After a restless night, I’ve decided to drink nothing but water today. There were too many sleep interruptions last night by my bladder. I’ve got to make some consumption changes, including Diet Coke and wine. Citrus foods, chocolate, spicy foods, sugar, tomato products, processed meats, aged cheese, and nuts are also recommended foods to avoid. Yesterday, I had two Diet Cokes, two glasses of wine, a banana, a cheeseburger salad with tomatoes, two cookies, half a chocolate turtle, sausage/egg casserole, ice cream, and assorted snacks. With a morning run, I burn most of this off and maintain my weight. However, it’s not exactly a healthy diet – it’s whatever I can get my hands on.
I’ll definitely stay away from alcohol and Diet Coke these next few days. I’ll do some experimentation and see if it results in fewer wake-up calls. Friday, I plan to have a couple of beers at the “Leadership Meeting.” I’m just not that disciplined, but I can start to make some changes. I must have gotten up ten times last night – a new record. Fortunately, I don’t have issues getting back to sleep, but obviously I’m not getting any deep, restful stretches. I’m looking for change.
I was excited for the Portland Timbers’ championship last night and enjoyed the final episode of Perry Mason. The pandemic continues to favor my teams with the White Sox, Cubs, and Trailblazers claiming victory yesterday, in addition to the Timbers. That is a rare day in sports. All that winning should have led to sweet dreams, not an up-and-down nightmare. I’m reading the Luckiest Man, the Lou Gehrig story. This should not be disturbing my sleep, despite the Yankee connection. I haven’t been a Yankees’ fan since childhood and somehow grew to hate them as an adult. To help relieve myself of this silly anger, I’ve explored the life of Mickey Mantle and now Gehrig, who was slightly before my time. Is all this Yankee nonsense upsetting my bladder or is it the food and drink?
Company’s come and gone and we’re back to the boring old routine. My wife has gladly cooked and cleaned for days, showing the love for her two daughters. It’s my turn to cook dinner tonight – an easy cheeseburger salad recipe. Our schnauzer Tally can also rest after five grueling days of bone wars with her doggie niece Falco. A quiet day at home is a well-earned reward for all of us.
Our next daughter adventures will take place in San Francisco just over two weeks from now. A weekend at the Ritz Carlton will start our journey to Florida. All of us will then get together for a pre-Holiday getaway to Kauai. Hopefully, the virus will not interfere with our plans. It’s already gotten in the way too many times this year.
Tonight, the Portland Timbers battle Orlando for the MLS is Back championship, perhaps their first since 2015. Maybe the city will get some positive exposure after all the bad press about the never-ending riots? I enjoyed some of the family games we played these past few days, including jackboxtv.com. It was much more exciting than any of the professional games we tried to watch on TV or “Shark Week.”
Looking back at this past week of activities entertaining company, the time has passed quickly. We’ve done some wine-tasting, sight-seeing, long drives, hikes, dinners, and a picnic. It was the antithesis of stay at home, but a much needed change from isolation. We’ll return to our quiet life together prior to the 2,600-mile cross-country drive next week. There’s plenty of company waiting for us on the road ahead.
With the kids in town for a few days, our living room is now the office, since they now have the flexibility to work from home. I haven’t worked for nearly four years, so it’s hard to imagine trying to make a living in these pandemic times. I have two non-paying jobs each day – this blog and my run. Sitting down to write means the 3.1 mile jog is over with and the relaxation can start with a few typed words of wisdom.
Yesterday, I watched the Trailblazers beat the 76ers and the White Sox lose to the Indians. It was the first time in seven years that the Sox had been on nationally televised Sunday Night Baseball, an indication of the sorry state of the team. It was at the expense of the postponed Cubs vs. Cards game due to COVID-19. The invisible virus has won more games than anybody else this year, starting with the cancellation of Spring Training. The Cardinals have yet to play in August. The Cubs will be back on the field tomorrow against the Indians.
It was the beginning of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel last night. Mike Tyson actually tamed a shark while scientists used creative lures to entice Great Whites to breach. This is how desperate we all are for fresh programming. We’ll watch the final Perry Mason episode once the family goes back to San Francisco. In the meantime, I’ll continue with my Friday Night Lights marathon. The Pacers play the Heat this evening, as live professional sports continue to survive, while college football appears to be in jeopardy. A decision is expected in the next few days regarding the future of all fall intercollegiate competition. I’m anticipating a delay until the spring, Too bad these athletes can’t work from home like the rest of America.
The really strange thing about this whole pandemic is that my teams are winning. The last few days, I’ve seen the Cubs, Sox, Pacers, Trailblazers, and Timbers all claim multiple victories. This tells me that life is no longer normal. In the real world, I consistently pick the wrong teams to root for on game day. Could this mean that I.U. will start claiming BIG 10 wins and that the Bears and Colts will play once again in the Super Bowl? It all now seems possible.
The Sox have won 6 straight road games, a feat last equaled in April 2017. Unfortunately in the process, Oregon State alum Nick Madrigal injured his shoulder during a slide. Tim Anderson is also on the disabled list. The Cubs have won five straight and the Trailblazers are making a playoff move with a promising start in the Disney bubble. IU alum Victor Oladipo is beginning to show his old form for the Pacers in their third straight win. These are all signs of the Apocalypse!
Can you imagine an NBA championship between the Pacers and Trailblazers, or a Cubs vs. White Sox World Series? I’m beginning to like these shortened seasons with each game having more significance and no fan interference. T.J. Warren of the Pacers just tied Jermaine O’Neil’s franchise record for the most in a three-game span. These things just don’t happen under normal circumstances. It takes a pandemic to bring out the best in my teams.
Will the magic last? I have my doubts. The Cubs don’t have a closer. Craig Kimbrel failed to preserve a three-run cushion last night and had to be benched by new manager David Ross once again. The Cubbies could easily return to last year’s mediocrity after a 9-2 start. At least they’re staying healthy, unlike the rival St. Louis Cardinals who can’t seem to stay out of the way of the virus. The White Sox are helping the Cubs with a chance to take a 3-game sweep from the Brewers. The Cubs are returning the favor by pounding the Royals. I like this Chicago tag-team approach.
The Portland Timbers are in the soccer final four with a match against Philadelphia tonight that could send them into the finals of the MLS is Back tournament. The bubble approach in sports seems to be working much better than the home fields used in baseball. We’re all hoping that sports can survive outside the bubble, especially football fans that are holding their breath for a chance to start the season.
The Indy 500 will now be held later this month without fans. New track owner Roger Penske reversed his plan to drop the flag in front of a full house. Instead, it will be strictly a television event that will undoubtedly continue in all sports into 2021. Buying a ticket to any event will be a rarity, having a devastating affect on the business. I’m just glad to be a fan and not an owner. Many tough financial decisions have been made this year, with no end in sight. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the rare winning moments of my favorite teams. Fly the W.
It’s finally here – Opening Day. I last wrote about it (See Post #1306) almost three months ago, wondering if it would ever happen? There was originally talks of an Arizona bubble where all the teams would stay and play in one place. Instead, the stadiums are open to the players but not the public. I watched a few of the Summer Camp games these past few weeks in empty venues, just glad to have something live on TV. There’s no “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” the only option is to tune in. I may resort back to childhood and listen on the radio. With a few sound effects, it will seem no different than 1955.
The defending World Series Champion Washington Nationals will play the Yankees tonight on the east coast, while the Dodgers meet the Giants in the west. That’s pretty good social distancing. Tomorrow the Cubs start their 60-game journey against the Brewers at empty Wrigley Field. With half a season, every game is worth twice as much! I got in the spirit earlier this week with a trip to my baseball card guy’s house. A couple of items were added to my Sherm Lollar collection, speaking of 1955 baseball. Plus, some catching equipment from that era. Above all, it was good to talk with another avid baseball fan – it’s great to see anyone – period – in these troubled times.
I’ll soon be living next to a Spring Training venue in Florida, as I think back to the cancellation of the March games in Phoenix. I did get a credit for my tickets to those games. I also received autographed cards from Topps for Kris Bryant (Cubs) and Luis Robert (White Sox) after being shorted on my Opening Day lineup purchase. All in all, it was a rough start to the season, but all is now right. We’ll finally hear the words “Play Ball,” following a four month delay in the action. It’s the first season to ever start in July. I’ll tune in for the first pitch. Hooray – it’s Opening Day!
Now that the morning run is behind me, I can begin to look forward to the upcoming week. Today, it’s some live TV baseball between the White Sox and Cubs. Tomorrow, I have a baseball card meeting, once I get out of the dentist’s office. The fourth box of the Hunt A Killer mystery also arrives this week. Friday, the adventure to Montana begins. I’m not sure if I’ve ever run in “Big Sky Country” since skiing has always been the primary reason for going there. This time it will be some hiking in Glacier National Park. It will be the 40th state my wife and I together have visited, and my 26th state for a run. I have only 2 states left to visit on my lifetime bucket list – Alaska and Maine.
Friday’s trip east will cover about 800 miles round-trip with overnight stops in Walla-Walla and Spokane. Four nights will be spent in and around the park. Our schnauzer Tally is staying with my wife’s daughter and her doggy buddy Falco. They get together quite frequently. I will get out of my dog outing responsibilities for a full week. We’re meeting friends for two days of wine tasting in Walla-Walla on the way to Glacier. While in the area, we have joint reservations at seven different vineyards and three restaurants.
My car will get a good work-out. It has just over 135,000 miles on it. If it survives this journey, we’ll take it down the Oregon Coast into San Francisco. It’s one of our few travel options following the cancellation of our Egypt excursion. My wife’s car is being prepped for it’s cross-country venture to Florida in late August. This includes some extensive body and strut work. Once we get it to the Sunshine State, it will patiently wait in my son’s garage until our permanent move next March. At that point, we’ll pack my car for the same long drive in conjunction with the moving truck. So much to look forward to this year!
I’ll pack both my running shoes and hiking boots for this Glacial journey through nature, not necessarily my favorite thing. At least, I should be well pickled by the time we get to Mother Nature’s door. Many of our planned activities have been disrupted by the Coronavirus. Also, traffic is reportedly a problem with travel limited to primarily US locations this summer. National Parks are now a preferred family destination by car. The Going-to-the-Sun Road has recently been choked with congestion and the boat trips have been cancelled, so our entertainment options may be limited. We’ll make the best of it, as we look forward to simply getting out of the neighborhood.
Auto Racing and golf were the first professional sports to come back after the pandemic. Fans can at least watch from home now. U.S. soccer is off and running in Orlando. The Portland Timbers won last night against the LA Galaxy. Soon, the Trailblazers will take the court in the Disney bubble, similar to the soccer model. There’s proven success to this “play-and stay-in-one-place” structure with the completion of The Basketball Tournament tonight in Columbus, Ohio. I was not aware that the non-overtime format was designed by Ball State, Indiana professor, Nick Elam. It assigns a target score in the final quarter that determines the winner rather than wear down players with extra time on the clock. Also, on the Hoosier stage, former IU players, Mo Creek and Remy Abell played starring roles.
I like the controlled environments that have been established for the restart of soccer and basketball. It limits exposure to the bug via outside exposure and travel. I’m not sure that baseball will see similar success by utilizing home fields and regional travel schedules. However, life can’t continue to be contained in a bubble. We need to experiment with other formats, otherwise football will never get underway. There will actually be some fans in the stands around Wrigley Field, as across-the-street rooftop seats are apparently being sold for $350.
Football does have the advantage of protective gear like plastic face guards and gloves to limit exposure on the field. If this is effective, expect other sports to adapt at least long pants and sleeves in the future. There will be many new innovations. Travel to and from the parks will still be an issue, although professional teams have private planes and limos. This is not the case for high school and college players. To be determined!
Every sport is now a safety experiment. Fans will have to wait until the results are compiled. Getting near the players and field are not in the near future. They will retreat to the locker rooms before and after games. Athletes will be kept isolated and this will affect their popularity. Autographs will be hard to get and personal appearances will be prohibited. A 2020 player autograph will be extremely rare and valuable. For example, I just received a Topps Now baseball card signed by Kris Bryant of the Cubs. This will become a prized item in my collection.
The original plan was to get to Spring Training and the Cubs vs. Sox game. It was a Friday the 13th in Phoenix when this game was cancelled, as the dreaded bug made its debut. I did get a credit for the tickets, but it has turned out to be a four-month holding pattern. The Chicago crosstown rivalry is scheduled to restart this Sunday in a Summer Camp exhibition game at Wrigley. The condensed 60-game season officially begins next Thursday with the Nats vs. Yankees on ESPN. The NBA restarts the week after. It means more sports on TV – LIVE!
ESPN stirred some memories last night with the airing of “Long Gone Summer,” the 1998 home run battle between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire. It was the quest to top Roger Maris’ 61 home-run season in 1961. The record had stood for 28 years, once Maris had “outdone” The Babe. I was part of a Cubs season ticket group of nine owners that conducted a draft at the beginning of the season to determine who would get which tickets for what games. I happened to pick 9/13/1998 and set-aside four of what turned out to be the most precious tickets I’ve ever purchased.
On that day my 77-year old father, my 24-year old son, and my best friend all joined me at Wrigley Field. They were special seats in a row by themselves near the Cubs’ dugout, guarded at each end by two elderly female ushers. One I remember for sure was named Louise. Their job was to keep people from walking in front of us, thinking that our wide space was an aisle. The 9 special seats were actually added in the middle of what was once an aisle way when the Ryne Sandburg record contract in the early 1992 spurred the team to add revenue by expanding seating capacity. This was allegedly how they paid a portion of his 4-year $27.4 million deal. Nonetheless, we always called them the “Ryne Sandburg” seats and oddly met him down in that area when he accidentally kicked-over my friend’s beer earlier that year on Opening Day. (See Post #283). Louise would occasionally allow celebrities coming off the field to pass in front of us. This is why the beer incident occurred.
Fast forward to September 13th, as the baseball season was coming to an end. Before the game started we had lunch at the Stadium Club, a perk for VIP Season Ticket Holders. They actually served the same hot dogs as the concession stands but on Cubs china at three times the cost. I remember thinking, “wouldn’t it be something if Sammy hit numbers 61 and 62 today.” McGuire had already topped the Maris record at Busch Stadium 5 days before. Sosa had hit his 60th the day before, setting up the historical drama we were about to witness. Wrigley Field was abuzz as we took our seats, spotting Ryne Sandburg and his family a couple of rows in front of us. The 61st came in the 5th inning, lifting us out of our seats. The Cubs were up 8-3 on the Brewers. Sam-mee, Sam-mee! The fans littered the field and caused a long delay.
Sosa struck out in the 7th and came to bat for the final time in the bottom of the ninth down by 2. 480-feet later, he had tied McGuire at 62. There were hugs all around, as we watched the commotion. To make the day even better, Mark Grace homered in the bottom of the 10th for the “W.” Three generations of family and a best friend make the game even more memorable. “Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Holy Cow!”
Nine years later, my wife bought a commemorative brick following a 12-3 victory over the Cardinals. She was at that game with me along with my son and 9-month old grandson. It’s too bad my dad couldn’t be with us to make it four generations. Instead, the brick reads “3 Generations – Mike, Adam, Gavyn.” Dad died in 2014 at 93, just missing the 2016 World Series run. My wife and I were there, thinking of him. So many great memories of Wrigley Field, but none can top Sosa vs. McGuire.
It was alarming to see a Facebook post yesterday with the headline, “Today is the first Memorial Day without a Major League Baseball game since 1880.” A 140-year old tradition wiped out by virus. Even World Wars couldn’t stop baseball! I read the article by Jean Chery. When it does come back, there will be a Universal designated hitter, not just in the American League. This means another strike against the traditionalists, who believe the game should never change. Well, it at least has to adapt – that’s what asterisk (*) is for! If baseball does have an opening day in 2020, it will mean many an asterisk next to shorted season statistics. It might also mean no fans in the stands or restricted crowds and no hot dog vendors. Peanuts may be allowed in sealed packages as will Cracker Jack, but Popcorn will be Out!
Will others now have to wear masks, instead of just catchers and umpires? Coaches will certainly have to if they intend to “get in the faces” of umpires. At least, we won’t be able to read lips. Will players have to practice social distancing on the base paths? These are all questions that are currently being tossed-around the horn, even in jest. The players are ready, as are the TV crews. “Play Ball!” We should at least be watching the game at home where we can eat all the hot dogs we want. Then, once everybody gets warmed-up, we can start to think about fans at the ball parks. Play it Safe!
I missed my last five baseball games due to a rain-out, a funeral, and the Spring Training virus. It’s been over a year since I’ve been to Wrigley Field and nearly two years since I saw at Cub’s W there. It will soon be time for the All-Star Game. Will we still not see a pitch by then? The fans are getting restless and the economy is suffering. I’ve been doing some collecting to keep my love of the game alive. It’s good that the magazines and sports channels have focused on the history of the game these past few months. Even Armando Gallarraga has been in the headlines, still fighting for his perfect game from ten years ago. Historians are having a field day, while signs remain posted at the gates, “No Baseball Allowed.”
It’s the official Memorial Day holiday, yet it feels rather uneventful. For many, it’s a day off of work. Unfortunately, too many are spending it unemployed or unhealthy in these pandemic times. I want to especially take the time to remember those who lost their lives defending our freedom, including my own grandparents and fathers. Thank you just isn’t enough. The sun should be shining in their honor, but instead it’s gray and overcast. Traditional picnics will be indoors at safe social distances. Parades have been cancelled, other events delayed.
My wife is certainly in the patriotic spirit, with table decorations, flowers, and flags to mark the occasion. Tally is wearing her “red, white, blue, and cute” collar to show-off her new haircut. I just finished my run with little else planned for the day. I’m grateful to be alive and well, but anxious to travel again. Regrettably, it will be some time before I’m “Back Home Again in Indiana.”
It just doesn’t seem like Memorial Weekend without the Indy 500, even though I’m thousands of miles away from any action. They did come to Portland last year, so I scored some complimentary seats. It was nowhere near the same! All that frantic scrambling I did through the years to get tickets for friends, family, and clients is just a distant memory. Then, there were house guests that just wouldn’t go away because of race delays as long as a week. Early mornings fighting traffic were always a hassle. A run-away dog once held-up the carefully planned get-to-the-track-on-time schedule. There were also the humorous moments like when I illegally got into a police escort line, speeding by all those stopped by the sirens until they caught me. I also lost my young son, after he ran away angry into the crowd. After searching for hours I found him safely protected by “Mud Man,” a drunken superhero with a muddy cape from diving in the puddles. There was also that race that I arrived at the Speedway in style by helicopter, avoiding all traffic like a real big shot!
I usually spent Race Day trying to get my guests in places where they needed special credentials or invitations. It was a game that more than often turned out successfully, considering all the contacts I made through the years. I miss the fried biscuits and apple butter that were served with Jug’s popular fried chicken. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was my office every May. I sold media sponsorships, driver appearances, car branding, and suite VIP experiences. One Memorial Weekend I even went jet skiing with the Unser and Andretti families. I rarely sat during the race, moving from the infield grass for the start, to the pit or garage areas; to the tower, suites or top row for the best overall perspectives; and finally for the Winner’s Circle for the milk bath. My Gold badge was the key to all this freedom.
These days I could never tolerate the crowds or afford to go by chopper. There are probably not enough VIP credentials as motivation to go. I’d spend all my time searching for another bathroom, that incidentally weren’t always the cleanest. The best seat for me is in front of the TV, listening to the radio broadcast. It will never replace the unforgettable ear-splitting sound of 33 cars on the track at the same time, partially to blame for my present hearing loss. I especially won’t miss the Indiana heat and humidity that could turn to snowflakes the very next day. With the new August date, snow will not be a surprise. We’ll hopefully be on a road trip back to Florida while it’s happening – if it happens?
