40 Acres Sports

Thanks to the great people at Virgil Films and Entertainment, we’re happy to announce that all this week we’ll be giving away DVD copies of director Richard Linklater’s excellent documentary Inning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach. It’s a great look at Texas head baseball coach , the Texas Longhorns, coaching, and leadership in general.

We’ll be running various different contests through out the week, but we’re starting simple. If you want to win a copy of the DVD, simply submit your name and address by 11:59pm Central on June 1 using this entry form to win. Additional contest details on the entry form. Check back every day this week for another chance to win.

A brief description of the documentary is below:

INNING BY INNING: A PORTRAIT OF A COACH is a fascinating look inside the world of University of Texas baseball coach Augie Garrido. Through unprecedented access to team meetings, practices, in-game conversations and the occasional tirade, the film examines this remarkable coach’s career and reveals Garrido’s Zen-like approach to the game that both inspires and changes lives. With a philosophy that places both baseball and his players in the larger context of life as a whole, Garrido has won five National Championships (3 at Cal State Fullerton and 2 at UT) and is the only coach to win National Championships in four different decades, and at two different schools.

The film includes interviews with former players, coaches, Alumni, baseball luminaries and friends, revealing the remarkable man behind the achievements. For coaches, players, and fans of baseball, Inning By Inning is a must see film that will forever change the way you look at the game – and perhaps the way you live your life.

Directed by Academy Award® nominee Richard Linklater (School of Rock, Before Sunset).

Day 1 of contest has ended. Check back here to find more ways to win or buy the DVD at InningByInning.com.

Boston Red Sox are interested in Taylor Teagarden. I’ll be shocked if Rangers don’t trade one of their catchers by the deadline.

The Texas Rangers called up former Longhorns catcher earlier Friday and Sunday he had a game he won’t soon forget. Against the Twins Sunday he recorded his first big league hit by hitting a gamewinning home run and breaking up a perfect game in the process.

Taylor took a 3-2 pitch in the sixth inning out to deep left center and just over the centerfielder’s glove and the wall. He’s still got the great looking swing that brought him so much success at Texas and will soon make him an everyday catcher for some Major League team. I think he’ll end up a guy who plays good defense at catcher, plays a little first base, and hits .280 with 20 homers every year. A guy can have a nice long career with those numbers.

The Rangers have four good young catchers and three of them are up on the 25-man roster right now. One of those three will likely be sent down to the minors today (possibly Teagarden) and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Rangers traded a catcher before the July 31st deadline.

Congrats Taylor on the great week!

• Game recap
• Video highlight

Rangers promote Taylor Teagarden to Double-A Frisco. He was tearing up Class A pitching.

Taylor Teagarden put on DL with elbow pain again. Was having a good season at the plate too. (via).