Willingham now shares something in common with Robin Ventura, Frank Robinson and Nomar Garciaparra, with that Herculean effort lifting a floundering franchise in Washington into the spotlight, even if only for one night. Not often in life do you get to say you are once removed from a Hall of Famer, but just 10 years ago me and Josh Willingham had plenty in common. Let me explain.

Before Willingham would grace the cover of every baseball website known to man, he was honing his skills in the rural pastures of Florence, Alabama. Back then, 1998 to be exact, Willingham was an up and coming shortstop recruited to be key part to the future success of the University of North Alabama.

UNA, a Division II school in the Gulf South Conference, was known for its National Championship football program, and was hoping to extend that trend of success to the baseball field.  Not that UNA hadn’t been successful already, boasting an impressive .700 winning percentage in the 1990s. Professional stars were born there as well, with three Lions reaching the Major Leagues before Willingham ever showed up to his first practice.

At that exact time, about two hours Southeast of UNA’s campus, another young and much less heralded middle infielder joined the ranks of a GSC team. All 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds of Eric SanInocencio stepped foot on campus at Montevallo, hoping to one day join the list of major league alums from the small college 30 miles from Birmingham, Ala. Not a long list, but Rusty Greer’s tenure in Texas was in its prime, and it had every Falcon (Montevallo’s mascot) thinking the leap was possible.

What I didn’t realize then, and know now, is that having a front seat to major league greatness was as far as I would get, and despite most people feeling disappointed in that outcome, I couldn’t be happier. It allowed me to see what everyone else did in Milwaukee  a decade before.

Willingham did was most freshmen entering college do, he improved as the season went along. His finished that 1998 year with a respectable .325 average, starting in 34 of the of 43 games which he played. He showed some power (.483 SLG) and a knowledge of the strike zone (.410 OBP), and seemed primed to become a key cog in the Lions attack for the following three seasons.

From my comfortable spot on the bench during Montevallo’s series against UNA, I remember thinking to myself that this Willingham guy was going to be good. Not only was he starting a majority of the time for a good program, but his size as a shortstop stood out.  I made a mental note to keep my eye on his progress, and the following season Willingham didn’t disappoint. He was ungodly.

Let these numbers sink in for a moment. .489 batting average, 15 home runs, .863 slugging percentage, and a 43-to-30 walk to strikeout ratio. For those without a calculator handy, that made for a .585 on-base percentage, and an overall OPS of 1.448. Despite the level of competition, that’s amazing. To top it all off, he stole 27 bases, so you couldn’t even intentionally walk him. All this as a shortstop. Wow.

By then I was a spot player, earning my first ever conference start against that very North Alabama squad. On that particular weekend it was too cold for offense, but that didn’t stop Willingham from lighting us up. Even with all the fireworks he made with his bat, what I remember most about him is how many times he didn’t swing.

In 1999 the book Moneyball wasn’t the baseball manifesto it has become now, and on-base percentage and plate discipline weren’t ingrained in the vernacular of every baseball fan.

Most collegiate hitters of that era lived by the John Daly mantra of “grip and rip”. For those of us whose families came from outside the United States,  we knew we “couldn’t walk off the island”. Power swings and aggressive mentalities were the rule of the day, and at Montevallo we actually had to run if we took first pitch fastballs for a strike.

Willingham would have none of that, exploiting the weaknesses of our staff with his keen batting eye. We had guys with good stuff, but no matter what, they never got him to chase. I remember thinking, “Man, if its is a hair off the plate, this guy won’t swing.”

He forced you to attack him, and then he responded by hammering anything left out over the plate. In four at-bats he might have swung five times, and ended up with three hits. He was a powerful yet efficient hitter, and we had no answer. No one in Division II did.

The accolades deservedly followed, with the then sophomore claiming First Team All-America honors. His .489 average was good enough for second in all of Division II, and any anonymity Willingham had in GSC circles evaporated. He capped that year off with a GSC Tournament MVP Trophy, and he was named to the Division II Baseball Championship All-Tournament team.

His junior year was down by his PlayStation-like standards, and he managed to only hit .420 for the Lions in 2000. By that point I was injured and didn’t even suit up against UNA, so its almost as if my memories of Willingham end with that miraculous 1999 campaign. His compact right handed stroke wasn’t a secret anymore, and any hopes North Alabama had of him finishing his entire career got slimmer with every homerun he cranked.

The draft was formality, and the question changed to his success as a pro. The Florida Marlins selected him in the 17th round of the draft, an he traded in his purple and gold of UNA for the teal and black of South Florida’s big league franchise.

He spent a few years in the minors, switching positions as the Marlins looked to find a home for his bat. Despite a drop in batting average from his college days, that trademark “not swinging” talent translated well, as he posted and OBPs of at least .382 in every stop along the way. Willingham was put at every position on the diamond during that stretch, even a short stint behind the plate in 2004.

The Marlins called him up later that year, and from that point on Willingham has made a nice career for himself. He’s clubbed 80 home runs for both the Marlins and Nationals, and has been one of the few shining stars for a Washington team that lacks offensive punch. This year has been his finest, with his .305 average and .420 on-base percentage leading or at the top of his team’s numbers.

His story has remained much like his personality until that memorable night in Milwaukee, when the whole world was forced to remember his name. The often reserved Willingham had flown under the radar despite his successes as a major leaguer. He often travels back to Florence in the off-season, and I even got the chance to chat with him two years ago during a GSC-TV football game.

That night we received word that Willingham was in the crowd. We arranged for him to join us for an interview on the sidelines, and he happily obliged and made his way down.

In the few minutes I had to prep him and get the interview set up, we were able to exchange a few pleasantries. Surely he didn’t remember a run of the mill infielder he played against over 10 years ago, but he did a good enough job making me think he did. Just seconds before he went on camera, I got in one final baseball question.

“Who’s got the nastiest stuff you’ve seen as a pro?,” I commented as he headed for the interview. The eagle eyed Willingham turned around, and threw out this gem to me. “Billy Wagner,” he said, “I have the hardest time laying off his slider.”

A quick Google search of “Boston Red Sox Blogs” brought back over 5.3 million hits, as the internet has exploded into a one stop shop where the games are dissected among its most passionate fans.

With this increased banter comes increased criticism, as today’s decision makers face naysayers both in person and on the web. Follow any game thread at a particular team’s blog, and you’ll find plenty of vitriol and attacks on the people in control of the team they love. There are even websites created hoping for the ouster of a General Manager or particular coach. Times are changing.

Not that we watch the games any differently, as nearly all of us have spent many a night yelling at the television over a call we felt was wrong. Second guessing is part of baseball, and always has been, but has the anonymity of the web made it too easy to criticize?

First off, it is important to realize that all the additional voices brought about by the web have been hugely beneficial in how we watch and analyze what’s happening on the field. Only because of this wave of creative minds do we have new statistical evaluations and more knowledgeable fanbases.

Social media makes any fan one step removed from the “experts” that cover the game, and the rapid speed at which “breaking news” becomes common sense is staggering. The world of baseball is expanding in numbers, but getting smaller as a community. It’s quite amazing to witness.

But, with all this excitement comes into question whether all the added negativity makes the environment worse off. I shouldn’t say worse, more so, is it easier to criticize now because it is all done without a face?

Blogs aren’t just a sideshow item anymore, with many of the best now taking center stage in the pantheon of baseball coverage. Sites such as Baseball Prospects and The Hardball Times are mainstream companies, and Rob Neyer (ESPN), Christina Kahrl (BP) and Keith Law (ESPN/Scout) are now members of the BBWAA, the body of writers that vote for the Hall of Fame.

Law probably shouldn’t be grouped with the rest, because his current job as a talent evaluator (scout) gets him out to the ballpark more than most beat writers. However, the names listed above and the million others who don’t get out to see games in person still have just as big a voice. Of course they deserve it, but does that make their job easier?

Sometimes we often forget we are dealing with people, flesh and blood that comes with emotions that often can cloud one’s judgment. I have found that despite of what I think of someone’s professional capability, that prism isn’t the sole way to determine their worth.

Their background, interests and rationale behind their decisions often matter as much as the outcome of their choice, and give you a better idea why they may succeed or fail at any particular endeavor. If you just look at the outcome, you may be missing out on truly understanding the value of what happened.

This applies to baseball because tough decisions are being made everyday. We aren’t privy to the complete thought process, just the final verdict after an entire organization tries a certain method to improve their club.

Yet, without taking anything else into account, we pass judgment on said move, labeling it a great idea or colossal bust without the proper time to even digest the reasons for what happened. Does that happen because a majority of us ready to criticize are so far removed from what’s taking place? I tend to think so.

When Raul Ibanez was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies this off-season, it didn’t take 10 minutes for Ruben Amaro Jr. (Philadelphia’s GM) to be hammered, called an “idiot” for making such a bad personnel decision. Amaro, a Stanford graduate and former major leaguer with 10 years of front office experience, learned first hand how quickly public perception can change.

Despite his best efforts to explain, many had already decided, and Ibanez was labeled as an overpaid liability that wasn’t a good bet to produce anywhere near was his contract said he should. Three months later, have opinions changed because Ibanez leads the league in home runs? Yes, but should they? Should the move have been panned before the Phillies new left fielder even had an official at bat with his new team?

No, it’s a three-year deal, so you can’t know the answer two months in, good or bad. But read many blogs who cover the team and they knew with absolute certainty it was an abject failure immediately. The question arises, how many of these people have even met Ruben Amaro, or spent time with him talking about baseball? Would that change their opinion?

Again, being critical is not a bad thing. It’s valuable and extremely important so that the wrong ideas aren’t credited with success. I just don’t think it’s fair to view players or administrators under a magnifying glass while those tossing the insults get away without being under the same high-powered lens. Maybe that’s just the nature of the business, but does that make it right? Should accountability run both ways?

I’m guilty of this more times than I care to admit, so when evaluating any move I find it valuable to go back and review what I wrote in the past to learn from the many instances I made a mistake. I even love rehashing those comments publicly, just to remind myself and my readers that what I write isn’t gospel, and that in the end we must all individually decide what’s best based on the information and opinion available.

The question I pose in this piece doesn’t have answer, but doesn’t mean it should be discussed. Again, politics and many other forms of business fall under this same umbrella, but we deal in baseball, so that’s how we explain it.

Robots don’t make personnel decisions, people do. Not matter how much the blogosphere tries to demonize or salute it, in the end we just don’t know all the factors involved. What worries me is that we don’t seem to care about that fact. Is it because we won’t ever have to justify the comment we write to that person face to face? Our anonymity hides us from facing the music, and I don’t know if that’s entirely a good thing. We’ll see.

But, what most don’t realize, is that before that pitch ever hits the catcher’s mitt, it takes months of preparation. All the communication, all the decision and all the work is put in ahead of schedule, so that the end product is smooth and flawless. Having worked in media relations and championship events at the collegiate level, I was already aware of this. But, what I learned this week is that the Southeastern Conference takes it into another stratosphere.

The SEC is widely regarded as the top college conference in the nation. They have had unprecedented success in all of the sports it sponsors, including numerous national championships. The Southeastern Conference routinely sports the top overall collegiate programs in the country. In 2007, they pulled off the unthinkable feat of winning both the football and men’s basketball championships in the same year.

Baseball doesn’t take a back seat in that hierarchy, with the National Pastime having a secure spot at the league’s charter members. Historic powers such as Louisiana State (LSU), Georgia and Florida all call the SEC home, and the conference has won six out of the past 19 National Championships. The league has had at least one team in the College World Series in 23 out of the past 24 years, a remarkable accomplishment considering the number of quality teams in the country.

The conference tournament has turned into a premier event as well, with the SEC’s best making the pilgrimage to Birmingham, Ala., and Regions Park every May. Regions Park is the home of the Birmingham Barons, the AA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, and gives fans in attendance and the players involved a hint of the professional game while keeping its college roots. This also creates a logistical nightmare, with teams and staff from both the Barons and the SEC jockeying for the facilities during what is the height of a hectic season.

Let’s turn back the clock even further. Even though the first pitch of the SEC Tournament was thrown May 20, 2009, both sides began working toward that goal in January, when most fans were watching Florida defeat Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game.

“The baseball tournament takes a little longer,” said SEC Associate Commissioner Charles Bloom, who serves as the tournament’s director. “It’s one of our biggest championships, and we’ll start after the New Year getting everything ready from media relations to stadium operations to groundskeepers to working with the teams. It’s three or four months of work,” added Bloom.

That large work force must balance time and preparation so that each team feels the rush and excitement of postseason play. The sheer number of loose ends that have to be tied up during that process is staggering, and gives you a new appreciation for what is done at the Major League level every night. “I’m always a firm believer that the success of the tournament is in direct proportion to the amount of preparation that goes into it,” expressed Bloom.

Without the proper program being followed, the whole project can fall apart. Here’s a mini-rundown of the checklist.

First off, the facilities to house the teams have to be contracted out. There are hotels for the schools, media and other traveling parties that are agreed upon ahead of time. That just gets everyone to Birmingham. Then, field crews and stadium operations have to transform Regions Park into a collegiate venue. Seems easy, until you figure in that the entire outfield must be re-covered with different signage, and the logos around the entire ballpark reconfigured. After you paint decals onto the grass and get the actual surface ready to play, you can open the doors for practice.

Once the teams are on the field, then you have to coordinate all the media members coming to cover them. That’s where SEC Associate Media Relations Director Chuck Dunlap takes over, remodeling the Barons press box to serve as a two-tiered media headquarters. There is an auxiliary press box down the right field line, along with a radio row and TV booth for everyone involved. Credentials, parking passes and the actual statistical information are all disseminated by Dunlap, getting everyone in town up to speed to write and report the happenings.

At this point, it isn’t even game day yet. Once that moment has finally arrived, the rest is a piece of cake. All you have to worry about are tickets, fans, umpires and weather, along with a million other variables throughout the course of each individual day.

Then the postgame conference, television production and the field maintenance are all handled on fly after the completion of each game.

Considering the length of the days and the nature of the tournament as a whole, the staff working the event essentially becomes guests, spending more than 14 hours a day at the field. “There’s a core group of people that are here for every game,” mentioned Bloom. “It’s a week out of the year, and we tell our staff to give yourself to the tournament. You can sleep next week. It’s a mindset going into it.”

That effort along with the preparation mentioned early brings you the fan the final product, a seamless five-day 14-game tournament nationally televised that highlights the college tournament season.

So, next time you turn on the tube to watch your favorite college or pro team, take a second to think about all the work done behind the scenes to bring that special event to fruition. Having seen the SEC Tournament machine run through Birmingham, it was hard to walk away not impressed at what happened behind the curtain.