TAMPA BAY'S NEW MUST-SEE PLAYER

I’ve been a diehard St. Louis Cardinals fan for as long as I can remember. But after moving to the Tampa Bay area 11 years ago, I found myself catching more and more Rays games partly out of convenience, but also because this team has become seriously fun to watch. And this season? It’s something special. The Rays have unleashed Chandler Simpson, a 24-year-old rookie who might just be the fastest player in all of Major League Baseball. I’m not exaggerating; this guy flies.

In just 55 games, he’s already stolen 27 bases, and every time he gets on, whether it’s a walk, a bloop single, or whatever. You get the feeling he’s about to turn it into a double or a triple with his wheels alone. He’s got that electric, edge-of-your-seat energy that reminds me of Lou Brock, Vince Coleman, and Rickey Henderson, guys who made speed an art form. In an era dominated by home runs and strikeouts, Simpson is reviving a part of the game that many thought was gone. If he stays healthy, I truly believe we’re watching the rise of baseball’s next great star.

THE FIRST ROAR

It was sometime during the summer of 1964; I don't remember the exact date. The hometown St. Louis Cardinals were in the middle of one of the most fantastic pennant drives in baseball history. However, as a six-year-old kid, I was oblivious to this fact when I attended my first major league ball game. I barely knew the difference between a ball and a strike when my father took me and my older brothers to watch the Redbirds take on the New York Mets at OLD, OLD Busch Stadium (formerly known as Sportsman's Park).

This venue was where I first heard the ROAR. It happened while we were sitting in our general admission seats on the upper deck. The game at the time meant little to me as I was fixated mostly on the spectacle of seeing the largest mass of humanity I had ever seen gathered before my young eyes.

Then suddenly, cork...ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!!!!!!

Tens of thousands of people were standing and cheering loudly. The sound reminded me of the noise my toy walkie-talkie made when the volume on its static was turned all the way up. I looked at my Dad with a mix of surprise and puzzlement. He knew I didn't know what the hell was going on and told me, "The Cardinals just got a hit."

Over the years since that first game, I have become quite an avid, and I'd like to think, a knowledgeable fan of the Cardinals and the sport, in general. Now, I've heard that roar in the following years during many exciting and memorable moments at differing venues. However, none of those instances have equaled how the sensation felt when I experienced it for the first time.