Venezuelan Baseball’s Two Strikes
Original published Nov. 25 2012 in the Toronto Star. Morgan Campbell Business Reporter MARACAY, VENEZUELA—Angel Guillen turns 16 in January, but his fresh face and braces make him look younger. He’s 6-foot-2 and long-limbed, thin as a praying mantis. On the pitcher’s mound, however, he wields his right arm like a whip, unspooling fastballs that … Read more
Quick Update: Mi Voz Latina
First of all, happy Martin Luther King Day. I’m in Canada but I treat it as a holiday, which means I’ll be relaxing with family, reflecting on Dr. King’s life and legacy and working on meaningful projects not related to the day job. But because it’s not a holiday north of the border, the hustle … Read more
Told y’all I’m not dead: Venezuela to the Woodshed
Just a quick note to thank you all for you patience, with a special shout out to those of you who missed me enough to ask where the hell I’ve been for the last seven weeks. As I pointed out before my hiatus, I’m not dead — but I did spend a few weeks buried under … Read more
Yunel Escobar, homophobia and the folly of tolerance
My mom has a thing for fools. More correctly, she has a thing for saying the word “fool.” She loves it. Enjoys saying “fool” the way most women enjoy eating chocolate. Curls her bottom lip beneath her top row of teeth so she can push the word out with extra force; the fricative morphs into … Read more
July 21, 2001: Life as a LOOGY — Do one thing really really well
Story originally appeared July 21, 2011 at thestar.com MORGAN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER Seconds after ordering the intentional walk that loads the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning of a 5-5 tie against the Washington Nationals, then-Florida Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez marches to the mound to take the ball from the outgoing pitcher. In … Read more
July 22, 2011: Big bopper DH is a rare sight these days
Story first appeared July 22, 2011 in the Toronto Star. MORGAN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER On the first Sunday in July, Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Lind traded places to cool down Phillies star pitcher Cliff Lee. Though he’s the team’s everyday first baseman, Lind took over as the designated hitter that day, and singled off Lee … Read more
July 21, 2011: The catcher: Baseball’s most demanding and least appreciated job
This story first appeared July 21, 2011 in the Toronto Star. MORGAN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER PHILADELPHIA—When John Buck flexes his left thumb you can hear the joints crack. It makes the same sound bubble-wrap does when you squeeze the tiny air pockets until they burst. And when the Florida Marlins catcher keeps the digit bent, … Read more
July 19, 2011: Training, and science, help Verlander defy power pitcher’s odds
This story first appeared July 19, 2011 in the Toronto Star. Morgan Campbell Sports Reporter DETROIT—For eight innings, Justin Verlander had the Seattle Mariners groping. The Tigers ace didn’t even bring his best fastball that June evening, but he didn’t need it — few Seattle batters could make solid contact with his 98 m.p.h. heater. … Read more
July 1, 2011: Doc Operating Better Than Ever
Story originally appeared July 1, 2011 in the Toronto Star. MORGAN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER PHILADELPHIA—With two runners on base and a 2-2 count to Florida Marlins catcher John Buck, Phillies ace Roy (Doc) Halladay toes the rubber, winds up and unleashes the pitch he’s been refining since the Jays traded him in December 2009. The … Read more
