Well actually I just got back from there. A nice Padres win, 4-0 vs Astros.
After watching the Padres uncharacteristicly get 14 hits (and 2 walks), but characteristicly manage a mere 4 runs, I suspect that they will go exactly as far as the pitching staff takes them. In any case, it's The Game.
Now that I've posted yesterday (bleakly) and today (happily), I promise to drop the Baseball theme and get on to other things.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The Season Has Started
Baseball season has finally started and the Void is over.
Now that the season is going, I'd like to ask, does Major League Baseball have its collective heads up its own posteriors, or is it me? I happen to think that most baseball fans revere the traditions of the sport, while the powers that be seem to relish killing them.
For example, the Cincinnati Reds are the oldest team. They used to be the team that opened the season. They had earned that right. Today we open the season in Japan. In a city in a country that has no major league teams. Why? Opening elsewhere is a travesty. Today we opened in DC. An affront to fans everywhere (except, perhaps, Japan and DC).
Why does baseball think that we should fly teams half way around the world and open the season in an entire different country? Are the Japanese going to start watching games? Unlikely. Did they turn some Americans off? Possibly (me for sure). Did they lose money? You bet. Was the expense of flying teams to China and playing pre-season games there a good investment? Doubtful.
How long until we have lots of games out of country? Why would I care about The Game once that happens?
I hold season tickets to the Padres. I'll be at their opener tomorrow. Every year I wonder if I really care enough to buy the tickets. Every year it gets harder to say yes. Every year I feel that The Game is becoming less The Game I grew up with, and care about, and more some other game, one I don't care so much about.
If that happens enough to me, I'll stop going. If that happens to enough fans, Baseball will stop going. That might be something worth thinking about.
Now that the season is going, I'd like to ask, does Major League Baseball have its collective heads up its own posteriors, or is it me? I happen to think that most baseball fans revere the traditions of the sport, while the powers that be seem to relish killing them.
For example, the Cincinnati Reds are the oldest team. They used to be the team that opened the season. They had earned that right. Today we open the season in Japan. In a city in a country that has no major league teams. Why? Opening elsewhere is a travesty. Today we opened in DC. An affront to fans everywhere (except, perhaps, Japan and DC).
Why does baseball think that we should fly teams half way around the world and open the season in an entire different country? Are the Japanese going to start watching games? Unlikely. Did they turn some Americans off? Possibly (me for sure). Did they lose money? You bet. Was the expense of flying teams to China and playing pre-season games there a good investment? Doubtful.
How long until we have lots of games out of country? Why would I care about The Game once that happens?
I hold season tickets to the Padres. I'll be at their opener tomorrow. Every year I wonder if I really care enough to buy the tickets. Every year it gets harder to say yes. Every year I feel that The Game is becoming less The Game I grew up with, and care about, and more some other game, one I don't care so much about.
If that happens enough to me, I'll stop going. If that happens to enough fans, Baseball will stop going. That might be something worth thinking about.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Bury My Heart at Tranquility Base?
I'm sure that everybody has seen the articles about the company that will send some of your ashes to the moon (for a price of course). I couldn't decide as I first read it if it was creepy or brilliant.
I've decided it's brilliant.
It's brilliant because it represents a very important step back towards humans really going into space. Yeah, yeah, I know sending ashes skyward (or moonward) is hardly a huge step towards interstellar space. Nonetheless, anything that moves us as a species outward is a good thing.
Maybe this is an odd outlook. It comes from a book I just read. A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin. It is the story of the Apollo program and all the missions to the moon. Reading this reminded me of the wonder and excitement of that time. But more to the point, it reminded me that while I was alive for this achievement, not one manned (peopled?) mission has gone back during the time my children have been alive.
How many times in human history has a major achievement occurred and then the species simply abandon it? Or sure, not many fleets sailed to the New World right after Columbus. But they did come at a pace appropriate for the information flow of the time. Not true for flight to the Moon.
We must return to the Moon and continue out beyond. It is the only path to the future. When it happens we will find our hearts soaring. If we don't, it doesn't matter where my heart is buried.
I've decided it's brilliant.
It's brilliant because it represents a very important step back towards humans really going into space. Yeah, yeah, I know sending ashes skyward (or moonward) is hardly a huge step towards interstellar space. Nonetheless, anything that moves us as a species outward is a good thing.
Maybe this is an odd outlook. It comes from a book I just read. A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin. It is the story of the Apollo program and all the missions to the moon. Reading this reminded me of the wonder and excitement of that time. But more to the point, it reminded me that while I was alive for this achievement, not one manned (peopled?) mission has gone back during the time my children have been alive.
How many times in human history has a major achievement occurred and then the species simply abandon it? Or sure, not many fleets sailed to the New World right after Columbus. But they did come at a pace appropriate for the information flow of the time. Not true for flight to the Moon.
We must return to the Moon and continue out beyond. It is the only path to the future. When it happens we will find our hearts soaring. If we don't, it doesn't matter where my heart is buried.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The Other Shoe
In yesterday's post I suggested I had a topic for today's post, and that it was related to my oldest son. It is also related to last Saturday's post. In that post I mentioned that I had seen two wins from my boys adult baseball games. In yesterday's I only mentioned the youngest's game.
A week ago I neglected to mention that my oldest had been hit in the forearm with a pitch and then (after running the bases) took himself out of the rest of the game. We really didn't think much of it. Sure, it was bruised, but no real swelling, so he (and I and his mom) figured bad bruise, not broken.
Goes to show that those without M.D. degrees ought not make such decisions. After living and working with his "bruise" from Saturday through Thursday, my son finally called the doctor's office and got it x-rayed. Turned out it was broken.
Short version from there: The decision was surgery today to put in plate and screws. The surgery went great and all is now well.
A long Easter for a worried Mom and Dad. But a good outcome.
Whew!
A week ago I neglected to mention that my oldest had been hit in the forearm with a pitch and then (after running the bases) took himself out of the rest of the game. We really didn't think much of it. Sure, it was bruised, but no real swelling, so he (and I and his mom) figured bad bruise, not broken.
Goes to show that those without M.D. degrees ought not make such decisions. After living and working with his "bruise" from Saturday through Thursday, my son finally called the doctor's office and got it x-rayed. Turned out it was broken.
Short version from there: The decision was surgery today to put in plate and screws. The surgery went great and all is now well.
A long Easter for a worried Mom and Dad. But a good outcome.
Whew!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Interesting Day in the NCAA's
Let me start with this... I am a baseball nut, first, foremost, and forever. That being said, there is something truly wonderful about the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
I didn't watch too much of the tourney today (youngest son played in his own baseball game, middle son was home from college with his girl friend, and oldest son was, well that's a post for tomorrow), but the parts I did see were typically wonderful. Wisconsin wins an easy one, as do Wash State and Kansas. Xavier and Michigan State win close games as does West Va in a big upset of Duke. The other two games go down to the wire. Wonderful (or have I said that already?).
Tomorrow should be just as good.
I didn't watch too much of the tourney today (youngest son played in his own baseball game, middle son was home from college with his girl friend, and oldest son was, well that's a post for tomorrow), but the parts I did see were typically wonderful. Wisconsin wins an easy one, as do Wash State and Kansas. Xavier and Michigan State win close games as does West Va in a big upset of Duke. The other two games go down to the wire. Wonderful (or have I said that already?).
Tomorrow should be just as good.
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Democrats (Un)Civil War
Prior to my recent travel I ran across this very interesting article on how Democrats are starting to not only divide over Hillary vs. Barack, but divide deeply, emotionally, possibly irrevocably. It is particularly interesting to me that the divide may really hurt the possibilities for both candidates for the eventual winner. The article says
Encouraging for McCain, but also early. Many of these folks wear their hearts on their sleves, and after the nomination is worked out, they may change their minds. On the other hand, (to use our Maximum Leader's analogy), maybe they'll down spiral into civil war.
It's unclear exactly when the primaries stopped being a joyous occasion for the Democrats. But as the weeks have ground on, the intensity between Democrats who disagree has calcified, the vitriol grown fiercer. According to exit polling in the Texas primary, 91 percent of Clinton supporters said they would be dissatisfied with Obama as the nominee; 87 percent of Obama fans said they would be dissatisfied with Clinton. Nationally, a quarter of those who back Clinton say they'd vote for John McCain if Obama won the nomination (while just 10 percent of Obama supporters would do the same if he lost).
Encouraging for McCain, but also early. Many of these folks wear their hearts on their sleves, and after the nomination is worked out, they may change their minds. On the other hand, (to use our Maximum Leader's analogy), maybe they'll down spiral into civil war.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Happy and Getting Happier Everyday?
An interesting article. It starts by saying that how happy each of is, is about half determined by our genes.
Hard to believe.
But what seemed even more interesting to me is that they claim each of us goes through a happiness "U". We start happy as kids and get sadder as we age until about age 44 where we start to happy back up. They claim it doesn't seem to be kid related.
The best explanation seems to be that as you age you get unhappy about not being able to fulfill your ambitions, and then (around 44) you come to grips with it, and start getting happier as you come to like who you are.
I think this is the first thing I ever heard that actually makes me happy to be past 44, but then, maybe it is just that I am past 44.
Hard to believe.
But what seemed even more interesting to me is that they claim each of us goes through a happiness "U". We start happy as kids and get sadder as we age until about age 44 where we start to happy back up. They claim it doesn't seem to be kid related.
The best explanation seems to be that as you age you get unhappy about not being able to fulfill your ambitions, and then (around 44) you come to grips with it, and start getting happier as you come to like who you are.
I think this is the first thing I ever heard that actually makes me happy to be past 44, but then, maybe it is just that I am past 44.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
