Wood bats return baseball to roots

After being rejuvenated by my annual July vacation to visit family -- and lounge on the beach and around the pool with cold beverages close by -- in beautiful Newport Beach, Calif., it's time to get back in the swing of things.

So here are a variety of thoughts on what's happening in the world of sports.

I made sure I'd be back from my trip in time for the National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional that is annually one of the highlights of the local summer sports season.

The tournament, which was plagued by rain during Friday's opening round and thus won't end today as originally scheduled, is always plenty exciting because the winner earns a coveted berth in the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan.

But the last few years the Mid-South Regional has become even more interesting because all the teams use wood bats, which is a rarity in amateur play these days.

Ever since the NBC World Series outlawed metal, or aluminum, bats, Capahas manager and tournament director Jess Bolen wisely instituted a wood-bat policy for the regional, figuring the champion would be much better prepared for the World Series if it had a chance to get used to wood first. The Capahas hit with wood for most of the season anyway for just that reason.

And let me tell you, there is a huge difference between wood and metal. The ball doesn't travel nearly as far when struck by wood and most bloops that would fall safely in the outfield with metal are routine infield pop-ups with wood.

It's more of a pure game, with an emphasis on strategy and doing little things to advance runners because often times -- especially when two solid pitchers hook up -- scoring can be limited.

Amateur baseball like it used to be has returned to Capaha Field for the weekend and purists who long for the good old days are enjoying it. Area fans should come check out the action today and when the finals are played, at a date to be announced later.

Former Southeast Missouri State University basketball star Bud Eley is playing with the Atlanta Hawks' rookie/free agent team this month as he attempts to overcome long odds and make the NBA team's roster.

Eley, a 6-foot-10, 260-pound center, was a four-year standout for the Indians, winning the OVC Player of the Year award in 1998-99 and ending his college career as Southeast's all-time and single-season leader in rebounding and blocked shots.

After not being selected in the 1999 NBA draft, Eley opted to take his game overseas and he played in Turkey for most of three seasons -- leading the Turkish League in scoring at 23.9 points per game in 2000-01 -- before joining the Detroit Dogs of the ABA in March of this year.

Now, Eley is trying to make an impression with the Hawks, whose rookie/free agent team began practice Wednesday and will start play Monday in the week-long Shaw's Pro Summer League in Boston. The Hawks' 1 p.m. game Wednesday against Milwaukee will be televised on ESPN2.

Also on the Hawks' summer team is former Southern Illinois star Chris Carr, a veteran of several NBA seasons.

I don't get the whole All-Star Game controversy.

Sure, it's weird for a baseball game to end in a tie. But does anybody really care which team wins that game? I doubt very many people do.

Most fans want to see all the great players make plenty of special plays, and they got exactly that -- for an extra two innings, no less.

With the British Open beginning in a few days, the obvious question is...

Will anybody but Tiger Woods ever win another major?

I know, that's a ridiculous statement, but the way Woods has been dominating in golf's biggest events lately, maybe it isn't all that far-fetched.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian