Oh, the air up there. Every year, my baseball teammates laughed as I consistently turned in an 18-inch vertical jump during winter workouts. Based on that number, quick deduction will tell you I can barely touch the bottom of the backboard after shooting a lay-up. On Saturday, the University of Washington hosted an exhibition game with 11-foot rims. I understand the premise that boosting the hoops deemphasizes dunking and spreads the floor, but I???m not sure I like the idea of changing something that???s been a part of the game for so long. The players didn???t seem to mind it terribly, but I know I???d miss the ability to get up and touch the backboard in my neighborhood gym ??? there are so few things I can reach Let us know what you think of an 11-foot rim in our new Double-A Poll.

Welcome to Cape Cod. I received an e-mail on Friday night from 12-year-old Aaron Kanzer, one of the biggest and most knowledgeable sports fans I???ve met in a long time. Aaron was all excited because he???d just been to the Cape Cod Baseball League opener between the Bourne Braves and Cotuit Kettleers. He watched Navy???s Mitch Harris toss six innings of three-hit ball to lead the Braves to a 7-6 victory. After the game, Harris signed a ball for Aaron, and made a lifelong fan. If you???re a college baseball player, spending the summer on a Cape roster is a dream come true. Admission to the games is free, so kids like Aaron can watch great baseball and meet the future professionals afterwards. I???ve become more and more disillusioned with Major League Baseball ??? stadiums have 50,000 fans and the players seem larger than life. The setting is intimate out on the Cape, and that???s just the way it should be.