The Correspondent

I'm reading a great book I think you would like: The Correspondent. A novel about a retired law clerk and all the letters she writes. Even has a foreboding element of potential danger. Heard the ladies at the gym discussing it, just as my reservation from the library became available. Makes me want to write more letters. 

Finished the chick lit novel Great Big Beautiful Life. Had a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. 

Left out yesterday afternoon at 4:45 for out 6:30 meetup down at Westside Provisions. Arrived just before six. Had time to visit Warby Parker to get my glasses tightened. 

Big crowd at Taqueria, but they went out of their way to accommodate our large group. Good food and a good time. Afterwards we wandered over to Jeni's Ice Cream for dessert. I was stuffed. 

Then we all drove out to Anna & Caleb's new house. They've already got their nursery set up. The route Ceil's relatives took to their AirB&B took them past the Big Chicken, so I made a big deal about it. Stopped at the red light next to them and acted all excited. Didn't get home until almost 11.

Up early to golf this morning. Teed off at 6:50 am and finished nine holes by 8:10. Played well. There was a guy playing behind me, so I couldn't quite take as much time as I would've liked. 

Foggy morning. Southbound traffic on the downtown connector was backed up, so I gave Matthew a heads up. As I drove north up 75 he probably passed me in the southbound lane, headed to work. 

1. Hit three tee shots: one right, one left, and one straight. All three wound up not far from each other. Only one of the three light up balls were working, but it was already light enough to see. A good fairway shot, but only one great chip out of three. 

2. Mulligan was straighter than my first try. Two of four chips were okay.

3. Hit my first 8 iron left, but the second two were straighter. Hit several chips, but none were great.

4. Hit a great 6 iron that drew down to the front fringe, about 15 feet from the hole. Shot of the day. I hit a good mulligan as well. Couldn't sink a birdie putt, but came close.

5. Hit a good long straight 5 iron off the tee, to just short of the green. Pulled my mulligan left. Good lag putt.

6. Hit driver off the tee. Felt good, though I really couldn't see where it went. Found a ball on the fairway, if it was mine then it was my best tee shots ever. I really should pay more attention to what kind of ball I am hitting. Hit two good 5 irons, and a decent chip to the front right fringe. Then a good lag putt to about one foot.

7. Another great drive, all the way up to the top of the hill. Then a good straight 6 iron, that rolled down to the left rough just short of the green. And a good chip up to the front of the green. Hit two good lag putts. 

8. Hit driver from the old tee box, but it stayed right and got knocked down next to a tree trunk. I played it where it laid, and poked a sweet low 7 iron under the trees, then rolled down to the rough near the green. Popped a decent little chip onto the green, and rolled two lag putts close to the hole.

9. Hit a good straight hybrid. Hit three chips, one to the front left fringe. Hit a couple of lag putts up the hill toward the hole, but not too close.

Ceil usually eats a late lunch. Yesterday at 6 pm she was yaking on the phone. I was starving so I fixed myself a ham sandwich. At 7:40 we are burgers, firis, and kale. 

Got to the gym a little earlier this morning. Lifted weights, sat in the sauna, and walked on the treadmill. Stopped by Dollar Tree on the way home. 

Eating at the Westside Taqueria tonight: Anna & Caleb, Matthew, W&MC and the girls, Anna's three cousins, plus Ceil, Teresa, and Kelly. Not sure where 14 people will sit. 

The Braves released their 2025 earnings report. Revenue and profits were up. Some think Liberty Media  might sell the team. The Battery real estate development brought in almost $100 million, and additional 13%. So many uneducated fans are quick to claim the team isn't reinvesting this money back into the team, but that simply isn't the case. Payroll keeps growing every year, and is currently the 8th highest in baseball. 

I'm glad the Braves just don't throw money around just for the sake of it, like the Mets and Yankees. The Braves have been just as successful as the New York teams, if not more so. They just extended Chris Sale's contract, making the future hall of famer a brave for life. The Braves traded a minor league shortstop for Sale - and had the Red Sox pay Sale's salary for his first year in Atlanta. A much better deal than paying all that money for Max Fried, who continues to fade in September and October. 

Sure it would've been nice if the Braves had signed an extra starting pitcher for the 2026 season, but GM AA considered the current stockpile of young pitchers already in the Braves system to be the equal of better  of anyone they would've had to overpay for out on the free agent market.       

The developer behind Ponce City Market will be redeveloping North Point Mall, adding an arena with hopes of attracting a NHL team to Alpharetta. There are two or three other proposals by other groups to build arenas a few miles north up 400 in Forsyth County, off McFarland Road or another exit. MARTA does serve the North Point area, but not Forsyth County. Both the Flames and Thrashers drew big crowds, but were plagued by poor management.   

DENISON: Artificial Intelligence is not afraid of nuclear weapons.

CLEON JONES [SABR Bio] was called ine greatest New York Met of all time, in the 1969 all Star game program. The quote was probably framed & hung in Tom Seaver's trophy room. Jones played for the White Sox in 1976, his last season. Jones's .340 average in 1969  was the highest in Mets history until John Olerud hit .354 in 1998. He played himself on the  Everybody Loves Raymond episode that aired on 01-Mar-1999 "Big Shots".

The Braves Way

The Braves released their 2025 earnings report. Revenue and profits were up. Some think Liberty Media might sell the team. The Battery real estate development brought in an additional $100 million, 13% of the total. So many uneducated fans are quick to claim the team isn't reinvesting this money back into the team, but that simply isn't the case. Payroll keeps growing every year, and is currently the 8th highest in baseball. 

I'm glad the Braves just don't throw money around just for the sake of it, like the Mets and Yankees. So many big dollar free agent contracts simply don't pay off. For the past ten years Atlanta has been just as successful as the New York teams, if not more so. They just extended Chris Sale's contract, making the future hall of famer a Brave for life. The Braves traded a minor league shortstop for Sale - and had the Red Sox pay Sale's salary for his first year in Atlanta. A much better deal than paying all that money for Max Fried, who continues to fade in September and October. 

Sure it would've been nice if the Braves had signed an extra starting pitcher for the 2026 season, but GM AA considered the current stockpile of young pitchers already in the Braves system to be the equal of better of anyone they would've had to overpay for out on the free agent market.       

The developer behind Ponce City Market will be redeveloping North Point Mall, adding an arena with hopes of attracting a NHL team to Alpharetta. There are two or three other proposals by other groups to build arenas a few miles further north up 400 in Forsyth County, off McFarland Road or another exit. MARTA does serve the North Point area, but not Forsyth County. Both the Flames and Thrashers drew big crowds, but were plagued by poor management.

Ceil usually eats a late lunch. Yesterday at 6 pm she was yaking on the phone. I was starving so I fixed myself a ham sandwich. At 7:40 we are burgers, fries, and kale.

Got to the gym a little earlier this morning. Lifted weights, sat in the sauna, and walked on the treadmill. Stopped by Dollar Tree on the way home. 

Eating at the Westside Taqueria tonight: Anna & Caleb, Matthew, W&MC and the girls, Anna's three cousins, plus Ceil, Teresa, and Kelly. Not sure where 14 people will sit.

DENISON: Artificial Intelligence is not afraid of nuclear weapons.

CLEON JONES [SABR Bio] was called ine greatest New York Met of all time, in the 1969 all Star game program. The quote was probably framed & hung in Tom Seaver’s trophy room. Jones played for the White Sox in 1976, his last season. Jones’s .340 average in 1969  was the highest in Mets history until John Olerud hit .354 in 1998. He played himself on the  Everybody Loves Raymond episode that aired on 01-Mar-1999 “Big Shots”.

How to deal with people who don't like you...

1. Control your reactions. Silence and composure. People who dislike you hope to feed off your emotional response. The less you react, the more powerless they feel.

2. Minimal engagement. Have a neutral tone. No emotional energy. Give them nothing to react to.

3. To lower resistance, subtly mirror their behavior. 

4. Give them unexpected compliments - but don't flatter. They expect conflict.

5. Respond "Interesting perspective. Why do you feel that way?" Doesn't work with people who can't accept facts. 

6. Stay grounded, calm, and on-topic. Don't let them take you down rabbit trails. 

7. When you stay gracious while they act petty, others start to question their behavior.

8. Indifference works better than confrontation. Treat their dislike like background noise. Detach with dignity.

Tours

My friend Lee enjoyed going on a tour of my plant. Not sure if any are free: Truist Park. Kia. Sweetwater Brewing. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island. The NASCAR Speedway down south of town. Chickfila's headquarters. 

A good small group Wednesday night on Genesis 36 & 37. Getting into the story of Joseph. Right or wrong, Joseph's father Jacob made his love for Joseph well known. His brothers hated him, plotted to kill him, and sold him off to a passing caravan. All part of God's plan. By the end of the story his brothers feared that Joseph would have them killed. But in Gen 50:19 Joseph instead responded in love. A story that I can identify with.

At the gym I have been upping the incline on the treadmill, so I am walking up steeper and steeper hills. Burns more calories. Gotta clean up to get ready for all of Ceil's relatives: Teresa and daughter Victoria, and Kelly with daughters Jordan and Katherine.       

Rain started Thursday morning just in time to keep me from playing golf. Friday morning the rain won't stop in time for me to play. But I should be able to play Saturday morning and once or twice next week. To me golf is like a long walk or hike. I so enjoy playing, especially early in the morning. I just can't follow the flight of my ball, so using lightup balls in the twilight helps me see where my ball goes. With no one behind me, I can take my time and hit 2 or 3 balls. I can get in 9 holes and be home by 9 am, with the entire day ahead of me.

"To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian." — George Washington 

A pastor responds to CNN's documentary on ‘Christian nationalism’. He called it intentionally dishonest.

DENISON: I genuinely grieve to see the depth of rancor and bitterness that exists in our country toward fellow Americans with whom we happen to disagree politically. And I genuinely question whether our democratic experiment can be sustained while we sustain such animosity toward one another. In 1774, John Wesley advised those who would be voting in an upcoming election: 

1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy

2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against, and

3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side."

BILL MAZEROSKI [SABR Bio] was involved in 1706 double plays, the most in history - well ahead of Nellie Fox’s 2nd-place 1,619. Maz once said, “Over 17 years, saving thousands of runs is like driving in thousands of runs.” Mazeroski was the premier defensive second baseman of his era. With great hands, quick feet, a sure arm & great range, he turned the double play into an art form. He played in all 163 games on the Pirates’ 1967 schedule, a record he held alone until Bobby Bonilla tied it in 1989. Mazeroski’s 20th birthday was 05-Sep-1956. The first 2 of his 138 career home run came on   16-Aug-1956 (off Robin Roberts) and 19-Aug-1956(1). The Ford Frick award-winning, long-time Pirates broadcaster Bob Prince coined the apt nickname for Maz: "The MGlove". NYYs’ 2nd baseman Bobby Richardson had 11 hits, 8 runs, & 12 RBI in the 1960 WS. He was selected as The Sporting News 1960 World Series MVP, the only player to win that honor playing on a losing team. Mazeroski was honored with the Babe Ruth Award. Mazeroski was the Pirates’ team captain from 1963 until his retirement after the 1972 season. Formidable slugger Willie Stargell was then named team captain & served in that honored role from 1973 through 1982. Bill Virdon (1962 GG winner), marveled at Maz, ”Nobody ever played second base like he did, and I've been in the game 50 years. The impressive thing about Maz was that he did everything perfectly. I backed him up for 10 years and never got a ball.” Pulitzer Prize-winning sportswriter Jim Murray observed in a 1966 column, “A half-century ago, a second base combination made something like nine double plays in a season and a poet (Franklin P. Adams) immortalized them with a poem ‘Tinker to Evers to Chance’… Mazeroski makes 161 and they abbreviate his name in the box score.” On 13-Oct-1960, Mazeroski hit the only walk-off home run in a World Series Game Seven, when he smacked his epic bottom-of-the-ninth homer to decide the 1960 World Series. Attendance was 36,683.

If a person uses these phrases, they are manipulating you.

1. You are too sensitive. Designed to make you question your own feelings. If you react, then they say that you are the problem. It's not about you, it's about them avoiding accountability.

2. I never said that. Yes, you did. Now they're trying to rewrite history, to gaslight you.

3. You're not the only one who has a problem with this. Translation: everyone else tolerates my behaviour, so you should too. They're trying to make you feel like the issue is you, not them. Other people have the same problem with them.

4. After everything I've done for you. The guilt trip. 

5. You made me do this. No. No one makes someone act a certain way. They made a choice. Blame shifting.

6. If you really loved me, you would... Manipulation dressed up as a test of love. Real love doesn't come with conditions or ultimatums. They're not interested in love, they are interested in control.

Ranking the Powder Blues

 
Royals: powder blue goes great with royal blue. The jerseys with the block KANSAS CITY weren't the best, but later they switched to the script Royals, which were perhaps the best powder blue unis ever. A.

Blue Jays: powder blue unis are made for the Blue Jays. White and royal trim and lettering looks great. Love the unique font, but was never a fan of the logo in the lower center of the jersey. A minus.

Twins: the large script Twins looks good in red, as do the unique sleeve stripes. The red white & navy stripes on the collars, sleeves, belts, and pants were common in that era, and don't come off as too much - until you pair it all with the white front paneled batting helmets. B. 

Cubs: a different powder blue look, with white pinstripes. B.

Expos: powder blue seemed made for the Expos. Classic Expos cap and number font. Not a fan of the shoulder stripes. B.

Cardinals: the classic Cardinals uni with powder blue - what's not to like? A.

Braves. Royal blue lettering and trim make for a great look. Only thing better would be to have the script Braves instead of Atlanta. A minus.

Mariners: simple and nice. Nice caps as well. A minus.

Rangers: not crazy about the thick stripes on the pants. And the size of the Texas on the jersey looked more like TeXaS to me. D.

Brewers: simple, with the trim in yellow. The Milwaukee on front is a little long, but better than BREWERS in block letters. Not a fan of the yellow front panel cap. B plus.

Phillies: hate to say it, but the hated Phillies did the powder blue road uniforms up right. White trim around the numbers. Zipper front. Classic Phillies details. Vertically arched lettering on the backs of the jerseys. Belts instead of the beltless waists. A.

Not so much people my age, but whenever I wonder about someone I hadn't heard from in a while, you can always try to look them up on social media. Lots of old SPdL people on there, even if they don't use social media as much as they used to.

Remember Lynn Greenleaf? What were her parents' names - Bill and Joyce? Lynn was never on social media. Married one of my younger GT BSU friends, Richard Brown. Looks like Lynn has had quite the nursing career, and is now an associate professor at Auburn. She has published nine papers in medical journals, and made some 25 presentations in the past decade. Not sure what Richard is up to.    

2015 graduated from Samford with a Doctor in Nursing

2007 Master of Science in Nursing, University of Alabama

2004-2015 UAB Hospital surgical units

Humana Hospital Huntsville AL

UT Medical Center Knoxville TN

Crawford Long Hospital Atlanta 

1987 graduated from Georgia Southwestern

HAL CHASE  [SABR Bio] was the first New York Highlander to triple three times in one game. On 30-Aug-1906(2), tripled 3 times against WSH pitching. He fell short of a cycle by not hitting a home run, but he did have 3 singles in the 1st game that day. New York swept the twin bill. Despite being the best fielding first baseman of his era, he LED three separate major leagues in errors. Chase led in errors..

For the AL –         For the NL –      Federal League

1905 NYY w/31; 1917 CIN w/28  1915 BUF w/19

1909 NYY w/36

1911 NYY w/38

1912 NYY w/27                

“No other player in baseball history was so richly praised for his defensive skill—no one.  Chase’s brilliance with the glove is easier to document than Ty Cobb’s temper, Hack Wilson’s drinking or Walter Johnson’s fastball. It is all over the literature of the sport.” ~ Author Bill James. Chase had 101 hits in 75 games in 1914 playing for the Buffalo Blues.

Maximizing your mind's resilience. Some of it sounds new agey, but it doesn't have to be if you don't let it. 

1. Journal your thoughts, goals, gratitude, and intentions. Keeps you focused. Captures moments that otherwise get lost in the chaos.

2. Brainwash yourself with positivity. The content you consume shapes your reality, so feed your mind what fuels your growth.

3. Try to make a little progress every day.  Achieving small milestones keeps you focused and motivated.

4. You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Who are these people? Do they lift you up and challenge you? Or do they drain your energy? Seek out and surround yourself with people who inspire you.

5. View every setback as an opportunity for growth. Focus on what you can control, and let yourself go. When something goes wrong, find the good in it. Thank God for it.

6. Never quit learning. Stay curious.

7. Articulate your expectations clearly, otherwise expect misunderstandings, resentment, and discord.

Sneakers

Finally found a pair of Hokas that I like. Wanted a black pair, but the grey pair looked better. Usually I'm not a fan of grey sneakers. They don't stand out like white or black. Don't want too much padding, or too little padding. The grey pair seemed just right. Lots of people at the gym are wearing the Bondi 9 below.

Sunday after church we ate at Pappasitos. Had a gift card to use up. Turned out there was only $5 left on the gift card. The fajitas at Pappasitos are so good. Only bad thing was that it was so crowded. The servers do as good a job as they can, but they have so much going on. 

Got home and did the dishes, then walked Winnie. It was 4 pm before I finally plopped down on the couch. Watched the final few holes of the Genesis Open. 

Back to the gym Monday morning. Lifted weights, hopped in the sauna, then cooled down on the treadmill. Mailed a package on the way home - I sold an old Braves shirt that I had for sale. 

Monday afternoon Ceil's brother called. He was in town for business, so we met him at Superica at the Avalon for supper. Went to the gym Tuesday morning. Treadmill, sauna, treadmill. This afternoon we're going to start moving stuff back in to our refurbished bedroom and closet. Still a little work to be done in the master bath.   

Danny Downing just returned from a JFBC mission trip to the winter Olympics. Everytime there is an Olympics (every other year), Danny leads a mission trip to wherever the Olympics is. The team witnesses to people out in the streets. I might have to get in on this deal next time. But I won't go if I have to wear that huge cowboy hat that Danny was wearing the entire time, that's for sure. 

LOU BOUDREAU [SABR Bio] is the most recent player to collect 100 RBI while striking out fewer than ten times. In 1948, Boudreau’s MVP season, he had 106 RBI & struck out 9 times. He is the only 20th century American Leaguer with 5 extra base hits in one game: four doubles and a HR. Six ALers have done it in the 21st century. Only 3 NL players did it in the 20th century. hornton Township HS in Harvey, Illinois, is where he led the "Flying Clouds" to 3 consecutive Illinois high school basketball championship games, winning in 1933 and finishing as runner up in 1934 & 1935. Boudreau attended the University of Illinois. During the 1936-37 basketball & baseball seasons, he led both to a Big Ten Conference title & was named a NCAA Men's Basketball All-American.

The Idiot's Guide to Being Old: Chapter Two. My thoughts: are older generations wrong to be personable and engage with other people? Are younger generations wrong to want to stick to themselves? Are younger generations wrong to be freaked out by older people speaking to them? Just doesn't seem like it's completely the older people's fault. Maybe younger people need to look out from their shell. I know, spoken like a true older person. 

Social rules you should know.

1. Nice people adjust themselves to keep others comfortable. Respected people stand firm, even if it creates discomfort.

2. You don't have to explain yourself.

3. A calm, short "no" shows people where you stand.

4. Don't fix other people's discomfort. Not your responsibility.

5. Clear values build trust and respect.

6. Correct disrespect quickly and calmly, so it doesn't become a pattern.

7. You don't have to be available all the time.

8. Silence is okay. You don't have to fill in every gap.

9. Choose self respect over approval.

10. Don't agree just to avoid conflict. 

11. Stop over smiling and over nodding. Neutral reactions signal confidence.

12. Keep your personal problems private. 

13. Mean what you say. Empty words train people to not take you seriously. 

14. Don't chase explanations from people. 

15. Hold eye contact when you speak. 

16. Save apologies for real mistakes.

17. Not everyone deserves your time, energy, or trust.

18. You don't have to make sure everyone understands you. 

"I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help him. I ended up by asking him to do his work through me." — Hudson Taylor 

Greatest First Basemen?

Someone ranked the top ten first basemen, so I decided to compare their stats. Someone said Eddie Murray needed to be ranked higher. Not so sure. Along the way I decided to add Frank Thomas and Freddie Freeman to the list. 

Lots more than OPS to consider: HR, hits, MVPs. Pujols and Cabrera and others should rank ahead of Bagwell. 

OPS AVG  HR hits years 

1.080 340 493 2721 17 Lou Gehrig (1)

1.038 325 534 2646 20 Jimmie Foxx (2)

1.017 313 331 1628 13 Hank Greenberg (4)

0.974 301 521 2468 19 Frank Thomas (NR)

0.959 312 359 2011 15 Johnny Mize (10)

0.948 297 449 2314 15 Jeff Bagwell (6)

0.918 296 703 3384 22 Albert Pujols (3)

0.901 306 511 3174 21 Miguel Cabrera (7)

0.897 300 367 2431 16 Freddie Freeman (NR) 

0.847 340 102 2812 15 George Sisler (8)

0.841 334 097 3435 27 Cap Anson (5)

0.836 287 504 3255 21 Eddie Murray (9)

BILL TERRY  [SABR Bio] hit the 50th home run in World Series history. On 04-Oct-1924, in his rookie season, Terry hit a Walter Johnson fastball over the left field wall in the 1st game of the World Series. Terry was the batter that Johnson said he least liked to face. Terry played for NYG for 14 seasons & managed them for 10. For five seasons, 1932-1936, he did both. Terry was the first with 600 at bats but zero stolen bases. In 1934 he was caught attempting a stolen base with Dizzy Dean pitching. That was the only time that year he even tried. 50+ major leaguers have matched it since.

"You change your life by changing your heart." —Max Lucado 

Things to know:

1. Pause before responding. Makes you appear calmer, more authoritative, smarter. Gives you time to respond logically, not emotionally.

2. Speak slowly. people will listen closer. Don't rush your words.

3. Let others fill the silence. 

4. Read the room before responding. 

5. Mirror other's tone and posture - but be subtle about it. Don't be obvious. Mirror energy, not actions.

6. Your beliefs, habits, and standards are shaped by what you see the most - so watch what you consume.

7. Using a person's name activates emotional engagement. Do so strategically: using a name during affirmation increases trust. Using a name during correction increases compliance.

8. Praise in public. Correct in private.

9. Let others win. Let them feel right, and valued. Many battles aren't worth fighting, much less winning. 

10. Master emotional neutrality. Be stable, not emotional.

11. Respond to insults with calm curiosity. Ask "Why do you feel that way?" Turns aggression into embarrassment. 

12. When you ask a question, say why you are asking. It increases compliance.

13. Control your micro-expressions: smirks, eyebrow raises, lip tightening. Prevents others from reading your thoughts.

14. If a room is dull, enter energized. If tense, enter calmly. Control the energy and you control the environment.