Beware of Moe

Question of the day: who is your favorite bullpen arm? My pick: Moe Drabowsky, my old fantasy camp pal. Still holds the record for most strikeouts by a relief pitcher in one World Series game, with eleven in Game One of the 1966 Fall Classic. 

Moe was one of the all time great pranksters. He once gave the commissioner of baseball the hotfoot. He'd call the opposing bullpen to get relievers warming up, or have Chinese takeout delivered there. During the World Series he rented a plane to pull a sign saying BEWARE OF MOE over the stadium. 

At fantasy camp he brought in a couple of snakes into the locker room. It was such a privilege to be able to spend a week with him - I tried to hang out by his side as much as I could. He'd always call me "Murf". 

Re-watched "A Man Named Otto" on Monday night. Such a good movie. A real tearjerker.

Had a dream that involved coworkers Eric and Leo. We all worked at a megachurch, and would make dramatic appearances by dropping through cables and tunnels from the ceiling high above.  Leo wasn't that happy with all the unexpected dropdowns. Uncharacteristically, Eric had long hair, and Leo had short hair. 

NASA confirmed that a massive object slammed into the Moon, carving out a colossal crater stretching 225 meters wide—an impact so rare it’s only expected to happen once every hundred years. The effects were so powerful they altered the lunar landscape for miles beyond the impact zone.

Plus three separate meteors have been spotted over the US this week, in Houston, Pittsburgh, and California.

Monday night when C was spending the night down with the girls, I went to Kroger because we were out of quesadilla shells. Thought about buying a frozen pizza as a treat, then saw hot dog buns were on sale for a dollar. Needed mustard, pickle relish, and of course hot dogs, then messed up and bought buns that cost 2 bucks. But the dogs were good.

Yesterday the workers put up various hooks and hung the mirrors. Ceil had grilled chicken for a late lunch. During Wheel of Fortune I took the ingredients that C had previously prepared and made the enchiladas for baking. Her cream sauce is better than Taqueria's. Very good.

Our missionary friends needed someone to stop by Trader Joes to get some lavender tote bags for them to take overseas as gifts. I had no idea these things were so popular. A $4 tote that's reselling on eBay for $25. It's like bobbleheads all over again. I got to Pinestraw Plaza early, and there were already several cars in the parking lot. By 7:55 am there was a small group at the door, waiting for the store to open. There was a limit of 12, so we were all counting out to make sure we each got our dozen. Made me think of the early AM Black Friday sales. I only got knocked down twice. Maybe I have found myself a new hobby. 

While lifting weights I talked myself into getting a haircut, so I left the gym at ten and drove the couple of blocks to get my hair cut. Wednesday is senior day, so there was a small crowd. Then I dropped off some donations at the Goodwill next door. Then back to the gym for sauna and treadmill. 

Then I drove down Johnson Ferry for a free smoothie at Smoothie King. Then home for hot dogs. Got several food deals to take advantage of: (1) a free breakfast combo at Hardees, (2) a free Whattaburger (and other coupons), (3) and a free burger at a grand opening tomorrow on Cobb Parkway. 

MAX SCHERZER [B-R Bio] ended the 2025 season with 221 wins. His contract with the Blue Jays specifies a $3,000,000 base plus performance bonuses: $1M each for 65, 75, 85, 95, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145, and 155 innings pitched. He pitched for Detroit from 2010 to 2014. He pitched in four World Series: (1) for the Tigers against the Giants in 2012 (L); (2) for the Nationals against the Astros in 2019 (W); (3) for the Rangers against the Diamondbacks in 2023 (W); and (4) for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Dodgers in 2025 (L). He is one of the most intense competitors in baseball - Examples.

Denison: according to a report by the Middle East Institute, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has developed from a militia into a "parallel state" within Iran. They understand the world through the prism of Mahdism: the return of the 12th divinely ordained Imam Mahdi, who will rid the world of evil and injustice through "one final apocalyptic battle" between the dar al-Islam (land of Muslims) and dar al-Kufr (land of infidels). They believe that the 1979 Islamic Revolution marked the first stage in the Mahdi's return. The IRGC now exists to "prepare the world for the emergence of Imam of the Age" by fighting the "enemies" of Islam. In such a conflict, they win by not losing. The survival of the IRGC and the Islamic regime constitutes success, enabling them to continue their aggression against Israel and the West until they are defeated and/or the Mahdi returns. The US and Israel are fighting a military battle against an ideological foe. For anyone who doubts whether the spiritual is real or relevant, this conflict should be proof enough.

March Bobbleheads & SGAs

I'm back again with another season listing each month's bobblehead giveaways, plus other interesting SGAs and special ticket deals. Good news / bad news: these lists will be bigger and better than ever - but mostly padded with minor league SGAs. I'm gonna need some help with the MLB SGAs, so please send me your tips. 

Minor league teams are light on the bobblehead giveaways this year, but chock up of caps, replica jerseys, cowboy hats - it got to the point where I only added bobbleheads.  

So far the Braves have announced a whopping 43 giveaways for 2026 - with 16 bobbleheads (and they usually add more throughout the season). That's a giveaway in over half their games. Hard to complain about that.

Only two bobblehead SGAs in March, after last Friday's Port St Lucie Mr Met SGA. Seems like all the Seattle and Atlanta affiliates are giving away Cal Raleigh and Drake Baldwin bobbleheads. If you miss these MLB SGAs in March, you'll have plenty more chances to nab a Raleigh or Baldwin at a minor league park later on this season.

Have you noticed a trend away from bobblehead SGAs, and instead more special ticket deals and / or kids giveaways? What are your thoughts on this?

Plus I am seeing WAY more replica jersey giveaways this year.  I already have 3 or 4 replica jerseys, plus several more "authentic" jerseys. Will you collect these in addition to the bobbleheads?  

3.20 FRI St Lucie Mr Met bobble 1000

3.25 WED UGA softball: fuzzy bucket hats 400

3.26 THU - 3.28 SAT St Ann Marietta garage sale

3.27 FRI Lehigh Valley drinking glasses 3000

3.27 FRI Buffalo free ticket if below 50 degrees

3.27 FRI Memphis Grizzlies 3-peat t-shirt & socks reveal.

3.28 SAT Gwinnett GWIN t-shirts 1750 

3.28 SAT MIL replica stadiums 25000

3.28 SAT Reno t-shirts (advance purchase)

3.28 SAT SEA Cal Raleigh 40 HR bobble 40000 

3.28 SAT JAX replica championship rings 2000

3.28 SAT Las Vegas Aviators replica rings

3.29 SUN ATL Acuna cap 3000 kids

3.29 SUN UGA baseball American Flag Shirsey 1000

3.30 MON

3.31 TUE ATL Drake Baldwin ROY bobble 15000

3.31 TUE Albuquerque Orbit mascot scarf 2000

3.31 TUE Nashville t-shirts 1000

3.31 TUE Syracuse knit hats 

3.31 TUE Columbus Clippers dime a dog every Tuesday

Nike Air Huaraches

Back in the late 80's and early 90's I'd crash the Super Show every year, where all the sporting goods manufacturers would reveal their latest and greatest. Filled up both of the huge halls in the World Congress Center, spilling over onto the floor of the old Georgia Dome. It was the height of the sneaker wars: Nike, Reebok, adidas, FILA, Converse, etc. That's where I first laid eyes on the Nike Air Huarache, a unique running shoe. There was also a cool looking basketball version that several college teams wore, including Tech and Michigan. Christian Laettner wore them on the Dream Team.  

I used an inside source to grab one of the first pairs - and wore them for years, until they wore out. Run the Peachtree in them. Around 2015 Nike brought the Huaraches back, but I couldn't track down a great pair. Had an all white pair for a while - then an all black pair that must've been a Chinese knockoff. Last year I bought a black pair with a white sole. They're okay, but not quite like the original. I learned to play closer attention to the details. Maybe the 5th time will be the charm.

Now that I'm retired, I am spending lots more time around the house and running errands. My current go to "house shoes" are my off-white pull-on Nike Air Commuter sneakers. Comfortable and easy, but not a thick sole. If I'm lifting weights and don't want to mess with my Hokas or On Cloud Monsters, I'll just wear my Commuters. They're okay, but I needed to upgrade my house shoe game. 

A couple of years ago I'd bought a nice pair of Reebok Furys - another unique design. They weren't comfortable, plus they're not really sneakers a 66 year old needs to be wearing to the gym or anyone else. Sold them on Poshmark.

So at night I'd browse eBay and Poshmark for sneakers. A few cheap Hauraches out there, many that were all white. But I caved and bought a grey pair, the South Beach colorway. Hopefully they'll be as comfortable as the originals. I'm not worried about the bright plastic strip on the ankle, and hope the big  bright round Huarache logo on the front won't be too much of a distraction. They should deliver later this week. 

Another in a long line of mistakes? Probably. We'll see.

March Madness: I picked 25 of 32 in the first round, and 11 of the Sweet Sixteen. Still have all eight of my Elite Eight in play.

Southern Living featured Macon's NuWay Weiners.

Will Tiger play in the Masters? GBN thinks so. We shall see.

Denison: reasons to reject moral apathy.

STEVE CARLTON [SABR Bio] was the last National League pitcher with 30 complete games in a season, with exactly 30 CG in 1972 with the Phillies. Catfish Hunter had 30 for the Yankees in 1975. Carlton holds the record for the most wins by a visiting pitcher in the Astrodome, with 17. He struck out exactly 4000 National League batters, plus 136 in the American League.

Braves: Grapefruit League Champs

Today the Braves clinched the 2026 Grapefruit League Championship, with a 20-7 record. 

Friday: left around 4 pm to drive down to W&MC's house. Took 1-1/2 hours. Lower Roswell to Terrell Mill to Powers Ferry to Windy Hill to 75 south. Got off at West Paces Ferry, then back roads to West Wesley and Moores Mill over to Atlanta Road, then back roads to MLK.

Babysat so W&MC could have a date. They rode their bikes from their house, through downtown over to the Old Fourth Ward, and ate at Krog Street Market. They took a different route home.

The girls rode their bikes and scooters, and we read books. I took Northside up to Hemphill and grabbed a pizza to go from Antico. Only had to wait like 5 minutes. Saw a couple of prom couples all dressed up, eating there.

Left for home around 945. Looked at my GPS and I thought it said to take 20 to 285 home. Wasn't paying close attention, and only too late discovered the exit from 20 to 285 north was closed down. Had to keep driving west to Fulton Industrial to exit. Almost to Six Flags. Took back roads back to 285 - only to find two northbound lanes to be closed. So it was late when we got home.

Played golf both Friday and Saturday. Afterward I drove straight to the gym for sauna and treadmill. Then home for lunch and housework. Cut the grass. Had Winnie outside with me. Leftover vegetable beef soup for sup.

Watched a classic rerun of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, with Pat Sajak, Vanna, and the cast of the putt putt show Holey Moley: Joe Tessatore, Rob Riggle, and former Atlanta resident Jenny Mai. Good stuff. Then Celebrity Jeopardy and the Reba sitcom Happy's Place - the best show on TV.

Sunday School and worship. Ceil had fixed enchiladas for a missionary family, and baked some for us to eat for Sunday lunch. Watched the end of the golf tourney, then later read how the leader was frustrated at his playing partner's slow play. So fed up that he was so tired of waiting that he went ahead and hit his approach shot even though his partner was away. The leader then walked up to the green, and his partner still had yet to hit his approach shot. 

John Grisham's The Widow is so good, a little different than his normal lawyer novel. Instead of happening at the beginning, the death takes place halfway through - and that's when all the crazy stuff happens. I'm about 60% of the way through.  

Monday AM: the gym. Lifted weights and stretched. Walked into the sauna and there were six women already there. I squeezed in. There were three conversations all going on at the same time. I almost laughed out loud. Later I hopped on the treadmill for 30 minutes.  

 

Even get a receipt when you go to CVS ? But one item and the receipt is 12 inches long, with all kinds of deals and coupons. One of the coupons was for $4.00 off any purchase. On the way home I stopped by CVS. The prices are so high there. Cereal was $6.50, but on sale for $1.99. I got two boxes for free.

MC flew out to DC this AM. "Only" had to wait in the security line for two hours. Will works late this evening, so Ceil is picking up the girls from school and spending the night, so I am home with Winnie.   

SANDY KOUFAX [SABR Bio] was the last pitcher to earn a win at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Koufax pitched a complete game on 20-Sep-1961. The Dodgers finished the season on the road then started 1962 in Dodger Stadium. Koufax and Willie Mays hit their first home runs off Warren Shahn. Mays homered off him on 28-May-1951 and Koufax took Spahn deep on 13-Jun-1962. Story here. in 1951 Spahn’s Braves were in Boston. By the time Koufax hit his HR, Spahn’s Braves were in Milwaukee. Mays’ New York Giants had moved to San Francisco, and Koufax’ Dodgers had moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.

How to Approach God

Logan Grantham

JFBC Student Pastor
When You Worship
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

How you view God shapes how you worship God. What is your view of God?

Reminders for approaching God.

1. Reverently. Guard your steps. The burning bush spoke to Moses, reminding him that he was on holy ground.

Now we don’t need a priest to help us experience God, so we can personally experience God every day, at any time, by drawing near to listen to God.

Sacrifice of fools in Ecclesiastes 4:16 God removes those who disobey. Don’t blabber on to God but listen instead.

Hebrews 4:16 remember that God is on his throne, though God comes and lives in our hearts. God will show us grace and mercy, if we approach him with reverence and respect. He deserves it

Though we mess up and sin, but we can always draw back near to him.

2. Speak to God thoughtfully. He deserves it.

There’s a deep connection between the words we say and what’s on our hearts. Think about the things that we complain about. What does that reveal about your heart?

When our hearts aren’t right with God, we just talk at God. Blabbering.

Remember: God is in heaven, and we are on earth. Talk with God, not at him. Don’t heap up empty phrases to God, to impress others. Mean what you say.

Pray about the glory of God. When you speak to God, what do you say?

3. Follow through faithfully. Because He deserves it.

Back then, vows were a big deal. Like a contract today. You shouldn’t have to make a vow to God. Your word should be enough.

It’s better to not make any promises to God. Don’t try to make a deal with God. He isn’t a puppet. He deserves so much more than that. Not a negotiation. Love God for who He is - our king.

Remember these reminders every day. It’s wrong to not follow these steps. If we don’t, our view of God is too small. God is so much more than this.

Think back: how did you interact with God this past week? God deserves more than we could ever give. Draw near to his throne, not in fear but in confidence.

Ask for forgiveness, when you don’t worship God the way He deserves. Love God will all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. See God for who He truly is.

The Widow

Started reading John Grisham's The Widow. Pretty good so far.

Finished the book The Courage to be Disliked, written by a Japanese author. It kept getting worse and worse. Assumed the world is living in a post Christian society. Happiness comes from producing goods. Sounds like something a Japanese person would say. Culminated by saying that there is no meaning to life. No wonder the suicide rate in Japan is skyrocketing. More ranting on this waste of time to come.

Wednesday: Ceil had school so I stuck around the house, but no workers stopped by. I was able to get a lot of needed work done. Still I have a lot to do. Later when C returned home, I went up to the gym for a little over an hour. Treadmill and sauna.

Small group at John's house. I took him two GT mementos for his office: a GT bobblehead and a 1990 national championship Coke bottle. David, Chris, and I were the only attendees. We all take the same route down the length of Oak Road to get to John's house, so it was like a little parade getting there and going home. Genesis 42 and 43 - how Joseph treats his brothers when they come asking for grain. An object lesson in how to treat family.

Thursday: Ceil took a sourdough bread baking class. Free ice cream cones at DQ. Fifty cent boneless nuggets at Applebees. I ate at home.

I am not crazy about Chickfila waffle fries. Back when I worked there they had regular frozen french fries. Steak & Shake cooks their fries with beef tallow, whatever that is. Supposed to be tastier. 

Next weekend there's a new milkshake place opening in Sandy Springs. Someone will win free milkshakes for a year. Plus milkshakes will be half off. 

Friday AM golf. The view looking east from the 9th green at 8:40 am. Candler Park is the only golf course with sand traps ON the greens.

After golf I stopped by the Hardees in Sandy Springs for a free bacon egg & cheese biscuit. Man Hardees biscuits used to be great - tasty and huge. Not today. Plus the apple pie I get wasn't that good either. That's fast food for ya. 

Denison: is AI a tool for the Antichrist?

DAZZY VANCE [SABR Bio] led the National League in strikeouts for 7 straight seasons, leading the majors five of those years. From 1922 to 1928, Vance struck out 134, 197, 262, 221, 140, 184, & 200 batters. The margin of his leads over second-place was by an average of 50+ strikeouts. His nickname “Dead Shot” was not about his pitching accuracy. Vance was so confident of his marksmanship with a revolver that he made boasts that seemed impossible, than backed them up - slicing a card in  two edgewise, and shooting through the bottom of a bottle w/o breaking the neck. Vance’s 2.61 ERA in 1930 led second place finisher Carl Hubbell’s 3.87 by an amazing 1.26 runs.

Ranking the NCAA Teams

Here's the KenPom rankings of teams in the men's NCAA basketball tourney. Takes each team's offensive ranking and defensive ranking. More weight to the offensive ranking, otherwise the lowest total of the two makes for the highest ranked team. 

Saw another tweet advising to stick with the top seeds more this year than ever, for similar reasons. Now Twitter's got these prognosticators in my algorithm, so I'm seeing even more of these NCAA tweets.

I used these rankings to pick my NCAA bracket, which called for just 2 or 3 upsets a long the way. My Final Four was Duke over Florida and Arizona over Michigan, with Duke winning the whole thing.   

First time I've ever been to a betting website. Had to take a shower afterwards. 

BetMGM updated KenPom rankings for the NCAA tourney

The number after the school name is the total of the offensive and defensive rankings. If two numbers, its the offensive rank first, then the defensive rank. 

1 Duke 6

2 Michigan 9

3 Arizona 8

4 Florida 15

5 Houston 19

6 Iowa State 25

7 Illinois 29

8 Purdue 38

9 Michigan State 37

10 Gonzaga 38

11 Vanderbilt 36

12 UConn 41

13 Virginia 43

14 Nebraska 62 

15 Tennessee 52

16 St Johns 66 don't pick 

17 Alabama 70 

18 Arkansas 58  

19 Louisville 45 

20 Texas Tech 45 

21 Kansas 57 10 don't pick

22 Wisconsin 62 lost to High Point

23 BYU 10 57 

24 St Marys 43 19 

25 Iowa 31 31 

26 Ohio State 17 53 lost to #43 TCU

27 UCLA 22 54 

28 Kentucky 39 27 don't pick 

29 UNC 32 37 lost in the first round 

30 Utah State 28 44 

31 Miami 33 38 

32 UGA 16 80 lost to #41 Saint Louis 

33 Villanova 41 35 

34 NC State 19 86

35 Santa Clara 23 82 

36 Clemson 71 20 

37 Texas 13 111 

39 Texas A&M 49 40 don't pick

41 Saint Louis 51 41 upset #32 UGA 

42 SMU 26 91 

43 TCU 81 22 beat #26 Ohio State

46 VCU 46 63 

49 South Florida 58 48 

52 Missouri 50 77 don't pick 

54 UCF 40 101

64 Akron 54 113 

68 NcNeese 91 47 

71 Northern Iowa 153 24 

88 Hofstra 89 96 

92 High Point 66 161 

107 Cal Baptist 

109 Hawaii 207 42 

113 N Dakota State 124 123 

140 Wright State 117 194 

143 Troy 141 166 

145 Idaho 176 136

159 Pennsylvania 215 112 

162 Georgia Tech 197 131 not in tourney

163 Kennesaw 144 195 

181 Queens 77 322 

187 Tennessee State 173 212 

190 Furman 200 182 

192 Siena 208 175 

216 Long Island