March Bobbleheads

 

Tomorrow is the big day – I'll publish my long-awaited April 2019 SGA bobblehead list. As an appetizer I present a list of some of the bobbleheads given out this winter, that I stumbled across while compiling my regular season list. Enjoy.

New for this year: more photos! Yes, most were stolen from the pictures you guys shared on Facebook.

March bobble of the month: the Fort Wayne Mad Ants mascot riding a horse. Hard to beat that.

1.12 SAT Worcester Railers Gilly Gilly BH
2.27 WED Celtics Al Horford
3.01 FRI Syracuse Crunchman BH
3.03 SUN Celtics Jayson Tatum
3.09 SAT NYM David Wright
3.09 SAT Reds Jose Ramirez
3.16 SAT Reds Eugenio Suarez
3.16 SAT Syracuse Crunch Steve Yzerman BH
3.16 SAT Worcester O'Trax BH 3000

3.16 SAT Celtics BH
3.16 SAT Worcester Railers Trax mascot BH
3.16 SAT San Jose Godfather Joonas Donskoi
3.17 SUN Danville Brandon Drury BH ticket promo

3.18 MON LA Kings Drew Doughty Cowboy BH (pic)

3.18 MON NYM Brandon Nimmo 2000
3.20 WED Ducks Ryan Getzlay

3.20 WED Bulls infinite regression Golden Bull BH
3.23 SAT Ft. Wayne Mad Ants BH riding horse
3.23 SAT Cleveland Monsters Moon Landing BH

3.24 SUN Celtics Gordon Hayward BH
3.25 MON ATL David Murphy autographs
3.26 TUE ATL David Murphy autographs

3.26 TUE Capitals Kuznetson BH
3.26 TUE Jaylen Brown BH
3.30 SAT Padres Swinging Fryar BH
3.30 SAT Rays Blake Snell Cy Zilla BH

3.31 SUN MIL Jesus Aguilar BH

Tomorrow: April's bobblehead list.

Jersey Time

While I was at SunTrust Park earlier this week I snapped a few jersey pictures. But first a look at the new navy road Braves jerseys, worn in today's loss at Philly. Sorry, I like the old navy on navy jerseys better.

Gotta like a kid in a Blooper jersey.

Anyone can wear a Freddie Freeman jersey.

 The visiting Reds were well represented on Monday.

 Saw a couple of new red jerseys on the park.

 Baker fans are everywhere.

Sold my Sid Slid triple bobblehead this week. Let it go pretty cheap.

Need to sell a few more. And some shoes as well.

After Bryce Harper wore Philly Phanatic shoes in Thursday's opener,

today the Phanatic wore Bryce Harper shoes. 

Seven foot six inches versus five foot two.

Memorandum

Not to toot our own horn like certain un-named Ryerson divisions (i.e. RCSSS, whoever that is), the Ryerson Textron Sales Team (RTST), a division of Ryerson that specializes in providing customized supply chains and a highly competitive level of support and lots of lunches and dinners and Nucor tours and run-on sentences for Textron, EZGo, TSV, Arctic Cat, Dixie Chopper, Bad Boy Buggies, Tug, Tracker, Stampede, Havoc, Ambush, and Jacobson - requiring huge volumes of carbon flat rolled sheet, Sherryl’s tubing, weldments, assemblies, spray paint, and duct tape, will continue to be able to assist Textron (like we always have, this is nothing really new) via its current sales office located within Ryerson’s Norcross, Georgia corporate office facility, adding to the existing RTST outside fabricators in Lavonia, Oxford, Anderson, Marietta, Huger, Alabaster, Conyers, Covington, Thomson, Mobile, Pineville, Marietta, and several other places that I’m forgetting right now. This present location, led by RTST Sales Wizards Rodney and Jonathan, will support Textron’s recent sales growth and assist in developing opportunities nationwide (i.e. International Falls Minnesota) as RTST remains focused on attaining new-to-Ryerson part numbers.   Helping drive RTST’s growth is a new twenty story KASTO system launched in collaboration with Ryerson’s Norcross Coil Processing facility and the three new tube lasers coming on line (RCSSS has nothing on us). These dramatically reduce 8 week lead times down to 2 days, and improves the customer plant tour experience while helping grow Ryerson’s transactional market share at local restaurants. Be sure to put on your PPE so no one else gets hurt. Visit our website to learn more about our record-setting sales team and download the latest e-commerce order entry, so our general manager will get off the backs of those poor transactional reps like Ben. TSV prices get updated quarterly through the most complicated spreadsheet you ever saw, with available inventory including thousands of TSV part numbers and dozens of district-controlled item codes that you better not steal any of because it’s ours - except for the slow-moving HSLA and Domex (I mean Strenex). Contact Angie or Rachel for inquiries.    Finally, congratulations to our sales team, a subset of RTST that has been servicing Textron since 1960 (or earlier – no one really knows), for achieving another record month in March for tons sold, revenue, profit margin, and Chick-fil-A biscuits eaten. Visit RTST in October at our open house to learn more about KASTO and the dynamic team that supports this customer and has lots of toys and such on their desks.

 

Opening Day

Heard there was a baseball game this afternoon. I'm not a fan of the new improved grey road jersey lettering. And in the continuing effort to make players into couch potatoes, the Braves broke out new batting practice hoodies. 

 At least the Braves looked better than Bryce Harper's Philly Phanatic shoes. Perhaps that's why fans were booing Bryce after he struck out. At least he wore stirrups.  

Wednesday I left work at six. Stopped by Wendy’s for a burger deal, by the library, Dollar Tree, and Goodwill. Scored a cool Falcons bowling shirt. Didn’t get home until 8 pm. Ceil was just arriving from her small group.

 

Watched Chicago Med and Larry Crowne, this time from start to finish. More Larry Crowne trivia: before Larry gets fired he talks to a coworker – who now plays the dad in Fresh Off the Boat. Tom Hanks co-wrote to movie with  Nia Vardalos, who wrote, produced, and starred in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

 

Matthew came home and fried breaded chicken tenders in canola oil. Took potatoes and sliced them into fries, seasoned them, and fried them in the oil as well. Very good.

More about Jami Gertz – we own the same Hawks jacket (abve). Back in the 80’s she starred in Square Pegs, a high school sitcom that was cancelled after one year due to low ratings and drug use by the underage cast. Later she guest starred on a famous Seinfeld episode, where she wouldn’t lend Elaine toitet paper in a public restroom.

 

https://pressfrom.info/us/news/offbeat/-145245-fans-loved-actress-jami-gertz-representing-hawks-at-draft-lottery.html

 

Books: just finished the James Garner autobiography. Learned a bunch. He complimented some actors (like James Woods) but dissed others. This “telling it like it is” made the whole book less appealing. Several golf stories.

 

Started on a book by the late Carrie Fisher, written from her diaries during the filming of the Star Wars movies. Read by the author, which is an adventure in itself. Next will be Meredith Baxter’s autobiography, the Family Ties mom. Checked out a book by the Tiding Up lady for Ceil (because Ceil likes her show).  

 

Busy at work. Only me and Rachel and Angie in the office today. Rodney, Jonathan, Shane, and Brad are working off-site.

Hawks Owner: Jami Gertz

Just learned the Hawks owner Tony Ressler is married to actress Jami Gertz, who starred in the sitcom Square Pegs with Sarah Jessica Parker. Last year Gertz represented the Hawks at the NBA Draft Lottery, when the Hawks were lucky enough to move up from the fourth pick to the third. This coming May Gertz will reprise her role as the Hawks Lottery rep. I’ll have to watch. Hopefully she won’t trade the pick for the Weemawee Clipper (Johnny Slash, her Square Pegs classmate).  

Gertz and her billionaire husband are also part of a group that own the Milwaukee Brewers. Both were born into Jewish families. Ressler is my age, but former his first company when he was 31 years old. Gertz was named the most philanthropic celebrity. Now they live in Los Angeles, where a public school was named after them.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Ressler

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jami_Gertz

 

Atlanta businesswoman Sara Blakely, owner/creator of the Spanx pantyhose empire, is also a part owner of the Hawks. So is former Hawk Grant Hill.

 

Saw where Tom Glavine would like to buy the Braves from Liberty Media. When Liberty bought the Braves they had to out-bid Falcons owner Arthur Blank. Instead Blank secured the soccer franchise Atlanta United, who won the MLS championship in their second year of existence. If only.   

 

Friday night we split a chicken sandwich at Moxie Burger. Also fries. They had the games on the big screens. Then I dropped Ceil off at Whole Foods and I gassed up her car. Arranged a hot shipment for work.

Got home and watched a decent movie “Forever My Girl.” Kinda a Nicholas Sparks knockoff. Forever My Girl was filmed in downtown Dallas, Georgia.

 

 

Also Conyers. Across the street from the flower shop where the heroine works is a sign for Paulding Trophy, the real life store on that corner. Watched more games after that. 

Small group on Saturday morning. The Catholic church at the end of the street was having a yard sale. Things might’ve been half price. Saw a pair of purple LeBron James sneakers in my size. Tempting for two bucks, but man I already have too many pairs of shoes.

 

Got home and fixed quesadillas for brunch, with turkey and cheese. Then outside for a long time: trimming hedges and raking leaves. Went inside around 4 pm and sat down. After that it was hard to stand up. Tried to start the mower but I think I’d put in the tank of bad gas. Ceil had also worked in the yard and later went to the grocery. She cooked spaghetti and meatballs and tossed a salad. Watched golf and basketball and “Forever My Girl” for a second time.   

 

Sunday School and worship. St Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.” Also: Peter got out of the boat and walked on water. What is my boat security blanket that I need to get shed of?

 

That was some Duke/UCF game. Couldn’t believe that last tip in didn’t drop in. Didn’t look like the ball hit the rim to me either. Also NC/Washington and Auburn/Kansas and Tenn/Iowa. And that was just some of the recent games

 

Zion Williamson is good, and probably a deserving number one pick. Someone compared him to Charles Barkley and that may be a good comparison. He was probably playing on a bad ankle against UCF. Still, he may be an above-average NBA player, but I don’t think he’ll be a megastar like Jordan, Magic, or LeBron.  

 

Leftover spaghetti and meatballs. Didn’t do much else except watch golf and basketball. Did some laundry. Negotiated with a guy on a bobblehead and stayed up late getting it packed up.

 

Couldn’t get going Monday morning. Stopped by the post office and it was after 8 am when I got in.

 

Tuesday: Left work at six. Made one stop on the way home. Ceil cooked Mexican salsa and grilled chicken to go with last night’s leftover beans and rice. I made a quesadilla and ate more with chips. Did the dishes. Watched some of the NIT. Also some of the movie Hidden Figures about NASA during the Mercury days. Missed the beginning and end. Was tired, went to bed at ten. Was tired from taking long walks three of the past four days.

Another hilarious episode of The Kids Are Alright, where the actor kid tries to audition for the Partridge Family. Former partridge Danny Bonaduce guest starred as the security guard. Man he looked old (he’s six days younger than me).

Day Game after Night Game

Hadn’t followed much baseball all spring but am finally warming up to the idea. No customers ever ask for tickets to the exhibition games, so I am tasked with taking coworkers. Perhaps more tickets will be available this season.

 

Monday: as usual I ate too much. My lunchtime focus group near Perimeter Mall went well. On the way back I detoured to get a deal at Wendys but of course the line was too long. At the last second I pulled into to the Taco Bell next door.

 

Left work just after five and met up with coworkers John and Zack at 5:50. Made it into the stadium in time to see the Reds taking batting practice. Sat out in the rain during the top of the first, but after that the sky cleared. Was chilly from being wet.

Got the same double cheeseburger and curly fries I had enjoyed last year. The fries were good but the burger was dry – particularly the bun. The Braves took out the easy pump ketchup and mustard and replaced them with the little packets. Hard to balance the little plate on your lap while using both hands to fiddle with the ketchup, so I passed. The Burger would’ve been better with the ketchup.

 

Coworker Josh joined us before first pitch. Also spoke to usher Walter Banks and Miss Marion, Norman and his sidekick, the young kid who’s at every game, and the teacher from Gainesville. Saw my writer/lawyer friend but couldn’t get over to say hello.

 

The Braves batted around in the third, scoring five runs. Jonny Venters came in to pitch the fifth and got shelled – deep line drive after deep line drive to right center. Triple, double, home run. Fortunately Yasiel Puig got himself thrown out going first to third with two out, by not sliding. New third baseman Josh Donaldson doesn’t get cheated at the plate. He hit a couple of screaming line drives. If he stays healthy the meat of the lineup (Donaldson, Freeman, Acuna) will be every bit as fearsome as the Phillies’ Hoskins, Harper, Realmuto.

 

Stopped for gas on the way home. Stayed up late editing the pictures I’d taken. Got a good one of Donaldson putting the bat on the ball. Lucky he didn’t plug me in the head.  

No one was using the tickets to today’s day game. Since we’re supposed to be cutting back on overtime I took a long lunch. Hauled butt over to SunTrust Park. Said hello to Miss Marion at the Third Base Gate.

Watched the Braves bat in the bottom of the first.

Shopped in the team store, and got my designated driver coke.

Walked back to my car and came back to work. Was gone from 12:18 to 2:28. Hear they won on a walk off grand slam.

Bought a dark blue Braves golf shirt. Passed on a nice Milwaukee Braves cap, and a Braves stocking cap (since I have yet to wear the Hawks stocking cap I got for Christmas).

Posed with legendary usher Walter Banks and Blooper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Braves Exhibition

Braved the rain tonight to check out the Braves exhibition game against the Reds. After a brief shower a double rainbow came out as the top of the first ended.

Left just after five and met up with Zack and John,

and got to our seats while the Reds were taking batting practice.

Josh arrived not long after.

Broke out my Braves socks for the occasion.

Like Major league Baseball, the Reds are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year, and are wearing twelve different uniforms from their past.

After BP a Reds player came out and tossed me two baseballs,

so I could toss them to the two boys sitting behind me. Made their day.

The big A in right field seemed to be undergoing some sort of construction.

 Markakis bats with Albies on deck.

In the Reds dugout Okey looks on.

 Far right: Zack and John take in the game.

 Freeman swings.

 Josh Donaldson doesn't get cheated at the plate.

Play of the game:

Ender scoops up the ball in right center and fires to third base...

Reds third base coach House signals for Yasiel Puig to slide,

but he comes in standing up...

…allowing Donaldson to apply the tag to kill the rally.

Hard to see, but with Freeman at the plate

the Reds shifted to four outfielders and three infielders.

Freddie blooped a single into right center.

 Markakis leads off third.

Note Markakis' name on the back of his jersey is only slightly arched,

like third base coach Washington below...

...unlike Donaldson's more severely arched name.

 The little girl in front of us was featured on the jumbotron.