Team USA, our nation’s effort to compete on the global stage in The Olympics and other tournaments, is participating in a week’s worth of Arizona Fall League games as a tune up for the IBAF World Cup in Taiwan. Team USA hosted the Phoenix Desert Dogs, and walked away with a 3-2 win with Dodgers’ prospect Andy LaRoche the hero with the glove and bat. He drove in the winning run with a double in the bottom of the 8^th, with Nationals reliever Chris Booker coming in for the save.

This lengthy game clip features LaRoche and other 2008 Rookie of the Year hopefuls. Included in that mix are Colby Rasmis (Cadinals), Evan Longoria (D-Rays), Delwyn Young (Dodgers) and Andrew McCutchen (Pirates). Other players in the clip include a pair of Phillies prospects, Josh Outman (what a perfect name for a pitcher) and Jason Jamarillo (catcher). We’ll no doubt be seeing that pair when they play in ’08 for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.

What could be more ideal for a couple of farmers market nuts than the ultimate market faceoff? Saturday, we did back-to-back trips to the two top farmers markets in Austin. We started at the one downtown at 4^th and Guadalupe (reminiscent of the one in the Hillcrest area of San Diego) and then went off to the Sunset Valley Farmers Market (we got lost on the way) for a comparison. The Sunset Valley market, which is lite version of the Marin County Farmers Market, is a treat in that its participants have such a passion for their products it truly shows. It was voted by Eating Well magazine as one of the top five in the U.S.

There are birthday dinners, and there are birthday dinners. For this birthday, I had the good fortune to have a meal at Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, Texas. The nationally famous BBQ joint is about 20 miles outside of Austin, and it’s worth the wait and worth the drive. Never have I had such amazing brisket. The meals come with beans, cole slaw and a semi potato salad. Cobbler for dessert (which we took home for later, perhaps with a candle).

New Belgium Beer asks, “Would you trade your car for a bike?” Well, that’s the underlying theme of the Tour de Fat, a ballyhoo of bikes and beer. Seems from what we can figure out about Austin, it’s the perfect stop on the tour.  Held in Town Lake (which I don’t think is a real lake), the event was a gathering of bike aficionados, folks who like beer and those just interested in a good time on an early Fall Saturday.

There were bikes, plenty of beer and music. This clip features The Reals, from Colorado and The Story Of, a band from Austin.

The Diamondbacks didn’t pick a particularly good year to make the NLCS. (Not that I am complaining). The area in and around Chase Field (nee Bank One Ballpark) is torn up to make way for a rather useless light rail system that will serve a very small portion of The Valley’s growing population. Well, a story for another day. Because the powers that be at MLB and WTBS decided to have the game at 7 p.m. local time on a Friday (instead of 1 p.m. as originally scheduled), getting to the stadium was a logistical nightmare for most folks. Given few, if any people, live within walking distance of Chase Field (unless you are staying at the Hyatt or work at the Arizona Republic), it’s a drive and park gambit.

In order to avoid Friday afternoon rush hour traffic and the construction mess near Chase Field, we left our house at 4:30, almost three hours before the National Anthem. It was the optimal window to snake our way through the traffic and scoot around the mess that is a series of single-lane streets by Chase Field. So, we were at the Park a few hours before first pitch. We were not the only ones, by the way. We heard others mention the same issue with the traffic and construction.

And, as fate would have it, the Dbacks lost in 11 innings, more than four hours after the game started.

Opening Night 2007 for Arizona Fall League did not disappoint. It was the night in which the Fall League brain trust retired Albert Pujols’ number; he played in the league before we moved back, but is a legend and now his number is  retired on the left field fence (along with others such as Dusty Baker, Troy Percival And Terry Francona). Frank Robinson and AFL pres Steve Cobb handled the ceremony.

The game itself featured some amazing young talent including Evan Longoria (Devil Rays); Travis Snider (Blue Jays); David Purcey (Blue Jays); Ching-Ling Hu (Dodgers), etc.. As you will see in my clip, I (as always) highlight prospects from the Philadelphia Phillies—Greg Golson and Mike Costanzo. From the Diamondbacks, pitcher Esmerling Vasquez is quite impressive. I did not get him on video.

Fall in Scottsdale means the beginning of a series of events, fairs, expos, etc.. We went over to the Green Building Expo by the Scottsdale Civic Center with a few goals: get some info on energy/fuel efficient cars, find a garden service that uses organic products and come up with a contractor to help us with an addition to our house that can be done using recycled building materials.