Windmill windups, childhood dreams and infield flies

Where, but in the Sandlot, would we discuss items such as these?

Fresno Grizzlies starter Mitch Lively has one of the best names possible for a pitcher. Who doesn’t want a lively fastball? But once in a while, you get more than that from him. In a game on Tuesday night in Omaha, he turned back the clock on a couple of pitches and went into an old fashioned windmill delivery, swinging both arms twice, as if to gather enough momentum to throw the pitch. Wish I could say I shot video of it, but by the time I got my camera fired up, it was too late.

One of the best things about a new ballpark like Werner Park in Omaha is that the bullpens were designed so fans could walk right up to them and watch a pitcher warming up. Check out this picture that photographer Minda Haas shot recently of a little boy watching Omaha’s Justin Marks in the bullpen. Looks like he's dreaming about getting his shot one day. Brings back memories, doesn’t it?

From the "you never know what you’re going to see at the ballpark" file, Andrew Cockrum from Baseball Tucson tweeted this last night, presumably from the Oklahoma City vs. Tucson game: "Just saw a record ... 2 straight infield fly rules on 2 pitches. A record that will never be broken." He’s probably right, but never say never.