Do you have a good voice?
Are you bold enough to sing in front a large group of people?
Why not consider going to the Lake County Captains National Anthem tryouts?
For over three years, the Captains have been holding tryouts for National Anthem singers at Great Lakes Mall in Mentor on Feb. 23 from 1-3 p.m.
Craig Deas, the Captains' Director of Media Relations, said this event has been a success year after year.
Last year, over twenty individual singers and groups who auditioned  at Great Lakes Mall were asked to perform at Classic Park prior to a Captains game.
If I had a good voice, I would do it just for the experience.
The process sounds like a lot of fun.
Tryouts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. It will serve as the only live audition prior to the 2013 season.
Individuals and groups are asked to sing a live, a capella version of "The Star Spangled Banner" on a microphone at the mall.
Not everyone who auditions will be asked to sing at a game. Judging will be based on lyrical accuracy, voice quality, presentation, voice projection and overall performance quality.
If you can not attend the tryout, you can still send a CD of MP3 to Drew LaFollette at the Captains offices. He can be reached at (440) 954-9467.

I've always believed the difference between a major-league hitter and a minor-league hitter is the sound the ball makes off the bat.

Case in point Sunday at Classic Park. Shin Soo Choo, recovering from a broken left thumb, is ahead of schedule in his bid to return to the Indians' lineup before September.

The outfielder took batting practice with the Captains before their night game on Sunday, and Choo didn't disappoint, looking and sounding good.

Choo didn't talk much after the workout. His bat did all the talking, and it sounded so good. No offense to the Captains players who joined him in the batting cage, but the ball coming off Choo's bat sounded different. Major-league different.

Maybe it was Choo's bats, or the fact his swing is major-league ready, and contact is that much more precise coming off his bat. Either way, there is no sweeter sound in sports than the ball meeting the wood of a major-league hitter.

I can't explain why. It just does. Watching - and listening - to Choo take batting practice was mesmerizing. He sprayed the ball to all fields, and even took aim at the Captains' batting practice building way beyond the right-field fence. The swing looked effortless, but the ball sprang off the bat.

Choo's swing sounded that good, and he's not even 100 percent back from his broken thumb. It was sweet enough.

- Mark Podolski