Today is the 62nd anniversary of the day Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field as a professional baseball player. The first African American baseball player successfully play a complete season, let alone have a Hall of Fame career.

Jackie Robinson not only changed the face of Baseball forever but the views of America as well. There is never enough that can be said or done to thank Robinson for all that he endured in his baseball career and after with his affairs fighting for civil rights.

Major League Baseball has already, fittingly, retired his number from all of baseball, but now this year marks the first year that every player and coach and all on-field personel will wear the number 42. This only goes for one day a year on the anniversary of his debut in honor of Jackie Robinson.

Mariano Rivera the only active player who is allowed to wear the number 42, due to the fact that he wore it before the league-wide retirement of the number.

For more information visit: MLB.com

Everyone’s favorite Ex-White Sox Player, Nick Swisher, hits the pitchers mound and is the only Yankees “pitcher” to throw a scoreless inning yesterday.

An old baseball axiom is that in April, pitchers are generally ahead of the hitters. That wasn’t the case last night in St. Petersburg as the Tampa Bay Rays clubbed the New York Yankees 15-5. It was such a blowout that the Yanks had 1B/OF Nick Swisher pitch the eighth inning. (Photo by Steve Nesius, AP)

On this occasion, the hitter-turned-pitcher was ahead of the Rays hitters as Swisher tossed a scoreless inning. You could even say it was ironic that Swisher was the only Yankee pitcher in the game who didn’t allow a run.

Swisher’s pitching won’t count in just about every fantasy league, but my dynasty league does give credit for pitchers’ hitting stats. And it’s only fair that in the league, Swisher will, in fact, get an extra point for a scoreless inning.

Check out the rest of the story here.

March is winding down and April is soon approching, bringing with it not just ‘April showers’ but the beginning of a new baseball season. The 2009 baseball season.

After the Philadephia Phillies wrapped up the 2008 World Series it began an interesting offseason full of a few ups and many downs.

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We hope you are as crazy about March Madness as this guy! Choose your brackets now for a chance to win great prizes.

By ANDREW SELIGMAN

CHICAGO (AP) — Johnny “Red” Kerr, the former Chicago Bulls coach who spent more than three decades as a broadcaster for the team, died Thursday. He was 76.

Kerr died at his home after a battle with prostate cancer, Bulls spokesman Tim Hallam said.

“His name was synonymous with basketball, both here in Chicago, and throughout the entire NBA,” Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said. “Those that were fortunate enough to have known Johnny were touched by both his tremendous compassion for people, and his lifelong passion for the game of basketball. We will miss him greatly.”

Kerr’s death is a double blow for the Bulls, following the death also Thursday of Norm Van Lier, one of the most popular players in Bulls history. Van Lier was 61.

“We’re deeply saddened by the whole course of events today,” Hallam said.

The Bulls unveiled a statue of Kerr at the United Center during an emotional ceremony earlier this month that included taped messages from President Barack Obama and commissioner David Stern and speeches from Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan.

Hope they’ve got XXXXL jumpsuits in AZ, ’cause Charles Barkley is officially going to jail.

Barkley just pled guilty to 2 counts of driving under the influence and pleaded “responsible” to running a stop sign for the December 31 incident in Scottsdale.

Barkley was sentenced to 10 days in jail — but will only do five if he completes an alcohol education program. Barkley was also fined $2,000.

Barkley will begin his sentence on March 21 — but it’s unclear if he will serve time in Arizona’s famed Tent City Jail, where they make the inmates wear pink.

As for the gun cops say they found in Barkley’s car on the night of the arrest — no charges were ever filed. (Via TMZ)

A dismal past few days in the baseball and sports world.

Alex Rodriguez, the biggest name still playing in baseball, the highest paid player, one of the biggest names in sports, and one of the best players in baseball took steroids.

It was first reported Saturday by Sports Illustrated reporter, Selena Roberts that Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for steriods back in 2003 while still with the Texas Rangers.

This morning from his home in Miami, Alex Rodriguez sat down with ESPN and Baseball Tonight analyst Peter Gammons to admit that he did take steroids and/or other banned substances during the 2001, 02, and 03 seasons.

Alex Rodriguez is scheduled to appear for interview with Peter Gammons on Sportscenter which can be seen on ESPN, tonight at 6pm EST to tell the whole story.

Yet another fallen star to add to the list of all-time great who are not or most likely will not be voted into the Hall of Fame.

First it was all-time hits leader Pete Rose in the 80’s getting banned for betting on the game.

Then the current all-time career and season homerun leader, Barry Bonds. On trial now for lying to a grand jury about taking banned performance enhancing drugs.

Mark McGwire, the first man to break Roger Maris’ single season homerun record. Never admitted or denied the use of banned performance enhancing drugs but in succlusion.

Sammy Sosa, the only man with 3 consecutive 60 homerun seasons doesn’t look to be going after suspicions of using banned performance enhancing drugs. Although the fact that he corked his bat should be enough not to get him into the HOF. That’s two times over that he has cheated.

Roger Clemens the best right handed pitcher since the end of WWII, yet to be solidified, but has enough evidence and witnesses against him saying that he did take banned substances.

Now add Alex Rodriguez to that list, he was presumably going to take over as the All-time career homerun king by the time his career was finished, he is already a 3-time MVP, but his HOF hopes have all gone down the drain.

He did admit and apologize for taking steriods, but that doesn’t mean he is cleared or forgiven. Pete Rose, finally, after almost 20 years of lying, admitted that he did bet on the game, still not in the HOF and will never be in.

A-rod shouldn’t get in and neither should the others mentioned once/if it is proven that they used performance enhancing drugs.

They are all cheaters and have no respect for the game of baseball and no respect for the intelligence, and integrety of the fans.

But they aren’t the only ones to blame. The people running MLB, Bud Selig, the MLBPA, the owners, and anyone who could have stopped this are all at fault as well.

Go to my source; ESPN for more info from experts. I’m just a dissappointed fan.

Bruce Springsteen’s half-time show part 1

Bruce Springsteen’s half-time show part 2

In one of the better Super Bowl games in recent history, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals in a nail-biter game with a spectacular last 5 min of the 4th quarter 27-23.

For most of the game the Steelers had the lead with the Cardinals fighting and pushing back to keep it close and within reach.

Both teams played well against each other in the first 3 quarters and the Cardinals defense had to awesome goal line stops against the Steelers.

Things got really exciting in the last eight minutes of the 4th quarter. The Steelers were up 20-7 when QB Kurt Warner finally hits WR Larry Fitzgerald for a touchdown to bring it to 20-14. Fitzgerald had been held to no passes in the first half and no touchdowns all game by the Steelers pass coverage. The ball changes hands three more times and the Steelers now have it at their 1-yd line with their backs up against the endzone. QB Ben Rothlisberger looks to have gotten them the first down and out of the jam with a 19-yd pass to WR Santonio Holmes but an offensive holding penalty is called on the Steelers resulting instead in a safety and 2 points for the Cardinals

The Cardinals then march down the field on two plays and again Warner connects with Fitzgerald for a 64-yard touchdown pass. This puts the Cardinals up 23-20 with 2 and half minutes left in the game.

With that little bit of time left all the Cardinals have to do is stop the Steelers from getting into field goal range for the tie, and the game is theirs. Easier said than done. The Steelers move their way downfield and put themselves into position for the touchdown and the win. Rothlisberger connects with Holmes for a 6-yd TD pass and for the win with 29 seconds left.

The Cardinals mounted an attack but were unable to turn it into anything while the last play of the game turned into a potential controversy when Warner fumbled a pass and Pittsburgh recovered it. It was questionable whether it was an incomplete pass or a fumble, but the play stood and that was the game.

The Steelers won their record 6th Super Bowl in franchise history.

Source: ESPN.com