Best of the MLB Fan Cave

Time to get back into this blogging thing!  Sorry about the short hiatus.  So, let's kick this off by talking about something that has come to an end (who doesn't love a good irony?)
   
Back before this current baseball season started, it was announced that after four years the MLB Fan Cave would cease to exist.  It's kind of sad, but I do have to admit I'm not surprised.  Last year I didn't even keep up with it much, a large reason being the fact that we (the fans) didn't have any input as to who the Dwellers were and therefore didn't have any kind of investment in it.  And from the little bit that I did see, the videos didn't seem to have the same homey, personal flavor the previous three years had had, and had a more on-the-road, finding-the-players-where-they-have-to-be-and-interviewing-them feel.  The Fan Cave was missing aspect where we got to see the Dwellers  goofing around with the players and seeing the fun side of different athletes' personalities by having them doing things that were not necessarily baseball related.  That was what made the first three years so enjoyable to watch.  So, in remembrance of the Fan Cave's glory years, here are my top favorite Fan Cave videos (or at least some of them.  During the first two years there were so many fun ones it's hard to remember them all or find them again).

Bullpen Mafia, 2011

First Cave Dweller Mike O'Hara really was the best guy to help get people into following the Fan Cave.  He just had the right personality, talent and humor to draw attention to what the Cave was doing (wingman Ryan Wagner was pretty good, too).  Honestly, after the first year things just started slowly going downhill.

Marty Dolan Takes over the Fan Cave, 2011

This is the only clip that I couldn't find on YouTube, which is a pity because I think it is one of the funniest ever done.  I loved Mike O'Hara's alter ego, Marty Dolan, and his snarky attitude.  "He" added a whole new dimension to the Fan Cave, and of course in this clip he is allowed to go wild.  (The very last part of the clip is my favorite!  Because you know that Nick Swisher would've said, "Yeah, man! I'd love to!"  :)

Jose Bautista "The Hitman", 2011

C'mon, who doesn't have an ever-so-slight fascination with the mafia?  Even if it's because of all the dark guys in nice suits there's still...something. One thing that impresses me the most about Jose Bautista's performance in this is that you would never guess that he wasn't from da Bronx or another big gangster city.  Absolutely great job.

"Batters that I Used to Know", 2012

This is a very well done parody, and now that I've experienced the trades of some well-loved players (e.g. Martin Prado, Ian Kinsler, Craig Kimbrel) the emotion behind this song is much more powerful.  Whenever I hear the original song playing in a store or somewhere, I find myself singing under my breath "You're a Giant and a Dodger now..."  Yeah, I'm messed up.

Dueling Harry Careys, 2012

The Fan Cave brought every Harry Carey impersonation fan's dream come true!  Pretty much as soon as Ryan Dempster was traded to the Rangers (oh, happy day!), a bunch of people began speculating when a Harry Carey-off was going to occur.  Thank you, Fan Cave!!!!!!!!  (Personally, I think Ryan's version is the best).

The Nationals' Bullpen Reads 50 Shades, 2012

This is so awkward it's funny.  This is the closest I am ever going to get to reading the book OR seeing the movie, and as far as I'm concerned this is perfectly fine.


"MLB BFF", 2012

This is so cute!  Where can I get an MLB BFF???  I do have friends that like baseball, thank goodness, but they aren't anything like J.J. Hardy.  ;)  (Jk!)

Miguel Cabrera's Telanova, 2012

I'm not into soap operas, but this is a pretty funny spoof.  Several of the physical gags in the clip are very well timed.

Craig Kimbrel Staredown, 2013

There is no way I could have survived that game!  Using a distraction tactic like one of the guys in the video would have been my only hope (if I could have thought of a good one, which under those circumstances would have been very unlikely.  I would have been so starstruck!)  I miss seeing Craig in a Braves uni. :(

Rangers do Dumb & Dumber, 2013

If I remember correctly, Derek Holland did actually get a cameo in the movie (I don't think Justin Grimm did, though.  Probably because he was traded to the Cubs and they didn't want to bother tracking him down).  And what's a movie nowadays without bloopers?  :)

I'm sure it would be impossible to do a video with Dutch and not get some pretty good bloopers out of it.  He just seems like that kind of guy.


BONUS!!!!!!

I had to include my favorite Dweller submission video.  And the best part is that it worked!  His impression of Brian Wilson still cracks me up three years after first seeing it.

RIP, MLB Fan Cave.  Thanks for bringing us joy while you existed (and I have to admit, a part of me still wishes I could have been a part of it).

My Top MLB Commercials, Endorsement Edition

This poor blog has been neglected for way too long, and I have nobody to blame but myself.  It's tough as a writer to get motivated sometimes!  So, to break this long silence and to help myself with my baseball offseason blues, I'm now wrapping up my trilogy on MLB commercials.  Seeing as how it's been almost a year since I did the first one, it's high time I finished it (good heavens, have I really been doing this blog for a year now?)  I have covered commercials done by different MLB teams, as well as the commercials done by SportsCenter, so now let's look at my top five commercials of players doing endorsements.  These are done in order from the least entertaining out of the five to the BEST ONE EVER MADE (aka my obvious favorite, although number 2 is pretty close behind it).  Here we go!

#5 - Derek Jeter, Ford

 
In my opinion, the kid is really the star of the commercial.  He is so cute and expressive!  "Are you sure you're not a baseball player???"  And it reflects Jeter's apparent affection for young fans.

#4 -  Justin Verlander & CJ Wilson, MLB 2K12

Guys and their video games....... *ninja* 
I bet games between these guys probably do get pretty intense sometimes.

#3 - Joe Mauer, Head and Shoulders

I had originally been looking for a different H&S commercial with Joe, but this one is just as funny.  Good ol' Joe just can't tell a lie.

#2 - Nick Swisher & Jonathan Papelbon, Philips Norelco

This right here is what made me become a fan of Nick Swisher.  He is so adorable, just like a puppy!  The way he's grinning like he's so proud of himself at the end of the commercial gets me every time.  :)  (He's also a pretty good actor.  He makes it actually look like he's talking across the screen to Papelbon).

And......drum-roll, please!!!!!

#1 - Tom Glavin & Greg Maddux, Nike

This commercial should seriously be placed in the Hall of Fame along with its' two stars.  Stick a little TV screen between the displays dedicated to Glav and Mad Dog and have it play on loop, that would be perfect!  This commercial is also what kicked off the whole thing with "Chicks Dig the Long Ball" and its' several variants.  (Personally, I dig anything that will win the game for the team I'm pulling for, but specifically walkoffs).  ;) 


Well, there you have it!  Maybe now I'll be motivated to get back on here and post more often.  We'll have to see!  And please, baseball, get back here soon???? 

My Top MLB Commercials, SportsCenter Edition

Good grief, it's been almost a month since my last post.  Looks like it's time to do another one!  Let's see, how about a sequel to my top MLB commercials post with the focus this time being on ESPN?

A little while back, the MLB Fan Cave came up with a list of their top 10 "This is SportsCenter" baseball commercials.  I don't really watch ESPN, but I do think they have come up with some pretty great commercials over the years.  And I don't quite agree with the Fan Cave's list.  I'd say that maybe half of the commercials they picked deserve to be on the list, but not in the order they put them in.  So, here is MY Top 10 "This is SportsCenter" MLB commercials.  :)

10: Andrew McCutchen, the Pirate*

 
*Note that will make this more understandable/enjoyable: "Lox" is minced, brined salmon that is put on bagels.  I guess since these guys are "seafarers", they really like fish.

9: Jose Reyes, "It's in the Hips"

Totally not what you were expecting.  ;)

8: Josh Hamilton hits long home runs

This was from back in 2010 after Josh participated in the Home Run Derby, breaking the record for home runs hit by a player in one round.

7: Jason Heyward on bat making

The tree is the mascot for Stanford University.  Poor guy.

6: Tim Hudson sees something weird

 

This isn't actually a "This is SportsCenter" commercial, but it is still by ESPN.  (The reason I'm including it is because the commercial I had been PLANNING on using is no longer on YouTube, darn it).  I miss seeing Huddy in a Braves uni.  I bet somebody in the Braves' front office has been kicking themselves after seeing what a year Huddy's been having, too.

5: Tim Lincecum and his voice mail

I have to admit, I've never really cared for Lincecum all that much, but this proves that he does have a sense of humor.  :)

4: Buster Posey and the Umpire

One thing I noticed about this commercial: it takes three strikes to get a batter out, and three outs before the team on defense can go back to their dugout.  The umpire asks three questions, and then Buster says he's going "Out."  Very subtle moving, SportsCenter...

3: Clayton Kershaw, slow day at the office

That's why he's won a Cy Young, y'all.  ;)

2: David Ortiz, "Traitor"

"It's not what you think!"

1: Derek Jeter and his razor

This is even funnier when you know that Jeter has/used to have (I don't know if he still does or not) an endorsement with Gillette.  So "naturally" he's very picky about his razor. 


To finish up, I've included one that doesn't really have to do with any sport at all, but has a pretty funny/cute exchange between some of the SportsCenter broadcasters.

Honorable Mention: Dinnertime

They have their priorities straight.  ;)

Braves v. Rockies, 5/23/14

I finally got back to a Braves game!!!!!!!  It’s been over a year since I last got to go, so it was pretty exciting to finally get back to Turner Field again.  I would have had this post up sooner, but I’ve had to work the past few days.  :/

Back in September 2012, a friend and I drove to Atlanta for a game and spent the night, and ever since then we’ve talked about needing to do it again.  But what with one thing and another it wasn’t until this past Friday that we were able to make it happen.  After finagling our work schedules and a lot of discussion, we and another friend headed out on Friday afternoon and got to Turner Field about ten minutes before the game started.  Our other friend was especially excited because she had never been to a Major League game before.  The friend I had gone with the first time had gotten our tickets for us ahead of time (thank goodness!), so we were able to go right on in to the stadium without having to stand in line.  As we looked for the "got your tickets ahead of time express entrance", I saw a family with two boys, and they were all wearing Medlin #53 shirseys.  Pretty much right then I knew the evening was going to be good. ;)  And then after we got inside the stadium and went looking for our seats, we found out that we were just two rows behind the right field wall!  When we realized how close we were to the field, I looked at my friend and said, “Girl, you’re wonderful!”  

As we had expected, what with it being Memorial Day weekend, it was a pretty well attended game.  The people that sat in front of us were fortunately not too tall to block our view (and one of them looked a lot like Giancarlo Stanton, which was a little weird).  We were also several seats over from the guy that dresses up like an Indian at a bunch of games.  Since we were behind right field, the players we saw the most of were Jason Heyward and Michael Cuddyer, which wasn’t too bad.  I’ve really liked Cuddy since his days with the Twins, and if any of the Rockies players HAD to get a homer to tie the game in the 6^th inning, I’m glad it was him (especially since we won anyway).  It was sometimes hard to see what was happening in the infield, especially during the early part of the game when the sun was still showing over the stadium walls, but fortunately my camera has pretty good zoom on it so I was able to get some fairly decent pictures.  And after the sun went down it wasn’t bad at all, especially with the almost constant breeze we had. 

I was really happy to get to see in person some of the guys that have joined the team since we had last been to a game, specifically Chris Johnson, who has become one of my top favorites.  So when I looked at the scoreboard during the third inning and saw that his name had been replaced in the lineup, I was a little upset, wondering why the heck he had been taken out of the game.  Was he hurt?  WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO MY BOY?!?  (I refer to my favorites as "my boys".  It's short for "my favorite boys on the team".)  Then an inning or so later the Rockies put in a new third baseman, too, so it seemed pretty ironic.  I vaguely wondered if the managers had made a deal about their third basemen or something.  Then after I got home Saturday afternoon and got on the Internet, I found this article explaining what happened.  ChrisJ…calm down, buddy.  At least he’s willing to apologize for letting his temper get a hold of him. 

Anyway, here are some funny/cool things that happened during the game, both on and off the field. 

Off the field -

• A vender came near us and called out “Snow cones!  Get them while they’re hot!”  I don’t know if that was unintentional or whether he was doing it to get peoples’ attention, but either way it got our attention!  But, since we didn't want hot snow cones (or cold ones, either, for that matter), we didn't buy any.  ;) 
• When BJ Upton came up to bat in the 6^th, someone in our section started a chant of “Let’s go, BJ!” *clapclap clapclapclap* and pretty much the whole right field bleachers joined in (BJ ended up getting a walk). 
• When Brandon Barnes was brought in to pinch hit in the 7^th the song “Old MacDonald” started playing over the loudspeaker. 

On the field -

• Andrelton Simmons got a really good play at shortstop,
• During the 6^th Justin Upton hit a ball to shortstop and unfortunately most of his broken bat followed it (and Troy Tulowitzki was somehow able to get the ball and not the bat.  If it had been me, I would have probably grabbed the bat, or else been too distracted by it to find the ball.  That's one of the many reasons I'm not a baseball player) 
  
• At one point Justin made a good play at the wall in left field and afterwards JHey looked at him and shook his hand around like “Yow, dude!” 

·         And then, of course, in the bottom of the 8^th we were tied 2-2.  Ramiro Pena, who had replaced ChrisJ at third, hit a double.  Then both Simba and Dan Uggla struck out.  Then up came Gerald Laird, the catcher for the night.  And he hit his second double of the night, sending Pena home and breaking the tie!  And that meant we got to see Craig Kimbrel!  And of course Kimmie came in and did exactly what he was supposed to, striking out the side and bringing the number of saves between his record and John Smoltz’s down to two.  And unfortunately I *just* missed seeing a Freddie/Huggla hug after the game ended.  I had been watching to see if the bullpen boys were going to run out and join their teammates and happened to glance back at the infield right as Freddie and Huggla were letting go of each other.  Drat.  So much for getting a Braves huggy picture.  Oh, well, hopefully there will be a next time.  ;) 

After the game was the fireworks show.  I thought it was a little, I guess you could say interesting, that they played classical music while the fireworks were going on.  You could only really hear it between rockets.  Soon after I realized that that was what they were doing, I thought, “They need to play "The William Tell Overture"'.  They must have read my mind, because that is what they played for the finale.  And it fit nicely (although I think I prefer the slightly revamped version of the overture that was made for the newest “Lone Ranger” movie).

After we left the stadium and were trying to figure out which direction we needed to head in to get to our parking lot, we heard drumming off to one side.  I thought that it might have been the Braves’ drum corps, but when we joined the crowd that had gathered around the source of the sound, we found out that it was just one guy, playing on plastic buckets.  And he was amazing!  He has figured out how to get all different kinds of sounds out of those buckets by angling them with his feet, making them spin, and all other kinds of cool tricks.  He was also a good showman.  At one point he told us that he was going to do a one-handed drum-roll, and then told us all to say “No way!” (which we did).  And he did it!  Wow.  Then at the end of his performance he gave a little background on himself to get us to give him a donation, and he mentioned that he used to be a school teacher.  When he said that some guy in the crowd called out, “No way!”  ;)

It really was a fun trip.  I’m so glad that my friends and I were finally able to pull it off!  Hopefully we’ll get to do it again sometime.  

Here are some of the best pictures I got from the game.  Enjoy!  

This was the view from our seats!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, JHey.

ChrisJ and Simba.

JHey made a good basket catch RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!!!!  And he's like "Piece of cake."  ;)

ChrisJ at (his only) at bat.

Huggla on base with Laird at the plate.  If you don't understand Uggla's nickname, see here.

JHey: "Yow, JUp!"

BJ at bat and JHey on base, ready to go.  JHye's stance reminds me a bit of when Jackie Robinson was stealing bases with his crab-like shuffle in the movie "42".

Huggla (and the Rockies' dugout).

This was during one of the Instant Replay breaks.  JHey would watch the footage for a while, while BJ just ignored it like, "Whatever, the umps are going to do what they want to, anyway."

For a couple of innings I ended up standing on the main concourse while I waited for my friends to get back from doing a little shopping, so of course I stationed myself above the bullpen.  Unfortunately, the only guys who came out while I was there were coach Eddie Perez, bullpen catcher Alan Butts, and newbie reliever Ian Thomas.  Oh, well.

See all those white specks on the ground?  I think somebody likes his sunflower seeds.  Like, really likes them.  You could see him spitting them throughout the whole game.

Aw, c'mon, Cuddy, I was just picking.  Seeds are definitely a better habit than some others you could have.

Freddie, Justin Morneau, and Cuddy.

Freddie and Huggla.  <3

Part-way through the game, I noticed that they didn't have enough room on the board to put a space between "Tulowitzki" and "SS", so it's really "Tulowitzkiss".  ;)

Kimmie runs too darn fast for me to get a good picture of him running in (here's hoping for next time!), so I had to settle for a good pic of BJ in front of Kimmie's flames.

The bullpen boys going back to the dugout after the win.  I'm guessing the guy in the jacket is David Hale, the one next to/behind him has to be Alex Wood, the one with the backpack is Thomas, and the last one is Anthony Varvaro.

I got this during the fireworks show.  Made me think of "The Star Spangled Banner."

Got this as we left the stadium parking lot.  I guess since they are going to be replacing the stadium in a few years they probably won't bother fixing the wacky-jawed-ness of the sign's coloring.

As we drove away from the stadium, we found ourselves looking at this beautiful view of downtown.  A great way to end a wonderful evening.  :)

The Braves and their Hugging - it's good for them!

There are many reasons why I love the Braves, but one reason that has developed since I first became a fan is because the players are so openly affectionate to each other.

 

See what I mean?  It apparently all started a few years ago when Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla began using a hug instead of a handshake, and it just grew from there.  This aspect of the Braves became nationally known last June when the Braves started a "Hugs for Votes" campaign to get Freddie the Final Vote for the All Star Game (which worked, in case you don't remember).  And there are some of us fans that refer to Dan as "Huggla".  ;) 

While I've always thought it was really sweet, I recently learned thanks to an article/video clip about stress that my mom emailed to me that this cute habit of the Braves' could really be beneficial for them.  Here's an excerpt from the video's transcript:

...I want to tell you about one of the most under-appreciated aspects of the stress response, and the idea is this: Stress makes you social.

To understand this side of stress, we need to talk about a hormone, oxytocin, and I know oxytocin has already gotten as much hype as a hormone can get. It even has its own cute nickname, the cuddle hormone, because it's released when you hug someone. But this is a very small part of what oxytocin is involved in. Oxytocin is a neuro-hormone. It fine-tunes your brain's social instincts. It primes you to do things that strengthen close relationships. Oxytocin makes you crave physical contact with your friends and family. It enhances your empathy. It even makes you more willing to help and support the people you care about. Some people have even suggested we should snort oxytocin to become more compassionate and caring. But here's what most people don't understand about oxytocin. It's a stress hormone. Your pituitary gland pumps this stuff out as part of the stress response. It's as much a part of your stress response as the adrenaline that makes your heart pound. And when oxytocin is released in the stress response, it is motivating you to seek support. Your biological stress response is nudging you to tell someone how you feel instead of bottling it up. Your stress response wants to make sure you notice when someone else in your life is struggling so that you can support each other. When life is difficult, your stress response wants you to be surrounded by people who care about you.

Okay, so how is knowing this side of stress going to make you healthier? Well, oxytocin doesn't only act on your brain. It also acts on your body, and one of its main roles in your body is to protect your cardiovascular system from the effects of stress. It's a natural anti-inflammatory. It also helps your blood vessels stay relaxed during stress. But my favorite effect on the body is actually on the heart. Your heart has receptors for this hormone, and oxytocin helps heart cells regenerate and heal from any stress-induced damage. This stress hormone strengthens your heart, and the cool thing is that all of these physical benefits of oxytocin are enhanced by social contact and social support, so when you reach out to others under stress, either to seek support or to help someone else, you release more of this hormone, your stress response becomes healthier, and you actually recover faster from stress. I find this amazing, that your stress response has a built-in mechanism for stress resilience, and that mechanism is human connection...

See?  All the Braves' hugging helps them with handling stress!  And seeing how stressful the season can be for us fans, it has to be much more so for the players.  So, from Braves fans everywhere, keep it up, guys!  It's for your health.  :)

 

Let's Have Some Fun! - My Top MLB Commercials

MLB Spring Training games officially started today, which to me means two things: one, that Opening Day is only about a month away, and two, that soon various MLB teams will be releasing their commercials for the year.

I don't quite know why, but I love watching the commercials some of the teams put together (not the ones that are just pitching a promotion, but the kind that has a bit of lead-up to them).  Some of it is probably because it's neat seeing which players have some acting ability, and which don't, but it's also because they're...well...FUNNY.  I mean, I know they are trying to be funny on purpose, but sometimes they hit the mark a bit better than others, and some teams hit the mark more often than others.  So, I thought that in honor of Spring Training being well underway I would compile a list of my Top 15 MLB team commercials.  (The reason I've picked 15 is because I couldn't pick just 10).  Since I don't have one overall favorite out of these, I'm just doing them in alphabetical order by team.  And some of them I couldn't find on YouTube, so this is a mix of embedded videos and links (sorry about that, but I don't know how to embed MLB.com's videos yet).  Enjoy!  :)

1: A's - Chemistry

The A's have been doing commercials for a long time.  There are some out there from when Tim Hudson and Barry Zito were with the team, which was more than a decade ago (!).  So of course the A's have become pretty good at it.

2: A's - Fearlessness Training

I've got to admit, I'd kinda like to find out what happened after that opossum was discovered in the shower.  (Yeah, I'm warped).

3: Braves - Two Uptons, One Outfield

There are some other good Braves commercials out there, too, but almost all of them are kinda sad to watch because the players in them are no longer with the team (BTW, did anybody else notice that Tim Tebow's T Moble Superbowl ad was a lot like Martin Prado's "Sunny Over Turner Field" commercial?  Just sayin').

4: Cardinals - Cape

The expression on Wainwright's face is priceless.  No words needed.

5: Cardinals - Berkman's Number

It does make you wonder what some of these teams (aka Yankees and Cards) are going to do if they keep retiring numbers.  Start doing hundreds?  Decimal points?  "Now stepping to the plate, number Point Five..."  Hmm...

6: Giants - Stuck at the Office

Everybody knows what it's like to try to act like you're paying attention to something "important" when you're attention is being called away by something IMPORTANT.

7: Indians - Say Hello to TERRi

The greatest thing about this commercial is that the guys on the Indians roster actually came up with this commercial themselves (at least that's what I remember reading when they released it last year).  Great job, guys!

8: Mariners - Wise Old Buffalo

If any team can challenge the A's for the title of being the team that's been doing funny commercials the longest, it's the Mariners.  After all, they had Ken Griffey Jr. (And as far as this commercial goes, I can see something like this actually happening).

9: Rangers - Mascots

I love Ian Kinsler, and this is one of the reasons why.  He is such a (as Kevin Millar on Intentional Talk would say) "sneaky" funny guy.  He seems so quiet until you see something like this.  I'm going to miss Ian this year (dangit, Rangers, why'd you have to trade him?)

10: Rockies - Dinger Tipping

In my opinion, up till about a year ago the Rockies were tied for the best commercials ever.  Now they are #1.  That's why I had to include three of theirs in my list.

11: Rockies - Off Days

They obviously don't have Evan Gattis on their team.  ;)  (For those of you that don't know, Evan Gattis worked as a janitor for a while before he went into pro ball).

12: Rockies - Batter Introductions

I love Michael Cuddyer in this one.  He's goin' Old School!  (I know where you're coming from, Cuddy.  I still like, and use, cassette tapes, too).

13: Twins - Carpool

The Twins are the team that used to be tied with the Rockies for Best Commercials.  Over the past year or so they haven't been as good, but their commercials from a few years ago are still classic.

14: Twins - Man with an Ox

No matter which team's commercials he's in, Cuddy is hilarious.  :)

15: Twins - Take it Outside

This was from the first year that the Twins used Target Field.  And that really is Joe Mauer's mom!

BONUS!

If there is anything that's close to being better than team commercials, it's team music/dance videos.  The guys aren't reading lines or being told what actions to do, they're just letting loose and having fun!  Below are two of my favorites.

Baltimore Orioles - "Glad You Came"

This is from the end of the 2012 season after the Orioles started showing signs of becoming a good team again.  (It would have been even cooler if they had gotten Nate McLouth in it, but they could very well have filmed it before he joined the team).  The fun stuff starts about 0.18

Texas Rangers - "Happy"

This one was just released today, and I love it!  Three thoughts:

1:  Robbie Ross is So - Darn - ADORABLE!!!!!
2: Adrian Beltre has some pretty smooth moves.
3: I bet Derek Holland wishes he could've been in this (but with his broken leg...no chance).

Hope this brought a little cheer into your day!  It sure did into mine.  Let's PLAY BALL!!!!!

Check it Out! - "Home Run"

Two weeks ago, I saw a movie that really affected my spiritual life.  That movie was "Home Run", which is a limited-release movie that came out last April.  I found it sitting on a shelf at the library and decided to check it out, and I sure am glad I did!  It is endorsed by ballplayers like Ben Zobrist, Adam LaRoche, R.A. Dickey, and Mariano Rivera, which is a part of the reason I got it.

For a synopsis, the movie focuses on Cory Brand, a Major League player who is battling alcoholism and the effects of an abusive childhood.  He gets suspended for eight weeks for throwing a helmet at an umpire*, and his agent recommends he go back to his hometown in Oklahoma to get his act together.  He hasn't been back home for an hour before he and his younger brother get in a car wreck because of his drunk driving, which gets his brother put in the hospital.  Cory's agent decides that he really needs to straighten up, so she signs him up for Celebrate Recovery and tells the media that he will take over coaching his brother's Little League team.  On his first day as their coach, he learns that his assistant is his old high school sweetheart, who he had dumped after...well, I don't want to tell you all TOO much.  Anyway, he begins to bond with the kids while unwillingly going to Celebrate Recovery meetings, because he doesn't believe that he has a problem.  His goal is to just do the required number of meetings so that they will be on his record, and then get back to his old way of life as a big-time baseball star.  But as time goes on, he starts to realize that he really does have a problem and that he can't quit on his own.  He also has to face up to his past of hurt and realize that he isn't the only person who has gone through painful experiences and injustice. 

While I don't have a background like Cory's, this movie struck a chord with me in a couple of different areas.  For one, unlike most movies with this kind of theme, there was never one really big catastraphe that brought the main character to his knees in front of God.  Instead, smaller, almost common-place things kept coming at him, wearing him down until he had nothing left.  To me, that is much more beleavable than the whole getting-your-world-rocked kind of wake-up call.  I could also recognize that God had been using a similar tactic on me over the past several months to draw me closer to him, and I had been resisting.  This movie helped break my will against that. 

The other thing that struck me was that, even though Cory was definitely an alcoholic, he could keep it hidden.  Whenever he was around other people he was just a charming, fun-loving guy who didn't have a problem in the world.  He could keep his problem under "control", but he couldn't conquer it.  It still ruled his life.  I don't think that is shown very much in movies of this genre, either. 

As far as the movie outside of its message goes, overall it was enjoyable.  The beginning is a little slow, but once you get into it, it is well done and fun, as well as thought provoking.  The parts of the movie with the Little League team are fantastic, and some of the kids you can't help but fall in love with.  And Cory is played by Scott Elrod, whom I had never heard of before but he has apparently had several bit parts before this and is starting to become better known.  I think he did a great job pulling off such an emotional role, and he...ah...DEFINITELY looked the part of a charismatic pro ballplayer.  Picture Dan Uggla's biceps on a taller guy, MattE Diaz's smile, and Brandon Beachy's 5 o'clock shadow and hair before his recent haircut.  That basically describes Cory Brand's/Scott Elrod's appearance.  Not too bad on the eyes...but of course, that's just my opinion. ;)

I would highly recommend seeing this movie.  Even if you don't get something spiritual out of it, it is still a fun, heartwarming film to watch.

*When that happened, I couldn't help but think about Brett Lawrie from a couple years ago.  These guys and their tempers...SMH