Web Gems & Premier Plays Induce Strong Feelings
In the interest of full candor, I have an addiction. I am addicted to great defensive plays. Sure, most of us are. We baseball fans delight in watching highlights of a home run robbery or a player diving into the stands to make a great catch. But my compulsion runs deeper. For instance, I can…
The Baseball Diaries
I recently read “Faithful,” by Stewart O’Nan and Stephen King. Sure, I am nearly two decades late to the party; and sure, you might revoke my membership in the Red Sox fan club for waiting so long to read this charming tome, but what can you do? For those of you who have not read…
The Legend, The Myth, The Man
Maya Angelou said it best: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.” Never has this been truer than in Philadelphia a few weekends ago. On Aug. 7, the Phillies held a 42-year celebration of their 1980 World Series championship. The team invited Pete Rose to attend. Rose showed everyone who he is (again).…
Fathers & Sons
When I first walked through the gates of Sancet Field (now Stadium) at the University of Arizona, my eyes were immediately drawn to center field. Shagging fly balls out there was the best baseball player I had ever seen. He wasn’t huge (5’11”, 195 pounds), but he was so smooth. He tracked down every line…
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE PARK
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE PARK Shortly after the first of the year, while listening to one of my favorite podcasts, I was clued in to an event happening in Keizer, Oregon, eight months hence. At the time, I had little knowledge of the impending total solar eclipse; had never heard the phrase “path of totality”;…
LITTLE BIG LEAGUES
LITTLE BIG LEAGUES On a recent Saturday night I found myself in the small town of Moosic, in northeast Pennsylvania. Unless you grew up or went to school in the hills of the Keystone state, you probably never have heard of Moosic. But if you are a baseball fan, you definitely have heard of the…
THE $25,000 FINE
THE $25,000 FINE Baseball is a beautiful and peculiar game, filled with majesty, intensity, and a whole lot of oddity. If you are not a dedicated fan, you may find yourself confused by the varied and arcane rules that govern the game. To that end, one day I may dedicate an entire post just to…
A FIGHT NOT WORTH FIGHTING
A FIGHT NOT WORTH FIGHTING In the eighth inning of Monday’s Giants-Nationals game, with the Nats ahead 3-0, Hunter Strickland decided to seek revenge. For what, you ask? For an overly-aggressive slide into Brandon Crawford at second base? For a little chin music too close to Joe Panik’s baby face? How about a bat flip…
A DAMN SHAME
A DAMN SHAME Many people remember Tuesday’s AL Wild Card game for the six first inning runs (including three homers); or the fact that the starters recorded a combined seven outs. For me, I will remember a little-noted play in the bottom of the 7th inning. Aaron Judge led off with a walk, and took…
COARSENING OF CULTURE
COARSENING OF CULTURE A few weeks ago, I gave a talk at my daughters’ school entitled Parenting in the Time of Trump. The upshot of the conversation was: How do you relate to and/or protect your kids from the coarsening of our culture. What do you do when “grab them by the pussy” is the…