in fact, that it earned him the nickname "The Franchise" in the 1970's. It can be argued that Floyd Little is the reason that the Denver Broncos are still the Denver Broncos. When he came out of Syracuse in 1967, the Broncos were on the verge of moving out of Denver due to financial struggles. Bears Stadium (later renamed Mile High Stadium) needed to be expanded in order to sell enough tickets to make the team financially viable. Little signed with the Broncos, and fans couldn't wait to see him play. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that Floyd Little is the reason that Mile High Stadium became what it was and that fans in Denver fell in love with the Broncos. He was the original Denver Broncos superstar.

Little was one of the first "multi-purpose" running backs in NFL history. He ran. He blocked. He caught the ball out of the backfield. He returned kicks. He ran some more. In fact, by the time he retired from the NFL, Floyd Little was 7th all-time in rushing yards (the six guys ahead of Little at the time - Jim Brown, Jim Taylor, Joe Perry, OJ Simpson, Leroy Kelly, and John Henry Johnson - are all in the Hall of Fame). Even in those days, everyone in the media had labeled him a "future Hall-of-Famer". When it came time to consider Little for Hall of Fame induction, everyone figured he'd get in after a few years. It became a constant theme: "Wait for next year". The problem was, next year never came. Now, 29 years later, Next Year is finally next year for Floyd Little.

As a fan of the Denver Broncos, I can only hope that this opens the door for more Broncos to make it to the Hall of Fame. A case can be made that it was fitting that John Elway, the Duke of Denver, was the first, but Floyd Little should have been the first. Randy Gradishar should have been next. There are many others that arguably belong in the Hall of Fame - Dennis Smith, Louis Wright, Steve Atwater, Karl Mecklenburg, Shannon Sharpe, Rod Smith - it's a long list of Broncos. Maybe the voters will shut Little out, but it's doubtful, as 16 of the last 18 veteran's committee nominations have been inducted. All we can say is, it's about time. Here's hoping that the next crop of Bronco Hall of Famers don't have to wait as long as Little did.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Please Don't Feed the Wildlife

wtnelson = Big Chief — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:43:50 GMT

I've refrained from talking about steroids in baseball up until this point because, frankly, I really don't know where or how I come down on it. In my opinion, there is no right answer about what to do about steroids and the people that used them, though, admittedly, I find that I am far more lenient with guys that are implicated in connection with PED's than most baseball fans are. It is such a complicated issue to tackle, not nearly so cut-and-dried as many would like to believe, that I can't seem to come up with a definitive answer in my own mind as to what should be done about ballplayers that are accused of, or convicted of, using steroids, HGH, greenies, and whatever other so-called performance enhancing substances may be available. I do know one thing though.

I absolutely refuse to give the time of day to anyone that seeks to make a buck off of exposing a PED user. I just won't do it. In fact, concerning Alex Rodriguez, I know the name of Selena Roberts, the lady that wrote the "tell-all" book about Rodriguez, but I have no idea what the name of the book is. There are many that disagree with me, but to me, if I believe that using PED's is wrong, it pales in comparison to somebody exposing the story of a player that used them. That, to me, is a crime worse than any in professional sports today (and for the record, I'm talking about sports-related crimes, not Michael Vick or Dante Stallworth-type crimes).

By now, there have been many articles, blogs, and even books written about PED's in baseball. To my knowledge, there have been none written about them in any other sport, aside from an Associated Press article here and there about a player being suspended, which is far different than seeking out a story and trying to make a buck off of it. I refuse to read any of them. Game of Shadows, Juiced, Vindicated, or any other book about players using steroids are books that will never, ever be on my shelf. It's not because I don't want to know about it; truth be told, I think that Game of Shadows would probably be a very interesting book. In 20 or 30 years, when somebody writes a book about the "Steroid Era" in baseball, then I may consider picking it up for a historical baseball reference, but not now, and not a book that is written with the intent of trying to make a buck off of exposing a player.

There is a stark difference between a player using PED's and a person writing a book about that player using PED's in my mind. At the end of the day, both the ballplayer and the author are making money off of PED's in their own respective ways. However, the author of the book, whichever book you should choose to insert here, is far, far worse. It is simply hypocritical of the author to write the book. The fact is, authors of all of these books, aside from Jose Canseco whose position is unclear, condemn the use of PED's as "cheating the game" and "cheating the fans". However, they go on to describe a player's use of PED's and try and make money and gain notoriety off of it, meaning that the authors' careers are tainted by PED's just as much as the players' careers. In my mind that is wrong, and it does not deserve my entertainment dollar.

It would be different if a player were to write a book about himself. On one hand, the player stands to make money off of the book. On the other hand, he stands to shame himself and come clean, which no amount of money can overcome with someone that is truly remorseful. I simply cannot, and will not, respect a person that shames somebody else by "exposing" that person. If someone is found guilty of and/or admits to using PED's, then it would be acceptable to write a book on that person, writing strictly from the standpoint of retrospect. That is an entirely different situation. It then becomes a case study, one that is far more credible. It would then be more comparable to a historical look at the 1919 World Series, similar to Eliot Asinof's tremendous book Eight Men Out.

This, of course, leads to the seemingly central figure in the steroid talk: Jose Canseco. Anytime another player is accused of using PED's, the first thing that happens is ESPN runs to Jose Canseco for an interview. The man that was initially laughed at now is said to be "the most credible source when it comes to steroids". Wrong. He may know an awful lot, but what is he doing with his books that he's written and every interview that he gets? He's taking money from everyone that gives him any attention for condemning players of doing something that he has been shown to be almost chiefly responsible for introducing to the game. I don't care one bit that Canseco could explain better than anyone how to go about a steroid regimen. I could not possibly care less that he probably knows just about every player that used PED's in the 1990's. The guy's motivations are all wrong, and he has no business talking about anybody else unless he is subpeonaed to give a grand jury testimony about it. He can talk about himself, but his credibility as a human being drops even further below the zero threshold every time he gives that smug grin and talks about another player using PED's.

Much of the talk about whether or not the list of 104 (or 96, or 83, depending upon whom you believe) ballplayers that tested positive for PED's in 2003 should be released makes no sense. Even if it weren't under a court-ordered seal (which apparently means nothing), there is absolutely no way that it would all be released at once. Large media conglomerates such as the Associated Press, ESPN, FOX Sports, and FanNation's parent company Sports Illustrated, understand that they could make a lot of money by slowly leaking names one by one every little bit. If you really want to know, and if you really want to put this era in the past, don't fuel the fire that drives the individuals that decide to leak these names and make a buck off of them. It's completely counter-productive. These people are not stupid. They know how to make money, which is what they will do, if the fans allow it.

Ladies and gentleman, don't feed the wildlife.

Kahn's Boys

wtnelson = Big Chief — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:12:53 GMT

This is the second in the Centennial Soapbox's summer reading series.

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After reading The Boys of Summer, the only thing that I could say is, "Wow."

The always-entertaining Roger Kahn tells a beautiful tale of the team that, though it was probably the best team in baseball in its time, always managed to come up just a little bit short in the end. The focus of the book is the Brooklyn Dodgers of the early 1950's, a team stocked with colorful characters, including the ever-interesting Branch Rickey, Jackie Robinson, spitballer Preacher Roe, the lovable Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, and legendary Ebbets Field. Seabird 56 turned me on to this book, and for that, I am incredibly grateful. Much like the Dodgers of that time, it comes in at 2nd on my list of favorite books, but in no way is that an indictment of Kahn's work. I enjoyed every page of The Boys of Summer, and you will too, even if you're just a casual baseball fan.

Kahn delves rather deeply into his own story, which adds to the enjoyment of the book. He grew up just across the tracks from Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, and was naturally a Dodger fan. One of Kahn's beliefs is that "in a perfect world, the Dodgers would have stayed in Brooklyn, and LA would have gotten the Mets". As a sportswriter in the 1950's, Kahn had the incredible fortune of covering the team that he loved for the New York Herald Tribune. This would be a special privilege for any fan, but the Dodgers of that era made it an experience unlikely to be rivaled by any in the future. The Dodgers were the center of baseball integration. Not only that, they were also really, really good, and the black ballplayers on the team played a major role, especially starting pitcher Joe Black, second baseman Jackie Robinson, and catcher Roy Campanella. Kahn was able to witness everything that this team did for two years from the inside, and his book tells that story.

The first half of the book takes the reader through Kahn's childhood to the time when he first got a job at the Herald Tribune, then to the time when he became the beat writer for the Dodgers in 1952, a season after watching the heartbreak of Bobby Thomson's infamous "Shot Heard 'Round the World" of off Dodger pitcher Ralph Branca the year before. He writes of the games, the NL Pennant wins in the following years (and subsequent World Series defeats), and the experience of being a traveling sportswriter covering a team that he rooted for. (One of the best lines occurs at the end of the book in his reflection for the millenium, when he talks about the press box being neutral. He says, "I was neutral, alright. Neutral for the Dodgers.") He tells of it all in a very unique writing style, and his analogies, metaphors, and dry wit - "Any newspaperman who speaks of the 'music' of rolling presses is either faking, or has had so much to drink that he will next sentimentalize appendicitis" - are simply unmatched.

The best part of the whole experience that he shares, though, is his interaction with the players. He tells the tale of the players during his seasons on the field, but the second half of the book is dedicated to the lives of the Brooklyn Dodgers after they all retired. He catches up with Gil Hodges, who had gone on to manage the Mets. He catches up with Preacher Roe, who had retired to operate a supermarket in West Plains, MO. He talks to Carl Furillo, a bitter outfielder who was blackballed after calling a lawyer over a contract grievance and went on to work on the original construction of the World Trade Center in New York City. Pitcher Joe Black, outfielder Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson - there are tales of recollection from all of them. Of particular note in the book are the post-baseball stories of pitcher Carl Erskine and catcher Roy Campanella.

Erskine was always good for a line. One of his best was, "I've had my best luck with Stan Musial by throwing him my best pitch and backing up third base." However, his life turned far more serious after baseball, and his personality was what would help him through it. His son, Jimmy Erskine, was born with a developmental disability; he was mentally retarded. When Kahn catches up with Carl Erskine, he speaks of Carl and Jimmy, father and son, splashing in the pool. Though there were many baseball memories shared between Kahn and Erskine, nothing is as touching as the depictions of Carl and Jimmy Erskine together.

Campanella, the black catcher that was as good as any in baseball, also has a story that would seem tragic to most. He would play as an interesting supporting character in any fiction book or movie, and his trademark of butchering words - "onliest" instead of "only" - would get a laugh out of any audience. When the story turns tragic and trying, Campanella seems like the perfect guy to fit that role. It is all too real, though. After baseball, the man they called "Campy" was in a car accident, and he became a paraplegic. When Kahn catches up with Campy, he is in a wheelchair, and he has a new wife after his first wife left him. The same quiet, fighting spirit that helped Campy catch double- and triple-headers in the Negro Leagues shows through beautifully in Kahn's narration of the meetings between the two in the 1970's. Campy would live into the 1990's, fighting adversity the whole way, just like he and the rest of Major League Baseball's original African-Americans did in the 1940's and 1950's.

Kahn's book is one that will be on my shelf for the rest of my life. Its story belongs in fiction, but it is a non-fiction book, something that is so tangible for many, yet so much a figment of everybody's imagination. Simply put, it is a must-read. Even non-baseball fans would enjoy the narration as told by Roger Kahn. It is a true classic.

Todd Helton: Hall of Famer

wtnelson = Big Chief — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:39:41 GMT

Todd Helton, Colorado Rockies first baseman, is one of the most underrated baseball players to have ever played the game. More than that, he is one of the best baseball players to have ever played the game.

I know that there will be some that disagree with me, and that's fine. I'm obviously biased, having been a virtual life-long Rockies fan. People will use Coors Field against him, and people will use the fact that he had two monstrous years at the beginning of this decade against him as supposed evidence of steroid use, which is an understandable, although in my mind flawed, position. I will make my case for Helton in the Hall of Fame, though.

In the early 1990's, Todd Helton played quarterback at the University of Tennessee. He also played baseball, and he clearly had loads of talent in both sports. In the 1994 season, an injury to Jerry Colquitt made Helton the starting quarterback for the Volunteers. However, Helton would suffer an injury himself, and he would never see the field again, as some guy named Peyton Manning took over for him. Helton remained on the football team, but focused on baseball. In 1995, the Colorado Rockies selected the first baseman from Tennessee with the 8th selection in the first round of that year's June amateur draft. Within two years, Helton would make his MLB debut, and, in 1998 the Rockies let Andres Gallarraga walk. Todd Helton would be the new Rockies starting first baseman.

As a rookie in 1998, Todd Lynn Helton hit .315 with 25 homeruns and 97 RBI. He also hit 37 doubles, a sign of things to come for his career. Helton's biggest statistical year was 2000, when he batted .372 with 42 homers, 147 RBI, and 59 doubles. He hit 49 homeruns the following year, but also collected another 54 doubles. There have been three constants in the career of Todd Helton - outstanding defense, high batting average, and an awful lot of doubles.

This afternoon, in the 3rd inning at Coors Field, Todd Helton laced a 1-0 slider from Arizona's Jon Garland off of the manual scoreboard in right field, becoming the 50th MLB player to collect 500 doubles in his career. He is the fastest player to accomplish that feat, doing so in his 12th full Major League season. To give you a little perspective on Helton's amazing consistency, and why he has Hall of Fame credentials that he will continue to add to over the next 3-5 seasons, depending upon how long he plays, consider these comparisons. Helton is on pace for his 6th season of 45 doubles or more. Only three other players since 1900 have accomplished that feat as many as 5 times. Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Joe Medwick each did it five times. Hall of Famer and career doubles leader Tris Speaker accomplished that feat 7 times. Added to that, Helton is #16 on the career list of doubles by a left-handed hitter. Also, it's not Coors Field that has helped those number. In his career, 262 of those doubles have come at home, while 238 have come on the road.

Helton has never been a homerun hitter, which would explain his lower homerun totals since 2002. Coors Field helped him in the early days, but since the advent of the humidor in 2003 (which I will have a blog about one day to help everyone understand its impact), he has been consistently in the range of 20 HR and 35 doubles. In fact, prior to his back problems that forced him out last season, he had collected 30+ doubles in 10 consecutive seasons, and he is one away from that number again this season. By the time he retires, Helton will have over 600 doubles, and likely be in the top 10 in that category.

Doubles alone don't make a Hall of Fame player, and I realize that. However, Helton ranks 3rd among active players in career batting average at .328 (behind Albert Pujols and Ichiro Suzuki). Not only that, he is in the top 10 all-time in career batting average. He only has 3 Gold Gloves, but don't let that fool you. Helton's defense is just something that you have to see to believe. There is not a better defensive first baseman in baseball. Anywhere. Helton should have at least two more Gold Gloves than he does. If you don't believe me, consider this - the 2007 Rockies set a Major League record for fielding percentage. Not a single Rockie won a Gold Glove that year, even though Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton led their respective positions in fielding percentage, total chances, fewest errors, and range factor. Helton has been overlooked largely due to the fact that he plays in Colorado.

This isn't me complaining. It's just me stating fact. If Helton played in New York or Boston, he would receive the recognition that he deserves. In fact, prior to the 2007 campaign, the Rockies were nearly set to deal Helton to the Red Sox, and it made huge headlines on the large media conglomerates. Playing in Colorado doesn't make him less of a player.

By the time he's done, Helton will have over 600 doubles, nearly 400 homeruns (or more, depending upon how long he plays), and, again, depending upon how long he plays, he will have close to 3,000 hits. Even if he winds up with 370 homers and 2,700 hits, I can only hope that Helton will receive his due recognition. As a player in the "steroid era" who has never been tainted with speculation of steroid use, Helton has always stood tall above the rest. Amazingly, he has thus far done it all for one team, and it would be a shock to see him move on to another team, though it wouldn't taint his legacy at all.

Let the numbers speak for themselves. Todd Helton belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Say It Ain't So, Super Joe!

wtnelson = Big Chief — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:04:08 GMT

Sometimes life just sucks. That's the unfortunate reality of sports. Whether your favorite team goes through a dry spell or the time comes to say goodbye to a legend of the game, it's just no fun. These are trying times for fans of the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs are coming off of what was by far the franchise's worst season in 15 in Colorado. Fan favorite Ian Lapperriere had to be let go in free agency as a financial casualty. We thought that it couldn't get any worse. Then I saw this headline on 9NEWS.com a short while ago: Joe Sakic to retire from Avalanche.

That's right. Super Joe. Burnaby Joe. Our Captain. #19. After 20 seasons, 625 goals, 1016 assists, 614 penalties in minutes, 2 Stanley Cups, 1 Hart Trophy, and a Conn Smythe trophy on his resume, Joe Sakic is retiring from the NHL. Words cannot begin to express how tough that news is to take for this Avs die-hard.

I first fell in love with hockey in the 1994-1995 season. The International Hockey League gave Denver its first taste of professional hockey since the Colorado Rockies defected to New Jersey to become the Devils in the 1980's. That season, the Denver Grizzlies won the championship of the IHL, and everyone thought that McNichol's Sports Arena - "Big Mac", as it was known - would have a second winter tenant for years to come. That stay only lasted one year, though, as the National Hockey League announced that COMSAT Entertainment Group had purchased the Quebec Nordiques, and that the team would be moving to Denver in the following season. Just like that, it was on to Utah for the Grizzlies, and the team that would come to be known as the Colorado Avalanche rolled into town.

Every Avalanche fan - well, every hockey fan - has nothing but great memories from Super Joe. One that stands out in the minds of Avalanche fans is our first memory of Joe Sakic. Many hockey fans don't know that the Avalanche weren't supposed to be known as the Avalanche. Originally, the team was going to be named "Rocky Mountain Extreme". Denver hockey fans caught wind of this and made sure that it wouldn't happen. A fan contest was later held, and "Colorado Avalanche" was selected from the entrants. When the team was first introduced in Colorado, Avs players, including Sakic, wore generic t-shirts that said simply "Colorado Hockey" on the front of them, as the team didn't yet have a name. Colorado governor Roy Romer referred to Super Joe as "Joe Kasic". As he always has, Sakic just gave a little half-smile and laughed it off. All that can be said about it is, "That's Joe."

I've said before that Peter Forsberg was always my favorite player to watch. Sakic is close behind him, though, and Super Joe's legacy will always outshine Peter the Great's legacy. The two players were always such a treat to watch. Through the years, we've had some great athletes in Denver. John Elway will always rule this region. Todd Helton is close to the top. Alex English put the Nuggets on the NBA map. It's impossible to say that any of them are greater than Joe Sakic, though.

Never has there been another athlete that managed to conceal his own greatness, even though it played out every night while the game was going on. Part of the allure of Sakic is his down-to-earth nature (many media members came to know him as "Quoteless Joe"). Even by hockey standards, he never was an interesting interview. He would just go out and produce, and he would come through at the most opportune times. I would defy anyone to find a better offensive player in the clutch than Joe Sakic in the history of the NHL. His 8 overtime goals in the Playoffs are a record. Whenever the Avalanche have needed a goal over the years, it has been Joe Sakic that would put the puck in the net.

Not lost on Avalanche fans in Colorado is the fact that Joe and Debbie Sakic have donated countless hours and millions of dollars to local charities, as well as Children's Hospital in Denver. Sakic holds an annual charity golf tournament to benefit Food Bank of the Rockies. While Joe Sakic will be remembered as one of the greatest players that the NHL has ever seen, he should be remembered more for being one of the best people that the world has ever seen. He's always been just a class act, both on and off the ice.

News of Sakic's retirement hit hard today, and it will surely hit hard with the folks in Canada, as the 2010 Olympic Games are in Sakic's hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, and he was a virtual lock to captain Team Canada. Unfortunately, we won't get the opportunity to see that happen. We will always have the memories of #19 on the ice, and his legacy will always live on in Denver.

Thanks for giving us the best years of your life, Super Joe. We'll miss you.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18zsScCM1kY[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVBuLmblvHc[/youtube]

Men In Blue: As They See 'Em

wtnelson = Big Chief — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:32:07 GMT

I'm introducing a new feature on The Centennial Soapbox tonight. I have recently read a few sports books that may be interesting to the fans of FanNation, and I'm going to tell you about them in the coming months of the summer. This is the first of my Soapbox Book Review blogs. In the future, you can expect reviews of Cobb by Al Stump, Blood Feud by Adrian Dater, The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn, and The Umpire Strikes Back by Ron Luciano (if I can find it), as well as 'Horns, Hogs, and Nixon Coming and 3rd Down and a War to Go, both by Terry Frei. There may be others as I continue my journey into sports prose.

Leading off this series is a tremendously informative and entertaining book about umpires. The book was released earlier this year, and you can find it in hard-cover editions in book stores all over. It is entitled As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires. Written by NY Times reporter Bruce Weber, As They See 'Em is one of the best works of literary art that you will ever find concerning sports.

I've often wondered what the driving force behind writing a book is for the author. Stephen King didn't just wake up with a pen in his hand one day, and Bruce Weber didn't just decide to write about umpires without some sort of stimulus. After reading the book, I sent an e-mail to Mr. Weber to thank him for his work and let him know that I enjoyed it. He responded, and said, "Thanks, Will. That was a nice letter to get. The book was, in many ways, for fans like you, die-hard fans that can still be surprised by the game." I thought that this was an interesting response. It's sometimes hard to understand that authors don't write for themselves; rather, they write for their audience. His response has made me appreciate authors, whether they write books, write for the newspaper, or anything in between, for the effort that they put in for their audience. Many of you know that I like to blog. It's strange, though. As much as I enjoy it, I've found it's much more enjoyable when my audience, you, enjoys what I have to write. That thought had never occured to me before concerning those that are paid for what they type.

Umpires have always been people of interest to me. It's a thankless life to live; in many ways, the umpire is much like the author. (I suppose that this is true about officials in all sports, and is not limited to just baseball.) Generally speaking, you'll never hear about an umpire if he completes the simple task of being perfect on the diamond. They are essentially faceless. If they don't do a perfect job (a "horsesh*t" job, as the book will tell you is the widely accepted term in baseball), then they are terrible at their job, and you don't want to ever see him working a game involving your team. Similarly, if an author writes a good book or article, most people won't even really know who he is. If his work is to a lesser standard (horsesh*t, perhaps?), then you will automatically know that you don't want to read anymore of his work. Perfection is not simply what umpires and authors strive for, it is what is expected of them.

There are two professional umpiring schools that are recognized as acceptable training facilities by Major League Baseball. Both are in Florida, both run five week courses, and both are run by former professional umpires. One is run by Jim Evans; the other was founded by Harry Wendelstedt, and he runs it along with his son, Hunter Wendelstedt. Generally speaking, there isn't much of a difference between the two schools, though Weber says that graduates from each school think less of graduates from the other school. Mechanically, there are some subtle differences. For example, there are two stances that an umpire will use for calling balls and strikes. The Evans academy teaches "the crouch", where the umpire stands with his feet shoulder-width, or perhaps a little wider, left foot placed with its toes at the heel of the right foot. The umpire waits until the pitch is about to be thrown, and then crouches to where his chin is level with the top of the catcher's mask. The Wendelstedt school, on the other hand, teaches "the scissors" as well as the crouch. Few umpires utilize the scissors today. When a right-handed hitter is up, the umpire will place his left foot forward. When a left-handed hitter is up, the umpire will place his right foot forward. He will almost kneel (only one MLB umpire, Gerry Davis I believe, still calls balls and strikes with his knee on the ground) with his other foot back, in "the slot" between the batter and the catcher. Rather than looking over the catcher, he looks around the catcher.

In researching for the book, Weber attended the course at the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring. He then spent 3 years umpiring games in the 2-man umpiring system (which is employed at the Little League, high school, college, and Single A and Rookie Ball levels; AA, AAA, and amateur tournament games use the 3-man system; MLB uses the 4-man and 6-man systems), as well as travelling the country interviewing and observing minor-league and MLB umpires about the life. Umpiring in the minor leagues is a tremendously awful job, as you will find out. Pay is awful, they have to provide their own cars to travel to games in different cities, and they stay in 2-bit hotels to save money, often working with a partner that they don't know, and always working with a partner that they are competing with for advancement in professional baseball. They are supervised by the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation (PBUC, or "peabuck", as it is referred to) up through AA ball. AAA umpires are supervised and evaluated by MLB. It can be a rather quick ascension to AAA (which pays between $20,000 and $40,000 annually), but umpires can be stuck there for a long time. There are only 68 MLB umpiring positions available, and jobs rarely come open. MLB umpires are sort of like Supreme Court justices; once they get a job, they are essentially there as long as they want to be.

Once an umpire reaches the Major League level, his life is much better. It's not any easier, but they travel on airplanes, they make more money (the most senior umpires make upwards of $400,000/year), and they stay in nicer hotels. According to Weber, umpires are what you would think of as midwestern, conservative type people. They are all clean-shaven, have tightly groomed haircuts, and they aren't too quick to offer anything up to a reporter. Their keep their thoughts very guarded, making it especially amazing that Weber was able to interview close to 50 MLB umpires for the book. He also notes that umpires do enjoy nightlife; one former umpire is quoted in the book as saying, "I didn't have to drink every night as an umpire, but I did." They have a "me against the world" attitude, which is inherent to the position. Generally speaking, Baseball doesn't think highly of umpires. Players, coaches, managers, owners, fans, and the MLB offices are always looking at what umpires do wrong rather than the fact that they are right 99.9% of the time. The book says that Baseball thinks of umpires in the same way that it thinks of the bases on the field - they are a necessity in order for the game to be played, but they aren't really that important, which would explain the attitude that most umpires have.

As They See 'Em takes the reader through the life of an umpire, starting in professional umpiring school, going through the PBUC evaluation, umpiring in the minor leagues, and finally making it to the Big Leagues in the chapter "Living the Dream, Such As It Is". It is full of tremendous details about the mass MLB umpire resignation of 1999 that umpires haven't fully recovered from, the travels of some of those umpires back to the Major Leagues (MLB umpire Tom Hallion went back to working A-ball after resigning and finally got back to the Majors in 2007), the struggle, and eventual dismissal in 2006, of the last female professional umpire, and the growth of an umpire as he goes through the hoops of trying to make it to the Majors. It is very explicit in many details of umpire mechanics that you may never think of (such as a home-plate umpire removing his mask to see a play). It is simply a tremendous account of the "Land of Umpires", as the title would suggest.

Suggesting that a fan should be a little easier on an umpire is a dicey notion, so I'm not going to say that. I will say this, though - read the book. It may change some of your opinions. By and large, unless you've experienced umpiring, you're probably wrong in many of your criticisms. I like to razz the officials as much as the next guy. I'm a little more in-depth than most, as I like to try and get to "know" the umpires to know what I can expect when they work a Rockies game. Brian Runge is notoriously slow with his ball-strike calls. I'm not thrilled with the work of Derryle Cousins or Mike Everrit. In my opinion, the best crew this year is that of Gary Darling (Crew Chief; has never worked a World Series), Paul Emmel, Bill Hohn (who has never worked a World Series in 21 years as an umpire), and Bruce Dreckman. Incidentally, this crew was in Denver for the Rockies/Mariners series shortly after I read As They See 'Em, and I noticed that both Emmel and Hohn use "the scissors", while Dreckman and Darling both use "the crouch". I had to smile as I noticed that. If you ever want a little help becoming a more informed baseball fan, I suggest picking up a copy of As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires.

Summertime, and the Livin's Right

wtnelson = Big Chief — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:03:29 GMT

Baseball season is in full swing, my favorite time of year. I know that many people complain about the "dog days of summer" and that baseball tends to get monotonous at times leading up to the trading deadline, but I respectfully disagree. I love these days. I love going to the ballpark. I love watching baseball every night on my HDTV, living and dying with every pitch that the Rockies throw, and strategizing with Jim Tracy from my couch (OK, so I guess I haven't had much experience strategizing with Jim Tracy, but so far it's proven easier than trying to strategize with Clint Hurdle ever did.).

Opening Day 2009

This was the first time in my life that I'd ever made it down for Opening Day. I met and talked to Rockies broadcaster Jeff Huson before the ballgame. He is an incredibly nice individual, and that was a fun experience. Last season, I went to the Rockies second home game and saw them unveil the 2007 National League Pennant. Opening Day is a spectacle that everyone must experience, though. My experience was somewhat unique this year.

Every home game, the Rockies have a promotion known as the "Coca-Cola Grounds Crew Challenge". A fan is selected to go on the field after the 3rd inning when the ground crew changes out the bags and manicures the infield. You start on the warning track by the "390" sign in left-center field, and you run in and change out 2nd base before running across the foul line by 1st base. Do this in under 20 seconds, and you win a free jersey courtesy of Coca-Cola. (It used to be 30 seconds, then it went to 25 seconds for the past three years, and now it's down to 20 seconds.) I had always wondered how one gets selected for this contest before a couple of people wearing suits approached me in the bottom of the 2nd inning and asked if I'd like to participate. Naturally, I agreed.

This looks easy, but it is the furthest thing from that. The announced attendance at this particular game was 50,013. Safe to say that I never thought that I'd ever run the 100-meter dash in front of 50,000 people. In order to get an accurate picture, you must know some things about me. I come from the country. I'm about 6'3", 240 pounds, and I always wear Ariat Heritage Roper boots with my Cinch Black Label or Wrangler 20X jeans. I have also never been accused of being a track star. In fact, I don't know that anyone in the history of the earth would be capable of losing a foot race to me. Naturally, I didn't complete it in the required time, so all I got was a crappy consolation T-shirt. A gentleman sitting next to me took some pictures, though, and I've shared a couple of them with you below. It was a fun experience, but I wouldn't care if I never did it again.

Baseball Mecca

I made my first trip to a baseball stadium not named Coors Field this past April 23. A friend of mine that I grew up with was graduating from Navy boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois, on April 24, so I decided that I would see if the Cubs were in town, as part of me roots for the Cubs, and Wrigley Field was the one place I wanted to visit before I died. They were in town on Thursday, so I took a 6:05 AM flight out of Denver to Chicago to go to the game. People that say that there isn't room in the seats there are lying. The seats are close together, but I found that my seat was incredibly comfortable. When you go there, you must get a Chicago Dog. It is nothing more than a hot dog on a poppy seed bun, but it's a good hot dog, even if it costs $6. I also purchased a dog from a vender walking through the stands, as we don't have this in Denver, and I had to experience it all. The bullpens being on the field provides a nice touch, and that is something that I actually liked very much.

Having a real organ in the stadium is tremendous. That is the way that it should be in every baseball stadium and hockey arena in America. It just seems right. The Bleacher Bums are a sight to behold as well. The bleachers are full during batting practice, and everyone is into every BP pitch. I also witnessed a fan throw a Cincinnati Reds homerun ball onto the field, which is something that will get you ejected from a game in Denver. The 7th inning stretch is also an experience. Ron Santo sang that day, and there is no such thing as a stranger during the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley Field. One more interesting note: Nashville recording artists Emerson Drive sang the national anthem prior to the game. A week later, they played a concert at my school, Colorado State University. They had trouble getting a ride from Denver International Airport to CSU, and somehow a friend of mine was alerted to this. He and I picked them up from the airport and drove them to Ft. Collins. I can't say that I ever thought that I would do anything like that.

The Road To Recovery

Last summer, in my first FanNation blog, I told you the story of a F-4 tornado that went through my hometown of Windsor, CO, causing many millions of dollars of damage. One of the areas damaged was Chimney Community Park, the local Little League baseball park. Everything from the concessions stand to the fences and dugouts was completely destroyed. Well, the reconstruction of Chimney Park was recently completed, and the park re-opened, and the rec baseball team that I coach was the first to practice on the new Field #1. The park is immaculate. The infield dirt was changed from sand to red clay, which is a much better playing surface. There is a statue of a boy with a baseball bat at the entrance. The old chain-link dugouts were replaced with brick dugouts. All three fields have bullpen areas on both sides, and the landscaping is incredible. The cut of the outfield grass was re-edged on each field, and it is a smooth transition from the infield dirt now with no lip where the grass begins. It is far nicer than it was when I played there.

Field #1 is the best of the three. There is grass on the infield of this high school regulation field. There are two batting cages that double as bullpen areas down each line. Colorado Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook personally donated $50,000 through the Rockies charity fund for this field. It has been appropriately named Aaron Cook Field, and he threw some pitches off of the mound at Aaron Cook Field last week during the dedication ceremony. I've added some before and after pictures below.

Remembering Columbine: 10 Years Later

wtnelson = Big Chief — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:24:09 GMT

Ten years later, faith still strong
___________________________________________________________________________

The Rocky Mountain Columbine, pictured above, is the Colorado state flower. It is known for its elegant beauty, with its trademark blue and white flowers encasing the golden yellow stamens that make up the center of the flower. It grows wild along the front range of the Rocky Mountains and on up into the high country. Ask anyone in Colorado about a columbine, and they would be able to describe to you its beauty and its meaning. Ten years ago today, April 20, 1999, the word "columbine" took on an entirely different meaning, one that is not synonymous with beauty, elegance, or even flower. Today, the term "Columbine" conjures up many different thoughts and emotions in people all over the United States. For citizens of Colorado, it is now a symbol of hope, strength, and perseverence, and we all pause for a moment every time we pass a columbine flower.

By now, we've all heard the story many times over. On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, two students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, a suburb on the southwest side of Denver, planted pipe bombs in the school before walking in and opening fire on their classmates. They came armed with a full arsenal of weapons. It was during the lunch hour that they launched their attack, entering the cafeteria and library where many students and faculty were spending their free time. When all was said and done, there were 13 victims. Harris and Klebold took the lives of ten of their classmates and one teacher before turning their weapons on themselves and taking their own lives. It was a day that rocked the entire nation's foundation, redefining a term synonymous with beauty and forever reshaping the landscape of the state of Colorado.

I was only ten years old at the time, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was in the 5th grade, and I went to a small Christian school in Ft. Collins, about 50 miles north of Denver. I'll never forget the shock that afternoon when we began to learn what had happened in Littleton. I was still too young to fully grasp what had happened, though I was old enough to wonder why or how anyone could imagine committing such an act. I've learned that I will never understand it. It's simply unimaginable. The spirit of the survivors brings will always bring a smile to my face, and the spirit of the victims fills many of us with joy. Most of us can never imagine living through such an event. It's impossible to imagine the resolve of Cassie Bernall, a student who stood up for her faith even though she knew it would cost her life. Mr. William "Dave" Sanders, a teacher that threw himself in front of a student and sacrificed his own life, is undoubtedly a hero to thousands of Columbine students, and there are many more stories of heroism from that day that I can only tip my hat to.

For many students, graduation was less than a month away. These students would never set foot in Columbine High School again until today, as school was cancelled for the rest of the year. Today they held a vigil and a reunion for students that were at the school that day. It was the first time back in the building for most of them. Much of the faculty has moved on, but principal Frank DeAngelos remains in charge, a man of extreme faith and character, and a hero to many of the students that were present that day. Patrick Ireland, a student better known as the "boy in the window" at Columbine, was shot twice in the head and once in the leg, causing paralysis that he has since overcome. He is thriving now, working for a real estate company, and he has written a book, along with his mother, sister, and Terry Frei of the Denver Post in remembrance of that day, a book that is yet to be published. He has said, "We're not victims, we're victors," about the students of Columbine. They have overcome so much since that day, and they are the reason that the columbine gives us hope today.

When school resumed the next fall, Columbine High School would be in the news again by late October. This time it was positive news. The Columbine Rebels football team was rolling through the state playoffs, setting up a showdown with Cherry Creek High School in the Colorado 5A High School Football championship game. Columbine won the game, and an entire state celebrated its victory. It seemed to bring a feeling of closure to such a tragic event. There will certainly never be full closure for the students that were there that day, but their story is an inspiration to all. They give us all a reason to have faith. Ten years later, their hope and faith are still alive.

The video below is a tribute to the victims of the Columbine High School Massacre. There are photos of wooden crosses, a monument that was created and still stands at Columbine High School. Some of the images are somewhat graphic.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a48-jr3ti2o[/youtube]