I want to start by saying that I am incredibly honored to be mentioned in the same sentence as the great Roberto Clemente. I wear the number 21 proudly in his honor.


No matter where I've been, people of all faiths and walks of life have told me that things, both good and bad, happen for a reason. In January of 2010, the Florida Marlins gave me the opportunity to visit the men and women of our Armed Forces over seas in Kuwait and Iraq. I did some research and found out that despite the fact that we have Military veterans in our Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, no active players had ever been to the middle east to support troops. I learned right away that the service men and women did not care that I played Major League Baseball, they cared that I showed up in person to support them. The experience taught me that most of the time a person's most valuable philanthropic asset is their time and love. I also learned that although it is the athletes that receive all of the glory and praise for their abilities, it is the men and women of our Armed Forces that should be receiving the nightly standing ovations. While in Iraq, we slept in a bunker in order to protect us from mortar shells that occasionally are lobbed over the base walls with the intention of killing or wounding the sleeping soldiers. It was the first and only time in my adult life that I went to bed scared of the dark. I made a commitment when I got home to do the best I could to support the veterans in our community. It was then when I was first introduced to Standown House and Roy Foster. During spring training I spent some time with the men and women there and knew immediately that I would do whatever I could to both promote and help their noble cause: to make sure that no military veteran in South Florida is ever left behind.
On May 15th, I was placed on the disabled list with a nagging injury to my right elbow. At the time I thought I would be back with team in a matter of weeks, little did I know that I would miss the rest of the year. Part of my recovery process called for six weeks of complete rest. The rest period weighed heavily on my psyche. I love the game of baseball with all of my heart, and in nearly ten years of professional baseball I had never missed more than two or three games. I again received a phone call from the Marlins, they asked if I was interested in helping spearhead their Homes for Haiti campaign. The intention of the Homes for Haiti project is to build a Haitian village with twenty five concrete family homes. Since I had a few more weeks of rest, I agreed and hopped on a plane with Food for the Poor bound for Port Au Prince. I wish I could say something positive here, but the truth is that the situation in Haiti is both bleak and heavily disturbing. I had no idea that Haiti was a mere hour and ten minute flight from Miami, closer by plane than any of our division rivals. Tents abound, rumors of government corruption run rampant, and many people there are homeless or starving. While the situation is bleak, the spirit of the people is strong. I met children that smiled and laughed despite recently losing their entire families. I learned immediately that no matter how bad one thinks their situation may be, someone very close is going through something much more difficult with a smile on their face. This lesson has helped me immensely as I recover from Tommy John surgery. Anytime the rehab seems too tough, or the injury too painful, I think back to the kids I met and their positive attitudes and I gain hope.
Please take the time to vote for me for the Roberto Clemente award, winning this award would garner national attention and funding for both Standown House and the Marlin's Homes for Haiti project. I am pushing as hard as I can to give back as much as I can, because these experiences have taught me so much. Sometimes as players we are so concerned with wins and losses that we forget to take a broader view of our surrounding community, I hope to never make that mistake again.

please vote here: Vote John Baker for Roberto Clemente Award

link to Standown

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So it has been quite a while since I updated the blog and I apologize for that. However with the move to Miami and the season starting, my job has become much more important than keeping a website updated. A week or so ago I finished Jon Krakauer's biography on football star/Army Ranger Pat Tillman.

If I can offer any advice it would be to read this book before you read Lone Survivor. Krakauer supplies a lot of Afghan history, spanning back to their war with Russia. On a side note, some one recently told me that in Rambo 3, Rambo heads to Afghanistan and fights with Al Qaeda against the Russians...weird. The historical information is excellent and really provides the reader with a solid foundation of Afghan history. It helps one to learn why the people there fight.

Pat Tillman himself is incredibly interesting. The book takes us through his early years in New Almadan, California where he excelled in both the academic and athletic arenas but also faced an arrest due to a physical altercation outside of a pizza place. When granted a second chance by the judge, he went on to Arizona State, then to the NFL, then to the Army and the rest is history. Throughout the book Krakauer uses interviews with the Tillman family as well as Pat Tillman's personal diary to paint a beautifully tragic picture of a true patriot and free thinker abandoned by his government after the ultimate sacrifice.

I felt pretty disillusioned after reading this book. Pat Tillman's death was attributed to fratricide, but only after years of the Tillman family fighting with the Army for the information. Our government tried to use him and Jessica Lynch to build the morale of the general public. I keep thinking, Pat Tillman was an NFL star, and it took years for the real information to finally come out, what about the regular soldier, how does his family know if the story of his death is what the Army says it is? Pretty scary.

I really liked about 90% of this book. The part I didn't appreciate was Krakauer's liberal pontification. It is one thing to write a "non-fiction" book, and another to write an op-ed piece. This book dances on a very thin line. I get it, Krakauer doesn't like the Bush Administration, but when you read a chapter in a book about Pat Tillman that complains about Al Gore losing the election on a technicality you begin to get a little skeptical.

All in all despite any political views this book is a must read. Pick it up in paper form or on your iPad, Kindle or whatever form of media you people use!! Buy Book Here

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I received some great advice from a good friend about this book, he told me to take my time reading it and really enjoy it. Thank God I did.

Marcus Luttrell is a Navy SEAL and an American hero. He nearly died for our country and lived to tell about. He was part of a four man SEAL team that went into the Hindu Kush mountains with the goal of finding (and possible killing) a high ranking Taliban official. Seven days later, he was the only one left. Friends die in his arms, he is shot, blown up, and beaten. He is taken in by an Afghani town and their courage and hospitality are truly remarkable. I strongly recommend reading the book. You can get it here for twenty bucks....WORTH IT!!!

I would write more about it, but I really feel that I have already spoiled too much. Despite what you may think about our recent wars, always remember that real people must fight them. The heroes of SEAL team 10 paid the ultimate price for our freedom, their story is amazing.

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I have a few ideas for you.

Food has always been an important part of my life. My family likes to cook and I like to eat. When I go away for the season, I always search for new places to eat. If you are in Jupiter for a weekend to see some baseball, here is where you should go.

1. Little Moir's Food Shack or Leftovers Cafe

-Both restaurants serve the same type of food (they are both "Little Moir's Restaurants"). Fresh seafood prepared with seasonal, local ingredients. Fish is caught daily in the Atlantic, then cooked to your liking that night. You simply can't find better seafood in this area. I know, I have looked. The places are a bit pricey, but worth it, I think the entree that I always get, the sweet potato crusted fish over greens, is around $27.

Here are the addresses. Get there early, like 5PM early, because you will be fighting the masses to get in after that.

Food Shack - 103 S US Hwy 1, Jupiter, FL 33477-5132
Leftovers Cafe - 451 University Blvd. Jupiter, Florida 33458

2. Vic & Angelo's

Vic & Angelo's offers home made pasta and the best chicken wing appetizer around. Again, a bit pricey, I think the wing appetizer is like $15, but worth every penny. I don't like writing about the wings because it makes me want to eat them. The home made pasta is amazing, and if on the day you are going they have the lobster risotto special...GET IT!!!!!!

Their address is 4520 PGA Blvd Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418

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Having gone to Iraq and seen real heroes, I have been inspired to re-evaluate how I feel about myself. The other day our team held a Bible study headed by Brett Carroll, Chris Coghlan and Pastor Chris Lane. We talked about a lot of different things, but mainly focused on the Sermon on the Mount. The most interesting part of the story (for me, in addition to the content) was the fact that Jesus was not preaching to the multitudes, but to his disciples after he saw all the masses near the hill. Jesus spoke to his close knit group of companions, and in this case let them spread the word. I found this interesting because in my line of work, people are constantly promoting themselves, so much so, that they start to believe all of their own self created hype. We, as baseball players, take ourselves much, much too seriously! We chase a little white ball around a field. We are not rescuing people in Haiti, fighting a war, or even teaching kids how to count. All of those jobs are much more worthy of the millions of dollars baseball players make. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do and I'm incredibly to grateful to have played one day of Major League Baseball. I also don't want anyone to think that I think baseball players are over paid, the game of baseball makes a lot of money. No players, no games, no revenue. Dan Uggla earns what he is paid.

My point is that society has it backwards. I understand that the success of a particular home baseball team can bring joy to a particular group of people or a city (see Boston in 2004). However, Jesus had it right, heroes by society's pop culture standards are not heroes in reality. I got this from icasualties.

"The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Eric L. Ward, 19, of Redmond, Wash., died Feb. 21 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C."

Lance Cpl. Eric L. Ward, 19, died for me and you. He is my hero.

As Jesus said:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the earth.
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Now that spring training has started I though it would be important to reflect back on the things I learned this off-season. This should be an interesting list because I have not written anything down ahead of time or tried to prepare. Here goes.

5. Training unconventionally is really, really fun:

My strength coach and friend Kyle Barbour told me this off-season that he thinks it's a shame that people feel like they need to go to a gym to stay in shape. He is right, How many big box fitness gyms existed in 1965?? People were fit and in shape then, they didn't need elliptical machines or dumb bells. Get outside and do something active, run around in a park and do some push-ups. There is a reason it is called "The Great Outdoors", being out doors can be great. Snowing? Come on, I am sure you can figure something out, I've heard shoveling snow is a helluva workout. The whole idea reminds me of a quote. Take note of the date, "Why do strong arms fatigue themselves with frivolous dumbbells? To dig a vineyard is worthier exercise for men". - Marcus Valerius Martialis (40 AD - 103 AD)

4. I really have fun playing beer pong:

Yeah, this one is not that deep, but until this off-season I had never played. I watched a few buddies on the east coast participate in a serious game before we flew back to California and fell in love. We play it whenever we have a party and it is a lot of fun. I can't believe I missed out on it in College, maybe because the Frat Houses at Cal where not that inviting.

3. Muhammad Ali is the Greatest boxer and sport psychologist of all time:

He was the best because he believed he was the best. Win or lose he never lost faith in himself or the things he was fighting for, you may disagree with his stance on Vietnam, but must agree with any man that will stand up for his principles. He once said, "Whatever the punishment, Whatever the persecution, Even if it means facing machine gun fire for that day, I will face it
before denouncing Elijah Muhammad and the religion of Islam, I’m ready to die!" Here is one any aspiring athlete should take to heart, "If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize." He is inspirational to say the least.

2. The older you get, the more you miss your family when you leave:

When you are a little kid, you cry and get home sick when you are kept from your family for an extended period of time. When you are a young adult you can't wait to get out of the house and on your own. When you are out of the house and on your own, you just want to be near your family. It hurts to pack up your life and say good bye to your family. I get to spend four months out of the year around my family and in-laws. As much as I love what I do for a living, those are my favorite four months of the year.

1. My life is pretty easy and I take too many things for granted:

We always think we are the hardest working, or the smartest or that we have overcame great obstacles in our life. I have been overly judgemental of some younger baseball players in the Big Leagues because it took me seven years to get to that level while it took them only one or two. I often resented the fact that they had an easy road, while mine was "so tough". THEN I WENT TO IRAQ. When I came home I realized that though I worked very hard to achieve my goals, I have never had to sacrifice my safety or possibly my life for a group of people that generally under appreciate what I do. I have selfishly chased my own dreams while our Armed Forces have provided a safe environment for me to do so. It seems weird to think that taking a trip would completely flip my outlook on life, but it has and I really like the new view. I now know what tough is, what it looks like, and my life has not been "tough" by any means.

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So I get an e-mail from 1LT Sion Branan and here it is for all to read. I have included a picture of me at Camp Saad standing in front of any Iraqi Platoon. I feel guilty, all we really did was say thank you to a deserving group of American Heroes. I don't think I could really ever thank them enough.

This guy is my hero...enjoy!

To John Baker,

“On behalf of 1st Platoon Baker Company 1-77 AR, I want to thank you and the Florida Marlins organization for visiting the Soldiers at Joint Security Station Saad. Your visit was a big morale booster for the guys, and it really meant a lot to them to see the Florida Marlins come all the way out here to JSS Saad to spend some time with the troops and show their support. The USO brings celebrities all of the time to Iraq to visit the troops, but unfortunately they always go to the massive, fortified, built-up COB's (Contingency Operating Base) with 10,000+ soldiers living comfortably on them. No one ever comes out to visit the small, outlining platoon-operated JSS's that do all of the work and actually run all of the patrols and missions to protect the COB. We have been in Iraq for 10 months now, and your visit was definitely one of the highlights of our deployment. In my opinion, it was the best day we've had in Iraq so far. I haven't seen the guys as excited as the day of your visit. They were in high spirits after you left and they wouldn't stop talking about the Marlins and the Mermaids. Thank you for bringing a little bit of enjoyment and appreciation to the Soldiers of 1st Platoon. Your support to them means more than you know.”

1LT Sion Branan
Infantry Platoon Leader
JSS Saad
Basra, IRAQ

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Wow it has been a while since I have posted on here so let me give you an update on what is going on. I participated in the Marlins Caravan for Earth from the 10th-13th. It culminated in a very successful fanfest at Sun Life Stadium which I thought was a big hit (although, what do I know????).

I then went up to Atlanta so that I could see a few friends and relax before getting into the swing of spring training. I will make a commitment now to make an attempt to keep this blog interesting. The problem is that I am having trouble coming up with something as cool as my Southwest Asia trip. I would love some advice from the people that actually take the time to read this blog so #1- email me what you want me to discuss here. I am open to anything other than baseball. Baseball is my job, this is entirely for fun! I C'mon... I need your help!!

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I ran across this youtube clip thanks to one of my favorite websites (rosstraining.com)

How do these guys train? Do you start by jumping over one camel...a baby...pretty impressive stuff.

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So we are leaving tomorrow to fly to Florida for the season. Our stuff is packed, movies have been rented on iTunes and it is time to really begin 2010. I have been working relentlessly to improve as a player and person and hope to have a great year.

Here is the stuff I am bringing with me on the plane so that I am not bored with the travel. I will say that this should be an easy day compared to my last plane ride experience.

1. Dante Aligheri - Inferno

Just started this book, excited about the translation. I bought this as well as Plato's "Republic" with a B&N gift card that I received for my birthday from my grand parents. I missed out on philosophy and a lot of classic lit while in college so it seems I am making up for it now.

2. Movie-"The Hurt Locker" I was just in Iraq, and I heard that this film is pretty right on, we'll see tomorrow.


3. Lone Survivor - Marcus Luttrell - The story of seal team 10 and what happened to them in Afghanistan. I've heard from many that this is a riveting story. If I finish two books and a movie on a 7 hour travel day, I may be a genius!!

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This is going to sound very random, but I want to give a little more insight into my mind. I will start today's "things I think are awesome post" with my top three favorite movies. Please remember that this is my opinion, I am not a film critic, I just chose movies that evoked powerful emotions.

#1 Movie of All-Time: Braveheart (1995)

Uh...seriously...this is the greatest movie of all time. It has everything I need. Historical relevance? Check. Great Acting? Check. Great battle scenes? Check. Inspiration to stand up for what you believe in? Check. If you are a man, and you don't like this movie, we have issues.



#2 Movie - Star Wars Episodes IV-VI

Now I know I picked three movies here, but they are meant to be watched one after the other. I am not a huge fan of the newer installments although I did watch them. As a kid I wanted to be Luke Skywalker more than anyone else, as an adult I want to be Han Solo.

I know this trailer has some of the new movies interwoven with the old ones, but it is the coolest one I could find.



# 3 Movie - The Godfather

Is this a cliche choice? I am a quarter Italian but watching this movie makes me wish I was 100% Sicilian. No cool special effects, nothing special when it comes to production, but the story and the actors...Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall. Great Movie.

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All of my recent posts have been emotionally draining. I watched this movie on the plane flight back from Kuwait and absolutely fell in love with it, the story is true and amazing. It is a little heavy emotionally, but whatever, this is my blog so I'll put up what I want. Go buy it on Itunes or rent it, you won't be dissapointed!

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Time for reflection. Up in the air, somewhere between DC and San Francisco, on the last leg of a twenty four hour travel day...

As I look back on this experience, the people I’ve met and the things I’ve seen, I am overwhelmed with different emotions. It makes me want to live my life in a much more aggressive and proactive fashion. One can only hear someone say, “When I get out of here and go back home I am going to...” so many times with out feeling guilty. I am home. I am “out of here”. I feel a renewed sense of responsibility to seize life, to make the most of each day because each day of freedom is a gift. Our freedom is protected everyday by our armed forces, take away their power, and we as a nation are powerless. Take away their courage, and we will (and SHOULD) be scared. I feel that I have been generally unaware in the past, not in tune to what is really happening in our nation and around the world. I feel embarrassed in my aloof attitude towards our military affairs and global policies, but vow to become more educated and in tune.

I would be lying if I didn’t mention that a few times I looked around and thought “what the hell are we doing here?” I wondered why it is OUR men and women that stand guard at the Iraq and Iran border. How come OUR Marine Corps has to guard the IA General, what is wrong with the IA? But then I talked with the people there and it all became clear. I remembered what we stand for as a country, united against tyranny in our infancy and obligated to protect the weak as we have grown powerful. Not obligated by law, but obligated by our nature as Americans. Many may argue that we shouldn’t be in Iraq at all, but I will say that the overwhelming response from the Iraqis I met is that their country is in a much better place now, than it was ten years ago. They seem very grateful for our help and guidance. Our service members don’t want our pity for their difficult situation, they want our support. They chose their careers.

Another interesting aspect is the sense of team and teamwork. Everyone is united in the same goal, everyone works together. They are the type of people that cannot accept a personal compliment. Every time I received positive feed back, it sounded like this, “What you are doing, just being here, really means a lot to these guys, they really appreciate it.” Never once did people say it in an individual way, they are too tough to admit to something like that. They care more about the man standing next to them than they do about themselves. This sentiment was expressed by the lowest of the enlisted and the highest of the officers that we met. This sentiment moved seamlessly throughout each individual branch and unified our entire armed forces. These people risk their lives to protect our country and our interests without regret. They are my heroes.

The next time you see a veteran, do your part to say thank you, regardless if you believe in our government's politics or motivations for being in any conflict. These soldiers are real people that make a big sacrifice for us, never forget that. I never will.

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January 30th 2010 - A day in Basra!!

I titled this entry a day in Basra, and what a day it was. How many times can you say you have been attacked by a dog, flipped in an MRAP, learned everything about an Apache Helicopter one could possibly retain, and fired guns with a certain covert special forces unit that would like to remain nameless. It was absolutely amazing, and the perfect end to our stay in the country.

I would first like to write a little bit about the people that have helped us out throughout this trip. Jimmy and Emma from the USO catered to our every need while we were in Iraq, and let me tell you baseball people and dancers can be a tough group to deal with. While in Kuwait, we dealt primarily with Marcus, Dave and Brad and they also did a phenomenal handling us. The person, however, that deserves the most credit is Colonel Shock. Colonel Shock has been dealing with us on be half of AFE (Armed Forces Entertainment). Where ever we went, he went, and he patiently stood by while we ran late, talked too loud and presented myriad security risks. When I found out that his paramedic number was the the same as my number...21...I gave him my BP top at the end of our tour. He also served as the group photographer and along with Matt Britten did most of the heavy lifting in that field. So, Col...I salute you.

Okay, now to the fun stuff. The first place we went was to the bosses house. We met the commander of the Big Red One...he told us about his companies history, FIRST on the beaches of Normandy, FIRST into the Korean War, FIRST into Vietnam, FIRST into Desert Storm and FIRST into OIF. To say that the army has a bravest unit would sound strange, but are there any braver???

After that meet and greet, we met some soldiers and then made our way to the K-9 unit. We learned about how they train the dogs, what they look for in an animal, and how they live together. Basically, an attack or patrol dog is trained to think that biting is playing, think about wrestling with your dog at home with his chew toy. In the case of these dogs, the toy is one of your appendages. Coghlan suited up first and made his way out into the muddy field. On the handler’s command he took off running until Lucky, the 85 pound German Shepherd/Black Lab mix, caught him from behind, latched onto his suit, and took him to the ground. A bunch of us got into the suit and got run down by various dogs, even me, despite my wheels, was caught an subdued by Baro, the German Shepherd. What is really crazy about these dogs is that they are not vicious at all, they are playing, albeit somewhat aggressively, and when we left the training ground they licked our faces and wagged their tails!! I have posted a picture of me with Baro the German Shepherd.

The dogs were a lot of fun so we thought why not see what it is like to be in an MRAP when it flips over. Jimmy drove us over to the MRAP flip simulator and five of us got in at once. Four in the back, and Cogs in the driver seat. Our operator took us through the safety details, strapped us in, and then spun us around like Laundry before he let us out. Because we were in a four point seat belt, we really had no where to go, but it was still fun. The paradox is that as fun as it was, it was also scary because the threat of being flipped over by a mine or IED in the Iraqi desert is so great they actually have their own flip simulator on base. Our next scheduled trip was to the Apache Helicopter flight simulator with Lt. Terry Mullis from North Carolina.

Lt. Mullis is a member of the National Guard, and like 1st Lt. Brannan, he also joined the military a little later in life. Much like it has been my dream to play Major League Baseball, it was his dream to fly Apaches. He started a little later in life, kind of like I did, but was doing what he loved and making the best out his circumstances out in the desert. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately as we would come to find out, the simulator was broken. Lt. Mullis felt bad, and called his partner to see if they could power up one the Long Bow Apache Helicopters and show us the weapons system up close. It was too awesome of an experience to even attempt to explain. The helicopter has a helmet system with an optical lens that fits over your right eye. You zero the helmet into the computer system and then when you move your head back and forth, and look through your right eye, the 30 MM gun on the bottom of the helo moves along with your head, so all you have to do is squeeze the trigger while you look at the target. It is crazy. I got to sit in the gunners seat and move the gun and camera around. It was an exhilarating experience I will never forget and it was all made possible by Lt. Mullis. We learned some more about the 30 million dollar helicopter, snapped some photos with the guys, then headed to the USO to do another meet and greet. Along the way, in an attempt to get a military style hair cut, Cogs let someone give him a bootleg mohawk for $4.50. The spirit of the act was fantastic, but the result was...well...

After the USO the experience only intensified, we met a group of elite special forces operatives and shot a lot of guns at their private range. I shot an M4 rifle, complete with a laser sight, as well as an MP5 Machine gun that is fully automatic and fires 9mm rounds. The MP5 also had a laser sight and felt like a BB gun. The guns were also very quiet, which was also very AWESOME to see in person. Seriously, I got to shoot a silenced fully automatic machine gun...seriously. One of the guys, “Chris”, let me play Jack Bauer with his 9mm Beretta. I got to hold multiple clips and fire back and forth at targets. I learned how to eject the spent clip with my right thumb, then slam the other clip in and continue firing. I felt like a real badass. This was the kind of stuff you see in movies, and the perfect night cap to an outrageous day. The most amazing part was that we didn’t even leave the base. It was a day I will be unable to forget.

PS - I included pictures of my drink of choice - "RIP-IT" This stuff is crazy, it is loaded with sugar and caffeine and really helps you last 16 hours in a strange time zone on like 5 hours sleep.

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January 29th

Stop one, At Camp Sa’ad we met 1st Lt. Sion Brannan a former teacher from San Diego that taught math in San Jose, California. Brannan worked for four years in a high school teaching math and when OIF started he figured he should do something about. After the school year he notified his principal, enlisted in the Army and completed all the necessary training to enter the Army as an Officer and a Ranger. It is people like him that are the true Patriots. I also met specialist Lyon (strongest guy in base) and I traded him my Marlins Strength and Conditioning shirt for his army boony with his specialist patch illegally sewn on. The guy was a serious monster and seemed to have spent few hours in their tent weight room. We met the division general that worked on base and had tea with him which was weird. From what we were we told you usually don’t make it out of an Iraqi General’s office if you are not in the ally Military. On a sad note, I met an infantrymen that lost his baseball career to an IED in Iraq during the first part of OIF. He told us that we were living his dream. This trip has been very rewarding, but it is really tough to hear stuff like that.

We jumped back into our Black Hawk and headed to the southern most point of Iraq, the Naval Base of Umm Qasr. This was definitely the most diverse base we had been to as far as the international make-up of the population. We met soldiers from the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Corps as well as IA and Americans. While we were delayed waiting for our helicopters, I got in a workout at their out door gym. I got to test my rope climbing skills and scaled the 25 feet pretty quickly. Luckily, they taught me how to safely descend. We met a Captain from Minnesota, and even a Navy Admiral! We learned about the different Naval Ranks and how they compared to the other branches of the military. From what I was told, the Navy is structured like Star Trek. I also shared my first “near-beer” and was forever linked with the men of Umm Qasr. We took a tour of the base and saw an old Iraqi spy boat, as well as the border of Iraq and Kuwait. Instead of taking our normal transport (two Black Hawk Helos) we had to convoy it to Bucca, our next stop. I will say that the ground convoy was definitely the scariest part of this trip. It is one thing to hover over the ground with machine gun armed guards and watch the desert zoom by below, and another to actually drive out into the desert in a slow moving MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) Truck. The MRAP has a diamond shape to it that deflects the force of any mine blast from below. instead of having a flat bottom that absorbs all of the explosion, the shape causes the vehicle to roll instead of blow up. We are sealed in with automatic doors, so if we were blown up from below and ambushed from the side, all parties enclosed in the vehicle would be okay. Having to get into that big “truck” for thirty minutes of tense, bumpy travel was scary. Thankfully, we arrived safely at forward operating base Bucca!

Named after a fire fighter that died in the twin towers in 9/11, FOB Bucca has the best DFAC we ate in. Because of the weather delays, we only had a small amount of time to meet the troops and sign. We met the Marine Colonel in command of Bucca and he told us about the history of the base and how since the Marines were so much better than every other branch, they only needed one stationed there to make sure everything ran smoothly! He issued us a challenge coin and certificate of appreciation. It is amazing how grateful all of our troops have been throughout this trip. It’s seems that our attendance is the most important thing about us. After a long day, we Black Hawked it back to Basra for a nights sleep in our hard shelled wet chu. (Hard shelled means it is IDF safe. Wet means it has a self-contained bathroom and shower. CHU stands for container housing unit.)

ps - the picture of the two fences is the Kuwait/Iraq border

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January 28th Iraq

I woke up to Cogs complaining about the temperature. Now don’t get me wrong, I like it cold, but in the 40’s is a bit cold for me so I could see his point. Our rooms are individual bunkers that protect us from any IDFs that may be lobbed over the wall and into the camp. Where we are staying looks like a bunch of shipping crates stacked on one and other. I’ve been told that Iraqi and Iranian culture fight much differently than we do, they would prefer to put a gun on a tripod and fire it from a remote control instead of dealing with people face to face. They are scared of the American Soldiers in any one on one, eye to eye situation. Due to this factor, the biggest problem the camp at Basra faces is this kind of faceless threat, Therefore most of the living quarters here are well protected from anything lobbed over the wall.

After breakfast, while we were walking over to the flight line to board a Blackhawk helicopter and fly to Camp Shaiba, we met a large group of Army Infantrymen about to head out on a patrol of the surrounding areas in Humveees and MRAVs. Humvees are the ones that everyone back home associates with the Army. We learned that all vehicles here have this wooden hot box that sits on a metal pole and extends out about ten feet in front of the vehicle. The box emits the same amount of heat as the engine. They have these on there to combat against little charges that are hidden throughout the desert that are set off by engine heat. By putting the box out in front of the vehicle, if one goes off, it will blow up the box, and not the Humvee or the troops. We took a bunch of hardcore looking photos, with guns up on top of the vehicles and talked with a bunch of the guys.

We then hitched a ride to the flight line and boarded a Blackhawk Helicopter for a trip up to Camp Shaiba. The helicopter ride was awesome, although we only flew in a straight line. I don’t think they wanted to show us any tactical maneuvers, so our trip was really cool, but quick.

Camp Shaiba is a FOB (forward operating base) where we train the IA (Iraqi Army). The main goal at Camp Shaiba is to teach the new Iraqi army how to stand on it’s own. American Soldiers teach members of the IA everything from logistics to explosives, hand to hand combat to basic communication skills. At Shaiba, we did another autograph/meet & greet session and met a bunch more people. I was amazed at the good spirits in this base and the effort and attention to detail shown while dealing with people that were recently sworn enemies of our country. We partook in a Medal Ceremony because the men and women were getting ready (thank God!!!) to return home. It was an inspiring moment helping pin medals on brave men and women being recognized by the Army for their commitment to our country. We also met our first Marine, and they are a different breed. The Marine Captain wanted to know where we were headed next because he was separated from his battalion (which was in Wessam, our next stop) and wanted his mail from them. He explained that when you are away from home you count down the days in between mail deliveries and they had had his stuff for two weeks! He gave us some cigars as a bribe.

Our next stop on the Blackhawk tour of southern Iraq was Wessam, the smallest FOB we had been too at this point. I think that this is the kind of place I was expecting to see more of on this trip. As we were walking in from the landing zone, we ran into General Aziz of the IA. According to the US Military members that were walking us into the base, he is one bad dude, not to be messed with. They seemed to show him a lot of respect, so we did too. The highlight of this stop was the first Fredi Gonzalez birthday celebration. After we were done eating, we got to watch a Marilyn Monroe like version of “Happy Birthday” by a midriff baring male soldier dressed in a Chase Utley jersey. It was definitely something special, and I’ll leave it at that. I talked for a long time with a soldier from Odessa, Texas. I spent a year an a half in the Permian basin myself (playing baseball for the Midland Rockhounds) and we discussed what we liked and disliked about that area. Our final stop was next, little did we know that the short chopper ride would take us to a remote and intense place.

Camp Minden sits right on the Iran/Iraq border and some of the soldiers there will stand directly face to face with their Iranian counterparts for hours at a time. I learned a lot more about the local culture and practices. It seems the more I learn, the less I understand. I know that sounds ignorant, but it is the truth. Camp Minden is run by a young Army Captain from upstate New York, he seemed wise beyond his years, and his professionalism was a direct result of his Army training. Minden is hands down, the smallest base we have seen. There are no women stationed there, so the Mermaids were in high demand. This was the most rewarding base to visit as the guys here were so grateful and surprised that we would show up to their tiny little FOB on the border. They operate small cameras that were on balloons in order to protect Iraq from the possibility of Iranian invasion. We then hopped back on the blackhawk and took it to our home base, Basra.

We has one final surprise when we got home, an Apache Helicopter. This is a 30 Million Dollar weapon that the army considers it’s most lethal piece of equipment. It takes a year of training to pilot one and it has all different kinds of crazy weapons systems. 30 MM rounds that can be fired as pressures bombs!

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Wednesday January 27th

It was quite a relief to feel like we could sleep in a bit as we weren’t scheduled to check out of the hotel until 12:30. I woke up and got a double espresso at the executive lounge in the hotel, then went to the gym (I picked up a sugar free red bull along the way) with Chris Coghlan. Caffeine is a helluva drug. As messed up as my hours are, I have become dependent on energy drinks and double espressos to get me through the day. The problem with all the caffeine is that it becomes harder to sleep, my night sucks, and I need MORE caffeine the next day.

I actually felt great at the gym, I got in a 45 minute total body workout and felt ready to attack the day afterward. Once we checked out of the hotel, we got in the Suburbans and drove up to “The Rock” - Ali Al Salem.

The Rock is made up of basically two bases, one is an Air Force Base that ships troops up to Iraq and Afghanistan, the second is the Army Base which is also known as the LSA. The LSA at Ali Al Salem processes the soldiers that are either returning home, or entering the theater in either Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

The Air Force base was an absolute blast, because of Fredi’s late arrival, we had to stay longer in the Country of Kuwait, so visiting this base was not on the original itinerary. We played a little shuffle board (Coghlan won..weird, I know...just like hitting) and then we met the Air Force Fireman. The guys were really cool. I spoke with one of the men from Oklahoma City for a while and told him my story about his city. It was around midnight in Oklahoma City in July of 2008 when I got called up by the Marlins to the big leagues. We shared more stories and then sat down to sign autographs and meet other service members. The Air Force is really doing something right, Col. Shock, our AFE (Armed Forces Entertainment) rep is really fun to be around, and all the members of the Air Force Fire Crew were positive, upbeat, and in excellent spirits. They seemed to make the best out of their situation and had smiles on their faces the entire time. After we signed and took some awesome photos, we went up to their Fire Station and played some catch with one member of the crew. The the other twenty-five guys helped the mermaids put on the flame-repellant fire suits, I wonder where their minds were!! I brought my Rawling’s catcher’s glove that I used last season, and the glove never made it off the base. I gave it to my friend from Oklahoma City, and he in turn gave us a patch and an Air Force hat to put it on. I hope he likes the glove, because I think that I got the better end of that deal. My hat and patch are something that will forever remind me of the people that I met today.

Our next stop was the Army Base on Ali Al Salem, and it definitely had a different vibe. This is where everyone processes that is either coming to the Middle East to entire a hostile environment, or leaving a place where they spent months fighting a faceless enemy. One solder told us a devestating story. He was an Army Infantry Men who had seen his fair share of battle on the front lines of Afghanistan. When he came to the table to get his autographed baseball card, something in the way he looked at us let us know that he had seen some terrible things firsthand. Coghlan and I both sensed this immediately and we are two pretty clueless guys. He told us that he was just processing back into Afghanistan from a fifteen day leave. He had spent his off time at home with his wife and small daughter.

---“I was in 7-11, with my wife and little kid,” he said. “And a lady approached me and asked me what I did for a living. I told her that I was an Army infantryman and that I had just returned from Afghanistan. She obviously didn’t support me or our fighting over here because the only thing she said to me was, ‘I hope that YOU get killed over there’. What do I even say to that?” ---

Cogs and I both looked at him with a blank stare, and then in our own ways intimated that WE appreciate him and everything he does for us and the United States of America. I think sometimes that people back home get so caught up in the politics that they forget about the actual people. Despite what you think about our nation’s motives for being in these conflicts, remember that real people actually put their life on the line so that you can rest your head each night in safety. I am currently typing these words in a safe bunker in Basra, Iraq. I had never realized how many things I have taken for granted until I came here and met the people willing to die for my freedom.

After the LSA, we got back into the Suburbans and drove to the Military side of Kuwait International Airport. This is when stuff really got real. Part of our processing required that we try on our helmets and bullet proof vests. The moment we put those two pieces of equipment on, the mood changed. This lasted for a few minutes, until Coghlan informed us that he thought it would be cool to get shot by a rubber bullet while wearing his body armor...Larry Beinfest didn’t think that joke was very funny. After the mood had lightened, we boarded a C-130 and flew to Basra, Iraq. This part of out trip was also amazing (I think that thought and feeling has been a recurring theme on these entries). Cogs and I sat in the Cockpit the entire flight and were on the headphones talking with the crew members. The C-130 is an older Vietnam War era plane, it has two large propellers under each wing and seems pretty maneuverable. While we were flying, we got to use night vision goggles to look out of the planes windshield at Iraq, which was straight ahead, and Iran which was directly to our three o’clock (that means to our right in cool person speak). We also got to experience a tactical approach into Basra which was totally crazy and gave me a feeling like one I’ve never experienced. We the force of twice our body weight pressing us into our seat during this maneuver, and Christina the Mermaid almost puked. That is pretty funny.

Once in Iraq, we drove to our little bunkered in rooms and crashed...hard.

Blackhawk takes off at 8:45 AM tomorrow.

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January 26th Kuwait -

The first full day in Kuwait will be a tough day to beat.

My morning started with a light breakfast in the executive lounge at our hotel, I had some fruit and yogurt along with a double espresso in hopes that it would trick me into thinking it was really 7:30 in the morning and that I had actually gotten a six hours of sleep.

We met in the lobby at 0830 hours (I think writing/saying the time this way sounds way cooler than “8:30 AM”) and after a brief stop at a Kuwaiti Starbucks headed to camp Arifjan. Now I am sure someone will correct me on what I am about to write, but I did not take notes, so everything I am putting to cyber paper is strictly from memory.

Camp Arifjan is the largest US Military Base in Kuwait. After Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Kuwait quickly realized that they could not adequately defend themselves from their hostile neighbors without the help of a large military power. Kuwait is a small country that sits on a large reserve of oil. Kuwait is roughly the size of New Jersey but is the tenth highest producer of oil. It is also a large seaport located in the perfect location to stage military operations for any country interested in the Middle East region. The relationship between Kuwait and the US is made out of necessity: the Kuwaitis need military help and the US needs a place to house/train/prepare soldiers and equipment for any Middle East operation.

The first stop on base for us was the PX store, it is like Wal-Mart for the the military. The store has everything one needs, from desert boots to Nintendo Wiis and televisions. I picked up a few things that say “Kuwait” on them for family members. I also bought myself a military watch since I forgot to bring a watch with me. After we checked out, we headed to one of the main buildings for a briefing where we learned the aforementioned information. We were also given a certificate of gratitude and an Army challenge coin. Members of the Army are given the coin unofficially by superiors as an “attaboy” or job well done. Any member can challenge another member from a different company with his or her coin. If the opposing member matches the coin with a similar one, the challenger must buy the challenged a drink, and vice versa. It is a way to build morale and familiarity between different people. Funny that no one is buying any drinks, because Alcohol is prohibited in the country of Kuwait. One of the posted photos is of me receiving my certificate.

After we were briefed, we headed to one of the community rooms to sign autographs and meet troops, we were there for quite awhile and met many interesting people. It was a fantastic first interaction as everyone was very happy to see us. It is very personally rewarding to shake hands with someone and know that you have made their day or maybe even month better. It is also strange because Chris and I don’t really feel like we are doing anything that special. I guess just being here is a pretty big deal.

After we signed for and thanked the soldiers, we joined them in the DFAC for lunch. I sat with a guy that was from the Dallas area that was on his third tour of duty.
He told me fascinating stories about driving patrols from Arifjan all the way to the northern part of Iraq. It is amazing the things these men and women do for us.

We then packed into some Chevy Suburbans and headed to Kuwait Naval Base or KNB. We learned that despite being a Kuwaiti Base, it is fully operated by Americans. I only saw one Kuwaiti person while we were there and he was drinking tea in a guard booth, while members of the US Army patrolled the gate. We met with a company of men from South Dakota, Minnesota, Hawaii and California. The Californian played in a local Jazz Band (Concord Blue Devils - www.bluedevils.org )near my home town in Concord. He also briefly taught drums at the same High School that I attended, De La Salle! What a small world. Half way across the globe and we meet for the first time.

After our briefing, we boarded a small patrol ship with some members of the Navy and the US Coastguard. The small ship was very fast and had three guns mounted on it, the one on the front was a fifty caliber! The gun was the same model used in WWII as an anti-tank weapon, the only update: plastic instead of wooden handles! We cruised around the Persian Gulf, skipping over waves, getting salt water everywhere and having a fantastic time. The crew of our boat was great, they let us take photos with the guns and even let one of the Mermaids, Estefania, drive, until she almost flipped the boat and deposited our team president in the Gulf!!!! This was the most exciting part of our trip to this point.

After we got back onto dry land, the girls performed a dance routine for the guys at KNB, we signed more autographs and met more troops then joined them for dinner in their DFAC. After dinner our entire party was starting to look increasingly weary, thankfully we only had one more stop.

We got back into the Suburbans and headed to the Kuwait Little League Complex. We were greeted with raucous cheers of “Let’s Go Fish!” as we walked into the small outdoor complex. There were a few decently manicured little league fields and around three hundred members of the KLL. The interesting part about the league is that it is the only league in the region run by a national and not an ex-pat. The commissioner of the league was a Kuwaiti man that went to college at the University of Miami and married a Cuban-American women from south Florida. Needless to say they were big Marlins fans, and half of the teams in the league were called the Marlins! We answered a few questions and then signed a ton more autographs, Fredi Gonzalez finally showed up (his first flight was cancelled due to inclement weather in Atlanta), and took some photos with the members of the league. When that was done we headed back to the hotel for some food and some much deserved R&R.

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After the flight - The “night” of January 25th in Kuwait...

After we deplaned and went through the short painless visa process we headed to baggage claim and got our stuff. Three out of the four members of the dance team have bags that are bigger than they are. Girls. After we went through customs, which consisted of having our bags put through some sort of security scanner, we were out the door and into a van driving to our next destination...the hotel.

While riding down the freeway, the first thing I notice is how Western this place has become. H2s, Corvettes, and other popular American cars race down the road at break neck speeds. A member of our security detail informs us that the police do not enforce speeding on any of the roads so the goal is to drive as fast as you can without getting into a fatal accident. (I would learn later that this ideal is known in the world of Islam as "Insha'Allah" which translates to God willing. The people truly believe that when it is their time to die, they will die, so they drive with a strange reckless abandon, putting all their faith that Allah will deliver them to safety. They also have a "thirty minute rule" when it comes to dealing with the victims of an accident. The police and medical response units will only intercede thirty minutes after a crash. If you die before that, "Insha'Allah", it is what God wills. If you last thirty minutes, you will receive medical attention.) We pass a giant mall that looks like a basketball arena and myriad giant palace-like houses that seem to line the freeway. We eventually pass a real palace on the way to the hotel and the best way to describe it (since it is against the law to photograph the building) is with one word: majestic.

Our hotel is super nice, my room, or rather rooms, has a bedroom, two bathrooms, a dining room and a family style room with a big flat screen TV. Much of the programming is in English, so I feel right at home. For all I know this could be transplanted right into the US and no one could tell the difference.

After dropping the bags off at the room and changing into some athletic gear, I hit the gym with Coghlan in hopes of working up a sweat so that I can fall asleep. Being 11 hours in the future is just plain weird. The gym is extremely nice, it is on par with the large health clubs in the states, basically an upscale 24 Hour Fitness. I workout for around half an hour and successfully shake off the stiffness I have developed over twenty plus hours of traveling.
Post workout the four guys on the trip got together for some dinner. We figured that Chinese food should be good in Asia so that is what we had. Basically middle-eastern PF Chang’s, I will say now that we won't be eating there again.

Picture - L-R John Baker, Col. Shock, Chris Coghlan

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January 25th, 2010 - 36,000 Feet above central Iraq
6:52 AM Pacific Time
5:53 PM “I don’t even know the name of the time zone” Time (SWA?)

Wow. I am writing this at the tail end of what has been an extremely long yet some how pleasant travel day. We were lucky enough to be upgraded to business class so my seat nearly fully reclined on the second flight. I am on a Boeing 777 and it is a huge plane. From the pictures you can see that it is quite comfortable. Amazingly, the seventeen hours of flying time has not seemed that long. It really hit me when I looked at the in flight monitor and watched the little computerized airplane fly directly over Baghdad and a region marked “Mesopotamia”. It is not everyday that I get to be this close to the Cradle of Civilization.

The flights have been uneventful. I read on the first flight and listened to some music on my iPhone. On a side note, after having this iPhone for less than a week, I don’t know how I lived without one. Currently I am reading Krakauer’s “Where Men Win Glory”. It is the story of NFL Player turned Army Ranger, Pat Tillman. After 9/11 Pat turned down a 3.6 million dollar contract to enlist in the Army and was killed in action two years later in the Khost region of Afghanistan. He was a victim of friendly fire. I’ve only just started the book, and it is already a sad story.

The second flight has actually been kind of fun despite it’s length. Coghlan and I engaged in a spirited debate about life, faith, love, baseball and our motivations for heading out on this adventure. After that he slept, I seriously think he has been asleep for the better part of this flight...like ten hours!! I watched the Tarantino movie “Inglourious Basterds”. I thought it was great, but like I do most of the time when I watch a Tarantino film, it ends and I feel like about half of it went right over my head.

I’ll probably watch another movie in the hotel room tonight, maybe “Food Inc.” or perhaps “Facing Ali”, I feel like a documentary is somehow appropriate. Anyways, can't wait to get to the hotel, take some of my own photos and keep everyone updated.

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Baseball is irrelevant, at least that is the prevalent thought that keeps running through my head. What do I really do for a living? I play baseball. I do the same thing that I did when I was five. I play a game.
The men and women of our armed forces don't have the luxury of playing games, they live in a world different than mine. They live in a world that I know nothing about. I guess it is time for me to find out how they live, who they are, and what they do. At 10:59 Pacific Standard Time on Sunday, January 24th, my plane takes off for the first leg of a long journey that will take me to a part of the world I never imagined visiting.
I am scared and excited at the same time, I know that there are risks involved on our trip, risks that I can't fully comprehend. These risks are the same for the people I will be visiting, risks that they take every day, some of them for years at a time. I am worried about one week.
My job is not as important as the lowest ranking member of our armed forces, because without their sacrifice I wouldn't have the opportunity to do what I love for a living in a safe and peaceful Country. I am so grateful to the Marlins for providing me with this chance to say thanks to the men and women that deserve it the most.
Both of my grandfathers served in our military, one in the Army and one in the Air Force. I have two cousins that were Marines, and another that was in the Navy. My dad's brother was in the Air force. These people are my family and I hope that they understand that they are my inspiration for this trip. Talk to you from Kuwait!

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Before I take off tomorrow (yikes) for Kuwait and Iraq, I want to acknowledge some of the Veterans in my family. I'll start with the few and the proud. Shane and Justin are technically my second cousins, but I always viewed them as my cousins. We grew up separated by a three hour drive, but spent many holidays and family events side by side by side. As the youngest (and wimpiest) I usually received the largest beatings, mainly from Justin as Shane was on my side...most of the time.

They both enlisted in the Marine Corps early on and both spent time serving our country in Southwest Asia, Shane during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Justin in between the gulf wars. It makes me so proud to know that I have two real heroes that I can call family. In the grand scheme of life, baseball is a mere irrelevant "pastime" compared to military service. I am very glad that baseball has granted me the opportunity to embark on this journey where I can do the one thing that all Americans should do more often: say thank you.

Shane McCabe - 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing ( 3rdMAW) Staff Sergeant. or E6,

Justin McCabe - 2nd batt. 7th Marine Division, Fox Co. ( 2/7 Fox Co.) Sergeant. or E5

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At 29 years old I am too young to have had the opportunity to see Ali fight, but I can appreciate someone who stood up for himself and what he believed in when it wasn't the popular thing to do. Here is a high light video I found that you should watch.

"I've done something special
I've wrassled with in an alligator
I tussled with a whale
I done handcuffed lightening - throwed thunder in jail"

"I'm as confident as I say I am and I'm better than I say I am."

"I'm a poet, I'm a prophet, I'm the ressurector, I'm the savior of the boxing world."

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In his last MMA fight, Diego Sanchez was brutalized and stopped (for the first time in his career) by light weight king BJ Penn. To me, his loss wasn't that important in the grand scheme of things, his attitude is important.

Here is a little video in which Diego uses some positive affirmation to prepare himself for a bout.




YES! YES! YES!

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My mom e-mailed me this story today. I think it is important to find inspiration in all forms of media. Sometimes, because I fail to spend as much time as I should reading, I forget how inspirational the Bible can be. Don't worry, I am not preaching or forcing religion on you, I am just sharing one of the greatest under dog stories of all time!

1 Sm 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
David spoke to Saul:
“Let your majesty not lose courage.
I am at your service to go and fight this Philistine.”
But Saul answered David,
“You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him,
for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth.”
David continued:
“The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear,
will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine.”
Saul answered David, “Go! the LORD will be with you.”

Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi
and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag.
With his sling also ready to hand, he approached the Philistine.

With his shield bearer marching before him,
the Philistine also advanced closer and closer to David.
When he had sized David up,
and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance,
the Philistine held David in contempt.
The Philistine said to David,
“Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?”
Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods
and said to him, “Come here to me,
and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air
and the beasts of the field.”
David answered him:
“You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar,
but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts,
the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted.
Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand;
I will strike you down and cut off your head.
This very day I will leave your corpse
and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air
and the beasts of the field;
thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God.
All this multitude, too,
shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves.
For the battle is the LORD’s and he shall deliver you into our hands.”

The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters,
while David ran quickly toward the battle line
in the direction of the Philistine.
David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone,
hurled it with the sling,
and struck the Philistine on the forehead.
The stone embedded itself in his brow,
and he fell prostrate on the ground.
Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone;
he struck the Philistine mortally, and did it without a sword.
Then David ran and stood over him;
with the Philistine’s own sword which he drew from its sheath
he dispatched him and cut off his head.

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I like to listen to music, especially while training in my garage. Here is my favorite play list. Each song has a reason for being on the list. This comes straight from my IPOD.

1. Naughty By Nature - Everything's Gonna Be Alright - 1st warm up song, nice beat, harsh lyrics
2. Kid Cudi - Pursuit of Hapiness - 2nd warm up song, good for jumping rope etc.
3. The Used - The Taste of Ink - Anyone that saw Clay Guida's entrance at UFC 107 knows why this song is important to me.
4. Kanye West - Can't Tell Me Nothing - This song is on here because it was in the movie "The Hangover"
5. Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills - Bill & Ted were right, Iron Maiden Rules!!!!!
6. Kid Cudi - Day'N'Nite (Nightmare) - Just a cool sounding song
7. Iron Maiden - The Trooper - see #5
8. Lamb of God - Omerta - I'm not a huge death metal guy, but this is as good as it gets.
9. Edguy - Rocket Ride - German metal band that sounds like a cross between Guns N' Roses & Bon Jovi
10. Eminem & Nate Dogg - 'Till I Collapse - One of the greatest training songs of my generation.

Anyway - download these songs on Itunes and plug them into your ipod, you'll be happy you did. All the songs are linked to youtube versions in case you don't take my word for their greatness.

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Over the next week, until I board a plane for Southwest Asia...I think that's where I'm headed...I will put up articles about "things I think are awesome". Today's update is Books I think are awesome.

#1 - George Orwell - Animal Farm -

"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell, Animal Farm, Ch. 5

The first time I read this book (in which the Russian Revolution takes place on a farm and all the character's are animals) my mind was blown. In subsequent re-reads I have realized that this is my favorite book. Instead of pontificating on and on about how great it is, I will merely offer this advice: READ IT!!

#2 - Ray Bradbury - Farenheit 451

"I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough, it'll make sense."
-Ray Bradbury - Farenheit 451 Part 2

Apparently 451 degrees is the temperature that books burn, makes me wonder what the heck I would do to escape life if I couldn't read, if the government censored all of my favorite books. Sounds terrible. Another one of my all-time favorites that must be read, preferably more than once.


#3 - Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse-Five -

"If what Billy Pilgrim learned from the Tralfamadorians is true, that we will all live forever, no matter how dead we may sometimes seem to be, I am not overjoyed. Still--if I am going to spend eternity visiting this moment and that, I'm grateful that so many of those moments are nice."
- Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, Chapter 10

Time Travel - Check. World War 2 - Check. Vonnegut calls on experiences from his time in WWII to write a fantastic anti-war novel about a time traveling, chaplain's assistant named Billy Pilgrim. Predestination and the fourth dimension ensue. I'm not smart enough to have understood everything I read in this book, but I'm smart enough (I think) to have loved it.

There you have it, my three favorite works of fiction.

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