The long and fun-filled youth baseball season draws to a close today, so I vow to start a long hit streak of columns. Maybe not a Pete Rose kind of streak, but I’ll take my cuts. Speaking of Rose, the 71-year-old Hit King will star in a new reality TV series with his financee, a 30-something model. It’ll fun to tune in and see how often the youthful Kiana Kim is mistaken for Rose’s daughter or granddaugher.

I enjoyed my annual guys trip to Great American Ball Park last Thursday and waited out a rain delay across the street at the Moerlein Lager House (great place). The Reds fell behind 6-0 and were getting booed, but Brandon Phillips rewarded those who stuck around by sparking a comeback victory. It also was fun to watch Aroldis Chapman treat the last three Diamondbacks batters to some 100-mph heat.

That said, the thing that made the biggest impression on our group was the concessions prices. A 16-ounce beer now goes for $8 at GABP. More startling, though, is what they’re charging for water. By the time the eighth inning arrived, I was as thirsty as a lost camel. I inquired about a bottle of water and was told to cough up $5.25. For a bottle of water.

I vowed to pass out from dehydration before I shelled out that much for H2O. I managed to stagger to the vehicle and later found a more reasonably priced option. At the current rate, beer and water sales will cover Joey Votto’s contract by August 2014.

The Olympics, the most overhyped event this side of a political convention, are upon us, about a fortnight away. I have no idea what a fortnight is, but it’s a Wimbledon term and the Olympics are in London …

Anyway, we will be treated to the usual storylines: Michael Phelps swims for gold while denying rumors that he’s the biggest party animal in the Olympic village; Usain Bolt runs so fast that drunken soccer hooligans in attendance don’t even see him; 80-pound teenage girls (or in China’s case, 9-year-olds) try not to break any bones on the uneven parallel bars; and the U.S. men’s basketball team cruises to victory, but we are repulsed at the sight of LeBron James wearing a gold medal.

NCAA president Mark Emmert recently blurted out something about Penn State football and the death penalty. No way the Nittany Lions will be put down because of the heinous crimes of a retired assistant coach and the coverup by a dead coach. Emmert is just trying to look tough because it’s what is expected of him.

Penn State will keep playing football. Its penalty will be several straight losing seasons, which will sting more than any financial penalty and will become JoePa’s sad legacy. That statue? If the university doesn’t take it down, the fans will do the job after PSU goes 2-10 next year.

In media news, Damon Hack is leaving Sports Illustrated for the Golf Channel, providing plenty of joke fodder for his new colleagues.