by Logan Butts | May 13, 2014 | Sports
Caleb Joseph, a former standout player for the Lipscomb baseball team, made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night. Lumination spoke with Joseph on his experience with the Orioles and his time at Lipscomb. Q: What was it like when you found out you were being called up to play for the Orioles? A: It was quite surprising. We didn’t know that Matt (Wieters) was even having some discomfort, so it was definitely a shock. The first 24 hours were pretty crazy. It went by really fast. We had a great time. It was a lot of fun. Only very few people get to achieve a dream that they had as a young child. Q: What was the actual game like? Was it different than other games you have played? A: Well, the atmosphere was obviously different with major league fans and a major league stadium. The game itself was no different because the same players were hitting the same pitches with the same counts and missing the same pitches with the same counts. The speed of the game was a little bit different, but it wasn’t anything that was overwhelming. My teammates were able to help kind of slow it down a few times. Q: How does it feel to join Rex Brothers and Bo McLaughlin as the only other former Lipscomb players to play in the MLB? A: Really good. And since I’ll be the first position player because Rex and Bo are both pitchers, that’s quite an honor. When I was young I use to go to [Lipscomb] games. I’m...
by Logan Butts | May 8, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Former Lipscomb Bison baseball player Caleb Joseph’s journey to the majors has seen stops in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Arizona since he was selected in the seventh round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. On Wednesday night in Tampa, Joseph made his MLB debut for the Baltimore Orioles against the Tampa Bay Rays. Joseph, who replaced usual starter at catcher Matt Wieters, batted 0-3 on the night. Joseph has spent the last seven years playing baseball in various minor leagues with great success since his playing days at Lipscomb. Last season alone, Joseph was named to the mid-season and post-season Eastern League All Star Team and took home the honors of Eastern League MVP and Home Run Derby champion. Joseph finished the season with a batting average of .299 with 22 home runs and 97 RBIs. At Lipscomb, Joseph was a key contributor to Lipscomb’s first Atlantic Sun championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance. In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, he homered in the Bisons’ upset win over the Georgia Bulldogs. Joseph is the third Bison to have played in the MLB, joining current Colorado Rockies pitcher Rex Brothers and current Colorado Rockies assistant coach Bo McLaughlin. McLaughlin played for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics in his MLB career. Joseph’s brother, Corban Joseph, also made a MLB appearance for the New York Yankees in 2013. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
by Cory Woodroof | Apr 20, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Just because someone is king of his craft doesn’t mean he’ll ever stop learning, and for one of sports’ most respected and successful individuals, learning is something that never ceases. At the sixth annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence, Baseball Hall of Famer and legendary Chicago Cub Ernie Banks taught all in attendance at Allen Arena the values of the learning process. “I’m just a learning person,” Banks said. As a part of the event, attendees got the chance to learn a little bit about Banks’ past, hear about his interactions with some of baseball’s great players and take to heart some of the wisdom he shared in a conversation with Jonathan Seamon. Banks, 83, is one of baseball’s most admired individuals. An icon in Wrigley Field on Chicago’s north side, the man beloved as “Mr. Cub” has amassed a large number of honors. Not only is he a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. His Cubs’ jersey number was retired and there’s a statue in his honor at Wrigley Field. He’s also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom – an award given him by President Barack Obama, another well-known Chicagoan, in 2013. Banks shared ballfields with such baseball legends as Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Ron Santo and Roberto Clemente. Banks shared an anecdote about a time he encountered the legendary Robinson during a time out at the plate. The two met, and Robinson offered him sage words that impacted Banks – the importance of being silent and learning. “That’s what Jackie [Robinson] told me, you know, ‘just listen and learn,’ and that’s what I did,” Banks said. “For the young people today, that’s...
by Carter Sanderson | Feb 5, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The Nashville Sounds, AAA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, have been at Greer Stadium since 1978 but plans to make stadium renovations at the team’s new home of Sulphur Dell have officially begun. On Wednesday Lipscomb hosted the second installment of the Forehand and Friends luncheon with Brad Tammen (pictured above), the general manager of the Nashville Sounds, and Skip Nipper, a local baseball historian who had insight on the groundbreaking event of the new stadium. Bisons baseball head coach Jeff Forehand made the introductions, talking about his team and coaches for this season, followed by the two guests speakers on the renovations of the stadium. “It’s good to be around baseball people, but it’s really good to be around a Christian environment,” Nipper said before he began the memories of the old Sulphur Dell Park. When describing the tradition and the age of the park, Nipper said that “the right field fence was just 162 feet from home plate,” drawing several laughs from the crowd. Nipper showed picture after picture and clip after clip of some of the most historic and memorable moments before Tammen got up to speak on behalf of the new stadium. Monday was the groundbreaking for the new Sulpher Dell Stadium. This is a $108 million project spread out to 38 million on the actual ball park, 60 million on redevelopment and 10 million on the parking structure. As of now, AAA teams get roughly 350,000 fans a year, but there are high hopes that with the new stadium look, fans will fill the seats. “The Sounds were 11th out of 16 in the...
by Cory Woodroof | Nov 15, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
A day after receiving the National League’s Cy Young Award, New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey returned to his hometown of Nashville to serve as the guest speaker in a chapel sponsored by the College of Business. Dickey was presented with the College of Business’s “Heroes of Business” award by Dean Turney Stevens. “Could it be any better than that?” Stevens said, asking the audience about the timing of Dickey’s arrival to Nashville. After being greeted by a standing ovation, Dickey spoke to a full crowd about his faith and life’s adversities. Dickey shared his story in front of a mixed group of students, faculty and fans, often referencing his new autobiography Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball that was released earlier this year. Dickey said his life has been met with much adversity, but the Mets pitcher reaffirmed that through his struggles, he kept his faith in God, which Dickey credits to his success. “Don’t give up hope,” Dickey said. Dickey said part of his road to recovery involved mending his relationship with his wife, affirming his belief that “God has really designed us for relationship.” Dickey told the crowd he believes his walk of faith is a process. “God wants me to live the next five minutes well.” Just yesterday, Dickey was awarded the Cy Young Award, an honor bestowed to a pitcher from both leagues in the MLB each season. Dickey said he believes the award he was given is one “that’s meant to be shared” with those around him. When asked who his idols were growing up, Dickey cited...
