As one conflicted but happy Braves fan to another, Craig, this was a great post today. I have been a fan since the 70s and it was special to watch the game while texting with family and friends who have suffered through all the bad and oh-so-close years. I used to drive downtown for games so I hate the move to Cobb, too. The chop has become tired and ugly. But as you said, it’s wonderful to celebrate the good guys who are on the field and the good people who just want to see their team win for the first time in seemingly forever. Really looking forward to your book.
"I root for good games and seeing great athletic feats no matter whose laundry the athlete is wearing. I root for good people, at least as far as that can be determined. I root for the players, not their employers. I root in ways that are motivated by the emotions I genuinely feel in a moment as opposed to a sense of loyalty that was handed to me by parents or the geography of my life 48 years ago or how the circumstances of my life and geography changed 36 years ago."
This is why I love minor league ball. It's great fun watching players I watched as babies develop into major leaguers. For example, I saw Baby Vlady play in person in Dunedin in Advanced A ball. I'm not a Jays fan. I root for the player, not his employer. It's one of the few things I'll miss about Florida--the minor league opportunities.
I wish Ohio was alone. Much of our country has lost its damned mind. It's like we're all collectively in the worst marriage ever. We won't discuss our issues (yes, racism is bad and our country has a problem with racism that we need to deal with and confront) so we can't fix them. Instead we yell at each other and nobody listens to one another. I'm getting to the point where I want a divorce.
When is Spring Training? Oh wait. There's a work stoppage. It's going to be a long winter. Pass the SAD lamp.
I really hope you leave “campions” as-is, since it perfectly punctuates that section discussing your struggles to fully appreciate your favorite team winning it all
I remember when I first got satellite radio, it was 40s on 4, 50s on 5, etc., all the way up through 90s on 9. Can't remember if that was an XM thing or a Sirius thing or both, and the only one of those I'd ever listen to was 70s on 7, out of some perverse desire to relive the schlock and cheese of my childhood, but I see now that channels 4, 5, and 6 aren't dedicated to decades like they used to be. A pity for fans of those eras.
As for the Mets being the pinnacle of the sport, in addition to the "pinochle" variant you cite, the best line I saw about that on twitter yesterday was "Pinnacle isn't even the pinnacle of golf balls", and in that light, maybe the guy who said pinnacle wasn't lying.
"To remember that the oxygen that fuels that anger is love. And to never lose sight of that which you love even if its loss or its threatened loss hurls you into anger.
That which you love always — always — has to be the star that guides you lest the anger consume you."
Ouch, that hits HARD as someone who studied biology and ecology because of her interest in conservation. ☹
“The[ Braves] went 11-5 in this postseason. In so doing they beat a 95-win Brewers team, a 106-win Dodgers team, a 95-win Astros team and they never once faced elimination in any of those series. It was a hell of a postseason run.”
Indeed it was; I remember somebody on here mentioning that they had a “puncher’s chance“ to win at all if everything broke right…
Oh wait - THAT WAS ME.
Too bad I’m not a betting man… I guess being a gloating man will have to suffice :-)
So, I know this is a general baseball (and other stuff) newsletter, and that's all good with me. But I sense there are more digital column inches in this here newsletter focused on the goings on of the Mets than any other individual team. I wonder if it's because the Mets can't get out of their own way, or if there's nothing worth writing about a well run team like the Diamondbacks or Rangers or Pirates. (I joke, somewhat.)
I thought I would root against the Astros — that cheating scandal was pretty brutal. But in the end, I really wanted Dusty to get his ring.
I feel about Dusty the same way I feel about the movie “Magnolia” — I will undoubtedly agree with anyone who blasts it, but I will end with “…but I like it anyway.” As a lifelong Cubs fan (and one who was present for THAT game in 2003), I’m well-aware of his flaws. But dude is a good guy and deserves a ring as much as anyone.
Even worse than ‘03 was what happened to the Giants in ‘02 — you’re up 5 in the 7th inning, the game seems pretty safe. He has his flaws, but I hope he ends up in the HOF.
Woke up too early to check two things, the baseball score and the elections. And then, having read the plethora of bad news, did my first deep dive into political news since the NYC primary. Yeesh. (How bad is it? New York State is apparently voting to not make it easier to vote. By a big margin.)
But for one moment, let's just revel in the achievement of the Atlanta baseball players. And in the moonshot. First moonshot Houston's seen like that since 1973. That home run is probably going to be talked about for a long time, the way we still talk about the homer that Mantle might or might not have hit out of the park in Griffith Stadium. Soler earned that MVP beyond any doubt.
And wow, a starting pitcher doing what I long to see starting pitchers do. Go, Max Fried, go!
I should at some level be bummed because at one time the Mets were in first, and I really thought they would have been in the playoffs and ATL wouldn't be. But I can't hate what they did. Or how they did. ATL made moves to win, and built a team to win and keep winning. The Mets haven't. I can't hate that at all. Though I suspect that ATL is going to make life bad for the Mets for years to come. Again.
Oh well. I am still loyal to my local baseball team, warts and all. (More warts than skin these days.) And clearly, if I am rooting for them, they must be the pinnacle.
On to the off-season. Lord knows how long it will be.
The Chief Wahoo sign that was at Municipal Stadium is now at the Western Reserve Historical Society where it's put into context. They're a bit diplomatic and both sides-y in the presentation.
Craig, in your Columbus Alive column you wrote this in regards to the Ohio Board of Education resolution condemning racism:
"Nothing in the resolution was particularly controversial. Indeed, given that anyone who doesn't belong to literal hate group should have no trouble agreeing with the idea that (a) racism is bad; and (b) we should have less of it, the resolution, in a sane world, would've passed without notice and joined all manner of other well-meaning but mostly empty official gestures in the giant pile of things our leaders say they believe but typically fail to live up to. But not this resolution."
But Ohio AG Dave Yost was asked to give his legal opinion on the resolution and he said this:
He zeroed in on three parts of the resolution that went beyond symbolic statements and made policy changes: requiring implicit bias training for Ohio Department of Education employees and contractors, and directing the department to reexamine academic content standards and model curricula to recommend ways to “eliminate bias and ensure that racism and the struggle for equality are accurately addressed.”
Yost wrote that nothing in Ohio law allows the state board of education to require contractors to take implicit bias training programs, which are designed to uncover people’s unconscious biases and teach ways of overcoming them. The AG added that such trainings “have no direct relationship to the contractors’ ability to perform their contracts” and that state law already prevents discrimination by state contractors.
But Yost stated that the Ohio Department of Education can require its employees to take implicit bias training, so long as such training doesn’t violate federal or state constitutions or laws.
So the resolution was more than a symbolic gesture -- part of it may be unlawful. And there's also this:
Some board members said the resolution opened the door to the teaching of critical race theory and the 1619 Project in classrooms, though neither term was used in the resolution.
Critical race theory, which is based on the idea that racism is inherently part of systems instead of just being pushed by bigoted individuals, is not taught in K-12 schools, educators say. But many parents and conservatives worry it’s seeping into classrooms via documents with wording similar to the board’s resolution.
As one conflicted but happy Braves fan to another, Craig, this was a great post today. I have been a fan since the 70s and it was special to watch the game while texting with family and friends who have suffered through all the bad and oh-so-close years. I used to drive downtown for games so I hate the move to Cobb, too. The chop has become tired and ugly. But as you said, it’s wonderful to celebrate the good guys who are on the field and the good people who just want to see their team win for the first time in seemingly forever. Really looking forward to your book.
"I root for good games and seeing great athletic feats no matter whose laundry the athlete is wearing. I root for good people, at least as far as that can be determined. I root for the players, not their employers. I root in ways that are motivated by the emotions I genuinely feel in a moment as opposed to a sense of loyalty that was handed to me by parents or the geography of my life 48 years ago or how the circumstances of my life and geography changed 36 years ago."
This is why I love minor league ball. It's great fun watching players I watched as babies develop into major leaguers. For example, I saw Baby Vlady play in person in Dunedin in Advanced A ball. I'm not a Jays fan. I root for the player, not his employer. It's one of the few things I'll miss about Florida--the minor league opportunities.
I wish Ohio was alone. Much of our country has lost its damned mind. It's like we're all collectively in the worst marriage ever. We won't discuss our issues (yes, racism is bad and our country has a problem with racism that we need to deal with and confront) so we can't fix them. Instead we yell at each other and nobody listens to one another. I'm getting to the point where I want a divorce.
When is Spring Training? Oh wait. There's a work stoppage. It's going to be a long winter. Pass the SAD lamp.
I really hope you leave “campions” as-is, since it perfectly punctuates that section discussing your struggles to fully appreciate your favorite team winning it all
I remember when I first got satellite radio, it was 40s on 4, 50s on 5, etc., all the way up through 90s on 9. Can't remember if that was an XM thing or a Sirius thing or both, and the only one of those I'd ever listen to was 70s on 7, out of some perverse desire to relive the schlock and cheese of my childhood, but I see now that channels 4, 5, and 6 aren't dedicated to decades like they used to be. A pity for fans of those eras.
As for the Mets being the pinnacle of the sport, in addition to the "pinochle" variant you cite, the best line I saw about that on twitter yesterday was "Pinnacle isn't even the pinnacle of golf balls", and in that light, maybe the guy who said pinnacle wasn't lying.
There are still some people alive in their 90s who are no doubt swing/big band fans. What I do doubt is that those people listen to SiriusXM.
(Well, maybe they do without realizing it if that's the background music their retirement/nursing home uses)
"To remember that the oxygen that fuels that anger is love. And to never lose sight of that which you love even if its loss or its threatened loss hurls you into anger.
That which you love always — always — has to be the star that guides you lest the anger consume you."
Ouch, that hits HARD as someone who studied biology and ecology because of her interest in conservation. ☹
I thought you were among those who never spoke the Atlanta baseball team's nickname. Did I imagine that or did something change?
“The[ Braves] went 11-5 in this postseason. In so doing they beat a 95-win Brewers team, a 106-win Dodgers team, a 95-win Astros team and they never once faced elimination in any of those series. It was a hell of a postseason run.”
Indeed it was; I remember somebody on here mentioning that they had a “puncher’s chance“ to win at all if everything broke right…
Oh wait - THAT WAS ME.
Too bad I’m not a betting man… I guess being a gloating man will have to suffice :-)
So, I know this is a general baseball (and other stuff) newsletter, and that's all good with me. But I sense there are more digital column inches in this here newsletter focused on the goings on of the Mets than any other individual team. I wonder if it's because the Mets can't get out of their own way, or if there's nothing worth writing about a well run team like the Diamondbacks or Rangers or Pirates. (I joke, somewhat.)
I thought I would root against the Astros — that cheating scandal was pretty brutal. But in the end, I really wanted Dusty to get his ring.
I feel about Dusty the same way I feel about the movie “Magnolia” — I will undoubtedly agree with anyone who blasts it, but I will end with “…but I like it anyway.” As a lifelong Cubs fan (and one who was present for THAT game in 2003), I’m well-aware of his flaws. But dude is a good guy and deserves a ring as much as anyone.
Even worse than ‘03 was what happened to the Giants in ‘02 — you’re up 5 in the 7th inning, the game seems pretty safe. He has his flaws, but I hope he ends up in the HOF.
I live in Virginia. Ask me anything.
Sigh.....
Woke up too early to check two things, the baseball score and the elections. And then, having read the plethora of bad news, did my first deep dive into political news since the NYC primary. Yeesh. (How bad is it? New York State is apparently voting to not make it easier to vote. By a big margin.)
But for one moment, let's just revel in the achievement of the Atlanta baseball players. And in the moonshot. First moonshot Houston's seen like that since 1973. That home run is probably going to be talked about for a long time, the way we still talk about the homer that Mantle might or might not have hit out of the park in Griffith Stadium. Soler earned that MVP beyond any doubt.
And wow, a starting pitcher doing what I long to see starting pitchers do. Go, Max Fried, go!
I should at some level be bummed because at one time the Mets were in first, and I really thought they would have been in the playoffs and ATL wouldn't be. But I can't hate what they did. Or how they did. ATL made moves to win, and built a team to win and keep winning. The Mets haven't. I can't hate that at all. Though I suspect that ATL is going to make life bad for the Mets for years to come. Again.
Oh well. I am still loyal to my local baseball team, warts and all. (More warts than skin these days.) And clearly, if I am rooting for them, they must be the pinnacle.
On to the off-season. Lord knows how long it will be.
Olney and Heyman make it pretty obvious they are trying to help out a source with their comments. Makes me glad I muted both long ago on Twitter.
The Chief Wahoo sign that was at Municipal Stadium is now at the Western Reserve Historical Society where it's put into context. They're a bit diplomatic and both sides-y in the presentation.
Craig, in your Columbus Alive column you wrote this in regards to the Ohio Board of Education resolution condemning racism:
"Nothing in the resolution was particularly controversial. Indeed, given that anyone who doesn't belong to literal hate group should have no trouble agreeing with the idea that (a) racism is bad; and (b) we should have less of it, the resolution, in a sane world, would've passed without notice and joined all manner of other well-meaning but mostly empty official gestures in the giant pile of things our leaders say they believe but typically fail to live up to. But not this resolution."
But Ohio AG Dave Yost was asked to give his legal opinion on the resolution and he said this:
https://www.cleveland.com/open/2021/09/ohio-ag-dave-yost-suggests-critical-race-theory-standards-would-be-unconstitutional-says-state-cant-require-implicit-bias-training-for-contractors.html
He zeroed in on three parts of the resolution that went beyond symbolic statements and made policy changes: requiring implicit bias training for Ohio Department of Education employees and contractors, and directing the department to reexamine academic content standards and model curricula to recommend ways to “eliminate bias and ensure that racism and the struggle for equality are accurately addressed.”
Yost wrote that nothing in Ohio law allows the state board of education to require contractors to take implicit bias training programs, which are designed to uncover people’s unconscious biases and teach ways of overcoming them. The AG added that such trainings “have no direct relationship to the contractors’ ability to perform their contracts” and that state law already prevents discrimination by state contractors.
But Yost stated that the Ohio Department of Education can require its employees to take implicit bias training, so long as such training doesn’t violate federal or state constitutions or laws.
So the resolution was more than a symbolic gesture -- part of it may be unlawful. And there's also this:
Some board members said the resolution opened the door to the teaching of critical race theory and the 1619 Project in classrooms, though neither term was used in the resolution.
Critical race theory, which is based on the idea that racism is inherently part of systems instead of just being pushed by bigoted individuals, is not taught in K-12 schools, educators say. But many parents and conservatives worry it’s seeping into classrooms via documents with wording similar to the board’s resolution.
And the outgoing state board president said this:
https://www.cleveland.com/politics/2021/10/ohio-state-board-of-education-president-laura-kohler-author-of-anti-racism-resolution-to-resign-friday.html
Kohler said that people accused the now-rescinded state school board resolution of encouraging the teaching of critical race theory.
“I’d never heard about critical race theory until several months after the resolution was adopted,” she said.
So obviously she has no credibility with anyone.