The lead story on the front page of the Sunday New York Times sports section, April 27, is headed "A Cleanup Hitter Who Leaves Something on His Plate." The article, by Alan Schwarz, is about the newly vegetarian sports star, Milwaukee's first baseman, Prince Fielder.

It tells us:
"One of the most gregarious young stars in the sport, Fielder has begun to feel a bit like a circus seal, balancing the ball of vegetarianism on his nose while, all things being equal, still appreciating a good rack of ribs. Fielder, 23, decided to make the switch over the winter after reading how cattle and chickens were treated and 'was totally grossed out,' he said. His wife, Chanel, preferred a no-meat diet as it was, so he embraced a new approach.

"Fielder had been as carnivorous as your average puma -- pushing 200 pounds since he was 12, he scarfed down a 48-ounce porterhouse as a teenager and had barely slowed down since. (He played last year with 270 pounds on his 5-foot-11 frame, not all of it muscle.) But he figured he could get his protein from beans and shakes instead of meat and fish, leading to conversations since the beginning of spring training that have grown quite tiresome.

"Yes, he eats a lot of black bean burgers. No, he does not sneak chicken fingers behind Chanel's back. Yes, he has all the energy he always did, maybe more. No, his slow start (he entered Saturday batting .241 with just three home runs, but hit a go-ahead solo homer in a 4-3 victory over Florida on Saturday night) has had nothing to do with his diet. Yes, he has lost about five pounds, but is not hungry all the time. No, he does not munch on plain tofu, which still tastes like a wet eraser to him."

The article describes Fielder's meal at a Milwaukee restaurant and ends with:
"Less than 24 hours later, Fielder stood in the batter's box against one of baseball's best young left-handers, Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies. Fielder smoked two home runs in the Brewers' 5-4 win. Less filling, tasted great."

You'll find the whole delightful article on line at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/sports/baseball/27fielder.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
OR
http://tinyurl. com/3thhfv

http://sports. yahoo.com/ mlb/blog/ mlb_experts/ post/Prince- Fielder-is- on-an-all- sunflower- seed-diet? urn=mlb,67984

Prince Fielder is on an all-sunflower seed diet

By 'Duk

Thursday, Feb 21, 2008

Well, not quite. But the Brewers' hefty slugger showed up to camp on Wednesday and dropped the mother of bombshells for someone of his considerable size: He is now a vegetarian. After learning the dirty truth about how cows are cut up, he now eats no meat and no fish but he does consume plenty of ketchup-drowned Boca Burgers.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Over here at the BLS, I wish Fielder the best of luck with his new lifestyle, especially once he reports back to the knockwurst-laden burg of Milwaukee.

But I speak from experience when I say it's not going to be easy. While a sophomore at the UW, I once tried to dabble in vegetarianism, but it only lasted all of about five or six hours. I blame Madison's famous Plazaburgers for the death of my idealism.

Because how are you supposed to say no to an all-beef patty topped with a lot of secret sauce and grilled with just the right amount of love? If Prince bucks the odds and continues being all-veggie, all-the-time, I'd like him to tell me.

- Diet fit for a Prince / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Tofu prince? / Chuckie Hacks

Champaign, IL (PRWEB) February 23, 2008 -- Milwaukee Brewer Prince

Fielder surprised fans when he announced that he stopped eating meat earlier this month. Can he still get enough protein to fuel his 6-foot, 260-pound frame? Absolutely, according to a leading sports nutrition expert. Dr. Enette Larson-Meyer, a vegetarian athlete and researcher, strongly believes that athletes can perform and feel their best on a vegetarian diet.

In her book, "Vegetarian Sports Nutrition" (Human Kinetics, 2007), Larson-Meyer cites many ways to incorporate plant-based protein sources into an athletic diet--whether you're Prince Fielder or a recreational athlete.

"In my experience, people who tend to lack protein are those who focus too much on carbohydrate or who consume too little food in general," says Larson-Meyer.

...

Individuals whose protein intake is lacking compared to estimated requirements may simply strive to add one to three servings of protein-rich vegetarian foods to regular meals or snacks, Larson- Meyer advises. Add soy milk to a fruit snack, lentils to spaghetti sauce, tofu to stir-fry or chickpeas to salad, for example.

For more information on Larson-Meyer's "Vegetarian Sports Nutrition," visit www.HumanKinetics.com.

Feb 2008

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Phoenix - As Prince Fielder matures, he's not afraid to try new things.

At the plate and on his plate.

Fielder is known as a large, imposing figure on the field. He was a home run machine last season, a most valuable player candidate and one of the game's brightest young stars. He has personality and a first name that takes someone special to bear.

What else can one share about the 23-year-old first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers that hasn't been said or written?

Try this: Prince Fielder is a vegetarian.

That 6-foot, 260-pound build is powered by wheatgrass, soy and tofu nowadays. No meat. Not even fish.

It wasn't always this way. Fielder used to enjoy a stacked burger or a juicy steak as much as any carnivore, but a few weeks ago he received a book from his wife, Chanel, that changed his outlook on what he puts in his massive frame. The book described how certain animals are treated and slaughtered for food.

...

"After reading that, (meat) just didn't sound good to me anymore," Fielder said. "It grossed me out a little bit. It's not a diet thing or anything like that. I don't miss it at all."

Fielder didn't make the decision to change his body style, which has been as much a calling card for him as his ability to whack baseballs out of sight. In fact, he doesn't even know how much he weighs or if he has lost weight since becoming an all-veggie man.

--

full story: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=720531