Jackie Robinson

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was the first black Major League Baseball (MLB) player of the modern era.[1] Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. As the first black man to play in the major leagues since the 1880s, he was instrumental in bringing an end to racial segregation in professional baseball, which had relegated black players to the Negro leagues for six decades.[2] The example of his character and unquestionable talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation, which then marked many other aspects of American life, and contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement.[3][4]

In addition to his cultural impact, Robinson had an exceptional baseball career. Over ten seasons, he played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Championship. He was selected for six consecutive All-Star Games from 1949 to 1954,[5] was the recipient of the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949 – the first black player so honored.[6] Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his uniform number, 42, across all major league teams.

Robinson was also known for his pursuits outside the baseball diamond. He was the first black television analyst in Major League Baseball, and the first black vice-president of a major American corporation. In the 1960s, he helped establish the Freedom National Bank, an African-American-owned financial institution based in Harlem, New York. In recognition of his achievements on and off the field, Robinson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

Oh Yeah!

It has been over 7 months since I hurt my left rotator cuff sparring with my 6'2, 230-pound Australian boxing mate. It happened after he blocked a left hook I threw to the body with his elbow and forearm. The violent impact rendered my shoulder useless. The pain was equivalent to getting shot in the arm at close range.

It was 5 months before I could lift a dumbbell heavier than 35lbs. Even raising my arm to put a shirt on my back was hell.

Today, I faced him in the ring, and my shoulder held par. I felt like a Spartan reborn_hooray!

Dragons Need To Find Their Resolve

After a disappointing finish, no doubt the Dragons will need to make some changes in the off-season. Since Nakiea Miller wasted no time announcing he will not renew his contract to play for the Dragons next year, recruiting a starting center will be at the top of the to do list.

Miller's announcement comes as no surprise; the writing was on the wall. He has been publicly critical of Dragons' Head Coach Goh Cheng Huat for several weeks. A comment from Miller following the Dragons' second loss to the Philippine Patriots in the ABL Semi-Final Playoffs via Twitter pinned the loss on the Dragons' head coach.

We lost, coach threw the game! Experimenting in the semi's wit dudes who never
play in regular season! I'm so mad

At one point during the Dragons' final post-season game, Miller emphatically implored Goh Cheng Huat to change the line-up on the floor. The head coach complied with Miller's wish by making an immediate substitution, which made me wonder two things. Who is actually coaching the Dragons? Second, how much respect and confidence does Miller have for his coach, or the ability of his fellow team mates?

When the star player and head coach do not see eye-to-eye, one of them has to leave. Miller's volunteered exit nullified what could have been a difficult decision for the Dragons' owners to make.

I don't prescribe to how Miller aired his grievances, but I do think his latest charge is valid. I was present at every Dragons home game this season, and the starting line-up varied from week to week. No team should be experimenting with personnel changes late in the season. By playoff time, a coach should know who are the starting five. It's hard to execute strategy, if the players don't know what to expect from their coach and each other.

Playing 'guess who is starting' does not create an element of surprise; it creates confusion. One only needs to see a replay of the final game between the Dragons and the Patriots to know that the Dragons' offensive and defensive schemes are a mess!

Congratulation AirAisa Philippine Patriots;

I give respect, when it's due.

The Patriots Tame The Fury of The Dragons

Just returned home from MABA Stadium, Kaula Lumpur where I bared painful witness to The Westsports KL Dragons going down in flames against the AirAsia Philippine Patriots; 92 - 95. For the second consecutive season the Patriots have the pleasure of celebrating winning the ABL Semi-Final Playoff series on the Dragons' home court. Ouch!

I was hoping the the Dragons would recapture some of the magic they discovered in the early and middle part of the season; but no such luck. The Truth of the matter is that the Dragons' performance took a dramatic down turn at season's end, and then soured completely with tonight's loss.

The Dragons were outplayed, out muscled, out rebounded, and out hustled the entire contest. Despite being out favored in most statical categories, they still had a chance to beat the Patriots, or at least draw even at game's end. The Dragons had possession of the ball with 1:03 left in the game; down 89 to 91. It was a golden opportunity to either tie the score, or go up by 1. The result of the possession was an ill advised pass from Rudy Lingganay to Nakiea Miller in heavy traffic. Miller lost control of the rock, which then trickled out of bounds. The Patriots proceeded to head down court and scored a coffin nailing 3-pointer from downtown. The scoring after that juncture was purely academic. The Dragons lost one wing in the Philippines, and the Patriots clipped the other tonight.

Top performers for the Dragons were Nakiea Miller; 24 points, 13 rebounds, Rudy Lingganay; 25 points, Justin Leith; 18 points, and Patrick Jan Manlawe Cabahug; 17 points.

So what went wrong? Nothing a lesson on fundamental basketball wouldn't fix. The Dragons have talent, and they play with heart. But the team lacks mental fortitude and technical execution. The same issues that I have mentioned a dozen times before is what keeps the Dragons from getting over the hump. They don't execute well out of set-plays. Opposing teams are given too many second chance scoring opportunities, because the Dragons consistently fail to box out. The offense is primarily dribble and then shoot. Motion without the ball and swing passing is a viable option that seems to have escaped the team's attention. All these things represent essential skills needed to win championships. Heart and talent alone will not get the job done. It needs to be coupled with a high basketball I.Q.

Dragons' Flame Barely A Spark Heading Into The Playoffs

On 15 January 2011, the Westsports KL Dragons lost to the Brunei Barracudas 87 - 73, and thus squandered a golden opportunity to finish the regular season in 2nd place and secure home court advantage in the first round of the ABL Championship Playoffs. Instead, the Dragons will limp into post-season play behind the AirAsia Phillipine Patriots, who won their final regular season game against SatiraMuda Britama 74 - 71.

The playoff seedings are as follows:

1. Chang Thailand Slammers


2. AirAsia Phillipine Patriots


3. Westsports KL Dragons


4. Singapore Slingers

The Dragons will face the Patriots on their home court for game 1 in a best of 3 series on Sunday, 23 January 2011. Fan advantage then swings back to the Dragons on Wednesday, 26 January 2011. If there is a 3rd game, the teams will head back to the Philippines for the conclusion.

The Patriots have 3 satisfying factors to boost their confidence. One, they snatched back what was taken from them a week ago by the Dragons; 2nd place. Two, they ended the season on a winning note, while the Dragons faltered. Three, the Patriots swept the Dragons in the first round of the playoffs last season. It's like having three aces in your hands.

Granted the Patriots will be facing a more improved Dragons squad, than they did last year. But I'm sure they still have to be feeling very good about their chances of making it back to the finals. The Dragons will need to convincingly win game 1 in the Philippines to turn the Patriots' smile upside down and swing momentum their way. The odds don't favor the Dragons in any other scenario.

Barilla and Hannibal