Monday, June 23, 2008

DON'T BLAME JESSICA SIMPSON THIS TIME

Anyone who reads this blog or my expanded Independent Baseball Insider column on a weekly basis knows that it isn't my nature to rap many people on the knuckles. There are too many positive things that can be said about baseball, and especially the Indy game, to be taking time to throw darts.

That doesn't mean I cannot try to have a little fun now and then.

The first year Grand Prairie AirHogs have come alive in the American Association of late, climbing above .500 by winning eight of their last 10 and gaining second place behind their fellow Metroplex residents, the Fort Worth Cats.

Maybe they were just twitting Jessica Simpson's earlier misstatements with their media release today about planning a Jessica Simpson Night July 6 at their handsome QuikTrip Park although I am not convinced that was the case.

Three times the AirHogs referred to the promotion being at night. A word to the wise, however, in that they said game time is 2:05.

COLABELLO LETS LOOSE WITH ANOTHER THREE-HOMER BARRAGE

Can-Am League first baseman Chris Colabello isn't exactly what one would call a home run hitter in that his previous high in round-trippers was 13 in 91 games last season when he split the year with Worcester, MA and Nashua, NH.

But the 6-foot-4 Colabello seems to like to splurge. He homered three times last May 29 in a 10-RBI game against New Haven (CT) County. And Saturday night he repeated the feat, this time driving in eight, as Worcester put it to Atlantic City, NJ, 16-6. He had a 4-for-6 game, scored four times and raised his average to .333.

The three homers at Atlantic City represent half of the 24-year-old's home run output so far this season, although he is having another highly productive summer. Colabello has hit safely in 17 of his last 19 games, and has 29 runs batted in in his first 28 appearances of the season.

CHARITY, CHARITY AND MORE CHARITY

If anyone questions Independent Baseball's commitment to charitable endeavors I suggest that person visit the Frontier League website. I found stories only covering the first two thirds of June which talked of River City Rascals volunteers helping fill sandbags to fight off the Midwestern floods, Men's Health Week in Illinois, the (Washington, PA) Wild Things assisting a hospital, Traverse City, MI's gas protest, and the Florence (KY) Freedom aiding a polio campaign and kicking off a reading program.

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