tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32 2008-07-17T22:37:47Z From stadiums to steroids, Minnesota Public Radio's baseball bloggers talk about the national pastime in Minnesota and around the country. Movable Type Open Source 4.1 tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19596 2008-07-17T22:32:38Z 2008-07-17T22:37:47Z

According to reports, Francisco Liriano's agent has filed a grievance with the players' union claiming the Twins are violating the collective bargaining agreement by keeping "The Franchise" at Class-AAA Rochester. While I wouldn't put it past the Twins to find...

Steve Rudolph Francisco Liriano's agent has filed a grievance with the players' union claiming the Twins are violating the collective bargaining agreement by keeping "The Franchise" at Class-AAA Rochester. While I wouldn't put it past the Twins to find creative ways to keep Liriano in a Twins uniform for as long as financially possible, it's unlikely that service time is the reason he hasn't rejoined the club. So why won't he be at the Metrodome Friday when the Twins resume play against the Rangers? For starters, until a couple weeks ago Liriano was just an average AAA-pitcher and the Twins want to be sure he's back to 2006-form before they call him up. Another reason the team has been reluctant to recall Liriano from the minors is that doing so would likely cost them a pitcher. Ask yourself, who does Liriano replace in the rotation? Livan Hernandez has struggled of late, but he'd not going anywhere. The four young arms have shown they belong. The Twins could use Liriano as a reliever, but that's not the best situation for him or the team. Plus to make room in the bullpen they'd have to waive Bonser or Bass. Does Liriano deserve to be with the Twins? Yes. Does he have a case? I don't think so. What do you think? ]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19573 2008-07-17T18:32:26Z 2008-07-17T18:50:52Z

It was 31 years ago today that Rod Carew was on the cover of Time Magazine, under the headline "Baseball's Best Hitter." When the article came out on July 18, Carew was hitting .394, and the baseball world was wondering...

Chris Dall over of Time Magazine, under the headline "Baseball's Best Hitter." When the article came out on July 18, Carew was hitting .394, and the baseball world was wondering if he could be the guy to hit .400 for the season. Here's an interesting paragraph from the Time article. Carew's eye is one of the sharpest in baseball. He spots the ball--its speed and rotation--as soon as it leaves the pitcher's fingertips. Says he: "I can tell by the rotation whether it's a curve, slider or fastball." What is more, Carew can often actually see the ball hit his bat. Kansas City Outfielder Amos Otis has a hitter's respect for the Carew eye: "Trying to sneak a pitch past him is like trying to sneak the sunrise past a rooster." Says the New York Yankees' Catfish Hunter, who has been the premier pitcher of the American League since 21-year-old Carew was Rookie of the Year in 1967: "He has no weakness as a hitter. Pitch him inside, outside, high, low, fast stuff, breaking balls--anything you throw he can handle. He swings with the pitch; that's why he's so great. He has no holes." Carew ended that season at .388, and the month of July, when he batted .304, was what kept him from reaching the elusive mark. His best month that season? June, when he hit .486, with 3 home runs and 30 RBI.]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19555 2008-07-17T03:04:12Z 2008-07-17T03:11:15Z

Having watched the replay of Justin Morneau's victory in the All-Star Home Run Derby on ESPN this evening, I'm left even more impressed with the performance of the Twins slugger. Unlike Josh Hamilton who received meatball after meatball from 71-year-old...

Steve Rudolph Justin Morneau's victory in the All-Star Home Run Derby on ESPN this evening, I'm left even more impressed with the performance of the Twins slugger. Unlike Josh Hamilton who received meatball after meatball from 71-year-old Clay Counsil, Joe Vavra's pitches to Morneau had more movement than a Livan Hernandez's fastball. If Morneau defends his title next year he might look for another pitcher. Wonder what Brad Radke is up to. ]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19537 2008-07-16T21:14:01Z 2008-07-16T21:24:06Z

Thanks to Justin Morneau, Game One of the World Series will be played at the Metrodome. Okay, that's a bit of a stretch but I have to tip my cap to Commissioner Bud Selig for making the All-Star game worth...

Steve Rudolph The possibilities are rich. If you were The Commish would you make more changes to the All Star game's rosters and rules to allow teams to play into the morning or do you just consider last night an anomaly and leave things alone? ]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19474 2008-07-15T20:25:08Z 2008-07-15T20:44:49Z

I don't know about you, but I was shocked to hear that the Twins put in a call to the Seattle Mariners about third baseman Adrian Beltre. The Twins? Calling another team about a high-priced veteran player? Maybe this is...

Chris Dall Adrian Beltre. The Twins? Calling another team about a high-priced veteran player? Maybe this is a new era for the Twins. Beltre would be an interesting addition. He's never hit much for average (2004 aside), but he hits lefties pretty well (.270 career average) and his 16 home runs would lead the team. He'd certainly help provide some protection for Morneau. And my guess is that his Gold Glove defense is a big selling point for Bill Smith and Gardy. But he does have one year left on his deal, at about $12 million. The question is what are the Mariners asking for in return, and what are Twins willing to give up? Seattle is clearly in dump mode, so maybe they wouldn't ask much. Would they take Mike Lamb as part of a deal? What if they come back and ask for, say, Glenn Perkins and a prospect, should the Twins go for it? My guess is that Bill Smith didn't expect to be in this position this season. Who do you think would best help the Twins as they gear up for the second half? ]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19456 2008-07-15T02:46:40Z 2008-07-15T16:19:45Z

Even though this year's Twins are proving otherwise, baseball is generally a numbers game. Beyond wins and losses, numbers are what we use to define players and careers and debate the history of the game. So I thought I'd take...

Chris Dall 95 That's the number of RBI by Texas slugger Josh Hamilton. At this pace, Hamilton could surpass the 165 RBI put up by Manny Ramirez in 1999, but probably won't be touching the 184 runs knocked in by Lou Gehrig in 1931. .376 The batting average of Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones. Though it seems unlikely that Chipper will hit .400, it's tradition to monitor anyone who's hitting over .370 this deep into the year. Plus, you have to give kudos to Jones, now in his 15th season with the Braves. 129 The number of strikeouts by Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. Ryan struck out 199 times last year, and looks to be on pace to be near that mark again. Yes, he also leads the National League in home runs and RBI, but that's a lot of whiffs. According to the best baseball site ever, no one has ever surpassed the 200 mark in a season. 7 The number of complete games thrown by Toronto's Roy Halladay. I had to do a double take when I saw this number, since I can't even remember the last time I saw a complete game. Halladay had 7 all of last year, and the most thrown this decade is 9, by our very own Livan Hernandez. For some perspective on how the game has changed over the last few decades, Curt Schilling had 15 complete games in 1998, and Bert Blyleven had 24 in 1985. In 1901, good ol' Noodles Hahn had 41. 0.865 The WHIP of Oakland pitcher Justin Duchscherer, who is 10-5 with a 1.82 ERA. I don't even know what to say about that, but it's pretty darn good. .287 Carlos Gomez's on-base percentage. Carlos has been exciting at times this season, but he's got to figure out a way to get on base more, or Denard Span is going to be spending more time in centerfield. 22 Home runs hit tonight by home run derby winner Justin Morneau. Congratulations Justin! Let's hope you haven't messed up you swing for the rest of the season.]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19429 2008-07-14T02:30:09Z 2008-07-14T16:57:31Z

Dear Mr. Punto: I'm sorry I called you the worst everyday player in MLB history last season and would like to take back some of the comments I've made about you on this blog. Last year was a rough one...

Steve Rudolph Dear Mr. Punto: I'm sorry I called you the worst everyday player in MLB history last season and would like to take back some of the comments I've made about you on this blog. Last year was a rough one for yourself and Twins fans and your start to this season did little to make me think you could still hit at this level. But something has changed of late. And I couldn't be happier. Without your recent contributions, the Twins season could well be over. Instead they are getting clutch production out of the bottom of the order; something that's reminiscent of the "piranha" days of 2006. In the last week you batted .455 with 10 hits, 5 RBIs and one of the best at bats I've seen a Twins hitter have all season. Your ninth inning double off the Red Sox's John Papelbaum in the ninth inning of Tuesday's loss was a thing of beauty. I have no idea now you managed to foul off that many pitches before leading off the inning with a double and giving the club a chance to tie the score. I'm also not sure how you're managing to hit .324 for the season either when you're a career .250 hitter who struggled to stay above the Mendoza line last year. But I really don't care. You had a career year in 2006 when you hit .290. The Twins made you their everyday third baseman and tripled your salary and maybe that added pressure was too much for you. It doesn't matter. It's good to have you back. If you keep hitting anywhere close to how you're hitting the past month we're in for a fun end to this season. Although should you revert to 2007 form...you might want to avoid clicking on Bleacher Bums. Win Twins! Steve (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19372 2008-07-11T12:12:08Z 2008-07-11T13:17:16Z

Note: We've been contemplating making "Bleacher Bums" an all-sports blog; just to test the waters I've decided to place an occasional non-baseball related entry. Any feedback you have on this idea would be greatly appreciated. If you haven't seen Seimone...

Note: We've been contemplating making "Bleacher Bums" an all-sports blog; just to test the waters I've decided to place an occasional non-baseball related entry. Any feedback you have on this idea would be greatly appreciated. If you haven't seen Seimone Augustus play basketball, you're missing out. The 3rd year shooting guard/small forward is on everyone's short list of the top women's basketball players in the world and will represent the United States in the upcoming Olympic Games. Augustus won every award available at the collegiate level and seamlessly stepped into the WNBA, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2006 and rewriting league scoring records along the way. The 24-year-old was cool and classy enough to take some time out after a tough loss to Atlanta on Wednesday and brutal practice on Thursday to chat with me: DZ: What do you think the biggest problem has been with the team lately? AUGUSTUS: We just haven't been playing good basketball. When you have the lead, you try to maintain that lead - we need to play better defense and play more consistently on offense. DZ: The rookies have played a big part this year. Things were going great early, but it still looks like you and Candice Wiggins have developed a pretty good rapport out there. What's it like playing with her? AUGUSTUS: It's fun. She is a competitor, she has a winning attitude but most important, she is willing and eager to learn about the game and get better. DZ: You are in your third year now - on this team that gives you a lot of seniority - do you feel like this is your team; that you are the leader? AUGUSTUS: Yeah, I've been handed that role. I've been trying to do my best, it's a new position for me so I am just trying to be a motivational leader - not so much a vocal leader - just come out on the court and lead by example. DZ: You are going to the Olympics next month, how cool would it be to get a gold medal? AUGUSTUS: It would be very good to get a gold medal. This is my first Olympics, so it's a great experience. This would be the tip-top of my career...it would be something I would cherish for the rest of my life. DZ: You missed your first (WNBA) game a couple of weeks ago (June 28 - with a toe injury). I know you take a lot of pride in being out there on court, how hard was it for you to sit on the sidelines and watch? AUGUSTUS: It was very hard. I guess it was a learning experience, getting a feel for what other players go through when they are inactive and things like that. It was hard to sit down and watch my team play without me, but - at the same time - it was a learning experience for myself and for the team. We have a good team with or without me, I still think we could have won that game in San Antonio. DZ: I saw that your favorite player is Dr. J (Julius Erving). You are young enough - did you ever even see him play in person or TV? AUGUSTUS: (laughs) I watched ESPN Classic - I watched all of that stuff...Dr. J's game: he could dunk on anybody, had that finesse type of game, he was never out of control, always poised and had that greatness about him. DZ: Have you ever met him? AUGUSTUS: Yeah, at the pool tournament at the men's (NBA) All Star Game this year. DZ: One last thing, I noticed that every year your hair gets longer, when is the last time you got it cut? AUGUSTUS: Oh gosh....I haven't gotten it cut....I don't think I am going to cut it. By the time I retire, it should be in the middle of my back or down my back...I think this is me, every year I change. Last year I had braids, in college I had braids; (the dreadlocks) are a new thing for me. (Photo by Maurico Lima/Getty Images)]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19333 2008-07-10T01:25:48Z 2008-07-10T02:19:33Z

Here are some ugly numbers from today's game: 4.1 innings, 11 hits, 6 earned runs. That would be Livan Hernandez's starting line. 3.2 innings, 12 hits, 11 earned runs. That would be the collective line of today's bullpen crew--Bonser, Breslow,...

Chris Dall Brian Fuentes of the Rockies is the big name you hear, but the Twins will have to take a number behind several other teams. Ron Mahay of the Royals will also be much sought after. But do the Twins have enough to get either guy? Of course, they could stay in house and bring back this guy.]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19315 2008-07-09T19:27:13Z 2008-07-09T19:44:41Z

According to Twins officials and the certain Star Tribune writers, the Twins are virtually without weakness. Having watched the last couple games, I beg to differ. Bill Smith has shown his not afraid to make trades and he needs to...

Steve Rudolph the Twins are virtually without weakness. Having watched the last couple games, I beg to differ. Bill Smith has shown his not afraid to make trades and he needs to pull off another one or two if the Twins have any chance of playing meaningful baseball come September. That's not to say I expect a move will be forthcoming. I don't think the Twins expected they would be as good as they are this year. I certainly didn't think it possible. But here they are midpoint of the season, playing good baseball and realistically in the wild card race if not the hunt for the A.L. Central crown. I'm not suggesting the Twins mortgage their future as I think this team is only going to improve in years to come. However an injury or other unforeseen event could change all that and thus management should give this year's team every chance to win that it can. What can they use most? Another arm in the bullpen would be a good start. I disagree with Joe Christensen that the Twins have absorbed the loss of Pat Neshek. As we've seen the last two nights, the bullpen isn't what it's been in year's past. When the starting pitchers faltered in Chicago a few weeks back, the pen couldn't stop the bleeding. The last two nights when the starter took the game to the late innings, the bullpen couldn't shut the door on the Red Sox. Bonser can't be used in meaningful games and Bass and Breslow aren't proven. That leaves Ron Gardenhire with limited options when the game is on the line. (He might try leaving the starters in once and a while, but that's for another posting.) Just one more reliable arm to help Crain, Guerrier and Reyes get the game to Nathan will result in more wins than the addition of any position players. What say ye Twins fans? Am I right in my assessment that relief pitching is the biggest need for this season or would you rather see the club add a veteran starter or even a third baseman? ]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19266 2008-07-08T23:05:19Z 2008-07-08T14:34:08Z

The Twins trade Johan Santana, don't add another major league arm other than Livan Hernandez, Francisco Liriano spends the first half in the minors and they have their deepest rotation in years....yeah, the grades look good: Rotation Livan Hernandez (9-5,...

Rotation Livan Hernandez (9-5, 5.18 ERA, 43K/23BB, 1.59 WHIP, .336 BAA) Great start, shaky stretch, solid lately - based on his recent track record, the Twins are getting what they paid for from Hernandez. Other than the W-L record, his stat line is pretty ugly. Grade: C Scott Baker (5-2, 3.32 ERA, 64K/14BB, 1.18 WHIP, .256 BAA) Pitched brilliantly last night, but to no avail - Baker has stepped it up this year and has to be considered the team's ace. Grade: A Nick Blackburn (7-4, 3.78 ERA, 58K/16BB, 1.31 WHIP, .294 BAA) With Baker's early injury, Blackburn has been the most reliable starter all season for the Twins. Bouncing back like he did after getting hit in the head against the Yankees in June is a test to his character. Grade: A Kevin Slowey (6-6, 3.78 ERA, 60K/11BB, 1.04 WHIP, .241 BAA) Was shaky early in his last start, but settled down, which is a metaphor for his season. I expect big things from Slowey in the second half. Grade: B+ Glen Perkins (5-2, 4.27 ERA, 41K/17BB, 1.48 WHIP, .305 BAA) Stepped in for Boof and made this one of the deepest rotations in the game. Grade: B Bullpen Boof Bonser (3-6, 6.19 ERA, 60K/24BB, 1.50 WHIP, .287 BAA) Looked like the real deal in '06, what happened? Grade: D- Brian Bass (3-3, 4.58 ERA, 25K/18BB, 1SV/2H, 1.53 WHIP, .296 BAA) Shouldn't have been out there in the 8th last night and probably shouldn't be put in tight spots period. Grade: C- Craig Breslow (1.42 ERA, 19 IP, 13H, 3ER, 1H, .188 BAA) Has 0.00 in 10 2/3 innings with Twins, looks to be another scrap-heap gem mined by the home team. Grade: Incomplete Dennys Reyes (2-0, 2.25 ERA, 9H, 1.17 WHIP, .247 BAA) You can't argue with the numbers. Grade: A Matt Guerrier (4-3, 3.06 ERA, 11H, 1.34 WHIP, .236 BAA) Has rebounded nicely from a slow start - would be a starter on many teams. Grade: B+ Jesse Crain (3-2, 2.75 ERA, 9H, 1.42 WHIP, .268 BAA) Looks to have regained is old form after a shaky '07. Grade: B+ Joe Nathan (1.32 ERA, 25S/2BS, 40K/6BB, .90 WHIP, .205 BAA) I was wrong; re-signing Nathan was absolutely the right thing to do. Grade: A]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19241 2008-07-07T23:02:30Z 2008-07-08T03:20:33Z

It's report card time for the home team! The position players are first, with the pitchers on deck... The Line-up C: Joe Mauer (.325/.415/.454, 4 HR, 37 RBI) Mauer has done what is expected of him and even shown a...

The Line-up C: Joe Mauer (.325/.415/.454, 4 HR, 37 RBI) Mauer has done what is expected of him and even shown a little power lately. Grade: A 1B: Justin Morneau (.307/.369/.481, 12 HR, 65 RBI) The team's MVP and best player since Kirby Puckett, but we'd still like to see a few more homers. Grade: A- 2B: Alexi Casilla (.320/.365/.450, 4 HR, 35 RBI) Has played in only 45 games and driven in 35 runs, should he be an All Star? Grade: A 3B: Brian Buscher (.333/.361/.424, 17 RBI, 19 G) This position has been a nightmare for the Twins the past season and a half. Buscher has played well, but can he keep it up? Does he have the power to nail down the position? Grade: Incomplete SS: Brendan Harris (.250/.306/.346, 4 HR, 25 RBI) Harris has been so-so this season. His numbers stack up well against Jason Bartlett's so far this year, but he's way behind his 2007 pace. Will we see more Punto at SS in the second half? Grade: C- LF: Delmon Young (.288/.334/.394, 3 HR, 33 RBI) His batting average and OBP are right about where we thought they'd be, but his power numbers are not even close. A recent surge gives us hope. Grade: C CF: Carlos Gomez (.269/.305/.374, 5 HR, 21 SB) Gomez has been fun to watch, great in the field and a fan favorite, but his .305 OBP and strikeout-to-walk ratio of 89/14 are horrible, especially for a lead off hitter. I'll stand by my assertion that Denard Span is a better player than Gomez right now. Grade: C RF: Michael Cuddyer (.252/.324/.376, 3 HR, 35 RBI) Easily the most disappointing of this year's regulars - he's been nagged by hand injuries and never gotten going. A big second half from Cuddy may push the Twins into the postseason. Grade: D DH: Jason Kubel (.266/.324/.465, 12 HR, 43 RBI) Tied for the team lead in homers and second in RBI, Kubel has been solid this year. I'd like to see him reach base at a better clip though. Grade: B Bench Mike Lamb (.227/.265/.303, 1 HR, 26 RBI) Worthless. Matt Macri should have this roster spot. Grade: F Craig Monroe (.219/.291/.453, 8 HR, 28 RBI) The batting line isn't pretty, but Monroe has a flair for the dramatic. Grade: C+ Nick Punto (.289/.355/.422, 1 HR, 14 RBI) Punto has proven his worth when healthy. His batting average is up to the 2006 level and you won't find a better defensive middle infielder. Grade: B Mike Redmond (.297/.333/.359, 64 AB) Despite having his playing time cut, Redmond still manages to stay sharp and provide much-needed leadership to the young team. Grade: A Bit Players Matt Macri, Denard Span, Matt Tolbert: Where would the Twins be without guys like these filling in? Grade: A]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19243 2008-07-07T19:50:39Z 2008-07-07T20:10:39Z

MPR producer, New Jersey native, and avid baseball fan Jim Bickal was back in the Garden State last week, and took in a Yankee game while he was there. He sends along these pictures of the new stadium going up...

Chris Dall And here's an image of the original Yankee Stadium, circa 1923, which the new version is based on. I don't know. It seems a bit neo-classical and serious to me, but at the same time pretty much in keeping with the way the Yankee organization (and its fans) sees itself. "We are the Yankees. Bow down before us." I wonder when the bust of Derek Jeter will go up. Jim did note, however, that in the 7th inning of a 2-2 game, the Yankee faithful did break out the Wave, which goes to show that even in that shrine to the game, nothing is sacred. (Images courtesy of Jim Bickal) ]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19197 2008-07-03T20:54:44Z 2008-07-03T21:01:47Z

There are no hanging chads and the Supreme Court is unlikely to weigh in on the results after they are announced on Sunday. However, the current balloting process for Major League Baseball's All-Star Game appears to have been formulated by...

Steve Rudolph more than 41 million votes we cast in the final 24 hours of balloting!!! If history is any indicator, a large percentage of those votes came from the Far East where fans are unlikely to have ever seen Joe Mauer or Justin Morneau play a game on TV let alone in person. Don't get me wrong. The old punch ballot system wasn't the most democratic system ever invented. I remember spending several innings as a kid at Met Stadium and later the Metrodome completing dozens of ballots that I managed to acquire from ushers who just wanted to get rid of them. But at least that system required being at the ballpark and a fair amount of effort. My fingers still hurt from using a family member's key to punch the hole next to my favorite Twins and A.L. players and then try to stick the N.L. with a bunch of stiffs. Now that the All-Star Game means something, it seems silly to have such an easily manipulated system determine the starting lineups. Plus a whole generation of new baseball fans is missing out on the fun that we had punching those stupid ballots. ]]> tag:minnesota.publicradio.org,2008:/collections/special/columns/baseball//32.19170 2008-07-03T12:03:08Z 2008-07-03T16:21:48Z

Note: We've been contemplating making "Bleacher Bums" an all-sports blog; just to test the waters I've decided to place an occasional random non-baseball related entry. Any feedback you have on this idea would be greatly appreciated. If you've been to...

Note: We've been contemplating making "Bleacher Bums" an all-sports blog; just to test the waters I've decided to place an occasional random non-baseball related entry. Any feedback you have on this idea would be greatly appreciated. If you've been to Lynx game this season, you've probably seen and heard Jamie Tarr loudly cheering on his wife - Lynx forward Kristen Rasmussen - from behind the home team's bench. If Rasmussen, a stoic 9-year WNBA veteran and Michigan native and Tarr, a fiery, outgoing Australian strike you as an unlikely couple, wait until you hear about their storybook meeting... DZ: How did you two meet? RASMUSSEN: Jamie was going to work one day in Australia (in 2005) and heard about a contest on the radio. He had to name three things and he ended up winning a MP3 player and had his name entered into a large drawing for a $10,000 trip to Europe. Meanwhile, I am over in Zaragoza (Spain) - which is between Madrid and Barcelona - playing basketball. (A few) days after (Jamie) wins the MP3 player, he gets a phone call and they're like "You won the $10,000 trip to Europe" and he never wins anything...So he goes over to Europe and is traveling between Barcelona and Madrid and is in Zaragoza on Sunday and goes to church... TARR: And out of a sea of short, tiny Spanish people - there's (6-4) Kristen standing 10 feet above 'em...We just started talking. RASMUSSEN: It's kind of tough not to notice the blonde hair and blue eyes amongst a bunch of Spanish people that don't speak English. TARR: So we hit it off and I waived my trip and stayed with her for 3 weeks...At the end of the trip I went back to Australia and we kept in touch with the phone and Internet for about a month and then she came and visited at the end of the season in Europe. On a road trip up the coast, I took her to a lighthouse at the eastern tip of Australia at sunset and asked her to marry me. So then we spent the '05 season together in Houston, (she was with) the Comets and got married in Hawaii after the season. DZ: Talk a little bit about your career; you were drafted low (51st overall in 2000), played on some teams that are defunct now (Utah, Miami and Charlotte), been through some tough trades - what's kept you going all of these years? RASMUSSEN: I just think it's the passion and love that I have for the game. It's so much fun, I am able to go out on the court and (give) everything I have - play with all of my heart....the other part of it is, I like to meet new people. In every situation I've been in - there's a lot of great basketball memories - but, getting to know the people is what most of my memories are about. DZ: What do you admire about her? TARR: Oh my gosh! One thing that stands out is her professionalism - she leaves everything on the court, what's on the court stays on the court. She just keeps on going. She doesn't have an attitude about anything, she's nice to everyone - it's two hours after the game and she's still signing (autographs). DZ: I've been to a few games now and I hear this guy (Tarr) cheering behind the bench. I think everyone pretty much hears him; you must hear him too. RASMUSSEN: I have kind of learned to tune that side out. I had an incident in Phoenix where - Jamie doesn't quite understand the game; he was yelling out the wrong thing at the wrong time - I was in the paint and Jamie's yelling out "3 seconds!" and I was on offense. (Top photo by David Zingler/Bottom photo courtesy of Jamie Tarr)]]>