Blogging on sports

Felix Castaneda grew up around sports in his hometown of Woodland. His uncle, Mike Rodriguez, was a very good bowler. Castaneda's mother, Jennie Rodriguez, played volleyball and basketball.

"There was always somebody in the family playing a sport," said Castaneda. "I probably picked it up from somebody there."

He didn't have to go very far to find a baseball glove, golf club, tennis racquet, or a football. It was all in his grandmother's garage.

"Everything you can think of," he said.

Castaneda wasn't on any teams at Woodland High School, but he wasn't far from the action. He took journalism classes and did a lot of writing by covering the different teams for the Wolves.

"I knew I didn't have the coordination for baseball, but I always loved to watch and observe," he said. "I had the goal of being a sports writer in high school."

Former classmates were asking around at a 20-year reunion if Castaneda, a 1990 graduate of Woodland, ever pursued his passion for sports journalism. Castaneda wasn't at the reunion, but word got back to him.

"It kind of put it into my head, that maybe I should just give it a try," said Castaneda, who works as a manager at a supermarket in Napa. "At the time, I was hearing about blogs all the time, not really knowing what they were."

He started his very own blog, "Skip's Sports Scoop," in 2011. It can be found at www.skipssportsblog.blogspot.com. His first post was about the World Series that year.

"It's kind of this outlet to be creative," he said. "I'm letting more people know about it. It's turning out well and I've had people tell me, 'Your writing is getting so much better. You're really clever and witty.'

"It makes me feel comfortable to write more."

In April, he wrote about the passing of longtime Bay Area announcer Lon Simmons, who did play by play for the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Athletics.

In his blog, Castaneda writes, "My earliest baseball memories are listening to KNBR and being introduced to spring training baseball by Lon Simmons. He would broadcast from Arizona at Scottsdale, Tucson, Mesa, or Tempe. The game sounded different. Like the crowd was more intimate in a smaller ballpark. The bat hitting the ball sounded more louder and crisp. The game sounded simple.

"Great voice. I understand he was an even better man."

Simmons was the 2004 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award. The Award is presented annually to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." The award, named after the late broadcaster, National League President, Commissioner, and Hall of Famer, has been presented annually since 1978. Frick was a driving force behind the creation of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and he helped foster the relationship between radio and the game of baseball.

Simmons called games for the Giants and Athletics for 41 years, before retiring after the 2002 season.

Castaneda posts to his blog once or twice a week, writing about an array of subjects, mostly professional sports. He gives his posts a "personal approach," weaving his thoughts and opinions into each piece.

In July, the headline for one of his posts was, "The worst two days of the year."

In his blog, he writes, "Being a sports fan usually means if you like all four major team sports, there's always something to watch. Heck, even if you throw in golf, tennis or soccer, there should be something to watch on TV. Most sports programming is during prime time. Today is truly the worst day of the year to be a sports fan.

"Wimbledon ended Sunday. The British Open started today, but coverage began very early this morning. Major League Baseball extended the All-Star break an additional day, so no baseball tonight.

"The NFL doesn't start training camp for another two weeks. Want to watch hockey? Forget about it.

"The only thing on tonight is the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. I actually watched a bit of it last night. I've always heard of it, just never watched. It's interesting. Just a high paced practice or scrimmage."

Castaneda, 43, makes his home in Fairfield. He enjoys playing golf and tennis and running. In October, he will volunteer as a marshal for the Frys.com Open, scheduled for Oct. 12-18 on the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa. It's the season-opening event on the PGA Tour's 2015-16 schedule. The Frys.com Open, which has a $6 million purse, will be televised by Golf Channel.

Last year marked the PGA Tour's return to Napa for the first time since 1980.

"There's times when I will just write, write, write, and I'll forget about the time," said Castaneda. "The next thing you know, I'll have a nice long post.

"I appreciate feedback. I'm always welcome to feedback."

He worked as the clubhouse attendant during the 2000 Western Baseball League season for the Solano Steelheads, a former independent minor league baseball team that was based in Vacaville. He did the laundry, sold tickets and arranged meals for the players.

"I did everything the front office needed me to do," he said.

Castaneda is also a contributor to the "Napa Show," which is hosted by Arty "Party" Reyes, and airs on Napa Valley TV-Channel 28.

Source: Blogging on sports