From My Seat, Memphis Flyer

Baseball in the Dark

Frank Murtaugh — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:43:00 -0500

Leadership can take many forms, sometimes even at a cinema. Last month, my daughter — shortstop for the White Station Middle School Spartans — invited her team for a matinee showing of 42, the wonderful film that (finally) chronicles the life of Jackie Robinson and his breaking of baseball’s color barrier in 1947.…

On Grass, On Ice, On Clay ...

Frank Murtaugh — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 09:56:00 -0500

A few random thoughts from one of the year’s best sports weekends:

• Professional athletes are overpaid.…

Phil Cannon Talks FedEx St. Jude Classic

Frank Murtaugh — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:28:00 -0500

It’s impossible to think of professional golf in Memphis without thinking of its title sponsor (FedEx) or charity of choice (St. Jude). Likewise the name Phil Cannon, tournament director of the FedEx St. Jude Classic since 1999.…

Remember the Kings

Frank Murtaugh — Tue, 28 May 2013 08:30:00 -0500

It was an NBA team in a city that had no NFL or Major League Baseball representation. Having relocated not all that long ago, the team endeared itself to a community in ways that measured beyond game night, beyond logo or brand, beyond winning streaks and All-Star appearances.…

Love the Towel, Loathe the Spurs

Frank Murtaugh — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:19:00 -0500

There are countless benefits to attending a sporting event with a press credential. The “free pass” is something I’ve never taken for granted, whether covering a hapless football team in November or a Final Four-bound basketball team in March.…

Grizzlies, Grizzlies Everywhere in Downtown Memphis

Frank Murtaugh — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:37:00 -0500

I was rooting hard against the Grizzlies last Saturday. But to no avail.…

Can You Win the NBA Title Without a Superstar?

Frank Murtaugh — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:27:00 -0500

There’s a long-held belief among NBA followers that a team cannot win a championship without a bankable, Grade-A superstar. In a league that thrives on the marketability of individual stars (sometimes at the expense of successful teams), can a club reach the mountaintop without a face selling sneakers in Times Square?…

Grit & Grind Finds Its Groove

Frank Murtaugh — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:49:00 -0500

FedExForum will host an elimination game Friday night. It’s up to the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers — playing Game 5 of their opening-round series Tuesday night in L.A. — to determine which team is teetering near the cliff of offseason blues.…

Remember Boston, But Embrace the Crowd

Frank Murtaugh — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:04:00 -0500

October 2001 was going to be a special month for my family. A longtime friend — a high school classmate — was getting married in Vermont.…

Memphis Redbirds History 101

Frank Murtaugh — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:44:00 -0500

Deep in the bowels of AutoZone Park — below ground level, where “authorized personnel only” can be found — there sits a batting cage, adjacent to the Memphis Redbirds’ clubhouse. Painted on the wall next to the cage are 14 yellow pennants, each with the year a Memphis professional baseball team won a league championship.…

Golf is a Great Game — For You

Frank Murtaugh — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:55:00 -0500

Golf is a Great Game . . . for You…

John Vuch: The Cardinals' "System Guy"

Frank Murtaugh — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:15:00 -0500

The Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals — open the 2013 baseball season Thursday night at AutoZone Park when they host the Oklahoma City RedHawks. I spoke with Cardinals Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch about the extraordinary growth of a system considered among baseball’s weakest not that long ago.…