BURIED ALIVE

At work we talked about the 1968 Barbara Jean Mackle kidnapping. Made big news back in the day. She was buried alive just a few hundred yards from our plant, off South Berkeley Lake Road near Old Peachtree Road.

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/ajc-deja-news-emory-coed-mackle-kidnapped-buried-alive-1972/hzCthhhFuoMfTgaEomOXhM/

https://www.ajc.com/news/1968-atlanta-kidnapping-case-made-national-news/atUfWceNqD2HllPX4dBFlI/

Reminded me of the Reg Murphy kidnapping in 1974. Reg got around: born in Gainesville, Mercer, the Macon Telegraph, the Constitution, San Francisco Examiner, Baltimore Sun, National Geographic Society, president of the USGA. Also wrote a biography of Griffin Bell.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Reginald_Murphy

Hurt had nice Hawks tickets and I would go with him sometimes. Lakers with Kareem and Magic. Celtics with Bird, McCale, Parrish and DJ. Philly with Dr. J, Moses, and Barkley. Bulls and MJ. And Nique, Doc, Spud, Tree, Kevin, Randy, Scott, Moses, and Reggie.

Bullying: at a recent Braves bobblehead game I posted a picture of a kid playing with his broken bobblehead. While many of the responses thought it funny, others were hostile and berated me for posting a photo of a child I didn't know - making the assumption that I didn't know the child. The responses got so cruel. It was okay for them to do something wrong (be cruel) but not me (post the kid pic)? Finally I deleted the post. I'd probably be better off without social media.

Bragging: some people on my social media screen love to brag - about their kids, about their husbands, about how much they cram into a day, how many miles they run. Most probably don't realize they do it, I'm sure.

On Twitter a guy posted that he's given his bobblehead to a kid at the game. Good for him. Someone called him out for bragging about his good deed. A debate ensued.

Another debate raged about catching a ball at a baseball game. A guy can go to games his entire life and never catch a ball. But the second he does catch one, what do people say? Give it to a kid! What if the guy has kids at home? Also how the ridiculous NOTE: I'd like to be cool enough to give any ball I catch to a nearby kid. But like most things, it's not that simple. I'd like to take a picture of it. And if you rent a Mizuno glove at the Braves game and catch a ball with it, Mizuno will give you a replica SunTrust Park that sells for $100.00. After all that I'd give the ball away. Actually I have a Bud Selig ball, a Bartlett Giamatti ball, a Sally League ball, but I don't have a commissioner Rob Manfred.

And then at the Macon Bacon game did I keep the Coastal Plain League ball I found? No. I gave it away.

You wonder if over the years Ted Williams regretted not duffing his cap, even if he never admitted it. Oftentimes people won't behave the way they should. At the all star game at Fenway Park when they introduced the all-century team, Williams was the last to come out, riding in a golf cart. Before all the players broke protocol and surrounded him, Williams doffed his cap to the crowd.

TED WILLIAMS got on base in regular season games more often than any other qualifying batter in major league history - his .482 career OBP is not in any danger of being equaled any time soon. Joey Votto is the current active leader at .422. Interestingly, John McGraw (as a player) ranks third on that list. McGraw racked up a healthy .466 OBP, behind only Babe Ruth's .474 and Williams'. Williams leads his franchise in at least 18 different offensive categories. He only played for that team in the majors. Williams is the Red Sox leader in so MANY areas.