LESAProject

When I went to school in Nebraska, I had the pleasure of playing with a great group of guys. In between my sophomore and junior season, we had a bit of a rebuild. York brought in a new coach, with a new philosophy. Along with a new coach we got new recruits from California, specifically: Feather River College and the College of the Siskiyous.  Not only did we become a better team, but my new teammates introduced me to a whole new world of music: Punk Rock. But not just any Punk Rock, ...

Coming from a small town (Niagara-on-the-Lake, 15,000) I had the assistance of my family and a select group of coaches to assist me in attaining a scholarship to York College in Nebraska. Now with the viewership of my website increasing each month, I have had the opportunity to speak to some parents and give them my recommendation on where they could possibly send their kids to school, and how to prepare for life after baseball.  However, it’s just not getting that scholarship to play baseball, basketball or football. It’s a chance to get an ...

It’s very rare when you get to interview someone with as much baseball experience as Brian Essery.  Essery played three years in Independent baseball for the Welland Aquaducks of the North Atlantic League and Altoona of the Heartland League. In his three years of pro ball, he pitched in nearly 200 innings while compiling a 7-11 record in 33 games with an ERA of 3.99. After his collegiate and professional days came to and end, the ultra-competitive pitcher from St. Catharines Ontario, wasn’t quite ready to hang up his spikes.  For those who never ...

Baseball in Canada has sure changed since my playing days in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.  When I was trying to get a scholarship, I created my own VHS tapes and mailed them out to schools that my family, coaches and I deemed appropriate. I mailed those out with my baseball resume hoping some college coaches would take some interest.  Nowadays, Canadian kids looking to further their education and to get that opportunity across the border have so many options that the days of doing your own recruiting are long gone.  The Ontario Blue ...

Michael Manna is a professional wrestler who has wrestled for all the big promotions (ECW, WCW, WWE, TNA) for nearly 20 years under the name “Stevie Richards.”  In his heyday, Manna was the leader of the B.W.O (Blue World Order), mocking the N.W.O. (New World Order) who was led by the Hulkster himself; Hulk Hogan. While with the B.W.O in ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling), Manna was involved in so many risqué angles that you never really knew what to expect; he even super kicked Santa in the face. It is very rare for wrestlers ...

With ties to the game and as a huge fan of Independent baseball, I want to see the progress of this brand more than anybody, which is why my suggestion that MLB purchase the Indy leagues makes all the sense in the world to me.  Of course I am very aware that something like this is quite possibly just a pipe dream.  Of the five leagues currently in existence, the Atlantic League and American Association are the longest tenured and most successful to date. While my original idea garnered some positive comments, it did shed some ...

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Bob Salomon co-creator of “A Glove of Their Own”.  Our conversation was one that covered all aspects of the sports world: business, the state of the game, and little things we miss in the hustle and bustle of today's fast- paced, media-driven era that we now live in.  As we get older we tend to lose focus on the pure things that the game of baseball offers.  We forget this was a game we played as kids for the fun of it, before the unions took over, before the strikes occurred and before ...

For those unfamiliar with independent baseball, there is always an air of uncertainty year to year.  Independent baseball attempts to provide affordable family entertainment while competing against professional teams located in the same area.  The game is the same, the talent level may not be up to par for some baseball fans but the game is marketed on a grassroots level and can promise that its players will give their all each and every time on the field.  I can attest to that.  During my stint with the Gateway Grizzlies, we were a first-year franchise ...

The 2010 season has been a roller coaster for the Yuma Scorpions.For a club that was well on their way to a playoff birth, that idea has all but dissolved after a horrendous second half, due in large part to negligent ownership.The Scorpion’s first half could not have gone any better. Second place, only percentage points behind the newest franchise in the GBL, Maui Na Koa Ikaika. Despite all the good news, a dark cloud loomed on the horizon.The Scorpions management and US subsidiary, Golden Gloves Professional Baseball,  ran the baseball operations, and was in fact running the club into ...

Growing up, my dream, much like most young kids, was to play professional baseball. Although in my home town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, most kids wanted to play in the NHL, my problem was I could not skate and was not too fond of the cold. Go figure! When I did reach my goals of attaining a baseball scholarship and the chance to play professionally, it could not get any better. The road to that first appearance was another story. My four years at York College in Nebraska gave me the experience of the playing ...