Thoughts of a Common Man

The 27-Time World Champion Greatest Franchise in the History of Organized American Sports is going for it! 100 games in and the trade deadline this afternoon and the Yankees have made two deals already with one more on the horizon. If they get Sonny Gray they will have addressed the weaknesses that Pops and I identified just a couple of weeks ago. So, it should be fun! The kids are exciting. Judge has been a monster all year, and Clint Frazier is fun to watch. He has a really quick swing... ...runs fast. And that's what's exciting. The old guys never went first to third. They don't look tired. On Sunday morning the Buffalo News published a story of the 1985 team that won 97 games and finished a game short of winning the AL East. I was 20 and recall being gathered around a radio as the Yanks played the Jays. They lost game 161 to be eliminated and my college buddies jumped all over me. And that's what might happen if this young team falls short.

I'm thinking that I got a shot. Reince is out. Spicy is out. Mooch is in. And that's what gives me hope. I can swear like the Mooch! But it gets more and more odd every day. Donald is trying to get Sessions to quit so that he might be able to hire someone who could possibly be the stooge to try and fire Mueller to get that pesky witch hunt, that might put the entire family in prison, over with. Which would certainly set the whole White House aflame. And that's where I come in! I was listening to Mooch talk to Chris Cuomo. He threw in so many Italian-American references that I was getting uncomfortable. Then later he was quoted as saying that Steve Bannon (another guy who might be on the way out) wanted to try and bend himself into a position that would allow him to get to a particular appendage that should not be reached by ones own mouth. All true stuff! No fake news!! And I never watched House of Cards, but I'm thinking that if, as a writer,

I was seated in the waiting area at Logan Airport, reading baseball trade rumors on my phone, and listening to Mellencamp. When I looked up, the entire waiting area, was filled with people. Hundreds of 'em! All looking around for a place to plug their phone. "Excuse me, is anyone sitting there?" A woman asked me, pointing to the obviously unoccupied seat next to me. "I don't see anyone, do you?" I asked. I must have delivered it all right because she laughed...plopped down beside me. A kid of about three, wearing a Spider-Man shirt started doing laps down the middle of the aisle. His mother ran along behind him as if the two of them were doing a performance. No one looked amused. And I like kids...I do...but not so much when they aren't mine and especially not when they're screaming and making me move my feet. I knew I'd lose my seat I I got up, but I had to hit the rest room before the flight. I was dragging my bag behind m

Who's side are you on? Cellino? Or Barnes? Seems that the two lawyers who put that call 888-8888 jingle in your head forever are now heading for a court battle with each other. I'm kind of enjoying it. I'm not a grand fan of lawyers. I get their whole deal, but it's a game to them and a lot of times people's lives are greatly affected by their word charades. I've had more than a few encounters with lawyers because I have to, given that I work in a field where lawyers sometimes poke their noses in. One simple afternoon, years ago, has become imbedded on my conscience. The lawyer was arguing a point that was an absolute stretch. In fact, she knew it was out and out lie... ...but she clung to that flimsy lie... ...and told it over and over again until the judge slapped her down. As I was walking out of the hearing room I kept thinking: "She KNEW it was a lie." So, it's hard to respect everything about that profession... .

I definitely was a Cub Scout. I recall going to the scout leaders house and trying to figure out how to tie knots. I wasn't very good. I remember the uniform and getting roundly harassed by any sibling that wasn't in a uniform at the time. John was with me through all of it and was in his own goofy uniform so it wasn't so bad, but Corinne was certainly taking pot shots and what dweebs we were. And then we were graduated to weabols (I don't even know if that's spelled right). That's where the journey ended...right after the soap box derby race. I remember the motto: Be Prepared. Loyalty. Love of God and Country. Help others. All good stuff! I listened to the heat the organization has taken through the years... ...didn't think too much about it. But The 45th President out the Scouts back in the news because he went out and gave an absolutely horrid speech in front of them. It's cringe-worthy to any of us who have suffered to p

Caught an HBO documentary on Princess Diana, as it has been (unbelievably) 20 years since her death. What a shame that she died so young. Every time I see her I think: "What a beautiful woman." And it's not just her physical beauty. She appeared to be very nurturing to her boys, and she was roundly cheered for fighting for the less fortunate. She was a champion for the homeless. She actually went into the downtrodden neighborhoods and talked to the men and women who were suffering. She walked the walk. Yet, part of what touched me were the days of Diana as a very young girl. A bit of a tomboy, always laughing. Insecure, vulnerable. Always smiling broadly. What hit me about it was the feeing that she was absolutely cheated out of a life that she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying... ...even while speaking about AIDS, or land mines... ...and while dealing with her dopey husband and being shunned by those tight-asses. She stood up tall. Raised her

Back in early 2009 I went to the New England Book Festival Awards ceremony to pick up an award for "Nobody's Home." It was my first award ceremony and I even wore a suit coat (sneakers though). I grabbed a beer and sat down to a guy who looked familiar to me. M.William Phelps. I recognized him from his photo on the back of his books. He writes true crime drama. I had read a number of his books. We spent a few hours chatting. I asked him about what it's like to interview killers. He told me that he was definitely affected by it. Well, he has a new book out this week about his constant communications with serial killer Keith Jepperson. How could a relationship with such a guy not creep into your real life. Jepperson told Phelps about feeding a Whopper to one of his victims... ...after she was dead... ...then laughing because she wasn't enjoying it. Phelps is a good dude. I really enjoyed my evening with him and his lovely wife. But he could

There's a Mellencamp song "Real Life" where his narrator whines: "I want to live the real life, don't wanna' sit around my house and watch tv." I really limped into the weekend. I grabbed a massage last Saturday and that usually straightens me out for the week ahead, but my back was bugging me and my legs were an eternal buzz, to the point of absolute despair, but it's summer and I work in construction. Up every day by 5:30 a.m. Not done with everything until 12 hours had passed. Limping, buzzing, hurting, ice, heat, blah, blah, blah. On Wednesday morning Kathy sent me a text: "Any better?" "Yeah. Climbing a straight ladder 20' really helped." By Friday, I was really a mess. "Better find some movies," I texted. "I'm not moving." But there's an eternal struggle there too. "Any series on Netflix?" I asked my Facebook buddies. We received 50 recommendations. Settled

Spicy 🌶 out!! How can we not be disappointed? I'm thinking that SNL will get one more episode out of it. They have to do something about him quitting, right? But Spicer was in a bad spot. He certainly tried to go out of his way to make the lies work, but he just couldn't get it done most of the time. They tried to do it off camera so he wouldn't get lambasted, but that didn't go too well either. I wonder if he got out before he got caught up in what might be a criminal aspect, but he'll resurface somewhere. Good luck to him! Donald spent a little time yesterday thinking about who he could pardon in the future. I'm thinking he thinks that he could maybe, perhaps, possibly pardon himself. You think? Not sure that will work. He starts throwing out pardons to his kids and cabinet members than maybe some who are defending him may believe that he actually did something wrong. I actually read his nonsensical interview with the New York Times and I

I listened to all of the O.J. Simpson parole hearing on Thursday afternoon, and I just couldn't shake the feeling of pity that I had for him. I'm not sorry that he was in jail for 9 years on a burglary charge that wouldn't have netted most criminals much more than parole. I didn't pity him because he'd lost his big, fancy life back when he was on trial for butchering two people. Instead, I felt sorry for O.J. because he screwed up his life, and he has no idea that he actually did anything wrong! He played the victim!! When they asked him about taking a course designed to help him control his temper, he explained that he's always been a bowl of cherries to be around. He was never actually a criminal either so he didn't have much to worry about when it came to possibly repeating his bad behavior. Couple of wife beat-downs, two murders, and armed robbery... ...other than that he's been almost perfect! He bragged a little about having been

The news that John McCain has brain cancer saddens me. Of course, he should be considered an American hero, because of his time as a prisoner of war. He's also been a senator for years and years. Service to the country. Should be without a but... But... He was ridiculed by a presidential candidate who said that he likes his war heroes better if they weren't captured. He also ran for president and chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. During the miserable campaign of 2016 and following the inauguration he would often times appear on camera to lambast a poor decision.. ...and then he would vote along with the very decision he just said was bad. A difficult guy to pin down. Yet a hard guy to not admire. So, hearing that he has such a tough road ahead is saddening to me. These bodies of ours are made to break down. That's what sort of irritates me about those, who when arguing about healthcare, are saying that people are responsible for the diseases t

The Yankees haven't been playing great. Yet, I'm still very invested again this year, and here we are at the trade deadline. Exciting stuff for baseball fans. Do you trade the promise of the kids for the experience of the guys who've been there before? It's a balancing act. The Yankees have a reputation for trading their youngsters, but that's simply not true. They have not dealt anyone who might've made a difference since they sent Jay Buhner to a Seattle for Ken Phelps in the late 80's. Don't believe me? Think of someone else they dealt who turned into a great player. I'll give you all the time you want! It is the youngsters who will eventually be on the field when the Yankees hoist the trophy 🏆 for the 28th time. Yet, this is about the deadline. I live for the rumors and the movement. The season is like a soap opera... ...one game leads to the next. "Why not leave Betances in????"  Someone will scream on so

No matter what anyone says there's something about being popular. Makes you think of high school. We all wanted to be a part of the popular crowd. We all want people to like us. I think that continues through most of our lives. No one actually wants to be hated. But there comes a time when none of that really matters. I wasn't voted most popular. I garnered Most Talkative... ...which was pretty fitting. But I wasn't UNPOPULAR! What's weird is that the president is gauged by how popular he is. Donald, after six short months, has broken records for being the most unpopular man to ever hold the post. But unlike most of the rest of us... ...he's kind of hung-up on it. He rounded up and then said, "that's not so bad." As his unpopularity continues to rise I'm kind of worried about my condolences kicking in. He might get so unpopular that I might start feeling sorry for him. I always had a soft spot for the most hated of a

Stories like the one out of Pennsylvania this week simply astound me. Four young men were reported missing and where they were found wasn't good. Two other young men had shot them and buried them in deep graves. Horrible. In Buffalo over the weekend there were two hit and run accidents. Think of hitting someone and then just leaving! I hit a groundhog one day and had to pull over because I was feeling weepy. It seems that there is little respect for life these days, and it's hard to dwell on it because millions of people did NOT kill someone over the weekend. I read a story the other day that said that violent crimes have been going down in numbers for the last thirty years or so. Doesn't seem that way, does it? But I suppose it's because we hear so much about every little thing now. Something bad happens and we get it as an alert on our phone. That didn't happen years ago. Then the story is repeated over and over. You see it on Facebook and Tw

July 20 is the day. Orenthal is up for parole after serving 9 years in a country club prison for armed robbery. Probably a sentence that was a little too long for that specific crime, but there was chatter about the crime he got away with, of course. I know it was a bit of a country club because there was an hour long special about OJ and his time behind bars. He still played the Juice in prison. Still talks about himself in the 3rd person. People still follow him around and want to be with him. Which is crazy! Yet, Orenthal always had a way about him. The Buffalo television station posted a story about his potential release. There were 41 comments. 40 of them were pro-OJ!! He gutted two people! 10 of the 40 included the hashtag Bills Mafia in their remarks. Are you freaking kidding me! I must admit that I loved OJ as a player. He was dynamic. I also loved him after he retired. He was a decent comedic actor. He did great on the football shows, and he a

There's a great Bob Dylan song by that name... ...forget the record, but Bob sings the hell out of it. As referenced here last week the Camp is in disrepair. Then the basement gets flooded. Floods are fun because of the stink. Everyone is taking a turn running the shampooer. Then I get in my car and flip over to E-Street radio. "Either I went deaf or my radio fuse is blown," I announced. I have as much chance of changing a blown fuse as I do of playing left field for the Yankees next year. Now it matches the air conditioner. And let's not even bring up the weed whacker. I went looking for it in the garage. Came up empty. "Where is our weed whacker?" I asked. "I think my father borrowed it," Kathy said. "Can we get it back?" The next day I inquired. "Funny story," Kathy said. "It's not there. And when I asked my father about it he wondered where his was. It turns out his has been in the

Went to a good wedding last night for a longtime buddy and his beautiful wife. Sat with some friends that I met back before 1970. Had a lot of laughs. What's really fun about hanging out with longtime friends is that the conversation is really easy. Everything is up front... ...the glory days stories, what the kids are doing now, and what the next stage is going to be. It seems we all had a single drink... ...and if the wedding was held long ago there would've been hundreds of drinks. Now it's about the food! And the wedding came up big! Beef, chicken, pasta. Yet we had to discuss eating in moderation too because of the health difficulties that cause is difficulty. But I ate pretty good. My feeling being that carbs will always have a special place in my life. We were positioned next to the tower of cupcakes. I'm not the biggest dessert guy in the world... ...but there are no drinks anymore! I was definitely having a cupcake. "Think

The rain was hammering the sidewalk outside the car. I had a meeting in downtown Buffalo and if you've ever looked for parking there you know it can be a tad aggravating. I had found a meter, which was the good news... ...bad news was that it was a few blocks away from the front door. I don't care if I get wet. I had my hard hat on anyway. It's keeping the electronics dry that's the problem. I stuffed my phone in my pocket and put the Notebook computer under my vest. "Damn!" This wasn't your standard rainstorm! An hour later I stepped through my front door at home. Splash. "Damn!" I heard the pump working. Headed for the drain in the back...it was working, but there was a foot of water trying to head down it. More water was pouring in from under the door. I started bailing the water. Got the campers to move a little. As I left for Syracuse in the late afternoon, the youngest camper was shampooing the carpet. Traf

Spent a little time thinking about the soldier from Western New York, Nicholas Warden, who was killed early this month after stepping on a land mine in Afghanistan. Nicholas' father was talking to the Buffalo News about his son and his short life. His son always wanted to be a soldier. 9/11 convinced him that he had to stand up and fight back. A little while later I heard the horrific news of an aircraft with 16 soldiers aboard crashed in a field in Tennessee. 16 more kids... ...gone. And I listen to the news. No names. Just a story... ...then on to Russia talk, or trying to push healthcare through. Not even a moment to be sad for those kids who didn't get to live their lives. And I suppose that we can't think about it too much because we might all stand up and really question  what the hell is going on. We have to keep the war machine going. The military budget is outrageous... ...but necessary... ...we are told. I think back to the Iraq w

Aaron Judge is unreal. There was little doubt that he would win the HR Derby. Even when Bour hit 22 in the first round...while impressive... ...wasn't enough. Once Judge passed him to move on there was little tension left. Gary Sanchez also knocked off Giancarlo Stanton (last year's champ) and anyone watching had to think... ...Uh-Oh... the 27-Time World Champion Greatest Franchise in the History of Organized American Sports... Is stacked again! Here's the thing: They also have Clint Frazier and the best of their young players... ...Gleyber Torres would've been up already, but he got hurt. He's gonna' be a superstar. What's strange is that I normally take time off from baseball during the All-Star Break, especially this year as the Yanks have been struggling lately, but I had to watch the Derby. Because of Judge. And friends of mine, who hate the Yankees... ...sent me texts. "He's a freak." "Holy Cripes!

Russia, Russia, Russia. Now it's Donald Jr. who had a meeting with Russia that he forgot about. He had to report it because another guy who didn't have anything to do with Russia (Kushner - who had a half dozen undisclosed meetings) had to disclose the meeting because he got caught. Manafort was there too. He said he had nothing to do with Russia, but wound up leaving the whole shebang over it. Of course, just because everyone around Donald had something to do with it, he obviously didn't. This is what is going to happen: Everything will be found out. Millions upon millions of dollars will have changed hands. They'll all wind up guilty. It's trending that way. And here's the billion dollar question: Will...after all the proof is in...anyone care that members of our government consorted with members of a government that is not our friend? Putin is not a good guy. He is not a better guy than Obama. He doesn't care more about our c

Saw a news story (I don't think it was fake) about Trump and Putin shaking hands. Body language experts were saying that Trump won the handshake. Evidently you can tell who is the alpha male by the position of the body, the look in the eye and the break away. Really? I'm not big on shaking hands. I don't know who's touching what moments before there is a gripping of my hand. As soon as it happens I think getting away and getting my hand sanitizer. Yet if I do have to shake someone's hand I try and offer a decent grip. The guys who just kind of place their hand in yours.. ...creepy. And the Donald seems to put some stock in the old handshake. He's tried to intimidate some by yanking them towards him. Now people are one-upping him on the international stage. I saw a clip of one of the wives of one of the leaders move towards Trump with her hand extended. When he extended his she walked right by him and shook hands with Melania instead. He just

Up really early on Sunday morning to take Johnny to the airport to conclude his week-long visit. I headed down to wake him up (they had planned on staying up all night), but when I checked in the guest room, the bed was not only empty, the mattress was gone. The same thing happened on Saturday. Johnny had moved the mattress into Sam's room and placed it on the floor beside his cousin's bed. So they could spend time together even when they're sleeping. "Get up," I told Johnny. "You have to be in the car in 10 minutes." I went back to the kitchen and poured a coffee and thought about my younger days and all the moments I spent with Jeff... ...not wanting to be apart because we just loved each other so much. My mind took me back to playing foose in my parents basement. Jeff used to crush me in that game, and yell out "He scores!" every time the ball went in my goal. I swore under my breath. But then I thought of Johnny and Sam

The NBA is currently signing their players for next year and beyond. All-Star guard Stephon Curry just re-upped with the Golden State Warriors... ...$200 million. Something like $40 million a year. My kids didn't blink an eye when they heard the numbers and I suppose it's hard to fathom. "No one is worth that kind of money!" Is an easy thing to say. It's true, as well. Yet, the money is there, right? Raise the ticket prices. Make it $12 a beer. $8 for a hot dog. The place will be packed! The owners will still make their money regardless. I've always hated that the money is made public. I enjoyed watching sports as a kid, never knowing how much my favorite players were making. It's nothing new. Babe Ruth famously made a hundred grand. "You make more than the president," a reporter said. "I had a better year," Ruth replied. There are about 400 NBA Players. They're freaks of nature. They're also

One of the things that's driven me absolutely nuts is that one side of my garage (the weather side, I'm told) was in great need of a coat of paint. When Johnny arrived last week he said: "Want me to paint your garage?" "Yes!" I answered. Yet, he's here for R&R... ...so I let it slide. Or so I thought! My own sons are very unlike me. They're very casual. A bit leisurely. Matt is the exception, as he will work hard at any job he's given and like me, he's obsessive. Turns out, Johnny is too. I was hitting jobs on Thursday when he face-timed me. (It's never just a phone call with him. He wants to see who he's talking to). "What's up?" I asked. "Did you get the paint?" He showed me that he had already started to scrap the garage. "I'll get it," I said. "Today!" He said. Then he hung up.m I swung by Home Depot. I dropped off the paint and then started writ

Heard news today that the trip to Europe is important because Trump is meeting with Putin, and the world is going to see what they can do about North Korea. Pretty hopeful, huh? Should go well. And the way they do sell the news is a tad crazy. "This could be a potential nuclear showdown!" The anchor said. It's kind of like when two teams are undefeated at the mid-point of the season and they say: "This might be a super bowl preview!" "In this corner we have Donald. Over here Kim Jong!" "Who is crazy enough to press the button that might obliterate the 🌎?" If Vegas were to take bets I'm thinking it might be even money. Yet, the most ignorant of all moves was pulled off by non-other than the portly governor of New Jersey. Chris Christie and his family spent some time down the shore where everything is all right. Except the beach was closed... ...to everyone but his group. Someone got wind of it and there was a

We were on the 17th hole. Patience was wearing thin. Before each drive, Johnny would look off into the distance and see the group in front of us pulling the pin on the green some 400 yards away. "Should I wait until they're done?" He'd ask. "Hit the ball!" Chuck and I would yell in unison. Following what would be a dribbler that would send Johnny and Sam into fits of laughter, Johnny would turn to walk away. "Pick up your tee!" I would yell out. 18 times I told him to grab his special tee. (It's there in his mouth in the photo). And I look dumbfounded in the photo because just before he took it he said: "My phone doesn't work." I was trying to figure out what he was doing wrong. He snapped the photo. Yet, the 17th hole was the one that got me. I was seated in the cart... ...very physically worn. Johnny was right in front of me, lining up his shot. I watched the placement of his club. He actually

There's more to being a proud American than just blaring a patriotic song and making threats against those who don't see America exactly as you do. When it comes to being an American I'm more worried about a lot of things now than I ever was. Like human rights. Our constitution was written by a whole bunch of smart guys who had a lot of deep thoughts about how things might go. The checks and balances that were governed in were put in place to make sure that everyone would be represented. A lot of those rights are being threatened. Maybe not yours specifically, but those of Americans who have every right to protection of rights that you do. Nobody wins unless everyone wins. If the rights are stripped from even one group...we all lose. Another thing that worries me is that there is an all-out attack on the mainstream media. I'm sure you've seen the nonsense. Every single day. Fake, fraud, lying, crooked. The White House briefings are short or n

Easy like Sunday morning. I've always enjoyed the feel of Sunday. Church, Yankees, pasta or Church, Bills, pasta. Family has always been prominently featured, of course. Sunday...that's my fun day. My I don't have to run day. Nice, relaxed feel. Except for lately. We've been hampered with a whole bunch of Sunday morning tweets now... ...by the president. Evidently he has chosen Sunday morning as the time to air all grievances. Vile, nasty things, actually. This Sunday a tweet about CNN made the rounds. Years ago, Trump participated in a WWE match. He sucker punched someone just outside the ring and in true WWE fashion... ...it was sort of entertaining and funny. This Sunday that video was included with a CNN logo in the place where the guy's head was supposed to be. I initially thought it was a parody account. When I realized it truly was coming from the legitimate Trump account I thought: "My God! It's Sunday morning!!

There was a moment on Saturday when Johnny looked up at me, as he was eating a bowl of pasta for lunch. He looked up and smiled and I saw Jeff alive in his eyes. We toyed with the idea of NOT having the softball tournament this year. Playing ball is a tough go for some of us old dogs now. I only took two at-bats last year and even though I didn't run, I was beat up for a week afterwards. Carrie was the inspiration to get things back on track again. "Let's go!" She texted. "We can put it together!" The date is August 13 at 11 a.m. At the New Oregon Park. Back where we started! After Carrie's text I started thinking about all that is right about the day. The stuffed 🌶 peppers. The laughs. The unbelievable auction. Baltimore representing!! Friends from all over the country reaching out so that Jeff remains alive in the eyes of John, Farrah and Rocco! And Mom!! My mother absolutely loves that the town, and all the people we love

The corn is supposed to be knee-high by the 4th of July. I passed a cornfield... ...we seem to be on target. Yet everyone is camping! We don't camp. My beautiful wife's philosophy on it is: "We bought a house. Why the hell do we wanna' go somewhere smaller, sleep in a lousy bed, use a tiny bathroom and sit outside around a fire?" I don't have an answer to that! My own bed will be a lot more restful for the days off. Yet there's the whole getting away and in touch with nature... ...that might be fun... But it was about 45 degrees last night! And the damn rain. They're saying it might rain all weekend. But the rough go is that any and all of my golf partners are ⛺️ in a damn tent! So, Camp Clifford is open for business, at least at the start of the weekend. Perhaps we will break out of the bubble as the weekend progresses, but first off, we are waiting for: Johnny, and we stopped out to North Collins to wish my beautiful cousin,