People love to complain. Gwinnett enlists fans to submit suggestions for a new team name, and several dozen names came in. Then Gwinnett gives the fans the chance to vote on the top six names, as submitted by the fans. Then some fans are saying the team doesn’t care about the fans, even though the team included the fans every step of the way. Some of the very fans who liked some of the names have “changed their minds” and now publicly complained about the very choice they had liked before. Don’t they see that they can’t have it both ways?
There have been several people liking the name “Sweet Teas” which would be unique. These days in the minor leagues, the crazier the name the better. The Jumbo Shrimps. New Orleans Baby Cakes. Daytona Tortugas. Lug Nuts. Looks like the Gwinnett Buttons will win, as a nod to the signer of the Declaration of Independence. I had thought all along that the Gwinnett Groundhogs had a nice ring to it. Their mascot is a groundhog, since one of Gwinnett’s most famous residents is General Lee, the groundhog at the Little River Game Ranch. Maybe the Groundhogs name is already taken, like by a team in Pennsylvania. But I’m not going to complain.
I guess I was ahead of my time. Back in the 1980’s I was naming the four Camp SPdL teams bizarre names: Rakes, Shovels, Laredos, Roswell Roadsters, Peachtree Battlers, Buford Highway Patrol, Downtown Connectors. At reunions Kelly Curran Johnson still sings the fight song I wrote for the Roswell Roadsters, sung to the tune of the worldwide mega-hit song “We are the World.”
Watched some of the Braves Monday night, but didn’t see the ninth inning rally fall short. Sounds like your man Snitker has benched Swanson and installed Camargo as the starting shortstop. Perhaps they’ll send Dansby to Gwinnett for a couple of weeks so he can get his stroke back. His problem is the screwball, but he won’t see major league screwballs at AAA.
Sports Illustrated recently had an article about how every year more and more of baseball games consist of either a strikeout, walk, or home run. In other words, more and more often, nothing happens. Fewer bunts than ever before. Fewer stolen bases. You never see a hit and run any more. Most teams don’t want to waste outs with bunts. That DBacks manager is new. Not sure what he was thinking, down six late and bunting, unless he had a short bench and had to let pitchers hit.
With all the increased strikeouts and supposed livelier baseball, I see little value in a “power hitter” who hits 15-25 home runs and strikes out 200 or more times a year. Yesterday they were talking about how Hank Aaron never struck out 100 times in a season (and 90 or more only three times in 20 plus years). Aaron thought it was embarrassing to have to walk back to the dugout after a K, and I agree. But these days there seems to be no shame. Give me a .300 hitting contact hitter over a .240 slugger any day.
Matthew is going to tonight’s Braves Cubs game. Last night was a sellout, as was Saturday’s game.
Yesterday two coworkers were out and three had an afternoon conference call, making the last couple of hours at work crazy for me. Also my sneezing had increased considerably since Sunday. Left work at 4:50 and drove past my house to dance class. Braved the hour in class trying not to sneeze.
After dance I made a beeline for the gas station. Monday morning the RaceTrac that had been in a gas war with the new station next door was twenty cents higher, so I passed (by Tuesday morning RaceTrac had dropped their price the twenty cents). Gassed up and stopped back by Dollar Tree.
Steve and Sara had invited us and two other couples over for post dance refreshments. I didn’t feel like going but went anyway. We played a board game where you get points for answering questions correctly, and also wagering on who will get the question correct. It is simpler than it sounds. I didn’t do well until the question “How many yards was the longest field goal in NFL history?” I got the question correct, plus wagered everything I had, so I got a nice payoff. At best I finished in third place.
Went home and plopped on the couch. The drugs I took this morning must’ve worked, because I haven’t sneezed all day. Might be starting to wear off though.
About a month ago we got new key fobs at work to let us into the building every day. Fits on my keychain and makes it just a little bulkier. I hate having keys on other things in my front pockets, so I always put them in my rear pocket. But on July 4th before the race I took the key fob off my key ring because I always wear the key ring on my finger and hold my keys during the race. It’s not hard, and I don’t want my keys to fall out of a pocket.
Then I worked Wednesday Thursday and Friday without a problem. Yesterday and this morning I arrived at the front door at work at the same time as another coworker, and was let in. I didn’t have to hold my fob up to the door. Around 10 am this morning I had to go out to get something out of my car. Only then did I realize I didn’t have my key fob. I hadn’t taken my cell phone, so I had to use the visitor call button to get let in. Hopefully I can find the fob tonight.
Dock’s dad is on another of his cross-country trips, and last night attended the Rockies/Padres game at Coors Field.
Have you been watching the NBA summer league? Nice to see John Collins play well for the Hawks.
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