Being There
There is something about just “being there.” So, when my buddy Darin texted me an invitation to Friday night’s NLDS Dodgers vs. Braves game, I quickly texted back an emphatic “yes.” He then sent me a picture of where we would be sitting – very far from homeplate – and I just as quickly texted…
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I missed Opening Day. I was traveling with my family, on an island far from where any game was being played, and did not have the opportunity to partake in any of the pomp or pageantry. Because of that, there was no way I was going to miss “Closing Day.” I made sure I was…
Role Models
Charles Barkley famously once told the world: “I am not a role model.” In that iconic Nike ad, Sir Charles went on to say that just because he dunks a basketball, he shouldn’t raise our kids. Fair enough, but there has been enough blowback about that commercial and his misguided sentiment in the 25 years since…
Fathers (Day) and Sons
Last week I spoke as part of a lecture group on the topic of fatherhood. When it was over, the speakers and audience members gathered in the lobby to discuss the show, to recount how we all related to the stories, and to share the impact they had on everyone in the theater. When I…
Bryce Harper is NOT a Superstar
I am not trying to be provocative; this is not a “hot take”; I am not in the business of taking unnecessary shots. Bryce Harper is good, very good. Harper may, in fact, be great. But Bryce Harper is not a superstar. Now, past performance is no guarantee of future results. As such, Mr. Harper…
Let It Slip Away
Watch sports long enough, and you know. Your football team is down four with three minutes to go and they give up a first down on third and long. You know. Your favorite golfer has a five-foot birdie putt to go one back with two to play, and it lips out. You know. Your basketball…
A Deal Fit For a Kingery
When we last met, we were discussing the Philadelphia Phillies and their deft contracting for a seasoned veteran. In today’s installment of the Matt Klentak diaries, we will look into the Phillies’ deft contracting for an unproven rookie. We begin our tale as Spring Training was winding down. The Phillies multi-faceted prospect Scott Kingery was…
Playing Checkers
There are very few things more satisfying than the “jump” in checkers. And it’s rare when you can incorporate a kids’ board game into Major League Baseball, but Phillies GM Matt Klentak and uber-agent Scott Boras did just that in March when they negotiated for free-agent pitcher Jake Arrieta. Unless you were deep in the…
Skullcaps and C-Flaps
About four years ago I was pitching batting practice to my then 11-year-old son’s team. One of his teammates, a nearly fully-grown 12-year-old (who, in his sophomore year of high school, already committed to play at Vanderbilt) hit a line drive back through the box that nearly decapitated me. I have played baseball my entire…
Too Soon…To Panic?
I worked on a movie that came out last week (note: you should see it, it is really funny). The premise of the film is that three parents venture out to stop their daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. As we confront this over-protectiveness, we are forced to grapple with the question: “How soon is too soon?”…