Nothing soft about it

The Washington Stars shoot out onto field No. 4 at the Kino Sports Complex, home to the 2008 Roy Hobbs Women’s National Championships. A 90-degree breeze exhales earthy scents of mown turf, watered dirt, creosote bush, and Cleveland sage. Ferny guajillo, sweet acacia trees, and desert willow perfume the air, and spidery ocotillo shrubs wag [...]

Chuck

Thumbs define us as human beings. They are a metaphor for everything human. From sayings such as ‘under my thumb’ to gestures such as thumbs-up to the unique fingerprints each thumb leaves, thumbs inhabit a world within a world within another world.
In the world of baseball, we catch a ball, throw a ball, and hit [...]

The typical baseball player

Traits of the typical ballplayer — male or female, according to Washington Women’s Baseball Association co-founder, president, and player Stephanie Derouin:
 
 
You’re a diehard.
There’s nothing you’d rather be doing, whatever the season.
You’re always up for playing catch or finding cages to hit at.
There’s nothing you’d rather talk about.
Baseball permeates life from every direction. It’s part [...]

Detwiler’s thumb

College World Series hero and former San Rafael High standout Steve Detwiler of Forest Knolls had successful surgery on Monday to replace the severed tendon in his left thumb.
Detwiler, who hit .256 with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs in 76 games and 238 at-bats during the season before his big showing in the title [...]

“just one thumb to drive in six runs”

That’s a kid who has been playing for us for the last two months with one thumb. And I mean one thumb. The other one hangs down to his wrist when he wants it to. He’s just made of heart — it’s about all he has in him.” –Fresno State baseball coach Mike Batesole
Steve Detwiler, a [...]

Major League thumbs

 
Last year, the Baltimore Orioles went the whole season without any thumb problems. Knuckles on wood, they can repeat that this year. But …
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“Whether minor or major, we normally have some instance of looking at or treating a thumb once a season. But a full-blown tear doesn’t happen but once in three or four years,” [...]

To swing a big stick

We, every one of us, are what we are today because of one stupendous game. You don’t even have to like the game. You needn’t ever have even played it. Not on a field, not in a stadium, not in the backyard, not on a mobile device, a Wii stick, nor with an oak twig [...]