Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Backyard Baseball

Talked about the old computer game Backyard Baseball today. Pablo Sanchez. Good times. 
 
Not sure if you clicked on that www.herschel.com link but they had all this retro Coke stuff on their front page. When I was twelve I had a pair of pants with those huge white/red Coke square on them. My Little League team, the Reds, didn’t have baseball pants so we wore long white pants (guess we were ahead of our time). But of course the one game in my life that I pitched I was wearing those super-bright Coke pants – a memory that haunts me to this day.    
 
Coworker Rachel’s European trip took her near the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, the 17 mile round $7 billion scientific research facility often mentioned on Big Bang Theory. Also led me to research the God Particle, a term many scientists today predictably dislike.  
 
 
 
Just posted an essay about whether Pete Rose should be reinstated by baseball, and allowed in the hall of fame. Most don’t know the details of his 1989 banishment, or have long forgotten (including the President of the United States). What do you think?
 
Monday L wrote me a good primer about backpacks. Spent a long time last night shopping on Amazon, and I might be ready to return my new Braves backpack and maybe order an Under Armour model.
 
At 5 pm Monday I grabbed by gym bag and went to change into my workout clothes. Piulled out a t-shirt and running shoes – then realized I had forgot to pack any shorts. So I stuffed the shirt and sneakers back into my bag, planning on going home to change.
 
Due to the rain traffic was terrible. Took forever. On the way I decided to go straight to the gym anyway, since I was wearing my black dri-fit Nike golf pants. Just put on my sneakers and t-shirt and looked athletic enough. Pouring rain when I arrived at the gym. Saw a BMW SUV parked illegally. Guess its okay since they drive a BMW and they’re more important than anyone else.
 
Lifted weights for an hour and went home. Called my sister for her birthday. Warmed up two leftover pieces of pizza. Barney hangs close hoping for some crust. C was at a church thing with her friends. I watched Parenthood, then The Neighborhood with C. Then more Parenthood. On season five now, out of six.
 
Tuesday: pizza for lunch. Tonight at the gym I’m using my cheapo wireless earbuds for the first time (the battery wasn’t charged). I can tell the quality isn’t as good as the regular Apple earphones but hopefully that won’t be a prob. Left work about 530. To the gym. Since my hip feels a little weird I used that as an excuse to only walk/run three miles. Tried to take it easy but still posted a decent time: 13:36 13:16 12:38.
 
Got home and stayed busy. Didn’t sit down for a long time. Folded clothes, did more laundry, straightened up, packaged three shipments. No time to shop for a backpack or sneakers. Ate some leftover oatmeal. Watched Making It and Parenthood as well as UNC/Wake Forest. What’s wrong with UNC? One UNC player got hit in the mouth and had to go to the locker room.M came in from work at fixed himself some sesame chicken.
 
Wednesday morning I had to stop at a UPS dropbox, the post office, and Taco Bell (breakfast and lunch). Wednesday night is Hot Stove, where I’m sure we’ll discuss the proposed changes: 7 playoff teams per league, the DH in the NL.
 
Lately I have been setting my GPS whenever I drive somewhere, even on my on my normal commute to work, so I can catch when traffic is heavier than usual on a certain route. This morning it rerouted me a different way. Sometimes I follow the GPS route and sometimes not. I’d rather take a little scenic two lane road with less traffic that takes a few minutes longer than a heavily traveled four lane road that’s supposedly quicker. I also try to avoid left turns, or make the left turn at a less crowded intersection.
 
I try to avoid rush hour traffic on the interstate but my kids, even Ceil, will drive through it. I didn’t go to many Gwinnett Stripers games last year because the long 40 mile drive is so bad, even on the weekend.
 
By the way I HATE backing out and leaving a parking lot. Feel like I can’t see what’s behind me, scared some other car is pulling out at the same time. Will take a longer way out of the parking lot if its safer. Also lots of the young guys at work always back their car in to the space. Might make for leaving easier and it might look cool but overall it takes more time and wastes more gas, so its not for me. But I will pull through one space at a store so I can pull out straight ahead. Guess I need to start doing that at work as well. Also on the interstate I try not to stay right next to a big truck (or any other vehicle). I’d rather have open space around me and leave a comfortable cushion between me and the car ahead of me. When I pass a big truck I try to do so quickly, perhaps going up a hill when the truck slows down. If I can keep a lane between me and the truck that’s all the better.    
 
Is it that 1917 movie about WWI? I hear its good. With Hollywood and the Oscars in the news, here are two interesting articles, including Denison commenting on the continuing decline in viewership:
 
 
 
Denison also wrote shorter articles about Brad Pitt, Oscar trivia and the Word of God
 
 
JIM PALMER  [SABR Bio] is the only pitcher to win World Series games in three separate decades - WS Ws = G 2 1966; G1 1970; G 2 1971; G 3 1983 In a nineteen-year, 3,948-inning major league career he never surrendered a grand slam home run - 0 GS, but 27 3-run shots. He did surrender a grand slam to a future Hall of Famer while both were in the minors. While pitching for the AAA Rochester Red Wings on 01-Jul-1967 on a rehab assignment, the Buffalo Bisons’ Johnny Bench homered off Palmer with 3 men on.
 
MIKE MUSSINA  [SABR Bio] was the first American League pitcher to win ten or more games in each of 17 consecutive seasons - 10+ W 1992-2008. He is the only pitcher besides Sandy Koufax to finish his career with a twenty-win season in the live ball era. Record was 20-9 in 2008. Koufax’ was 27-9 in 1966. [Despite the infamy of the 1919 WS, both Eddie Cicotte’s and Lefty Williams’ career-ending 20-win campaigns were posted in 1920—just before they were banned by the Commish. The Live Ball Era’s first year is traditionally recognized as 1920 so really, both Black Soxers also accomplished what Moose and Sandy did]. Mussina was the hundredth pitcher to earn his two hundredth career victory. His 200th W = 11-Apr-2004
 

No comments: