Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Now That Emotions Have Settled.
After a morning flight from Omaha and a night on the town in Athens with several Georgia baseballers, it's time for our season wrap-up.
To start, I'd like to send out a congratulations and thank you to the team and the Georgia baseball program for the amazing season they put together in 2008. Though second place hurts now more than last years season did, the memories we forged throughout the spring on Kudzu Hill will last a lifetime.
We will remember Gordo, Peisel and Matty O for all of their contributions over the years and are eternally grateful to the team for the way they embraced our antics in right field. Though the players and their families have thanked us numerous times, we cannot emphasize enough how much they did for us as Bulldog fans and eventually as friends.
Omaha did not pan out the way we had hoped but the Dawgs exceeded expectations and brought the Red and Black to the forefront of the national baseball scene. They are understandably upset about the loss Wednesday night to Fresno but being one win away from a national title is nothing to hang one's head over.
To avoid a rambling and drawn out post, I'll leave it at that. It was a great season and it was a lot of fun.
Here's to continued success at Foley Field and elsewhere on campus like we experienced in the "Year of the Bulldog" 2007-2008.
Go Dawgs!
To start, I'd like to send out a congratulations and thank you to the team and the Georgia baseball program for the amazing season they put together in 2008. Though second place hurts now more than last years season did, the memories we forged throughout the spring on Kudzu Hill will last a lifetime.
We will remember Gordo, Peisel and Matty O for all of their contributions over the years and are eternally grateful to the team for the way they embraced our antics in right field. Though the players and their families have thanked us numerous times, we cannot emphasize enough how much they did for us as Bulldog fans and eventually as friends.
Omaha did not pan out the way we had hoped but the Dawgs exceeded expectations and brought the Red and Black to the forefront of the national baseball scene. They are understandably upset about the loss Wednesday night to Fresno but being one win away from a national title is nothing to hang one's head over.
To avoid a rambling and drawn out post, I'll leave it at that. It was a great season and it was a lot of fun.
Here's to continued success at Foley Field and elsewhere on campus like we experienced in the "Year of the Bulldog" 2007-2008.
Go Dawgs!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
...
Not much to say about last night. Similar to the super regionals against NC State, the Dawgs should look past this middle defeat to overcome the wiry bats of the other Bulldogs.
We'll be there watching.
We'll be there watching.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Poythress, Bulldogs Highlighted
ESPN has published a story written by Curt McKeever, a reporter for the Lincoln Journal Star, that talks about Georgia's success in the College World Series and highlights Georgia's Rich Poythress. Check it out, its a good read. Hopefully the last line of the article becomes true...
Dawgs In CWS Finals
The Diamond Dogs' bats came alive once again, storming in 10 runs against a solid Stanford team. Georgia got ahead early and never looked back, staving off a late Stanford rally to close the game 10-8. The Dawgs' second win over the Cardinal earned them a spot in the finals of the CWS, a best-of-three series which starts Monday. The opponent will be decided tonight at 7:00 ET on ESPN Classic when the Tar Heels of UNC take on the Bulldogs of Fresno State. Sort of an interesting move by ESPN, but I'm sure the overall delay of the weekend had something to do with the TV selection. How cool would a "Battle of the Bulldogs" series be between the 8th seeded Georgia and an unseeded Fresno State? I feel like ESPN would love to spin this as much as possible, favoring the Cinderella Fresno State over us in a heartbeat. That being said, I would rather play the Bulldogs, simply because I'm concerned about a balanced UNC team seeking their first National Title. But we'll see what happens tonight. Go Dogs?
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Some More Omaha Photos
Go Dawgs!
The 'Blatt
Fan Zone
13th Street
It was early, so they're aren't many fans yet, but add about 50,000
people and you've got it. Well, not really, you have to go still. With
the one of the neighborhood street, image those all around the stadium
with people welcoming you into their yards for a mere few dollars.
Go Dawgs!
I'll Second That
If you've never been to Omaha... go to Omaha.
If you've never seen the College World Series... go to Omaha.
If you've never seen Baseball Heaven... go to Omaha.
If you don't like college baseball / baseball period... go to hell. And that's not Omaha, that's in or around Gainesville, Fl.
But in all honesty... Omaha is more than you can imagine. The sheer rush you get while driving around that hill westbound on I-80 on your way out of Iowa (or, the newest addition to the Great Lakes), makes it worth it alone. Add to that a hundred thousand fans, a stadium as legendary as Uga, a steak town, a neighborhood that just screams "welcome," and locals who are calling you in with open arms, and you're in heaven my friend. I'm telling you, simply incredible. I don't think I said a word for the first 30 minutes we were parked in our tailgate spot. That tailgate spot happened to be the back yard of someone's trailer, but hey, $5 and a 10 minute walk? I couldn't ask for more, especially while drinking with the fellow Right Field Guys and the guys from the Left Field Lounge, some of the biggest Dawg fans around.
I was in Heaven, and I hadn't even been inside the gates of the stadium.
Standing in the ticket line a few hours later, my knees trembling in excitement and my hands sweating in anticipation, I realized that I had died and was born again. Well, that born-again feeling actually happened when I stepped into Section E. Just look for the time when your jaw hits the concrete at your feet, and that's when you'll feel it too.
At that point, I didn't care who won really. I didn't really care who was playing, either. I was just glad to be there, experiencing a slice of Heaven. So if you ever get the chance, go. No, actually, I don't care if you have the chance or not. Forget summer school. Take off from work. Spend the few hundred you have in your wallet. Make the trip. It will change your life.
If you've never seen the College World Series... go to Omaha.
If you've never seen Baseball Heaven... go to Omaha.
If you don't like college baseball / baseball period... go to hell. And that's not Omaha, that's in or around Gainesville, Fl.
But in all honesty... Omaha is more than you can imagine. The sheer rush you get while driving around that hill westbound on I-80 on your way out of Iowa (or, the newest addition to the Great Lakes), makes it worth it alone. Add to that a hundred thousand fans, a stadium as legendary as Uga, a steak town, a neighborhood that just screams "welcome," and locals who are calling you in with open arms, and you're in heaven my friend. I'm telling you, simply incredible. I don't think I said a word for the first 30 minutes we were parked in our tailgate spot. That tailgate spot happened to be the back yard of someone's trailer, but hey, $5 and a 10 minute walk? I couldn't ask for more, especially while drinking with the fellow Right Field Guys and the guys from the Left Field Lounge, some of the biggest Dawg fans around.
I was in Heaven, and I hadn't even been inside the gates of the stadium.
Standing in the ticket line a few hours later, my knees trembling in excitement and my hands sweating in anticipation, I realized that I had died and was born again. Well, that born-again feeling actually happened when I stepped into Section E. Just look for the time when your jaw hits the concrete at your feet, and that's when you'll feel it too.
At that point, I didn't care who won really. I didn't really care who was playing, either. I was just glad to be there, experiencing a slice of Heaven. So if you ever get the chance, go. No, actually, I don't care if you have the chance or not. Forget summer school. Take off from work. Spend the few hundred you have in your wallet. Make the trip. It will change your life.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
More Pictures from Omaha!
Ok. So I can only add 5 photos to a post. I'll be adding them throughout the day.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
When College Baseball Fans Die...
...they go to Omaha. Or so I'd like to believe.
My friend Alex and I made the trek to Omaha last Friday morning with some fellow Dawg Fans. The group was a motley crew fused together by our love for Georgia baseball and the trip marked a historic unification of the "Left Field Lounge" and the "Right Field Guys" as we've recently been titled.
We arrived Saturday morning after a night in St. Joseph's, Missouri and were greeted by several players at their (and our) hotel in Omaha. Though our room was not ready immediately, we made ourselves at home without hesitation.
We checked our bags and made our way to Famous Dave's for a bite to eat before heading out in search of an illusive tailgating location. If you have yet to make the visit, Rosenblatt Stadium is set on the ledge of a grass hill in a residential neighborhood outside of the city's downtown.
For five dollars, we parked in a field behind a local home and promptly started the festivities. Little did we know the Bulldogs would make the trip worthwhile less than 5 hours later. The team won its opening game over the CWS's #1 seeded Miami Hurricanes with late inning heroics and impressive bullpen performances by Alex McCree, Dean Weaver, and Joshua Fields.
Sunday morning came after a night on the town in the Old Market District. I looked at Alex and mumbled, "I can't believe we beat the Hurricanes" and without hesitation he agreed.
The Dawgs had one foot in summer vacation and wood-bat leagues when they trailed Louisville in Athens a mere two weeks before. Now they sat--with Stanford--atop Bracket 1 in the famed 'Blatt.
The day passed oh so quickly as we relived the day before with players, their parents and other Bulldog faithful. By 7pm, the only thing left to do was eat dinner and sport our red and black around town for another night. So, as we were in Omaha, we went out for a steak that lived up to its billing with several of the players and their families.
This experience alone made it a trip for the ages. Rarely does a fan get to spend quality time with the individuals who perform on athletic stages such as the one in Omaha. We told some of our stories and heard even more of theirs. We described our emotions during the regional and super-regional rounds and they let us into their world as Division I baseball players.
Monday evening and our victory over Stanford will go down as a memory to share with the grandkids. We sat with friends and guests of the team behind the Georgia dugout and we were amazed at the way Omaha had embraced our Bulldogs.
It is Rosenblatt tradition to measure the support of each team before the game. The announcer came over the loudspeaker and explained the tradition before asking, "so let's hear it from our Stanford fans...". Applause and cheers scattered from around the stadium before the announcer asked for the same from the Georgia fans.
Standing, the Georgia section around us exploded in yells and applause. Suddenly, however, our noise merely served as motivation for the baseball fans who chose Georgia as their team for the evening. Several players told us after the game that they would remember that moment for the rest of their careers.
--before going on further I should explain that our matchup with Miami won the hearts and support of Nebraska fans in the stadium. One yearly visitor to Rosenblatt stated it best when he told me, "we don't really hate Miami...we just want them to lose every time they take the field." Alex and I joked about football rivalries and how they never died. This fact played out in our favor in Omaha.
We as Georgia fans now sit back in Athens with our Diamond Dawgs in the drivers seat. They are 2-0 with fresh bodies for their Friday evening matchup against the winner of the Miami/Stanford game Wednesday night. The way our pitchers are throwing and our bats seem to hit at opportune times, it will be a challenge for either of those teams to beat us the necessary two times in order to send us packing.
I'll leave you with two challenges:
1. Make it to Omaha for the CWS once in your life whether UGA is playing or not.
2. Tune in (in person or on TV/Radio broadcasts) Friday to see this team in action. They truly are making a magical run.
Above are some photos I took throughout the trip. There will be more to come later in the week but these are the only ones on my computer at the moment.
Go Dawgs!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
As the Counting Crows put it...
Omaha! Somewhere in middle America...
I'm headed out to the CWS in the early morning Friday in my effort to push the Diamond Dawgs onto a championship before my days as an undergrad are over in a few weeks. A friend and I will be meeting DallasDawg out there for what is sure to be an amazing experience--win or lose.
Keep our blog close as we will hopefully be updating ya'll on our excursion all weekend long. If not, I'll be back Tuesday with a full recap...
Here's to big steaks, too many corn fields and a Bulldog national title.
Monday, June 9, 2008
If Only We Had the Weekend On Tape...
As everyone should know by now, the Georgia Baseball team advanced to the College World Series in Omaha Sunday afternoon with a 17-8 victory over the North Carolina State Wolfpack.
What you may not know is the story from my end. John Kaltefleiter and Chip Towers (of the Athens Banner-Herald and the AJC, respectively) did their best to summarize our antics on Kudzu Hill and we appreciate their efforts.
It should go without saying that the past two weekends combined to become perhaps my favorite memory as an undergraduate student at UGA. The madness that was the party in my backyard will forever mark my time in Athens and we owe the team, the fans, the administration and probably the police for all of their support these past few weeks.
We're working on our plans to Omaha right now so hopefully we'll see you out there for a Bulldog run to the title...
Go Dawgs!
Oh, That Other Stuff...
Amidst all the excitement from the baseball team's playoff dominance, several things slipped my attention. Until now.
For one, our star fullback Brannan Southerland will miss 16 weeks after he underwent surgery on his ailing ankle. The stress fracture didn't respond well to the initial process, and he had no choice but to be subdued under the knife again. The way I see it, we should be just fine. With the exception of Carolina, our first four games (within the 16 weeks) are against teams that Shaun Chapas and Fred Munzenmaier should be able to handle. Munzenmaier will be suspended for the first two, but Chapas has proven he can handle the offense enough to cover Georgia Southern and Central Michigan, not to mention run a little bit of it as well. Munzenmaier will bring size when he comes back for the South Carolina game and should be able to contribute. So, while I am concerned about Southerland, I am optimistic that we'll be just fine. Perhaps Bobo's revamped offense will stress less on power and more on speed and redirection, so we may not need to worry at all. But come the Alabama and Tennessee games, Southerland better be back. Those are going to be dogfights, and his motor, size, and experience will be needed badly.
While the impact isn't as glaringly obvious, Perno's Diamond Dogs took several blows to next season and beyond. Not only did the two-sport star Xavier Avery get yanked in the 2nd round, but the top two pitchers in the class were also selected, both by the Braves. The Bravos must have a thing for trying to take Bulldog pitchers. Georgia Sports Blog has more info on that impact and also on the hope that still remains.
Looking forward, however, there is still plenty of promise for both teams. Football should be preseason #1. Baseball should continue to roll in Omaha. The recruiting classes for both are stacking up well, and it looks as if Perno can overcome the fallacy of the MLB draft.
For one, our star fullback Brannan Southerland will miss 16 weeks after he underwent surgery on his ailing ankle. The stress fracture didn't respond well to the initial process, and he had no choice but to be subdued under the knife again. The way I see it, we should be just fine. With the exception of Carolina, our first four games (within the 16 weeks) are against teams that Shaun Chapas and Fred Munzenmaier should be able to handle. Munzenmaier will be suspended for the first two, but Chapas has proven he can handle the offense enough to cover Georgia Southern and Central Michigan, not to mention run a little bit of it as well. Munzenmaier will bring size when he comes back for the South Carolina game and should be able to contribute. So, while I am concerned about Southerland, I am optimistic that we'll be just fine. Perhaps Bobo's revamped offense will stress less on power and more on speed and redirection, so we may not need to worry at all. But come the Alabama and Tennessee games, Southerland better be back. Those are going to be dogfights, and his motor, size, and experience will be needed badly.
While the impact isn't as glaringly obvious, Perno's Diamond Dogs took several blows to next season and beyond. Not only did the two-sport star Xavier Avery get yanked in the 2nd round, but the top two pitchers in the class were also selected, both by the Braves. The Bravos must have a thing for trying to take Bulldog pitchers. Georgia Sports Blog has more info on that impact and also on the hope that still remains.
Looking forward, however, there is still plenty of promise for both teams. Football should be preseason #1. Baseball should continue to roll in Omaha. The recruiting classes for both are stacking up well, and it looks as if Perno can overcome the fallacy of the MLB draft.
CWS Online
The fine folks behind the NCAA Men's College World Series have put together a very nice and very useful website as a guide for the teams and their fans. The website includes ticket info, the schedule, stadium info, things to do in and around Omaha, and the history of the great, classic event. All the info you should need is seemingly there.
Go Dawgs!
Go Dawgs!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Hello, Omaha
The Dawgs stomped the Wolfpack for the second time this weekend with a 17-8 stomping in Game 3 to steal the envelope for an invite to Omaha, Nebraska for the College World Series. Gordon Beckham hit two homers today to tie the Georgia baseball record of 51 career homers, held by former Bulldog great Josh Morris. Congrats, Gordo, and thankfully you have the chance to crack the record for your own.
There is nothing like being in Omaha on a warm summer day to watch some great college baseball. It's been years since I've been up there to see the facilities, but I never caught a game. I know a few are working on plans to get up there, and I will be as well. This team has a legit shot as they are hitting on all cylinders, almost everyone is healthy, and the bats are smoking. This should be quite the ride.
The AJC has a few victory photos here.
Georgia Sports Blog has some Omaha 2008 merch for sale here, as well as a sharp new header.
ESPN has a pretty good blog rolling that is covering all the action nationwide here.
Go Dawgs!
There is nothing like being in Omaha on a warm summer day to watch some great college baseball. It's been years since I've been up there to see the facilities, but I never caught a game. I know a few are working on plans to get up there, and I will be as well. This team has a legit shot as they are hitting on all cylinders, almost everyone is healthy, and the bats are smoking. This should be quite the ride.
The AJC has a few victory photos here.
Georgia Sports Blog has some Omaha 2008 merch for sale here, as well as a sharp new header.
ESPN has a pretty good blog rolling that is covering all the action nationwide here.
Go Dawgs!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
More Baseball Tidbits
As mentioned earlier, our very own Gordon Beckham and Joshua Fields have been selected in the first round of this year's MLB first-year draft, as they were selected 8th and 20th overall. Fields has recently been named the top closer of the year after his stunning season where he accrued 16 saves, captured the SEC all-time save lead, and pitched 56 strikeouts, not to mention his amazing 0.0 ERA streak. Beckham is looking for a trophy of is own as he awaits the final tallies of the Golden Spikes Award, similar to football's Heisman Trophy.
Silently, however, another Bulldog was chosen in the second round of the draft, 50th overall. That other Bulldog, Xavier Avery, may never even put on the "G" and run out onto Foley Field. Or Sanford Stadium, for that matter. The two-sport athlete signed his letter of intent earlier this year to play both football and baseball, a la Israel Troupe, for the Bulldogs. As good as he would have looked in the Red and Black, it appears he will be donning the orange and black for the Baltimore Orioles instead. 50th overall out of high school is too promising for a young man with a bright future to hold out on the opportunity. Sure, we all feel that a college education is key these days, but with his talents and promise, we all hope he'll do just fine.
In other news, Georgia Sports Blog has a great article on the Wolfpack and their bullpen and starting pitching rotation that sounds quite formidable. As hot as our bats are right now we will hopefully be fine, but the 'Pack should pack a punch at the mound.
DawgBone.net also has a handful of good baseball news about Gordo, Fields, Avery, and the upcoming weekend.
And remember, first pitch for the weekend series is tomorrow, Friday, at 12:00 pm. If you can't make it like me, you can catch it on ESPN. We know their presence will be known in and around Foley, but hopefully ESPN gives a shout out or two to the right field brew crew up there at the Greenhouse and Brickhouse.
Silently, however, another Bulldog was chosen in the second round of the draft, 50th overall. That other Bulldog, Xavier Avery, may never even put on the "G" and run out onto Foley Field. Or Sanford Stadium, for that matter. The two-sport athlete signed his letter of intent earlier this year to play both football and baseball, a la Israel Troupe, for the Bulldogs. As good as he would have looked in the Red and Black, it appears he will be donning the orange and black for the Baltimore Orioles instead. 50th overall out of high school is too promising for a young man with a bright future to hold out on the opportunity. Sure, we all feel that a college education is key these days, but with his talents and promise, we all hope he'll do just fine.
In other news, Georgia Sports Blog has a great article on the Wolfpack and their bullpen and starting pitching rotation that sounds quite formidable. As hot as our bats are right now we will hopefully be fine, but the 'Pack should pack a punch at the mound.
DawgBone.net also has a handful of good baseball news about Gordo, Fields, Avery, and the upcoming weekend.
And remember, first pitch for the weekend series is tomorrow, Friday, at 12:00 pm. If you can't make it like me, you can catch it on ESPN. We know their presence will be known in and around Foley, but hopefully ESPN gives a shout out or two to the right field brew crew up there at the Greenhouse and Brickhouse.
Dawgs set to face the Wolfpack...
On the eve of Georgia's Super Regional matchup with the North Carolina State Wolfpack, the Diamond Dawgs should be riding high.
The team completed an impressive string of 4 wins with an 18-6 drubbing of Danny Hall and his Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Georgia's bats heated up and the team was rewarded for impressive pitching performances by Nick Montgomery, Will Harvil and Alex McCree.
As for this weekend, the Diamond Dawgs will bring their renewed confidence into a home matchup with a talented Wolfpack squad. The boys from Raleigh come in boasting an impressive pitching rotation and skilled bullpen.
However, the Dawgs should take advantage of their hot bats and their own pitching prowess to take down the 'Pack. In addition, two high profile baseballers should be playing without MLB draft pressure following Gordon Beckham's (#8 Overall ChiSox) and Joshua Fields (#20 Overall Seattle Mariners). Look for both to contribute in the continuing thrill-ride that is Georgia baseball.
We'll be providing updates and tidbits throughout the weekend and will hopefully wrap it all up with details about our trip to Omaha.
Go Dawgs!!!
The team completed an impressive string of 4 wins with an 18-6 drubbing of Danny Hall and his Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Georgia's bats heated up and the team was rewarded for impressive pitching performances by Nick Montgomery, Will Harvil and Alex McCree.
As for this weekend, the Diamond Dawgs will bring their renewed confidence into a home matchup with a talented Wolfpack squad. The boys from Raleigh come in boasting an impressive pitching rotation and skilled bullpen.
However, the Dawgs should take advantage of their hot bats and their own pitching prowess to take down the 'Pack. In addition, two high profile baseballers should be playing without MLB draft pressure following Gordon Beckham's (#8 Overall ChiSox) and Joshua Fields (#20 Overall Seattle Mariners). Look for both to contribute in the continuing thrill-ride that is Georgia baseball.
We'll be providing updates and tidbits throughout the weekend and will hopefully wrap it all up with details about our trip to Omaha.
Go Dawgs!!!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Doesn't Need Words
In between the turning around to relieve myself off my great seat, on the couch jacked up on multiple stages behind the fence in right field, I got to be apart of what seemed at times to be like a Georgia football game. The only thing is that it was in my back yard at Folly Field, not a few yards down the street and in another couple of months at Stanford Stadium. I can not say enough good things about the baseball team this year and what they have given to us this spring. It was great to finally help them out when we had chance to, by blaring whatever annoying song we could find when Tech made an error or to playing the walk up songs for all the batters on our beloved team. The players coming to bow after the game was unbelievable and could not be explained, you had to be there to understand the feeling that I felt and know that others felt. We will all be there again in full force Friday at noon with, at least I know I am, skipping class to do it all over again until someone tries to stop us. Don't worry we can take a few noise violations to keep it going a little longer, even when you know who comes. So if anyone can come support are Dawgs please do, because as you can tell a start time at noon on a Friday is awful for fans, but thats not going to stop us.
Go Dawgs!!!
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