Caitlin Clark: Admirable?

Caitlin Clark is indeed great. People flock to see her. The straw that stirs the drink. Truly the goose that laid the golden egg. Sure there are other players who are talented, other stars. But what's with the effort to downplay Clark's accomplishments? Allowing the thugs in the league to beat Clark up, night after night? The NHL never allowed Wayne Gretzky to be beat up. 

I will admit - Clark doesn't shy away from contact - she goes after it. The drives to the basket. The glare. She initiates contact, and complains to refs - almost incessantly. Not exactly the type player that I usually admire. But the type tough player that you'd think would earn the respect of the other players. Notice I didn't say peers.

Why do other players have Clark in such contempt? Such a bad look. Sure looks like jealousy. Would they rather play before fewer fans, get lower TV ratings, have less money for player salaries? From the outside, this contempt doesn't make sense. What changed that caused the sudden surge in WNBA popularity? Sure there are other new players coming into the league, joining a galaxy of established stars, but so many refuse to give Clark the credit that she so obviously is due. 

When Tiger burst onto the golf scene, winning tournaments and majors and sucking up the attention and sponsorship revenue - how did the other players react? They didn't tear him down. They reveled in the higher purses. They worked on their games, raising themselves to higher levels in an effort to compete. Together, Tiger and his contemporaries reinvented an even greater PGA Tour. Would be nice if the WNBA could be able to do the same.  

How will this end? Will the WNBA figure out that Caitlyn is a treasure? Will Clark's attitude change? I'm sure it's frustrating to get beat up so much. Seems like Clark and the league need to meet somewhere in the middle. For sure the WNBA is more watchable when Clark is playing, as opposed to when she is sitting on the sidelines.

Similarly, a website ranked Arch Manning as only the tenth best player in the country. Perhaps just an effort to get clicks. Arch is the odds on choice to win the Heisman, and will most probably be the number one overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. 

Saw a list of great Great UGA baseball players. Of course all were from the last few years. Notable omissions: Derek Lilliquist. Jeff Treadway. Jeff Pyburn. Buck Belue. Dave Fleming. Chris Carpenter. and Glenn Davis. Spud Chandler was an AL MVP with the Yankees. He still owns the MLB record for the highest winning percentage in history. 

Article: the time John Wilkes Booth’s brother saved the life of Abraham Lincoln’s son.

SHOHEI OHTANI  [B-R Bio] is the only player to win more than one MVP unanimously. All four of Ohtani’s MVPs, 2021, 2023, 2024 & 2025, were unanimous. He is the only player to win a National League MVP after winning an American League MVP. Only he and Frank Robinson have won MVPs in both leagues. In 2025 Ohtani's three bBobblehead days were 02-Apr, 15-May, and 27 Aug.

The All Time All Madden Team

Thursday: Anna and baby Miller visited us for several hours. We got Millie to take a much needed nap. I was worn out from the long Wednesday, and sleeping on the couch. Ceil just had to wake up early Thursday morning to see Will off to work - which led to Shivonne and Millie waking up earlier than they would have. 

I took an afternoon nap as well. C took the girls to Target without me. They bought a stomp rocket, which was lots of fun out in the driveway. You load the little rocket on the launchpad, then stomp on the attached air cushion - shooting the rocket over 20 feet in the air. Ceil didn't see how the rocket plummeting straight back down to earth could pose a safety issue for a 2 year old looking up in the sky, too young to be able to catch the rocket before it hits them in their eye.

Matthew stopped by. We loaded our old bed frame into his truck, and he helped me carry our box springs upstairs. Later Will helped me carry the mattress upstairs, as well as Ceil's cedar chest. Getting closer to being able to get one car into our 2 car garage. 

  

After Will took the girls home, we crashed onto the couch. Watched Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, and the Braves game.   

This morning Ceil had to drive down to W&MCs to keep the girls. I did 5 miles on the treadmill at the gym, plus sat in the sauna. 

Lunched at Whataburger. Patty melt, tasteless fries, and a Coke Zero. I may be finally outgrowing my constant search for fast food deals. The food just isn't that good. Should've realized this years ago, I know.

Not everyone named to the 1997 Madden All Time Team was able to make the photo. Dick Butkus is a notable exception. I  still recognize most of these guys, but did had to look up a couple.

Front row: Willie Lanier, Walter Payton, Joe Namath, John Madden, John Mackey, Willie Wood, Don Maynard. 

Middle: Mike Curtis, Larry Little, John Stallworth, Larry Csonka, Roger Staubach, Paul Warfield, Herb Adderly.

Back: Mark Bavaro, Gary Clark, Mike Haynes, Jack Young blood, Jerry Kramer, Jackie Slater, Mike Webster, Buck Buchanan, Randy White, Joe Jacoby, Anthony Munoz.

David Hurt's oldest daughter Haley bought a condo. Somewhere in Buckhead I think. Not sure. maybe near Chastain Park. She actually frequented Bellwood Coffee.

Denison on why The Late Show matters to our culture and our souls: "I think the show’s ending is relevant not because it was losing millions, or that CBS allegedly acted for political reasons, but for a different reason. As Elahe Izadi reports in the Washington Post, “We no longer choose from a handful of late-night hosts to get our fix of breezy celebrity interviews; there’s an endless supply of podcasts for that.” She quotes Robert Thompson, a Syracuse University professor of television and popular culture: "Like all broadcast television, it was cultural glue. We all fed from the same cultural trough. That is gone and only remains in a few pockets, and those pockets are falling one by one. When Colbert leaves, another one of those important pockets will have fallen". 

Denison: "I’d like to suggest that losing such “cultural glue” is good for our culture. And for our souls".

Colbert, a professed Catholic and former Sunday School teacher, recently stirred controversy by opining a more Buddhist view of life after death. 

CARL YASTRZEMSKI [SABR Bio] had more at-bats than any other left-handed major leaguer, with 11988. Only Pete Rose and Hank Aaron had more. Yaz was the first American Leaguer to earn a Gold Glove and win the batting title the same season, in 1963. He hit .321 and also led in hits (183), doubles (40), walks (95), OBP (.418), and made the first of 18 All-Star appearances. Yaz was the only player to collect a hit against Satchel Paige upon Paige's return to the majors after a 12-year absence. On 25-Sep-1965, Paige was brought in to open for the Kansas City Athletics. Paige pitched 3 shutout innings, and a double by Yaz in the first was the only hit. Read here.

Wild Goose Chase

Wild goose chase: with all three grandchildren over at our house this morning (and Anna), it was my job to take Winnie to her appointment at the vet. I didn’t know what it was for. Earlier this morning Ceil fed Winnie, saying she couldn’t eat anything after 9 o’clock. I didn’t think anything about it.

Got to the vet and Winnie got checked in. Evidently Winnie was getting a shot that would knock her out for an hour or so. The vet asked “so she hasn’t had anything to eat since 9 last night?” Uh, no. Winnie ate before 9 this morning. We had to reschedule the appointment.

After golf on Wednesday morning I drove straight to the gym. Sauna and treadmill. Later Will and the girls came. We played. Up and down the steps a bunch of times. Burgers and fries for supper. 

At 6:30 pm  Will and I drove over to pick up a bunk bed he was buying for his girls. Had to help take it apart and load it into both our cars. Then we drove downtown and unloaded it at his house. Then drove back up to East Cobb, arriving at 930 pm. A 12000 step, 5-1/2 mile day. Listened to the game on the radio.

Note: when Will and I left to get the bed, the five leftover burgers were pushed back in the far corner of the countertop. Ceil was upstairs giving the girls a bath. When we got home at 930, Ceil had already cleaned the kitchen. It wasn't until Thursday evening when we figured out that Winnie had eaten all the burgers. Ugh.

Wednesday was the girl’s last day of school. They had the Waffle House truck provide food.

I just realized that I should have volunteered for the World Cup, but I would’ve had to apply almost a year ago. I’ll have to see what other big events are coming to town.

I played golf on Wednesday morning. Teed off at 6:43 am. Wore shorts for the first time this year.

1. Hit two drives off the first tee. Neither were pretty but both got good rolls. Hit three approach shots: two short of the green but one rolled up the hill to the right fringe. Chipped two of 3 onto the green.

2. Hit a 4 iron off the tee that stayed right. I hit a mulligan so good that I never found it. Must’ve flown the green and rolled into the woods past the 3rd tee. Hit three okay chips, onto the green. A couple of passable chips.

3. For the life of me I can't hit the ball straight on this hole. Pulled two left and one right. Two decent chips that didn't hold on the elevated green. Lost three balls on these last two holes.

4. Hit three good 6 irons off the tee. Due to the severe slope, all three rolled from right to left. Almost holed a chip. 

5. Hit a great 4 iron onto the green, plus two others that got close. Great lag putt to inches. Par.

6. Hit three drives but only found one. From the fairway I hit three decent 4 irons. Then a couple of passable chips.

7. Hit a drive that faded right, but got a great bounce way up to the top of the hill - one of my best drives ever on this hole. Hit one of three fairway shots well. Chipped onto the green. Three leg putts didn't get as close to the hole as I would've liked.

8. Hit what I thought was a good drive. It sailed down the fairway and through the trees guarding the right side, down the hill on the 7th fairway - where the golfer playing behind me picked it up and tossed it to me. Chipped three balls, but none good. From the fringe I did chip two balls close to the hole.

9. Hit a good hybrid up the hill. Pitched three balls, but none close. From the right fringe I chipped two close. Finished around 8:13 am.

Question of the day: who's your favorite four-eyed athlete? I listed Freddie Freeman, Sonny Jackson, Jeff Burroughs, Satchel Paige, Bob Gibson, Tom House (below right), Kurt Rambis, Alex Karras (above), Rodrigo Blankenship, Bob Griese, Raymond Berry, Moses Malone - and BJ Upton.

The Braves Lose a Game

Braves beat Boston, thanks to an Austin Riley 3 run homer. Yaz homered as well. Braves take two of three to go 6-4 in their last ten. Phillies went 7-3 against easier competition, but didn't gain much ground. But...

...the Marlins always seem to play the Braves tough. Our nemesis. A tough low line drive hit right at RF Yaz, who charged the ball and tried to make the catch. The ball was most probably knuckling back and forth - making the catch all the tougher. The ball caroomed off Yaz's glove and bounced toward center field. But CF Michael Harris was standing there in center watching the play, instead of moving to back up the play. Sure the line drive play happened quickly, but Harris could at least have been moving that way. People hate it when people bring up guys who hustle: Pete Rose, Larry Bird, Derek Jeter, Michael Jordan - but they made plays because they never stopped moving.

Bummer walked the bases loaded, then walked the next batter to force in a run. Already down 6-0, Weiss let Bummer stay in to try to work things out. Didn't work: the next batter hit a grand slam. 11-0 Marlins. Then another HR. 12-0. Not pretty. After the game the Braves gave Bummer his unconditional release.   

Years ago, Braves manager Walt Weiss used to babysit the young manager of the Marlins.

Acuna was activated from the disabled list. Drake Baldwin was placed on the 10 day injured list. Many fans will panic. 

You’d think that on a Bark In The Park game, the stadium would hold back on all the loud music for one night.GT head coach Brent Key indicated that transfer QB Mendoza is the leading candidate to start this fall. 

Ceil’s sinuses have been draining for like three weeks now. She’s been taking all sorts of medicines: NyQuil, DayQuil, Motrin, Sudafed, Advil, Tylenol, but nothing seems to work. 

After church Sunday we ate lunch at the Moxie Burger down off Paper Mill Road. Not our usual Moxie across from the Roswell Square. Ordered a chicken sandwich for C and a burger for me. They brought me a turkey burger, so I thought I’d eat it instead of sending it back. It wasn’t good at all. Ugh. The fries were excellent. 

Walking out of the service, C mentioned that she hadn’t been able to sit out in the sun. So we ate at a table out in the sunshine, no shade. Nice to be warm, but I wish I’d had a ball cap to block the sun. I need to keep one in Ceil’s car. 

After Sunday School the guys were talking about getting back to climbing Kennesaw Mountain on Saturday mornings. I was standing there, so I received a personal invitation. Guess I’ll be going with them next Saturday. I’ve only climbed Kennesaw once before, several years ago. 

Monday: treadmill and sauna. A sandwich for lunch. C had brunch with MC in Buckhead at La Bon Nosh. Matthew stopped by to visit.  Supper was grilled chicken tenders, kale salad, black eyed peas, steamed rice, and grilled vegetables: broccoli, sweet potatoes, beets.

Anna & Caleb haven't really been attending any church regularly, but it looks like that may be changing soon. They'd been waiting on a church plant to start up in Marietta - Gem City Church. Passion City Church is helping them with finances and resources, though once the church gets off the ground, they will be autonomous. Gem City already has over 1400 followers on Instagram.

Theo was the most popular boy name in 2026 and 2025. In 2024 Theo ranked fourth, and seventh in 2023. 

Denison: I feel a special urgency to think with you about Nicholas Kristof’s recent article in the New York Times. The transcendent issues it raises are crucial for the Jewish people and especially relevant to Christian cultural engagement. Kristof’s May 11 column focuses on allegations of “widespread Israeli sexual violence by soldiers, settlers, interrogators in the Shin Bet internal security agency and prison guards.” 

Top career home run totals among players who only played for one major league team.

 

Player                 HR   Team   WAR

Ernie Banks........512....CHC... 67.8

Lou Gehrig..........493...NYY....113.7

Chipper Jones.....468...ATL......85.3

Mickey Mantle.....535...NYY....110.3

Stan Musial.........475...STL....128.6

Cal Ripken..........431...BAL..... 95.9

Mike Schmidt......536...PHI.....106.9

Willie Stargell......475...PITT......57.7

Mike Trout...........415...ANA......89.5

Ted Williams.......521...BOS....121.8

Carl Yastrzemski.452...BOS..... 96.5

Mel Ott................511...NYG....111.0

Jeff Bagwell........449...HOU.... 79.9

Wall Art

Art options to display in my home office: my Tull Today magazine cover, the framed Dale Murphy / Dwight Gooden Nike Stickball poster, framed baseball card of Anna, framed Mickey Mantle baseball card, framed Beatles Sgt Peppers album, a Braves Country Concert poster, the framed Braves logo poster Anna had given me, a drawing Matthew had drawn as a kid, a framed first issue of Sports Illustrated with Eddie Mathews on the cover, framed Greg Maddux Sports Illustrated cover, my Falcons helmet, 1972 Braves batting helmet, the San Diego Chicken bobblehead, my Olympic torch, and a shelf for a few caps and sneakers. Also my Veggie Tales Larry Mobile. 

Article: people who browse social media but never post aren't necessarily passive — they may have quietly opted out of the pressure to perform. Millions of others simply aren't on social media at all.

Must see vacation destinations, according to one source: European river & canal cruises, Italy's Amalfi coast, Ireland’s castles and countryside, a month in Provence France, a Galápagos Islands Expedition, Australia, exploring the Greek islands, a bungalow in Bora Bora. 

Henry Winkler is the nicest man in show business. Before he landed his iconic role of The Fonz on Happy Days in 1974, he made one time appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Bob Newhart Show. After becoming famous, Winkler noticed a downtrodden actor trying to get his handwritten script made into a movie, and decided to help him out. That's how the movie Rocky was made.

Caitlin Clark made WNBA history - again. Angel Reese was quoted as saying "I know I'm a great player". In Sunday's sellout game at State Farm Arena, Reese shot 1-8 from the field, with eight turnovers. 

The Day Ted Turner managed the Braves.

Denison: "it is vital that I write, speak, and respond to cultural issues in ways that offer biblical truth with personal humility. What God says is what matters, not what I think. And what I think comes from a finite, fallen mind couched in experiences that limit my perspective and understanding. Given the differences that exist in a culture as disparate as ours, can we find hope beyond humility and unity beyond tolerance?" ME: it's sad that so many other "Christian" voices that I hear don't think and speak and act this way. 

Article: an angry Muslim man refused to sit in his assigned seat on the plane, which was next to an elderly woman reading her Bible, and demands to be moved. The only open seat was in first class, so the flight crew upgraded the elderly woman to the first class seat so she wouldn't have to put up with the belligerent Muslim.

ERNIE BANKS  [SABR Bio] holds the record for the most career hits at Wrigley Field, with 1372. He was born & raised in Dallas, Texas. He was the first National League first baseman to record 22 putouts in a game, on 09-My-1963 vs. PIT. Banks played 1269 of his 2476 games at 1B. A 14-time All-Star, Ernie was the first player at his position to twice homer three times in a game. Banks had 3-HR games four times, on 04-Aug-1955, 14-Sep-1957(2), 29-May-1963, and 09-Jun-1963.

Head's Up

Little Miller is holding her head up.

She doesn't want her food source out of her sight.

Cool photo of Atlanta: the city in the forest.

That's the Candler Park golf course in the foreground, with Mary Lin Elementary School across the street.

The Braves players seem to understand that Weiss expects performance. Sounds like he is up front with them about playing time, etc. Weiss is a black belt in taekwondo. After both Harris and Olson got picked off first base on Tuesday night, bringing the season total to ten - equalling their 2025 total - Weiss admitted their strategy and approach was going to change. This past offseason Weiss had hired the Mets first base coach, who had helped the Mets lead the league in stolen bases. The aggressiveness has yet to transfer over to Atlanta yet. 

Rome has some cool dude alternate uniforms.

Best MLB player by uniform number. They got 96 right. Shouldn't 45 be Michael Jordan? 

Been driving past this East Cobb liquor store for 30 years. Never saw a sign like this. Might need to start paying closer attention. Ducks Burger Bar is right behind this store, at Roswell and Providence.

MICKEY MANTLE  [SABR Bio] passed Babe Ruth for the most career postseason home runs. The Babe had 15, but Mantle ended up with 18 - all in the World Series, of course. Mantle won the only American Triple Crown, batting or pitching, in the 1950s. In 1956, Mantle had .353, 52 HR, 130 RBI. All three led the majors that season. It was the only year he ever led in RBI or average. He led in HR two additional times. Full list. Mantle once said, “It’s unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing all your life." He also said  “All the ballparks and the big crowds have a certain mystique. You feel attached, permanently wedded to the sounds that ring out, to the fans chanting your name, even when there are only four or five thousand in the stands on a Wednesday afternoon.” And: “After I hit a home run I had a habit of running the bases with my head down.  I figured the pitcher already felt bad enough without me showing him up rounding the bases.”

STAN MUSIAL  [SABR Bio] hit .357 and  was voted MVP at age 22 in 1943, then led the Cards over the Browns in the 1944 WS. He led the majors in triples each of the three times he won the MVP. MVP in 1943 with 20 triples; MVP in 1946 with 20 triples; MVP in 1948 with 18 triples. Stan was #2 in MVP voting in 1949, 1950 & 1951. He was also runner-up in 1957.