johnstonwrites.com

Today's thoughts

Page 2 of 261

Old Sport Shorts: Cheaters Prosper Part 5 #2487

August 31, 2024 / / 0 Comments

The roots of cheating likely extend back to a childhood park or a card table. The habit might include not counting that extra stroke on the golf course. Sadly, people get used to cheating and think nothing of it. They may not even know that they’re doing it. Accusations lead to fights or worse. Plus, it’s a hard habit to break because cheaters can sometimes prosper and losing is out of the question. 

As for cheating in baseball, it’s too often looked at as simply gaining an advantage. Pitchers have long doctored baseballs to get an edge. The spitball is a perfect example of how the surface of the ball is altered by the application of a foreign substance such as saliva or petroleum jelly. Scuffing the ball by using an emery board or sandpaper also violates Major League Baseball rules. The illegal emery ball was banned in 1914 and the spitball in 1920. There was, however, a grandfather clause that allowed 17 active pitchers to continue to throw their suspicious stuff. Burleigh Arland Grimes, “Ol Stubblebeard” was the last to throw the legal spitter in 1934. He pitched in four World Series over the course of a 19-year career with the Pittsburg Pirates, Brooklyn Robins, New York Giants, Boston Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and New York Yankees, some of these teams multiple times. Grimes was the National League strikeout leader in 1921 and managed the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1937-1938. He was given a license to cheat, while most just enjoyed getting away with it.  

Gaylord Perry wrote a book about cheating in 1974, “Me and the Spitter,” detailing how he doctored balls with saliva and other substances during his 22-year career. He obviously enjoyed getting away with cheating, earning the Cy Young Award at the age of 40. When he started pitching in 1962, it was 42-years past the grandfather clause. Another familiar name of that era is Joe Niekro who was caught with an emery board and a small scrap of sandpaper in 1987. He was ejected and suspended for 10-days. Elwin Charles “Preacher” Roe, a five-time All Star, who pitched for 12 seasons, was featured in a 1955 Sports Illustrated article entitled “The Outlawed Spitball Was My Money Pitch.”

Applying a sticky substance such as pine tar to the baseball may unfairly improve grip. It can enhance the spin rate, resulting in great movement as the ball leaves the hand. The only legal substance that pitchers may use is rosin, via a rosin bag kept on the mound. Since illegal substances are often hidden elsewhere on the body, it’s difficult to enforce. However, in the modern game, pitchers are checked as they come off the field each inning and balls are carefully examined. Seattle Mariners pitcher, Hector Santiago, was the first to be ejected due to the new 2021 rules. Yankees pitcher, Michael Pineda was ejected and suspended for 10-games after being caught with a smear of pine tar on his neck in 2014. He’s even got “pine” in his last name. His explanation was that he wasn’t cheating but rather trying to protect the batter from getting hit. 

These new rules were in response to increasing spin rates, part due to skill but also perhaps the result of a new grip enhancer that was on the market, Spider Tack. Designed for weightlifting, it was just another foreign substance requiring umpire education. Four Minor League pitchers received 10-game suspensions as the new rules began to be enforced. It’s a good example of how to cheat a cheater. 

Grip enhancers are also a factor with bats, just ask George Brett. His bat violated the little known 18-inch pine tar rule. In 1983 with two outs in the 9th, the Kansas City All-Star hit a two-run homer to take a 5-4 lead over the Yankees. Controversial manager Billy Martin struck again, arguing that the runs should not be allowed. Umpire Tim McClelland agreed with him and Brett had to be restrained. The game was and the call stood until American League president Lee McPhail ordered the game to be resumed after the overruled homer was counted with the Royals up by one. It became a fiasco on the field, with Martin ultimately ejected after employing numerous shenanigans and stall tactics. Oddly, the Commissioner did not get involved.

In addition to pine tar that is a messy, obvious application to the bat, it may be what’s hidden inside that makes it illegal. Substituting cork for solid wood makes the bat lighter, allowing a quicker swing. Cheaters who have been suspended for using a corked bat include Sammy Sosa, Albert Belle, Wilton Guerro, Chris Sabo, Billy Hatcher, José Guillén, and Miguel Olivo. A more creative Greg Nettles was caught using a bat loaded with Super Balls in 1974, but was not suspended. Like any aspect of cheating, some get caught and others don’t. Amos Otis and Norm Cash later admitted using corked bats during Major League Baseball game. 

It sometimes takes teamwork to cheat. Sign stealing is a good (or bad) example. Also, it’s not a modern-day trick, dating back to reports from 1900 regarding the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s one thing to figure out what your opponent will do next, and another to use technology for this purpose. Two notable examples include the 1951 New York Giants, who cheated using a telescope and buzzer system, and the camera employed by the 2017-2018 Houston Astros. The Boston Red Sox were fined in 2017 for using an Apple Watch to relay stolen signals. They also had their video replay operator suspended for the 2020 season for use of replay to decode sign sequences from games in 2018. These types of violations are tough to crack down on, so it often logically takes a cheater to find a cheater. 

Of course, the most abused cheating violation in any sport is undoubtedly performance enhancing drugs. For years, baseball players used amphetamines and steroids to enhance physical performance. It was probably a direct result of World War II where soldiers were often treated with Dexedrine and Benzedrine and brought them back to their teammates when they returned to baseball. Evidence began to emerge in 1985 during the Pittsburg Drug trials. Dave Parker and Dale Berra testified that Willie Stargell provided them with these drugs, while John Milner claimed that Willie Mays used them. Anabolic steroids were banned by baseball in 1991, but no program was established for drug testing.

I personally think that there’s a fine line between ingesting drugs and using surgical procedures when it comes to enhancing performance. Eye surgery can make a player see better, while surgery can correct skeletal and muscular deficiencies. Would the “Bionic Man” be allowed to play ball? Although maybe an unrealistic example, this enhancement of strength and sight through surgery could be considered cheating. Or, is it just the necessary, smart thing to do?

 

  

 

 

Old Sport Shorts Bad Boys Hall of Fame Part 4 #2486

August 30, 2024 / / 0 Comments

After Judge Landis died in 1944, there was a long lull before the next banishment. During the tenures of Commissioners Happy Chandler (1945–1951), Ford Frick (1951–1965), Spike Eckert (1965–1968), Bowie Kuhn (1969–1984) and Peter Ueberroth (1984–1989), only three players (or former players) were banned for life. All three were banned by Kuhn, and all three were later reinstated.

Peter Ueberroth reversed the silly Bowie Kuhn decision to have Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle banned in 1980 and 1983 respectively. Both were retired at the time and no longer involved with baseball but were hired by Atlantic City casinos as greeters and autograph signers. Kuhn opined that a casino was “no place for a baseball hero and Hall of Famer.” Ueberroth’s counter was that the pair were “more a part of baseball than perhaps anyone else.” Pete Rose could probably benefit from this type of sentiment. 

“By the time of Kuhn’s tenure, players had organized the Major League Baseball Players Association and negotiated the first Basic Agreement with the owners. Among other things the Agreement provided, for the first time, an independent process through which active players could appeal disciplinary decisions (up to and including lifetime bans) by League presidents or the Commissioner. As of 2024, no such process exists for personnel who are not members of the MLBPA.”

On April Fool’s Day of 1989, Angelo Bartlett “Bart” Giamatti took over the office from Peter Ueberroth. He died five months later of a sudden heart attack. The job does take its toll, not even lasting to see the World Series that year, yet he ruled over Pete Rose’s ineligibility on August 24,1989, a mutual agreement. He is allowed to apply for reinstatement once a year indefinitely, stirring the annual controversy. Should the fact that he admitted to gambling and not on his own team take away from his honors on the diamond. So far, 3,000 hits don’t seem to count!

Francis Thomas “Fay” Vincent Jr. became commissioner 8-days later. He first dealt with George Steinbrenner, New York Yankees owner in 1990 for trying to discredit Dave Winfield. It backfired on him and led to an investigation that tied Steinbrenner to a small-time gambler. Vincent then took control of the team away from him. His other key decision in 1992 involved Yankee player, Steve Howe, after receiving seven suspensions related to drug use. Both of these bans were quickly reversed, erasing most of Vincent’s work.

The position fell into limbo following Vincent’s resignation, as an Acting Commissioner, Allan Huber “Bud” Selig was appointed to fill the term. He was ultimately elected in 1998 and oversaw the disbandment of the American and National League offices, the 1994 strike, the introduction of the wild card, the beginnings of interleague play, revenue sharing, and the establishment of the World Baseball Classic in 2006. Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott was banned in 1996 for repeatedly making racial slurs but was reinstated in 1998 as the first and only woman to date on baseball’s blacklist. 

Current Commissioner, Robert “Rob” Dean Manfred, followed Selig’s retirement on January 25, 2015. “To date, he has banned the same amount of people as his four previous successors and is second only to Landis for most people placed on the permanent ineligibility list.” Jenry Mejia, New York Mets pitcher was banned on February 12, 2016 after testing positive multiple times for performance-enhancing drugs. He sought and was granted reinstatement in July, 2018. Former St. Louis Cardinal scouting director, Chris Correa was banned for hacking the Houston Astros scouting database. In addition, “he was imprisoned, thus becoming the first person to be incarcerated for activities that resulted in a ban from the game.” John Coppolella, former Atlanta Braves general manager, was permanently banned by Manfred for circumvention of international free agent rules. He was reinstated in 2023. Brandon Taubman, former Houston Astros assistant general manager, was a 2019 addition to “the list.” Inappropriate comments and sign stealing were the charges. Mickey Callaway, former pitching coach of the Los Angeles Angels, was banned in 2021 after an investigation uncovered numerous allegations of sexual harassment. 

As far as actual players, the Manfred list is much shorter, but it includes a 2011 Hall of Famer. Roberto Alomar was banned in 2021 for sexual harassment, but he did not lose his place in Cooperstown. Could this eventually set a precedence for a reversed situation? Ferguson Jenkins of the Texas Rangers was banned and reinstated in 1980 for cocaine, hashish, and pot, but still made the Hall of Fame in 1991. Finally, in June of 2024, “San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned from baseball for life after betting on the sport and four others were suspended for one year by Major League Baseball on Tuesday in the game’s biggest gambling scandal in decades.”

In Manfred’s eyes, a Pete Rose reinstatement is still an “unacceptable risk to baseball.” Who’s the bad guy? Baseball doesn’t have the only Hall of Fame with an attitude. According to founder, bassist and primary songwriter Nikki Sixx, Motley Crue is banned from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame due to their “bad behavior.” There’s that “bad” word again!

 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Push-Ups #2485

August 29, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Push-ups were once my go-to exercise, easily able to knock-off a hundred at a time.  However, I haven’t tried to do one since my open-heart surgery seven months ago. Years ago, it would have gotten me through basic training if that had been part of my life. Give me 25, soldier! No problem, Sir, would have been my reply. “Can I do another?” It certainly got me through fraternity “Hell Week,” never hesitating to show off my strength. For the 15 consecutive years that I ran, I also did 100 push-ups every single morning. 

I’ve been going to the gym for months now, working out with some light weights on my arms and shoulders. There’s no longer the cautious feeling that my rib cage will crack again after it had been sawed in half. I was concerned about putting too much weight on my chest since my bones and cartilage still seemed to crackle and pop a bit. Lately, I’ve felt whole again, bumping up the weight on my overhead lifts. Slowly but surely, I’ll get my upper body strength back. 

This afternoon I finally decided to try a push-up. I was already on the floor using my forearms to stretch some back muscles. I friend of mine who’s a physical therapist suggested that I lay like that for a few minutes to help relieve my sciatica. While I was down there, I extended my arms into the familiar push-up position. Sadly, I was only able to do three, but maybe four tomorrow. It gives me a measure of how far I’ve regressed in that department. I’ll probably also be sore tomorrow, but it’s a beginning. I wonder if I’ll ever get back to doing a hundred every morning like elderly Mr. Kaufman of Englewood, Florida (about my age now) showed me in my teens. He inspired a lifetime of doing simple push-ups that suddenly aren’t so simple anymore. 

Old Sport Shorts: Bad Boy Hall of Fame Part 3 #2484

August 29, 2024 / / 0 Comments

The epitome of baseball bad boys are the infamous Chicago Black Sox. Most people know them as a group of eight, as it was in some cases probably guilt by association. There were obviously some good ball players in that group, evidenced by the fact that they made it to the 1919 World Series. It was also a time when baseball wasn’t scrutinized by an acting commissioner, perhaps easier to get away with a crime. It also undoubtedly spurred the need for an overall leader.

The guilty eight were officially banned from baseball in 1921 by Commissioner Kenesaw Landis, probably one of his first acts. As a result, none of them, of course, are in the Hall of Fame, despite their abilities to play the game or the accomplishments that they achieved. The unusual best-of-nine series against the Cincinnati Reds. Redland Field in Cincinnati and Comiskey Park Chicago were the venues involved. Hall of Fame umpire Billy Evans joins Edd Roush of the Reds and Eddie Collins, Red Faber, and Ray Schalk of the Sox in Cooperstown, although Schalk did not play. Dickie Kerr, already mentioned, was the ninth player involved but has been reinstated. 

The Sox team was essentially still intact from their 1917 Championship. World War I had taken a toll on the 1918 roster. Shoeless Joe Jackson was the unquestioned star. They were first known as the “Black Sox” because owner, Charles Comiskey, supposedly wouldn’t pay to have their uniforms laundered regularly and they consequently became blacker and blacker, as did their alleged indiscretions.  The first signs of trouble were when knuckleballer, Eddie Cicotte, lost his first two starts in the Series. One unsubstantiated story says that he grew bitter towards Comiskey, who denied him five starts toward the end of the season, ending his chances for a 30-win bonus. He went 29-7 on the season. Comiskey claims that he was saving his arm for the Series but may have selfishly saved himself $10,000 in the process, enough to certainly wash the unforms. Cicotte did win game #7, extending the Series. 

Chicago’s other ace, Lefty Williams, lost the other three games. It’s a World Series record that will probably never be broken by a starter. He finished the season 23-11 and saved a league-leading 40-games.

Chick Gandil was the mastermind and ringleader of the scandal and admitted his role and implicated others in the scandal via a 1956 Sports Illustrated interview and article. Fred McMullin was just a backup infielder, however, after hearing discussions about the take, he threatened disclosure unless included. The last living member of the scandal, and another ringleader, was shortstop Charles “Swede” Risberg who died in 1975. Centerfielder Happy Felsch hit and fielded poorly throughout the Series.

There are reasons to believe that “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was not involved, but rather in the wrong place at the wrong time.  His manager, Buck Weaver, was also controversially banned, having knowledge of the conspiracy but not reporting it. Weaver did successfully sue Charles Comiskey for his 1921 salary.  Once again, Comiskey was trying to save a buck, in this case from the real Buck. 

Next, we’ll cover the other Commissioners and their impact on keeping the game clean and respectable.

  •  

Old Sport Shorts: Bad Boys Hall of Fame Part 2 #2483

August 29, 2024 / / 0 Comments

See Post #2476  for an introduction.

My proposed Hall of Shame, within the Hall of Fame, would be like purgatory, waiting to get into Heaven as the case is debated. Baseball Commissioners have proven to be stubborn with their decisions. However, future circumstances might dictate these fallen player’s eligibility back in baseball, just as the Armando Gallarraga 28-out game (ruled out of a perfect game on the last out) eventually spurred the addition of replay and continues to be discussed. It opened eyes! Who knows, maybe a future commissioner will see the difference between good players and bad actions?

There were several “bad” players unofficially banned from baseball before the creation of the office of Commissioner of Baseball in 1921. They later had their bans made “official” by baseball’s first Commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who made it clear that gambling would not be tolerated. Landis barred a total of nineteen people during his tenure, five more than all of his successors combined. Of the nineteen, two were re-instated by Landis, one was re-instated by a successor and sixteen remain banned.

Long before Landis came to power and dating back to 1865, Thomas Devyr, Ed Duffy, and William Wansley of the New York Mutuals were banned for associating with known gamblers. John Radcliff of the Chicago White Stockings was banned in 1874 after attempting to bribe an umpire. The White Stockings, predecessors of the Cubs, were prohibited from using “Chicago” as part of their name beginning in 1900. The city of Chicago was soon to become the poster child for bad behavior in baseball. 

All of these early players were eventually reinstated. George Bechtel of the National League Louisville Grays was banned in 1876 for conspiring to intentionally lose a game and never reinstated. His teammates, Jim Devlin, George Hall, Al Nichols, and Bill Craver followed in 1877 and were also never reinstated. Fellow NL competitor Lip Pike of Worchester arose suspicions for his play in 1881, and was banned, blacklisted, then finally reinstated in 1883. 

As for non-players before the Landis regime, bans were issued to umpire Dick Higham in 1882 for conspiracy, New York Giants team physician Joseph Marie Creamer, III for bribery, St. Louis Browns managers Jack O’Connor and Henry Howell for attempting to fix the outcome of the 1910 American League batting title, and the 1912 Philadelphia Phillies owner, Horace Fogel for asserting that umpires were making unfair calls against his team. The are no records of reinstatement for any of these men.  

Henry Zimmerman, also known as “Heinie” or “The Great Zim” was another famous case. He played third base for the Chicago Cubs and New York Giants, winning the National League triple crown in 1912.  He was banned for fixing games with suspicion arising after his poor performance in the 1917 World Series. This was two years before the Black Sox scandal, but it took another two years for it to become official by Landis in 1921, following the trial testimony of his manager John Mcgraw, who was reluctant to turn him in.  

Joe “Moon” Harris of the Cleveland Indians was banned in 1920 when he chose to play for an independent team rather than the Indians, violating the reserve clause. This proved to be simply breaking the rules but not the law, and he was justifiably reinstated by Commissioner Landis in 1922, in part for his service during WW II. Another non-gambling related ban occurred back in 1877, when Oscar Walker was accused of “contract jumping” by signing to play for another team while still under contract to the team he left. This was 98-years prior to free agency, another example of how time changes the rules.

The following year, Hal Chase of the New York Giants was banned for gambling with accusations extending back to 1910. This indiscretion also cost him a managerial position. He was also suspended in 1918 by Reds manager Christy Mathewson for fixing games and traded to the Giants. By the end of the 1919 season, NL president John Heydler disclosed evidence of Chase bribing players on other teams and had him blackballed, so neither league would touch him. 1921 was a bad year to face Commissioner Landis. Joe Gedeon of the St. Louis Browns, and Eugene Paulette of the Philadelphia Phillies, Lee Magee of the Chicago Cubs were all banned for conspiring or associating with known gamblers. Heinie Groh of the Cincinnati Reds was banned for two-days before agreeing contract salary terms. Play or face lifetime banishment was Landis’ ultimatum. On the criminal side, Bennie Kauff of the New York Giants was banned for selling stolen cars. Even though he was acquitted, the Judge considered him “no longer a fit companion for other ball players.” Ray Fisher of the Reds violated his contract by accepting a coaching position at the University of Michigan, Landis ruled. Bowie Kuhn reversed this decision in 1980, following the death of Landis.

In 1922, Dickie Kerr of the White Sox, one of the “Clean Sox,” was banned for violating the reserve clause in his contract and was reinstated three-years later. Also, Phil Douglas of the New York Giants received a Landis ban for allegedly threatening to “jump” the team for the pennant stretch to spite coach McGraw. Judge Landis was obviously a no-nonsense strict ruler, and players began to fall in line after his first year in office. 

1923 was quiet but in 1924, Jimmy O’Connell of the New York Giants and his coach, Cozy Dolan, were both banned for bribing a Phillies shortstop. William D. Cox, the owner of the Phillies, was the last living person banned by Landis in 1943 for betting. Landis seemed to feast on Philly owners.

In his most celebrated case, Judge Landis officially went to work on the eight players of the Chicago White Sox. All were banned in 1921 for conspiring with gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series, known as the Black Sox scandal. We’ll get into that in the next installment. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: New Printer #2482

August 28, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I finally realized that I could buy a brand-new printer for less than the cost of replacing the ink cartridges in the old one. I probably should have done this a year ago, but I couldn’t believe this was possible. Plus, the new printer fits in my custom cabinets, whereas the old printer was too big. Win…win. I was naturally expecting a set-up hassles, but that too went smoothly, and I got three months of free ink and paper delivered to my door. Technology can be wonderful. 

I’ve had a couple of glitches when printing over the past few days, but these were strictly operator error. Old guy…new printer. I really don’t do that much printing anymore since we no longer distribute color flyers for neighborhood parties to all 80 homes. Instead, we bought a sandwich-board sign that sits at the entrance to the street. Over the past few days, I’ve printed a photo and my Arby’s gift certificate that I got for my birthday. Jamocha shakes are my favorite. My wife also needed certification certificates printed for her substitute work at school. This is what started the whole need for color ink and inspired me to buy this printer. 

It’s amazing how excited you can get these retirement days over simply buying something new. 
We resist having to replace things but sometimes this can save money and frustration in the long run. Often times with the old printer, the wireless function wouldn’t work, and I would have to install a cable directly to the computer to get the desired output. This hassle has been eliminated at a savings. 

Sciatica is probably my biggest hassle these days. It continues to flare-up, especially in the morning and evening. However, in the course of my birthday conversations yesterday, I found several friends that have much greater sufferings. I’m fortunate that my heart surgery was a planned procedure rather than an emergency and that my hand tremors are not Parkinson’s related. My old-age ills are minimal and any complaints unjustified. After all, I have a new printer!

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Another Birthday #2481

August 27, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I’m celebrating a 73rd birthday today, low key, and I wish I could say that I felt like a teenager. I do, only when I’m sitting down like this.  The sciatica villain took it easy on my leg this morning, so I didn’t have to hobble my way into the chair. It seems to be just a matter of sitting on a firmer chair in the evening, not the couch, and not sleeping on my left side. We’ll have Big Mike’s Pizza tonight and watch some more episodes of Reacher, no parties or exotic excursions this year. We did just get back from a 4,000-mile road trip that took me to my 50th state, Maine. 

My wife is substituting today, so dog duty falls to me. I’ll load Tally and Fosse into the golf cart, take them a few blocks to the park, and let them romp with their friends for a half-hour or more. Then, I’ll go to my weekly chair yoga class and work out at the fitness center. I also have a couple landscaping projects to do this afternoon, so a dip in the pool will be necessary to get the grime off. I’m also expecting a couple birthday calls and might not have time for a nap.

I’m home, here in Venice, until probably February when we go to the Keys for a few days. We’ll take the high-speed ferry out of Ft. Myers. My wife seems content with doing a solo flight out to Oakland to visit her daughter, and hosting some of her high school classmates for a week in March. While they take over the house, I will have to take refuge at my son’s house. Nothing else is yet planned, although there’s talk of doing another long drive up through Wisconsin and into the Dakotas to complete her fifty-state quest. The rest of the unexplored world is on hold. 

For me, it’s just another birthday, something I’ve taken for granted every year. However, here’s to all of those I’ve known in life that weren’t as fortunate to live as long as me. I see you in my dreams and hope there is yet a future together. It’s been a remarkable 73-years, but I won’t wish for 73 more.  

Old Sport Shorts: 100 losses #2480

August 26, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I guess I really know how to pick ’em, but how can I blame the 8-year-old child that fell in love with the Chicago White Sox 65-years ago in 1959. However, the 2024 version now needs to go 12-19 the remainder of the season to avoid tying the 1962 New York Mets (40-120-1) for the modern major league record for most losses in a season. They currently stand at an embarrassing 31-100 (.236). Thankfully, they will fall short of the all-time record held by the Cleveland Spiders, who finished 20-134 (.129) in 1899. History tells us just how bad this team has been after already losing their 100th game of this season at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. Only the 1916 Philadelphia A’s, who were 29-100-1 (.223), reached 100 losses in fewer games than the White Sox. 

My stinking Sox have lost 100 or more games six times in franchise history and now in consecutive seasons for the first time. They went 61-101 last season under manager Pedro Grifol, who was fired Aug. 8. They are currently 3-11 under interim replacement Grady Sizemore. Their worst losing season was in 1970 when they lost 106-games, soon to be surpassed. You then have to go back to 1932 to find a worst winning percentage with the 49-102-1 (.325) club.

I understand that there is a Bill Veeck-like promotion where the first five people in line will make the starting lineup in an upcoming White Sox game. Veeck did things like this to attract crowds back in the day (See Post #257). Speaking of this, I was finally able to see a Savannah Bananas game in its entirety thanks to TruTV. I’ve obviously seen highlights of this spectacle that I liken to the Harlem Globetrotter shenanigans of my childhood. The closest thing in person that I’ve seen are the Portland Pickles, who play a serious brand of baseball but engage in extensive crowd antics. This is what attracts the crowds to the Minor League parks these days.

On a more serious note, my current favorite active MLB player, outside of Kyle Schwarber, is Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers, even though I can’t say that the Dodgers are my favorite team. Japanese-star, Ohtani, has joined the elite 40-40 club, a group of batters, currently six, who have collected 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a single season. There are still 31-games to go before the playoffs and Ohtani has done it in the fewest number of games. The club also includes Jose Conseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alphonso Soriano, and Ronald Acuna, Jr.

Last but not least, Florida won it first-ever Little League World Series. The team from Lake Mary “needed to win four elimination games and come from behind in both the semi-finals and finals to secure the championship, but thanks to a perfect bunt and a defensive miscue, they won it all.” They beat Chinese Taipei 2-1 in Williamsport. These are some future stars that the White Sox desperately need.

 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Lazy Sunday #2479

August 25, 2024 / / 0 Comments

A neighbor of mine who is still recovering from hip surgery exclaimed: “I think we need to be walking on all fours after age 70.” I certainly felt that way this morning as I struggled to take the dogs out this morning. I had an ice bag on my thigh while leaning on my “rain cane,” and ultimately crawling back in the front door. The dogs felt I was one of their own but could tell I was in miserable pain. It wasn’t seventy that got me – it was seventy-two. 

It was such a relief to plop breathlessly in my office chair, once they had their treats, of course. My wife will soon awake and take them to the dog park. There was no one around to witness my painfully pitiful efforts and soon I will be at the fitness center like nothing happened. The sciatica pain and stiffness comes and goes throughout the day. Tomorrow, I go to the doctor again with another plea for an MRI. I had a record five medical appointments last week and took our puppy to the vet, just so I could wait in another waiting room. These visits were not just about the sciatica and included a neurologist, urologist, and cardiologist. Too many “ists”!

Last night was date night and we went to Barb & Ken’s in nearby Englewood. I had meat loaf, an appropriate dish for the way I feel. I’m trying to work off some weight dealing with limited mobility, so we at least stayed away from dessert.  The stationary bike, rowing machine, and treadmill do not burn off the calories for me like running used to do. Running took about 45-minutes while I spend about 75-minutes at the gym with little impact on my waistline. Post-surgery inactivity and our 20-day excursion of breaded tenderloins, wings, lobster, and pizza put about twelve extra pounds on my frame. As a result, shirts are a little tight and flab a bit excessive. 

I’ll finish this blog post and head to the exercise room. The Hungarian Grand Prix will be on the TV near the stationary bike, so between that and a game of solitaire on the digital screen, the time will pass quicker than the calories. I’ll also probably spend some time in our pool today. The cool water feels good on my sore back and a good tan makes me look better than I feel. I’ll monitor my blood pressure, as instructed by the doctor, for additional entertainment. Little else is planned for this lazy Sunday. 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Rain Cane #2478

August 24, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I’m officially an old man, sinking to a new LOW this morning. I had to use an umbrella as a makeshift cane to take the dogs out this morning as the sciatica made my left leg both painful and useless. I named it the “rain cane,” close relative of the “sky walker” that I used briefly after heart surgery. It’s these early morning hours that are the toughest, before I have a chance to let the ice pack soothe the fire that shoots down my nerve. Once I get over the first, miserable couple of hours, it will loosen up and I’ll go to the fitness center for 45-minutes on the stationary bicycle, 10-minutes on the rowing machine, and a mile walk on the treadmill with the support of the side rails. All of these exercises I can do without pain since my lower back is supported. But enough about lows – let’s focus on highs!

I grew up in flat old Northern Indiana, where the highest elevation was at the top of a tree. I was not a climber so two feet on level ground was always my comfort zone. I tried to avoid going to the top of the monkey bars at recess while other kids seemed to relish that hanging thrill. It’s probably good that I started out in “low country” and then eventually worked my way up the mountains.

In actuality, the highest point in my home state of Indiana is naturally named “Hoosier Hill,” elevation of 1,257 ft. Trains also like to run on flat surfaces and there were certainly plenty of those running through town with the Robert Young Yards in my backyard. It was where freight cars were sorted or “classified to make new trains according to destination.”  When first constructed in 1958, seven years after I was born, it was a 675-acre operation that had 109-tracks and could classify up to 3,500 cars a day. By the way, did I mention that we went to see Train and REO Speedwagon this week? That was a high, in fact you could smell it in the air. 

At one point in life, I moved just over the state line into Michigan where it got just a little hillier. In fact, it was about a six-hour drive to some great ski areas where I lost some of my fear of heights riding the lifts. However, I still held on with a death grip. Mt. Arvon in the Upper Peninsula is still Michigan’s highest point standing at 1,979 feet. It is located in the rugged backwoods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Mount Bohemia is nearby – still pretty flat. Michigan ski areas, like popular Boyne Mountain, are therefore distinguished by acres not vertical drop. 

Our next move was to Illinois, even flatter, and on the drive in from neighboring Indiana we could see forever, unless the cornstalk tassels got in the way. Charles Mound is the highest natural point in Illinois at 1,235 feet above sea level. We never did do any skiing in Illinois, but I’m sure there were some small resorts like in Indiana where it was 30-seconds down and an hour up after waiting in line. The lifts were still scary, even in low country. 

Then came Texas, known for the dusty prairies, but does boast Guadalupe Peak with a towering elevation of 8,751 feet – now we’re talking. We lived in the city of Austin; its highest point is Mount Bonnell that peaks at 785 feet 1 inch – in cowboy boots with heals. There is very little snow in Texas and when it rarely does, it’s like a demolition derby on the roadways. Obviously, no skiing in Texas, except on water.

We found that “Rocky Mountain High” on our way through Colorado while driving to our next home. Mount Elbert is the tallest at a whopping 14,438, the second highest in the contiguous states, although I never skied there.  I had already swooshed at Monarch, Breckenridge, Steamboat, Mount Hood, Arapahoe, and Keystone, but never actually lived in Colorado for more than a week at a time. It was onward to Oregon. 

Portland was our last West Coast stop. Nearby Mount Hood topped out at 11,239 feet, so I could ski there any winter day. On a clear day walking through our neighborhood, we could see five peaks. It was also easy to get high in the state since pot was legal. However, it rained all the time and had no warm beaches, so it was never our choice for retirement. 

At last, we hit our lowest level in life! Florida’s highest point is only 345 feet at the summit of Britton Hill near Lakewood. However, there are lots of highs by living in our resort-style neighborhood. Skiing, of course, is miles away, but I would still like to fulfil my “70+ Ski Club” badge. My last ski day was on April 3, 2018, and I ran the two-day “Hood to Coast” relay for the final time, August 25, 2017, almost 7 years to this day.  Both of these highs seemed far out of reach as I hobbled on my “rain cane” this morning. Hopefully, I’ll reach other highs, despite living in such a low State. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

« Older posts Newer posts »

Contact Us

© 2024 johnstonwrites.com

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑