Call of Duty Spells College Relief; quick Giants thoughts

It is great to be back writing again.

The San Francisco Giants amazingly are in first place despite the injuries--now with Freddy Sanchez the latest to go done. They statistically have one of the worst offense in the National League, but they still lead the NL West by one game over the Diamondbacks.

What is the recipe for success for the Giants? Good starting pitching, a shutdown bullpen, and resiliency are the ingredients for the Giants' winning.

Back in 2008, the Giants had a similar anemic offense, but they lost 90 games. What was the difference?

The 2008 club had a 4.38 team ERA.

It is time for the Giants to make a statement in Arizona now that Pablo Sandoval will be back.

Now to change gears. Here is a news feature story I wrote for Patch.com on video games.

...

By Vince Cestone

Video games a popular form of entertainment for De Anza students trying to escape pressures of attending college.

Video games are a popular form of entertainment, and some students at De Anza College enjoy escaping the pressures of school and work by engaging with an electronic virtual world.

According to a study by Pew Internet Research, 70 percent of college students play video games at least “once in a while.” Half of the college students in the Pew study admitted that video games keep them from studying “some” or a “lot.”

Raymond Lee, 25, a fourth-year journalism major at De Anza, said he plays “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” about 30 hours per week. While he spends many hours studying, Lee said he uses the first-person shooter war game to take him on a journey he could never go on in the real world and to give his mind a break from the books.

“You can play or do something like a pro—something you can’t do in real life,” Lee said. “We are living in a peaceful world, and it’s interesting to know how it’s like to be in war—a fantasy life. It’s a way to relax without thinking too much.”

Like Lee, 31-year-old De Anza student Sean Fitzgerald said he plays video games to make unrealistic scenarios and fantasy situations happen in his virtual world. For example, in the sports video game “NCAA Football 12,” he could have San Jose State University play the University of Alabama, a matchup unlikely to happen in real life.

“I can pick whatever college I want and play the team I want to play on a schedule I pick,” Fitzgerald said. “This match-up would never happen in real life because that team (University of Alabama) is way better than San Jose State, but in a video game, I can play as San Jose and win.”

Although he only has time to play this game a couple of hours per week, Fitzgerald said it gives him a moment to relax his mind.

“It gives me a distraction for an hour or two, because I think it’s fun,” Fitzgerald said.

While some students use virtual reality to escape from the pressures of everyday life, others use it for its social aspect.

William Ferguson, 21, a second-year English major at De Anza, said he likes playing multiplayer, team video games. One of his favorites, “League of Legends,” is a team-oriented strategy game where his avatar has a supporting role on a team.

“I like the social aspect of the game, and what draws me to it is the variety in the game—you can make the gameplay your own,” Ferguson said. “The player base is really strong, and I get to play with people in different countries and meet people through gameplay.”

An immensely popular video game that some De Anza students also play is a "massively multiplayer online role-playing game" (MMORPG) called “World of Warcraft” (WOW.) This game genre involves a large number of players interacting within a virtual world, and according to the video game web site, IGN.com, more than 12 million people are playing this game online right at this moment.

De Anza student Paul Kamradt, 19, plays WOW about 20 hours per week. He said he cannot put the game down and understands why the game is played by millions worldwide.

“It’s addicting,” Kamradt said. “There’s really nothing to do on it; it’s unbeatable, competitive, and the ranking system through arenas is awesome.”

Although WOW users are charged a monthly fee, Kamradt said the price is worth its entertainment value.

Anthony Nguyen, 23, previously told Cupertino Patch that the high cost of education forced him to cut down on his favorite leisure activity—playing video games. As a third-year journalism major struggling to pay student fees at De Anza College, Nguyen said he cut his playing time from 25 hours per week to five hours, now that he's buying fewer games and studying.

Still, Nguyen makes the most of his reduced play time with role-playing games such as “Final Fantasy 4.” He said the game’s cinematic story and excellent gameplay appeals to him.

“The game has a very interesting storyline, and the music is very relaxing,” Nguyen said. “It is fun, and it takes you on a journey beyond your wildest imagination.”

Like some other De Anza students, Nguyen also said he does his best to balance school and his video game play time.




This article was featured on Cupertino Patch.

Follow me on twitter @vintalkingiants.

Questions or comments? E-mail my blog mailbag at vc4re@yahoo.com. Your questions may be answered on my blog.

Be sure to use the #talkinggiants tag when referring to my article on twitter.

Don't forget to take my poll here on the left of the site.

Add me on Facebook. Click here.

Students Relieved but Cautious After Bin Laden’s Death

Here is another one of my great news stories. Enjoy...

...

Reactions at De Anza College are mixed, from elation to concern to apathy.

  

De Anza College students have had mixed reactions to the May 1 killing of Osama bin Laden, from elation that the terrorist is dead to concern of a possible retaliation to apathy.

Bin Laden, the founder of the international terrorist organization al-Qaida, was responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. He had been hiding in a mansion in an affluent neighborhood in Pakistan, where U.S. Navy SEALs raided the compound and shot and killed the terrorist leader.

Franco Miranda, 20, a third-year computer science major at De Anza, checked his Yahoo email account on the night of May 1 and said he was relieved when he read in a news flash that bin Laden was dead. He also said he was ecstatic but surprised that justice had been finally served.

“I was extremely shocked but in the sense of happiness that Osama was confirmed dead, even though it took 10 years for it to happen,” Miranda said.

Unlike Miranda, 22-year-old Michael Jimenez, a second-year liberal arts major at De Anza, said he cannot sleep any easier because of bin Laden’s death. He said he fears the killing could incite a violent retaliation from al-Qaida.

“I am not relieved yet, because there are plenty of other terrorists out there that could severely damage us,” Jimenez said.

Although Jimenez is fearful of a possible terrorist strike against the U.S., he said he was confident that the American government would keep citizens safe at home.

“I think our intelligence is pretty top-notch,” he said. “I don’t think the terrorists would try anything here. Maybe they will go after American embassies in other countries.”

Ashkon Afsari, 21, a first-year business major at De Anza, agrees with Jimenez that an American embassy could be a potential terrorist target, but he does not rule out a retaliatory attack on American soil.

“I think retaliation is imminent,” Afsari said. “There are areas of high concentration that could be targets. I fear attacks on a U.S. embassy.”

Upon hearing the news of bin Laden’s death, some college students rushed to the White House and Ground Zero to celebrate, waiving patriotic signs and chanting “USA.” Sylvie Belinga, 27, a fifth-year journalism major at De Anza, decided not to celebrate, she said, because it is not her nature to outwardly cheer for someone’s death, even if it is the man responsible for 9/11.

“I did not celebrate, because I am not that much of a party person,” Belinga said. “All I wanted to know was how to get more information of how he was killed and how it unraveled.”

On the night of bin Laden’s death, President Barack Obama told the world that the U.S. killed the terrorist leader in Pakistan.

“Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden,” President Obama said during a televised statement.

Although the president assured the world that bin Laden was dead, Afsari was not entirely convinced.

“I started with thinking of how the United States needed something to boost morale,” Afsari said. “That, along with the conspiracy theories I’ve heard and the concealment of the body, made Osama’s killing seem not real.”

While some De Anza students said they felt relieved or concerned about bin Laden’s death, some students are apathetic.

Megan Kemmer, 27, a first-year photography major at De Anza, is flying to New York soon and said she does not feel scared or excited about bin Laden’s death and its impact on her trip. Nonetheless, she will remain aware of her surroundings.

“I’m not fearful, but I am cautious,” Kemmer said. “I never doubted our security when he was still alive, nor now that he’s dead. I didn’t have any change of heart when I found out the news.”

Still, Kemmer said she understood the significance of bin Laden’s killing.

“History has been made.” Kemmer said. “Our children will be learning about this one day in history class.”

This article was featured on Cupertino Patch.com.


Follow me on twitter @vintalkingiants.


Questions or comments? E-mail my blog mailbag at vc4re@yahoo.com. Your questions may be answered on my blog.


Be sure to use the #talkinggiants tag when referring to my article on twitter.


Don't forget to take my poll on the left of my blog.

Higher Education Costs Create Financial Burdens

The Giants lost today 5-2 against the Mets in yet another terrible offensive performance. They ended up 5-5 on the trip, but they could have done much better. Because of the loss, I decided to change things up and publish a news story I wrote for Cupertino Patch.com. Check it out and let me know what you think. It is on the increased cost of education.

...

De Anza College's value spares some the increased cost of education that leave some students and parents in a financial bind.

The poor economy and the ever-increasing cost of education leave some students and parents with nightmares about how to cope with the high price tag associated with attending college, forcing some to cut back, or cut out.

Cupertino's De Anza College is a more affordable option for students, which leads some students to start college careers there before transferring to four-year universities. The cost of supplies, fees and textbooks combined are $2,075 at De Anza—about one-fifth the cost of attending University of California.

According to the University of California’s website, UC regents voted in November to approve an 8 percent fee increase. This increased annual student fees by $822, bringing undergraduate costs to $11,124 for the academic year—not including housing.

Although De Anza is easier on the pocketbook, it still comes at a cost that some students can't afford without sacrificing, or having to work to afford an education. Still, the need for a higher education is recognized as a necessity to get ahead.

Brittany Sims, 21, a third-year journalism major at De Anza, had high hopes of attending Delaware State University, but the $40,000 debt that came along with going to school there was too much for her to bear.
Although De Anza College is cheaper for her to attend, Sims plans to transfer to San Jose State University, along with supporting her 8-month-old infant at the same time.

“The cost of education is not affecting me now, but when I get my career job after I get my master’s degree, I will have major debt already,” Sims said.

Some students tried to compensate for the high cost of education by working more hours at a job than they would usually work.

First-year nursing major Kalley Phillips, 18, works nearly full time at a bakery to pay her fees at De Anza College. In high school, her parents would pay for her gas, school supplies and lunch, but now, the financial burden is on her.

“My parents haven’t been able to support me as much as they hoped,” Phillips said. “Thus, they encouraged me to go to a community college as opposed to a Christian private school that has a great nursing program.”

Other students have been forced to cut the things they love to pay for school.

Anthony Nguyen, 23, a third-year journalism major at De Anza college, cut down on one of his biggest loves so he could afford his student fees.

“I will save up by cutting back on buying video games, at first,” Nguyen said. “When I transfer, I have no idea what I am going to do.”

The record-high cost of attending UCLA forced 22-year-old Milagro—who requested for safety concerns that his full name not be used—a fifth-year English major, to postpone his education for the majority of the 2010-11 school year. Homeless and sleeping at friends’ apartments at Stanford University, he is doing the best he can working multiple jobs in Palo Alto so he can support himself and his family.

“After my third year in college, I spent 16 out of 20 months homeless,” Milagro said. “I took a quarter off to support my twin brother, and I worked a minimum of five jobs, totaling 30 hours per week.”

Milagro’s brother attends Stanford, and his parents are in dire straits financially.

“The high cost of education was the leading cause for my parents to declare bankruptcy,” Milagro said. “There was a discrepancy between the rising cost of education and my parents’ ability to contribute to me and my brother.”

So parents, too, have also been forced to make sacrifices to pay for their children’s education.

San Carlos homemaker Janette Strobeck, 56, a regular customer at Peet’s Coffee in Cupertino, said she worries about her daughter’s education expenses and the impact it will have on her and her husband in the future. Kristi, her only daughter, is a senior at Summit Preparatory Charter High School.

“My daughter’s education costs delay our retirement plans, due to having to pay those student loans,” Strobeck said. “It makes us more concerned about what’s going to happen once the education ends.”

Like Nguyen, Strobeck is forced to cut corners to pay for her daughter’s education.

“Our family has to make sacrifices,” Strobeck said. “My daughter stopped doing kickboxing, which she loved, just so we can make it.”




This article was featured on Cupertino Patch.com.

Follow me on twitter @vintalkingiants.

Questions or comments? E-mail my blog mailbag at vc4re@yahoo.com. Your questions may be answered on my blog.

Be sure to use the #talkinggiants tag when referring to my article on twitter.

Don't forget to take my poll on the left of my blog. 

De Anza Rallies to Edge Cabrillo

Player cut by Seahawks gets game-winning pinch-hit for De Anza as Dons improve to 1-3 in Coast Conference.

De Anza 5, Cabrillo 4

The Stars: Chris Freeman, who tried out for the Cabrillo Seahawks but was told he was not good enough, laced an eighth inning, pinch-hit double down the left-field line that knocked in the winning run for the De Anza College baseball team. The clutch knock broke up the tie ball game, helping De Anza edge Cabrillo 5-4 on a spotless Saturday afteroon at De Anza College.

De Anza starting pitcher Ryan Gunther was strong, lasting six and one-third innings and yielding just three runs. He kept the Dons in the ballgame, dazzling Hawk hitters with his knuckleball and exiting the mound in a 3-3 tie. De Anza right-hander Henry Santoro (1-0) earned the win in relief. Outfielder Will Gibson moved from center field to the mound and closed out the game in the ninth, earning his second save of the year. The game was the first win in four tries for De Anza in Coast Conference play.
For the Seahawks, right-handed hurler Taylor Toccalino pitched five strong innings, surrendering just two runs. The game was tied at two at the time

Seahawks catcher Jake Ohmann had a stellar day offensively. After Gunther hit him on the helmet in the fourth inning, Ohmann hit a game-tying RBI double in the top of the sixth inning and blooped a single to load the bases in the eighth. He also stole a base as part of a double steal.

The Turning Point: With the bases loaded and nobody out in the top of the eighth inning, De Anza (4-10, 1-3, Coast Conference) relief pitchers Mason Sperakos and Henry Santoro escaped the jam by allowing just one run on a one-out ground out that was hit too softly for an inning-ending double play. Manager Scott Hertler summoned in Santoro with two outs in the eighth, and he promptly retired the side on an atom ball to center field.

The Dons exhibited good plate discipline going into the late innings. Coming into Saturday’s game, the Dons’ team batting average was just .203, but they have been hitting better of late, scoring 21 runs in the last three games. De Anza’s eighth inning game-winning rally was started on a leadoff single by Kai Washington, who was bunted over to second on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Will Gibson. This set up Freeman’s clutch game-winning double. Freeman showed fundamental plate discipline by taking an outside pitch and lacing an opposite-field line drive.

The Quotes:  “We played hard like we always do, but this time we played perfect defense,” Dons manager Scott Hertler said after the win. “We were very opportunistic [with our hits]. It’s not how many hits you get; it’s when you get them.”

Despite De Anza’s poor record, Hertler knew that his team’s hard work would eventually pay off.

“Every time you come to the yard, you have to expect to win,” Hertler said. “It was not a surprise win.”

Starting pitcher Ryan Gunther had most of his pitches working during the game and was thrilled about his team’s first win in Coast Conference play.

“I bore down, stayed in the game, and threw strikes,” Gunther said. “My curveball and slider were working very well. They beat me on good pitches at the knees. We really needed it [the win].”

The ballgame’s offensive hero, Chris Freeman, admits that beating the team that cut him was a thrilling moment.

“The guy I faced was a good friend of mine, so I knew what was coming,” Freeman said. “There is no better feeling in baseball than to stick a nail in the coffin against a team that said you couldn’t play anymore.”

What's Next? De Anza heads to Gilroy on Tuesday to take on Gavilan College. The game will start at 2:30 p.m.

Cabrillo will host Cañada College on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

Bottom Line: The Dons played an overall clean game on Saturday. Their hard work showed up on the field on Saturday, as the Dons played baseball the way it should be played. They had made 43 errors in 13 games before Saturday’s game, but made none on Saturday. Cabrillo (11-6, 3-2 Coast Conference) made two crucial errors, contributing greatly to their loss. The Dons also executed good fundamentals, using little ball to score runs since the team does not have much pop. If the Dons can cut down their errors and find ways to score runs, they might just be a factor in the Coast Conference.
—————————
De Anza 5, Cabrillo 4
WP: Santoro (1-0). LP: Cedar Morgan (1-3)
Records: De Anza 4-10, 1-3 Coast Conference. Cabrillo 11-6, 3-2 Coast Conference.

De Anza Dons routed by College of San Mateo

The Dons are trying their hardest to win ball games, but their effort is not showing up on the field just yet.

The Dons committed seven errors in Tuesdays’ 14-1 loss against the College of San Mateo Bulldogs, three of them fueling a Bulldogs’ nine-run sixth inning.

Manager Scott Hertler assures fans that although the Dons appeared sloppy on the field, they are doing all they can to tighten their game up.

“We just had trouble catching the ball, but as long as we work hard, that’s all that matters,” Hertler said. “It [the defense] has been addressed.”

Second baseman Martin Taylor had a rough time at second base, accounting for four of the seven errors, and going 0 for three at the dish. However, the loss was by no means his fault.

All 14 Bulldog runs were charged to starting pitcher Vidanage Shian. In five and two-thirds innings of work, he surrendered nine earned runs, but gave up just two walks and struck out five.

Although Shian yielded five runs before the excruciating sixth-inning, Hertler left him in because he was confident that his righty was still pitching well.

“I thought he wasn’t getting hit hard, and he was throwing strikes,” Hertler said. “The bullpen did an outstanding job, but we don’t have the luxury of having a lot [in the bullpen].”

One bright spot in the game was the Dons’ bullpen, pitching three and one-third scoreless innings of perfect baseball.

Thing looked promising for the Dons in the bottom of the second inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Bulldogs’ pitcher Daniel Chavez balked in a run, but the Dons squandered the scoring opportunity when shortstop Dalton Lopes struck out to end the inning.

That was the last big mistake Chavez made. In five and two-thirds strong innings of work, Chavez gave up just one run on three hits, while striking out seven and walking only two.

The Bulldogs made things happen with the bat and on the basepaths. College of San Mateo’s second baseman Michael Kathan stole three bases in the game and went three for five with two RBIs.

Bulldogs third baseman Cody Zimmeran also had a great day in the plate, going two for three with two RBIs. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Zimmeran put the exclamation point on the nine-run sixth inning rally with a towering home run that cleared the left-field wall.

The two Bulldog runs in the third inning were all they needed. Speedster Kathan brought in a run on an infield single, and catcher Shawn Walters laced an RBI single to left field, making the score 2-1.

For De Anza, Kevin Roeder was one of the few Dons that excelled at the plate, going two for three. His first hit was a laser beam that bounced off the pitcher Chavez’s legs, but the Bulldogs’ righty was able to continue.

The Dons are not catching many breaks on the diamond – or much of anything -- but Hertler knows that it is no excuse and not for a lack of effort. If the Dons are to succeed, they need to minimize both mental and physical errors.

“We haven’t been lucky, but you make your own luck,” Hertler said.

Hopefully, that luck will shine soon.

                      Video courtesy of Nick Utley/Cupertino Sports Online

Monterey Peninsula capitalizes on De Anza’s mistakes, edges Dons 7-6

I know this is a bit different from what I usually write about, but I'm going to post it here anyway. Here is my game story from today's junior college baseball game between the De Anza Dons and the Monterey Peninsula Lobos.              
               
CUPERTINO -- The Monterey Peninsula Lobos did not beat the De Anza Dons – the Dons beat themselves.

               
The Dons led 5-1 after the fourth inning, and then 6-3 after six innings, but the Lobo hits kept on coming in the later innings. The Dons’ brain lapses and missed opportunities throughout the game complicated matters further.

               
The Dons’ home opener started shaky for De Anza in the top of the first inning. The starting pitcher, Mason Sperakos, balked twice in the inning, once with a runner at first (who reached on an error by third baseman Kevin Roeder) and then again with runners on first and second.

               
With runners at second and third with one out after the balk, the Lobos capitalized on Roeder’s mistake. Chris Untereiner hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Caio Errico and giving the Lobos an early 1-0 edge.

              
Despite the Dons giving up four walks as they approached the bottom of the fourth inning, they still held the Lobos hitless and only trailed 1-0. Then, De Anza erupted.

               
The Dons scored five times in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 5-1 lead. RBI singles by right fielder Victor Barron, catcher Gary Foster, and a bases-loaded walk by first baseman Rob Garrison fueled the rally. The scoring capped off with a bases-loaded two-run double by center fielder Will Gibson.

               
The Lobos trimmed De Anza’s lead to 5-3, after first baseman Rob Garrison’s throwing error sparked a two-run sixth-inning rally. Had Garrison not committed the defensive miscue, pitcher Brian Fischer’s double-play ball two batters later would have ended the inning with no runs scored.

               
The Dons tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Monterey Peninsula pitcher Corbin O’Reilly hit Taylor Martin with the bases loaded, forcing in a run and widening the Don lead to 6-3.

               
Then, in the top of the seventh, it was the Lobos’ turn to erupt

               
Another fielding error by Roeder loaded the bases with one out. After a run came in on an RBI single by the Lobos’ first baseman Jeremy Green, center-fielder Matt Rosa (who went two for five) delivered a clutch two-run game-tying single, knotting the game up at 6. With two outs and runners on second and third, right-handed pitcher Lorenzo Ojeda threw a wild pitch that brought in the Lobos’ tie-breaking run.

               
The Dons blew scoring chances in the late innings. With the Lobos leading 7-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Kai Washington led off with a single but was picked off trying to steal second base.

               
The Dons tried to rally once more in the bottom of the ninth inning. After left fielder Nathan Kadlecek walked to lead off the frame, a wild pitch advanced him to second.

               
The next batter, pinch hitter Mike Oram, attempted to bunt Kadlecek over to third. Although he had three decent pitches to bunt at, Oram took strike three on the outside corner at the belt.

               
The rest of the inning was not much better for the Dons. Right-handed hurler Caio Errico, who moved over from shortstop, ended the game and earned the save by striking out the side looking.

               
The Dons had plenty of chances to score but could not come through in the late innings. They left 10 men on base in the game.

               
The Lobos’ Corbin O’Reilly earned the win, pitching two and one-third plus innings while giving up one run on four hits.

              
 The Dons’ Lorenzo Ojeda was tagged with the loss, lasting one inning and surrendering four runs on four hits. De Anza used nine pitchers in the game and walked a combined eight batters.

               
On Thursday, the Dons head to Monterey to take on these same Lobos. If they want to see a better result, they must clean up their game and do the little things right.



Please e-mail my blog mailbag at vc4re@yahoo.com with your questions!