Book release party

Saturday night brought an opportunity to do something different...

Lori and I attended a book release party for Tom Krattenmaker, an energetic guy who somehow manages to freelance for USA Today, The Oregonian and the Los Angeles Times while making time to write a book and tend to his day job as an associate vice president for public affairs and communication at Portland's Lewis & Clark College.

Tom writes a lot about religion in American public life and his first book, "Onward Christian Athletes," questions the appropriateness of using pro sports to promote conservative Christian doctrine. (Read an interview with Tom here, published in Lewis & Clark's daily online news magazine.)

I've worked with Tom myself on a handful of occasions where he's pitched very thoughtful pieces for The Oregonian's Sunday Opinion section. For instance:

"Seeing beyond the hijab" Aug. 23, 2009
"Evangelicals walk a fine line in public schools," March 7, 2009
"Torture and evangelicals: Faith takes a back seat," Oct. 18, 2008

I credit him for introducing me to the notion that members of progressive faiths and denominations -- Judaism, Unitarianism, Congregationalists, etc. -- can be a positive force in American public life and for indirectly steering me to the book I'm reading now, "God's Politics," by evangelist Jim Wallis.

Lori won one of five books that were given in a raffle last night. So that's pretty cool, that we've already got a signed copy. We met Tom's wife, Carolyn Gretton, who confirmed that Tom's incredible work ethic -- rising at 6 a.m. and sometimes earlier to write every day before going to work -- is what allowed him to complete the manuscript in the midst of so many things on his plate.

As a new friend and his occasional editor, I congratulate Tom and wish him the best with sales and reviews of the book.

Sunshine, marijuana and a long home run

Twenty-five years ago in April, I was nearing the end of a fellowship at the University of Michigan and following the exploits of the red-hot Detroit Tigers. I made it to one game that spring before I had to return home to Salem, but the game -- and the Tigers' magical season -- remains fresh in my memory.

I had a seat in the centerfield bleachers on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon at historic Tiger Stadium as Detroit took on the California Angels. It was a great atmosphere, with marijuana smoke wafting over our section, and bare-chested fans cheering on the Tigers, who had gotten off to an amazing start en route to 104 wins and a World Series victory over the San Diego Padres. On that day, though, the Tigers lost as Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson smashed the longest home run I have ever seen -- a towering blast of some 600 feet that cleared the right field pavilion and landed on the street. Reggie hit it so hard that he just dropped the bat and watched the ball sail over the roof before beginning a slow trot around the bases.

The memories came to mind this morning as another season of Major League Baseball gets under way.

I'll be rooting again for the Tigers, who've become my second-favorite team. They had high expectations last year but a miserable last-place finish in their division. I don't expect miracles (they've only been back to the World Series once since that magical 1984 season), but I do hope they improve enough to make the playoffs. If all goes well, I'll go up to Seattle in a couple of weeks to see them play the Mariners.

My other team? The Oakland A's. I've followed them since they moved from Kansas City to the Bay Area when I was a boy. Seems I manage to see them once a year whenever I've back home visiting my mom. Maybe that'll happen again this year; if not, I can always see them in Seattle. The A's, too, had a disappointing season last year. I don't think they've got enough talent to make the playoffs this year, but one can always hope.

Bowl for Kids' Sake

Ah, Sunday morning! A great day for a fun event I've been looking forward to for some time.

It's the annual Bowl for Kids' Sake event, an annual fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest. The nonprofit agency operates in four counties in the Portland metro area and, like the national organization it's a part of, has a proven track record in making a positive difference in the lives of kids 6 to 16 years old.

As a member of the agency's Latino Mentoring Advisory Council, this will be my third year as a team captain. We're a team of five -- myself, son Nathan and friends Colleen, Kyndall and Isolde. We expect a cheerleading squad of three to help us consume the pizza and beer provided for participating bowlers. But since the event runs through June 4 -- with dozens of teams bowling at different locations -- you don't have to be there or even contribute today to help us out.

Click here for more information, including a video and an online donation form. Click on Support a Bowler and type in my name. The amount of money raised has nothing to do with bowling scores and everything to do with your generosity. Still, I'll give it my best at reaching that elusive 200 score.