WORLD CUP MATCH PREVIEW: US VS. GERMANY

In spite of the last second goal that gave Portugal the equalizer this past Sunday, the US still controls its own destiny in regards to advancing to knockout play when they play Germany on Thursday. While that draw felt more like a loss, the US only needs a draw/win to advance to the next round, and while there are still a few issues that need to be addressed, the squad looked much better this time out than they did against Ghana. So, what must the US do to avoid wasting the golden opportunity that they have at hand?

1. They must keep the offensive pressure going. It was encouraging to see the US command most of the game, especially after the Nani goal only five minutes into the game. While it might be diffuclt against the Germany squad on paper, Ghana looked faster than the Germans during their matchup, and with much on the line, the US will be looking to build upon a strong overall performance.

2. Michael Bradley must pick up his game. We already know about the subpar game he had against Ghana, but until the last goal, Michael Bradley had been putting on a better performance. Still though, he needs to pick up his game because the second goal could had been avoided if Bradley had just kicked the ball towards the Portuguese corner. The defensive lapses cannot be happening, and it’s a guarantee that you most likely won’t be able to get away with it against Germany.

3. The back four needs to show up in this game. Tim Howard has made some incredible saves in the World Cup tournament so far, but it would be relaxing for the defense to at least cut some of those saves in half. It’s been pretty obvious that this has been the weakest link of the team so far, and against an attacking squad like Germany, it will be put to the test once again.

4. DO NOT PLAY FOR THE TIE. The reason I put this one in caps is because over and over again, teams play for the tie or draw and end up losing the game. While the US only needs a draw to advance to the knockout, they must not play defensive all game since Germany has the ability to make big plays and score at will.

While Germany may seem too big of an opponent to handle, the US has proven these last two games that they can definitely handle what’s in front of them and that there’s no opponent too big. I think that both teams will end up advancing at the end of the day.

FINAL SCORE: 2-2

*This article was contributed by Executive Producer Gregory Delaney, and completed before matchplay*

Big Night In Vegas At NHL Awards

Hockey is considered by many to be the ultimate team sport. For one night a year, however, the best players on the planet gather in the city of Las Vegas, to honor the best individual players in this great team sport. It's the one night of the year where all the major individual hardware is handed out. We found out who was determined to be the best player, goalie, coach, rookie, and defenseman in the entire league during the 2013-14 NHL season. It would take too long to get into details and debate over every award that was handed out last night. So what's going to happen is we will list the winners of every award, going into some debate over the big ones. Without further ado, here are the big individual winners from the NHL Awards.

Art Ross Trophy (NHL Scoring Champion):
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins - 36 goals 68 assists 104 points

Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy (Top Goal Scorer):
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals - 51 goals

William M. Jennings Trophy (Awarded to the goalkeeper(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it in the regular season):
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings - 174

NHL Foundation Player Award (Awarded to the player who applies the core values of hockey to enrich the lives of people in his community):
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins

Mark Messier Leadership Award (Awarded to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season):
Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings

King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community):
Andrew Ference, Edmonton Oilers

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey):
Dominic Moore, New York Rangers

NHL General Manager of the Year Award (Awarded to the top National Hockey League General Manager):
Bob Murray, Anaheim Ducks

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the player who exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability):
Ryan O'Reilly, Colorado Avalanche

Frank J. Selke Trophy (Awarded to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game):
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins

Jack Adams Award (Awarded to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success): 
Patrick Roy, Colorado Avalanche

Roy was able to beat out Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings and Jon Coooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the honor of Coach of the Year, and with good reason. A year ago, the Avalanche finished 29th in the League and last in the Western Conference. They hired Roy, who won the Stanley Cup twice with Colorado as its goalie, to right the ship. This season, the Avalanche won the Central Division, finishing with the third best record in the NHL, before falling to the Minnesota Wild in seven games in the Western Conference First Round. That's a major turn around, and its even more impressive considering the fact that this is Roy's first job behind an NHL bench. He has coaching experience in the minors, but its a bit of a different animal coaching in the NHL and Roy did a tremendous job of it.

Calder Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the league's most outstanding rookie player): 
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

MacKinnon was a near-unanimous choice, easily beating out Tyler Johnson and ONdrej Paalat of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 18-year-old (9/1/95) becomes the youngest Calder winner ever. Carolina forward Jeff Skinner (5/16/92) was three and a half months older when he captured the award in 2011.

MacKinnon topped all first-year players in points (63), goals (24-tied), assists (39), power-play goals (8), game-winning goals (5-tied) and shots (241). The first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft tallied at least one point in 13 consecutive games from Jan. 25 to March 6 (5-13—18), breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record for the longest single-season point streak by a player age 18 or younger (12 games).

James Norris Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position):
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks

For Duncan Keith, this marks the 2nd time he has claimed the leagues top defenseman trophy, last winning the title in 2010. He beat out two very solid candidates in their own right in Zedeno Chara of the Boston Bruins and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators. Keith was one of the big reasons the Blackhawks where right near the top of the Western Conference again this season. Keith is the only active NHL player with more than one Norris Trophy to his credit. Since 1990, only Ray Bourque, Brian Leetch, Chris Chelios, and Nicklas Lidstrom have won the Norris Trophy more than once.

Vezina Trophy (Awarded to the league's top goaltender):
Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

Rask was the top choice for 16 of the 30 General Managers and received 103 voting points to edge second-place Semyon Varlamov of the Colorado Avalanche (9 first-place votes, 90 points). Rask's win marks the third time in the past six seasons that a Bruins netminder has taken Vezina honors, following first-place finishes by Tim Thomas in 2009 and 2011.

Rask posted a 36-15-6 record, highlighted by a career-best 10-game point streak from Mar. 20-30 (9-0-1), as the Bruins captured their first Presidents’ Trophy since 1990 and led the Eastern Conference in team defense (2.08 GA/game). He allowed two goals or fewer in 37 of 58 starts, set single-season highs in wins and appearances, and was the only goaltender to rank among the NHL’s top five in each of the major statistical categories: first in shutouts (seven), second in save percentage (.930), fourth in goals-against average (2.04) and fifth in wins.

Hart Memorial Trophy (Awarded to the league's most valuable player): 
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Crosby won the award by a pretty decent margin, beating out Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks and Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers. Now Giroux and Getzlaf both had a major impact on their respective hockey clubs, but Crosby had a greater impact on his. There were times this year where the Penguins looked outclassed and outmatched. Crosby did what he does best, lead his team on the ice. Crosby deserved his 2nd career Hart Trophy. This season was a proven bounceback year for Sid The Kid.

Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2014 Announced

The Hockey Hall of Fame. A special place in Toronto that celebrates the best players in the history of the game of hockey. Established in 1943, the Hall of Fame serves as a museum and a hall of fame, a dedication to all things great about the game of hockey. To be elected to the Hall, you have to be a cut above the rest, do something for the game, either as a builder, an official or a player, that nobody else can do. For a person to be inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame, they must be nominated by an elected 18-person selection committee which consists of Hockey Hall of Fame members and media personalities. This year, the induction ceremony will take place November 17th, and will see the enshrinement of Goaltender Dominik Hasek of the Czech Republic and Swedish center Peter Forsberg were joined by American center Mike Modano, along with defenseman Rob Blake, coach Pat Burns and referee Bill McCreary.

Burns was elected in the builder category. He spent parts of 14 seasons as a coach in the NHL, winning the Jack Adams Award with three teams and capturing the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003. He also reached the Cup Final in 1989 with the Montreal Canadiens and got the Toronto Maple Leafs to back-to-back conference finals in 1993 and 1994. Burns died November 19, 2010.

McCreary was inducted in the referee/linesman category. He officiated 1,737 regular-season games and an NHL-record 292 playoff games from 1984 to 2011. He also worked 44 Stanley Cup Final games, also a record. He worked in three Olympics (1998, 2002 and 2010), including the gold-medal game in each competition, and the 1991 and 1994 Canada Cups.

First up in the player category will be Dominik Hasek, who is considered one of the greatest goalies in the history of the game. Hasek won the Vezina Trophy six times in his 16-year NHL career, which is tied for the second-most of all time behind Jacques Plante. He's also the only goaltender to win the Hart Trophy more than once, earning League MVP honors in 1996-97 and 1997-98 with the Buffalo Sabres.

 He won 389 games, 11th in League history, and led the NHL in save percentage six times. Hasek did not win the Stanley Cup until later in his career (twice with the Detroit Red Wings), but he punctuated his prime by helping the Czech Republic to a gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, the first time NHL players participated.

When the Dominator played, he did things in the goal that most people can't do unless it's in say a video game. He made saves that he really had no business making at all. Hasek, at times, seemed to get a bit of a bad break. He stood out during his time in Buffalo, those were hands down his best years. The only problem is, he played on teams that at times weren't very good. Sure he was a key piece of the team that went all the way to the finals in 1999, before losing to the Dallas Stars, but for the most part, he was on average to good teams at best in Western New York. Had he been able to win a Stanley Cup with the Sabres, I would put him up in the argument as one of the greatest netminders to ever play the game, but sadly that wasn't able to happen. Still the Dominator is one of the greatest goalies to ever strap on the pads and tend goal.

Next up, we have one of the shiftiest forwards to ever play the game, Peter Forsberg. Originally drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers, Forsberg became part of the massive package used to acquire the rights to Eric Lindros from the Quebec Nordiques in 1992, and Forsberg went on to be one of the best players of his generation while winning the Stanley Cup twice with Colorado.

Forsberg won the Calder Trophy in 1994-95, the Hart Trophy in 2002-03 and the Cup in 1996 and 2001. His career was cut short by injuries, but he finished with 249 goals and 885 points in 708 career games. His 1.25 points-per-game average is eighth all-time, and his 0.90 assists per game rank fifth.

 He's also 11th all-time in points per game during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, having totaled 171 points in 151 playoff games.

Here's a guy in Forsberg who could do things with the puck that most guys could only dream about. He had a wicked shot, but it's something he didn't really use much, scoring 249 goals. With the way he played, he could have scored so many more. He was one of the more underrated centers in the game, playing with and against guys like Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux. Forsberg was a superb playmaker, who know how to dish out the physical play as well as the puck. He was a true superstar, and during the early 200's I would consider probably the best player on the planet at that time. It's a shame injuries had cut his career a little short, he could have been something more than great. He really was an incredible hockey player and so much fun to watch.

Next up on the list, is the greatest American born scorer and player in NHL history, Mike Modano. Modano finished his playing career with 561 goals and 1,374 points, His 1,499 games played, all but 40 with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise, are the most by a U.S.-born forward. A seven-time all-star, Modano was the face of the franchise when it moved to Texas, and he remains an icon in both places. He helped the Stars win the Stanley Cup in 1999, and he leads all American players with 146 playoff points.

There were so many things that Modano did well, that he couldn't be really knocked during his career. When he first broke into the league, he was mainly a scoring threat, a one dimensional player. By the time the team moved to Dallas, he was given a new coach, and really changed his game, becoming a better all around hockey player. He was a proven leader, as was evident by pulling the Stars together during their 1999 championship season. Hands down one of, if not the flat out tops, the best players to ever come from America. He never scored fancy goals, but he always found a way to score a big goal or make a big play when it was needed. He was the face of the Stars franchise and the face of USA hockey for a long long time. He also had a big impact off the ice in Dallas, helping expand the game in the state of Texas.

The final name added to the hall of fame in the players category is former defenseman Rob Blake. Blake had 240 goals and 777 points in 1,270 games with the Los Angeles Kings, Colorado and San Jose Sharks. He won the Norris Trophy in 1997-98 and the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Avalanche. He recently won the Cup a second time as an executive with the Kings and also won gold with Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. The other three players are all being inducted in their first year of eligibility. Blake was in his second year.

Blake was in no way the flashiest defenseman in the NHL, but boy was he a rock solid defender. He never had an offensive upside of a guy like Scott Neidermeyer, Al McInnis or Zedeno Chara. Blake was an all around solid hockey player, he had a heavy shot, pretty good vision to make a pass and was a pretty good skater. But what really helped keep him in the big leagues was his physical players. Blake was one of the hardest hitting blueliners of the 20th century. Guys would be knocked loopy on hip checks from Blake, he was that great a hitter. Rob Blake was an underrated blueliner but man could he really go from the back end. A solid all around hockey player very deserving of his induction.

So there you have it, the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2014!

NBA Free Agency Just Got A Lot More Interesting

Ah free agency. The time of the year that professional sports teams get to sign players to help rebuild their franchise to championship material. On July 1st, there will be plenty of big names in the NBA hitting the free agent market. Some of the big names that had been on the market are guys like Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay, Paul Pierce among some of the names set to hit the market. Well, over the last few days, two huge names have decided to opt out of their contracts and hit free agency. Those two huge names happen to be Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.

LeBron James deciding to opt out of his contract came as a small bit of a surprise. LeBron had until June 30 to decide whether to opt out of the final two years of his contract with Miami. He was scheduled to make $20 million next season and had two years and about $42.7 million remaining on his deal, according to ESPN. Now that doesn't totally mean that he won't come back to the Heat, that is still very much a possibility. Think about it, the Heat just went to four straight NBA finals, winning the championship in their middle two appearances. Now the other two parts of the Heat big three, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, have yet to tell the team whether or not they will follow in LeBron's footsteps and opt out of their contracts for free agency. That possibility is still on the table, so we will wait and see what happens with those tow guys.

There are plenty of teams out there who could the talent of a guy like LeBron. Rumors have been thrown around that he might be heading back to Cleveland, he could stay put and sign a new deal with the Heat in Miami, you just never know. The options for LeBron are pretty good. One spot we know he probably won't be heading is the New York Knicks, only because the Knicks are going to be over the salary cap in the NBA for the 2014-15 season, so that is almost a given that he won't be heading to New York. I'm still sure that there are going to be a lot of buyers on the market for LeBron, it just depends on what and where will be the best fit for the best player in the game today.

With Carmelo Anthony, its a bit of a different story. Carmelo officially opted out of the final year of his contract with the New York Knicks on Monday and will test free agency this summer. This move may have had a couple of reasons behind it.  One had to do with the Salary cap. Right now, the cap is projected to be $63,2000,000 for next season. Even with the Anthony deal already off the books, the Knicks are still about $5.8 million over the cap, with the roster that is currently signed under contract. So its going to make this tough for the Knicks to try and even consider bringing Melo back. Plus throw into the mix the fact that, even with Carmelo back in the fold, there isn't enough cap space for this team to try and bring in free agents and build a team around Carmelo and give him a good supporting cast to be competitive in the East.

As it sits at the moment, according to ESPN, Anthony can sign a maximum contract worth $129 million over five years with the Knicks. He can sign a maximum deal worth $96 million over four years with another team. And Carmelo is looking to sign on with a team that has a chance to be a winning basketball organization. Anthony would consider signing with the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks, sources say (ESPN). Chicago, I believe, might have the same possible salary cap issues the Knicks have, so that might not work out as an option for Melo. Of those three teams, the best one for Melo to go to, if he wants to have a chance to win an NBA title, would be the Houston Rockets. They have plenty of talent on that ball club, the setup would be perfect to have the right supporting cast for a guy with Melo's talent.

So with LeBron and Carmelo both free agents this summer, its going to make a for a more interesting summer for free agency in the NBA!

WORLD CUP MATCH PREVIEW: UNITED STATES VS. PORTUGAL

With the first week of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil having already been played, the United States finds itself in a very favorable position after defeating Ghana 2-1 in their group opening match. While the win helped them secure a very valuable 3 points, the United States faces some issues in their next matchup against a Portugal team looking to rebound after a 4-0 drubbing by Germany. This upcoming matchup for the United States might hold their key to the next round depending on what happens between Germany and Ghana, but there are some areas of concern and some potential roadblocks that the US must address if they want to advance to the knockout stage.

1. OVERCOME THE LOSS OF JOZY ALTIDORE: In the midst of the 2-1 win over Ghana, the US were dealt a severe blow in the loss of striker Jozy Altidore to a hamstring that could keep him out of the remainder of the World Cup. Clint Dempsey will need to take his game to the next level to compensate for the loss of Altidore, along with Chris Wondolowski and Aron Johannson, in order to at the very least keep it close with Portugal and Germany coming up.

2. THE MIDFIELD MUST BE BETTER: There were numerous chances during the game, especially in the second half, that Ghana was going through the midfield, which ended up leading them to the equalizer in the 81st minute. Michael Bradley needs to get back into form and play up to the level that he was playing at during his time at A.S. Roma, since he’s arguably one of their best players. You might be able to get away with it against Ghana, but that’s a no-no against Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portuguese.

3. EXPLOIT CR7’S KNEE INJURY: At the time of writing this article, there were question marks surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s knee injury and whether he would be at 100% at game time. While he most likely won’t be at 100%, Ronaldo still has the ability to be a difference maker and the thorn in the side of the US midfield and back four. If Ronaldo doesn’t play, the US needs to exploit the weakness with their best player off the field and a defense that’s questionable at best.

4. DON’T PARK THE BUS: This will coincide with what happens in the Germany/Ghana game, but if Germany defeats Ghana, all the US will need to do is draw with Portugal and they will move onto the knockout stage. They can’t sit back and park the bus with Portugal since the Portuguese do have the ability to score goals if they are fully healthy. This Klinsmann coached team does have the discipline to avoid this mindset and score a few goals in order to give themselves the best opportunity possible.

5. DEAL WITH THE HEAT: The Brazilian heat has gotten to some of the teams, leading to a good amount of players cramping at different times throughout the tournament. The United States will need to be in good condition, especially with their game in Portugal playing in Manaus, which is located within the Amazon jungle. The conditioning will lead to less cramps and less potential for serious injuries.

 With this matchup between Portugal possibly being the ticket into the knockout stage, the United States needs to come out with full intensity and not allow Portugal to dictate the pace of play in Manaus. If Ronaldo is not up to par with his play, there’s a possibility that the United States can make it out of this game with a win, or at the very least, a draw.

FINAL SCORE: 2-1 U.S.A.

*This article was contributed by Executive Producer Gregory Delaney, and completed before matchplay*

Clayton Kershaw Nearly Perfect In Tossing No Hitter

It's something that most pitchers dream about. Pitching a no-hitter in a Major League Baseball game. Heading into last night, there had been a total of 283 such games thrown by Major League pitchers. You can now add another name to that list: Clayton Kershaw. From an individual standpoint, the 26 year old Kershaw has accomplished a lot during his seven year big league career. To his credit, Kershaw has a pair of Cy Young Awards, three straight major league ERA titles, a 20-win season, and now you can throw in a no-hitter.

Kershaw dominated the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, striking out a career-high 15 and allowing his only baserunner on a throwing error by shortstop Hanley Ramirez in Los Angeles' 8-0 victory. It is very safe to say that Kershaw was in a bigtime groove last night in Chavez Ravine. All this coming from a guy who missed more than six weeks early this year because of a strained muscle in his upper back, after beating Arizona in the season opener during the Dodgers' two-game trip to Australia. I think, with his performance tonight, Kershaw may have silenced any doubt that he is the best pitcher in the game today. I know Masahiro Tanaka of the Yankees and Mark Buehrle may have better numbers than Kershaw at the moment, but on the whole I still contend he is the very best in the business at what he does. To make this feet even more impressive, look at what Kershaw was able to shut down. Coming into the game last night, Colorado was leading the majors in batting average, hits, total bases, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. They were first in the National League in runs and homers. The fact that Kershaw was nearly perfect against THAT lineup, speaks volumes. It shows just how much of a groove he was in on this night.

This no-hitter by Kershaw is the 2nd one that's been thrown in the big leagues this year. The other was tossed by his Dodgers teammate Josh Beckett on May 25th, a 6-0 win over the Phillies on the road. Kershaw's 15 strikeouts last night tied him for 3rd most in a no-hitter. Here's the list of top strikeout performances in a no-hitter (from Elias Sports Bureau):

Nolan Ryan 17 1973
Nolan Ryan 16 1991
Clayton Kershaw 15 2014
Nolan Ryan 15 1974
Don Wilson 15 1967
Warren Spahn 15 1960

When you think about it, that's some pretty elite company to keep. Also, Kershaw's gem last night marked just the 3rd time ever that a reigning Cy-Young award winner had thrown a no-hitter. Along with kersahw last night, the other two to do it were Bob Gibson with the Cardinals in 1971 and Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers in 1964. This marks the 22nd no-hitter in Dodgers history and the first at home since Ramon Martinez's 2-0 gem against the Marlins on July 14, 1995. The last time the Rockies were held hitless, it was by Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo on Sept. 17, 1996. The only other no-hitter against Colorado was pitched by Al Leiter of the Marlins in May 1996.

So congratulations are in order to Clayton Kershaw on his brilliant No-Hitter!

Baseball Suffers Big Loss With Passing Of Gwynn and Zimmer

Over the past two weeks, the world of professional baseball has taken a major hit. It has nothing really to do with on the field, but more so it's personality off the field. They had smiles that could light up a room. Their laughs and personalities were infectious. Within the span of a week, baseball lost two of its greatest personalities and ambassadors in Don Zimmer, who was 73, and Tony Gwynn, who was 54. The world of baseball suffered a great loss in terms of their personalities, their gentle modesty and their sense of responsibility to act like big leaguers, as well as for their accomplishments.

Don Zimmer had a decent career as a player, spending 12 years in the big leagues as a Third Baseman, Second Baseman and Shortstop. He may not have been the best hitter in the league, but was a good enough ball player to be able to hang around for 12 years with the Dodgers, Senators, Reds and Mets. He played in the big leagues for years after beanings and cranial surgeries that would have ended the careers of others. He was tough. But everyone also knew that he was soft-hearted underneath, which in his case was about a hundredth of an inch below the surface. Zimmer knew the game very well, which combined with the warmth that most people knew, was parlayed very well into his second career in the game. Most people knew him for his days as a manager and bench coach in the big leagues.

Zimmer's first two coaching jobs were with the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres. After being fired by the Padres in 1973, Zimmer took over as the manager of the Boston Red Sox until 1981. That was the time when he really established himself as a great coach in this game, despite the fact that Boston had that historic collapse in 1978. So after his time in Boston, he moved on to manage the Texas Rangers for a couple of seasons. He then bounced around to a few other organizations, including the Cubs and Rockies, before really settling down as bench coach under Joe Torre and the New York Yankees. During his time in the Bronx, Zimmer found his first taste of sustained success since he was in charge of the Red Sox in the late 70's.

During his managing days, Zimmer still had the passion and fire as he had as a player, and he also made guys feel very welcome on his ball club. After losses, his office felt like a postmortem, a real one, because he took every defeat hard and personally. But the next day, at the batting cage, he’d say, “Whadaya need?” to a kid reporter or quietly work the Red Sox clubhouse to energize a slumping team (Washington Post). That's just the way Zimmer was. Sure there were times where you were left wnadering about some of his decisions, like the time he charged at Pedro Martinez during the famed 2003 brawl between the Yankees and Red Sox, But then, a few minutes later, Zimmer would be laughing and smiling and making light of the whole situation. That's just the way he was. Zimmer had a passion for the game that was undeniable, you could just see in his face his love for the game, and love for life as well. It was infectious.

The same thing can be said for Tony Gwynn, who is, in my book, the best pure hitter in this generation. He turned hitting into an art form, becoming one of the first guys in the big leagues to really use video tape to study his swing and use it to his advantage. No one in baseball studied videotape more exhaustively than Gwynn, who may have started the trend toward film study. The batting cage was his research facility. His career average of .338 is the highest since Ted Williams. He won eight batting titles and five Gold Gloves in right field. He stole 319 bases and threw out runners. On the field, as a pure hitter, there are very few guys in history that can come close to what Gwynn was able to do with a bat. He may not have hit with a lot of power, he hit double digit home runs just five times in his career, but the guy could hit to all fields and make any pitcher look foolish.

There was more to Gwynn than just his ability to hit and play the game. His trademark within the game was his high-pitched giggle. He had this laugh that was so infectious you couldn't help but start to laugh right along with him. Gwynn never took the game too seriously, he always seemed like he was having fun on a baseball diamond. He loved the game, and life for that matter, all the same.

It’s because of people like Zimmer and Gwynn, and hundreds of others with similar qualities, though their warmth of spirit may not be writ quite as large, that so many people have spent a lifetime around the game, still love it and don’t grow tired of it or angry at it just because it has all the flaws of other institutions. The world can use all the Gwynns and Zimmers it can get. Baseball doesn’t create them, but it husbands and appreciates them. That’s why there are, and will continue to be, many more like them, though never quite the same.