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This article originally appeared in FanSided.com in 2019. If you’re a football fan, you can’t help but get excited. The headlines are tantalizing. “Are there genetic markers for concussions?”– The Huffington Post, 2013 “Finding a link between genes and brain injury: Are some people predisposed to trauma?”– The Washington Post, 2014 “Why do some people get … Continue reading CTE, football and genetics
This article originally appeared in Baltimore Sports & Life in May of 2020. Cancer is an odd thing. Even when you think you’ve got it beat, you can never really be sure. I know people who have fought it off for years, going through round after round of chemo, beating the nasty thing back time … Continue reading My dad and sports
This article originally appeared in Sports Illustrated in 2015. "I’m not gonna get down, I’m not gonna get defeated. I’m not gonna get depressed and ‘oh, woe is me.’ I have a job to do."-- Jimmy Rollins The quote was delivered with the bluntness of an aging warrior at peace with his fate.His turn in … Continue reading For Jimmy Rollins, leadership has been in knowing when to step aside
This article originally appeared on Nerdist.com in 2016, but has since disappeared from their site. I'm glad I saved it! “Hey Dieter, do you know ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’?” The question was directed to Los Angeles Dodgers organist Dieter Ruehle by a member of the media seated near his perch in the press box. Ruehle smiled and … Continue reading LA DODGERS ORGANIST DIETER RUEHLE TALKS MUSIC, HOCKEY AND POKÉMON
This article originally appeared on MSNBC.com in 2010 and was part of an in-depth series I produced on the life of rodeo cowboys, most of which has disappeared from the site. LAS VEGAS — There are plenty of good reasons not to be a rodeo cowboy. The travel is relentless, requiring countless days away from home and … Continue reading A tough life, but one a cowboy can’t resist
“People ask me all the time, ‘Is pitching natural?’ I would say that excessive pitching, throwing 100 full-effort pitches every fifth day, is not natural.” -- Dr. Glenn Fleisig, Research Director at American Sports Medicine Institute, in an interview with Grantland.com, published March 10, 2015 LOS ANGELES – Good pitchers are hard to come by and … Continue reading The last competitive advantage in baseball
Justin Turner charges as the bunt rolls down the third baseline. Collecting the ball, he wheels and fires a dart to shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who is covering third base. If this were a game, it surely would have been an out. But since this is infield practice during spring training, it’s all about learning fundamentals, … Continue reading The tricks of the leadership trade
Josh Ravin won’t forget that night in 2012 when he was called into his manager’s office. It was good news – the Cincinnati Reds were going to promote him to Double-A. But his manager had one question for him: “Have you got any (health) issues?” The truth was his groin was bothering him. He’d tweaked … Continue reading Long bus rides, extreme pressure & playing through pain — welcome to life in the minor leagues
Dodgers media and fans got to see a glimpse of the future when 18-year-old pitcher Julio Urias squared off with 22-year-old outfielder Joc Pederson in live batting practice. Sandy Koufax, Mark McGwire, Rick Honeycutt and Farhan Zaidi were all there to watch, along with a healthy collection of media members. What happened? You can see for … Continue reading When top prospects collide
INSIDE THE GAME GLENDALE, Ariz. – They’re hitting in the cages, throwing batting practice, working on defensive drills and even battling on the clubhouse ping-pong table. They come from Cuba and Korea, the suburbs of New Orleans, the woods of rural Pennsylvania and even from nearby Scottsdale. There are 62 players at a bustling Dodgers … Continue reading 62 players, one goal at Dodgers’ spring training camp
Bob Harkins 