It’s hard to fathom that I’ve written that many posts on this blog. When I began the HB blog a little over 18 months ago, it was with the idea to inform and give my hard hitting views on things.

Over that span, I’ve covered a repeat New York-Penn League championship courtesy of the minor league Single-A Yankee affiliate out here as the Staten Island Baby Bombers swept past the Verrazano rival Cyclones and got a great pitching performance from George Kontos and closer Mark Melanchon to shutout Tri-City 2-0 in the deciding game touching off a great celebration.

It was a pleasure to cover such a well together T-E-A-M which jelled combining timely hitting with great pitching and defense in becoming the first back-to-back Penn League champ in over two decades.

I don’t like to single out players but the performances of Mitch Hilligoss, Seth Fortenberry, Wilmer Pino, Kyle Larsen, Francisco Cervelli, Colin Curtis, Nick Peterson, Tim Norton and Jonathan Hovis were on display that special summer in 2006. More often than not, they delivered and made covering them a joy for this fortunate reporter.

Anytime you get to see a team win a championship, it’s pretty cool. We have jobs to do just like they do. Only difference is that without them, there wouldn’t be anything to write about. I think sometimes columnists forget that important aspect.

I don’t view athletes as any different than us. However, as someone who ran cross country track, played tennis and also travel basketball during my adolescence, I certainly have an appreciation for the kind of hard work and commitment these players put themselves through. It takes a heck of a lot to be able to perform at a high level.

Can we as writers take players to task? Certainly. If you see a player not trying on the defensive end, etc, it puts into question why they’re not following their assignment(s).

I’ll openly admit that it’s much easier to watch a game and conclude that so and so isn’t giving their all. The truth is I don’t really know. Unless you’re there on the inside, it’s totally a different perspective.

I was talking to an injured Berkeley Carroll basketball player Giancarlo Hirsch during a tough home defeat to Staten Island Academy this past Monday. The 17 year-old junior starting small forward had suffered a bruise which kept him out of that game. Instead, he was forced to help keep the scorebook while I worked the game and shot clock. Fyi…I’m the official scorer for all the BC games two years running.

Quite obviously, it was killing him to be reduced to the sidelines instead of participating and maybe helping the Lions avenge an earlier road loss at SIA the prior month.

Hirsch teams with senior guard Jason Lewis and fellow junior Philip Seay to form a three-guard offense. When they’re aggressive slashing to the basket and drawing defenders, usually good things happen. Whether it’s a hard driving lay-up or a kick out to the perimeter for an uncontested three, their speed can wreak havoc on opponents. It’s all about making smart decisions with the ball and involving teammates.

With his team fighting hard despite being down to seven players, Hirsch concluded that we haven’t seen this team’s best yet. He believes that they’ll turn it on when the ACIS playoffs start in a week. Hopefully, he’ll be back tomorrow for the first of two regular season meetings against Friends Seminary.

We’ll have to wait and see. That’s part of what’s great about sports. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something unpredictable like the Giants coming together at the right time under Tom Coughlin to win it all.

The excitement of a Final Four Cinderella such as George Mason is what can make it all worthwhile.

There will always be stuff to write about. Hopefully, with the Roger Clemens-Brian McNamee three-ring circus behind us, it will be more positive than negative.

Until then, I’ll keep on blogging.