If you’ve ever watched ESPN, there is a good chance you’ve seen Baseball Tonight. And if you’ve ever seen Baseball Tonight, you’ve probably seen Karl Ravech, who has been the host for the past 17 years. I had a chance to interview him over at Frisco Fastball, the San Francisco Giants blog I write for, and I think it went pretty well. I’d definitely encourage you to check it out if you even have the slightest interest in baseball (and heck, even if you don’t).

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Update 11-01-10: Obviously, I stand corrected. The Giants got it together and made me happy to admit that I was wrong. Amazing how quickly the outlook can change.

The San Francisco Giants started off the season pretty hot. They gave us fans hope that we had over come the hitting struggles of last year. They got our hopes up for a playoff berth in 2010.

Then they crushed us.

They reverted back to the San Francisco Giants of last season–perhaps worse. Don’t get me wrong. I still love the Giants. I still have hope. But I have this sinking feeling it will end much the same as least season–so close, but not quiet close enough. Upon looking at the 2010 All-Star Game roster for both the AL and NL, I think I’ve figured out our problem. We need All-Stars. Not former All-Stars like Freddy Sanchez. Not future All-Stars like Buster Posey. Current All-Star players.

But wait? Don’t the Giants have two All-Stars this year? Yes, and they are both pitchers. Everyone in baseball knows pitching isn’t the Giants problem, hitting is. Besides, Tim Lincecum, as much as I love him, wasn’t maybe quiet up to All-Star par this season, at least so far. And Brian Wilson? Well, he’s not called the “Cardiac Kid” for nothing. He’s a tough pitcher, but he’s sure tough on Giants fans too.

There was write-in campaigns for Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff, both who have been hot this season. But that’s just the thing. They’re not obvious candidates. They’re after-thoughts to the All-Star selection. They may not be after-thoughts to Giants fans. I love them both. But when they are the best hitters on our team in “must have a hit” situations, that is a problem. I think Huff should have been on the roster. I hope he keeps playing like he has been and if he does, he will be an All-Star next year. But that’s next year and we have to hope San Francisco can keep him.

Did you know that Boston and New York Yankees have six players on the All-Star team this year? The Yankees possibly have a seventh in Nick Swisher. You can bet most of those players weren’t after-thoughts.

So, San Francisco Giants fans, listen up. Until the Giants start putting current All-Stars on the field, or until our players start playing like All-Stars all season long, we won’t be seeing too deep of a playoff run, if even that. I’m not saying we should be the Red Sox or the Yankees, but both of those teams have won World Series in the recent past.

Isn’t winning a World Series the goal for a MLB team? Your loyal fans deserve a chance at that.

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I’m currently planning my trip to some of the best places for baseball fans on the earth. Boston and Cooperstown. Fenway Park and the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Green Monster and the very best baseball players who have ever lived.

Ever since I had this dream way back in July of 2007 of visiting all the ball parks over the next few years I’ve knocked out 11 stadiums. 11 isn’t a bad number, except that I visited all 11 in 2008.  Last year I decided to go to Spring Training in the Phoenix area for the first time. I also went this year, as it is likely to be a yearly event now. The point is that I’ve lagged off after that first year of excitement.

So this year I resolved to go to at least one new ball park. Since it’s higher on my priority list than say, Kansas City, I decided this was the year for Boston. I also decided since Cooperstown is relatively close, I should go there was well. If you don’t know what Cooperstown is, it is the home to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Of course, I’m doing some other touristy stuff while I’m there like sight-seeing Boston, spending a couple of nights in Hyannis Port, MA, and catching up with some friends.

However, let’s be honest:  This trip is about baseball. And September is the most exciting month for baseball.

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Google Maps
Someday I’ll get there. 18 more to go after this year!

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Home from spring training. I’m starting to become quiet fond of the Phoenix area. I’ll post a few pictures later and what I thought of the Giants and Angels.

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Tiger Woods. I’ve read the news. I’ve watched the interviews with his alleged mistresses. I’ve heard the jokes (some pretty funny ones I might add). I wouldn’t say I’ve been following the story, but in general, I’m pretty up-to-date on current events as I read Google News and my feed reader several times a day. You would pretty much have to be living under a rock to not know that something bad was going on with Tiger.

Here’s the thing though. I know that I should be disgusted by his behavior. I should think he’s a total scumbag. And I do think that his behavior was disgusting. It makes me sad for him, his wife, his kids and everyone around him who is having to deal with the consequences of his choices. However, I don’t feel the outrage that everyone else seems to be having or even that I think I should have.

Part of that is that I don’t think what he did was so abnormal for a sports celebrity (especially at his level). I think he’s getting more heat because we’ve always seen him as a “good guy” and because he’s managed to protect his privacy more than any other sports star that I know.

But the other reason is this: We all have a Tiger Woods in us.

We all (okay, mostly all) have a side to us that we are terrified of other people finding out. I do. It doesn’t mean that it’s scandalous, it just means that it’s really hard for us to live up to what we like to portray of ourselves.

Over the past month or so I’ve had to take an introspective look at myself. Not of the person I am 10-14 hours out of the day when I’m around other people, but the person I am at the core. The person I am when I’m alone and the thoughts I have that never come out of my mouth. The truth is, I don’t like that person very much. I am disgusted by my behavior sometimes.

I am Tiger Woods. I am willing to bet a lot of other people are too.

I am Tiger Woods not because I have this secret life (and if I did, I certainly wouldn’t tell you). I am Tiger Woods because when I hold myself up to the standard that I portray of myself, and the standard I should live as a Christian, I fail miserably. I hide so many things about myself that it’s pathetic. I run from accountability. I protect my faults more than the gold at Fort Knox is protected.

So I look at Tiger Woods and I see someone who has lost their privacy. I see someone has seen some of his deepest darkest secrets be played out 24/7 in the media for the past two weeks. Someone who is looking straight into the disappointment of most every person around him. Someone who, prior to Thanksgiving, we all thought was one of the “good guys.” I understand that celebrities are going to give up some of that privacy, but this is like someone just stole his underwear drawer and put it out on the front lawn for everyone to see. Should the media leave him alone? Sure, I think so, but that’s not the point of this.

The point really isn’t anything other than it’s a stark reminder for me to not judge. A reminder for me to really be the person I portray–to not hide my faults and to live an open live. That doesn’t mean I need to tell everyone every thought I have or every time I fail to live up to God’s standards. That just means I need to actually try to live up to those standards and know that when I fail, God still loves me and will help me be the person I am to be.

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