Saturday, November 09, 2019

Neil Armstrong & the Perry Brothers

Read an interesting SI article on MLB and the first moon landing in 1969. In 1962 Giants manager Alvin Dark decreed that “there will be a man on the moon before Gaylord Perry hits a home run.” On July 20 1969 Apollo 11 set down on the moon at 1:17 pm. By that point Gaylord had given up three runs, but after the landing he pitched 8 shutout innings to earn the win. And at 1:51 Perry stepped in the box for his 485th at bat – and hit his first home run, into a stiff wind, off Dodger Claude Osteen.
 
At the same time in Seattle the Twins took the field to continue a continued 18 inning game from the night before. Gaylord’s brother Jim pitched two shutout innings and scored the winning run on a bases-loaded balk. Then in the regular game Jim pitched 9 more shutout innings to earn his second win of the day.


You may be familiar with the son of Jim Perry – former PGA golfer Chris Perry. In 1985 a childhood friend of Jim and Gaylord attended Chris’ wedding in Upper Sandusky Ohio – Neil Armstrong.
 
 
The great Pressley Harvin ranks 38th in the country among punters with ten or more attempts, and 6th in the ACC. The list is littered with punters with fewer than ten attempts, including the top three (eleven part-timers are ahead of #49 Harvin).
 
04. 49.0 35 1715 Braden Mann Texas A&M
06. 48.3 21 1544 Oscar Bradburn Virginia Tech
11. 47.1 40 1884 Trenton Gill NC State
13. 47.0 24 1129 Jake Camarda UGA
24. 45.5 37 1685 Louis Headley Miami
25. 45.3 54 2444 Sterling Hofrichter Syracuse
27. 45.1 44 1983 Dom Maggio Wake Forest
49. 44.2 50 2209 Pressley Harvin GT
 
Speaking of GT kickers, I noticed KC Chief Harrison Butler wears a plastic wedding ring during NFL games. This practice is becoming more widespread in recent years.


Just started the book Where Men Win Glory, The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, the NFL safety who gave up his $3.5 million salary to join the army after the 9/11 attacks. Half about Tillman and half a recent history of all the strife in Afghanistan. Written by author Jon Krakauer, who wrote Into Thin Air, about the ill-fated 1996 Mt Everest expedition he survived.
 
Krakauer says the fall of the Soviet Union began when the Carter Administration lured the USSR into an expensive, winless fight against Afghan rebels – who were armed with American weapons and resources. This drained Soviet resources to the point that by the time they withdrew, the USSR was about to collapse. Unfortunately with the USSR/Afghan skirmish over, the US cut Afghan aid, infuriating extremists who then turned their rage on the United States.
 
BTW Tillman hated his role as the government’s patriotic poster boy terrorist fighter. He signed up out of a sense of duty, not for more glory. Details of his death are sketchy: the army admitted the case of friendly fire, though some theorize Tillman was murdered. Pat’s younger brother was a member of the same platoon, and saw Pat go down.            
 
 
Our work Christmas dinner will be Dec 14 at Dominick’s, an authentic Italian restaurant in historic Norcross, across from the rail station. I could eat Italian every day.  
 
 
Need to remember the lucky outfit I wore last Saturday when GA beat FL: navy GT pullover, Ryerson safety tshirt, Columbia pants, blue Sonic socks, and black Nikes. Under Armour underwear.
 
Every now and then our Hulu (main TV) doesn’t come on, and I have to double click to shut down all the open apps on my Apple TV. I just typed that but not sure exactly what it means, or even how to do it exactly. I just mess around with it until it works. One time I had to call Amazon to help.
 
Good thing Georgia State doesn’t play GT this year – for Tech’s sake. Basketball or football.
 
Good article by Lang about Crocs. I will wear my Crocs around the house and outside to wash the car or take out the trash or walk Barney, but like more snug / secure sneakers to cut the grass of rake. Also like snugger sneakers inside to keep my feet warm.
 
 
Good Dennison column on Kanye West. I’d never heard of Kanye until he (1) called out Taylor Swift at an awards shows and (2) learned about his Yeezy sneakers (I almost bought some knockoffs). Interesting to hear Kanye’s rich Kardashian wife speak about him “being saved by Jesus.”  Yes people wait and watch for Kayne to slip, but perhaps many will be impacted positively by his conversion.  
 


Saw something on the College Park Arena. Must’ve been a media day. Stay tuned for the recap of my visit tomorrow.
 
 
Last Sunday I saw Talking Chop contributor Howard Evans at the Braves A-List Play Day. Told him I’d seen where he was quoted in SI’s recent article bashing the Braves move to Cobb five years ago. Without me saying anything more, Howard was apologetic, admitting his quotes were taken out of context, edited to fit the writer’s agenda.   
 
Interesting story: some Trader Joes stores hide small stuffed animals on the shelves for kids to find. I had never heard of such. Asked my kids and they’d known about it for years.
 
 
I only eat candy bars at Halloween. They’re great to cut up and eat with ice cream. Ranking candy bars: Snickers, Butterfinger, Snickers Crunch, Heath, Reeses, Snickers with Peanut Butter, Butterfinger Crunch, Mr. Goodbar, $100,000 Bar, Baby Ruth, Almond Joy, Mounds, Payday, Zero, Krackle, Hersheys with Almonds, Hersheys Milk Chocolate, Hersheys Dark Chocolate, Hersheys Cookies & Cream. Not a fan of Milky Way and 3 Musketeers. Don’t get me started on M&Ms.

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