No Inductees for Baseball’s Hall of Fame

Ah, baseball – it is said it’s America’s favorite past time.  However, this year, there will be no joy in Mudville because for only the second time since 1971, no former Major League Baseball players were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s not because the ballot wasn’t full of talent.  No, quite the contrary.  Among this year’s nominees were Barry Bonds, the all-time leader in career home runs (with 762).  Roger Clemens, an 11-time All-Star, two-time World Series winner, and 7-time Cy Young Award winner, was also on the ballot. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were there too.  … Continue reading

Divorces for Usher and Barry Bonds

Just four short months after wife Tameka suffered cardiac arrest in Brazil reportedly during plastic surgery, Usher has filed for divorce. He filed the petition in Superior Court in Atlanta on Friday. The couple married in August 2007 after cancelling their July wedding. That November, the couple’s first son Usher Raymond V, was born. Tameka gave birth to their second son, Naviyd, last December. Many speculated that the cardiac arrest was due to having plastic surgery too soon after the birth of a child. A source told PEOPLE magazine that the couple had been leading separate lives for months. That … Continue reading

Bond’s Record Breaking Baseball Sold at Auction

What a difference a ball makes! If you had been lucky enough to catch Barry Bond’s record breaking #756 ball – the one that broke Hank Aaron’s old all time home run record – it would have been like catching a quarter of a million dollars. Yes, it is true. The owner of the ball, lucky New York tourist Matt Murphy, caught the ball last month. The 22-year-old was then escorted away from the crowd by police for security purposes. I find it a bit fitting that, due to all the controversy over Bonds and the record being broken, Murphy … Continue reading

Star Athletes Score Big With New Additions

Shortly after Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run last night he rounded the bases and took his 17-year-old batboy son, Nikolai into his arms. After an emotional embrace the San Francisco Giants’ slugger’s mother, two daughters and wife joined father and son on the field. Bonds broke the home run record in front of a 43,000-strong home crowd that included his godfather, Hall of Famer Willie Mays. So the momentous occasion truly was a family affair. In tribute to Bonds’ feat I thought it would be appropriate to salute some other famous athletes on their achievements off the field—namely … Continue reading

Sports This Week: Two Baseball Deaths, Bonds Closes in on a Record

Two Baseball Deaths I found it somewhat odd today that I read about two very different baseball deaths that occurred Sunday. One was that of minor league coach Mike Coolbaugh. Mike was hit in the head by a line drive during a game between the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, for whom Mike was a first base coach, and the Arkansas Travelers. After he was hit, CPR was administered and he was taken to Baptist Medical Center in North Little Rock, but pronounced dead at 9:47 pm. Mike had two small boys and another baby on the way. What struck me as … Continue reading

Creeping up on a Legend

Barry Bonds just broke Hank Aaron’s National League record of home runs. He hit home run number 734 Saturday night against the Milwaukee Brewers, but even that was not enough to win. The San Francisco Giants still lost by a score of 10-8. Bonds needs only 21 more home runs to reach Hank Aaron’s career total of 755 home runs. Breaking that record will surely come, but then Bonds comes from good baseball genes. His father, Bobby Bonds, played 13 years in the major leagues. He was known for his amazing ability to combine speed and hitting. For five seasons, … Continue reading