I did not have a running companion this morning, so it was back to the normal, slow pace that you might expect of a 68-year old retiree. It was day #3899 of “The Streak” that took me along the San Francisco Bay waterfront. I saw lots of SF Giants hats since it’s “Game Day” in addition to being my step-daughter’s wedding day. My wife walked behind me and stopped to talk to a group of women in pink shirts declaring “we’re with the mother of the bride.” She high-fived the lady wearing “I’m the mother of the bride” shirt, and chatted about their big day by the Bay. “I’m the Step-father of the bride” wouldn’t even fit on the front. In that role, I didn’t do anything to embarrass myself during yesterday’s pre-nuptial events. Although I did have my share of wine. I’m used to being an “out-law” in my wife’s family.
The bride to be was unavoidably a bit tipsy, while everyone urged her to go home and sleep it off so she could remember her vows and enjoy the day. My wife and I weren’t into the food truck scene, and eventually slipped away for dinner at Tarantino’s on Pier 39. We were both exhausted from recent travel and restless sleep. It was fun to see everyone that came together from all over the country to celebrate. Former neighbors, co-workers, and classmates joined relatives to make the day special. “In-laws” and “out-laws” unite. I tried not to let it all interfere with a big day of sports that saw the Sox lose, Cubs lose, rival Cardinals win, Ducks lose, and I.U. wins – only one victory out of five for my teams. Next week the Bears and Colts will enter into my mix of bad-news favorites.
The wedding is today at 5:15, but we’ll head to the historic Presidio site mid-afternoon to set-up for the reception that will follow. I will resume my role as “Step-Father of the Bride,” and probably drink some more wine while shaking hands and kissing babies. All I’ve done to deserve this dubious honor is to marry the “mother of the bride.” I did spend some time talking to the “step-mother of the bride,” who shares a similar awkward capacity. Tonight will be filled with toasts, roasts, tears, and hugs before the dancing begins. Tomorrow is a farewell brunch, as we send the newlyweds off to Hawaii for a Marriott Vacation Club 10-day honeymoon. It will then be one wedding down and one more to go in two short months, along with a second chance to improve on my skills as “Step-Father of the Bride.” No miss-steps allowed!
With the exception of a handful of earlier match-ups this past week, college football is kicking off the season tonight in full gear. It’s that time of year when football overlaps with baseball, that I call “Fall Ball.” It leaves me with five opportunities to be frustrated between the Cubs or White Sox, Bears or Colts, and I.U. football. Believe me, I’ve tried unsuccessfully to adopt other teams, so I must be a masochist. Here in Oregon, I’ve attempted to get enthusiastic about the Ducks, as I was once responsible for selling radio advertising for their games, while most of my friends follow the team. However, I didn’t graduate from there, grow-up in the vicinity, or have family that attends, so I tend to migrate back to my roots. The exact same scenario occurred when we lived in Austin, Texas and were expected to be Longhorn fans or Illini fans in Illinois. I’ve always been a firm believer in fitting in with the community by supporting the local team, but it’s hard to find an emotional attachment- so you’re forced to fake it!
The Cubs won their fifth straight road game tonight, completing a sweep over the Mets. This is remarkable considering they are a dismal 28-39 away from Wrigley. In addition, this is only the second time this season they have swept an opponent in a three-game series on the road; the last time was mid-April against the Marlins. To make matters worse, just before this positive push, they miserably faltered at home in being swept by the Nationals. It’s been up and down this season, compounded by injuries and an ineffective bullpen. The Cubbies have now fallen behind the division-leading Cardinals that have prospered during a remarkable 15 wins during an 18-game stretch. The Cubs were 8-10 in that same time frame, moving them to simply a contender in the Wild Card race. On the other side of Chicago, the White Sox, my other “Fall Ball” failures, are a pitiful 22 games out of first place. By the same token, Da Chicago Bears have yet to win a football game and are still struggling to find a place kicker before the season begins in a week from today against the Packers.
The “Fall Ball” frustration continues for me, as the Indianapolis Colts have permanently lost quarterback Andrew Luck, although they did manage to win their first exhibition game tonight against the Bengals. They will start the regular season with an offense guided by Jacoby Brissett. Indiana University (I.U.) football battles in-state rival Ball State (Ball U) on the Colts field this weekend, while the local Ducks play Auburn in a match-up of Nationally ranked teams. I.U. is far from that level and will be lucky to win the 6 games necessary to get a bowl bid. A victory over Ball State is paramount – or the season is over. Once again, there are low expectations for all my favorites. I’m also not anticipating that my Cubs or Bears will achieve Playoff status, as they prepare for hibernation during the changing of the seasons from “Fall Ball” to “Winter What-If’s?”
It’s the night of my 50th high school union, but I failed to make the trip back to my hometown of Elkhart, Indiana. Today is also National Baseball Card Day, so it’s appropriate that I went to our local Mall 205 baseball card show. My purchases were primarily Chicago White Sox players from 1953-1962. Fellow collectors also presented me with some gifts, including a Go-Go White Sox Pin from the Stock Yard Inn Dugout Club circa 1959, SOX & Cubs buttons, an Official 1961 Sox scorebook, and a Sports Illustrated photo of Sherm Lollar from behind the plate with Billy Pierce on the mound. It all goes in my collection binders, highlighting the years around the Go-Go White Sox World Series appearance in 1959. Despite their loss to the Dodgers, it was the beginning of my interest in Chicago sports.
I would have to wait until 2005 for the White Sox to actually win the World Series. In the meantime, I followed da Bears through their Super Bowl victory in 1986, and gravitated to the cross-town Cubs in an effort to bond more closely with my dad and son. I never really followed the Bulls, preferring the home state influence of The Pacers. When Indy became the home of the Colts, I split my Bears allegiance that soon led to a major conflict during the 2007 Super Bowl. Obviously, there was not an Indiana based baseball team to divide my loyalties, but I do find my faithfulness wavering between the Cubs and Sox. However, the Sox have not been as successful in recent years to officially lure me in their direction.
In the last few years, my favorite White Sox player has become Yoan Moncada who sports uniform #10 of my childhood idol, catcher Sherm Lollar. Honestly, I was not even aware of his existence until I randomly selected his autographed baseball as part of a promotion for Sox Kids at Cellular One Park three years ago. It will always be known to me as Comiskey Park prior until modern-day sponsorship began to dictate naming rights. Two years ago it was re-branded as Guaranteed Rate that obviously didn’t guarantee victory. Soon after I bought the ball, top-prospect Moncada was brought up from the Minors and established himself in the White Sox line-up. This year he’s hitting .300 with power, so any chance of Sherm’s number being retired is growing unlikely. Former White Sox player, Ron Santo wore that number in 1974 and carried it to the Cubs where it was retired in 2003. Sherm Lollar wore #10 for ten years, more than any other Sox player, but he failed to make the Hall of Fame despite his defensive abilities. (See Post #5). Hopefully, some day that honor will belong to Yoan. Right now, unfortunately, he’s on the injured list. Sadly, Sherm has been on the deceased list since 1977. His 95th birthday would have been in a couple of weeks.
I did not get to Guaranteed Rate Stadium this year, but saw the Cubs lose at Wrigley. I’m looking forward to following Khalil Mack and the Bears defense this year, but on the basketball side have strayed from The Pacers to the Portland Trailblazers since our move west. It shows that I’m a fickle fan! I’m further than I’ve ever been from Chicago, and that’s part of the reason I’m not partying with my former high school classmates. At least I was able to celebrate National Baseball Card Day with a few more collectibles. Plus, today is the 10th!
I’m trying not to let my mood be reflected in the box score, but sports are an important part of my life. Some how I’ve become a suffering Cubs fan, just like I once obsessively absorbed myself in I.U. basketball. I can blame this on my upbringing and the bonds that I had with my father. For the record, I was not a Cubs fan until I was an adult. Now, I wake up in a bad mood if the Cubs lose, as they did last night. Fortunately, they made a trade, or the team wouldn’t have even gotten a hit. To make matters worse it was against the Cardinals. We should all have a box score to look at the next day.
My box score from yesterday would show a morning run, too much TV watching, an acupuncture session, and dinner with my wife at West while monitoring the Cubs game. Not exactly a constructive day in the life, capped-off by a game-generated mood swing. I went to bed with it, and woke up with it – like a pouty little kid. Why do I let this silly game get the best of me? I wasn’t even playing. I’ve got the Cubbies Blues!
These Cubbies literally sometimes suck the life out of me, when life is going great. I’m retired and happily married – have most days to myself with few worries. There’s no reason for this to get to me, but it does. Yet, I’ll be watching when they start to fill-in today’s box score against the Brewers. It’s like being involved in a bad relationship. Nothing makes me angrier than a Cubs loss. When they win, there are certainly happier moments in life, but I do feel better about getting up the next day.
It’s been a long, disappointing year for the Cubs. Last night was the first time in an 18-game stretch since the All Star Game, where they hadn’t held the lead at one point. They’ve gotten runs for their starting pitchers and put them in a position to win. Unfortunately, relief and the road have not been welcome sights. They managed to sweep the Pirates and won two out of three from the stubborn Reds and Padres. Then they had to leave the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Chicago next blew two games each against the Giants, Brewers, and Cardinals, as the relief corps simply didn’t do their jobs. To add to the misery, they only scored 3 runs in three games at Busch Stadium, after beefing-up their offensive power with the acquisition of Nick Castellanos from the surrendering Tigers. He sadly got their only hit last night against a pitcher that hadn’t won since mid-May. Overall, it was an 11-16 road flop.
So here we are in August, and the Cubs are a game behind the Cards and a game ahead of the Brewers. They are still in contention, but I expect to continue to suffer the rest of this season. I’ll be wearing Blue and seeing Red! The mood swings will persist in haunting my dreams, and the missed swings will reflect in the box score. October will come and go without the Cubs, and my anger will shift to I.U. basketball. It’s a vicious cycle that is a bigger part of my life than I really want it to be. Try to remember – It’s only a game!
It’s just another sunny day in the glorious world of retirement. For those still working for a living, it’s also Sunday. My wife is getting ready for a business trip to Los Angeles while I gladly stay home to watch the dogs. They see Sunday as FunDay, anticipating their weekend Schnauzerthons. My wife leads feisty Tally on a leash while I run with old lady Tinker pushing her stroller. As we make our way through the neighborhood park, we’ll occasionally exchange dogs in a carefully synchronized spin around the pond. There’s even a designated poop stop, having learned our lesson about giving Tinker a timely break. She is, after all, “The Poopingest Pup on The Planet,” and the fast buggy ride seems to relax her a bit too much. Just like a toddler, we now always carry Wet Wipes just in case. Once I complete my just over three-mile daily running goal, I let her out for the short walk home. Today was RunDay number 3.864, as “The Streak” continues.
Tinker was really gimpy today as she waddled along by herself. Her regular outings are very short any more and often she doesn’t even make it down the driveway before she poops. A few steps later she’ll relieve her bladder in the neighbor’s grass and immediately head home. It’s almost like clockwork. She’ll then wait in the shade of the garage until Tally finishes her business, and will bark if it takes too long. Last night, we had dinner guests and she was very impatient. The neighborhood was so peaceful and quiet except for her demanding bark. It was the most outspoken I’ve ever seen her, so she must have thought that with guests at the table, she’d get more food if she was loud enough. As we well know, input equals output, so extra baggies were needed today.
One of my favorite SunDay morning rituals is listening to Sunday Morning Brunch on KINK radio. Although it’s a subtle reminder that I used to work there, it was a mellow way to start today. It helped me get through a sluggish hangover from too much wine and too many barks last night. I won’t be outdone by the neighbors when I set out my glass bottles for recycling tomorrow. It will look like a job well done, after another of my wife’s successful dinner parties. It may be one of our last at this home once we put it on the market in a few weeks. Who knows where we will be living next? I’m sure the neighbors won’t miss “Old Lady Bark” or the brown spots in their yard.
I’ll be on my own for a couple of days, so baseball, beer and fried chicken with a friend is planned. Tinker will have no one to bark at but Tally, as she quietly dreams of the next Schnauzerthon. I just hope that the Cubs can get their sh*t together after blowing a couple of key games this past week. I’m sure my Cardinal friends are thrilled. They are only “my Cubs” when they’re winning and the Brewers are taking advantage of weak relief work with back-to-back-comebacks. It won’t be FunDay unless they can win in Milwaukee today. Also, the fried chicken won’t taste good unless they can beat the Cardinals. If not, you’ll get tired of hearing my bark!
I continue to be amused with the names of minor league baseball teams. It almost makes me forget my Major League frustrations with the Cubs and White Sox. I remember on our recent trip to Walla Walla, Washington, seeing some merchandise for the Walla Walla Sweets, a name selected to promote the sweet onion crops in that area. They are playing the Portland Pickles next week, a nickname selected probably just because it’s weird like the city. There is the MoonBrine Pickle Company that relocated its world headquarters to Portland sixteen years ago, producing out of the Historic Ford Building.
The Portland Pickles play in the South Division of the West Coast League (WCL), a premier collegiate wooden bat summer baseball league based in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. The Pickles play their home games at Walker Stadium in Lents Park. In this upcoming battle, it’s Pickles vs. Sweets, but there are other uniquely named competitors in this league, including the Bellingham Bells Kewlona Falcons, Port Angeles Lefties, Victoria HarborCats, Wenatchee AppleSox, Yakima Valley Pippins, Bend Elks, Corvallis Knights, Cowlitz Black Bears, Ridgefield Raptors, Spokane River Hawks, Moses Lake Pirates, Medford Rogues, Klamath Falls Gems, Kitsap Blue Jackets, and Gresham GreyWolves.
Team nicknames have always stimulated personal fascination. At one time, I knew every high school mascot in Indiana, but I’m certainly not as familiar with the Northwest. Getting to know and supporting the area teams is always one of the first steps of fitting-in with the local community. It all started with the Elkhart Blue Blazers, Albion Britons, the Indiana Hoosiers, Purdue Boilermakers, Indianapolis Indians, Decatur Commodores, and Austin Bats. While we live in Portland, it’s now about the Hillsboro Hops and the Portland Pickles. After years of hot speculation, it doesn’t look like the city is ever going to get a Major League Baseball franchise.
In the meantime, the Cubs continue to have road woes losing last night to the Giants for the 10th time in 14 games. I’d say they are in a pickle! I was fortunate to actually see them win at AT&T Park two years ago. They are a miserable 18-29 away from Wrigley Field, yet somehow manage to still lead the NL Central Division. The cross-town White Sox have settled into the middle of the AL Central Division with an even poorer 19-32 away-from-home mark.
Watch out for the Cardinals! They are 8-2 following the All Star break and only a half-game behind in the standings. The Cubs are 6-4 and their victories have been against bottom-dwellers, plus they haven’t won a road series since mid-May when they took two of three from the Nats. Last night, it was reliever Brad Branch who gave up the walk-off in the 13th. The night before it was Pedro Strop who blew a two-run lead in the 8th with his fourth relief loss of the season. R-E-L-I-E-F has become a four-letter word for Cubs fans like me!
The Pickles, on the other hand, are 7-2 so far in the second half of this year’s WCL season, just a game behind the Knights. They finished the first half at 9-17 and at the bottom of the South Division. Fortunately, this surge occurred before the “Dill Was Gone.” Get It? Here’s to also wishing for a “Sweet” series victory over Wall-Walla next week. I know the Pickle’s mascot Dillon is hoping to lead “Raise The Chair,” a unique celebration after scoring a run. Keep It Weird On The Field – Go Pickles!
Three years ago I attended the MLB All-Star game in Miami. (See Post #174). It was the first time that I watched current White Sox infielder Yoan Moncada #10 in the Future’s Game. The only Cub player was Wade Davis who gave up a rare home run as the losing pitcher. Last year, the Cubs placed Javier Baez, Willson Contreras, and Jon Lester on the National League team, while this year Lester is out and Kris Bryant is in. It shows that Cub pitching has been a problem, especially Yu Darvish, who hasn’t won a game since April 27. Their latest acquisition, former Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel, has not lived up to expectations after recording a shaky save followed by a blown opportunity to salvage the Pirates series. As it was, the Pirates prevailed.
It’s remarkable that the Cubs are still tied in the Central Division race with the Brewers as two games remain against the cross-town Sox before going into the All-Star break. The listless Cubbies are 3-7 down the stretch, losing 3 of 4 against the Pirates, 2 of 3 versus the bottom dwelling Reds, and barely salvaging a 2-2 split against the Braves. To make matters worse, they’ve lost all three series to Cincinnati this year and have gone an embarrassing 17-26 on the road. We can only hope that things improve in the second half of the season.
It’s been a roller-coaster adventure following them so far this year. The Cubs have gotten series victories over the Cardinals, Brewers, and even the Rockies but were swept by the Braves. The Cardinals then swept them in St. Louis, but the Cubs returned the favor in Chicago. The Dodgers took 3 out of 4 in L.A., while the lowly Mets matched them at Wrigley. Not only is pitching a problem, but also getting hits with runners on base. There is plenty of power, but not in key situations. Fortunately, no one has been able to take command of the Central Division, with bottom to top separated by only 3.5 games. The White Sox will pose a problem over the next couple days at Guaranteed Rate, so the Cubs are in danger of slipping behind the Brewers, Cardinals, and Pirates before the break on Monday. Then again, they could climb their way back to the lead. I’m glad that they are taking a break because I certainly need one!
We’re about to wrap-up the NBA and College baseball seasons. The Warriors are in danger of finishing second for the first time in years. The Raptors could put a bow on things tonight. Last year at this time, Golden State had swept the Cavaliers and I was headed to the College World Series, that has narrowed the NCAA field down to the Elite 8. Can Florida State finally secure a title for legendary coach Mike Martin in his final season? Can Chris Lemonis, former I.U. baseball coach, lead his Mississippi State team to the championship in his first year? Or, can Arkansas win it all this year after last year’s final “out” dropped harmlessly between three Razorback players in foul territory and gave Oregon State the trophy instead? I also have a DNA cousin that pitches for Vanderbilt and allegiance to Michigan as the sole representative from the BIG Ten. Louisville eliminated I.U. on the path to Omaha. Texas Tech and Auburn round out the Final 8.
The Cubs took the wind out of St. Louis with a sweep at Wrigley Field last weekend. It was the second of the season, after the Cardinals did similar broom damage at Busch. The series now stands at 6-3. However, just like the first time, they failed to follow-up with a win in the next series. They finally got a victory after the Rockies won the first two. It was the 7th series loss after a streak of 10 straight. They remain a half-game behind the Central Division leading Brewers and now face the West Division dominating Dodgers. I also got a kick out of the fact that Grae Kessinger, grandson of Cubs’ shortstop Don Kessinger was on the doorstep of the College World Series but failed to get by Arkansas to get there. Meanwhile, the city of St. Louis forgot all about baseball and the recent Cardinals mediocrity by claiming The Stanley Cup for the first time in Blues’ franchise history. Now that’s a wrap!
It seems odd that a Canadian team is in the driver’s seat for basketball and that a U.S. team claimed hockey’s cherished trophy. The “Wide World of Sports” is definitely changing. In the women’s soccer FIFA World Cup the U.S. team humiliated Thailand and was criticized by the Canadian women for running up the score. You simply can’t expect top competitors to play anything less than their best until the clock runs out, especially in an event that happens once every four years. Oh Canada!
While I’ve been enjoying being at home, most of my baseball favorites have been sent home with their tails between their legs. The Oregon State Beavers didn’t have far to go after being eliminated from the NCAA baseball tourney on their home field. The Indiana Hoosiers at least won one elimination game before being knocked out by Louisville. Meanwhile, the Cardinals swept the division leading Cubs, taking advantage of their Busch Stadium home. It was the sixth loss in seven games for the Cubbies to fall behind the Brewers in the standings. Unlike the Beavers and Hoosiers that were sent home packing, the Cubs season is far from over. At least, they get to go home and face the Angels tomorrow.
Home Field Advantage is a proven positive this year. The Cubs swept the Cards in the friendly confines of Wrigley earlier this year, while the Cards returned the favor at Busch. They will play again next week at Wrigley to break the overall series tie and determine the Pre-All-Star-Break Champion. The Cubs are 18-10 at home and the Cards are 19-12. Both have losing records on the road. This weekend’s sweep is the first against the Cubs since early April when the Braves brought out the broom at SunTrust Park in Atlanta. Chicago will host the next 7 games and will hopefully reverse their recent skid.
On the positive side, the cross-town White Sox have been far more successful of late, winning 6 or their last 7, including a sweep of the Royals and 2 of 3 against the Indians at their home, Guaranteed Rate Field. I will always know it as Comiskey Park, even though it was U.S Cellular Park when they last won the World Series in 2005. If it weren’t for the success of the White Sox at home this weekend, baseball would have been a total bummer. It only goes to prove that “there’s no place like home (regardless of what they name it.)”
The “Baseball Gods” weren’t very good to me yesterday as my teams were mostly losers. The only exception was the White Sox who one their record 5th straight of the season. To most franchises, this would not be much of an accomplishment but the “Baseball Gods” have not be very favorable to the Sox the last few years. Young players like Yoan Moncada, Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito, Tim Anderson, and Eloy Jimenez lead the team that currently sits 10.5 games behind the league leading Twins in the American League Central. Last night they moved past the Indians into second in the standings with a 7-1 head-to-head victory over the Tribe. One more victory and the team will be at .500, a positive step up from last year’s 62-100 season (.383). They were a bright ray of sunshine on yesterday’s dismal scoreboard. Unfortunately, the “Baseball Gods” were unfriendly to Sox fans today.
The Cubs, on the other hand, seem to be resorting back to start-of-the-season bad form when they lost their first three series. They were on a roll until the last place Reds stopped their hot streak with not one but two series losses in May. Then the Cubs traveled to Houston and lost two out of three before last night’s extra inning Cardinals victory at the unfriendly confines of Busch Stadium. To add more salt to the wound, it was the first time the Cards had walked-off all year, to the delight of their obnoxious fans. As a result, the Cubbies are in danger of falling short in their third straight series. If you win each series, you’ll win it all, so any set-back against the rival Cardinals is demoralizing. I was surprised, however, that problem-child Yu Darvish somehow only allowed three hits through 6 innings of work after walking his first two batters. He came away with his sixth straight no-decision and still has an ERA of over 5. This one-run loss was the first example example of how the “Baseball Gods” were not on my side today.
Before the Cubs loss, I monitored the Indiana Hoosier baseball NCAA tournament opener against Illinois State. After winning the BIG Ten regular season, they fell flat on their faces in tourney action. This misfortune continued into last night’s one-run loss to the Redbirds. Indiana struggled early but came back to tie it in the seventh, only to give up the game winner in the 9th. The “Baseball Gods” were not wearing Cream & Crimson. I.U. did manage to rebound against UIC this afternoon 9-5 to stave off elimination. Will the “Baseball Gods” be there for them tomorrow and Sunday?
Yesterday’s baseball misery continued into the evening in Corvallis where the defending National Champion Oregon State Beavers started their quest for back-to-back titles. Today they are in danger of being the third Championship team in history to be eliminated the year after with two straight losses. It could even happen at home. Last night, they rallied to finally take the lead in the 7th against Cincinnati. However, they too then sadly lost by one in the 9th. The “Baseball Gods” were definitely with them in Omaha during the final game of the College World Series last June when a miss-played foul pop-up gave them the opportunity to capitalize on a second chance at-bat against Arkansas. (See Post #583). Will the “Baseball Gods” answer their comeback prayers today?
