Great.  I accidentally hit the "New Post" button.
My bad, Callie... every FOUR years.

So, folks (like the two of you still here after four long years who are not SpamBots),
my niece cousin um, grand... friend Callie has a lovely blog called Have Raygun, Will Travel,
so I hereby shamelessly plug for her new blog.  Check it out - she writes very nicely!

(Yes, "Four long years" is actually a tip of the hat to Yardbirds, Five Long Years which might
get a discussion going regarding shouting the blues, amongst other things.)

Goodnight everybody... to infinity (and beyond)!

Reminder

Well, not exactly a reminder, but a policy that I have been enforcing, but never got around to announcing.  I am not allowing comments signed "Anonymous" on this site.  Virtually all anonymous comments have merely been spam anyway, so no big loss there.  Anyway, if you have something to say, say it.  Say it, and be responsible for your comments.  Seriously, there are much more effective ways to get yer message out than spamming.  Really!

Peace, Man

My son, Derek, has been accepted into the Peace Corps! :-) He has his degree in English, and will be tutoring students in English class..... in Jamaica!! He reports next summer, on a 27-month tour.

Here's a special mention to two of my friends who have an interest in the matter:

Thank you, Therese, for being supportive of the idea.

Thank you, Nikki, for indirectly coming up with the idea [you mentioned Job Corps with reference to Kevin, and that got me to thinking about Peace Corps, and mentioned it to Derek], and for being supportive of Drek when he was here.

Gee, I might even have to go visit young Master Derek down in Jamaica!

Carlos Zambrano and Pinstripes

One news outlet in Milwaukee is heralding Zack Greinke to the Brewers as I write this [Sunday morning, 5:30 AM]. Aside from Wikipedia, I don't see any other references to this, but it could be true.

The thing is, as it always is, about risk mitigation and at what cost. Talking about the Yankees starting rotation, there certainly is significant risk as it is currently constructed:

1. What if CC Sabathia begins to show the effects of all the hard usage he has endured?
2. What if Phil Hughes has a significant setback [like Cole Hamels did in 2009]?
3. What if Andy Pettitte retires?
4. If Andy returns, what if he has more arm issues like last year?
5. What if AJ Burnett has another disastrous year like last year?
6. What if we have to use Sergio Mitre in the rotation?
7. What if Ivan Nova is not able to get batters out the third time through the lineup?

Now, if all of the above happens, the Yanks are not going anywhere in October. Then again, some of the above will occur. How to mitigate it?

Any solution which presents itself at present has risk attached. Greinke [assuming the deal with Milwaukee does not go through] would cost a lot in terms of prospects. Some say his issues would prevent him from having success in the Big Apple. Some say he would thrive in pinstripes. Thing is, not one knows for certain. Lack of certainty = risk, and we're talking risk mitigation vs. cost. I say the cost that KC would demand would be too great for the risk that the Yankees would assume.

Cue up the usual suspects: Mark Buerhle, Wandy Rodriguez, Carl Pavano, Gil Meche, Jarrod Washburn.... Why not Carlos Zambrano over with the Cubs? Zambrano can still pitch, if the tail end of last season is any guide. Risk? Sure - he's a hothead and might go completely nuts in the hot spotlight of New York. Plus, he still has a pretty hefty price tag [of course, this hefty price tag is exactly why the Cubs want to see him gone]. Might be able to pry him loose from Chicago for low to mid-level prospects [appropriate, given the high figure of his contract]. Here's why I think this will happen:

1. The Yankees do need another arm to eat up innings.
2. The Cubs are ready to move on without Zambrano, and would be glad to shed his contract.
3. Larry Rothschild, Zambrano's old pitching coach from Chicago, is now the pitching coach for the Yankees.
4. Yankee skipper Joe Girardi was Zambrano's catcher on the Cubs in 2001 and 2002.
5. The cost to obtain Zambrano will not be prohibitive in terms of prospects.

In a nutshell, it makes too much sense not to happen.

So

So, you think you have troubles?

Here's what has happened to me over the past two months:

The IRS hit me up for another 7.5 grand.

My truck broke down and cost me another two grand.

My girlfriend left me, went to Morocco, converted to Islam, and married some guy.

The Gators have lost three in a row.

The Yanks crashed out of the playoffs.

Celtic lost to Rangers.

Like Miss Scarlett said: "Tomorrow is Another Day".

G8rs

Go Gators!

Gators and fans, take heart! This is a learning experience. Don't have a sense of entitlement - leave that for Ohio State sucks.... Everything good and worth having must be earned. Due are paid in sweat and tears, and sometimes, in blood. Take heart! Our guys are enrolled in the school of hard knocks, and right now, the tuition is due. Just wait until graduation... ;-)

Now, the issue of John Brantley and Trey Burton.....

Are they:

[1] Chris Leak and Tim Tebow?

or

[2] Terry Dean and Danny Wuerffel?

Go Gators!

BLT

No, I'm not talking Marine Corps here [Battalion Landing Team] - I am talking the Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich!

White bread [I'm using the Merita Italian variant] with regular Iceberg Lettuce, Slicing red tomatoes [Beefsteaks are best], and Kroger Generic/Value Bacon.

Mayonnaise, the real stuff [I cannot stand Miracle Whip :-( ]

Good stuff!

Three of 'em.

1st one, an interesting twist - add Wasabi Mayo [not too much - it can be overpowering!]

Tangy!

C the Z

October 6th....

Ne'er DID celebrate it properly.

10/6, not 6/10 :-)

Happy Birthday, Crombie -

you zombie, you!

Cents, not Sense

I earned one cent from this blog today.

$1.41 overall [Not Orval].

I'm not Rich, either.

EPL

Nope, not talking English Premier League [although I probably should be]....

Eat, Pray, Love - thank you for sparing me.

Love always,

the English Patient.

;-)

Just Win, Baby

So, our Bombers beat Toronto last night and have now qualified for the post-season [yay!].

Unbelieveably, some Yankee "fans" are grousing that in light of recent struggles, the team should not have a champagne celebration.

Talk about the Generation of Entitlement.....

Almost every season is a struggle. Disaster lurks around every doorstep. For every 1927 or 1998 or 1961 [stellar Yankee seasons capped with resounding World Series triumph] there is 1906 or 2001 [where the team with the most victories was ultimately denied triumph].

Sturm und Drang......

This isn't a video game.

Less Random, More Frequent

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You've heard it before, comin' outta my pie-hole.

This time I'm serious. Just like last time, and the time before......

Whatever.

I'm working on my recollections from AOCS.

Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School, Pensacola, Florida.

If I am already writing......

yeah.

We'll see how it goes.

BT

AR

Another 23 August

Another 23rd day of August, another day to remember William Wallace. History did not record the day of his birth. 1272 perhaps, but the day is lost in the fog of years upon years. August 23 marks the day of his death at the hands of intolerable Sassanachs, livid that he would not swear fealty to the invaders.

A shout to my friends from Scotland, aye:

Margaret Fairhurst, my friend over in Texas

David Kleppang, my niece's husband

Nicola Reich, here at home.

Alba gu brath, eh?

A special hat tip to Therese FitzRandolph, who re-awakened my interest in Scots heritage;

I am eternally grateful for that.

Now, here's a stylized portrait of our William:

Good AJ, Bad AJ, Jekyll, Hyde

So AJ Burnett threw a meatball and Reid Brignac [9th place hitter, by the by] deposited it over the wall for a two run tweet... AJ was [understandably] annoyed. On the half-inning break, he went to the clubhouse. Going in, he slapped the door open with his palms. The edges of the plastic lineup card holder lacerated his palms, but not so badly that he required stitches. He told the trainer that he had stumbled and scratched his palms in the process. Later, after the game, he 'fessed up. Meantime, full of adrenalin, he overthrew in the third and was yanked.

Now, here's the interesting part. Of course, the Yanks were in a hole. Of course, the long men gave up more runs, and the Yanks ended up on the short end of the stick, 10-5. "Fans" are now comparing AJ to Kevin Brown, who once punched a wall and broke his pitching hand. "Fans" are unfavorably comparing AJ to Paul O'Neill, because Paulie had "fire" and came through in the clutch [obviously, these "fans" are forgetting Game 2 of last year's World Series...{{Recap - Phils won Game One in NYC. AJ pitched a gem and the Yanks went on to win the WS in six games.}}]

Of course, Mister Torre covered for Paulie. Once, O'Neill jammed his thumb in the process of blasting a water cooler, and it affected his swing [causing him to slump at the plate for several weeks]. Hell, our Captain, Mr. November, Derek Jeter, scored the winning run in one of those colossal 2001 World Series games and while doing so, stomped the plate to the point that his ankles took a beating. In the regular season, he probably would have missed a few games. Mickey Mantle used to smash things with regularity. Once, while golfing, he muffed a shot. Whitey Ford gave him some guff, so Mick swung his club at a tree in frustration. Naturally, he missed. He DID follow through, though, and gashed his shin for several stitches.

Proclamation time! So many of these "fans" have the attention spans of gnats and/or the video game baseball mentality, that they truly do not understand. Have patience, learn the game, and stop pissing us fans off who actually know something about the game. By the way, those of you who have never played the game, stop pontificating. OF COURSE it was a stupid thing to do for AJ to whack the door. He was frustrated. That's an emotion. Baseball involves emotion. People are emotional. Numbnuts who want to immediately trade AJ [guess what, geniuses? With AJ's contract, you could not GIVE him away! hahaha!] could greatly use perspective. Too bad y'all sit in mom's basement, not getting any [perspective! Damnit - focus!]. For many reasons, I wish there was adult baseball in America. Not just for professionals, but neighborhoods, even. Guess the concept of neighborhood unity kinda went away with the advent of Suburbia, but that's the topic of another post, I guess.

So, give AJ a break. He's a good guy and respected in the clubhouse. He'll be back. Meantime, Chicken Littles and Negative Nancys, the Yankees are in First Place. Oh, and icing on the cake? Best Record in Baseball. Like the Ol' Perfesser always used to say: "You could look it up".

Back

Back's doing better - the disc injury seems to be healing pretty nicely. Slow, out of shape [drinking beer has a lot to do with the general condition, too]. Twisted and got a strain in the checkout aisle of the local store, of all things! That was on Saturday. I have taken off from working out for several days, in order to let that heal up.

After work today, I am going to splash the Pelican boat and go for a nice kayak paddle. Nothing overly strenuous, as I have not paddled for ten months or so. Really. Afterward, reckon I will enjoy a beer. [Anonymous, do you still have that Chelada in your fridge? Mmmmmm..... prolly ice cold by now ;-)]

Loss

Bob Sheppard has passed away. The PA announcer for Yankee Stadium since 1951, he was colloquially known as "The Voice of God". Bob served as a gunnery officer in the Navy during the war, reaching the rank of Lieutenant before returning to civilian life after hostilities ceased. Fair winds and following seas, LT Sheppard.

George Steinbrenner passed away. The Boss brought the Yankees back from Desolation Row of the mid and late Sixties, and he deserves great credit for it. I imagine Bob Sheppard announcing him across the Pearly Gates....

My condolences to the families of both men.

God Bless.

Soccer and Patriotism

You might have guessed, I really enjoy soccer. I am also a patriot. So, here's two things which really annoy me:

[1] People who claim they are patriotic, but say they hate soccer and could not care less if the American team loses. Ever hear of Stephen Decatur? [Yes, dear "Anonymous", he was talking about foreign politics and I am drawing things out a bit, but whatever. No, "Whatever", I am not requesting your presence, either! ;-)] I say it's okay if you do not like soccer, and choose to remain oblivious. Personal right and choice and all of that. But, if you are aware of the American team and you hope they lose? Man, that's not cool [well, unless you are cheering on your OWN nation's team!]. Un-patriotic!

[2] People who claim to be soccer fans who say things like "I would cheer my own team, but they can never win the World Cup, so I will cheer on Brazil or_____ {fill in the blank with current favourite to win, and please note that Brazil just got their arses handed to them by Germany, 4-0, so pick another}. Point being, how do you know they can't win it? Did you think Georgetown would crush Villanova? Did you think the Dodgers would hold on and win the pennant in '51? Did you give up on the Yankees in 1978? How do you know? Stop jumping on the bandwagon already!! Cheer your own team!!

I think it is probably a generational thing. We had a good team back in the 20's and 30's, but lost something during Pax Americana.... I think we got in a habit of looking down on the rest of the world and saw soccer as part of that, thought we were superior and that everything foreign was contemptible. The American team beat England in the World Cup, 1-0, in 1950. Didja know that? Yet, the US team spent the next 40 years, fruitlessly being a small fish in a small, backwater pond [CONCACAF - basically North and Central America]. Lack of public support, and, public disdain even. We can do better. We ARE getting there.

Now, that band-wagon thing. Attention spans rivaling that of a gnat certainly play a part, and I am guessing that with maturity comes wisdom, and perhaps, patience. [Wishing band-wagoners would consider Cub fans, loyal since 1908.]

With that, Happy Independence Day!

Go, hot dog eaters! [Noon ET from Coney Island, on ESPN].

Go, Lance Armstrong! [Tour de France prelude was yesterday, full ride begins today.]

Go, Yankees!

Go, team!

and,

USA! USA!

:-)

Sassanachs

Damn....
I just mentioned Sassanachs and [Black] Irish, and today the Derry Marchers have been exonerated. For Pete's sake! Give Ireland back to the Irish. Just do it.

"Well it was Sunday bloody Sunday
When they shot the people there
The cries of thirteen martyrs
Filled the Free Derry air
Is there any one amongst you
Dare to blame it on the kids?
Not a soldier boy was bleeding
When they nailed the coffin lids!"

- John Lennon

Wendy-Poo!

D'ya know she has a button nose? Very, very cute. Very Irish, ya know? Her dad says they are "Black Irish" and I had an idea what that meant. Kinda right and kinda wide right! hahaha Sorry, Coach Bowden. Anyway, back in the mid-Nineteenth Century, misguided folks thought that the broad features of some Irish people harkened a close kinship with Negroid peoples (as a means of looking down on both sets of people). Poor scholarship as it were and not at all true, and besides, no reason to look down on anybody. We're all brothers, right? (Aye, even those Sassanach bastards ;-)

Well, another thought had been in the back of my mind - the Great Armada and 1588 and Drake and Hawkins and how the smaller English ships harried the Spanish behemoths and the storm forced them north, through the North Sea, where some wrecked upside Scotland and Ireland. Dark-haired fellows, for the most part. Betcha not all were killed upon landing. Ya know - some Celts are from the north part of Spain, even to this day...

Then again, some Irish chieftains employed Spanish mercenaries, and I would not bet against some intermarriage from that as well. Lately, some scholars have been looking at Iberian movements toward Eire as early as several thousand years ago. Many choices, and my bet is that a little of all the above is true.

Oh, and button-nosed Black Irish lass? She's blonde, with blue eyes. Pretty girl ;-)

One in a Month, One in a Million

Let's talk a bit about Austin Jackson. Boosie was asking me the other day, and people on Yankees blogs have been wondering [and I know Angie has a vested interest in this, as well].

I like Austin Jackson, and he is certainly off to a hot start. Tigers CF, hitting about .370, making everyone forget about Curtis Granderson.... might even be Rookie of the Year! I truly wish him well, except for*: [1] When he plays against the Yankees, and [2] in the RoY voting, if any Yankee has a real shot at it [Cervelli? Is Eyes eligible?] That's a disclaimer.

This is all off the top of my head, so bear with me. Read the black and white: A-Jax will not hit .370 this year. A-Jax will not hit .370 in any full season between now and eternity. [Dita von Troll, or whatever your name is, this one's for you:] A-Jax will not finish the season with a higher batting average than all of the following Yankee ballplayers: Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixiera, Nick Swisher, and Robinson Cano.

Look, I know Austin is a good kid and tremendous athlete, and I want him to do well. * Here's the deal: He's hitting maybe 31% line drives as we speak. His BaBip [batting average of balls put into play - meaning, not home runs or strike outs] is .500 and change. .500!! [I am tempted to type .500!!!11!11! haha!]

Now, let's consider his projections. .250, .260. Newly revised ones at .270 or .280. What does this all mean? Austin is riding the crest of two combined waves right now: [1] He's on fire. Really. [2] The league has not yet adjusted to him. What will happen when the league adjusts to him? What will happen when he goes into a slump?

All things considered, he also has 35+ strikeouts right now. One home run. So, based on this trend, he will hit five taters and K over 250 times? Wow.... Last year, at SWB in AAA, his BaBip was pretty high, at .385 or so, and he batted .300 on the year. A similar BaBip right now would put him down around .250 or so. I think he would be back in AAA before that happens. We shall see.... What do I think will happen? The league will adjust, he'll adjust back, he'll develop a bit more power [or, playing in Fenway and YS will boost him up a bit], and he'll begin to cut down his strikeout rate. How does .280 with ten dingers sound for the season? Time will tell......