Mat Latos makes the bigs...

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“Baseball gives every American boy a chance to excel, not just to be as good as someone else but to be better than someone else. This is the nature of man and the name of the game.”

- Ted Williams
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I do the photography for the Eugene Emeralds, Eugene's minor league pro baseball club. The Ems are the San Diego Padres' single A short season team. This is the team that the young guys come to, usually straight out of college (or sooner if they're top talents) or coming in from out of country.

One of the best pure talents for the Emeralds was a young man named Mat Latos. Mat is a tall kid and heaves a fastball that clocks up to 98 mph. And he controls it. He made the Padres' starting pitching rotation and will take the mound this Saturday (April 10) against the Colorado Rockies.

Denis Savage from the Padres scouting crew posted an article over at MadFriars.com the other day and here is his view on Latos:

Latos has ace stuff. His maturity, a question mark in the minors, has taken a significant leap forward. He has the plus fastball, a nasty slider and has made strides with his changeup.

Denis also notes that Mat's ERA in spring training games was an outstanding 1.59 and he won 3 games and lost 0. Mat is now 22. He actually did play 10 games for Padres last season (2009) going 4-5 with a 4.62 ERA in 10 starts. In a game last month against the San Francisco Giants, Latos only let one run cross the plate, only allowed three hits in four innings and struck out three and walked two.

I know that Mat was a hit with the fans here. When he pitched, fans' expectations rose and so did the volume of their cheers when Mat would blow strikes by the batters.

At about 6'6" and 225 pounds Mat Latos is no small pitcher. He has determination, and a talent. It's nice for me to see Mat's making the Big Leagues and I wish him the best in his just beginning career.

I didn't realize when I started shooting for the Ems that someday I would have the rookie photos of big time baseball pros. I think this guy will be one.

I hope your career is long and fruitful Mat - and profitable.











(More on the Emeralds can be found at my Eugene Emeralds Photo blog)
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“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”

- Calvin Coolidge

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alright...

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“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”

- Henry David Thoreau
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I've been real busy. What with the Eugene Emeralds finishing their last season ever at Eugene's beautiful and historic Civic Stadium, 2 senior sittings, working 3 shows in a week (2 at the McDonald Theater, 1 at the Cuthbert)... son and daughter heading back to school...

Anyway, I just wanted to give a heads up on a few things.

First off... !!! I have a new site for my photos. This is an arts site, for artists. Image hosting is free and I'm just blown away by the quality of the artists. Wow. And yesterday I had one of my images featured on the site's homepage after only being there 5 days (apparently that's a major accomplishment at RedBubble). The wwwebsite is RedBubble and my galleries can be found here. Everything in the gallery is for sale and you can order direct from the site. Please do!

The Emeralds closing games were beautiful - photographically and humanly. I have to give props and thanks to the Bebans for allowing me to continue as the team's photographer and for their love of the game and the stadium. I'll be posting more at my Eugene Emeralds Photography blog on the closing of Civic plus posting a gazillion photos of the Ems and the fans.





I will also be posting a gallery of the 3 senior sittings I've done recently over at my photographer's blog. Thanks to the girls for being such great subjects - Kayla, Robin and Sam.







And I was speaking of working shows... last night (Wed, Sept 9) I was at the McDonald Theater working the Michael Franti and Spearhead show. Of all the shows I work Spearhead is the most fan involved... literally everyone is bouncing and dancing and having a good time. I'll be at the beautiful outdoor Cuthbert Amphitheater tomorrow night working the Crosby, Stills and Nash show. I don't know if I can take my camera to that event... some artists don't want pictures taken of them I guess... I do know I shot over 200 pics last night and I'll be posting plenty of them soon.



And I'd still like to get this shot to this family... I ran into them at the "new" bridge just above Opal Pool and my digital Pentax was new to me. But it is such a nice family picture I'd really like them to get a copy.



Now... here is a dilemma that not only touches on the freedom of religion issue but has caused some consternation at times in my life. Say you're doing a day hike, somewhere out in the woods, the hills, along a river trail... and right in front of you is this:



Do you:

a) pick it up and keep it as a special find, or

b) walk by it and admire it but don't pick it up?

For me it's an easy answer - pick it up! Of course...

... but once you possess such an item you are in violation of federal law and can be fined up to $5,000 and a year in jail. For me? That feather is from creator and it being in my path is a sign of recognition and a great gift. But here is the rub, I am not a recognized member of any indigenous tribe here in the US and only tribal folks can posess such items. No matter the circumstance of its being found, no matter even that my religious beliefs and practices are intimately connected to the land... I am not legally permitted to carry such an item. Sigh...

I've mentioned way back in the blog somewhere the music project "One Giant Leap." Well by now if you're a regular reader you know I like my PBS. OPB (Oregon's public broadcasting station) is really full of fine programming. Well last night I watched a bit of Playing for Change and I can't recommend it enough. If you like music and understand its potential as a bridge over troubled waters, this show is for you. But here, you decide, check out this version of Bob Marley's

War/No More Trouble

And I would embed the video here but being on a dial-up modem totally restricts that option for me.

Peace out... I'll be back.
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“Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.”

- Bob Marley

“I always felt rock and roll was very, very wholesome music.”

- Aretha Franklin

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aaah... summer... means more bayzboll!

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“Passion, it lies in all of us, sleeping... waiting... and though unwanted... unbidden... it will stir... open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us... guides us... passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion maybe we'd know some kind of peace... but we would be hollow... Empty rooms shuttered and dank. Without passion we'd be truly dead.”

- Joss Whedon
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Sorry about the prolonged absence... shit happens. Like computers having issues at really bad times. Like... you know, WHEN YOU NEED THEM! Damn...

My last post was on the Ems and the opening -- again -- of their season (my 3rd). And when the Ems season starts, my summer workload goes up. Going to the games, shooting the action, the fans, that is an act of love. I'm happy, nothing exists beyond the local environment. I'm focused on what's around me and shooting at Civic Stadium... sigh... how can I go wrong?

With this being my 3rd year I know the light, the sweet spots for photographing the action... and I have fun. Shooting. The work comes when I am sitting here at the 'puter and editing all those images. Unless...

... unless the computer has issues. And mine did. I'm on a humble eMac. 20 Gigabytes and just the software installed, no additional anything. I don't use PhotoShop and I hardly use much beyond the word processing and iPhoto. Of course I'm on the internet and I have my duties wwwebwwwise, but this computer has served me and my kids for about 6 years now. Faithfully, day in and day out, this little dynamo has served my family well. But...

... but, like anything else, a little rain must fall. And as happens for many of us, when it rains it pours. First my CD burner died. A critical tool because I burn CDs for the Ems and for my files of every game I shoot. Well, ok, I think "I'll get that fixed" but then my day job kicks into overdrive because it's summer and I can't get the computer to be fixed because I'm short on time and short on dollars after a really sparse financial winter and spring. And of course there is always Murphy.

When I worked in lumber I learned that not only did Murphy work in the lumber industry I came to believe he was born in a lumber yard. Because... well... because shit will go wrong in the lumber biz. Friday afternoons it's guaranteed that someone will come in when it's close to closing and what they want is now buried, in the back and at the bottom. Or when a truckload of lumber comes in and the forklift gets a flat... Murphy gets around.

Anyway, I tried to download all my Ems shots and store them on my external hard drive but pushing all those photos onto my backup caused my iPhoto to freeze up. So now I'm really stuck. Not only can I not burn CDs I can't even process the images! I'm screwed. And of course my bud and boss, Bryan Beban, the Ems general manager and director of operations of Civic Stadium is getting... mmm... agitated. He basically tells me that he has folks waiting for photos and where the heck is his stuff. He says he's put his faith in me and dammit I better produce. Of course the next game he sees me and says "sorry I sounded like a dick but..." and I have to assure him that I understand, I've been an employee for a long time and understand the need for production and I wasn't producing. Bryan's a good guy, a bit on the OCD side but that's ok, someone has to be neat and tidy (becuase it's sure not me!). I only have trouble understanding his love of '80s music. Gack...

Anyway... the 'puter is fixed, $90 (including labor) for my new CD burner. But the iPhoto thing... first I tried updating but for some reason I was now down to less than 500 megabytes of available memory and I couldn't update. So then the search began for more memory. I cleaned out files dumped pics, cleared 1700 emails out of my email program... and I now have... not much more memory . But then... digging deeper I find the stash of my daughters iMovies shot with the 'putercam. Well she won't miss 'em and certainly doesn't need 'em... to the trash! And lo and behold, like a giant vat being emptied, whoosh! I now have 19.5 gigs and holy moley, I'm fixed. I upload iPhoto update and damn... mine is still stuck. But it's not stuck on other users' desktops. Ergo...

... here I am. I've spent the last two days processing (editing for brightness, contrast, dumping the bad, keeping the good) and burning close to 1,000 images from Ems games. So guess what you're getting from me today (photographically speaking)? And topmost in my mind was getting the team pic done in time for deadline. The games could wait, but I had to have that team photo done!



Yep, more bayzboll. But for me? It's photography and I'll be darned but, damn, I'm pretty good at this. And I enjoy it. People smile. Usually... some not so much, but really at an event like this, most are there for a good time. And as always there are those who are just... not happy and not much to do but not catch a case of grumpies.

Baseball at this level is a hometown thing. And for us in Eugene, we're blessed with the beautiful and historic Civic Stadium. A facility in serious need of a million dollar upgrade. For a lot of fans I've talked to, from conversations overheard... it's not so much the Emeralds as it is the atmosphere of Civic that draws people. Framed with the tree covered south hills in the background and holding around 6,000 people Civic is a fine facility. But it's old and needs a Phil Knight to throw a million bucks at rebuilding the substructure, upgrading the lighting and leveling the field (from left field it's an uphill climb to home plate).



This possible loss of Civic Stadium is truly an important issue for Eugene. I'm going to be doing some writing on this along with Ems' photos on my Ems blog.

And if you're a bayzboll fan, please see more from me and my Pentax at my Ems' photography blog: Eugene Emeralds - baseball photography.

What I'm posting here are images that I probably won't post there. Of course a few may be in both places, but hey, they're my blogs. Besides, these aren't schwag photos, these are gleaned from hundreds of shots.

Enjoy. These are from about 5 different games...

Starting with a few of those who open the games:







... moving on to fan warm-ups:





... and of course no players, no game:



... but the fans... the fans are everything. No fans and professional sports isn't...

















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“Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”

- John Wooden

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It's baseball time again!

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“Baseball is a game where a curve is an optical illusion, a screwball can be a pitch or a person, stealing is legal and you can spit anywhere you like except in the umpire's eye or on the ball.”

- Jim Murray
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For 3 months of the year I get to be part of professional baseball. I am the photographer for the Eugene Emeralds here in Eugene. The Ems are the minor league single A short season affiliate for the San Diego Padres.

Photographically it's a pure joy. Socially... I get to hang out with jocks. And I'm grinning as I say that. I play sports (or at least used to) - softball, football and basketball. I ran track and cross-country in High School. Not well, but I liked running and what better way than competing at it and working out on a regular schedule to get to do it. I know my competitive lack of success came not from lack of ability but from lack of application. I didn't take it serious and I didn't care that I didn't take it serious. My gawd! I was a teenager in southern California, there were girls, beer and rock and roll. And tackle football on the weekends...

But these guys... this is serious stuff for them. With enough hustle, skill and a few strokes of luck any one of 'em could make millions of dollars a year and have a place in the limelight.





And really, seriously... as political as I am, as much as I dislike pro sports and the overpriced entertainment industry sports has become, at the pro level these guys are still just playing ball. I'd sure play a game with a stick and a ball and lots (sometimes) of running, for money. Besides, the game may be played by them, but they are watched by us. Because we want to. We like going out to an evening baseball game, sitting in the stands and watching not just the game, but each other. And the kids?

It's magic for them... it's peanuts and hot dogs and crowd roars and the beer guy "COLD beeeer herE! Getcher cold beer!" It's action, it's other kids, pennants and ice cream and color. It's autographs and uniforms and the cracking of bats... and lots of people. It's bugs lit up up as they fly under the stadium lights and foul balls and bigger kids with mitts running to get a ball hit into the parking lot...















For me, as the Ems' photographer, it is a pallette of color and motion and emotion. It's focused intensity...



and occasionally there is a visual twist



And there is always the ongoing teaching. The young guys listening to their manager and coaches. And if they listen well, they will learn what they need to know. This is no different than any aspect of society... the handing off of information, the sharing of knowledge because certainly, this is a game of skill. And those who demonstrate the best skills, will be rewarded.



I'm a fan of the Ems. I'm a part of the Ems and images like these are what they have me there to do. How cool is that? If you like baseball please visit my Emeralds' blog:

Eugene Emeralds - baseball photography

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“Baseball is almost the only orderly thing in a very unorderly world. If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can't get you off.”

- Bill Veeck

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Summer...

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“The men of experiment are like the ant; they only collect and use. But the bee . . . gathers its materials from the flowers of the garden and of the field, but transforms and digests it by a power of its own.”

~ Leonardo da Vinci
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Somebody please tell me that summertime is the season to be busy... holy cow...

Gardening, work, the kids, work, baseball season, work... and I'm so far behind in getting my garden worked. I know summer eves go late but after standing and walking all day on the job I'm tuckered out and motivation to keep working is hard to find. But I'm getting there, I've planted trees, blueberries, flowers, dug new beds... but never got the vegie garden in so I'm guessing that it will be a job of preparing that in the fall for next spring.
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The Eugene Emeralds' season has started and it is revitalizing. There is something very special about baseball at this level of the minor leagues. The players are very young, most just out of college, a very few fresh out of HS. But they have a dream. And we here in Eugene are lucky with our old Civic Stadium. It is a beautiful old ballpark facing out from homeplate to the southeast with the south hills in the background. But it is the people... the kids especially... that make it a joy to spend 2 or 3 hours watching a bunch of men hit a ball with a stick (they're hoping they can hit the ball) and running around. And for a photgrapher a ballgame is a wonderful event to shoot. Here are few from a recent game where the players wore pink uniforms on a night dedicated to a local cancer fund:




(l to r) Austin, Colin, Dave, Jaxen, Dawn, Olivia and Connor



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I worked a show at Eugene's Cuthbert Amphitheater the other night. After working all day I was looking forward to seeing Taj Mahal. One of my longtime favorite blues musicians, Taj Mahal is someone I've never seen live. But I was so tired I didn't stick around for the show. I did however take my camera so that I could get some pictures of my friend Amy Wray's husband, John Shipe, who was the show's opening act after the original scheduled opener Susan Tedeschi had to cancel. I met Amy Wray when she joined the (too) short-lived Airship Radio Theater (see my post on ART here) and I somehow along the way enticed her into joining Harmony Event Medicine as one of our volunteers (Amy is a nurse). I had never met John and hadn't heard his music. I'm glad I got a chance to hear him perform and to take some photos. He is a talented young man, check out his website and listen to his tunes...





It was interesting that evening because we had the Eugene PD plus at least one Lane County Sheriff deputy on patrol both inside and outside of the venue, plus we reportedly had ATF bomb sniffing dogs go thru before the show's patrons entered. All the extra security (?) is because Eugene is hosting the Olympic Games track qualifications down at the U of O's Hayward Field. While the political nature of these Olympics has slipped waaaay below the public radar screen I didn't even try to get a press pass so I could do some photography at this nationally prominent event. And I love track. I haven't taken photos at a track meet since I was an under-motivated, under-achieving runner in High School.

Speaking of which... next summer is my 40th HS reunion... an event in August I'd really like to attend. There are many, many folks I'd like to meet up with again. 40 years... wow... my how time flies. That was so many lives ago.
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I managed to get out in the woods for another day of stalking waterfalls a week or so ago, here are a couple of images from that hike. God, I love Oregon's forest (I hope it shows):







Plus these from here at the farm, where they have been bailing the recent cut of the fescue (these are 6 string, 1,000 pound bales):







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My last blog post was a bit different than my usual trivial bantering (like today's post) and it drew both praise and criticism. If ever you have comments feel free to email me or post them here. I've a tough hide and can handle disagreement and critics. In fact I'm better at dealing with criticism than praise. I'd love to hear from you. It would be nice to see some visitors fill in those big blank areas of Africa and Russia. Maybe I'll need to do a post on Darfur and the old Soviet Union. Not that I enjoy writing on depressing topics but I remain amazed that tragedies like those ongoing events in Africa can remain so... unchanged and ongoing. Another subject I'll be tackling soon is the rise in veteran suicides. Did you know we now have more vets committing suicide each year than have died in all these years of George Bush's Iraq war? As a vet I can go there (criticizing the Bush war) without too much personal angst or worrying about those who are die-hard Bushites.

On a last note... we had a set of thunderstorms pass thru last night and I would have enjoyed shooting some lightning photos. But... dead batteries in the camera cancelled that. However this evening holds the promise of more, so... I'm hoping.

Until next time

Kay sh'nuk sh'ma
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“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi