We arrived in Portland just before midnight and have been on the go ever since. I met up with a friend first thing on Thursday to make the drive to Netarts Bay. We spent the night there with two small mishaps. First, the bed in the camper collapsed on me in the midst of a drunken stupor, causing me to humorously wake-up disoriented on the floor. Secondly, the cat bit and clawed me to raise concerns about “Cat Scratch Fever.” I was already feeling a bit of hypochondria, with the potential of a positive Covid test that could have ruined our cruise plans. The unprovoked cat attack just gave me something else to worry about. However, there was undoubtedly enough alcohol in my blood stream to prevent any virus or infection.
My time in Oregon was certainly blessed with good sports fortune. Hoosier football won an overtime thriller over the Hilltoppers while we were watching the Ducks beat BYU in a McMinnville bar called Two Dogs. The White Sox beat the Guardians and took two out of three from the Tigers. The Timbers tied with Columbus, while Oregon State Beaver football won in their stadium while theirs is under construction. Fantasy Football is leading going into tonight’s Bears vs. Packers game that could prove that the Monsters of the Midway are indeed for real after an undefeated preseason and opener. The only of my favorites to fall short were the Colts and the already eliminated Cubs.
We both passed our Covid tests today and will make our way to Vancouver tomorrow on another First Class flight. It will be an early morning run tomorrow after an eventful afternoon touring the Nike campus. I’ve managed to get my miles in despite the drastic changes in time zones and routine. Alaska here we come.
I’m not sure how to handle all the hype related to IU basketball’s upcoming season. Top ten ratings, high projected seeds, and all-American honors make it all seem too good to be true. I drank the Kool-Aid a few years ago with Hoosier football and the water turned poison. I keep expecting a disciplinary problem, recruiting snafu, transfer threat, or “God forbid” serious injury.
I know the talent is there, but through the last two decades, IU has gotten little respect. Now, all of a sudden, it’s through the roof for coaches and players. It feels good to be back in the spotlight again, but I can’t handle more disappointment. It would be better to experience a surprise and witness some proof of success rather than just trust expert opinion. Vaulted pre-season expectations have come back to haunt many a good sports program.
I’m also struggling with the come back capabilities of the White Sox. They have short spurts of success, just enough to boost expectations, followed by a equally bad set-back. Their 10-3 series ending loss to the lowly A’s last night when they could have pulled off the sweep proves my point. It all averages out to the .500 ball they’ve been playing this year despite grandiose pre-season hype. It seems to be the story for all my sports favorites. It’s no wonder I’m such a pessimist!
The Sox can’t seem to get by the division-leading Guardians and are running out of time. IU basketball has yet to play a game, but they’re already expected to win the BIG. To make matters worse, they’ve never won the BIG Tournament and haven’t had a solid run in the Big Dance for 22-years. They have a lot to prove on the court, just like the Sox have to find a way to win consistently on the field.
IU football has managed to salvage victories in their first 2 games despite the lowest of expectations. The same for my Bears that pulled off a 49er upset and an undefeated exhibition season. I prefer these kinds of surprises instead of the mere hype of what might happen. It’s all too often too good to be true.
There’s no point in even mentioning the Chicago Cubs anymore as they continue to fall to the bottom of the National League Central. The Chicago White Sox, however, seem to have found new life under the guidance of bench coach, Miguel Cairo. Tony La Russa continues to recover and could soon be back in charge. It could change the momentum of the team that has won 8 or their last 10 games and claimed second spot in the division. They are only 1 1/2 games out of first behind the Guardians with four games yet to play against the division leaders. They could still make the Playoffs despite the injuries and lack of clutch play that has plagued them all year long.
One of the highlights of this particular White Sox run was a ninth inning rally this weekend, after being held hitless through the seventh. Oakland held a 3-0 lead but the stubborn Sox scored five to keep their streak alive. Too many times this season they had failed to score with runners on base. It restored my faith in the team after giving up on them countless times throughout this futile season.
Fantasy football officially begins today, although Cooper Kupp has already given us a lead from his steady performance Thursday night against the Bills. Our opponent failed to outscore him using three players, so we have an advantage heading into the rest of this week’s action. My son and I drafted the team a few weeks ago at Buffalo Wild Wings here in Port Charlotte. We were able to use last year’s winnings to fully pay our participation fees.
I was swinging a golf club again yesterday, during an outing with my grandson at Top Golf in Ft. Myers. As expected, I quickly tired of the activity but it was a good bonding moment with my son’s 15-year old. It was a good thing that I had selected an indoor course because it was pouring down rain most of the time.
Hoosier football once again responded in the second half last night with another come-from-behind victory. This time it was Idaho that took an early 10-0 lead, but Indiana scored the next 29-points and went to 2-0 with a 35-22 victory. They next face undefeated Western Kentucky with decisive victories over Austin Peay and Hawaii, followed by Cincinnati, Nebraska, and Michigan in their quest to become bowl eligible. I can still see wins over the Hilltoppers and Rutgers to get five of the six necessary conquests. Nebraska and Maryland are possibilities, with rival Purdue as a longshot. Let’s get ready for some football.
I’ve been expecting a run by the White Sox all season long. It’s hard to believe that with the lineup of stars that they have, they’re still in third place and have failed to outscore their opponents going into the last month of the season. There have been some teases like early last month when they won five straight games and moved into contention, only to fall apart once again. It’s been a consistent story of injuries, bad base running, poor defense and a lack of clutch hitting. Tony La Russa, the aging manager, has justifiably been under fire and has finally succumb to health issues. Miguel Cairo has taken over at the end of losing 10 of their last 12 games in August and falling once again below the .500 mark.
The temporary change in management has proven effective with 4-straight wins, including last night’s 13-0 rout over the Twins. A no-hit effort by Dylan Cease was broken up in the ninth inning. The White Sox are now only 2-games out of first and a game behind the Twins, but this is where the wheels fell off in August. I’ve never felt such frustration for a baseball team than I have this season. In any other division, they would be entirely out of the pennant race. I refuse to get my hopes up and once again dashed, but fortunately there’s only a few weeks left in the season. They need to somehow maintain this hot streak and get Tim Anderson and Luis Roberts back in the lineup. May luck finally be on our side in September!
Speaking of frustration, Indiana football failed to win a Big Ten game last year. They finally ended that painful draught with a 23-20 victory over Illinois this week, even though it was an ugly win. The team got some breaks for once and can build on the momentum. Missouri quarterback transfer and new Hoosier Hero, Connor Bazelak, led the come-from-behind winning effort with the clock running out. In the case of the Hoosiers and White Sox this year, it’s better to be lucky than good.
I added the 1956 Chicago White Sox Topps team card to my collection this week. I have an autographed baseball from that year and the same team photo clipped from a 1955 magazine. Sherm Lollar is in the back row next to Nellie Fox. The White Sox of 67-years later continue to underachieve with another lackluster home loss last night following the All Star break. Tim Anderson and Liam Hendriks were the Sox 2022 representatives as the American League won for the ninth straight time. The Pale Hose had finally gotten to the .500 mark on the season and within three games of first place Twins in the division before losing 8-2 to the second place Guardians. Now, the gap is 3.5 games going into today’s double header at Guaranteed Rate Stadium.
I have given up on the White Sox many times already this year. It’s frustrating to watch them fall behind early in games, leave so many potential runs on base, and make sloppy errors in an effort to catch up. Yosmani Grandal came back from the injured list to go a pitiful 0-3 in clutch situations. Luis Robert took his place on the DL with dizzy spells. Injuries and a lack of hustle have sadly become their trademark this season.
I was only 5-years old when the 1956 Sox took the field. Sherm Lollar hit .293 and had 11 home runs and 75 RBIs. It wasn’t until 1959 and the televised World Series games that he became my favorite player. Minnie Minoso led the 1956 team with a .316 batting average. Larry Doby was the home run leader with 24 on this team that finished 3rd in the American League with a record of 85-69. As far as the All Star game, Yogi Berra (2-2) of the Yankees won the starting position as catcher with Sherm (1-2) as his back-up. The NL won 7-3. I might have been a Mickey Mantle fan back then, but soon fell for #10 Sherman Lollar and have been following him ever since.
All the factors seemed to be working against me this morning on run #4,950 – eye patch, heat, humidity, headache, and a malfunctioning GPS. A voice kept repeating “Pausing workout” and then “Resuming workout” to the point where it consumed a half-mile of recorded distance and in the end what should have been 3.1 miles showed only 2.6. It was annoying and the headache persisted but I completed the course, watered some plants, won for the 65th straight time at Wordle, swam a few laps in the pool, and started the laundry.
We’ll pick up my grandson at his mother’s house later this afternoon in Sarasota and take him to dinner. I’m also looking forward to watching tonight’s Home Run Derby and tomorrow night’s All Star Game. The White Sox finally came through in their series against the first place Twins, winning three of four and moving to within three games of the lead just behind the Guardians. Injuries continue to be an issue with both Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez nursing problems. Liam Hendriks was finally named to the AL squad and will join teammate Tim Anderson. Former Hoosier, Cub, and Nationals Kyle Schwarber, now with the Phillies, is favored to win the Derby, but has fallen short in previous attempts.
I’m watching “Black Bird” on Apple TV, a Dennis Lehane production. A friend and I went to one of his book signings years ago, so he has become a favorite. He’s written A Drink Before The War, Shutter Island, Mystic River, and Gone Baby Gone, among others. I have a personally autographed copy of Shutter Island on my office shelves, but have only seen the movie. Other author autographed books in my library include those by Pat Conroy, Michael Connelly, Richard Price, Sue Grafton, and Kirk Eichenwald. A new episode of “Black Bird” will be released on Friday, so something to look forward to watching before we hit the road.
The fireworks have come and gone with the blazing heat of July yet to deal with. We start our 3,000 mile drive in less than three weeks, so the dog days of summer will be spent in many different cities. Tally has already shortened her walks and is especially reluctant to go out in the afternoon. The pavement is hot and the grass dry and stiff. I’m sure she misses the cool temperatures and soft grass of Portland, plus she’s spent a lot of time in our dark closet where she can’t hear the thunderstorms. We even bought her a Thundershirt, similar to what her sister Tinker once wore, to calm her nerves.
I got scammed yesterday over a grill that I supposedly won from Ace Hardware. I don’t know how enter-to- wins even exist anymore when they were once a staple in the advertising business. I had to hassle with the company and cancel my credit card, thinking I was dealing with a reputable supplier that I use all the time. The “helpful hardware man” was nothing more than a scam artist yesterday. I rarely fall for these things but must have had a brain fart – never again.
The White Sox lost again to the Twins last night but the Cubs beat the Brewers. Both Chicago teams are apparently not playoff worthy so I’m quickly losing interest in baseball this season. There’s also not much to look forward to in college or pro football. Therefore, Hoosier Hysteria can’t come soon enough, as the IU basketball program continues to gain respectability.
The question now is whether Carlos Santana will be able to serenade me on my 71st birthday? He passed out from heat exhaustion in his latest concert up in Michigan. The last two years, his Florida concert that we’ve held tickets to has been cancelled due to Covid and he’s missed shows for other health reasons. We’ve also lost one member of Earth, Wind, & Fire since then, so will this concert ever actually take place? Oye Como Va? Not so well.
It looks like the Twins are destined to rule the American League Central division this year after four straight victories over the White Sox. I thought for sure this was the year for the Pale Hose but after last night’s triple play debacle, I’m ready to throw in the towel. An 8-5 triple play had never happened before in the history of baseball, but of course it happened to the Sox last night. It was the seventh inning with runners on first and second after the tying run scored. There were no outs and it looked like the White Sox were destined for a big inning, with Adam Engel pinch-running at second and Joan Moncada at first. A.J. Pollock hit a long drive to center field that was easily run down by Byron Buxton. For some reason, neither runner tagged after the catch and both were caught advancing, ending the scoring threat. The Twins won in extra innings – the same outcome as the Cubs loss to the Brewers earlier in the evening. I Give Up!
It was a bad day in Chicago after a gunman opened fire on a local Independence Day parade. The game was nearly cancelled. The post-game fireworks were – long before there was nothing to celebrate. The White Sox are playing like their 77-year old manager, Tony La Russa, although he’s not the base coach. The team just lacks hustle and spirit. Injuries have plagued them all season long, while I was expecting a run before the All Star Break. They had just swept the Giants on the road and pulled within 4 1/2 games of the division leading Twins. Last night could have meant four straight victories and a step in the right direction. Instead, it was an embarrassing finish with clown-like baserunning and inability to take advantage of late inning opportunities. I Give Up!
In other sports news this past week, the BIG announced the addition of UCLA and USC to the conference. The Big Ten is now the Sweet Sixteen and Coast-to-Coast, as of 2024. It certainly means two more football losses for IU and more competition for titles in other sports, especially basketball. The odds for the Hoosiers to ever win a BIG basketball tournament now comes down to simply this year. Furthermore, the battle between the BIG and SEC for supremacy is looking more and more like the Civil War – North vs. South. Notre Dame is next to pick a side, even though they are well north of the Mason Dixon Line and Fighting to maintain their independence. Keeping track – I Give Up!
Sometimes persistence is really just ignorance. This struck me as I watched the movie, “Phantom of the Open,” where an English crane operator that has never played golf enters the British Open. My wife was struck with his persistent attitude of never giving up. However, I found it unbelievable that he would insist on playing with professionals, thinking that he was one himself. He shot a 121, not bad considering that television cameras and spectators watched him make a fool of himself. Well, ignorance is bliss, so he persistently entered again and again under a false name.
It is a heartwarming, true story about a game that tends to be a bit stuffy. It’s a skill that I could certainly never master and have great admiration for those who play it well. I’ve been there – playing with others who are much more talented and feeling embarrassed to the point of wanting to quit. However, what others thought never fazed him simply because of his ignorance. His name, Maurice Flitcroft, became synonymous with bad golf. In fact, a Grand Rapids fundraising tournament was founded in his honor with the highest score proclaimed the winner. It was when they paid for him and his family to attend where we see the bliss that resulted from his ignorance.
The rules for entry have undoubtedly become stricter since Maurice Flitcroft made a mockery of British Open officials. However, using the term “Open” rather than “Invitational” certainly left the door ajar for this situation to unfold. In theory, it is “open” to all, i.e. professional and amateur golfers, but certainly not intended for first-time players. Most everyone is aware of this, apparently except for Maurice Flitcroft who proved in this movie that ignorance is bliss.
I just dropped my son and his family off at at the Punta Gorda airport as they head to Fort Wayne. My wife is in Sarasota for the day, so I have a rare afternoon alone. I also have my son’s 2021 Traverse that we will drive up North in another month and will take it for service when I pick him up next Thursday. It will create a “Tourist Thursday” event where we’ll once again check out the Punta Gorda area for the day. We haven’t been on one of those together since Singer Island two months ago. Life must have gotten in the way of this planned retirement activity as movies, doctor appointments, and neighbor lunches took priority. In fact, “Matinee Monday” moved twice to Thursday, showing that we do have some flexibility in our routine.
I shortened my run to a mile again this morning, but should be back on track tomorrow. We might even get to the Elvis movie tomorrow afternoon since my wife’s luncheon has been cancelled due to illness. The dog park continues to be closed and under construction, so Tally’s routine is also out of whack. She’s not content with just a long walk. My landscaping project is on hold awaiting delivery of our crepe myrtle. I’ll do some more digging tomorrow morning now that I’ve located all the underground pipes and wiring.
I enjoyed flipping back and forth between the Stanley Cup Finals and the College World Series last night. After their overtime loss, the Tampa Bay Lightening now have to win three straight to earn their “Three-Peat,” an unlikely scenario, while the obnoxious Omahogs stayed alive in their quest for a first ever national title. They have a huge fan base, easily accessible to Omaha, and perform annoying “Pig Sooey” cheers while holding beer cans on top of their heads for luck. I’m hoping they don’t make the finals again this year, but it was admittedly satisfying to see them misjudge a foul ball four years ago that allowed Oregon State to take the title. More CWS action today! Razorback fans clearly have beer for brains!
