Take me out to the ball game

Ilove baseball. I have loved it since my Dad introduced the sport to me as a little kid. One of the proudest moments of my young life was making my very large high school’s baseball team. I remember the joy of telling my No. 1 fan, my dad, “I made the team.” I grew up near Cincinnati, so I experienced both disappointment during the Red’s struggling years and the overwhelming joy the “Big Red Machine” brought to their fans. Beating the hated Yankees in four in the 76 World Series was beyond great.

In the last few years, baseball has dropped in fan enthusiasm. Some question its title as the “national pastime.” e games are too long and some who are not familiar with all baseball’s nuances say games can be boring. But the game has reformed itself. It added time clocks like basketball’s shot clock. Pitchers have 15 seconds to throw the ball when no one is on base and 20 seconds when men are on base. Batters must be in the batter’s box with eight seconds on the clock. is strict timing has knocked 36 minutes o the average game time.

at’s not all. e bases have been made 3 sq. inches larger, therefore they are slightly closer to each other. Big deal, you say. It is a big deal as now 80% of all base stealing is successful. is year’s base stealing is on target to be the highest ever. It’s an attempt to bring back a game like

JIM ROHRER Columnist

those days of Jackie Robinson and Maury Wills. Teams are no longer allowed to put more than two in elders on one side of second base. at change has allowed more hits and batting averages are up a whopping 16 points. More action and more excitement have brought fans back and attendance is up 5% so far this season. Good job, baseball. But more work needs to be done. Consider the famous quote in the movie/book “Moneyball.” “ ere are rich teams and poor teams, it’s not a fair game.” is is not because of ticket sales, but rather the TV and radio income generated by large markets over small markets. e Rockies attendance in a poor year was just under 1.6 million fans while the New York Yankees drew 2.1 million. What really makes the di erence is the mega millions large market teams draw from TV and radio revenues. Last year the Yankees made $143 million from their media deal while the Rockies made just about $20 million. As a result, the Rockies $178 million player payroll, which was about in the middle among all teams, was barely half the NY Mets $348 million payroll. More money means a team can a ord to keep the superstars whose competitive value is high like Nolan Arenado. e Rockies lost him as he signed a $260 million deal. He went to St. Louis which has a smaller population than Denver, but the Cardinals recently signed a $1 billion media deal because of the massive size of their fan network.

Focus on what you’re going to make for lunch.

Major League Baseball is the only major sport without a salary cap. Football, basketball and hockey all restrict the amount teams can spend on player salaries. Baseball has a provision to which owners agreed to ne teams whose total salaries are above the year’s agreed upon limit. e big markets with lots of cash just overspend and pay the luxury tax, which was $200 million last year. If my discussion of salary caps and such makes it seem that baseball is all about money, that’s not my intent. It may be this way to the owners, but to the fans and players, it is about the thrill of winning. Recently the lowly Rockies came from behind twice in the same game to defeat the mighty Yankees. ey won two of three here in Denver in front of sellout crowds. e celebration on the eld and in the stands looked like the Rockies had just won the world series. Maybe they will someday, but even if they don’t, I will continue to root, root, root for the home team.

Jim Rohrer of Evergreen is a business consultant and author of the books “Improve Your Bottom Line … Develop MVPs Today” and “Never Lose Your Job … Become a More Valuable Player.” Jim’s belief is that common sense is becoming less common. Contact Jim at jim.rohrer2@ gmail.com.

FROM PAGE p.m. matinees on Sundays. Tickets run $32-$51 with discounts available for seniors over 60 and students. You can nd out more and order tickets at minersalley.com.

Naked puppets. I wonder if they… Stop it, John. e column’s done.

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John Akal is a well-known jazz artist/drummer and leader of the 20-piece Ultraphonic Jazz Orchestra. He also is president of John Akal Imaging, professional commercial photography and multimedia production. He can be reached at jaimaging@aol.com.

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Charles Edward “Hoot” Wale (84) of Golden, CO passed away July 22nd, 2023 at Columbine Acres, Arvada, CO. Charles was born on February, 17th, 1939 to Albert E. and Marie Branning Wale in Denver, CO. He graduated from Evergreen High School in Evergreen, CO in 1957.

He married Donna Lisman on Sept. 3rd, 1966 at Christ the King Church in Evergreen CO. He then moved to Georgetown, CO and managed the Red Ram for 2 years. He became a Heavy Equipment Operator, and eventually went to work for Albert Frei and Sons for 30 years. - He loved his job. He is survived by his Wife, Donna (Golden), daughters Ann Huml and husband Kirk, (Hutchison, KS), Jennifer Duran and husband Vern, (Golden, CO), his friends Perry, Doug Dick, Vic and Sandy - He will be missed. Preceded in death by his parents and brother Al.

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ADenver-based nonpro t music education organization is helping local rising stars showcase and enhance their musical talents, record music and learn podcasting for free.

Youth on Record, founded by local musician community organizer Flobots in 2008 works with people aged 14 to 24.

“Flotbots’ mission was to bring music to young people to improve academic success and youth outreach, and it grew into what is now known as Youth on Record,” said Haley Witt, a guitar musician and singer-songwriter who manages Youth on Record.

Youth on Record recently rocked at its ninth annual block party in support of youth in music with over 20 live music performances, teen activities and vendors at its o ce location near downtown Denver.

“We have a state-of-the-art recording studio soundboard and all sorts of instruments,” Witt said. “So young people can drop into our programs and learn about mixing, mastering songs and learn about songwriting and instrumentation.”

After school programs e Youth on Record runs afterschool, out-of-school and in-school programming with Denver Public Schools and Aurora Public Schools middle and high schools.

“We partner with the schools to teach four-credit classes, and we hire local professional artists to teach those classes,” Witt said. “Our Youth on Record teaching artists come to the schools, and the young people are able to learn from them. It’s one way that you nd our Youth on Record programs through the schools.” ere also is an open mic every rst Friday, and it is open to the public, where the youth perform and gain experience in combination with all the First Fridays and art walks across the city, speci cally in collaboration with the Santa Fe Art Walk.

Youth on Record also has afterschool programs at the Youth on Record media studio space called the open lab on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and is available to young people from 14 to 24 years old.

“It’s self-guided so that they can explore their interests. ey come into the space with a passion for music, making songwriting production, and we teach them the skill set they need to accomplish the projects they’re passionate about,” Witt said.

Witt said Youth on Record also o er an internship and fellowship program and a fellowship program, both of which are paid programs by donors.

“Youth on Record is a nonpro t organization so donors fund our program,” Witt said.

Witt said Youth on Record has had a lot of talented program graduates.

Baily Elora from Hudson/ Keenesburg Colorado, featured in the Fort Lupton Press, went through the program and signed on with Sony Music Subsidiary e Orchard.

“We are proud of all of our program graduates and all of the various directions that they’re headed, it’s really important to us to connect with young people with economic opportunities, “ Witt said.

Witt said Youth on Records is a pillar of academic success, economic opportunity and community activation.

“Our economic opportunity pillar, it’s really important to us to connect young people to community careers and job opportunities,” Witt said.

Witt said they have young people who play gigs in the community and support booking those gigs and paid opportunities for young people to perform.

Youth on Record also places young people into community internships and fellowships.

“Our fellows will have the opportunity to have community internships with local partners as well. It’s important to us to connect young people to jobs in the industry and to connect them to opportunities in creative elds and show them that it’s possible,” Witt said.

“ at’s a program run by our fellows and learn how to put together a music festival, run it, secure porta potties and design posters for the festival and how it ties in economic opportunity. e block party is a youth-led program,” Witt said.