Some Athlete Websites

I'm going to take a bit of a break from my normal blog posting and present some Websites from some sports figures. Some sites I have used as hyperlinks within posts and I will be adding a few new ones as well. In this post, I will include Websites from athletes in baseball and football. I am in hopes that you will enjoy them as much as I do

Here are the Websites I enjoy, and as the late great comedian and actor Jackie Gleason would say “ And away we go!”

Baseball

Albert Pujols – The National League MVP's site is named “Pujols Family Foundation” that honors God (and our lord Jesus Christ), and his helping kids affected by Down Syndrome both in the St. Louis area and in his native Dominican Republic. His Website is very professionally done and I feel is a must see and read … very inspirational.

Cal Ripken, Jr. and Bill Ripken – Ripken Baseball is not just about the Cal's little league but is an astute site of growing the game of baseball for youth. Both Cal and brother Bill are involved in coaching clinics, fund raisers, and some instruction all in the name of baseball and kids. You can check out the Orioles minor league teams, buy DVD's, browse Cal Ripken Little League tournaments, and other events on this site.

Mickey Mantle – The official website of the Yankee great, "mickeymantle.com" is basically run by the Mantle family. While not the most aesthetic site around, there is one section I enjoy in which you can hear of “The Mick's” great feats from tape measure home runs to his induction into The Baseball Hall of Fame. Along the way, check out the career stats, bio, and news of what Mantle speak of as motivational speakers.

Yogi Berra – How can any baseball fan not visit “yogiberra.com” and get a good laugh. There is The Yogi Store where you can purchase items such as books, memorabilia, and autographs to name some items, the baseball card gallery of all of Yogi's cards, and of course the Yogi-isms! That alone is a must look-see.

Ted Williams – The official sight of “Teddy Ballgame” "tedwilliams.com" not only has the life of Ted's career but there is a store to visit, a section of his hobbies and pastimes, and a section about his service as a United States Marine in both World War II and the Korean Conflict. Well worth a look.

Football

Brett Favre – Simply named "officialbrettfavre.com" has it all. Not only do you have Brett's career encapsulation, but you have all Brett's news, a fan store, and so on. The most important element is the “Fourward Foundation” for disadvantaged youths of Wisconsin and his native Mississippi. Definitely one to see.

Emmitt Smith – The NFL's all-time leading rusher site "emmittsmith.com" is simple but has much information. Asides from the career stats and store, there is a link Emmitt's charity Website “Smith Charities” that focuses on creating opportunities for disadvantaged youths in education, arts, health, and wellness. Check it out!

Johnny Unitas – To many, the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Johnny's site “johnnyunitas.com” is much a corporate site with his career thrown in. But I really enjoyed the link to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award section. The trophy is given to the best quarterbacks in college football as those on the board of the Golden Arm Award.

Warrick Dunn – Warrick Dunn Online starts with a intro page with music and stills of Warrick playing career. Once in the site, you can go through his playing career, store fan mail, and other goodies that most don't have. Of course he does charitable work through his acclaimed Warrick Dunn Foundation helping those who are economically distressed and their children who are trying to help themselves. This is one of the better websites I have seen.

Pat Tillman – As we know, the late Pat Tillman died for us in Afghanistan after putting his NFL career on hold. The Pat Tillman Foundation was started by his family in 2004 to service veterans to gain academic scholarships, as well as those who are still active along with their families. As you browse through, take note that pat's family and friends are selfless in their promotion of the foundation...it's all about others in need.

Those are just a few sites I have discovered and enjoy. If you have any other baseball or football sites you like, feel free to comment about them. I am interested in taking a look at them.

I will do other Websites in other sports in the future.

Have Fun!

Dick

Send email to dlafrance2@207me.com

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A Small Town Bat Company With a Rich Tradition

Here's a question for you --- when one thinks of a baseball bat manufacturer, what is the company nearly everyone knows? Of course, we say Louisville Slugger, the premier bat maker for all levels of baseball. The king of bat making will never die but at one time, there was a small bat making company right up along side Louisville Slugger that made bats for major league players and teams until the 1980's. This small town company still proudly exists today, making custom bats for anyone who desires one.

This entry features the R.G. Johnson Company of Denmark, Maine, custom bat makers.

How I came across R.G. Johnson Co. was at an exhibit during Maine's largest agricultural fair, Fryeburg Fair on Tuesday, October 6th. I had spoken with Mr. Bob Logan, the sales representative. I had noticed that he had bats for sale at very reasonable prices, thus I inquired about the business. Bob had indicated as he gave me a brochure, to me that R.G. Johnson had a rich history in making bats for major league players. I was told that Bob's father, also named Bob, produces each bat by hand in the garage by their home. He also told me that the process of bat making is printed in the brochure.

I asked where the ash came from, specifically interested if it was Maine grown. Bob said that roughly 90% was indeed from the Maine woods, but a bit more is coming in from the neighboring state of New Hampshire. On following up, young Mr. Logan said that only the best ash is purchased to insure that the bats are of the highest quality.

I proceeded to ask if he made bats for major league players. Although they no longer produce for current players, R.G/ Johnson had contract for the
Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies, and a fourth team which escaped him. I was quite impressed!

As we spoke, I noticed that there were maple bats, baseball bat wall shelves, a book case, and other bat related products, which I found very, very well crafted. It was obvious that the elder Mr. Logan was meticulous in his work and I surmised he loved his work.

We ended our conversation, I took the brochure home with me to peruse. The brochure provided information on bat making at R.G. Johnson. I will just say that the wood is sawn 40” by 3” and air dried for 1 year. Then the blocks are are made into round billets, are graded by the elder Logan, graded so only the finest grain is found to produce the bats. The billets are then air dried again for an additional year before production begins.

Logan then turns the bat to its final form on a lathe, brands them with R.G. Johnson label, then sands them. After sanding, the majority of the bats are are flame treated, bringing up the grain and hardening the surface of the wood. Both ends are then sawed off from the lathe and sands them smooth. The, bat length is stamped on the knob and dip coated twice in polyurethane varnish for its final finish.

There are many bat models from many former major leaguers to choose from including, Henry Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Jim Rice, Ty Cobb, Yogi Berra, Mel Ott, Ted Williams, and many other stars of years past.

There you have it … how a bat is made by a small bat maker with a rich tradition. Unfortunately R.G. Johnson Co. does not have a website but they can be reached via mail at:

R.G.Johnson Ski & Sports
620 West Main Street
Denmark, Maine 04022

Phone and Fax numbers are:

Phone: (207) 452-2770
Fax: (207) 452-2675

Enjoy!

Send email to dlafrance2@207me.com

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