Great Expectations

People are acting like their lives are ruined because the Braves lost 5 games in a row – something they hadn’t done since 2017. Six years. They have won what, six straight division championships? What do people want? These days even the Yankees don’t win big every year. How soon people forget the Braves best hitter and pitcher are out for the year. In two of the five games during the losing streak the Braves started a rookie making their MLB debut. Perhaps people should lower their expectations. Even if the Braves don’t win 90 games, dang they’ve had a good run.

I don’t think Ozuna has a very scientific approach to hitting. I think his strategy is to swing for the fences on every pitch. Seriously though I do think he has cut down on his swing this year, hitting more singles and doubles instead of striking out trying to hit a home run. That is how the Phillies and Dodgers hit.

Some think the Braves are missing last year’s first and third base coaches – Washington and Eric Young.

No one wanted to fire the hitting coach last year, when the Braves set several all time hitting records. Most don’t even know who the hitting coach is. I remember when Kevin Seitzer was trying to blow bunts into foul territory.

By the time they fired the hitting coach and replaced him, the team will be out of their slump. The Braves are on pace to win 90 games. How many times did teams managed by Casey Stengel win 90 games?

LOU BOUDREAU [SABR Bio] was the last player/manager to lead his team to a World Series championship. His performance as a player also had much to do with it. He is the last player to have over 100 RBI in a season with fewer than ten strikeouts. In his MVP year of 1948, Boudreau had 106 RBI and only struck out nine times. Nobody since. At 5’11”, he was captain of the Thornton Township HS in Harvey, IL basketball team (They did not have a baseball program). He led the "Flying Clouds" hoops squad to 3 straight Illinois HS championship games, winning in 1933 and finishing as runner up in 1934 &1935.

DENISON: many are mourning the loss of civilians who died during the rescue operation (including the US VP). The Israeli military reported that Hamas sought to fire at Israeli forces behind civilians. Some voiced anger at Hamas for holding hostages in residential buildings.

ME: the AP had been reporting erroneous and inflated casualty figures they’d received from Hamas.

Second Spitter Day

Today is “Second Spitter Day”, the day in 1987 when Newman and Kramer were heckling Keith Hernandez and got spit on by Roger McDowell from a grassy knoll. I set up a calendar reminder so I wouldn’t forget. See you next year.

Man the Atlanta Dream must not be good if the Fever can coast the entire game. I tried to look up the info by googling “fever dream” and evidentially that’s a thing.

I worked until 7 pm Thursday evening. Got home and turned on the game, just in time for the last minute before the half. Spaghetti for supper. Watched more of the game, then C turned on a Hallmark movie I had already watched twice.

Got an earlier start this morning. Made it to Candler Park by 555 am. Teed off shortly after six.

1. Not the greatest hybrid off the tee. Mulligan slightly better. Hit two hybrids from the fairway, the second straighter than the first. Long but decent chip, followed by a flubbed chip, then a great chip onto the green. Missed the par putt. “Bogey”

2. Cruddy 6 iron off tee, then a better one, then a great one to the fringe. Two putt for “par”. Found two balls on the hole.

3. Shanked a 9 iron, then hit a good tee shot to the back fringe. For goof measure I pulled a third try left. Not the greatest lag putt. “Bogey”.

4. Not the greatest tee shot, but better than the mulligan I pulled into the woods. Two good chips. Missed the par putt. “Bogey”. Found three balls on the hole.

5. Flubbed two 6 irons off the tee – one right and one left. Pulled a third into the woods. Made a pretty good long low chip under the tree branches to the fringe. Okay chip then a better chip. Two putt for a “double”.

6. Drew a high, long hybrid off the tee just past the 150 yard marker. Shot of the day. So good that I didn’t hit a mulligan. Then I hit an okay approach with my 6 iron, but then hit a great mulligan to the fringe. Should’ve chipped. Hit six putts but only one was decent. Missed the par putt. “Bogey”.

7. Skipped a hybrid off the tee. Got a decent roll but my mulligan sailed most of the way up the hill. Hit hybrid off the carpet, so good that I didn’t hit a second try. Two decent chips to the fringe. Good lag putt. “Bogey” if my memory is right.

8. Skidded two hybrids off the tee. One got a good roll. Third try was better. With the ball lower than my feet I pulled two 9 irons left. Found one. Three chips, none great. Three putts, none great. Three comebackers. Made the third one. “Double”.

9. Skidded my hybrid off the tee, then hit a better mulligan. Hard to get good distance on the steep hill. Two cruddy chips. Third was better, to the back fringe. Bad finish. “Triple”.

Finished at 720 am. Bad light. After stopping at RaceTrac, I made it to work by 815.

TRIS SPEAKER  [SABR Bio] was Joe DiMaggio’s childhood idol. Speaker is still considered by many to be the best fielding centerfielder ever. His total of 449 outfield assists leads everybody. Ty Cobb is an impressive but distant 392. Double-Unique status detailed here. Speaker twice had seasons when he made more than ten unassisted double plays from center field: 12 in 1909 and 14 in 1911. No other outfielder turned more DP, a heady 143.  Cobb’s number is impressive but distant = 105. He was the first manager to win a World Series title in his first full year as a manager, with CLE in 1920. As player/manager he led the Indians to a 5-2 World Series victory over BRO.

Honoring MC

Wednesday: pulled out of the parking lot at 445 pm. Took Peachtree Industrial south to 285 east to 85 south. Got off at the Buford Highway Connector just before traffic backed up on 85. That funneled me down to Spring Street. Right on 17th all the way through Atlantic Station to Northside, then right on Bankhead, left on Lowery, right on MLK to Stafford Street. Arrived right on time – 6 pm sharp.

MC and the girls were playing in the front yard. M beat me there, and A&C arrived shortly thereafter. C was only 20 minutes late. Will had prepared a Thai feast: a braised pork dish over rice and lettuce. Tasty. Later Ceil's peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream. Had such a good time that I didn't take pictures. Didn't get home until 10 pm. Went straight to bed.

Up early to run at the gym.

Now reading "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles, about a count in old Russia after the revolution. Not spellbinding though mildly interesting. I'm a third of the way in and just now getting an idea of the plot. 

Podcasts are popular these days. People yacking about a particular subject. Kind of like a focused radio program? They say that soon everyone will have one. Who is listening? More people drifting away from listening to music? At least the listener is learning something, getting educated or being entertained. I think I will stick to books.

M played golf with his friends for a second time yesterday, this time at Candler Park. He said the Charlie Yates course is in better shape than Candler. I believed him. Matthew said he bought a classic putter on eBay, and was showing it to me and Will. A brief discussion about golf with W, M, and Caleb. Anna hasn't had a second lesson yet. 

Ceil makes scalloped potatoes every now and then, like when she has to take a dish somewhere. Man we got leftover hot dogs and pizza to eat this weekend.

So many people leaving the company these days, its hard to keep track. Had to write them all down. Down 15 people in the past 2 months.

Retiring: Beard, Nicol, Garrett, Janice.

Laid off: Vanessa, Clyfton, Habel, Jack, Peter, Hannah.

Quit: Tarter, John, Cody, Oscar, Lowery

Tom Brady about Bill Belichick: "It wasn't me. It wasn't you. It was us. There is no coach in the world I would rather play for than Bill Belichick."

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.si.com/nfl/tom-brady-delivers-classy-one-liner-sum-up-relationship-bill-belichick__;!!AE29DT8V!Qo7pgBiC2dtJ768f0VIWU8sIIVMAfOT-3QF05f9wxBZDBpbo6JrNhGShlTJiYSslAE3nG5muqp3PifU-3rc$

DENISON: terrorists massacre a group of people and the world sides with the terrorists. That is what is happening to the Jews:

• There has been a "steep" jump in antisemitic attacks following October 7.
• Online antisemitism has increased five-fold since the invasion.
• Antisemitism has "skyrocketed" in the US.
• Antisemitic incidents on college campuses have increased 700%.
• Antisemitic attacks in the UK are at an all-time high.

Hamas in Gaza promises to attack Israel. Those who hate Israel don't understand: Hamas's leader wants Palestinians to die. Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's military leader in Gaza, told Hamas officials that civilian deaths are "necessary sacrifices." Intelligence analysts believe Sinwar is motivated by a desire to take revenge on Israel. The well-being of the Palestinian people or the establishment of a Palestinian state is secondary. His strategy: Palestinian casualties will mobilize the globe against Israel, pressuring them to stop the war without eradicating Hamas. Israel is doing all it can to minimize Palestinian casualties. Sinwar is doing all he can to maximize Palestinian casualties for his personal advancement and that of Hamas. According to Jesus, Satan "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). Consequently, when we see stealing and killing and destroying, we know that our spiritual enemy is at work.

https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/yahya-sinwars-brutal-calculation/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Yahya%20Sinwar%20s%20%22brutal%20calculation%22&utm_campaign=6-13-24%20DA%20-%20Yahya%20Sinwar%20s%20%22brutal%20calculation%22

Stranger in the Lifeboat

Just finished Mitch Albom’s “The Stranger in the Lifeboat”. Very good. Read by the author.

R.I.P. Jerry West. The logo. Pretty sure L gave me a Jerry West Grizzlies bobblehead. Sept 4 the Braves are giving away Ludacris bobbleheads. Braves lose again. Everyone is still panicking.

All my social media algorithms make WNBA updates pop up on my social media. I’m getting text messages from the Atlanta Dream. Their game was a sellout last night. Saw where one of the Dream players made the Olympic team.

Still gets my goat when people sit in their cars with the engine running, or wait 30 minutes in a drive through line in a gas guzzling SUV – then support global warming “climate change” initiatives without doing their part for the environment. Actions speak louder than words.

It is so hard for kids these days, much harder than when you or I grew up. Our kids grew up going to the beach every year with their 9 cousins. Twelve cousins and Will is the only one with kids, though only 7 are over 30. Only 6 are married or engaged. Young people today are getting married later (if at all) and aren’t having as many children, and when they do they’re only having one or two. The US population is getting older. We’re not replacing ourselves. The birth rate is in decline worldwide, except for the Muslims. Young people are saying they don’t want to bring a child into this world. It’s tougher for them to buy a house. Denison talks about this stuff all the time. I’ve thought how the military would help so many young people these days. Might’ve helped Matthew. Surely would’ve helped me.

I did good skipping my Diet Mtn Dew again this AM. I’ve been mixing VitaminWater Lemonade Zero with a splash of Gatorade for flavor. I am missing the caffeine.

Tuesday: worked past 7 pm. Wasn’t hungry because there were leftovers from Jason’s Deli: sandwiches, pasta salad, a tossed salad. Stopped by Dollar Tree on the way home. Got home at 8 pm. C had fixed pork chops, so I nibbled. We didn’t even turn on the TV. I didn’t get out my laptop, just played on my phone.

Wednesday: up early to lift weights at the gym. My old boss brought me in an apple fritter. Family dinner at W&MC’s tonight. Not sure what’s on the menu. Will is cooking.

NAPOLEON LAJOIE  [SABR Bio] holds the record in organized baseball for the single-season highest batting average in the 20th century. His .426 in 1901 for Connie Mack’s freshly minted Philadelphia A’s has never been topped in the AL, NL or PL. Craig Biggio hit his 658th double to become the right-handed batter with the most career doubles, passing Lajoie’s 657 total. Brett has since been passed by Albert Pujols. Nap was the first American Leaguer with a WAR of 10.0 in one season. His 10.0 WAR in 1906 led both leagues.

DENISON: many are mourning the loss of civilians who died during the rescue operation (including the US VP). The Israeli military reported that Hamas sought to fire at Israeli forces behind civilians. Some voiced anger at Hamas for holding hostages in residential buildings.

ME: the AP had been reporting erroneous and inflated casualty figures they’d received from Hamas.

Between What Kingdoms?

 

Finished listening to the very long “Between Two Kingdoms”, a memoir by a young college graduate’s cancer journey, read by the author so slowly that I listened at 1.5 speed. The author learns and grows as a person in the journey, but not quickly enough to realize what a gem she had in the boyfriend she dumped after he nursed her 99% of the way through her cancer. In her darkest hour she prays “I want to live”, but later in remission blanches at having to listen to a blessing in a home where she is a guest. Unless I missed it, the book didn’t detail what “two kingdoms” she was between. Thumbs down.

Saw some stats comparing Caitlin to Diana T and the other guards that made the Olympic team. Clark had outperformed them. Sounds like another girl also got snubbed. Many are saying Caitlin deserves a spot on the Olympic team just like Christian Leattner did, for her stellar college career. The WNBA is in the spotlight, but they’re not taking advantage of the opportunity like they should. But the Washington Mystics moved their game against the Fever to the NBA arena and still sold it out. Similarly, the Dream have moved their 2 games against the Fever to State Farm Arena. Tonight’s game is a sellout. Smart move.

One more thing about the Braves: they won the World Series the year Acuna was hurt.

Saturday: pizza night. We babysat Goose. A&C went to a concert in Alpharetta.

35 in Sunday School. For some reason this AM I was transfixed on counting the class. And did so over and over. No sermon today in our 1115 am service – it was the return concert for the youth group, whose mission trip took them to NYC – Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan where they worked with JFBC church plants. Saw Scott & Robin Condra. Their son just graduated from GT. Later C drove down to keep the kids at W&MC’s. I stayed behind as A&C picked up Goose, and loaded their pickup with two pieces of furniture. Getting closer to getting our garage back where we can park two cars again.

Monday: worked past 630. Caught all the lights on the way home, so I got good gas mileage. Hot dogs for supper, with cole slaw, homemade baked beans, and corn on the cob. Took a walk with C and Winnie after supper. Was 9 pm before I was finally able to plop down. Played on my laptop for an hour.

Tuesday: up early to run at the gym. Got a family dinner on Wednesday night, so I won’t be able to work late that night. Had thought about leaving early to go to tonight’s Stripers game, but the hassle of traffic, parking, tickets, standing in line out in the sun when I need to be working just doesn’t seem worth it. But I hate it that work is keeping me from doing the things I want to do.

GROVER CLEVELAND ALEXANDER [SABR Bio] is the only major leaguer both named for and portrayed by U.S. presidents. In 1952, Warner Bros. released a biopic of Alexander called “The Winning Team”, starring Ronald Reagan & Doris Day. At the height of his pitching career, in 1916 he led the majors in games started, complete games, shutouts, ERA, innings pitched and ERA+. His number of shutouts that year has never been topped. Playing for the Phillies, Alexander had 45 GS, 38 CG, 16 SHO, a 1.55 ERA, 389.0 IP & a 172 ERA+. His career shutout total is the best by a National Leaguer since 1876. His 90 career SHOs trail only Walter Johnson’s 110. Alexander’s father was a Democrat. Grover was born during the first term of Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, so his parents named him for Cleveland. His nickname evolved into “Pete” Alexander, from the names of characters in a series of early silent film westerns that he was said to resemble.

DENISON: in his latest New York Times column, David Brooks explains one reason so many graduates of elite universities have become so monolithically “woke”: they come from privilege, but they are taught by Critical Theory that privilege in our system is accrued by oppressors who exploit the oppressed. As a result, they must take up progressive culture war mantles to feel “engaged, purposeful, and good about themselves. Seems to me that these battles are often more about performative self-validation than they are about practical policies that might serve the common good.”

Braves: Time to Panic?

Everyone is panicking about the Braves, but forgetting several things. The 2023 NL MVP is out for the year, as is their top starting pitcher. Yesterday they started a rookie who was still in college this time a year ago. Heck they’re only one game below .500 in their last ten games.

The Braves are still winning 56% of their games, on track to win 90 for the season. They are six games ahead of the third place Nationals. The Braves have the 4th best record in the NL. Only five teams in the AL have a better record. Still have 3-1/2 months to tune up for the playoffs. I’d rather they be hot in late September and October.

Was having a dream last night. It was nighttime and I was raining. I was sleeping in my old Honda CRV with the back door flipped open. I looked out the side window and saw someone looking back at me. He didn’t look like a good guy. Startled, I moved to lock the door and crawl to the back to get out or close that door. That’s when I fell out of bed and woke up. Was lucky I didn’t bang my head. Somehow I landed on my knees. In my life I don’t ever remember doing something like that.

Big hubbub about Caitlin not making the Olympic team. She is saying all the right things, but the WNBA and Team USA aren’t doing the smart thing to grow women’s basketball. Did you see the clip where an opponent shot a foul shot, then went right over and started guarding Caitlin – not realizing she was supposed to shoot her second free throw.

Kate Martin has made the starting lineup, played 32 minutes, made 5 out of 7 FG, 3 out of 3 3PTers, 4 RB, 3 A, and scored 13 points. Not a bad night for a 2nd round draft choice. Now all the veterans on the other teams  will start pushing her around like they do Caitlin ! Not that Clark doesn’t fit in with her teammates, it it seems like Kate would also be a likeable teammate.

Heartwarming finish to the Memorial Tournament yesterday, with Jack tearing up talking about his wife. Always a great moment when Nicklaus greets the winner on the 18th green. Scottie becomes the second player to win the Masters, Players, and Memorial in the same year, joining Tiger. Scheffler was won 5 of his last 8 tournaments.

Still recovering from the weekend. Still sore from all those steps Friday and Saturday AM. I went to the gym this morning but lifted weights instead of running on the treadmill.

Can’t believe Ceil bought hot dogs for us to eat. She’s always such a health nut. She will probably fix cole slaw to go with them. She used to fix baked beans when serving hot dogs as well. Not sure.

Live ball era American League players who hit 2 doubles & 2 triples in the same game.

Player        Date       Career WAR

Boudreau...26-Apr-1948..........63.2

Hooper.......28-Sep-1924.........53.6

Altuve..........17-May-2017........50.9

Manush......24-May-1929........48.1

" .................23-Jul-1932..........48.1

Crawford.....02-Aug-2005........39.1

Fryman........26-Jul-1994.........34.4

Stirnweiss....03-Sep-1945(2)...27.4

Stroud..........04-Jul-1968......... 3.2

Cimoli...........27-Apr-1962....... 1.3

Stones Concert

 

Matthew and I went to the Rolling Stones concert on Friday night at Mercedes Benz Stadium. 

Section 334 row 18.

The cover band the Ghost Hounds were the opening act. They cranked it up not long after 730.

By the time they went off over an hour later, the Benz was packed.

The Stone came on at 9 pm, opening with "Start Me Up".

Keith Richards appeared animated.

Mick Jagger skipped and strode all over the huge stage. 

When the band was introduced, keyboardist / music director Chuck Leavell received one of the largest receptions. Leavell has been a Middle Georgia resident for the past 60 years, and was a former member of The Allman Brothers Band.   

With Mick, Leavell contructs the play list for each concert. After Chuck joined the Stones in the early 80's, he organized all the Stones music to help make it more repeatable and long-lasting.

The Stones played long and hard, preforming up to 11 pm.

Before the Stones returned for their encore, the crowd saluted them with flashlights. 

MIGUEL CABRERA [B-R Bio] is the only native Venezuelan in the five-hundred home run “club”. Cabrera retired with 511, tied w/Mel Ott. The next closest Venezuelan is Andres Galarraga at 399. The next closest active Venezuelan is Sal Perez at 255, now in his 14th season. Only Cabrera, Aaron, & Mays have a career batting averages above .300 as well as 500+ HR & 3,000+ hits. Cabrera played for the Tigres de Aragua of the Venezuelan Winter League in December 1999. He was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2008 where he played until the end of his career in 2023. He received enough Rookie of the Year votes to tie for fifth with Brad Lidge in the 2003 ROY voting.