Category: OLD SPORT SHORTS (Page 25 of 68)
An old guy’s perspective on all sports
A new Flaviar whisky shipment and the Home Run Derby kept me content last night. I also flipped over to watch the U.S. Men’s Olympic basketball team lose an unprecedented two straight exhibition games. We’re obviously no longer the world basketball power of years past. In fact, my whole perspective of the game has changed in the last twenty years with the demise of I.U. basketball and the rise of the rest of the globe. In some ways, the two are related with the failure to compete on the world stage of recruiting. For example, a team like Nigeria even a few short years ago was a non-factor on the court.
Pete Alonso of the Mets won his second straight Home Run Derby crown last night, after the cancellation of the 2020 All Star Game competition. The #1 seed, Shohei Ohtani, was defeated in the first round. The tournament play-by-play with all the buzzers and whistles is a far cry from my memories the original 1959 duals on television. Hank Aaron made seven appearances, while Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays each competed five times. Wrigley Field in Los Angeles was the site of the broadcast. $2000 was the prize back then compared to the one-million dollars that Alonso raked in last night. As a kid, we’d get out our whiffle balls and bats to belt our own moon shots.
Tonight’s All Star Game will feature Shohei Ohtani in the dual role of starting pitcher and lead-off hitter for the American League. It signals the half-way point of the season with my White Sox leading the AL Central by eight games over the Indians. Other division leaders include the Red Sox, Astros, Mets, Brewers, and Giants. The Cubs were 2-8 down the stretch to fall to third in the NL Central. The Giants also have 57 wins to lead the pack but only a two-game lead over the Dodgers. Games will resume after the four-day break.
The White Sox have prevailed despite a plethora of serious injuries, including Nick Madrigal out for the season. Sluggers Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert have yet to return. The early sparkplug of the season was Yermin Mercedes whose star has tarnished and was recently sent down to the minors. Andrew Vaughn and Adam Engel have recovered from injuries to recently pick up the slack. Billy Hamilton and Seby Zavala have also filled in admirably. I’m off to see the Sox at Tropicana in August and then to Pittsburgh to cheer on the Cubs. I’m expecting to see the Pale Hose in the post-season mix but have lost some hope for the Cubbies. Trades in the next few months will determine the fate of this year’s World Series Champion.
I had a discussion with a friend yesterday about organizing a reunion trip to Bloomington, Indiana and the hallowed halls of I.U. The last time I was there was five years ago to watch the Hoosiers lose to Nebraska on the court. We did not have time to see anything on campus other than Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, newly named and remodeled at the time. What we thought might be the beginning of great things turned into a nightmare of coaching changes and embarrassing losses. The last I.U. football game that I went to was 17-years ago, an upset win over Minnesota. Back then every gridiron win was an upset!
The last few years Indiana has put together a solid football program under Coach Tom Allen. There are great expectations these next few years, leading to this plan to visit Bloomington on September 3, 2022 for a game against Northwestern. I began to make a list for the Bloomington reunion, including a friend that lives in nearby Tampa. We shared season tickets for many years but have since failed to get together. I began to consider roommates and fellow students that I also haven’t seen since graduation.
I met my first wife in Bloomington, a marriage that lasted for 27-years. I should probably include my son on the ticket list. We could drive together and pick up my Tampa buddy for the excursion. It would be a convergence of friends from all over the country, including those that I left behind in Oregon and pals in California that I just visited. As the list expanded, I began to look up the whereabouts of those left behind in life. J. B. is still an Evansville attorney, while Buzz lives in the same city. Murph built a political career in Bloomington. My cousins are in that area and normally tailgate for football games, so we could all rendezvous before the kick-off. I’m excited for the opportunity to get together with everyone, see the campus, and maybe venture down to Brown County State Park.
I was hit with another wave of nostalgia yesterday with thoughts of a Bloomington get together, and began to reminisce about life on campus. It’s where great friendships were built, but also the sight of some of my worst memories. The scars still haunt me, despite taking the time to write the story of getting busted. With this in mind, there are those that I never want to see again – or maybe I do? Going back to Bloomington might help with the healing – so let the game begin. Go Hoosiers!
Today I will pick up my fully repaired car from the body shop. It’s been in there twice now since I moved to Florida. This latest incident, when I was sideswiped, happened on a Date Night. It will be good to have two cars in the garage once again, although we could easily operate with just one. This is why there is still some consideration about trading in my car in for a golf cart. However, I’m not quite ready for the neighborhood parade.
Yesterday was far from routine, although it started as always with a run and a swim. We had visitors once again from Decatur, Illinois who were down visiting parents. They almost became our first overnight guests, but decided on just a day trip to see our new digs. It was a rainy day so we just sat on the lanai and did some catching up. I was last with them at the Final Four in Indianapolis and the MLB All-Star Game in Miami. My wife, however, hadn’t seen them in years. They are sadly Cardinals fans but despite this flaw continue to be good friends.
As is typical for us sports nuts, we went to the ballpark where the Rookie leagues will start next week. It’s great to have the Atlanta Braves complex in our neighborhood but there’s not been much to see since we moved in. They hosted the Venice Symphony and fireworks for Memorial Day and have the Tomahawk Tiki Bar where you can watch games on the massive stadium scoreboard. Spring Training has of course been a bust the past two seasons, but eventually there will be plenty of activities to watch. I’m even thinking about running their 5k race in December just for a little variety in my daily jogging habit.
Their visit concluded with dinner at The Grill at 1951. It caught my eye because it’s my birth year, although really just their address, with another anniversary next month. It turned out to be a unique evening with an Italian baritone cranking out the hits of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Dean Martin. The backdrop was a gaudy Vegas-like stage with dueling pianos and mood lighting. I may be back there again in a few weeks, as the celebrations heat up for my seventieth birthday. It’s also know as JD’s Bistro & Grille, but I’ve yet to figure out why it has two names?
There was no birthday singing yesterday or even “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” There was not a game – just an empty stadium. It was still fun to be there with a guy that I’ve been to many baseball games with through the years. We’ve seen the Longhorns play in Austin, and the Cardinals in St. Louis, Miami, and New York. We missed our chance to see them at the new Globe Life Park in Arlington because of the Pan-Damn-ic! We were back at the ballpark yesterday but there was nothing to sing about.
Blogging has taken a back seat to planes, trains, automobiles, and Ubers these past few days. (I even apparently skipped a day). However, the running streak continues with a couple of early morning minimum mile jaunts. I left an overly disturbed group yesterday after an up-and-down bathroom night that caused the dogs to bark, waking everyone in the house on multiple occasions. They were all glad to see me leave for the Coburg, Oregon RV camp last night, although Falco continues to struggle with an upset stomach that hopefully had nothing to do with my Portland visit.
What was thought to be a train turned out to be a bus to Eugene and the University of Oregon for the US Track and Field trials in Eugene yesterday. In the process, I earned both my trying to pee while riding a bus and sleeping in a camper badges. I think that it was also my first time in a sleeping bag in 40 years. Along with the communal showering at the campsite, I was a good little Boy Scout!
The friends that I met for the Trials were all “under the weather” when I arrived, after their night of heavy partying. The conversation was a bit sluggish when they met me at the bus stop and during our Leadership breakfast of scrambled brains at Studio One. I could feel their pain and wished I had been with them. It was hard to fit- in with those sharing this hangover bond. I had my chance to party last night but no one else was in the mood. The Tracktown experience, however, made the trip back to Oregon well worth it.
I’m writing this at the Eugene Amtrak station waiting for my bus back to Portland. An Uber got me here from the trailer park. Although once again reunited with family for a few hours, the alarm will ring at 2 a.m. for another short run and a flight to Seattle that will eventually get us back to Florida. Five flights, four busses, including shuttles, three Ubers, a short airport train ride, a taxi, and multiple car rides will combine for a week of hectic travel. It will be great to get back to Florida where there’s no place like home sweet home.
Last night I stayed up “late” to watch the Oregon State Beavers win their second straight elimination game in the ninth inning to continue their run for another College World Series (CWS) title. They did not have a great 2021 season with 23 losses but managed to eliminate #6 ranked TCU and forced a second game with Dallas Baptist last night in Fort Worth, a team that had put them in the loser’s bracket two days earlier. These two meet again this afternoon to determine who goes to the Super Regionals. Meanwhile, the #10 ranked Oregon Ducks dropped only 15 games this season and face LSU for a second straight day in hometown Eugene, hoping to punch their Super ticket. The Ducks were an unprecedented 5-1 against the Beavers this season and haven’t gone this far in the postseason since 2014, losing then to Vanderbilt. Two years prior they made it to the Super Regionals but no further. 1954 was their only trip to Omaha, while 1957 was their last conference crown.
Watching the CWS brings back great memories of traveling to Omaha in 2018. (See Post #573). My good friend and I were going regardless of the fact that Oregon State might not even be there. Instead, they not only made the field but won the whole enchilada. Since then, I’ve religiously followed the college baseball seasons of both the Beavers and Hoosiers. This year, the Ducks have really stood out, while Indiana baseball faded down the stretch and failed to make the first round of the tournament. The Beavers were fortunate to get the nod, going 6-8 in May to finish the regular season and finishing a disappointing 6th in the conference behind Arizona, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, and Arizona State. Indiana finished 4th in the BIG at 26-18, while Nebraska, Maryland, and Michigan got into the dance. Last year Covid canceled the event.
Nebraska, the BIG champion knocked off #1 Arkansas (Pig Sooie!) last night. They will play again tonight for the chance to move on. Michigan and Maryland both failed to advance to the Sweet 16. 8 teams will ultimately travel to Omaha and Ameritrade Field. It would be exciting to see both Oregon and Oregon State in the mix. Step one is tonight for both teams with the season on the line, along with the precious opportunity to continue playing in the CWS.
I’m now getting to the end of my chiropractor package, feeling the benefits of proper alignment. Today, I also pick up my car from the repair shop that wouldn’t have had a place in the garage anyways. I finally got enough cardboard packaging out yesterday to get my wife’s car back inside. We’re down to about 25 boxes yet to open – most of those framed pictures. Time has passed quickly with 40 days now of living in our new home – a week with furniture. We’ve been so busy that we didn’t even get to the beach that had been a weekly tradition since our arrival. I’ve been in our pool every day – getting my money’s worth out of that decision. It’s the newest addition to the morning routine of stretching, running, swimming, and writing.
My son and I got the printer hooked up last night. I have some paperwork to complete before my first visit with the new doctor. Her name is Ann Piscitelli, a female first for me, but comes recommended. My oldest granddaughter also turns twelve this week and I have an appointment at the driver’s license bureau to celebrate. The will probably be a family get together this weekend. In addition, I’m looking forward to a Zoom Leadership meeting, where I’ll be able to catch up with my West Coast friends on IU and Oregon sports, the NBA playoffs, baseball, along with updates on home improvement projects. I’ve probably shown the most improvement this past week.
White Sox Manager, Tony La Russa, beat his old team, the Cardinals, last night at Guaranteed Rate Stadium. I watched most of the game, at least to the point where Andrew Vaughn’s 2-run homer put the Sox on the board, but was sound asleep before the start of the Trailblazers vs. Nuggets basketball game. I saw this morning where the Blazers fell well short with no chance of “Dame Time,” and two days off before they meet again to break the 1-1 tie. Baseball wise, game 2 of the series in Chicago is tonight, along with a Cubs vs. Pirates match-up. The Sox win moved the Cubs closer to the first-place Cards in the NL Central Division standings. I’m trying to keep up with my favorite teams, but for me this past week a box score is simply the number of boxes left in the garage to unpack.
It was day #4,530 of the consecutive running streak, with some of the painful stiffness and soreness finally leaving my muscles. It could be the comfortable king size bed that is back in our possession, the visits to the chiropractor, or the extra stretching I’ve been doing. It was as good of a morning that I’ve had in months, after a well-deserved rest from unpacking last night. Instead, I watched 50-year old Phil Mickelson win the PGA Championship, Scott Dixon win the pole at Indy, the White Sox blow another game against the Yankees, and the Cubs eek out a series victory over the Cards. Most of my TV viewing of late has been sports oriented, despite the fact that I’m already missing the early start times of the West Coast.
We’re scheduled for Disney World (my son-in-law has never been) over Christmas week and Tahoe in September. This will be additional time with my wife’s daughters and their husbands this year. We’ll see all of them in San Francisco and Portland in a few weeks, as we start to crank up the travel schedule. My wife is also looking to visit friends in conjunction with a couple nights planned for Florida’s Singer Island in the next few months. Soon, we’ll use our Viking credits to rebook Egypt and other exotic spots that were cancelled during the pandemic.
I’m picking up my grandson from golf practice this afternoon -my grandfatherly duty to start the week. He spends every other week with his mother up in Sarasota, about a half-hour north – so it’s constant back and forth for schoolwork, activities, and family obligations. I’m just trying to help. Tonight, I’ll be back in front of the TV to watch the White Sox and Cardinals. In this case, the Sox can help the Cubs before they eventually meet head-to-head later in the season. I’m also watching Skinwalker Ranch on the History Channel, but I’m not really enthralled with the alien story line. Even in all that time without furniture we’ve had a plethora of TV sets. However, with all the activities in the area it is not my primary go-to entertainment as it was in Portland. Happy Monday (Trash Day)!
It’s day five of unpleasant unpacking, with more than 30 boxes still sitting in the garage. Fortunately, one of our cars has been in the shop all this time for repairs. The Lexus is patiently waiting in the driveway for the space to open up. I borrowed my son’s massive SUV last night to haul boxes and packing materials to the dumpsters. He also installed our living room TV and hung a few brackets, hooks, and racks. He’s been handy to have in the neighborhood.
The Cubs and Sox both lost yesterday, as I also watched the first day of Indy 500 qualifications. These were rare moments of relaxation, as stiff and sore muscles continue to cause discomfort. At least the chilly pool water gives them temporary relief. All the boxes are now open but only digging down will reveal their true contents. The descriptions written on each one have proven to be both vague and deceptive. I’m guessing we have at least three more days of sorting through everything before we get to the actual picture hanging process. That will take another week.
We are taking a travel break in mid-June to celebrate my wife’s birthday. We’ll fly into Oakland for a few days and then head to Portland. This will give her a chance to visit with both daughters. I’m still not sure if we’ll get tickets to the Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon that was one of my original intents of the trip. We’ve held tickets for two years now, following the rescheduling of the event, but with limited seating capacity they started the process over again. We still haven’t been notified of the results – do we have tickets or not?
The state of Oregon still seems to be in a different world when it comes to Covid planning. First, it was the unavailability of vaccines, followed by indecisiveness regarding occupancy rates, and now mask usage protocol when it comes to those already vaccinated. Their ultra conservative approach does not seem to be generating results any different than those states that are fully open and functioning. I’m glad to be out of there, but am looking forward to the upcoming visit with family and friends.
