This week they added three to the list:
10. Vince Young. Better than Vick, but no Teabow.
9. Roger Staubach. Won the Heisman at Navy
8. Bo Jackson: Often played hurt.
Here's my updated Top Seven:
7. Calvin Johnson: short career, no QB may keep him out.
6. Ricky Williams: broke rushing record.
5. Jim Thorpe: played for Walter Camp.
4. Tommy Frazier: won 2 national championships.
3. John Hannah: greatest lineman ever.
2. Barry Sanders: Top 7 lock.
1. Herschel Walker: Top 7 lock.
Not OJ, Dorsett, Dayne, Red Grange, Deion.
Damon says Spurrier. No way.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Baseball Bits
Great deal to get Glavine so cheap. Hopefully Tom doesn’t think he has nothing left, with all the talk of a no-trade clause being waived because he would retire instead of being traded. Good trade to get the young Houston centerfielder, because Oscar would’ve been non-tendered anyway.
From the year-end SI Kids issue. A Twins pitcher collects signed baseball cards. If a fan mails him any signed card he’ll mail them one of his signed cards. They had a guy who lives in LA who has so many game-worn jerseys that he’s opening a museum to display them. A NJ cardiologist has a game-used bat from all the members of the 500 HR club.
A web site is reviewing the worst-ever Braves. Makes me wonder if batting averages for many non-stars back in the 60’s were near the .200 level, back before the mound was lowered. You read of all those low averages, particularly for SS, 2B, and catchers. Probably even more so for second-division teams out of contention.
The Braves have hit so well the last few years you get spoiled to have a lineup with almost everyone hitting .260 or better. Some of the guys on the lists were backups who could’ve had inflated games-played totals because of pinch-hitting appearances. And how much of a factor was the hard AFC infield, oft-mentioned as the worst in baseball?
When I was at the Astros game their lineup consisted of these averages: .227 Biggio....257 Lamb....351 Pence (rookie call-up)....293 Lee....303 Loretta (not the 3B starter, right?)....232 Burke....214 Munson....230 Everitt....208 O. Palmero....216 Ensberg.
And the A’s weren’t much better….244 Kotsay....256 Ellis....287 Swisher....237 Chavez.....263 Dan Johnson....243 Crobsy....232 Cust....199 Kendall....228 Scutaro.
From the year-end SI Kids issue. A Twins pitcher collects signed baseball cards. If a fan mails him any signed card he’ll mail them one of his signed cards. They had a guy who lives in LA who has so many game-worn jerseys that he’s opening a museum to display them. A NJ cardiologist has a game-used bat from all the members of the 500 HR club.
A web site is reviewing the worst-ever Braves. Makes me wonder if batting averages for many non-stars back in the 60’s were near the .200 level, back before the mound was lowered. You read of all those low averages, particularly for SS, 2B, and catchers. Probably even more so for second-division teams out of contention.
The Braves have hit so well the last few years you get spoiled to have a lineup with almost everyone hitting .260 or better. Some of the guys on the lists were backups who could’ve had inflated games-played totals because of pinch-hitting appearances. And how much of a factor was the hard AFC infield, oft-mentioned as the worst in baseball?
When I was at the Astros game their lineup consisted of these averages: .227 Biggio....257 Lamb....351 Pence (rookie call-up)....293 Lee....303 Loretta (not the 3B starter, right?)....232 Burke....214 Munson....230 Everitt....208 O. Palmero....216 Ensberg.
And the A’s weren’t much better….244 Kotsay....256 Ellis....287 Swisher....237 Chavez.....263 Dan Johnson....243 Crobsy....232 Cust....199 Kendall....228 Scutaro.
First Loss
Will’s Flight Jayvees lost a tough game 47 – 34 to a talented Grace Baptist team Saturday afternoon. The score did not indicate how closely the teams played…it was a close game well into the 4th quarter. The game was lost only because the Flight shooters were cold, easy lay-ups were missed, and careless passes were stolen.
Will started the game and played parts of three quarters. At one tough point in the second quarter Flight needed defensive help inside, and Will was put back in the game…his coach hoping Will could help out. Late in the game Flight was trying to mount a comeback, and Will had a key steal and nice rebound.
Catherine was at the Saturday game, much to the delight of Matthew. Anna missed her, instead hitting the American Girl Store with a friend.
The first quarter ended with Grace leading 5 – 4. Coach Hoffer played everyone, but kept his strongest five on the court most of the time: DJ, Connor, Holt, Josh, and Isaac. DJ was all over the court, running the offense, shooting, and racing after lose balls. But on the final possession of the half DJ passed off to Connor, who nailed a clutch three-pointer to cut the lead to 16 – 13.
Flight kept the momentum early in the third quarter. DJ hit a three to tie the game at 20, then drove the length of the court for a layup to again tie the game at 22. The game remained close, with Flight playing tight defense, gathering several steals and rebounds against a seemingly superior opponent. In the Thursday night practice DJ had been on fire, hitting most every 3-pointer he tried. Saturday he was cold, only hitting a frustrating 3 – 12 outside the line. But the third quarter ended with Flight only down 4 points.
In the fourth quarter Grace stepped it up, outscoring Flight 20 – 12. It was the first tough opponent Flight had played, and the consensus was the when DJ and Connor aren’t cold, Flight could beat them in a rematch.
DJ finished with 15 points and 2 assists, with 4 each rebounds, steals, and blocks. He could’ve had more rebounds and putbacks, but needed to lay back to defend against fast breaks.
Connor had 5 points, 2 assists, and a rebound and steal. His tight defense caused a backcourt violation.
...Holt had 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals.
...Josh had 8 points and 5 rebounds, and played well inside.
...Isaac played a good game, using his quickness to be a big help on defense. Two points and boards, and a steal, assist, and block.
...Joel started but struggled. He and Max didn’t see much action.
...Jonathan is a good player, a guard who aggressively mixes it up inside. I was surprised that Will played more than Jonathan, who may have doomed himself with an errant pass.
Tonight Flight plays at arch-rival Crown, the other big home-school team who plays around the corner from Living Science. The JV girls and varsity girls & boys are playing as well, so a big crowd of students and parents are expected.
Friday night the middle-school team cruised to a win over Kings Ridge. They have at least six good players. Little Charles had a great game, scoring 19 points…as John Smoltz watched. Smoltz stood upstairs on an unused balcony, probably to keep the attention on the court as opposed to him.
Will started the game and played parts of three quarters. At one tough point in the second quarter Flight needed defensive help inside, and Will was put back in the game…his coach hoping Will could help out. Late in the game Flight was trying to mount a comeback, and Will had a key steal and nice rebound.
Catherine was at the Saturday game, much to the delight of Matthew. Anna missed her, instead hitting the American Girl Store with a friend.
The first quarter ended with Grace leading 5 – 4. Coach Hoffer played everyone, but kept his strongest five on the court most of the time: DJ, Connor, Holt, Josh, and Isaac. DJ was all over the court, running the offense, shooting, and racing after lose balls. But on the final possession of the half DJ passed off to Connor, who nailed a clutch three-pointer to cut the lead to 16 – 13.
Flight kept the momentum early in the third quarter. DJ hit a three to tie the game at 20, then drove the length of the court for a layup to again tie the game at 22. The game remained close, with Flight playing tight defense, gathering several steals and rebounds against a seemingly superior opponent. In the Thursday night practice DJ had been on fire, hitting most every 3-pointer he tried. Saturday he was cold, only hitting a frustrating 3 – 12 outside the line. But the third quarter ended with Flight only down 4 points.
In the fourth quarter Grace stepped it up, outscoring Flight 20 – 12. It was the first tough opponent Flight had played, and the consensus was the when DJ and Connor aren’t cold, Flight could beat them in a rematch.
DJ finished with 15 points and 2 assists, with 4 each rebounds, steals, and blocks. He could’ve had more rebounds and putbacks, but needed to lay back to defend against fast breaks.
Connor had 5 points, 2 assists, and a rebound and steal. His tight defense caused a backcourt violation.
...Holt had 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals.
...Josh had 8 points and 5 rebounds, and played well inside.
...Isaac played a good game, using his quickness to be a big help on defense. Two points and boards, and a steal, assist, and block.
...Joel started but struggled. He and Max didn’t see much action.
...Jonathan is a good player, a guard who aggressively mixes it up inside. I was surprised that Will played more than Jonathan, who may have doomed himself with an errant pass.
Tonight Flight plays at arch-rival Crown, the other big home-school team who plays around the corner from Living Science. The JV girls and varsity girls & boys are playing as well, so a big crowd of students and parents are expected.
Friday night the middle-school team cruised to a win over Kings Ridge. They have at least six good players. Little Charles had a great game, scoring 19 points…as John Smoltz watched. Smoltz stood upstairs on an unused balcony, probably to keep the attention on the court as opposed to him.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Ballet Blues
Think Anna is a little frustrated with ballet. She’s always done a good job with it and seems to do the right things at the right time, and she does it with a graceful smile (in the recitals, anyway). But she’s never chosen for the featured parts, and I think that’s getting to her. Maybe a little touchy about being seen in her leotard, Ceil says. We’ll see.
Won a Chick-fil-A Bulldog Pack from WSB AM-750.com…a tray of nuggets, 2 gallons of tea, UGA T-shirt, seat cushion, etc. Today I didn’t win the Hannah Montana tickets that Anna wanted…guess you can’t win them all.
Got home from basketball at 10:45 last night, then figured out we needed milk, so I ran to Kroger. When I got back I saw it was the Letterman with Seinfeld and Torre, so I watched most of it. Now I remember Joe and Dave went out on the street to play…I missed that. Torre said following Seinfeld was like hitting after Hank Aaron. Nothing was said about Jerry being a Met fan. When asked about the Aaron / Bonds thing, Joe said that Aaron didn’t start out as a HR hitter, and that Bonds won 4 MVPs “before he got big.”
Interesting in the college basketball SI in the front there’s a thing about SI.com having essays on Sportsman of the Year candidates…along with Tony Dungy, Big Papi, Peyton Manning, etc, there’s a picture of Hank Aaron. This morning when I heard a WSB AM-740 poll showed 94% of listeners weren’t surprised about Bonds being indicted, I laughed.
Will has a game at 3 tomorrow. Nothing else on tap…need to clip hedges.
I don’t normally, but today I read all the comments bashing Gailey on the AJC after Bradley took his shots.
Wren denied the Lowell rumor. McGuirk says there’s more money. Hampton threw well. Prospects are doing well in Arizona. Good times. Doesn’t surprise me that ARod’s closing in on a deal with the Yankees, but it’s real interesting that he did a lot of it without Boras. Perhaps Tex should take note, though he’s in a different boat, you think? Andruw did something similar, and Maddux and Glavine and Smoltz did similar things.
In that Intimate Encounters class they suggested having a planning weekend getaway every year. Several couples that took the class have done so, so maybe Ceil and I will go somewhere in January, to set family and financial goals, etc.
Won a Chick-fil-A Bulldog Pack from WSB AM-750.com…a tray of nuggets, 2 gallons of tea, UGA T-shirt, seat cushion, etc. Today I didn’t win the Hannah Montana tickets that Anna wanted…guess you can’t win them all.
Got home from basketball at 10:45 last night, then figured out we needed milk, so I ran to Kroger. When I got back I saw it was the Letterman with Seinfeld and Torre, so I watched most of it. Now I remember Joe and Dave went out on the street to play…I missed that. Torre said following Seinfeld was like hitting after Hank Aaron. Nothing was said about Jerry being a Met fan. When asked about the Aaron / Bonds thing, Joe said that Aaron didn’t start out as a HR hitter, and that Bonds won 4 MVPs “before he got big.”
Interesting in the college basketball SI in the front there’s a thing about SI.com having essays on Sportsman of the Year candidates…along with Tony Dungy, Big Papi, Peyton Manning, etc, there’s a picture of Hank Aaron. This morning when I heard a WSB AM-740 poll showed 94% of listeners weren’t surprised about Bonds being indicted, I laughed.
Will has a game at 3 tomorrow. Nothing else on tap…need to clip hedges.
I don’t normally, but today I read all the comments bashing Gailey on the AJC after Bradley took his shots.
Wren denied the Lowell rumor. McGuirk says there’s more money. Hampton threw well. Prospects are doing well in Arizona. Good times. Doesn’t surprise me that ARod’s closing in on a deal with the Yankees, but it’s real interesting that he did a lot of it without Boras. Perhaps Tex should take note, though he’s in a different boat, you think? Andruw did something similar, and Maddux and Glavine and Smoltz did similar things.
In that Intimate Encounters class they suggested having a planning weekend getaway every year. Several couples that took the class have done so, so maybe Ceil and I will go somewhere in January, to set family and financial goals, etc.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Top 10 College Football Players (revised)
Been kicking around that Top Ten again.
Here’s a revised list:
10. Calvin Johnson: greatest college receiver ever.
9. Ricky Williams: broke the rushing record.
8. John Hannah: greatest lineman ever.
7. Jim Thorpe: played for Walter Camp, right?
6. Red Grange: made college football big time.
5. O.J. Simpson: greatest of the USC tailbacks.
4. Tommy Frazier: won 2 national championships.
3. Bo Jackson: now he likes to cook.
2. Barry Sanders: went out with his body intact.
1. Herschel Walker: still fighting at 45.
Here’s a revised list:
10. Calvin Johnson: greatest college receiver ever.
9. Ricky Williams: broke the rushing record.
8. John Hannah: greatest lineman ever.
7. Jim Thorpe: played for Walter Camp, right?
6. Red Grange: made college football big time.
5. O.J. Simpson: greatest of the USC tailbacks.
4. Tommy Frazier: won 2 national championships.
3. Bo Jackson: now he likes to cook.
2. Barry Sanders: went out with his body intact.
1. Herschel Walker: still fighting at 45.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
SF's Lombard Street
Did I share this one of Anna in front of Lombard Street?
Most pictures must come from ladders or booms...as you can see, the ground level angle is not good. Most must block traffic...there was a steady stream of cars going downhill all day.
Ceil and I drove down it...were the kids with us? Surely so. When we drove past on the cross street Ceil and Anna hopped out and joined the crowd of tourists, snapping pictures.
Welcome Reader Number Eight!
Got a call yesterday from an old coworker friend who lives in Little Rock. He’s done a better job than me at keeping up, but it’s once-a-year at best. He had heard of the sale of the company and Googled for details. At the bottom of the page was a link to one of my blog posts, with details of the sale. When he saw the photos he figured out it was me.
It’s great that he sees my blog, but I wasn’t crazy about the easy Google link for other co-workers, so I deleted the post. It still comes up on Google, but when you click on it doesn’t go to my blog.
How many readers now? Gee, I lose count. At least eight!
To celebrate, a list...
My Top Web Sites
Uni-Watch Blog…daily updates on uniform stuff. Paul also writes for ESPN.com
AJC.com…how I read the paper most days. Dave O’Brien is the best.
Rowland’s Office…there are several Braves blogs out there. I hit this one daily.
MyCokeRewards…I always have caps to put in. Nice when the kids help.
PluggedInOnline…informative Christian movie reviews, a must have with kids.
Visits are rare, but sweet…
Fox Sports…my Tilting Windmills blog is here, though I rarely post. Too slow!
BigIdea.com…there’s a great game called “Spaced Penguin”
ClarkHoward.com…an easy place to look up consumer info.
HGTV…every January I check out the Dream Home.
SLAMonline...the Links reveal a different world to me.
It’s great that he sees my blog, but I wasn’t crazy about the easy Google link for other co-workers, so I deleted the post. It still comes up on Google, but when you click on it doesn’t go to my blog.
How many readers now? Gee, I lose count. At least eight!
To celebrate, a list...
My Top Web Sites
Uni-Watch Blog…daily updates on uniform stuff. Paul also writes for ESPN.com
AJC.com…how I read the paper most days. Dave O’Brien is the best.
Rowland’s Office…there are several Braves blogs out there. I hit this one daily.
MyCokeRewards…I always have caps to put in. Nice when the kids help.
PluggedInOnline…informative Christian movie reviews, a must have with kids.
Visits are rare, but sweet…
Fox Sports…my Tilting Windmills blog is here, though I rarely post. Too slow!
BigIdea.com…there’s a great game called “Spaced Penguin”
ClarkHoward.com…an easy place to look up consumer info.
HGTV…every January I check out the Dream Home.
SLAMonline...the Links reveal a different world to me.
Thanksgiving Already?
It’s turning out good that Will joined a good team even though he’s never played…more of a challenge. He could’ve played at a lower level and I don’t think it would’ve turned out as good. Against tougher teams he may not get to play as much, but the coach has been good about letting the newer guys get lots of playing time and not running up the score.
It’s been good to have so many friends and classmates on the team…DJ, Conner, Joel, Holt, Jonathan…it’s helped us get to know those families better as well. There won’t be many games, but that’s no big deal.
Yep, it’s been a while…I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week…I’m looking forward to it. It was good that Ceil got to go to Robert’s funeral, she needed the break. I felt bad about not being there too, as much time as I’d spent with him over the years. As it turned out, Will could’ve stayed with the Normans, but we didn’t think about that.
Will has the chance to play a lot of baseball this spring, but he doesn’t seem excited about playing several times a week. He needs to if he wants to keep getting better. We’ve got to let the teams know.
I’m doing ok…things are slow at work but will heat up in February, and next summer my job will change. Met with my boss. He thinks highly of me, so hopefully it’ll be good.
Clemson’s been doing good…big game this weekend. Harper may be the best QB since Fuller and Jordan when it comes to winning. We’ll see if GT keeps Gaily after the season…they may let him go. They need someone to fire the team up. Gaily is supposed to be good at developing QBs, but he hasn’t had one get any better yet.
It’s been good to have so many friends and classmates on the team…DJ, Conner, Joel, Holt, Jonathan…it’s helped us get to know those families better as well. There won’t be many games, but that’s no big deal.
Yep, it’s been a while…I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week…I’m looking forward to it. It was good that Ceil got to go to Robert’s funeral, she needed the break. I felt bad about not being there too, as much time as I’d spent with him over the years. As it turned out, Will could’ve stayed with the Normans, but we didn’t think about that.
Will has the chance to play a lot of baseball this spring, but he doesn’t seem excited about playing several times a week. He needs to if he wants to keep getting better. We’ve got to let the teams know.
I’m doing ok…things are slow at work but will heat up in February, and next summer my job will change. Met with my boss. He thinks highly of me, so hopefully it’ll be good.
Clemson’s been doing good…big game this weekend. Harper may be the best QB since Fuller and Jordan when it comes to winning. We’ll see if GT keeps Gaily after the season…they may let him go. They need someone to fire the team up. Gaily is supposed to be good at developing QBs, but he hasn’t had one get any better yet.
Will's First Basket
The Flight JV team easily beat King’s Academy 46 – 26 yesterday afternoon. The Kings team was made up of many big and athletic players who may have out-rebounded Flight, but they lacked much shooting touch.
Will didn’t start but played well over half the game, scoring his first basket in the third quarter. He took two other shots, had 5 rebounds, 2 fouls, and a steal and a blocked shot.
Will scored when DJ drove down the right side of the court. Had the game been closer DJ could’ve easily continued to the basket and scored. Instead he passed ahead to Will in front of him. Will stepped around a defender toward the basket with the ball held high in his right hand, but since that didn’t give him the best angle, at the last minute Will switched the ball to his left hand and tossed it up to the basket, and it went in.
With the big lead Coach Hoffer had instructed the Flight team to not fast break. Will had one fast break opportunity, and the coach’s instructions made him hesitate, though he missed the lay-up because he drove in and shot while out of control. But later in the game a shot bounced off the rim. Will was alone in the middle of the lane. He jumped up and caught the ball with both hands, and immediately pushed the ball back to the basket. A great play, but the shot bounced off the rim.
As the teams warmed up I noticed a girl shooting with the Kings team. Between games both girls and boys often shoot together, but this girl had on the same uniform and was definitely a member of the team. She even went to half court for the captain’s meeting with the refs, which captain DJ later said was a “weird experience.” She started the game and was a good player. Her coach said she sees the court better than his other players, and he sends her to the halfcourt meetings for the very reason DJ discovered. When Will entered the game Coach Hoffer joked with me, saying Will had asked to guard number three, the girl (he hadn’t, though he did later foul her). Kings doesn’t have a girls JV team, so she took up the coach on his offer to play with the boys.
In the first half both teams took many shots, but it seemed like only the Flight shots were going in. Coach Hoffer’s starting five included players with differing ability levels, perhaps knowing this would be an easy win. With an early lead he put in the four players off the bench halfway through the quarter, and repeated this strategy in the second quarter. Flight led 15 – 7 in the first quarter started, then outscored Kings 11 – 0 in the second.
The second five started the third quarter and was given the ball on the first possession. Speed skater Jonathan brought the ball up and had it stolen by the girl, who drove the court for an easy lay-up. Later she stole the ball from him again. After the game Jonathan’s mom brought up the steals, and we agreed that the boys would rib him unmerciful. As the third quarter continued Kings quickly scored two more unanswered baskets, and I detected a slight momentum shift. But Flight outscored Kings 12 – 2 the rest of the quarter. With the best players on the bench, Kings cut into the lead in the fourth quarter, outscoring Flight 11 – 8.
DJ’s scoring wasn’t needed much, and he concentrated on passing. He finished with 4 points, 3 rebounds, a steal, and 3 assists. After the game he came to the scorer’s table. When I chided him for only scoring 4 points, he was more interested in his assist total.
Conner also didn’t shoot much, scoring 8, with 2 bounds and a block and assist. Will said he scored 31 in the Monday middle-school game.
Holt had another good rebounding game, grabbing a career-high 17 to go with 7 points and 2 steals.
Shooting guard Isaac also spent most of the game passing, making only one foul shot and grabbing 2 rebounds.
Big man Josh also wasn’t needed, but added 7 points and 7 rebounds and a block in limited playing time.
Catherine’s brother Joel started and got off a few shots, grabbed a rebound and added a steal. Late in the game he was wide open and attempted a three, and it swished the net. Minutes later he attempted another, but it was off the mark.
Living Science classmate Jonathan played hard as usual, scoring 6 to go with an assist and steal. He’s the talker on the court, and a lot of fun.
Max started again and played a lot. He isn’t as athletic as Will but not afraid to mix it up or shoot. When he shoots he doesn’t jump, instead just taking a step toward the basket. It gives him a quick release and catches defenders off guard. Max usually is fed the ball near the baseline, between the lane and the three-point line. He just turns and shoots. Against Kings his shots were falling, and he scored 8, perhaps a career high. He added 5 boards and a steal.
Will’s friend Spencer came to the game to watch. Before the game I noticed he was holding a baseball. I didn’t make the connection until after the game…Joel had said that last year John Smoltz’s son played for King’s Ridge, so several boys brought baseballs with the hopes of an autograph. But there was no Smoltz on the roster, and John wasn’t in the small crowd. No Foxworthy, either…but Jeff has daughters.
Will didn’t start but played well over half the game, scoring his first basket in the third quarter. He took two other shots, had 5 rebounds, 2 fouls, and a steal and a blocked shot.
Will scored when DJ drove down the right side of the court. Had the game been closer DJ could’ve easily continued to the basket and scored. Instead he passed ahead to Will in front of him. Will stepped around a defender toward the basket with the ball held high in his right hand, but since that didn’t give him the best angle, at the last minute Will switched the ball to his left hand and tossed it up to the basket, and it went in.
With the big lead Coach Hoffer had instructed the Flight team to not fast break. Will had one fast break opportunity, and the coach’s instructions made him hesitate, though he missed the lay-up because he drove in and shot while out of control. But later in the game a shot bounced off the rim. Will was alone in the middle of the lane. He jumped up and caught the ball with both hands, and immediately pushed the ball back to the basket. A great play, but the shot bounced off the rim.
As the teams warmed up I noticed a girl shooting with the Kings team. Between games both girls and boys often shoot together, but this girl had on the same uniform and was definitely a member of the team. She even went to half court for the captain’s meeting with the refs, which captain DJ later said was a “weird experience.” She started the game and was a good player. Her coach said she sees the court better than his other players, and he sends her to the halfcourt meetings for the very reason DJ discovered. When Will entered the game Coach Hoffer joked with me, saying Will had asked to guard number three, the girl (he hadn’t, though he did later foul her). Kings doesn’t have a girls JV team, so she took up the coach on his offer to play with the boys.
In the first half both teams took many shots, but it seemed like only the Flight shots were going in. Coach Hoffer’s starting five included players with differing ability levels, perhaps knowing this would be an easy win. With an early lead he put in the four players off the bench halfway through the quarter, and repeated this strategy in the second quarter. Flight led 15 – 7 in the first quarter started, then outscored Kings 11 – 0 in the second.
The second five started the third quarter and was given the ball on the first possession. Speed skater Jonathan brought the ball up and had it stolen by the girl, who drove the court for an easy lay-up. Later she stole the ball from him again. After the game Jonathan’s mom brought up the steals, and we agreed that the boys would rib him unmerciful. As the third quarter continued Kings quickly scored two more unanswered baskets, and I detected a slight momentum shift. But Flight outscored Kings 12 – 2 the rest of the quarter. With the best players on the bench, Kings cut into the lead in the fourth quarter, outscoring Flight 11 – 8.
DJ’s scoring wasn’t needed much, and he concentrated on passing. He finished with 4 points, 3 rebounds, a steal, and 3 assists. After the game he came to the scorer’s table. When I chided him for only scoring 4 points, he was more interested in his assist total.
Conner also didn’t shoot much, scoring 8, with 2 bounds and a block and assist. Will said he scored 31 in the Monday middle-school game.
Holt had another good rebounding game, grabbing a career-high 17 to go with 7 points and 2 steals.
Shooting guard Isaac also spent most of the game passing, making only one foul shot and grabbing 2 rebounds.
Big man Josh also wasn’t needed, but added 7 points and 7 rebounds and a block in limited playing time.
Catherine’s brother Joel started and got off a few shots, grabbed a rebound and added a steal. Late in the game he was wide open and attempted a three, and it swished the net. Minutes later he attempted another, but it was off the mark.
Living Science classmate Jonathan played hard as usual, scoring 6 to go with an assist and steal. He’s the talker on the court, and a lot of fun.
Max started again and played a lot. He isn’t as athletic as Will but not afraid to mix it up or shoot. When he shoots he doesn’t jump, instead just taking a step toward the basket. It gives him a quick release and catches defenders off guard. Max usually is fed the ball near the baseline, between the lane and the three-point line. He just turns and shoots. Against Kings his shots were falling, and he scored 8, perhaps a career high. He added 5 boards and a steal.
Will’s friend Spencer came to the game to watch. Before the game I noticed he was holding a baseball. I didn’t make the connection until after the game…Joel had said that last year John Smoltz’s son played for King’s Ridge, so several boys brought baseballs with the hopes of an autograph. But there was no Smoltz on the roster, and John wasn’t in the small crowd. No Foxworthy, either…but Jeff has daughters.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Talk To Me!
At home recently Matthew posed for a series of candid photos.
For a nine-year old he can talk to his buddy Daniel for unreasonably long periods of time!
Selecting a Gold Glove Winner
We’re talking about the GOLD GLOVE AWARD. What third-baseman should be held up as the example of fielding excellence. Brooks Robinson. Clete Boyer.
Did Gold Glove voters consider Ozzie Smith’s hitting or base stealing abilities? To not consider Mr. Felix for a Gold Glove because of his lack of hitting, or because nobody knows him, speaks of big-city / regional media bias. Perhaps the Gold Gloves should be divided between the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Red Sox!
Likewise games played should be a factor, though it’s not as big a deal as when determining the MVP. Perhaps it’s like having enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title. Fielding percentage, range factor, great plays – yes, they all should be considered. Errors are a valid statistic, certainly not antiquated.
The MLB rulebook concerning Official Scorekeeping addresses errors in section 10.12. When it comes down to it, it says: “…in the scorer's judgment, the fielder could have handled the ball with ordinary effort, the official scorer shall charge such fielder with an error.”
While there may be minor differences in judgments of official scorers in different cities, those differences are minute. Review each error? I trust the scorers…they’ve attended tons of games just to qualify, many more than you or me. You could review the errors to see how greatly they contributed to the outcome of that game. The Mets had a losing record in games Wright committed an error. Great plays could be reviewed and tabulated as well.
Players make spectacular plays, but Zimmerman and Wright botched ordinary plays twice as often as Felix, Ramirez, and Jones. For that reason alone the GOLD GLOVE shouldn’t be given to Zim or Wright.
We’re pulling each other’s chains here. A bunch of words and pretty pictures aren’t convincing arguments, guys. I’ve only been watching / studying / loving baseball over all other sports for 45 years, but I don’t know everything. My CPA friend is more of a student of the game than me. He agrees that Wright shouldn’t have won. The last post gave the opinion of a veteran MLB beat-writer (who’s always respected Wright’s hitting), who was similarly perplexed.
Upon further review, perhaps travesty is a strong word. Between Zim, Wright, Felix, Ramirez, and Jones, there are numerous arguments and perhaps no clear favorite. But using any quantifiable measure of fielding, what places Wright first?
I can't believe the responses coming from the Fox Sports bloggers regarding Gold Glove criteria on my Tilting Windmills blog. I hadn’t been posting much there, but Saturday night I wrote up the Top 25 college football players list. About the same time I read DOB’s post on the Gold Glove, and quickly quoted him on the Fox blog. Evidently some thing Wright worthy. Range, hitting, and stolen bases matter more than errors!
Last night I checked the box score of every Met loss. Wright made 11 errors in losses, only 10 errors came when the Mets won. I didn’t review each box to see how damaging the error was.
Games / Error
Zimmerman 7.0
Wright 7.6
A. Ramirez 12.4
C. Jones 13.8
I’m sure Felix was closer to Jones/Ramirez than Wright/Zim.
Did Gold Glove voters consider Ozzie Smith’s hitting or base stealing abilities? To not consider Mr. Felix for a Gold Glove because of his lack of hitting, or because nobody knows him, speaks of big-city / regional media bias. Perhaps the Gold Gloves should be divided between the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Red Sox!
Likewise games played should be a factor, though it’s not as big a deal as when determining the MVP. Perhaps it’s like having enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title. Fielding percentage, range factor, great plays – yes, they all should be considered. Errors are a valid statistic, certainly not antiquated.
The MLB rulebook concerning Official Scorekeeping addresses errors in section 10.12. When it comes down to it, it says: “…in the scorer's judgment, the fielder could have handled the ball with ordinary effort, the official scorer shall charge such fielder with an error.”
While there may be minor differences in judgments of official scorers in different cities, those differences are minute. Review each error? I trust the scorers…they’ve attended tons of games just to qualify, many more than you or me. You could review the errors to see how greatly they contributed to the outcome of that game. The Mets had a losing record in games Wright committed an error. Great plays could be reviewed and tabulated as well.
Players make spectacular plays, but Zimmerman and Wright botched ordinary plays twice as often as Felix, Ramirez, and Jones. For that reason alone the GOLD GLOVE shouldn’t be given to Zim or Wright.
We’re pulling each other’s chains here. A bunch of words and pretty pictures aren’t convincing arguments, guys. I’ve only been watching / studying / loving baseball over all other sports for 45 years, but I don’t know everything. My CPA friend is more of a student of the game than me. He agrees that Wright shouldn’t have won. The last post gave the opinion of a veteran MLB beat-writer (who’s always respected Wright’s hitting), who was similarly perplexed.
Upon further review, perhaps travesty is a strong word. Between Zim, Wright, Felix, Ramirez, and Jones, there are numerous arguments and perhaps no clear favorite. But using any quantifiable measure of fielding, what places Wright first?
I can't believe the responses coming from the Fox Sports bloggers regarding Gold Glove criteria on my Tilting Windmills blog. I hadn’t been posting much there, but Saturday night I wrote up the Top 25 college football players list. About the same time I read DOB’s post on the Gold Glove, and quickly quoted him on the Fox blog. Evidently some thing Wright worthy. Range, hitting, and stolen bases matter more than errors!
Last night I checked the box score of every Met loss. Wright made 11 errors in losses, only 10 errors came when the Mets won. I didn’t review each box to see how damaging the error was.
Games / Error
Zimmerman 7.0
Wright 7.6
A. Ramirez 12.4
C. Jones 13.8
I’m sure Felix was closer to Jones/Ramirez than Wright/Zim.
Monday, November 12, 2007
More on David Wright & Chipper
Big debate over on my Fox Sports blog... http://http//community.foxsports.com/blogs/DMurphy/2007/11/10/Travesty_David_Wright_Wins_Gold_Glove#comments
Wright made 21 errors! That's one every 7.6 games. Zimmerman made 23...one every 7 games. No one else played as much. Ramirez only had 10 errors in 126 games. Chipper had 9 in 126...an error every 14 games.
The Mets had a losing record in games Wright made an error. Sure he made spectacular plays, but the fact he plays in the Big Apple means he makes WebJems more often.
Range factors, I don't know. But fielding percentages and errors per game don't lie. Everyone's not Cal Ripken. We'll see how Wright and Zim hold up when they're 35!
I don't know who should win the Gold Glove. I just think fielding awards should be based on fielding...not hitting, popularity, or anything else.
Back in the late 90's it did look like Chipper was juiced. He was a lot bigger than he'd been in earlier years. The last few years he's looked smaller. He's been hurt, but he's played through most of the hurts - and compiled amazing offensive stats...particulary Batting Average and OBS (among the top 2 or 3 in baseball).
With Smoltz, he's the unquestioned team leader. As a switch-hitter he ranks only behind Mantle and Murray, and ranks among the greats in many categories, like consectutive years with 100 RBIs. Many experts say he'll be a first-ballot HOF-er after another year or two.
Few major leaguers are perfect, but I'll keep Chipper. As I've said, us Braves fans certainly respect Wright, he's a great kid. For baseball's sake, hopefully he'll keep doing what he's been doing for many many years.
For the Braves' sake...don't the Yankees need a third-baseman?
Wright made 21 errors! That's one every 7.6 games. Zimmerman made 23...one every 7 games. No one else played as much. Ramirez only had 10 errors in 126 games. Chipper had 9 in 126...an error every 14 games.
The Mets had a losing record in games Wright made an error. Sure he made spectacular plays, but the fact he plays in the Big Apple means he makes WebJems more often.
Range factors, I don't know. But fielding percentages and errors per game don't lie. Everyone's not Cal Ripken. We'll see how Wright and Zim hold up when they're 35!
I don't know who should win the Gold Glove. I just think fielding awards should be based on fielding...not hitting, popularity, or anything else.
Back in the late 90's it did look like Chipper was juiced. He was a lot bigger than he'd been in earlier years. The last few years he's looked smaller. He's been hurt, but he's played through most of the hurts - and compiled amazing offensive stats...particulary Batting Average and OBS (among the top 2 or 3 in baseball).
With Smoltz, he's the unquestioned team leader. As a switch-hitter he ranks only behind Mantle and Murray, and ranks among the greats in many categories, like consectutive years with 100 RBIs. Many experts say he'll be a first-ballot HOF-er after another year or two.
Few major leaguers are perfect, but I'll keep Chipper. As I've said, us Braves fans certainly respect Wright, he's a great kid. For baseball's sake, hopefully he'll keep doing what he's been doing for many many years.
For the Braves' sake...don't the Yankees need a third-baseman?
Runnin' Against the Wind
Studly shot of Will playing football on the windy Jekyll Island beach, at the Buccaneer.
That's Becky in the background. Because of her 15-passenger van, she was fortunate enough to attend all three of the recent retreats that her boys (and Will, DJ, and Abby) went on the last four weekends.
The Eagles played at last week's CMA Awards show!?
Another Weekend Recap
Friday I left work a little early to make it to the Sandy Springs game. Mercifully the blowout games went quickly, and I made it on time to our small group. When I arrived the three other men were outside shooting baskets. It took me a minute to find the basket, then I made a nice shot to bounce two guys out from a game of PIG. They want to play more often. One of the guys had never accepted Jesus as his Savior, but had been coming to small group with his Christian wife. Saturday we heard that he finally became a Christian.
Saw some of the Dawgs on Saturday after cleaning upstairs all day, then we hit Costco and Moe’s. I had forgotten my wallet, so I gathered all my change and was counting it on the way in. As we finished eating while watching the UGA game, I noticed the sign in the window…I had forgotten about the “buy a $20 gift certificate, get a $5 gift card” promotion.
Good sermon Sunday about what to do when being judged…as Christ did even on the cross, we are to forgive. Played Monopoly with Anna and Matthew, then went to pick up Will from his retreat. Took his classmate Abby home as well, and on the way remembered Ceil was eating out with friends. Will and Abby ran in to say hello, then I came in after parking the car. All the women loved the visit.
Saw some of the Dawgs on Saturday after cleaning upstairs all day, then we hit Costco and Moe’s. I had forgotten my wallet, so I gathered all my change and was counting it on the way in. As we finished eating while watching the UGA game, I noticed the sign in the window…I had forgotten about the “buy a $20 gift certificate, get a $5 gift card” promotion.
Good sermon Sunday about what to do when being judged…as Christ did even on the cross, we are to forgive. Played Monopoly with Anna and Matthew, then went to pick up Will from his retreat. Took his classmate Abby home as well, and on the way remembered Ceil was eating out with friends. Will and Abby ran in to say hello, then I came in after parking the car. All the women loved the visit.
Friday Flight Blowouts
Both the Flight JV girls and boys beat badly overmatched Bridgeway teams Friday afternoon. Bridgeway’s squads were mainly built with younger players filling out the school squad, compared to Flight’s home-schooled students who specifically signed up for basketball. Due to the Living Science TSL retreat, both Flight girls and boys fielded seven players, and still the best two players stayed on the bench for most of the game, including the entire fourth quarter.
The Flight girls won 55 – 12. The Bridgeway girls matched up size-wise, but like their boys team, didn’t even sport basketball shoes.
The Bridgeway boys took the court with only one 9th-grader, the rest 7th and 8th-graders. With DJ on the retreat with Will and Joel, I expected to see a big game from Conner. He would bring the ball up and was left open for three-pointers. Because of the lack of defensive pressure Conner missed many shots, but most of the time dutifully ran the offense and passed. He only played parts of the first and third quarter, finishing with 10 points, 2 rebounds, and an assist.
In this game young Isaac played second-fiddle, running the show the rest of the game without another good ball-handler on the court. He does well as the shooting guard, but hung in on the point, scoring 8 points, with 2 rebounds and 2 steals. Isaac plays with Conner and Holt on the younger middle-school team, which must really be good.
Holt was the tallest one on the court and had his way inside, grabbing 15 rebounds. Unfortunately many of the boards were from his own misses, as he had trouble putting the ball in the hole. Finishing with ten points, Holt played the entire game and had 4 steals, but missed all four free throws. Jordan, another big man, didn’t score but had 6 rebounds. Older center Josh started the game but was pulled out with Conner. He still blocked a shot and scored six.
Like Will, Max hasn’t much experience, but hustles. This was a good game for him, as he went the whole way, grabbing seven rebounds. Newcomer Ethan wasn’t afraid to shoot or drive, and he scored eight points.
Bridgeway’s ballhandlers were much smaller than the Flight defenders, and couldn’t penetrate or work the ball inside. As such they only scored one basket the entire game. They added one foul shot in each quarter, making the final score 42 – 6.
The Flight girls won 55 – 12. The Bridgeway girls matched up size-wise, but like their boys team, didn’t even sport basketball shoes.
The Bridgeway boys took the court with only one 9th-grader, the rest 7th and 8th-graders. With DJ on the retreat with Will and Joel, I expected to see a big game from Conner. He would bring the ball up and was left open for three-pointers. Because of the lack of defensive pressure Conner missed many shots, but most of the time dutifully ran the offense and passed. He only played parts of the first and third quarter, finishing with 10 points, 2 rebounds, and an assist.
In this game young Isaac played second-fiddle, running the show the rest of the game without another good ball-handler on the court. He does well as the shooting guard, but hung in on the point, scoring 8 points, with 2 rebounds and 2 steals. Isaac plays with Conner and Holt on the younger middle-school team, which must really be good.
Holt was the tallest one on the court and had his way inside, grabbing 15 rebounds. Unfortunately many of the boards were from his own misses, as he had trouble putting the ball in the hole. Finishing with ten points, Holt played the entire game and had 4 steals, but missed all four free throws. Jordan, another big man, didn’t score but had 6 rebounds. Older center Josh started the game but was pulled out with Conner. He still blocked a shot and scored six.
Like Will, Max hasn’t much experience, but hustles. This was a good game for him, as he went the whole way, grabbing seven rebounds. Newcomer Ethan wasn’t afraid to shoot or drive, and he scored eight points.
Bridgeway’s ballhandlers were much smaller than the Flight defenders, and couldn’t penetrate or work the ball inside. As such they only scored one basket the entire game. They added one foul shot in each quarter, making the final score 42 – 6.
Seining in the Cold
It was a bitterly cold April day on Jekyll Island the Living Science students had for seining. Will took his turn, and Mr. Cain did yeoman's work, sticking it out in the water the entire time.
The catch wasn't as plentiful as it had been the previous year, when it was warmer.
Here Mr. Cain looks quite similar to our next-door neighbor.
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