Latest news with #ForLoveoftheGame
Chicago Tribune
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Jacobs graduate Doug Feldmann finds baseball home as official scorer for Cincinnati Reds. ‘Kind of got hooked.'
Doug Feldmann won't be mistaken for actor Kevin Costner, but this college professor is living a baseball dream of his own that would be the envy of many. Costner, of course, starred in baseball movies 'Bull Durham' and 'Field of Dreams' before playing the role of fictional Detroit Tigers pitcher Billy Chapel in 'For Love of the Game,' a 1999 film. Feldmann graduated from Jacobs in 1988, the year that 'Bull Durham' was released. He's parlayed his passion for the sport to build a resume filled with baseball connections while pursuing his career in education that started at Northern Illinois and includes a doctorate from Indiana. 'I kind of got hooked,' said Feldmann, who is in his first season as an official scorer for the Cincinnati Reds. It's a job he shares with legendary Ron Roth, who's been at it for 45 years and has coached amateur baseball for 60 years. Both are employed by Major League Baseball. Feldmann, who has taught in the College of Education at Northern Kentucky for the past 20 years, has played and coached baseball, written about it and scouted for several professional teams. His extensive writing on baseball history and the sport's sociological impact on urban and small-town America include articles for Society of American Baseball Research and several books. He previously worked 15 seasons at Reds games for MLB as a data caster. 'Staring at a laptop, he sits next to the P.A. announcer and official scorer putting in all kinds of data that includes scoring and play-by-play,' Feldmann said of the role. 'At the end of the night, I'd check with the scorer to make sure we matched up, then sent a report to New York. It was fun.' With the new job comes more responsibility. Hit or error? It's an age-old question for anyone who has ever kept score at a baseball game and is still one of the most challenging decisions to make, although with all the information that MLB records and compiles, there's more help. Feldmann has 24 hours to change any call he's made and players have three days to appeal. 'Five to six years ago, they were still faxing information to New York each night, but now it's done electronically,' Feldmann. 'In my training I was told the guiding principal is, should (or) could an average major leaguer make the play? 'If someone like Elly De La Cruz ranges far to his left and dives but can't come up with the ball, how many players would even get to the ball? I'm told to trust my eyes.' Players do appeal, especially with decisions possibly impacting bonuses outlined in their contracts based on performance. 'It's dizzying,' Feldmann said of all the information that's now available in the age of analytics. How hard the ball was hit can be gauged by its speed off the bat. 'I'm kind of older school,' Feldmann said. 'I hope the beauty of the game is not lost.' His love for baseball came naturally. His father, John, played minor league baseball for both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox in a professional career interrupted by service in the Navy. Feldmann's late brother, Chuck, taught and coached football at Dundee-Crown. His sister, Julie Edwards, still lives in Algonquin. Feldmann played the sport in high school as well as basketball and football. He walked on to the football team at Northern Illinois. 'I had played fullback and linebacker at Jacobs but was the backup punter at NIU,' he said with a chuckle. 'Not a very critical position.' So, when the school reinstated baseball in the spring of 1991, Feldmann asked coach Jerry Pettibone if he could skip spring practice to try out. He was given the OK and made the team, playing mostly third base and some outfield for coach Joe McFarland. 'We were kind of a ragtag operation,' Feldmann said. 'We took some lumps but we had fun.' Feldmann taught high school for several years and coached lower-level baseball in DeKalb, Libertyville and Rockford before moving on to college teaching. There he tried scouting as a side job, assisting full-time scouts and feeding them information in a freelancer role. 'I'd love to stick with scoring,' Feldmann said. 'I don't know for how long, but I'm really enjoying being at the ballpark and going to the games.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kevin Costner's Yankees story brings back memories of Steinbrenner's wild side
Kevin Costner's Yankees story brings back memories of Steinbrenner's wild side originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With the New York Yankees muddling their way through to the ALl-Star break, their fans are suddenly finding themself nostalgic for the mercurial days when legendary owner George Steinbrenner ran the team with emotion, passion and an itchy trigger finger. Advertisement So, this story that Kevin Costner told at the Fanatics festival will hit hard. The Hollywood icon hit every note of what it meant to deal with George Steinbrenner—blunt, territorial, explosive, and somehow still capable of generous surprises. Legendary New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner accepts the World Series trophy along with manager Joe Torre in 1998.© Imagn Images Costner recalled trying to film scenes at Yankee Stadium for the movie For Love of the Game in 1998 —only to have Steinbrenner abruptly shut it down after learning the Yankees lose in the movie. 'Now I'm thinking, I'm dead unless I say something,' Costner told the audience, saying The Boss was so angry about the fictional loss that he canceled the whole shoot. 'I started doing a tap dance,' Costner said, calling the whole scene 'f----- up. Advertisement Costner managed to win him over with the line that apparently unlocked the gates to the old Yankee Stadium. 'It's a meaningless game, George.' He promised Steinbrenner the Yankees would be treated with the proper reverence in the movie. Steinbrenner backed down, the crew filmed the scenes, and For Love of the Game went forward. The real Yankees went on to win the 1999 World Series, sweeping the Braves. Costner, who never wore pinstripes in the film, somehow wound up with a World Series executive ring from Steinbrenner himself. 'He was very capable of blowing up,' Costner said, 'and he was also capable of the most giant gestures that you can imagine.' Advertisement Every Yankees fan has heard the stories of Steinbrenner's legendary temper and his amazing generosity. These days, they just wish his son had inherited more of the itchy trigger finger when running the Yankees. Related: Want to Live Like the Yankees' Boss? George Steinbrenner's Former Mansion Is for Sale Related: Calls Grow for Yankees to Make a Change in Leadership This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Digital Trends
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
3 rom-coms on Netflix you need to watch in May 2025
Table of Contents Table of Contents For Love of the Game (1999) Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) The Five-Year Engagement (2012) Sofia Carson is quickly becoming one of Netflix's most valuable stars. Carson first proved her worth in Purple Hearts, the romantic drama that became the streamer's third most watched movie of 2022. Carry-On, a thriller with Carson and Taron Edgerton, is Netflix's second most popular English-language movie ever. Now, Carson has The Life List, the romantic dramedy that has spent five consecutive weeks in the top 10. If you haven't seen The Life List, rom-com fans should put it in their queue. Otherwise, watch one of the three rom-coms below, including a baseball drama, a Ryan Gosling-led comedy, and a charming story about an engagement. Recommended Videos We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+. For Love of the Game (1999) How can you not be romantic about baseball? Sam Raimi — yes, the same director behind The Evil Dead and Spider-Man franchises — explored a love story told through baseball in For Love of the Game. Aging pitcher Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is on his last legs. The Detroit Tigers plans to trade Chapel after his final start against the New York Yankees. While on the mound, Billy reflects on the relationship with his girlfriend, Jane Aubrey (Kelly Preston), the love of his life who plans to leave him for a job in London. Billy is so distracted by his thoughts about Jane that he doesn't realize the perfect game he's pitching until the bottom of the eighth inning. Can Billy finish the job? Frankly, does the game even matter if he can't share his success with Jane? Stream For Love of the Game on Netflix. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) Crazy, Stupid, Love maximizes its charming, attractive, and talented cast to its benefit. Written by Paradise's Dan Fogelman, Crazy, Stupid, Love follows Cal Weaver (Steve Carrell), a middle-aged man who's shell-shocked to learn that his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), had an affair and wants a divorce. Depressed, Cal tries to get back into the dating market. Cal's attempts at attracting women go so poorly that they catch the attention of the handsome womanizer, Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). Under Jacob's tutelage, Cal learns the art of picking up women. For a lovely rom-com, Crazy, Stupid, Love still has one of the best plot twists in any genre of the past 15 years. Stream Crazy, Stupid, Love on Netflix. The Five-Year Engagement (2012) Couples in serious relationships can probably relate to the drama at the center of The Five-Year Engagement. Sous chef Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) and his PhD graduate girlfriend Violet (Emily Blunt) are engaged. However, their engagement transforms into a curse-like situation. Every time the couple plans to tie the knot, something happens to derail their plans. This leads to a breaking point where regret and doubt seep into their relationship. Even though things fall apart, you're rooting for Tom and Violet to make it work because of the soothing chemistry between Segel and Blunt. Stream The Five-Year Engagement on Netflix.
