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October Already!

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Ran into a guy today who ‘couldn’t believe it’s October.’ “What did you expect would come after September?” I asked. “I know!” He said. “But life flies on by.” Don’t I know it. October 1, 1997 was a day I’ll never forget because a steel erector company I worked for tipped a crane over that day. Thankfully no one was injured - which was an absolute miracle - but it was a very bad accident. I spent about a week at the site, dealing with OSHA and a whole bunch of men who remain friends to this day. And with memories it’s insane how much can be recalled about nearly every minute of the day. I was 32 years old. Had been married for just about 5 months! I blinked. And all those years passed on by. As I thought about it this October 1st I had a desire to call the company safety guy… …I would frequently call him and say, ‘Happy Anniversary’ and he would laugh. He passed away a couple of years ago… …and I missed being able to make the call this year. And with memories, it seems that it couldn’t...
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Analytics

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We have so much data at our fingertips. Information overload, actually, and, of course it has entered the baseball conversation. Years ago, the Oakland Athletics used all that information to battle the all-mighty New York Yankees. They lost, but it made a nice little story staring Brad Pitt (it is a great movie). Yet, the movie never mentioned that the A’s had three of the best pitchers in the sport. I mention it because Boston removed their pitcher in the 5th inning of Game 1. “Why are they taking him out?” Sam asked. “They want the lefty to face Rice.” Rice promptly homered. None of the analytics worked and the Yankees hammered them 9-0. So, onto Game 2. It was 1-0 in the 5th inning. Here comes Boston’s manager. “They aren’t doing it again, are they?” Sam asked. “They think they need a lefty.” The pitcher, Sonny Gray, wasn’t tired. He is a good pitcher. Didn’t matter. They made the move and ten minutes later the game was over. They don’t watch the game in front of them. Now, of cours...
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It’s Only Treason

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Jack Smith was called before the oversight committee because the idiots in charge were sure that they could convict him of perjury because he lied about going to an Atlanta Hawks game. Except he went to an Iowa Hawkeyes game in Maryland. It was a nearly comical exchange, but Smith wasn’t amused by the line of questioning. The reason it wasn’t comical is because Smith was there and was testifying about some very serious stuff. The president of the United States was guilty of treason. Smith laid it all out, and broke down the charges. The members of the oversight committee didn’t respond. They didn’t even seem to hear it. The mainstream media didn’t pick up the story, and it seems that the population of the country simply yawned thinking about it. The president is guilty of treason. They have the evidence. I suppose that a lot of people, upon hearing such news might think: “Of course he did.” We will most certainly learn about all of his crimes, say, 10 years down the road. It’ll be a fa...
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Baseball Playoffs

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The first thing I looked for when the playoff schedule came out was what time the Yankees-Red Sux games were on. 8:15 on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday if needed. Damn!!! It’s kind of miserable for those of us who are up and at ‘em by six in the morning. But off we go. Sam and Kathy were engrossed in the Braves-Phillies game that started at 2:00. I joined them in the 8th inning with the Phillies up 3-2. I caught the huge 3-run homer that the Braves hit. “That’s why baseball is the best,” I said. And I’ll go to my grave putting baseball up against every sport. It’s incredible tension. The Yankees have blessed me throughout my life. They have been a winning team for 33 years in a row, which is incredible. They ruined a lot of October sleep schedules, and have given me 7 world championships. Can they win it this year? For sure. They will pitch their way there. And if they don’t pull it off? I’ll get some sleep.
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Radio Flyer

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I had to trim the hedges yesterday, which is a job I hate because I end up getting little slivers - even when I’m wearing my PPE. I also needed something to haul away the debris. I spotted the kid’s wagon. It’s been in the garage since the summer of 1998. I know that for a fact because I dumped the wagon and I saw the inscription. “To Jake…Happy First Birthday! We love you…Grandma and Grandpa Fazzolari” It was Dad’s handwriting. Dad had perfect handwriting. My heart did a little jump, and then it ached. It looked as though he scrawled the inscription yesterday and not 28 years ago. I thought back to those birthday parties when the boys were young. The boys birthdays are within a month of each other so we’d have one party and serve 3 birthday cakes. Those were events and our parents spoiled their grandchildren.  We got a lot of use from that wagon. Kathy would put the boys in it and take them around the neighborhood. Where did that time go? One moment they’re celebrating their first...
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Cornell University

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I’ve been to Cornell about fifty times through the years. It’s a beautiful campus, and of course, it’s a highly regarded academic institution. But it’s kids at college. We had to lower the boom on the crane because students were climbing up a couple of hundred feet on the weekends. Netting had to installed at the bridges where students were jumping to their deaths when the pressure of their grades was too much. And yet, nothing prepared me for the story of the rape. I hung around the frat houses when I was in college. I pledged at a house and a couple of weeks into the process I dropped out because one of the guys who was going to soon be ‘a brother’ spit tobacco juice into my face. I stepped out of line, walked out the front door and had the pledge master chasing me down the street to try and talk me into coming back. I remember that conversation. “We want you to make it,” the pledge master said. “It’s just what you have to go through. Couple of weeks and you’re in.” “Done,” I said. “...
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The Next 38 Days

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On the tee box, polling my fellow golfers. “What’s going to happen?” I asked. “Oh, there won’t be an election,” golfer #1 said. “I don’t think so either,” golfer #2 added. I didn’t digest that all that well. If there aren’t mid-term elections there isn’t any more pretending… …it’s over. I don’t see how they can possibly stop the election.  You can’t just declare martial law (or as the MAGA crowd says: ‘Marshall Law’ - as if he were the sheriff on Gunsmoke). “We have the Democrats saying, ‘He can’t do that! Then he does it and no one stops him.” That is a fair point. I mentioned: “He knows if he loses he’s going to jail.” “He’s NEVER going to jail. He does whatever. There won’t be an election.” It was my turn to hit, with that thought ringing in my ears. After my swing I said: “It’s going to be a crazy few weeks.” Chasing the media away is a calculated plan. Trying to challenge ballots and pretend there’s fraud. That’s out of Hitler’s playbook. On Saturday it was noticed that the wa...
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