Left Field Returns

It's spring and that means baseball. If we're talking baseball, we're also talking Left Field. After a harsh winter and some time away from the game, Left Field has returned to Blogger Boulevard.

Our first guest this spring is Ron Baller. Ron was an integral member of Lutheran North's boys basketball district championship team, played in the strangest state championship soccer game and continued his soccer career at two colleges. Welcome Ron Baller to Left Field.

As a senior at North you played in the soccer state championship with at least six inches of snow on the field? Yeah we played that game in Grand Rapids in mid November. I still think they should have canceled that game. We were actually winning 1 - 0 and ended up losing 3-1. I blame it on the snow.

Do you really think Mr. Rochlitz looks like Jim Morrison? Oh yeah, as you know my senior year the soccer team made t-shirt out of an old college picture of Mr. Rochlitz. He had long hair and he kind of looked like Jim Morrison on steroids.

You transferred from Roseville High School at the start of your sophomore year. Why North? Good question! I am really not sure, but I know it was one of the best decisions of my life.

What’s your secret to those biceps that made the front sports page of The Macomb Daily? Lots of greens: mean and lean.

Not only did you play in the soccer state championship your senior year, you also played in the national finals game while playing for Macomb College. What was that collegiate experience like? Playing at Macomb was a great experience. We had a very talented team that year but we lost in the national finals. Can’t blame the snow on that one.

You also played soccer and met your wife at Concordia University in Ann Arbor. Word on Blogger Boulevard is that Concordia Ann Arbor is starting a football team next year. Think you might suit up and play football for the Cardinals? I don’t think so! I enjoy watching football not playing it.

You coach the girls’ and boys’ soccer teams at Roseville High School. What differences do you see in coaching girls and boys? I enjoy coaching both of them but it is definitely different. You deal with different struggles with both.

Your high school basketball team recently had a fifteen-year reunion recognizing its district championship. What was it like to walk back on that court after fifteen years? It was really great to be back at the school and to see the guys. I can’t believe it has been fifteen years, I can remember those days like it was yesterday. I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one who gained weight since high school!

Pop-Flies
Soccer or football? Soccer of course
Matt Stafford or David Beckham? Stafford, I ate sushi right next to him in Royal Oak this year!
GM or Honda? GM
Five Guys or McDonalds? Red Coat Tavern
The Clem or Roseville? The Ville
Kwami Killpatrick or Kyle Karsten? Karsten for sure, he was smooth.
Pele or Freddy Adu? Pele, I like old school.
Twitter or Facebook? Neither