October 13, 2009
  
October 4th was scheduled to be the last day we played in the Metrodome. But our home for the past 28 seasons wasn't ready to say goodbye. And two days later, we played a 12-inning instant classic that ranks up there with the greatest games ever played under that Teflon sky.

With both teams giving it their all, we had one clear advantage: you. You willed us to victory that night. All 55,000 of you. We felt your energy. Your passion. Your never-ending faith. You never, ever gave up. And we followed your lead. All the way to an improbable and historic division title.

 The 2009 season was a roller-coaster ride that left our hearts pounding and our bellies full of butterflies. When Joe Mauer belted a homer in his very first swing on his way to a 3rd batting title in an MVP-caliber season, you were there. When Michael Cuddyer made the Home Run Porch his favorite spot on his way to a breakout year, you were there. As Joe Nathan slammed the door shut on opposing batters a Twins record 47 times, you were there. When we needed every inning of 163 games to win the division, you were there. Standing and cheering, hooting and hollering, waving Homer Hankies. Just like you always have.

 These past 28 seasons have been special. Who can forget Kirby's Game 6 homer, Morris' Game 7 gem, or the rise of the M&M boys? So many great memories were made in the Dome, but it's time to pack them up and bring them to our brand-new home, Target Field. Out underneath the sun, the stars and the moonlit sky. Out where you can watch a Justin Morneau dinger float along the skyline before it finally lands somewhere on Hennepin Ave. Outside is where we belong. And before you know it, in 181 days to be exact, we'll be there, ready to start this new era of Twins baseball.

NEW YORK -The Chicago Cubs baseball team filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, a step that will allow its corporate parent to sell the team in an $845 million deal.

The filing in Wilmington, Del., was anticipated and is expected to lead to a brief stay in Chapter 11 for the Cubs. A hearing on the case was scheduled for Tuesday in front of the judge who has been handling the bankruptcy case of the Cubs' owner, Tribune Co.

October 12, 2009

Dear Brewers Fans:

On behalf of all Brewers players, coaches, and front office staff, we thank you for your tremendous support this year. For the second consecutive season, more than three million fans attended games at Miller Park, which represents the ninth-highest attendance in Major League Baseball. This is a truly remarkable accomplishment, which once again confirms to me that you are the best fans in all of professional sports. This isn't solely my opinion. I have heard from baseball executives, members of the media, and fans from around the country, all of whom agree that your passion and knowledge have no equal. We do not take your support for granted, and I want you to know that it gives us the motivation and resources to compete at a high level.

When my group purchased the Brewers in 2005, one of my primary goals was to raise all expectations for the team. Coming off last season's playoff appearance, I expected us to play very meaningful games again through September and compete for another postseason berth. I share your disappointment that we fell short of our goal. Only a few years ago, achieving a .500 record would have been acceptable, but posting 80 wins this year satisfied neither you nor the organization. This higher standard demonstrates how far we have come in raising our expectations and how much our performance has improved. Never one to shy away from competition, I welcome the challenge of being held accountable for our efforts to meet this standard.

As I think back on the 2009 season, I find many positives that deserve mention in addition to reaching three million in attendance:

Our offense scored the third most runs in the National League, trailing only two playoff teams (Philadelphia and Colorado).
Prince Fielder put together what I believe was the best offensive season in team history, capped by an all-time Brewers franchise record 141 RBIs (tied for the NL lead) and 46 home runs, one behind Albert Pujols for the league's top mark. In the middle of this historic season, Prince won the Home Run Derby at the All Star Game, cheered on by fellow All Stars Trevor Hoffman and Ryan Braun.
Ryan Braun reached 100 career home runs in his 400th game, the second-fastest to accomplish this among all active players in baseball, and became just the third Brewer to lead the league in hits (203), joining Paul Molitor and Robin Yount.
Yovani Gallardo recorded 204 strikeouts, the fifth-highest total in Brewers franchise history.
Casey McGehee, who was claimed off waivers from the Cubs, emerged as a legitimate Rookie of the Year contender, leading all first-year players in RBIs and placing second in home runs and batting average.
Trevor Hoffman once again showed why he is the best closer in Major League Baseball history, recording the NL's fifth most saves (37) and giving Miller Park fans an adrenalin rush with each dramatic entrance to "Hell's Bells."
When I addressed the players and coaches last weekend in St. Louis, I thanked them for playing and working hard right to the finish, capped by a weekend sweep of a Cardinals team that was competing for home field advantage in the playoffs. Even through challenging stretches, our guys always played to win. As a fan and owner, I believe this is a testament to the character and makeup of our team, and it will serve us well as we continue to build for 2010.

Looking ahead to next season, no one at the Brewers will settle for the status quo. We have begun a thorough top-to-bottom review of all aspects of our business and baseball operations, and we will work diligently to improve our roster. We know how important it is for a team in our market size to develop homegrown talent, and we believe our farm system is well positioned to do that.

At the Major League level, Doug Melvin and his staff have already taken several steps toward ensuring a strong foundation for next season. Bringing back closer Trevor Hoffman, who is approaching his 600th career save, is the most visible move, and much more is happening behind the scenes.

In terms of enhancing the fan experience, we are focusing on two areas. First, we will be making several upgrades to Miller Park this off-season, and we look forward to celebrating the Brewers' upcoming 40th Anniversary. Second, we are also sensitive to the cost of attending games in light of the economy, and we believe this is reflected in our ticket prices for 2010. One of my top priorities is to keep the Brewers accessible to the entire community so that families continue to enjoy an affordable experience at Miller Park.

We are also excited about our continued efforts to expand our impact in the community. This year, our players donated over $350,000 to Brewers Charities and other local causes. Together with donations and funds raised by our Brewers Wives organization and the team's corporate partners, more than $1.5 million in grants and in-kind donations went to support Wisconsin organizations in 2009. Brewers Charities will remain a priority for the team as we are already working on a number of new fundraising programs for 2010.

I am passionate about my role as Principal Owner and committed to taking the steps needed to ensure our long-term success, both on the field and off. I am proud that expectations for our organization have been raised on all fronts, and I pledge that we will continue to work on raising that bar even higher. It is a privilege to serve you, the best fans in baseball, and you should count on my continued hard work to reach our collective goal.

Go Brewers!

  
Mark Attanasio
Chairman and Principal Owner

Edited by author 10-12-2009 08:45 AM
The Metrodome Magic is over. The last game there turned out to be a sad goodbye for Twins' fans.

Jorge Posada had a homer and rbi single to lead the Yankees to a 4-1 win and a sweep of the Twins Sunday night in the AL Division Series.

Alex Rodriguez also homered for the Yankees. Andy Pettitte got the win after allowing the Twins only one run in 6.1 inning.

As was the case in all three games of the series, the Twins got the early lead on Joe Mauer's rbi single in the 6th inning. But, Rodriquez and Posada homered in the top of the 7th off Carl Pavano, who had blanked the Yankees to that point.

A baserunning blunder by Nick Punto cost the Twins a possible run, but the Yankees made it academic with two insurance runs in the top of the 9th. Posada singled home one of the runs.

For more on the game, do to the Twins' web site via MDR links.

Minnesota Twins Postgame Alert
------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------
October 11, 2009

N.Y. Yankees 4, Minnesota 1 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
N.Y. Yankees Record: (3-0)
Minnesota Record: (0-3)

Winning pitcher - Andy Pettitte (1-0)
Losing pitcher - Carl Pavano (0-1)
SV - Mariano Rivera (1)

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
NYY 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 4 7 0
MIN 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 7 0

Twins Blow Another One In Yankee Stadium

The Twins have led in every game they played in Yankee Stadium in 2009, but have no wins to show for it.

Their latest debacle came Friday night, when Mark Teixeira homered in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Yankees a 4-3 win in the second game of the AL Division Series.

The series now goes back to the Metrodome on Sunday with the Yankees leading 2-0.

Teixeira hit his walkoff against reliever Jose Mijares, but it should never had gone to the 11th. The Twins took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the 9th, but closer Joe Nathan gave up a two-run homer to Alex Rodriguez to tie the score, 3-3.

The Twins had a chance to win it in the top of the 11th when they loaded the based with no outs, but did not score. They stranded 17 runners in the game overall.

Nick Punto and Denard Span had clutch rbi singles in the two-run 8th that gave the Twins a 3-1 lead. Brendan Harris also had a fine game with a rbi triple, a single and a great play at third base.

Nick Blackburn pitched shutout ball for five innings, but all the efforts went for naught as the Twins remained snakebitten in Yankee Stadium.

You can read more about the game by going to the Twins' web site via MDR links.

Carl Pavano will start for the Twins on Sunday against the Yankees' Andy Pettitte.

Minnesota Twins Postgame Alert
------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------
October 9, 2009

Minnesota 3, N.Y. Yankees 4 at Yankee Stadium
Minnesota Record: (0-2)
N.Y. Yankees Record: (2-0)

Winning pitcher - David Robertson (1-0)
Losing pitcher - Jose Mijares (0-1)

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
MIN 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 12 1
NYY 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 4 7 0
  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 R H E
MIN 0 0 X X X X X X X 3 12 1
NYY 0 1 X X X X X X X 4 7 0

Season Wrap: White Sox

Final record: 79-83

What Went Wrong: The transition from a power-packed team to a more aggressive, quick club went much slower than expected. Shortstop and second base turned out to be problem areas, with Alexei Ramirez being inconsistent and Chris Getz and others failing to take the next steps. Alex Rios, acquired during the season, didn’t produce like he did in Toronto. Other than A.J Pierzynski and Scott Podsednik, the Sox had a very inconsistent offensive season. The starting pitching after Mark Buehrle and John Danks struggled at times. Jose Contreras showed he was done and was sent packing. Jake Peavy didn’t get healthy until it was too late.


What Went Right: Pierzynski and Podsednik had nice seasons. Gordon Beckham made progress and looked like he will play a role in the infield. Carlos Quentin got healthy and showed some of his old power late in the season. Peavy, once he got healthy, showed a glimpse of what he can do next season. Buehrle slumped late, but was outstanding early. Danks looked fairly solid.


What Has To Be Done: The Sox have to settle on an identity and then put the personnel in place to shape it. If they still want to be a power team, they should retain Quentin, Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko and some other veterans. If not, they need to make sure they have the players in place who can get on base, move runners and play aggressive baseball. The starting pitching should have a good threesome at the top in Danks, Buehrle and Peavy, but the rest of the rotation has to be shored up and holes in the bullpen have to be filled. Once the identity is established, manager Ozzie Guillen has to be more consistent in who he plays and in his game decisions.

Yankees Win Game One

The Twins left their magic behind in the Metrodome and entered a place they have not yet won in during 2009.

Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui homered to lead the Yankees to a 7-2 win over the Twins in the first game of the AL Division Series at Yankee Stadium Wednesday night. The Twins went 0-7 in the stadium during the regular season and now are 0-1 in post-season.

Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, but Jeter tied the game with his home run in the bottom of the third. The Yankees went on from there to built an insurmountable lead. Matsui hit his two-run homer in a three-run fifth inning.

C.C. Sabathia held the Twins to two runs on eight hits in 6.2 innings and got the win. Brian Duensing took the loss after giving up five runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings.

The next game in the ALDS will be Friday in New York. Nick Blackburn will face the Yankees' A.J. Burnett.

Bring On Damn Yankees

Metrodome Magic

The Twins just don't want to stop playing baseball in the Metrodome.

Alexi Casilla singled home Carlos Gomez in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Twins a 6-5 win over the Tigers Tuesday in a tiebreaker game for the AL Central crown.

The Twins now go to New York to start the AL Division Series against the Yankees on Wednesday.

Tuesday's game will have to go down as one of the greatest in the history of the Dome. Detroit jumped up 3-1, but the Twins battled back on homers by Jason Kubel and Orlando Cabrera to take a 4-3 lead.

Detroit's Magglio Ordonez tied the score 4-4 with a homer in the 8th inning. Joe Nathan escaped a huge jam in the 9th, and the game went into extra innings. Both teams scored in the 10th for a 5-5 tie.

The Twins then finally pulled it out against the Tigers' closer Fernando Rodney, who was pitching his fourth inning.

Sandwiched among these scoring highlights were great plays at the plate, diving catches. clutch pitches and enough drama to exhaust the Metrodome record crowd of 54,088.

For more on the thriller, go to the Twins' web site via MDR links.

Season Wrap: Brewers

Final Record: 80-82


What Went Wrong: The loss of Rickie Weeks to a season-ending injury hurt. So did down years from J.J. Hardy and Corey Hart. But, the biggest problem over the season was starting pitching. The Brewers banked that Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra would take steps up in their development and help make up for the loss of C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets. Gallardo took a baby step up, and Parra took a big step back. The bullpen was good early, then faltered and reinforcements had to be brought in.


What Went Right: Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun took major steps on their paths to super stardom. Casey McGehee turned out to be a great find. Trevor Hoffman, who re-signed with the team for 2010 this week, was everything the Brewers hoped he would be. Alcides Escobar showed he’s ready for the big time. Veterans Felipe Lopez and Craig Counsell filled in well after Weeks went down.

What Has To Be Done: GM Doug Melvin has to find pitching. Hardy and perhaps Hart could be traded, but both are coming off down years and won’t bring as much in return. Some say Fielder should be traded now, but that would signify a major rebuilding which the Brewers don’t believe is necessary yet. The Brewers also have to find a catcher to replace aging Jason Kendall and perhaps a center fielder to replace Mike Cameron. Manager Ken Macha has to provide more aggressive leadership next season. At least to some of the fans, he seems too passive.


Season Wrap: Cubs

Final Record: 83-78

What Went Wrong: Milton Bradley turned out to be more trouble than he was worth, and signing him was a clear mistake. Injuries to Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto and others kept run production down. The Cubs’ bullpen remained unsettled most of the season. Second base was manned by committee until Jeff Baker showed up.

What Went Right: Derrek Lee had a fine season and showed he has his power back. The Cubs’ starting pitching, bolstered by rookie Randy Wells, was the best in the NL Central for most of the season, even though Carlos Zambrano had a down year. Baker showed he could end up the regular second baseman.

What Has To Be Done: Bradley, who was suspended at the end of the season, has to be sent permanently packing. The Cubs then need to find a regular right fielder. The bullpen also has to be strengthened. If Carlos Marmol is to remain the closer, the Cubs need relievers who can get the game to him and he has to mature and gain composure and command. Manager Lou Piniella has to demonstrate he’s still into it. At times, Lou looked like he would rather be fishing in Florida.

Minnesota Twins Postgame Alert
------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------
October 7, 2009

Minnesota 2, N.Y. Yankees 7 at Yankee Stadium
Minnesota Record: (0-1)
N.Y. Yankees Record: (1-0)

Winning pitcher - CC Sabathia (1-0)
Losing pitcher - Brian Duensing (0-1)

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
MIN 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 10 1
NYY 0 0 2 1 3 0 1 0 X 7 9 0

Curiously enough Dennis, the offensive disparity between 2nd basemen in the American League and National League is even greater than the differences at catcher and shortstop (this is about a week before the season officially ended):
 
NL 2nd basemen OPS+, 100 games or more:
Chase Utley, Phillies- 137
Dan Uggla, Marlins- 114
Orlando Hudson, Dodgers- 105
Skip Schumaker, Cardinals- 102
Brandon Phillips, Reds- 100
Luis Castillo, Mets- 100
Ryan Roberts, Diamondbacks- 99
Clint Barmes, Rockies- 87
David Eckstein, Padres- 82
Kelly Johnson, Braves- 81
Kazuo Matsui, Astros- 77
Mike Fontenot, Cubs- 74
NL 2nd Basemen Average: 96.5
 
Again, there are footnotes to this, as only 12 of the 16 clubs had someone fully qualify. Foremost for Milwaukee fans, Rickie Weeks had an OPS+ of 122 in his 37 games to begin the season and Felipe Lopez had 123 in his 64 games for the Brewers. Lopez also had a 99 in his time at Arizona.
For Atlanta, Martin Prado had a 113 in 125 games as a utility infielder and Omar Infante had a 97 in 67 games in a similar role. The Cubs' Jeff Baker had a 110 in 66 games at 2nd base, which makes you wonder why Piniella did not play him more. Freddy Sanchez's time was split between Pittsburgh and Frisco, so he does not qualify for either team and did not have that good a season. The Nationals were a train wreck at the keystone.
 
AL 2nd basemen OPS+, 100 games or more (again about a week bvefore the regular season ended):
Ben Zobrist, Rays- 142
Robinson Cano, Yankees- 127
Aaron Hill, Black and Gray Jays- 117
Alberto Callaspo, Royals- 114
Ian Kinsler, Rangers- 112
Brian Roberts, Orioles- 108
Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox- 106
Howie Kendrick, Angels- 105
Jose Lopez, Mariners- 101
Mark Ellis, Athletics- 95
Placido Polanco, Tigers- 92
Luis Valbuena, Indians- 78 in 100 games (probably split at short w/Asdrubal Cabrera)
Chris Getz, White Sox- 74 in 107 games
AL 2nd Basemen Average: 105.5
 
The Twins, Indians, and White Sox were the most unsettled teams at this position, as Minnesota did not have a qualifier. Jayson Nix had an 84 OPS+ in 92 games for the ChiSox and Jamey Carroll had a similar 81 in 92 games with Cleveland. Nick Punto is essentially a fine utility man playing regularly with the Twins. Maicer Izturis in another middle infield utility, who had a 105 OPS+ in 114 games with Anaheim.
 
Note that the Angels' Howie Kendrick, who ranks but 8th here among his 13 AL counterparts, would have been 3rd in the National League and Alberto Callaspo of the Kansas City Royals would have been the second best offensive 2nd baseman in the National League. Think about that.
 
So even though NL shortstops averaged better (97.0 to 91.3), thanks to Hanley Ramirez and AL backstops ranked better (101.6 to 96.6) thanks to Joe Mauer (whose German surname translates into "Wall," a good name for a backstop), the American League again shows its serious superiority at the keystone, as well as more overall stability at these crucial defensive positions.

Metrodome Magic

The Twins just don't want to stop playing baseball in the Metrodome.

Alexi Casilla singled home Carlos Gomez in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Twins a 6-5 win over the Tigers Tuesday in a tiebreaker game for the AL Central crown.

The Twins now go to New York to start the AL Division Series against the Yankees on Wednesday.

Tuesday's game will have to go down as one of the greatest in the history of the Dome. Detroit jumped up 3-1, but the Twins battled back on homers by Jason Kubel and Orlando Cabrera to take a 4-3 lead.

Detroit's Magglio Ordonez tied the score 4-4 with a homer in the 8th inning. Joe Nathan escaped a huge jam in the 9th, and the game went into extra innings. Both teams scored in the 10th for a 5-5 tie.

The Twins then finally pulled it out against the Tigers' closer Fernando Rodney, who was pitching his fourth inning.

Sandwiched among these scoring highlights were great plays at the plate, diving catches. clutch pitches and enough drama to exhaust the Metrodome record crowd of 54,088.

For more on the thriller, go to the Twins' web site via MDR links.

Gardenhire Is MDR Manager Of Year

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire started the season without his star catcher, Joe Mauer, and ended it without his star first baseman, Justin Morneau.


He lost ace Kevin Slowey midway in the season, and had to patch together a starting rotation as other pitchers were slowed by injuries. He lost his third baseman when Joe Crede’s back went out again and primarily got by with two infielders every game who probably should have been backups.


Yet, the Twins forced a playoff tiebreaker for the AL Central title and finished the regular season 86-76. For that, Gardenhire deserved the MDR Manager of the Year honor.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella received some consideration for the honor. The Cubs finished 83-78. But, on paper, the Cubs were loaded, so that actually was a disappointing year. Piniella also never found a way of controlling head case Milton Bradley, or managed to put together a bullpen that could regularly hold leads.

McGehee Is Rookie Of Year

The Brewers’ Casey McGehee got off to a late start and played only part-time for much of the season, but still deserves the MDR Rookie of the Year honor.


McGehee hit .301 with 16 homers and 66 rbi. He settled into the third base spot later in the season, after also filling in at second base when Rickie Weeks was lost for the season. McGehee accomplished this while playing on a gimpy knee, which will require surgery in the off-season.


Also considered for the honor were the Cubs’ Randy Wells, Twins’ Brian Duensing and White Sox’s Gordon Beckham. Wells finished 12-10.


Duensing came off late in the season and went 5-2 with a 3.64 ERA after a late season callup. Beckham hit .270 wwith 14 homers and 63 rbi.

Prince, Mauer Share Player Of Year Honor

It’s hard to pick between a player who set franchise records for rbis and walks, and one who won a batting title with a .364 average. So, MDR didn’t.


The Brewers’ Prince Fielder and Twins’ Joe Mauer share this year’s MDR Player of the Year honor. Fielder finished the season with 46 homers and 141 rbi. The latter tied him with Ryan Howard for the MLB rbi title and set a franchise record. Fielder also set a team record for walks, averaged .299, had a .602 slugging percentage (second to Cardinals' Albert Pujols) and won the All Star Home Run Derby.


Mauer, despite off-season surgery and starting the season late, won the AL batting title, with a .364 average, which topped all of the big leagues. It's Mauers's third AL batting title. Mauer also had career-highs in homers with 28 and rbi with 96, and a slugging percentage of .586 which ranked third, right behind Fielder.


So, both players deserve the honor of Player of the Year. Other MDR team Players of the year included the Cubs’ Derrek Lee, who hit .306 with 35 homers, 111 rbi and a slugging percentage of .579 (fourth in MLB), and White Sox’s A.J. Pierzynski, who hit .300 with 13 homers and 49 rbi.

Nathan Is Pitcher Of Year.

Like his team in general, Joe Nathan rather quietly goes about his business and usually ends up one of the best at it.


Nathan earned the MDR Pitcher of the Year honor by setting a Twins’ franchise records with 47 saves. He had a 215 ERA and appeared in 69 games, 52 of them save opportunities.


Other MDR team Pitchers of the Year included the Brewers’ closer Trevor Hoffman, the Cubs’ Ted Lilly and the White Sox’s Mark Buehrle.


Hoffman earned 37 saves for the Brewers. Lilly was the Cubs’ All Star representative and finished 12-9 with a 3.10 ERA. Buehrle finished 13-10 with a 3.84 ERA, despite a late season slump and had a perfect game.

Minnesota Twins Postgame Alert
------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------
October 6, 2009

Detroit 5, Minnesota 6 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Detroit Record: (86-77)
Minnesota Record: (87-76)

Winning pitcher - Bob Keppel (1-1)
Losing pitcher - Fernando Rodney (2-5)

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
DET 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 12 1
MIN 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 6 12 0
  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 R H E
DET 1 0 0 X X X X X X 5 12 1
MIN 1 0 1 X X X X X X 6 12 0

The Brewers hit the offseason ground running, agreeing on a new deal with would-be free-agent closer Trevor Hoffman less than 24 hours after their 2009 finale.

The Brewers and Hoffman reached terms Monday on a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2011 that means that Hoffman, Major League Baseball's all-time leader with 591 saves, will seek No. 600 as a Brewer.

LHP Manny Parra will undergo minor surgery on the AC joint in his left shoulder tomorrow (Dr. William Raasch).

 

INF Casey McGehee will undergo an arthroscopic cleanup of his right knee tomorrow (Dr. William Raasch).

 

RHP Braden Looper will undergo minor surgery on the meniscus in his right knee at some point next week (Dr. William Raasch).

Visit the Baseball in Wartime Blog at http://baseballinwartime.blogspot.com/
 
Today's entry tells the fascinating story of Chuck Eisenmann - a wartime baseball pioneer.

************************************************
Gary Bedingfield
Baseball in Wartime (Founder and Editor)
www.baseballinwartime.com
gary@baseballinwartime.com