Summer Time Sports

Well ladies and gentlemen, it is that time of year when sports fans suffer from an overdose of mediocre baseball and are forced to hear about the third string running back who just might make an impression at this years pre-season football workouts. Living in Pittsburgh my entire life, I am used to watching sub-par baseball throughout the summer.

Lately, however, there has been some Pirates news that actually got me off the couch and interested. Local Pine-Richland high school star Neil Walker is making a name for himself on the Pirates roster. Drafted as a catcher, Walker has enjoyed most of his success at second base, where he currently holds the starting job. It will be interesting to see the young career of Walker develop over the next few months.

Another very intriguing Pirates story comes in the form of Stephen Strasburg's first Major League start. The 21-year old pitching sensation will make his Major League debut against the Pirates tonight at 7:05 in Washington. Be sure to catch this hyped performance of the 2009 number one pick.

As the Stanley Cup finals approaches its conclusion and the NBA Finals looks to crown a champion, may I offer a summer alternative to baseball. The 2010 World Cup kicks off in South Africa on June 11 as host nation South Africa faces Mexico. There is plenty of intrigue to hold anyone's attention and for the casual soccer fan, there are plenty of big matches. For the USA their biggest match comes in their opening game vs. England on Saturday June 12.

Outside of the individual games, there are plenty of players looking to make a mark at this years World Cup. Some of the players to watch include the USA's Clint Dempsey, Spain's David Villa, Argentina's Carlos Tevez, and Brazil's Robinho. While there are certainly plenty of other brilliant players such as Messi, Ronaldo, Kaka, and Rooney, the players listed above will definitely make an impact, but are lesser known outside of the soccer community. Enjoy watching the individual brilliance of these great players and the masterpieces that teams will most certainly produce. Whatever your interests, just remember that this is the beautiful game.

Closing Thought: In many countries across the world, the World Cup means a drastic drop in work productivity, a large increase in alcohol consumption, and a general sense of pride and community that only an event as big as the World Cup can create. As a reminder to my US readers, please take the time to enjoy this great game and maybe a quality beer along with it.