lers Championship and think I spot Vijay Singh -- or maybe thats Ernie Els. Spotting pros must be a learned trait from up here.T

WASHINGTON -- Never too early to start workin the umps, apparently.Before a single pitch was thrown in the National League Division Series between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers, managers Dusty Baker and Dave Roberts stirred things up a bit Friday with some balk talk -- indicating they might try to plant a seed with the umpires about opposing pitchers windups with men on base.It all began hours before Game 1, when, out of the blue, Nationals skipper Baker raised the notion that Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw might be doing something he shouldnt when there are runners aboard.Quite frankly, Im hoping that ... we get some baserunners, and the umpires might call a balk or two on him, because he kind of rolls through the set position, which they dont call. But I heard that really upsets him if they do call one, Baker said with a grin. So Im hoping that they call maybe a couple of them.Asked whether he would lobby the umpires before Kershaw pitched Friday, Baker said he wouldnt -- but his first-base coach, Davey Lopes, would.Davey always alerts the umpires, said Baker, in his 21st season as a manager in the majors.When that was relayed to Roberts, the Dodgers rookie manager, he smiled and offered this initial response: I didnt know Dusty wanted to play that game.Roberts continued: Its a little gamesmanship. Clayton has been around a long time. His moves been the same. I think hes been called for a balk a couple times.Turning his attention to some Nationals pitchers, Roberts said: Yeah, you know what? Theres a couple guys that I might put a bug in the umpires ears [about], as well.He then referenced Game 3 starter Gio Gonzalez, closer Mark Melancon and relievers Shawn Kelley and Marc Rzepczynski.So does it work when managers try to get a message to umpires before a game?Well, I think Dusty is going to try, Roberts said. Yeah, it does, and I think that theres a little bit of banter with ... home plate umpires. But I think that you might see it from both sides of the dugout this series. Custom Minnesota Wild Jerseys . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Custom Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. http://www.customjerseyshockey.com/custom-colorado-avalanche-jerseys-299b.html . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night. 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ONE THOUSAND FEET ABOVE CROMWELL, Conn. -- On a picture-perfect Thursday morning, were flying high above TPC River Highlands, site of this weeks Travelers Championship, when my reporters intuition kicks in.Terry Dillard, pilot for the Snoopy 1 Airship -- better known as one of only 22 blimps in the world -- is coolly navigating through the Connecticut sky while discussing how he and the other members of the 15-person crew work year-round, as he spends six-hour shifts hovering over golf courses to produce the camera angles nobody else can get, when I blurt out my next in a long line of questions.So, um, wheres the bathroom in this thing?Were seated in whats referred to as the gondola, the small cockpit structure which sits underneath $80,000 of helium. Dillard is sitting in the pilots station, which is in the front left of the enclosed space, just like the drivers seat of a car.Using foot pedals to determine the speed, which maxes out at about 25 mph, and wheels on each side of his seat which resemble those of a wheelchair in order to steer, he offers a hearty laugh at the question. Surely there are moments when life piloting the blimp can become stressful. This isnt one of them.On a scale of 1-10, he says, today is an 11 as far as it being a perfect day to fly.Dillard, 61, has been piloting blimps for 26 years. Sporting a shaved head and salt-and-pepper Fu Manchu, he has the physical characteristics of a dude you dont want to mess with, but is perpetually affable and not often at a loss for words.There are a few, though, that he refuses to use.In our industry, we dont blow up; we inflate, he explains. We also dont use the D word; we dont deflate.The Snoopy 1 Airship stays inflated while the crew travels from tournament to tournament, Dillard through the air and others on the ground, never more than 30 miles away from each other.It might not be the quickest way to get around, but its absolutely the most scenic.Ive seen every inch of the United States of America, Dillard likes to say, at 25 mph.Hes also seen some of the best -- and worst -- golf shots at professional events from 1,000 feet above the fairways and greens.During the broadcast window, there is a cameraman seated behind Dillard, who controls the exact aerial video shown on your TV, but just like a player and caddie, one cant do his job without the other.The similarities dont end there.The worst type of weather for flyinng a blimp is heavy wind and thunderstorms, which arent exactly golfers favorites.dddddddddddd And the relationship is symbiotic; while the pilot and cameraman use whats happening below them to help tell the story to viewers, the players will look above to assist with their jobs.The players use us, says Dillard. They look at the blimp to see which way the wind is blowing. If its a tailwind, theyll club down; if its a headwind, theyll club up. Theyll say, Look at the blimp and trust your club.Dillard insists that he can identify players from his catbird seat. I look down on the early first round of the Travelers Championship and think I spot Vijay Singh -- or maybe thats Ernie Els. Spotting pros must be a learned trait from up here.Theres more to this gig than just flying around and checking out players. A director in the production truck will ask Dillard to find a specific shot. He must maneuver the blimp into the best position for his cameraman to catch the flight of the ball, while keeping his shadow out of the shot.He admits hes biased, but contends that an event without any camera angles from a blimp loses something in the translation to television.When youre watching a tournament and you dont have a blimp there, its pretty dang boring, he says. There are just some shots you cant see from the ground.We take another quick spin above TPC River Highlands, then Dillard starts the scenic route back, over the Connecticut River and past downtown Hartford. He has to get to work soon, maneuvering Snoopy 1 through the sky on this 11 day on a scale of 1-10.Youll know his work when you see it. When a player hits a towering approach over some tall trees to tap-in birdie range or mishits a drive so offline that it cant be trailed from ground level, that will be Dillard, positioning the blimp into a place where he and the cameraman can best help tell the story.Its a pretty sweet ride up there. If you ever get the chance, enjoy the scenic view in any direction and dont be afraid to put your hand out the window and feel the summer air against it.Oh, and theres one other thing: After Dillard laughed to my question about the bathroom, he finally offered an answer.All Ill say is that you probably dont want to touch the empty Gatorade bottle behind the pilots station. ' ' '