Posts

Analytics

-
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

It’s Only Treason

-
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Baseball Playoffs

-
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.
Post a Comment
Read more

Radio Flyer

-
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cornell University

-
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. “...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Next 38 Days

-
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nineteen Under Par

-
I went to school at Gannon University. I had a lot of friends on the golf team, and they decided to play in a memorial tournament at Whispering Woods in Erie. Three all-American golfers and me! Now, I’ve played in this foursome before, and it’s a lot of fun watching great golf up close. This year, I wanted to participate. I set up at the tee on a par 3 that was 178 yards away. A hole in one would win me free steak for a year. I can eat a lot of steak. I hit a great shot… …that was about 6’ from all that steak. The next golfer… …put it within 3’. “I couldn’t let you have that,” he said. On the very next hole we were about 40 yards off the green following our drive. I went first, and as I set up, my longtime buddy who routinely golfs around par said, ‘Hang on a second.’ Then he told me where to put the ball in my stance, and aimed at the spot on the green I needed to hit to put it close. I hit the spot. Holed it for an eagle. And man, we laughed all day. Four guys who’ve known one anothe...
Post a Comment
Read more