Atlanta Braves Trade for Gold Glove 1B Derrek Lee

The Atlanta Braves have made 3 key trades this year in the 2010 Major League Baseball Season. The team’s MVP last year was shortstop Yunel Escobar. After a slow start to the season this year and getting in the doghouse of manage Bobby Cox, the tensions grew high inside the Braves locker room. Players like Tommy Hanson and Troy Glaus publicly made scenes on the baseball diamond; when they felt Yunel Escobar wasn’t focusing enough. What has become funny is that Troy Glaus got sent to the minors recently to see if he can play third base again. Glaus is an automatic out in the line up and commits way too many errors on routine plays at first base. So basically his skills are not MLB level anymore, so the Braves traded for first basemen Derrek Lee from the Chicago Cubs. For Tommy Hanson’s uncalled stare down, toward the Braves former shortstop Yunel Escobar, for a dropped fly ball,  he can’t buy a win. He continues to rack up loses or no decisions and isn’t even an average pitcher coming down the stretch. Both Tommy Hanson and Troy Glaus are facing the Yunel Escobar curse! This is a real curse and you can just ask Glaus and Hanson if they believe it exists. They asked for it and now they are both getting exactly what they deserve. You have to stick up for your players in the club house and these two failed to do it. So they are dealing with the Yunel Escobar curse.

Now turn to the Braves new shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Who is making a lot of fans in Braves Country miss their beloved SS Yunel Escobar. Gonzalez has been a direct cause for 2 Braves loses this year. He has done it with his glove too and he has without a doubt cost the Braves 2 wins and probably could make a case he has cause the Braves team 6 to 8 loses already. Alex Gonzalez is not producing at the plate, making errors at short stop, running into his left fielder and causing him pain in a collision, and just a lot of other silly and dumb plays. No one on the airwaves is calling the Gonzalez trade a bad move (yet), but clearly he doesn’t stack up to Yunel Escobar.

Each error Escobar committed in his last few weeks for the Braves team got hightlighted way too much. Joe Simpson has been the one spear-heading this campaign against Yunel Escobar. Now after bragging so much on Alex Gonzalez’s  glove work in practice and Simpson even going so far to say “I could just watch him all day long in practice at how quick his glove and hands are at shortstop“; he’s put his own self in a bad situation. His beliefs in how he is a better shortstop than Yunel Escobar couldn’t be further from the truth. Remember fans, the Atlanta Braves were cruising in the NL East Race; when the Escobar/Gonzalez trade went down. Escobar was helping the team to win with his glove and even the times Glaus and Hanson highlighted Escobar’s errors, they were not ones that lead to the team losing. Like Alex Gonzalez has already did 2 times and his errors resulted in direct loses for the team.

The Atlanta Braves did very little in their attempts to win a 15th straight N.L. East Pennant a few years back. They was unable to put any trades or jockey any guys around that year, so the Braves went out losers that year without even giving it their best try. Not the case this year, after the first place Braves traded away the team’s 2009 MVP in Yunel Escobar. The Braves front office knew they made a mistake for trading Yunel Escobar to the Toronto Blue Jays. So in order to cover up their mistake, they have made 2 more other trades. They are now sacrificing the future and giving away our minor league talent, for players like Rick Ankiel, Kyle Farnsworth, and now Derreck Lee. This first place team made a lot of changes and they didn’t even need to. Now our new GM has created a poor team in the ATL and over half of our regular starters wasn’t even with us last year or a true farm product of the Atlanta Braves minor league system. Check out this long list of people we are counting on to win games for us in the last 5 weeks of the season and just how long they been with the team:

*Eric Hinske

*Troy Glaus

*Derreck Lee

*Melky Cabrera

*Rick Ankiel

*Jason Heyward

*Alex Gonzalez

*Diory Hernandez

These players with 2 key rookie pitchers in Jonny Venters and Mike Minor; who are both expected to start games (Minor) for us now or pitch in critical innings late in the game (Venters). Bobby Cox is taking this cast of new comers and trying to mke them mesh; while he continues to bat our line-up out of order. Those line-up cards he submits before games need to be torn up and burned for good measure. Just by fixing the batting order, this team could have kept all their original players from the start of the season and would have 8 to 12 more wins already under their belt.

Key points Bobby Cox must be willing to do, if he expects to break the Yunel Escobar Curse and manage a NL Pennant East Title or wildcard birth in the 2010 baseball post-season.

1. Bat Matt Diaz 4th in every game for the rest of the year. He is the most “Barry Bonds” type of player we got, in terms of clutch hitting and just overall hard hits; where the ball finds the sweet part on his bat the most often.

2. All Star MVP Catcher Brian McCann must be guaranteed an at-bat in the first inning of every game. He’s a clutch hitter and batting him 5th is too far back. Let him hit 3rd the rest of the year.

3. Get your rookie right fielder Jason Heyward out of those top 3 spots. He’s just turned 21 years old and this pennant race is way too much pressure for the kid. Move him down.

4. Martin Prado is almost Superman, but struggles in clutch situations. He could help the team in the 2nd hole.

5. If your starting pitcher is leading off an inning in the 5th inning or later in a game that you are losing on the scoreboard; YOU MUST PINCH HIT! Letting Tommy Hanson lead off the 5th inning against the Cubs; while trailing by 5 runs is NOT acceptable. Especially in a tight pennant race in a game that is in the final 6 weeks of the season!

6. Must understand now, that there is no more tomorrows. Quit saving players (hitters and pitchers) for later in the game. It doesn’t get any later than this Bobby Cox. Our backs are against the wall and now we must play every game and every inning like it’s our last. Letting Eric Hinske pinch hit for Matt Diaz is a mistake in general, but doing this move with Brian McCann on your bench is not a smart decision! Yes B. Mac did get to swing in that 9th inning against the Cubs, but if Alez Gonzalez would have grounded into a double play, you would have lost a game, where you selected Eric Hinske over Brian McCann. That was a terrible decision to let Hinske bat and someone should have called you out for that one!

Bobby Cox has been slow to get Martin Prado and Omar Infante at-bats or high places in the batting order over the last couple of seasons. It has taken both of these guys way too long to get up in the proper places. If Chipper is still playing; then Infante is probably still riding the bench. You must bat these guys 1 and 2 in the batting order each game. The Braves top 6 spots in the line-up must remain the same from here on out!

Braves Final Batting Order for Post-Season Push 2010

1. Omar Infante

2. Martin Prado

3. Brian McCann

4. Matt Diaz

5. Derreck Lee / Jason Heyward (platoon situation based on starting pitcher being a Righty or Lefty)

6. Jason Heyward / Derreck Lee (platoon situation)

If Bobby Cox can not see this obvious 6 player batting order for his team right now. He deserves to be at home on the couch watching October baseball. No room for errors now, win or go home Braves Team!!!

One of the most appealing roles in years recently came up in Hollywood. A lot of the big names in the actress department was trying for this leading role in the remake of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I don’t think some Hollywood actresses even knew about this part, because I think a few other people would have been good for this part too. There are no doubts this part would have been great for Natalie Portman and I really wished she would have got it.

Watching this talented actor or actress (if you will) has been great over the years. Many of us have watched a lot of actors and actresses group up on camera. Natalie Portman is a good example of that and she has been in acting for a long time. Her talents shined out as a kid and now I’m not sure why they couldn’t shine bright enough to land this part in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I am very curious to see who these people think are better than Natalie Portman. I would have chosen Natalie over Neve Campbell, Drew Barrymore,  and Christina Applegate, if they would have applied for this hot new role in Hollywood. Some of the people who really did try out for this part was Emma Watson and Ellen Page. So who did these directors choose as the star and leading role of this new movie about to come out? The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will be played by a 25 year-old actress named Rooney Mara. I’m sure her and her family are very happy right now, because this is one of the biggest Hollywood roles to have come out in the last 5 years or at least going back to 2006.

The girl standing on the left and in the darker, copper colored dress is Rooney Mara. The person with the white dress and to the right side of the photograph is Kate Mara. It’s the person on the left Rooney Mara; who has just landed the biggest role in Hollywood for this year and for probably the last several. I do think Kate Mara has that look and she will be in something big in the near future too.

If you want to watch Natalie Portman, you can still see her in the new movie Black Swan. It looks like a very entertaining movie and one you will need to put your thinking caps on and try to keep up with this high paced thriller, at least that is the impression I get from watching the movie trailer of the Black Swan.

Movie Trailer Black Swan

The new 2010 Black Swan movie will be something movie lovers will have to watch this year. The Black Swan does include Natalie Portman; while the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will not have Natalie Portman as their leading actress in this huge Hollywood movie.

Rock Hits from the 70′s

I was born in 1972, so the decade of the 70′s was already twenty percent gone when I got here. The rest of those years were pretty much just a blur; since I was so young and all. I wouldn’t have a problem, if I did grow up in the 70′s era and especially with all of the great music that got produced from 1970 -1979. I was looking back on some of these old songs, which are over 30 years old now, and recalling some of the memories I had with them. I was surprised to find this special collection of 1970′s rock songs selling online for 1970′s prices. When I tell you about some of the artists and songs on this special hits CD, you will probably be surprised too.

This 1 disc includes some of the well-known 70′s rock groups like Boston, Electric Light Orchestra, Toto, REO Speedwagon, and the Blue Oyster Cult. I’m sure you have heard about one or two of these groups from the rock-n-roll past. There are other individual artists who perform songs on this special hits CD too. You will get to hear some of the rock legends like Ted Nugent, Santana, and Eddie Money. This really is a great variety of talented artists, who took rock up to another level from where the 1960′s generation left off. It was these legends and a musical genius on the guitar like Carlos Santana, who would keep rock-n-roll alive for all of the big artists and groups of the 1980′s decade. I don’t even have to tell you which song Santana has on this CD, because you can probably guess it. If you’re thinking of a color, some magic, and a female; then you know which Santana hit is on this 1970′s rock CD.

I would like to own this special collection of 1970 songs. Since it is on sale, I have no excuses to not buy it online from Buy.com. If you have ever shopped at some of the popular music websites online, you probably know how some of them will let you hear samples of the songs? Well you can also do this at Buy.com and every song on this CD is available for sampling or listening to online. I was listening to More Than A Feeling, Cat Scratch Fever, Mississippi Queen, and The Reaper Song by the Blue Oyster Cult; which is one of my favorite songs from the 1970′s. All of these songs and more are included on this seventies rock collection and all the songs are hits. Go check it out and let me know what you think about this specific CD of 70′s rock music.

Guest post written by Kim Eller

Almost all the items on my RSS feed have to do with music. But that would be no surprise to any friends or acquaintances because I use most of my free time going to concerts or keeping up with upcoming releases from my favorite bands.

One album that I’m especially excited about is the Arcade Fire’s “Suburbs.” Despite the band’s best efforts, the album – like virtually every other album today – has been leaked online before its official release. I hate to admit it, but I have listened to a couple of its songs streamed on YouTube videos, and they sound amazing! I’m still not sure if they’re as amazing as “Wake Up” – the song on the commercials for “Where The Wild Things Are” movie – but they sound quite fantastic.

I’ve already pre-ordered the CD through my wild blue internet service and have prowled almost every music blog imaginable to get critics’ takes on the Montreal-based band’s CD.

I still haven’t seen the band perform though. I missed out on going with a friend to a free rally the band played to encourage voters to register, and regret it more each time I listen to one of their songs.

Bobby Cox is a great manager? Then why hasn’t he ever put his best 8 players on the field at the same time and in the proper batting order? Without doubt, and many thought and considerations going into the starting line-up for the Braves, this is the only way to write out the line up card:

1. Omar Infante 3B

2. Martin Prado 2B (currently injured)

3. Brian McCann C

4. Matt Diaz LF

5. Rich Ankiel CF

6. Jason Heyward RF

7. Eric Hinske 1B

8. Alex Gonzalez SS

9. Starter P

From an offensive standpoint and based on what the guys have done in 2010, this is the proper order for the Atlanta Braves to bat in each Major League Baseball game. Bobby Cox has over focused at times with the lefty/righty match ups and has forced good batters down in the order or to the bench in some cases.

Despite what the Braves announcers have said lately, Omar Infante is not the guy you want poking a ball through the right-side of the infield with the runner being held on at first base. He is a guy that prefers to pull the ball; instead of sprinkling it around. He had some success with going up the middle recently, but I believe his best swing is pulling the ball to the left side of the diamond. Martin Prado is a much better guy to slap the ball down the right side of the infield. So it’s obvious these are the two best hitters and would bat 1st and 2nd in the order.

Chipper Jones doesn’t deserve the 3rd spot based on his poor batting average over the last 1 and a half years. Then factor in his poor swings on pitches that are not strikes, his lack of putting full swings on at-bats, and his poor decisions with 2 strikes on him. He may just be the worse 2 strike guy on the team and clearly gets nervous with 2 strikes on him. I’m sure there are some major league teams who have a scouting report on the Atlanta Braves; where it says to not throw Chipper Jones a strike or anything to hit with a 2 strike count on him. He also has a problem with watching the baseball while running the bases. Fails to hustle on plays and never gets the extra base, like rookie Jason Heyward has shown the ability to do on many occasions this year.

The best hitter on the team for the last two years has been Matt Diaz. Probably the only guy on the team you could actually mention with Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, or Barry Bonds; in terms of a batter that is almost impossible at times to get out. Most baseball fans would laugh at this, but if you can remember when Matt Diaz was given the 1st spot in the batting order last year, for an extended stretch of time. He was the top hitter in the Majors and out-swung everyone during that stretch and should be an everyday player for the Atlanta Braves.

For fear of having a 1,2,3 inning and your lead-off batter in the 2nd inning is your clean up hitter, you would not put Brain McCann in that spot to lead-off an inning. So sliding the most consistent and clutch bat on the team into the number 3 hole makes a lot of sense and letting Diaz be your lead-off hitter in the 2nd inning; if the top 3 guys do go down in order in the first inning.

Since Bobby Cox over focuses on the lefty/righty match-ups, I just assume to stay away from that style of thinking. I would be in favor of Rick Ankiel and his power potential hitting in the clean up role for the Braves and moving Diaz to the 5th spot in the order.

Your 6th spot in the order belongs to a left hander hitter. You could show some flexibility here and bat Jason Heyward or Eric Hinske in this spot. Since Heyward has been on a bit of a hot streak recently, I would go ahead and pencil in the Say Hey Kid in the 6th spot of the batting order. Let Eric Hinske bat in the 7th spot for now. I am fully aware of the Ankiel (5th), Heyward (6th), and Hinske (7th) being a left-handed portion of the line-up; which would make it easy for opposing coaches to send in a lefty in relief situations to face these 3 spots in the order. The fact you would have your best hitters getting the chance to swing the bat more in games, out weighs this advantage you give to other team’s managers. I also feel confident with all 3 of these batters being selective at the plate and wouldn’t mind them facing left hand pitching late in ball games, where the stakes go up tremendously.

Alex Gonzalez has great power numbers and leads the team in homers, if you factor in his numbers at Toronto this year. I hate putting him in the 8th spot of the line up. No team should put their leading power guy in the 8th spot, but Gonzalez in a Braves uniform has struggled. Until he gets comfortable, I do agree with manager Bobby Cox here, who has recently moved Alex Gonzalez to the 8th spot in the order.

Some of the key right-handed batters off the bench would include Troy Glaus, Chipper Jones, Brooks Conrad, and back up catcher David Ross. The key reserves who swing the lumber from the left side of the plate; would include Melky Cabrera, Chipper Jones, Brooks Conrad, and Nate McClouth.

Since Martin Prado is now officially on the 15 day disabled list, you would have to shake up things with him missing from the line up. My Atlanta Braves line up is focused on helping him the most. Replacing him with Chipper Jones or Brooks Conrad is the most obvious choices. I would go with the hotter hitter; which would be Chipper Jones as of right now. This means your current third baseman Omar Infante would move over to 2nd base and allow Jones to play his normal 3rd base position. Or keeping Infante at third base and sliding Conrad in as your 2nd basemen.

If Chipper is playing, he would bat 7th in the order. Everybody else just moves up in the line up and I would have no problems with the Braves great hitting catcher swinging in the two hole and allowing Matt Diaz to hit 3rd in the batting order. This gives Rick Ankiel the clean up duties.

If Conrad is selected to fill the hole left by Prado, I would still just move the guys up in the order and make a nightly determination if I wanted Brooks Conrad or Alex Gonzalez in the 7th or 8th spots. Maybe consider the lefty/righty match up and allow the opposing pitcher to make my choice here. However, if one player was clearly hitting better than the other, I would let the hotter hitter have the higher spot in the line up.

My Atlanta Braves line up might surprise a lot of folks around baseball and including the Atlanta Braves fans too. All I can say is the best batting order without doubt and would be the way you would want to play out these last 2 months of the season, where every game is so big right now with a close race between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. Who are two NL teams fighting for the National League East Pennant in 2010; along with a New York Mets team you can’t count out yet.

The reason why my line up would shock most, is because everyone has gotten use to the way Bobby Cox has messed it up for the last few years. Announcers like Joe Simpson has continued this brain-washing practice and given Cox way too much credit and doesn’t question him enough. Even Joe Simpson listed Matt Diaz as a player for Mets left hand pitcher Johan Santana to watch; when Diaz was given the clean up role in that game. Amazing how our 4th place hitter, who gets highlighted in a pregame prediction, has trouble finding a regular spot in the batting order.

Where would this Braves team be with more at-bats from Eric Hinske and Matt Diaz and fewer plate appearances from Chipper Jones and Troy Glaus? How many more wins do the Bravos have, if Omar Infante would have been given an everyday role with this team and less games seen from the Braves dugout? The NL East Race might have been settled, but the Braves continue to allow the banged-up Phillies baseball team a chance in the 2010 East Race. All thanks to manager Bobby Cox and his lack of knowledge when it comes to putting your best hitters as high in the batting order as possible. This Atlanta Braves line up is very elementary and has been filled out so improperly each night this season. If the Braves fail to make the post season as the NL East Champs, you can put direct blame on the line up cards submitted by the manager Mr. Cox.

I am seeing on the Yahoo headlines, where it seems like Axle Rose and company are planning to go back on tour? I didn’t really read much of the article, so I don’t have a lot of information to relay back. I just saw a picture of Axel Rose and knew most people know him as the front man for Guns N’ Roses or GNR. I always thought GNR was the best band ever and Axle Rose and Slash make a good team. I believe Slash is now with a group called Red Velvet Revolver or something like that? So I don’t the new GNR tour will include Slash and Axel Rose together again on stage.

Another good band that most metal heads will remember is Alice in Chains. Do you remember this popular metal group from about 15 years back that called their self Alice in Chains? They will be going on the U.S. Tour with Guns N Roses. This will be one hot ticket to get and I wonder which U.S. cities will be lucky enough to get Guns N’ Roses along with Alice and Chains to their local stage.

A member from American Idol will also be included in the super band tour which features GNR and Alice N’ Chains. Maybe you remember Daughtery from American Idol? Look for his name to be included on the ticket too and I’m sure a few Idol fans will want to go see Daughtery perform in front of a live audience. I would imagine he will open the show and then be followed up by Alice in Chains with the final performance of the night going to Axle Rose and his famous band Guns In Roses. I can’t wait to see which cities are included on the tour and if Atlanta or a city in the South get to see Guns and Roses and Alice in Chains perform live.

I know many golfers don’t want to associate their self and the game of putt putt golf in the same breath. We do have to face the facts and see putting as a crucial part to anyone’s golf game. On the PGA Tour, we often see the guys who are putting the best on Sunday, as the winner of the professional golf tournaments. All of the pros seem to hit the ball solid from their tee shot and on all of their fairway shots to the green. The part of their games that often turn out to make the most difference, are the guys on tour who can consistently make the long putts.

Now I was online at Buy.com and was browsing through the different golfing equipment they offer for sale online. I found this putter on their website and really thought it could improve my number of strokes on the green. I was thinking how soon could I use it, if I did purchase it today on the Internet. That got me to thinking about putt putt courses and how that kid’s game could actually improve the adults golf game. I realize you won’t see the same obstacles on a real golf course. You won’t be forced to hit the golf ball through the clown’s mouth or off the side of a 45 degree angle. You still have to lay down a consistent and straight putt on these putt putt golf courses, in order to succeed on them. To succeed on the big golf courses, you must hit the ball straight and with just the right accuracy, if you hope to sink any long putts in your round of 18. I think putt putt is the answer to anyone who wants to seriously improve their golf game.

If you like to get out and hit the balls around some, please give me some advice on a new putter. I really like the way this one looks and the information I read about it. If I was going to buy a new putter right this minute, I would go ahead and get this Wilson Golf Putter and just order it from the computer. I realize most golfers are rich and have money to buy the best clubs, putters, bags, and balls money can buy. I am probably the poorest golfer to ever play the game. Not poor as in “golf skills poor” but poor as in “no money in my wallet” poor. Although my golf skills isn’t necessarily rich, if you know what I mean.

I figured since I offered some advice about putt putt courses and how they can really help you putt better on the real golf courses. Others out there could share their putter knowledge on purchasing a new one. I really need a whole new set of golf clubs and it would be nice to get an old set donated to me. If you have a set of golf clubs you don’t use anymore; then please think about donating them to a poor golfer like me. I have never owned a new set of golf clubs and all of my sets have been old and wore out. The problem I face now is my current set is really old and worn down. I’m sure your old set is better than the ones I am using right now. Please get in touch with me, if you can offer any assistance with a new set of golf clubs, I could build around my new Wilson golf putter, which I hope to get soon.

Post contributed by Heath Key

You know, I am still a semi-young man in my early thirties. I can remember watching Married with Children ever since I was a kid and thinking that it was just a far-fetched comedy about a shoe salesman who had a awful wife and two kids. Once I grew up, I realized that the show was not so far-fetched. I think that this show played a huge roll in me being able to remain single for as long as I have. Not that I have anything against marriage, but I see all of my friends and family members turning into Al Bundy slowly more and more.

I have to admit that I think Al is a idiot for not making the most out of the wife that he has, even though she is awful. His daughter is hot too. I have been watching this show on my Direct TV now for a few years, ever since I made the transition from regular TV. I have always been told that I remind people of the character Jefferson, because he does nothing and has his wife do all of the work. It isn’t like I am really like that, but I always seem to have financially well-off girlfriends. This show still cracks me up every day when I watch it. I hope that it is in syndication for many more years.

This was written by guest blogger Tyler Jameson

Spine tingling horror is readily available in your home at anytime when you compare cable tv premium movies channels. From slasher films to psychological horror, these movies thrill, frighten, entertain, and cause you to look to see if someone or something is watching from beyond.

I absolutely love a good horror movie be it classic or new. If it is well done and has a good story line with good acting I am hooked. One of the recent films and when I say recent I mean within the last two years I have had the pleasure to watch and be frightened of was “30 Days of Night” starring Josh Hartnett as the sheriff of the most remote town in the United States in Alaska where each year is engulfed by 30 days of night.

This is pure and simple a vampire movie. But unlike traditional and more recent good vampires, these vampires are out for only one thing and that is blood. Hartnett and the town are faced with a small army of these living dead creatures and must try to survive and battle this menace till the sun comes again.

What I found especially interesting in this movie was the atmosphere and constant danger of being discovered. The vampires arrive the day before night falls on a dead ship with the help of a human. The tension builds as most of the town leaves before darkness comes and when it does the horror and suspense of the film never let up till the unpredictable ending. Hartnett forfeits his own life to become a vampire and save the remaining humans. The last scene where he is sitting waiting for the sun to rise in the arms of the woman he loves knowing he will die soon is very powerful.

On Sunday afternoon, many of us gathered around the TV to watch the MLB All Star Selection Show on our 4th of July afternoons. The sports special on TV showed us all of the American League and National League starters and reserves that will be playing in California on July 13th; in the Major League Baseball game we know as the All Star Game. Baseball is one of the best all star events in sports. I still prefer the NBA All Star Weekend over them all, but baseball ranks right up there.

I love the Futures Game; which will be held next Sunday and will be on TV for us baseball fans to watch. We get treated to the Century 21 Home Run Derby on Monday; which will be July 12th. I really wanted to see the Braves Jason Heyward in this year’s home run derby, but it doesn’t look like that will happen now. Since the Braves rookie outfielder is recovering from a slight strain to his thumb; which has placed him on the DL or disabled list. His injury is not as severe as the Phillies second basemen Chase Utley is and I am hearing surgery for his thumb.

Finally on Tuesday, baseball fans all over the world get treated to the Mid Summer Classic. Since this year’s All Star Game will take place in Anaheim; where the Angels baseball team plays their home games, we will see a daylight baseball game. The baseball game will be filled with stars, but it just won’t take place under the stars. I’m sure the sun will set in the later innings and the end of the game will be played in the beautiful night air out in Anaheim, California.

Votes are still coming in for the final roster spots to each team’s all star squads. MLB fans can still vote on a few selected players and two will get voted in as the last man to make the All Star Game for each team. So you can still make a difference, if you will exercise your right to vote. Let’s check out the candidates for each side and tell me which player you would like to see the most in the 2010 All Star Game in Anaheim.

National League Choices for Last Player

1. Billy Wagner – Atlanta Braves

2. Carlos Gonzales – Colorado Rockies

3. Heath Bell – San Diego Padres

4. Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds

5. Ryan Zimmerman – Washington Nationals

American League Choices for Last Player

1. Paul Konerko – Chicago White Sox

2. Delmon Young – Minnesota Twins

3. Michael Young – Texas Rangers

4. Kevin Youkilis – Boston Red Sox

5. Nick Swisher – New York Yankees

These are the MLB players on the ballots for the last All Star roster spots to be added to the American and National League teams in the 81st All Star Game. You can vote now for which player you would like to see for each side. Since the All Star Game does count now, you may won’t to vote on the worse choice for each side. If I was an American League baseball fan, I would vote for Billy Wagner of the Atlanta Braves. He would have the least amount of chance of causing harm to your American League team. If the American League wants to keep their winning streak alive, the A.L. fans should vote for Billy Wagner of the Braves for that last N.L. roster spot.

Braves Closer Billy Wagner

On the flip side, if I was a National League fan, I need to vote for the worse player on the American League ballot for the last player. I would be glad to do that, but I really don’t know which player is the worse. I really like Nick Swisher, but really don’t want to see another Yankee in the All Star Game. So no votes for Swisher, even though I like him best as a baseball fan. No need to help the Red Sox nation with another vote for one of their players, so I won’t vote for Kevin Youkilis. I guess Delmon Young of the Twins; who is a great player, would be the best choice for National League voters to choose, so they could help the N.L. All Stars win this year.

Vote Delmon Young for the worse player possible. American League voters will want to vote for the pitcher Billy Wagner of the Atlanta Braves, because the odds are in the A.L. favor, that Wagner will have no impact to the 81st All Star game in Anaheim, California.

Why was Billy Wagner of the Atlanta Braves, the only pitcher in the final vote for last player in baseball? I know they selected players from the top divisional leading teams, but the Braves do have some better choices for a All Star player. Not sure if it’s still true, but Troy Glaus was leading the National League in RBI’s or runs batted in. The committee could have made a better roster choice for the N.L. side by putting Troy Glaus in the mix. The A.L. votes will love to vote for Wagner and he would be their guy for the last spot in.

MLB fans have until Thursday at 4PM EST to get their votes in. The last roster spot will be determined by the online votes, so your vote does count! Go get your votes in now and be sure to vote early and often! I hope your favorite group of 2010 All Star Players wins next Tuesday. It should be a good All Star Game; which I’m sure they will still be talking about Stephen Strasburg not making the National League squad. The Nationals rookie pitcher is the talk of baseball right now and his presence will be felt in Anaheim as Charlie Manual of the Phillies left him off of the 2010 All Star Game for the National League team. Now go get those votes in for the final MLB player for the 2010 All Star Game.

Thanks to my buddy Mike Anthony for the post

I love watching the World Cup. It get’s my blood tingling and makes me wake up early everyday until it’s over. I know my favorite team will be playing tomorrow. It will be the biggest match of the world cup group stage, and the most important match for the US team these past 4 years.

On Saturday June 11, it’s going to be the biggest day for American soccer fans such as myself since 2006. The United States, take on England and Wayne Rooney. I’ll be praying, cheering, screaming and going absolutely crazy during the match against England. It will be ninety minutes of suspense, action, or torture. There has been a lot of hype surrounding this match. The English media has said “The Yanks would be easy.” The US media has paraded the idea of a possible upset. We have upset England before in the http://www.worldcupblog.org/World Cup. We could do it this year in South Africa.

The win would be absolutely huge for the US and it’s fans. The US will get three points, and another win will guarantee entry into the round of sixteen. Another benefit of the win is that it would be a huge morale boost for the team. It would boost the confidence of the team to untold levels. I watched the US friendly vs Turkey in Philadelphia and was very surprised. After falling to an Arda goal in the first half, we came back motivated and with the heart of a champion. With star players in form such as Dempsey, Donovan and Altidore, the US can wreck havoc on the English defense. Opposing teams will have a fearsome trio up top to face.

Seeing these players, players who I have seen develop to world class athlets, brings me great joy. I anticipate every US world cup match, like I anticipate my birthday. For soccer fanatics such as myself, the World Cup is the biggest event of the year. I will be watching every US match on my hd satellite tv. Go USA!

I haven’t had a chance to check out the games online, that allow players to build up a character or join another online member in attempting to conquer a mission or just travel safely through a series of mazes. I know I have friends that love to play these types of games online and they absolutely love them. I think they have even become addicted to them, as much time and energy they spend on playing some of these games.

I know one of the more popular ones is the game called World of Warcraft. Have you ever heard of World of Warcraft or WoW? I think in some cases you don’t have to do all the work yourself and there are faster ways to complete and finish these types of games. Players that like to play games like this, could Buy WoW Accounts online and I think this gives you a boost in a game like World of Warcraft. Instead of beginning from the very start of the game, you could get another account or a character that is much more advanced and could help you to enjoy the game better, right from the start.

There is a huge demand for the action and adventure games online. Not to mention the various services that are around to offer assistance for these new and cool games of the future. The games of today have certainly changed from the days of playing Pac Man in the arcade for 25 cents a pop. I believe I would really like these new games online today, if I could ever find the time and extra money to dedicate to them. Especially those that allow friends to play online together or in a team, where they can help each other out in trying to win the game. A gaming service like Virtual Barrack is online to offer assistance to those gamers that have an interest in buying or selling their accounts. I guess some players choose to play these games and are willing to spend the money their self for the fun and enjoyment these modern online games offer. While others may use the games of today as a way to make or earn money online, by selling their accounts to a game or character they have gotten to an advance level. You can Sell Aion Accounts at Virtual Barrack or could take advantage of a variety of other services they offer.

Since all of these modern games are new to me; which one would you suggest I start playing? Do you have one that you believe is better than all of the other modern online games that involve action, adventure, and some thinking and concentration to complete? I know the World of Warcraft is one of the most popular ones out there, by all of the advertisements I see on TV. I have also heard my friends talking about WoW, so I know its one of the better ones for players to play online. I will have to search for some more information on games like this and ask my friends which ones they like to play the best too.

The USA Men’s team got their first taste of World Cup action in South Africa on Saturday. Their first opponent in their debut game in 2010 was against the guys from across the pond in England. It would be the British players who got out to a quick start; while they scored the first goal of the game. Things stayed like that for a long time, until England’s goalie misplayed a kick by one of the American soccer players. It wasn’t kicked that hard and the goalie for England had great position to stop the scoring attempt by the Americans. It’s a blunder you don’t often see in World Cup soccer and especially in a match that has a historical rivalry involved. While England’s goalie did get both hands on the ball, he somehow lost it and there was still enough momentum left in the kick for the ball to trickle into the net and roll all the way to the back. This was turn out to be a very big goal in the game, because it tied the score at 1 goal a piece. No other players for either side would manage to get another one in the net and the game ended in a 1 to 1 tie between the USA and England.

I’m sure the American Coach Bob Bradley was not too happy on how the game ended, but has to feel lucky in the way his team came back to tie up the score in South Africa. Both teams had a lot of fans there and you could see more UK flags waving in the stands than the Stars and Stripes that some American fans were waving. It was a very competitive game and was played hard by both of the teams representing the United States of America and the United Kingdom from England. Both teams are in the same grouping in World Cup play. It would appear both teams will advance from their current group, as the top 2 teams get to move on in the World Cup tournament.

There was already a tremendous amount of people from all over the world watching this game between England and the U.S. today. If these two teams should play again, you can expect to see one of the most viewed World Cup matches ever. Since there will be a lot more focus in the later games and the closer each team gets to winning a World Cup title in South Africa.

It was a fun game to watch and the only disturbing thing in the soccer match in South Africa today, was the annoying sounds that come from the fans in the seats and attending the game. They have a long hose-like instrument they blow in and it makes a low pitch noise, much like a moose would make in the wild. This is going to be the sound track for all of the World Cup games in South Africa, so viewers watching from home better get use to it or turn down the volume on their TV sets. The World Cup schedule is going to get much tougher for all the teams, as they do draw closer to a World Cup final in South Africa. I’m sure a lot of people in America will be searching for the terms: when does the USA play again or what time is the USA World Cup game? A lot of online websites will be providing the World Cup schedules and keeping all the latest action and news from South Africa.

When is the last day of the World? According to the Mayan calendar, the end of time or our last day on Earth has an exact date in the future. It’s not one of those predictions that is hundreds or even thousands of years away. In fact, most of the people reading my blog now, will be here for the last day of the world, if the Mayan calendar turns out to be accurate.

December 21st – 2012

Our last day on Earth has been forecasted by the Mayans to be on December the 21st and in the year 2012. We are about 2 1/2 years away from this very popular date; that most people are aware of by now. One of the reasons why this date in the future is so well-known, is due to the new Hollywood movie; which has been out for a few months now. This new movie 2012 focuses on the Mayan Calendar and their prediction for the end of times to occur in December of that year.

I have not seen this new movie yet, but it is available online or on sale at the video and movie stores. I am curious to see how this movie plays out and which natural disaster it focuses on the most. Judging by the previews, it looks like they do a symphony of natural disasters, all occurring at the same time. There appears to be tidal waves, earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes all happening in this film. I guess the creator of this new movie, didn’t want to point the finger at just one natural disaster and decided to cover them all.

We can look at history and see catastrophic events occurring all through out the history of the Earth. A modern day ice age, would cripple the world as we know it now or a giant meteor hitting the Earth. Perhaps it was an ice age or meteor that the Mayan culture figured on occurring in the year 2012. It is interesting to know, why this advance civilization did pin-point the year 2012 as their ancient forecast for doomsday. The Mayan people appeared to have great knowledge with numbers, astrology, and a very accurate calendar. It was their wisdom with the stars and math, that has led to so many people giving credit to their doomsday forecast on December 21, 2012. What did this advanced culture see and why didn’t they see their own fatal ending in history?

It is not known why the Mayan people ceased to exist and why they are not around today. The most creditable guess seems to lean toward a drought in their homeland; which is considered to be Central America today. They lived in a land where very few rivers and streams flowed. It was very important to the Mayan people, to receive lots of rain each year. If the rains didn’t come, it would cause a tremendous stress on their way of life and if the drought would have lasted long enough, this could have been the natural event that took out the Mayan civilization forever. The drought is just one of the many theories that try to explain why the Mayans didn’t survive.

Thanks to some very smart people, the Mayan calendar and some other precious artifacts have been found and preserved from the Mayan civilization. This is where we see their prediction for December 21, 2012 as the beginning of a new cycle. This is also the date for the Winter Solstice and its amazing these ancient people could have known this; with the limited technology that existed back then. For some unknown reason, the date of December 21 and in the year 2012 was very important to them. As this information got passed around, the majority of people see this date as a doomsday prediction.

I don’t think anyone really knows what will happen in 2012. The one thing that is for sure, the new 2012 movie is very popular and it strikes up a lot of conversations; whenever its name is mentioned. I really want to see the new movie 2012 and see how Hollywood interprets the new cycle on the Mayan calendar. We are seeing the news and media outlets covering a lot more natural disasters all over the world. Our intense weather patterns and the fears for global warming or climate change is now front story news for most Americans. If the world is going to end in 2012, I think most would agree, we are getting the warning signs now of something big on the horizon. Expect this date and the movie to get even more popular, as we continue the countdown toward December 21, 2012.

The greatest player in the NBA Kobe Bryant has one more hurdle to clear, before he can claim his next NBA title. The Boston Celtics have played well up to this point, but are a very beatable team. If they get down early in the series, they will quit. Boston’s team is made up of thugs or a thug-like personality by most of the players like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and all of their big men. Ray Allen is really the only good guy, that isn’t a thug on the Celtics team.

I think the LA Lakers will do well in this series with Boston. I wouldn’t be surprised if they swept the Celtics, but a lot of things are still uncertain right now. It should be an interesting series between these two teams. I think most will give the Lakers the nod in this championship match up, since they do have the best player in the world on their team. Expect Kobe to put up 50 or more in one of these games.