Happy Birthday!

At 6:22 am this morning, I became an aunt. My sister and her husband have welcomed a healthy, beautiful baby boy into the world. It was so exciting to finally meet him. He is really tiny and very sleepy. And super cute.

I wore a Red Sox t shirt to the hospital this morning when we were seeing him for the first time. Between that and the Wally toy waiting for him at home, I am doing my part to set him on the right path. I plan on giving him the same freedom my dad gave me when it comes to baseball. You can root for whoever you want. Except the Yankees. There might be some gentle cajoling towards the boys in red socks, not going to lie.

But now? Sleep.

The Duke of Flatbush

The Brooklyn Dodgers are revered in the house I grew up in. Especially the World Series winning 1955 team. My father grew up a Dodgers fan in Brooklyn at that time. As a result, I grew up hearing his stories about that team and that time in the city. The Dodgers have become a part of my own baseball traditions. I always re-read "The Boys of Summer" by Roger Kahn before the start of Spring Training. I wear a #42 pin on my favorite jacket, surrounded by the pins for all of my favorite bands.

That reverence is one of the reasons I was so sad to learn of Duke Snider's passing today at the age of 84. The last of the regular starting Boys of Summer is gone. He goes to join Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Junior Gilliam, Billy Cox, Carl Furillo, and Jackie Robinson in baseball heaven.

I think it speaks of the timelessness of baseball and the men that play the game between generations. I never saw the Duke play a single game, but the news of his death brought tears to my eyes. In that way, baseball is eternal and its legends never really die. And that immortality is rather comforting.

Rest in peace, Mr. Snider. There's plenty of spectacular center field catches to be made in the hereafter.

Going The Distance

Photo by Me

I missed out on the Lightning's 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils last night because I needed a good night's sleep. For the first time ever, I was participating in a race. As part of pirate season here in Tampa, the Gasparilla Distance Classic is held over a weekend. There are several races and I did one this morning.

Ok, so just a 5k. And I walked the whole thing. But I walked fast and I never stopped once. I received a medal for finishing. After the race I got to thinking. It's the first "prize" I have ever received for an athletic event. I received trophies for dance recitals and things like that, but never a race. I wore my Lightning St. Patrick's Day hat and hauled my butt 3.1 miles along Bayshore Boulevard. I am tired, have some blisters, but very proud that I finished.

Next plan? Keep walking. Keep moving. I want to do the Warrior Dash in Lake Wales early next year. Now.. Zzzzz...

Thrice As Nice

Photo by AP Photos. Used without permission.

I was more than a little concerned for the Lightning going into last night's game against Phoenix. The long home stand seemed to be taking it's toll, especially in late losses to Philly and Florida. Let's not even talk about the absolute beating at the hands of the Red Wings. The Coyotes were riding an eight game winning streak as they came into town. I was ready to settle in for a bit of a battle. And then Teddy Purcell scored his first of the night just shy of two minutes into the game.

And the goals kept right on coming. 5 in the first period alone. Teddy ended up scoring his first career NHL hat trick. Marty St. Louis scored two goals and Steve Stamkos scored one to break their goalless stretch. Vincent Lecavalier came out of nowhere and had a five point night. They looked amazing. And it was great to have that kind of dominance on display again.

A night removed from the game, I can't help but tell myself that Phoenix had just played a game the night before in Philly. That Jason Labarbera had only played 8 minutes of game action for quite some time. I'm trying not to get too excited, especially with the re-surging Devils in town for a contest tomorrow night. I'm trying to be levelheaded. But then I say screw it. Last night was great. It was just what the Lightning and myself needed.

The NHL trade market is heading up ahead of Monday's deadline. It will be interesting to see what Stevie Y has in store before then. Now could be the time when the Bolts get that missing piece to really help them in a run for the Cup.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Today is the 31st anniversary if the USA Hockey team's defeat of the Soviet Union at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. I have developed a bit of a tradition every February 22nd. I watch "Miracle" and the HBO sports documentary on that team and the gold medal run. It might seem odd that something that happened before I was born has such huge meaning for me. I look at it this way. It was a moment in time where the sport of ice hockey, always the perennial after thought in American sports culture, meant so much to the entire nation. So much so that it has been voted the biggest sports moment of the 20th century.

It's definitely a moment that will never be duplicated in the Olympics, especially as long as professional athletes participate in the ice hockey tournament. I got a bit of a glimpse of what it might have been like during Team USA's 2010 run at the Vancouver games. Canada was the big red monster then. Stocked with household name talent. Team USA might have had NHL'ers, but none of the name recognition of Sidney Crosby or Brodeur or Toews. I had people coming out of the woodwork to talk hockey with me. Gold medal game didn't go the same way as 1980, but it was inspirational and hopeful to me as an American hockey fan nonetheless.

But today, the recognition has to go to those 20 guys and the coach who made it possible 31 years ago today. Without them, USA's national hockey program would look very different. That game will forever serve as a reminder that the impossible can happen. And we should always believe in miracles.

The Heritage Classic

Photo by Getty Images. Used without permission.

It seems kind of odd that Hockey Day in America culminated with an outdoor game being played in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Odd until you really start to think about the sport itself. The roots of the game are in Canada, that will never change. Seeing the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadians playing on an outdoor rink was amazing. You know more than one guy on both benches was flashing back to their youth spent on the pond learning the game. It's nostalgic and romantic, that's for sure. The Heritage Classic was amazing. It's always great to see such love and respect for a sport that is close to my own heart.

One of the most interesting things about the coverage of Hockey Day in America was seeing all of the different and varied places that were celebrating. Massachusetts, Minnesota, California, Florida. Hockey might be Canada's game, but that game is growing in the USA and in some very unexpected places. It will be interesting to see how the NHL changes as a result in the years to come.

I would like to see the NHL continue with the Winter Classic and Heritage Classic as annual outdoor events. It's unconventional and has always come off really well. This year's Winter Classic might have been doused with rain and today's Heritage Classic might have been so cold that the ice was fragile, but I was glued to the television. I was by the TV most of the day, actually. Note to the NHL: If the NFL has a lost season due to collective bargaining issues, do Hockey Days in America more often. It was fantastic. Promote, promote, promote.

Love Is Our Resistance

Photo by AP Photos. Used without permission

"You may glory in a team triumphant,... But you fall in love with a team in defeat."

Roger Kahn wrote the above about the Brooklyn Dodgers in his amazing book "The Boys of Summer". When spring training rolls around, I always pull that book out and re-read it. To get ready for the summer and baseball and the Dodgers that my dad grew up with. The quote I used has always stuck out to me because it really is true. It's easy to be a fan of a team that wins all the time. That has dozens of championships or rings or trophies. It's easy because your loyalty is never tested.

Following a team that has a history of loss and defeat and disappointment can make you very bitter. But it also makes you resilient and makes it very difficult for you to give up on your teams. The Red Sox & Lightning have taught me that over the years. The Jaguars have taught me that. FSU has taught me that.

The Lightning may have been crushed by the Red Wings on Thursday night, but I'll be back in the stands for tonight's game. Wearing my gear and cheering my heart out. The Shawshank Redemption been on tv and in the hearts if a lot of my Red Sox brethren lately. It's definitely what I need to remember going into hockey's stretch run to the playoffs. Hope is a good thing. As long as we have that, anything is possible.