A record crowd packed into the Los Angeles Coliseum on Saturday to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Boston Red Sox in a Major League Baseball pre-season exhibition game.

The Dodgers called the Coliseum home for four years after moving west from Brooklyn in the late 1950s.  In 1959 LA outfielder Wally Moon mastered the art of blooping fly balls – ”moonshots” – over the 41-foot-high fence that was only 250 feet down the left foul line. (more…)

Reasons why I love Spring Training Games:

• You are this close to the field – in the two games I attended this Spring, I was no further than 8 rows from the field
  
• Day Games – All of them in the bright sunshine.
• Old folks – I talked with the gentleman in front of me — a Sawx fan. After I told him that I was a Cards fan and went to game 4 of the 2004 WS, he told me he was still bitter about the World Series against the Cards. I asked, “1967?” He said, “no, 1946.”
• Play Ball! – I was pleasantly surprised to see the players on the field in Clearwater for the singing of the national anthem. And disappointed that they didn’t do the same in Sarasota
  
• Weather reports – “In Minnesota, it’s 34 degrees, in Cincinnati, it’s 53 degrees. Here in Sarasota….”
• Spring Training Numbers – The Twins had players wearing numbers from 91 to 95 on the field at one time.
• Not playing to win – I love the lack of pressure.
• You can leave early – and we did leave.
• Kids – the kids who are into the game really make me think that baseball has a future
  

I love Spring Training games so much that I put ketchup on my niece’s hot dog.

All those who happen to be in the vicinity of Salem, Virginia on Friday, April 18 won’t want to miss the Salem Avalanche’s first annual “Salute to Ramen Noodles Night.”

The Class A Advanced affiliate of the Houston Astros will be marking the 60^th anniversary of the college-student staple. (more…)

The Royals Joey Gathright leaps over the Dodger’s Hidoki Kuroda.

Watch more amazing Gathright hurdles after the … er … jump. (more…)

Oakland A’s pitcher Lenny DiNardo allegedly purchased a guitar made partially from sea turtle shell during the baseball team’s recent visit to Japan, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Update: In another article, DiNardo is quoted as saying “I don’t know if I can get it back in the (United States), but we’ll see if we can.”

All trade in sea turtle products is strictly prohibited by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Appendix I*.  Japan and the United States are both bound parties to the Convention.

Editorial: I urge you to contact the Oakland Athletics and the regional US Fish and Wildlife Service.  Ask them to look into Mr. DiNardo’s alleged transaction, and, if true, to have the situation rectified.  Additionally, encourage Mr. DiNardo to relinquish the item, report it to the authorities, and make a public statement about the incident.  This is an opportunity to promote this important law.

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