Elation Followed By Misery – The Path to the Dark Side Continues

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Jeff Summers

I have to admit, I came home yesterday with visions of Racing Gracie wielding a light saber laying waste to the Jedi Council. There was something unnerving about that vision. When I tried to describe it, all I could think of was a quote from Obi-Wan Kenobi, “I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.” Of course that might just have been the San Francisco Giants fans after they were swept and eliminated from the post season.

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The Path to the Dark Side

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Jeff Summers

Star Wars Day; it seemed like the perfect backdrop for Racing Gracie. What better storyline than a young Legend who becomes a Jedi and using the old Jedi mind games overtakes the evil empire freeing the princess, destroying the Death Star, and in the process winning the race for the Rebel Alliance. Ok, maybe not but it would still make a great movie and be honest wouldn’t you rather see Racing Gracie instead of Jar Jar Binks in the Phantom Menace?

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Arg! There Be Barnacles in Yer Beard

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Jeff Summers

With Diamondbacks ace Ian Kennedy on the mound to face the San Francisco Giants, fans throughout Chase Field hoisted signs proclaiming the right-hander’s dominance against the other team.

In his first start since winning 20 games, Kennedy would be facing the World Champion San Francisco Giants just a day after the Diamondbacks had clinched the National League Western Division championship. Kennedy looked confident on the mound and the Diamondbacks were having their way with the Giants pitching staff scoring at will.

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Racing Gracie Has No Future

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Jeff Summers

The one question I get asked more than any other when talking about the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star game in Phoenix Arizona is, “Will the Racing Legends be running during the games?” To be honest, I had no idea.

But as I sat in the stands during All-Star Sunday’s Sirius/XM Radio Futures game I heard the familiar sounds of the trumpeter calling out the Diamondbacks Legends racers to take their marks. I immediately jumped to attention and strained my eyes looking towards the World bullpen area.

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Birthday Boy Botches Big Win

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Jeff Summers

It was the last game of the home stand and after a few close calls everyone at Chase Field was hoping that today would be the day that Racing Gracie would finally enter the win column not just for this season but ever.

Today was D. Baxter the Bobcat’s birthday and the Diamondbacks were celebrating by having several of Baxter’s friends attend the game. Maybe the overdose of mascots would be just what Gracie needed to get his act in gear.

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A White House Whoopin’

Posted on June 4, 2011 by Jeff Summers

As the trumpets sounded and the gates to the Washington Nationals bullpen burst open the four Racing Legends emerged running as fast as they could towards the Diamondbacks dugout. During the pre-game warm-ups you could see a look of determination in Racing Gracie’s large foam eyes. Clearly he was taking tonight’s race seriously; perhaps tonight was the night he finally broke through for his first victory.

Through the first leg of the race, Racing Gracie was pulling away from his competition. Each stride seemed to be longer than the last and he was in cruise control by the time he reached the Washington Nationals dugout. It looked as though nothing could stop Racing Gracie.

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Losing Horse Power

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Jeff Summers

After having lost 75 consecutive races you would begin to think we had seen every possible way there is to lose a Legends race but Racing Gracie somehow seems to invent news ways to finish out of the winners circle.

During the fifth inning of the game the Arizona Diamondbacks received a huge boost when shortstop Stephen Drew lined a ball off the centerfield wall for a bases-clearing triple. As the fans cheered Drew’s heroics the Racing Legends looked on from the Nationals bullpen.

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A Nationals Disaster

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Jeff Summers

After a frustrating loss to a bunch of radio talk show hosts it was time to get back to business trying to find an elusive win for the Racing Gracie. Tonight seemed like the perfect night for Gracie’s first win. The Washington Nationals were in town and if anyone could relate to the challenges of Racing Gracie it would be the Nationals.

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Not Even a Celebrity Can Help

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Jeff Summers

Tonight’s D-backs Legends race had a celebrity feel to it, even more than is normally the case. For tonight’s races several members of the KTAR radio family donned the Legends suits to try their hand at racing.

Morning talk show hosts Ron Wolfley, Doug Franz, and Katy Hartley took on the persona of Randy Johnson, Matt Williams, and Luis Gonzalez respectively. This was the result of a lost on-air bet during March Madness.

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Not Slap Happy

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Jeff Summers

It has been an incredible month for the Arizona Diamondbacks. They had gone from struggling to stay out of last place when the month started to leading the division when the month ended. The sun was shining brightly in the desert and we weren’t even complaining about the dry heat.

But even with all of the excitement and revelry there remained one portion of the organization that was still struggling to right the ship. I am talking of course about the Racing Gracie. Despite the new attitude that manager Kirk Gibson and his coaching staff are instilling and his insistence on playing hard for the entire game; that doesn’t seem to have motivated Racing Gracie.

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