After work Wednesday I made good time to Cumming for Hot Stove. Made two stops along the way and still was first to arrive, thirty minutes early. Wore my new Braves Hawaiian shirt and vintage St. Louis Browns cap.
There was talk at Hot Stove about Denmark High in South Forsyth. They’re supposed to have a good baseball team. The school was named after a local legend, the ageless doctor Leila Denmark, the first female doctor in the state, who developed a vaccine for the whooping cough. She retired at the age of 102, and passed away at 114, the fifth oldest person in the world. On my drive home I passed MacFarland Road and wondered what Denmark High’s mascot was. Surely the team name also honored the legend: the Doctors, the Surgeons, the Pediatricians, the Operators. But no, the team name is the Great Danes, or Danes for short.
Not too far away closer to the lake another new high school was named Lanier High. Like Kell High in Cobb County, they’re the Longhorns with burnt orange as their color (and black, like every other team in the world). The school was named after the lake, but few remember the lake was named after Georgia poet Sidney Lanier. Similarly named schools in Macon and Montgomery (alma mater of Bart Starr, Hank Williams, and Toni Tennille) were named the Lanier Poets. Interestingly, Lanier Montgomery (below) looks a lot like the old Lanier / Miller building in Macon.
Didn’t count but we had ten or eleven in attendance, including first timer Lawyer Dave, who I’d met at Turner Field. From New York, Dave didn’t miss freezing opening days at Shea Stadium.
More from the hot stove meeting: former Braves minor league first baseman Matt Tuiasosopo was named manager at Rome. Like many other teams the Braves are getting rid of the good old boys who know the ropes and moving on to younger coaches who can better relate to young athletes, and can speak several languages. Tuiasosopo had impressed Braves management with his leadership a player. Once when starting pitcher Sean Newcomb had been struggling he came into the dugout after an inning an pitched a fit. Tuia got in Newk’s face and told him to get his act together.
The election of Harold Baines to the hall of fame could help the chances for Dale Murphy, Fred McGriff, and Andruw Jones.
Player moves of note: the Yankees signed shortstop Troy Tulowitski. Royals singed speedy Billy Hamilton. Former Braves third baseman Rio Riuz was signed by the Orioles. Phillies signed Andrew McCutchen, but his production has been waning. The Astros did not keep starter Charlie Morton. He signed with the Rays. The Dodgers traded Alex Wood and Yasiel Puig to the Reds. Ageless Gregor Blanco signed with the Mets. First baseman Matt Adams re-signed with the Nationals. The Angels signed former Met Matt Harvey. Daniel Murphy signed with the Rockies. Murphy should put up big numbers at Coors Field.
The new Gwinnett Stripers general manger has committed to speak at the February 6th hot stove meeting. Former Brave Mark Derosa is a possibility. One of the challenges the Stripers face is a Gwinnett law forbidding special alcohol sales, meaning the team can’t hold “Thirsty Thursdays” or dollar beer nights like other minor teams use to draw fans.
Lester Maddox was a little ahead of my time, but of course I always knew about him as governor and businessman. After we moved out to Cobb County one time we were eating at the Roswell Piccadilly on Mansell when Maddox walked in with his wife. He was wearing the same navy blazer, tie, and grey slacks I’d always seen him pictured in. We went around and greeted several people. I still think of Maddox when I drive by his old house on Johnson Ferry Road, near Shallowford.
"Salad days" is a Shakespearean idiomatic expression meaning a youthful time, accompanied by the inexperience, enthusiasm, idealism, innocence, or indiscretion that one associates with a young person. I had never heard of the term until I saw the movie Raising Arizona.
From Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra, 1606: CLEOPATRA: My salad days, ... 'Salad days' is used these days to refer to the days of carefree innocence and pleasure of our youth.
O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony! Do bravely ... When thou wast here above the ground, I was 555.
Worked past six Thursday night. Ceil cooked grilled chicken mixed with noodles in a creamy cheese sauce, English peas, and tossed salad. Watched Chicago Med. Went to bed at ten.
Want to go to that NFL Experience at the World Congress Center on Tuesday Jan 29th? Doesn’t open until 3 pm.
Matthew had his college orientation today.
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