Spin Doctor

News from the Spin Doctor

Steve Ontiveros is the Spin Doctor - 1995 American League All-Star and 11 year MLB veteran. Read on to find out what's been going down with the Spin Doctor

August 15, 2008

A Brand New Day

What a difference a day makes. The beautiful thing about baseball is that there is usually another day to regroup. Today was that day. We played Korea, fresh off of their upset of Team USA, and it was a great game. Unfortunately we had a lot of rain run through Beijing and it played havoc on our game. The game was suspended once and then again a second time, once and for all. They suspended the game and it will be started where it was left off on our off day, 8/17.

The game was deadlocked in a 0-0 tie with one out and a full count on the hitter. It really is a shame because our starter LI Chenhao was really locked in. He pitched a masterful game, adhering to the game plan of mixing speeds and locations. His cutter was really effective as well as was his changeup. We really wanted to have him go deeper into the game, as we used up some pitching the day before, but the rains had other ideas. We will have to start the game later and we will have to use another pitcher to start that game.

Our hitters are not hitting like they are capable of. We faced some good arms this year in Arizona and we really hit well. The team had a .292 batting average and we averaged nearly seven runs a game. The pitching that we have seen thus far has not been all that different than what we saw in AZ. I hope they get locked in again because we could give teams a good run for their money.

I am having a difficult time finding time to convert the videos that I have taken so far and I was hoping to get caught up on our off day. As it has turned out, we will be playing on our off day. Bummmer. Looks like I’ll have to find another time to do it. I apologize for that because I’ve got some cool stuff from our arrival through opening ceremonies. Please be patient, it should be worth the wait.

Labels: Beijing Olympics

August 09, 2008

Opening Ceremonies - Update from the Beijing Olympics

Well the moment of a lifetime has come. Today marks the day for the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympiad. We will begin our march down the track inside the “The Birds Nest” otherwise known as the Olympic Stadium at 8:00 P.M. tonight. Over 200 countries and over 11,000 athletes will be competing in this year’s Olympics. Now that is amazing. As the moment draws near I reflect to all of the major celebrations that have occurred on this earth since the inception of time. You imagine what ceremonies must have taken place during the reign of Solomon, Nebuchadnezzar, or even the Egyptian Pharaohs. Cleopatra, I’m sure, threw herself some pretty impressive parties. Well today marks one of those times in the history of man. There have been no expenses spared for this event. All of Beijing is in her glory. The architecture, the venues and the rich history of China is on display. It is her coming out party to the world for all to see, and it is magnificent. The aforementioned Birds Nest, the Water Cube, the Tennis Arena, the Field Hockey Stadium, The Cycling Arena and the 3 Baseball Stadiums are some of the most impressive sights to see.

I will be walking down the track with my camera in hand marking down this historic event. I will film all that my batteries and film will allow me to film to log my stay here in China. These are cherished moments that I can share with my family and my future grandchildren. It is unfortunate that my family is still back in the states, they will be arriving in China in a few days. I can’t wait to see them as I have been away from them for nearly a month. It will be a time that we can share together as a family, an Olympic Moment.

Our attire for the evening is nothing short of spectacular. I will be wearing white loafers, white pants, white belt and a white tie. This will blend in with the yellow shirt that I will be wearing alongside the red suit jacket that will be draped over my body. To top this off I will be wearing my white “Gilligan’s Island” hat. Now this sounds quite comical on paper but it represents the colors of the Chinese Republic and after putting it on…….it looks quite good. I don’t’ know how but it works. So as the night draws near be sure to scour the sea of red, yellow and white to find the only non Asian wearing a goatee. I will be the one with a camera in hand, waving and wearing an ear to ear grin.

Also, there is a PBS Special which was created about the making of the Chinese Baseball team. It is a remarkable glimpse into this world, is a first-of-its-kind opportunity to see the emergence of a sport in a nation that once considered baseball "cultural pollution." Jim Lefebvre, former player and coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is in charge of turning Chinese players with limited skills into Olympic-caliber athletes. Along with a handful of other retired pros - and with the cooperation of major league baseball - they are helping to bring America's game to a nation with one-fifth of the world's population.

The show is on PBS

Out of Left Field: The Making of the Chinese Olympic Baseball Team

Thursday, August 14, 2008, 11:00 pm-12:00am

Labels: Beijing Olympics, Opening Ceremonies

August 08, 2008

PBS Special on the Chinese Olympic team

Don't miss "Out Of Left Field: The Making Of The Chinese Olympic Baseball Team." The PBS special airs Thu, Aug. 14 at 9 p.m.

Whats up with Steve Ontiveros by Bob Young

This is a little interview I did with Bob Young from the The Arizona Republic back in June. What is the level of play like in China? "People assume that baseball in China is on parallel with Japan, but it's not. It's not a favorite sport like it is in Japan. They have a six-team league there and they play 30 games the whole season. So they don't play much. It's like a high school season. Major League Baseball is hoping to grow the sport there, and I'm actually paid by (MLB) to train and develop these guys and get them ready to compete in the Olympics."

Read the interview