A career spanning 27 years and eight different teams (including a three year stint with the Texas Rangers from 1989-1991), one would think that needing Tommy John surgery at the end of last season would have been a reasonable time to retire. But to the surprise of many, Moyer tried out and made the Colorado Rockies spring squad. Moyer is quoted saying, “It was my choice to come back. I didn’t want to come to spring training to be a dog-and-pony show. For me, it was, ‘I’m here to compete for a job and see what I could do.’” At a certain age, you stop caring about what people might say or think about you. Obviously Moyer didn’t return for the 2012 for the money or breaking the record of being the older pitcher to win a game. This kind of self motivation and pride come from deep within, and we are all lucky to be witness to it.

While his fast-ball has topped out at underwhelming 78 miles-per-hour this season, Moyer has never been an over-powering pitcher. All pitchers who have long careers learn that speed isn’t everything. Pitching is a game of chess with every batter. With supreme control and wily tricks that only come with age, many pitchers have late career success. The best season of his career was in 2003 pitching for the Seattle Mariners with 21 wins and an ERA of 3.21. Not many athletes or even baseball players have their best season 13 years into careers. Knowing this, it’s less surprising that he is still pitching…wait, no its not. The guy is 49!

Other timeless wonders who come to mind are Kenny Rogers, Charlie Hough, Julio Franco, and Nolan Ryan. Is my Texas Rangers fandom skewing my perception, or is Arlington perhaps the fountain of youth? It is stories like Jamie Moyer’s inner drive and love of the game that make baseball such a special sport. There is no other American sport where players can compete against guys half their age. Father time catches everyone eventually, but for now Moyer is one step ahead.

Davis will undoubtedly be the first over-all pick come this June. He is being touted at the best power forward to come out of college since Tim Duncan. The desperate teams in the draft lottery are planning to build their franchise around the lanky shot blocking 19 year old. Does he have what it takes to lead an NBA franchise out of the cellar and start a culture of winning? The Charlotte Bobcats sure hope so, being they are the worst team in the league (maybe ever?) giving them the best chance at the first overall pick. Potential is never a sure thing, but all the evidence points to yes. He is much more than a big body with presence in the paint. Davis has the size and more importantly the coordination to be a force at the next level. I was very impressed with his ability and confidence to handle the ball in the open court and when given the opportunity, to knock down 15 to 18 foot jump shots. He has a team first mindset and understands his role, evident through his tournament play where he didn’t attempt more than 10 shots in any game. And though it is trite to say, Davis has tremendous upside potential. He is only 19 years old and hardly even looks that old. I won’t be surprised if he grows another inch or two while bulking up in the process. His offensive game will smooth out and he already has the intangibles on defense.

Will he make the instant impact that the lottery teams hope? For most of his potential teams, it would be hard to get much worse. But I believe it will take a few years for Davis to become the franchise player everyone expect, as it often does for big men in the NBA. On a side note, his teammate and potential number 2 overall pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist seems more NBA ready and I see him making an immediate impact. He has the athleticism and ability to create his own shot which is what the NBA style of play is based around. Will we see history made with the top two picks coming from the same university?! It is always exciting to watch players develop and there will be plenty of support from the Wildcat faithful throughout their careers.

Well I am here to say that with spring in the air and Opening Day approximately three weeks away that I am officially EXCITED. And we (Ranger’s fans) have good reason to be excited. Our roster is essentially the same as last season, minus CJ Wilson. That sounds like a big loss, especially since we will be facing him and Prince Albert in the battle for the AL West. Yet for the first time since I can remember, the Rangers are deep in both the starting rotation and bullpen. As it stands now, Colby Lewis will be the Opening Day starter, followed by Derek Holland, Yu Darvish, and Matt Harrison, leaving Neftali Feliz as the fifth starter who is officially being stretched into a starter. Derek Holland just signed a 5 year $28 million contract and I believe he has earned. Feliz has been working on adding pitches to that blistering fastball, and is reported to have 3 solid pitches now: Fastball, change, and slider. Let’s not forget about Alexi Ogando who had a great first half of the season last year as a starter, though Ron Washington says he will not use a six man starting rotation. That is an awesome variety of pitching styles to throw at opponents: righty, lefty, righty, lefty, and a fireballer to top it off. In the bullpen, we have Mike Adams as the set up man still followed by our new closer Joe Nathan (the jury is still out on him post Tommy Johns surgery though). Ogando will be the first man out of the pen with “Scooter” Scott Feldman for long relief. No matter how you look at it, the pitching is rock solid.

If that’s not enough reason to be excited, we are returning EVERY fielding position from last season. The whole gang is back with more motivation (spite?) than ever. Too early to consider back-to-back-TO-BACK World Series appearances? Hey, it’s happened 4 times since division play started, why not make it 5?

This is not to say that there aren’t still great big men in the league, or that there is no place for them anymore. Dwight Howard is without question the most sought after upcoming free agent. I would argue that there will be a time in Howard’s future where he is bar-none the most dominate player in the game. Even so, the culture of the NBA has changed. Teams are no longer built around the center position. Today, it starts with the point guard (1) and works its way down to the center (5), who’s main job is to rebound and have a defensive presence in the paint. It is an astonishing feat that one man scored 100 point in a single game, but even more unbelievable is that it was done BEFORE the three point line, and by a center. In the last 30 years, the only big man to even get close to 100 points was David Robinson with 71 points in 1994 (an era with many great big men: Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, a young Shaq). Single-game statistics are fun, but what I am talking about is a broad shift in how the game is played.

A number of arguments can be made as to why the big man has taken a back seat to the point guard position. Maybe it took a full thirty years for the culture to change after the addition of the three point line, which was added in the 1979-1980 season. Perhaps some of the highly touted big men failed to reach their potential (Kwame Brown, Michael Olowokandi) or were plague by injuries ( Greg Oden, Yao Ming) and teams began looking elsewhere There is hope yet for the big man. Lamarcus Aldridge plays back to the basket offense better than anyone in the game today. The Gasol brothers also do the position justice. And what about the eventual number one overall pick in the upcoming draft Anthony Davis. We know he can block shots, but will he be the type of player to build a team around? There is no one answer, and honestly, I love the fast paced style that is being played today. My argument is that the league is lopsided towards the guard position and the play reflects it. I would like to see a more balanced style of play evolve over the next 5 years, where the big men get their share of the credit.

P.S. Dwight Howard and Deron Williams to the Mavericks next year? I sure hope so

Point being, if you thought you knew Third Base food, prepare to have your expectations and mind blown away. The new menu is here and we can’t wait for you to try it!

Being in the heart of Big 12 country, we are graced with both excellent football and basketball. Though Big 12 basketball often gets overshadowed in the national media by more traditional basketball conferences such as the ACC and Big East, there is no denying the fact that the Big 12 has some of the most competitive basketball in the country this season. With three teams in the top 10 (#4 Mizzouri, #6 Baylor, #8 Kansas), Kansas State hovering around the top 25, and Iowa State playing exciting ball, the Big 12 looks to make a strong showing in the tournament with four (possibly five) teams in the Tournament. Austin is home to a motley collection of fans from all around the Big 12. We love you all. That being said, this town is dominated by Bears, Aggies, and of course, Longhorns. For those of you just checking into basketball season, here are my thoughts on the local favorites thus far and predictions for the weeks to come.

Perry Jones III

Baylor Bears

It has already been an exciting year for Baylor athletics (RG3 anyone?) and for Bears fans, there is lots more to come. Starting the season with 17 straight wins, the freakishly athletic Baylor squad lead by Perry Jones III (a national player of the year candidate) was brought back down to earth by back to back losses to Kansas and Missouri. The Kansas game was never close, with the Bears looking a little overwhelmed by the energy in Phog Allen Field House by the Jayhawk faithful. The following game at home against (then ranked) #5Missouri Tigers was a solid effort, especially at the end, yet I believe the better team won in the end. The Bears have gotten things back on track since and are fighting to break back into the top 4 and claim a coveted 1 seed in the tournament. This won’t come easy with another tough stretch of games ahead: Kansas, at Missouri, Iowa State (who just beat Kansas) and Kansas State. I see the Bears cruising into the Sweet 16 but getting beat by a more refined and organized team.

J'Covan Brown

Texas Longhorns

A model of consistency in the Big 12, the Longhorns have made it to 12 straight NCAA tournaments.  This season, however, may very well be the end of their streak. After losing all their starters from last year, (three to the NBA), this extremely young Longhorn Squad has been thrown into the fire and learned quickly  what it takes to win in the Big 12. Lead by junior J’Covan Brown, a shoe in for first team all Big 12, and gaggle of super talented freshmen, Texas has yet to log any big resume wins. Though they have steadily improved throughout the season, the Longhorn’s suffered tough losses to Kansas (lost by 3), Baylor (lost by 5 but within 2 points in the last minute), and Missouri (lost by 1).  They have another shot against Kansas (away) and Baylor to make their case. Tough losses don’t translate to tournament bids and I predict Texas being one of the last four teams out of the tournament. Cheers to next year, especially if Brown sticks around.

Khris Middleton

Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies had high hopes for this year, coming into the season ranked 21^st in the country. None of that matters now as they have been rocked by injuries, losing their star small forward Khris Middleton to a knee injury in November which he has yet to fully recover from. Making matters worse, the Aggies are down to a walk-on at point guard (though he was the spark plug in a win against OSU) as they limp through Big 12 play. Most losses have been by margins of 10 points or more, with no key wins to speak of. Wins against Kansas and/or Missouri would most certainly still not be enough to get the Aggies a spot in the tournament this season.

PS: a quick shout out to the UT-San Antonio Road Runners and my old teammate Melvin Johnson III. Hope to see ya’ll in the tourney again this year.

Melvin Johnson III and former Dallas Blue Devil

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Dallas Cowboys – A solid offensive line and a few good D-men. Once again the Dallas Cowboys finish the season out of the playoffs and in the middle of the pack. They seem committed to Tony Romo as the man calling the shots behind center, but they have got to get him some protection to stay healthy and buy some time for him to connect with Dez Bryant. Hopefully this offseason they will be able to beef up the offensive line and find some defensive characters that can play up to the abilities of guys like DeMarcus Ware. The solid sacker cannot do it on his own.

Houston Texans – Lots of bubble wrap for their quarterbacks. The team has run through a number of them this season and managed to still end up with a shot at the playoffs. Here’s hoping rookie TJ Yates can carry them through and stay injury-free.

Dallas Stars – This team is simply looking for consistency. After a tough loss last week against the league’s last-ranked Columbus Blue Jackets, they came out and stunned last year’s Stanley Cup Champions, the Boston Bruins on Saturday in a wild New Year’s Eve contest. They dropped a close one last night against Detroit, but will need to string together some wins to stay in playoff contention in the tough Western Conference.

Dallas Mavericks – Where to begin? After winning the NBA Title in June, the team has started off this season struggling. After an emotional banner raising at the American Airlines Center, the team put up a dismal performance against the Miami Heat and went on to lose 4 of their first 6 games. Despite signing big name Lamar Odom (welcome Khloe Kardashian?), the Mavs have not looked good and are currently sitting at the bottom of their division.

Houston Rockets: Houston has started the season in the middle of the pack this year, currently sitting at 3-2. While the Rockets could use some help on the court, the one thing they probably did not ask Santa for this year was some dance lessons. Check out this video from their open practice – http://www.nba.com/rockets/video/2011/12/20/RookiesDancing512Kcopymov-1941210/index.html

San Antonio Spurs – Manu Ginobli to heal quickly! Ginobli suffered a fractured fifth metacarpal in his left hand this week. Spurs fans know he has played hurt, but with the aging team, they need him at his best.