My life is one blessing after another. After toiling in relative obscurity for a couple of months, struggling with templates and other tech mishmash, I am humbled to announce that this CubTracker has been invited to bring his perspective to a well established and respected consortium of Cub Bloggers. Please check us out at View From the Bleachers. The link can be found to your immediate right just below the profile box.
I love to write and this is what I will be able to do over at The View. They already have someone who is actually qualified in all things computer. The Friday feature Thru Cub Eyes will continue as well.
Thank you for your support. See you at View From The Bleachers!
Tracking the Cubs through every peak and valley of the bane of their existence.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Grace and Law
My favorite t-shirt of all time boldly proclaims
Two passions intersecting at the nexus of my life. One faith. One team. This is an honest attempt to fuse the two.
An epiphany. Cub fans can learn some pretty good theology if they pay attention to the lineup. I will explain in a bit.
Writing to the churches in the region of Galatia, Paul pulls out all the stops to get the idea across that followers of Jesus Christ should live by faith and not by Jewish law the way they did before they trusted Christ as Lord and Savior. He reminds them that long long ago God made a binding agreement, a covenant, with Abraham.
The Covenant was that God would bless the whole world thru him. This blessing is identified as salvation by Grace thru faith alone.
No mention is made of the Law whatsoever. What does Abraham have to do in order to receive this special gift of God’s grace? Nothing. Just trust God that He will keep His promise. The moment Abraham had to do something to receive the promise, Grace would not be a gift but a wage and there is a big difference between the two.
We struggle with this concept. We don’t like being beholden to anybody, including God. If we can feel like we worked for something, then it is truly ours.
This is an ancient concept, this idea of Grace. The Law arrived on the scene in the days of Moses, long after Abraham. And I always thought Grace came way after law.
This is where the Cubs really helped me to understand. Remember when the Cubs brought up a promising young first baseman named Mark Grace? We all do. We’re Cub fans.
A couple years later, then they got a third baseman named Vance Law. Got it? Law at third, Grace at first. Law and Grace.
If memory serves, Grace always batted before Law. Law came after Grace. I used to think it somewhat backward, that Law should bat before Grace to keep my theology straight. But it didn’t make good baseball sense and eventually I cam to realize that the Cubs had it right theologically all along. In baseball and the Bible Grace always comes before Law.
Permit me, please to stretch this analogy a bit further. When Vance Law joined the team he did not try to take Mark Grace’s place. They were on the same team at the same time. Grace was there before Law put on a Cubs uniform. He was there while Law played as a Cub and Grace remained there long after folks forgot the name of Vance Law.
What Paul is telling the Galatians in chapter three, verses 15-25 is that the Grace of God was alive and well long before the Law of Moses was in existence. The Law did not cancel out Grace, it did not take its place. And after the Law had served it purpose, Grace is still around and that is how God saves His children. We are saved by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ.
Finally, I implore you to indulge me and allow one more parallel between these two passions of mine. If Vance Law could have carried the team to victory without Grace, the Cubs may have tried. But Law couldn’t. He didn’t even try. That wasn’t his purpose. Law and Grace shared a common purpose, to win the World Series crown.
Paul in essence tells his readers in verses 21-24 that the purpose of the Law of Moses shares a common goal with Grace – spiritual victory. The crown of righteousness!
Our Lord didn’t let Abraham down. He is a true and faithful God whose love for you is infinite. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die in our place on the cross. Receive the gift of His grace today.
Please e-mail me at hoosierev@yahoo.com if you have any questions and thank you for allowing me this time to bring together at one time and place these two loves of my life, Jesus Christ and the Chicago Cubs.
Christ is Life
Everything Else is Baseball
Everything Else is Baseball
Two passions intersecting at the nexus of my life. One faith. One team. This is an honest attempt to fuse the two.
An epiphany. Cub fans can learn some pretty good theology if they pay attention to the lineup. I will explain in a bit.
Writing to the churches in the region of Galatia, Paul pulls out all the stops to get the idea across that followers of Jesus Christ should live by faith and not by Jewish law the way they did before they trusted Christ as Lord and Savior. He reminds them that long long ago God made a binding agreement, a covenant, with Abraham.
The Covenant was that God would bless the whole world thru him. This blessing is identified as salvation by Grace thru faith alone.
No mention is made of the Law whatsoever. What does Abraham have to do in order to receive this special gift of God’s grace? Nothing. Just trust God that He will keep His promise. The moment Abraham had to do something to receive the promise, Grace would not be a gift but a wage and there is a big difference between the two.
We struggle with this concept. We don’t like being beholden to anybody, including God. If we can feel like we worked for something, then it is truly ours.
This is an ancient concept, this idea of Grace. The Law arrived on the scene in the days of Moses, long after Abraham. And I always thought Grace came way after law.
This is where the Cubs really helped me to understand. Remember when the Cubs brought up a promising young first baseman named Mark Grace? We all do. We’re Cub fans.
A couple years later, then they got a third baseman named Vance Law. Got it? Law at third, Grace at first. Law and Grace.
If memory serves, Grace always batted before Law. Law came after Grace. I used to think it somewhat backward, that Law should bat before Grace to keep my theology straight. But it didn’t make good baseball sense and eventually I cam to realize that the Cubs had it right theologically all along. In baseball and the Bible Grace always comes before Law.
Permit me, please to stretch this analogy a bit further. When Vance Law joined the team he did not try to take Mark Grace’s place. They were on the same team at the same time. Grace was there before Law put on a Cubs uniform. He was there while Law played as a Cub and Grace remained there long after folks forgot the name of Vance Law.
What Paul is telling the Galatians in chapter three, verses 15-25 is that the Grace of God was alive and well long before the Law of Moses was in existence. The Law did not cancel out Grace, it did not take its place. And after the Law had served it purpose, Grace is still around and that is how God saves His children. We are saved by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ.
Finally, I implore you to indulge me and allow one more parallel between these two passions of mine. If Vance Law could have carried the team to victory without Grace, the Cubs may have tried. But Law couldn’t. He didn’t even try. That wasn’t his purpose. Law and Grace shared a common purpose, to win the World Series crown.
Paul in essence tells his readers in verses 21-24 that the purpose of the Law of Moses shares a common goal with Grace – spiritual victory. The crown of righteousness!
Our Lord didn’t let Abraham down. He is a true and faithful God whose love for you is infinite. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die in our place on the cross. Receive the gift of His grace today.
Please e-mail me at hoosierev@yahoo.com if you have any questions and thank you for allowing me this time to bring together at one time and place these two loves of my life, Jesus Christ and the Chicago Cubs.
My Mom & the Big Red Machine
Dear Mom,
Today is Mother’s Day so I thought I’d reminisce a little. Thanks for doing your best as a mother. You are only as good as the material you have to work with and I have to say you and Dad did great with us 5 boys.
Remember that time in 1975 when just the two of us went to Cincinnati for a couple of days? Dad and Brad went on a fishing trip and you knew how much I hate to fish so we set off and lo and behold we ended up at Riverfront Stadium for a double-header with the Cubs! I was 16 at the time and lived Cub baseball.
For some reason we didn’t get tickets ahead of time so we ended up sitting near the very top of the stadium and couldn’t tell a fly ball from a grounder. Remember how the sea gulls flew below us? The attendance that day was over 50,000. remember the lines to the bathrooms? So do I!
1975, wow. This was the year the Cubs had Bill Madlock, Rick Monday, Jose Cardenal, Manny Trillo and Pete LaCock. Meanwhile, the Big Red Machine was at full steam. Bench, Rose, Morgan, Tony Perez (as far as I know, no relation to Neifi) and just for kicks, Pedro Borbon.
Do you remember who pitched for the Cubs in game one, Mom? That’s right, Rick Reuschel, the ace of the staff. He almost won that game too, tossing a 4-hitter. He lost 2-1 on a Johnny Bench home run late in the game. The Cubs had bases loaded in the ninth but just couldn’t get that big hit when they needed it the most. I guess some things never change.
Mom, the second game was also a bust as the Cubs lost 8-5. the Reds’ bats woke up and smoked a tandem of Cub pitchers with names like Zahn (No, Mom, not Warren Spahn, I said Zahn) and Zamora and Watt and Frailing. I wonder what Oscar Zamora is doing today.
Well, Mom, I had a good time and I think that’s all you cared about. I’m sure it wasn’t your idea of an exciting way to relax and enjoy yourself but you were there for me and I will never forget it. In fact, don’t tell anyone but the best part was just being with you.
I love you.
Your Momma’s Boy,
Tommy
Today is Mother’s Day so I thought I’d reminisce a little. Thanks for doing your best as a mother. You are only as good as the material you have to work with and I have to say you and Dad did great with us 5 boys.
Remember that time in 1975 when just the two of us went to Cincinnati for a couple of days? Dad and Brad went on a fishing trip and you knew how much I hate to fish so we set off and lo and behold we ended up at Riverfront Stadium for a double-header with the Cubs! I was 16 at the time and lived Cub baseball.
For some reason we didn’t get tickets ahead of time so we ended up sitting near the very top of the stadium and couldn’t tell a fly ball from a grounder. Remember how the sea gulls flew below us? The attendance that day was over 50,000. remember the lines to the bathrooms? So do I!
1975, wow. This was the year the Cubs had Bill Madlock, Rick Monday, Jose Cardenal, Manny Trillo and Pete LaCock. Meanwhile, the Big Red Machine was at full steam. Bench, Rose, Morgan, Tony Perez (as far as I know, no relation to Neifi) and just for kicks, Pedro Borbon.
Do you remember who pitched for the Cubs in game one, Mom? That’s right, Rick Reuschel, the ace of the staff. He almost won that game too, tossing a 4-hitter. He lost 2-1 on a Johnny Bench home run late in the game. The Cubs had bases loaded in the ninth but just couldn’t get that big hit when they needed it the most. I guess some things never change.
Mom, the second game was also a bust as the Cubs lost 8-5. the Reds’ bats woke up and smoked a tandem of Cub pitchers with names like Zahn (No, Mom, not Warren Spahn, I said Zahn) and Zamora and Watt and Frailing. I wonder what Oscar Zamora is doing today.
Well, Mom, I had a good time and I think that’s all you cared about. I’m sure it wasn’t your idea of an exciting way to relax and enjoy yourself but you were there for me and I will never forget it. In fact, don’t tell anyone but the best part was just being with you.
I love you.
Your Momma’s Boy,
Tommy
Friday, May 06, 2005
Break Up the Brewers!
It’s not nice to toy with a Cub fan’s emotions like this. The only saving grace with Thursday’s 6-5 loss to the Brewers is that it was played in early May and not late September with the division or wild card was on the line. Otherwise I’d be writing this post from a nearby trauma ward.
Roller Coasters, Yo-Yos, what else gets jerked around, oh yeah, my emotional well-being while watching this game.
Hey, Cedeno gets his first home run!
Maddux surrenders runs in the first three frames.
All right, Ramirez leads off the 6th with a double!
Lee & Burnitz fail to advance the runner.
Wow! Nice homer, Michael Barrett! Tied game.
Uh oh. Helms first career at bat against Greg, home run. Brewers up 4-3.
Two on, nobody out in the Cub 8th!
Barrett’s sac bunt is just a fielder’s choice and Hollandsworth strikes out (and by arguing, gets tossed, giving Dusty the chance to put in Macias).
Ben Grieve shines again, driving in Burnitz and the game is again tied!
Weurtz gets hammered by Moeller. Brewers ahead by one.
Down to their last out in the 9th, Aramis homers! Tied game again!
Bottom of the 9th, LaTroy pitching, an infield hit, a sac bunt (paying attention, MB?) and a bloop just out of Hairston’s reach. Hit the showers, boys. Get ready for the Phillies.
In retrospect, my feelings are more ambivalent than hurt. Guess I can now join the Todd Hollandsworth fan club.
Roller Coasters, Yo-Yos, what else gets jerked around, oh yeah, my emotional well-being while watching this game.
Hey, Cedeno gets his first home run!
Maddux surrenders runs in the first three frames.
All right, Ramirez leads off the 6th with a double!
Lee & Burnitz fail to advance the runner.
Wow! Nice homer, Michael Barrett! Tied game.
Uh oh. Helms first career at bat against Greg, home run. Brewers up 4-3.
Two on, nobody out in the Cub 8th!
Barrett’s sac bunt is just a fielder’s choice and Hollandsworth strikes out (and by arguing, gets tossed, giving Dusty the chance to put in Macias).
Ben Grieve shines again, driving in Burnitz and the game is again tied!
Weurtz gets hammered by Moeller. Brewers ahead by one.
Down to their last out in the 9th, Aramis homers! Tied game again!
Bottom of the 9th, LaTroy pitching, an infield hit, a sac bunt (paying attention, MB?) and a bloop just out of Hairston’s reach. Hit the showers, boys. Get ready for the Phillies.
In retrospect, my feelings are more ambivalent than hurt. Guess I can now join the Todd Hollandsworth fan club.
Thru Cub Eyes: Randy Hundley
Every Friday we peek into Cub History by selecting one player to tell us how it was in his own words. Banks, Kessinger, Beckert and Billy Williams have already been featured. These are excerpts from Carrie Muskat’s fine anthology Banks to Sandberg to Grace. Be sure to add this volume to your vast collection of fine Cub Literature.
My sense in ’69 was that we didn’t have enough pitching. I think, in retrospect – at the time we didn’t know anything about it – but I think Leo could’ve used his bench a little better. I think he could’ve used Paul Popovich at all the infield positions a little more to give all the guys a little break. He probably could’ve put somebody behind the plate for me a couple times. In ’69 I caught 155, 154 games. That’s a lot of ballgames. They’re not games I went in to substitute for. They were complete ballgames.
Todd had it on at a mighty young age. I don’t think he knew I was a player. I’ll never forget coming off a road trip in Cincinnati. It was like his fourth or fifth birthday, and my wife had signed him up for T-ball. I said, “What position did he sign up for?”
She said “He wants to be a catcher.” I don’t think he knew I was a catcher.
He knew he wanted to be a ballplayer when he was two. He constantly had a ball and glove in his hand. I was that way as a kid myself. My blood cells and Todd’s blood cells have baseball written all over them.
Todd and I used to work on a lot of fundamentals in our backyard. I used to throw balls to him in the dirt and he’d cry. I said to him “You told me you want to be a ballplayer, and if you do you’ve got to learn this stuff.” He worked hard at it as a kid.
Physically, I think people understand, but mentally I don’t think people comprehend what it’s like being behind the plate and trying to get a pitcher through a ballgame. Some days you just say, “This is going to be a long day,” and somehow or another you get through it. All the pitchers get all the glory for it.
My sense in ’69 was that we didn’t have enough pitching. I think, in retrospect – at the time we didn’t know anything about it – but I think Leo could’ve used his bench a little better. I think he could’ve used Paul Popovich at all the infield positions a little more to give all the guys a little break. He probably could’ve put somebody behind the plate for me a couple times. In ’69 I caught 155, 154 games. That’s a lot of ballgames. They’re not games I went in to substitute for. They were complete ballgames.
Todd had it on at a mighty young age. I don’t think he knew I was a player. I’ll never forget coming off a road trip in Cincinnati. It was like his fourth or fifth birthday, and my wife had signed him up for T-ball. I said, “What position did he sign up for?”
She said “He wants to be a catcher.” I don’t think he knew I was a catcher.
He knew he wanted to be a ballplayer when he was two. He constantly had a ball and glove in his hand. I was that way as a kid myself. My blood cells and Todd’s blood cells have baseball written all over them.
Todd and I used to work on a lot of fundamentals in our backyard. I used to throw balls to him in the dirt and he’d cry. I said to him “You told me you want to be a ballplayer, and if you do you’ve got to learn this stuff.” He worked hard at it as a kid.
Physically, I think people understand, but mentally I don’t think people comprehend what it’s like being behind the plate and trying to get a pitcher through a ballgame. Some days you just say, “This is going to be a long day,” and somehow or another you get through it. All the pitchers get all the glory for it.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
C’mon, Let's Everybody Sing - - -
Twas beginning to look a lot like Christmas
On Wednesday night
A wild pitch scores Lee,
the Brewer one, you see
Now bases full in the bottom of the ninth!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Without all the fun.
But what does Dusty care?
“Let’s throw the kid out there!
So what if he walks in the winning run?”
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
For Milwaukee town
But Cubby fans are sad
This team can’t be this bad!
Please oh please, do not let us down!
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Best Kept Secret – Victor Santos
Why haven’t I heard of this guy? Tonite’s Cubkiller (Yes, I am predicting a 4th consecutive loss sending the CBA to an even deeper level of despair and disgust) is Brewer hurler Victor Santos. He has been flying below the radar screen all year. Cub fans should salivate if somehow Hendry could pull off a deal that puts Santos in Cubby Blue.
If he was in the American League I would snatch him up on my fantasy team faster than Dusty Baker can say “Macias, grab a bat!”
I’m not looking at anything but this year. If I considered every other season’s performance I wouldn’t be touting Neifi so highly. Players can improve from one season to the next. So far Victor has had several quality starts. Only a miscue against the Cardinals (and they tend to mar a pitcher’s record) blemishes his 2005 output.
After four starts this year (and one short relief stint), Vic is 1-1 with a snappy 3.25 era. He is also holding batters to an anemic .200 average, good enough for 5th in the National League. His 1.01 WHIP ranks 6th in the league.
Santos faced the Cubs on April 10th and outpitched Greg Maddux but neither got a decision as the game went 12 innings, Cubs winning 6-5. He surrendered 3 hits and 4 walks. Hollandsworth, Burnitz and Ramirez were all hot that day.
I hope I am wrong. But Santos is going to do very well this evening, I suspect.
If he was in the American League I would snatch him up on my fantasy team faster than Dusty Baker can say “Macias, grab a bat!”
I’m not looking at anything but this year. If I considered every other season’s performance I wouldn’t be touting Neifi so highly. Players can improve from one season to the next. So far Victor has had several quality starts. Only a miscue against the Cardinals (and they tend to mar a pitcher’s record) blemishes his 2005 output.
After four starts this year (and one short relief stint), Vic is 1-1 with a snappy 3.25 era. He is also holding batters to an anemic .200 average, good enough for 5th in the National League. His 1.01 WHIP ranks 6th in the league.
Santos faced the Cubs on April 10th and outpitched Greg Maddux but neither got a decision as the game went 12 innings, Cubs winning 6-5. He surrendered 3 hits and 4 walks. Hollandsworth, Burnitz and Ramirez were all hot that day.
I hope I am wrong. But Santos is going to do very well this evening, I suspect.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
All-Star Write In SS Neifi Perez
I've been driving the Nifty Neifi Bandwagon from the start unlike other CBA soldiers so this campaign came out of the blue, Bleed Cubbie Blue & The Cub Reporter that is. I am including Rob Glowacki’s post in its entirety. Let's do it, Cub fans. Make Neifi an All-Star!
A Call To Arms: All-Star Neifi
by Rob Glowacki
“There comes a time when all the cosmic tumblers have clicked into place and the universe opens itself up for a few seconds to show you what’s possible.”
— Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) actually quoting Terence Mann (James Earl Jones) in “Field of Dreams”
I think we as Cubs fans are in the midst of such an extraordinary moment of time. A moment none of us expected, a moment in which we can embrace and unite to do something so extraordinary that our children’s children’s children will one day speak of us glowingly.
I am, of course, talking about writing-in Neifi Perez as shortstop on the National League All-Star team.
The Cub Reporter, in partnership with Bleed Cubbie Blue, would like every single Cub fan out there to write-in Neifi Perez as the starting shortstop of the National League. Apathy is not an option here folks. This is a call to arms, a call to all Cubs fans to rise and be heard, to flex our collective muscle and rock the baseball world.
Some of you may think that this is one of the greatest reversals of direction since Moises Alou was last picked off of second base, as we here at TCR have been (how to put this delicately), a bit critical of Neifi at times. Well to that we say a) lighten up and b) sponsorship of the "Write-in Neifi" campaign in no way shields Neifi Perez from future scorn. We all need a bit of levity in our lives and this is one such opportunity.
Some simple guidelines to follow when entering your ballot:
1) If you want to save time, skip over the AL Ballot.
2) Do not choose a SS by accident from the NL list, leave it blank. Sorry, Nomar!
3) Voting for other Cubbies is strongly encouraged.
4) In the write-in section of the online ballot, ‘Neifi’ for First Name, ‘Perez’ for Last Name, ‘Chicago Cubs’ from the Select Club drop-down list, SS from the Select Position drop-down list. Do not enter Neifi at second and shortstop as you risk getting your ballot rejected.
5) The online ballot auto-fills your picks based on your last picks, which should make it go by real fast. I entered 25 votes in about 10-15 minutes.
6) Do it from work, home, friends computers, public libraries, etc. Spread the word, carry signs into Wrigley (and if you do, get a picture and we’ll put it up on the site), force family members, co-workers, whatever it takes.
There you have it, go vote and once you do, drop a note in the comments or send an email as I’ll keep a counter on the site somewhere. So far I voted 49 times (screwed up once), plus what appeared to be another 100 votes from others when I mentioned this on Friday, added to whatever Al got over at Bleed Cubbie Blue. There are at least 2,000 visitors here a day which would get us to 50,000 votes right there. And yes we expect everyone one of you to vote. Then we expect you all to vote again when you go to the ballpark and tell everyone within hearing distance to do the same. Then do it again from either home or work depending on where you first cast your ballot and then continue to spread the word until there’s no one willing to talk to you anymore. And for those who think it’s impossible and a waste of time, Steve Garvey and Rico Carty were both write-in starters in the 70's and I think with the advent of the Internet, a write-in campaign is even more feasible nowadays.
To (sort of) quote Arlo Guthrie:
"You know, if one person, just one person goes to mlb.com and writes in Neifi Perez for shortstop, they may think he's really sick...if three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people clickin' in, voting for Neifi, and clickin' out? They may think it's an organization. And can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day clickin' in, voting for Neifi, and clickin' out? Friends they may thinks it's a movement. And that's what it is, the Neifi Perez All-Star Massacree Movement, and all you got to do to join head on over to mlb.com."
It takes a village to get a shortstop elected. Just do it. For the children.
A Call To Arms: All-Star Neifi
by Rob Glowacki
“There comes a time when all the cosmic tumblers have clicked into place and the universe opens itself up for a few seconds to show you what’s possible.”
— Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) actually quoting Terence Mann (James Earl Jones) in “Field of Dreams”
I think we as Cubs fans are in the midst of such an extraordinary moment of time. A moment none of us expected, a moment in which we can embrace and unite to do something so extraordinary that our children’s children’s children will one day speak of us glowingly.
I am, of course, talking about writing-in Neifi Perez as shortstop on the National League All-Star team.
The Cub Reporter, in partnership with Bleed Cubbie Blue, would like every single Cub fan out there to write-in Neifi Perez as the starting shortstop of the National League. Apathy is not an option here folks. This is a call to arms, a call to all Cubs fans to rise and be heard, to flex our collective muscle and rock the baseball world.
Some of you may think that this is one of the greatest reversals of direction since Moises Alou was last picked off of second base, as we here at TCR have been (how to put this delicately), a bit critical of Neifi at times. Well to that we say a) lighten up and b) sponsorship of the "Write-in Neifi" campaign in no way shields Neifi Perez from future scorn. We all need a bit of levity in our lives and this is one such opportunity.
Some simple guidelines to follow when entering your ballot:
1) If you want to save time, skip over the AL Ballot.
2) Do not choose a SS by accident from the NL list, leave it blank. Sorry, Nomar!
3) Voting for other Cubbies is strongly encouraged.
4) In the write-in section of the online ballot, ‘Neifi’ for First Name, ‘Perez’ for Last Name, ‘Chicago Cubs’ from the Select Club drop-down list, SS from the Select Position drop-down list. Do not enter Neifi at second and shortstop as you risk getting your ballot rejected.
5) The online ballot auto-fills your picks based on your last picks, which should make it go by real fast. I entered 25 votes in about 10-15 minutes.
6) Do it from work, home, friends computers, public libraries, etc. Spread the word, carry signs into Wrigley (and if you do, get a picture and we’ll put it up on the site), force family members, co-workers, whatever it takes.
There you have it, go vote and once you do, drop a note in the comments or send an email as I’ll keep a counter on the site somewhere. So far I voted 49 times (screwed up once), plus what appeared to be another 100 votes from others when I mentioned this on Friday, added to whatever Al got over at Bleed Cubbie Blue. There are at least 2,000 visitors here a day which would get us to 50,000 votes right there. And yes we expect everyone one of you to vote. Then we expect you all to vote again when you go to the ballpark and tell everyone within hearing distance to do the same. Then do it again from either home or work depending on where you first cast your ballot and then continue to spread the word until there’s no one willing to talk to you anymore. And for those who think it’s impossible and a waste of time, Steve Garvey and Rico Carty were both write-in starters in the 70's and I think with the advent of the Internet, a write-in campaign is even more feasible nowadays.
To (sort of) quote Arlo Guthrie:
"You know, if one person, just one person goes to mlb.com and writes in Neifi Perez for shortstop, they may think he's really sick...if three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people clickin' in, voting for Neifi, and clickin' out? They may think it's an organization. And can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day clickin' in, voting for Neifi, and clickin' out? Friends they may thinks it's a movement. And that's what it is, the Neifi Perez All-Star Massacree Movement, and all you got to do to join head on over to mlb.com."
It takes a village to get a shortstop elected. Just do it. For the children.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Lamb Chops Up Prior
In a meltdown reminiscent of the Bartman game, Mark Prior proved Sunday that he is indeed human and does not have a big “S” plastered underneath his uniform.
Fifth inning (the Fifth Third Bank fifth inning?) Bases full of Astros, but with two out and an 0-2 count on Mike Lamb, Prior grooves one right down the middle which Lamb promptly deposits for his first grand slam of his career.
Rattled by the developments, Mark walks the next two hitters. That’s all Adam Everett needs as he smacks a three run homer en route to a 9-3 rout and a game that resurrects Houston’s hopes that this season can be salvaged after all.
All they have to do is play the Cubs ninety more times or so.
Todd Hollandsworth’s loyal if not misunderstood fan club had one moment of mirth as their guy nailed Jeff Bagwell at the plate for his first assist this season.
Fifth inning (the Fifth Third Bank fifth inning?) Bases full of Astros, but with two out and an 0-2 count on Mike Lamb, Prior grooves one right down the middle which Lamb promptly deposits for his first grand slam of his career.
Rattled by the developments, Mark walks the next two hitters. That’s all Adam Everett needs as he smacks a three run homer en route to a 9-3 rout and a game that resurrects Houston’s hopes that this season can be salvaged after all.
All they have to do is play the Cubs ninety more times or so.
Todd Hollandsworth’s loyal if not misunderstood fan club had one moment of mirth as their guy nailed Jeff Bagwell at the plate for his first assist this season.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Deadwood
Church Youth Lock-in. Too much pizza. Too Little Sleep. Caught the score between movies. Ugh. 3 innings? Soreness again? Ugh. Why didn't they unload this guy this winter? Never mind. I gotta get ready for church.
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