Cup of Coffee: October 20, 2023

The Dbacks are on the board, the Astros even up, MLB's best ambassadors, Hall of Fame nominees, Ohio doing the right thing, farewell to Burt Young, and America’s self-imposed dystopia

Good morning!

I’m traveling again. This time down to Texas to see my in-laws. They actually live in Hill Country north of San Antonio but we stopped in Dallas for one night first. No, not to go to the Astros-Rangers game. Rather, to see an EDM group Allison likes. I did, however, watch all of the Phillies-Dbacks game and enough of the Astros-Rangers game to where I knew where it was heading from the hotel before the show.

Near the end of the Phillies-Dbacks came I was down in the hotel bar, waiting on some food to take back up to the room. The game was on the TV in the bar. The bartender began talking to me.

Bartender: “I’ve got the Rangers pregame on the other TV if you want me to switch this one too.”

Me: “Can you keep this on? It’s the ninth inning. Almost over.”

Bartender: “Sure, boss. You a Phillies fan?”

Me: “No, just been watching this one and I want to see it end.”

Bartender: “Sure thing, boss.”

A few minutes later another guy walked in. He saw the TV I was watching but didn’t see that the Rangers pregame was on the other one. He wanted my TV changed to the Rangers pregame. The bartender, with mock aggression — but I’m not sure how the new dude knew he was faking — says “My friend here is watching the Phillles game! Go to the other TV!” The other guy walks away and the bartender laughed his ass off. I really liked that bartender.

Anyway, the BBQ was good, the EDM show was good, the games were good, I got a good night sleep and as you’re reading this I’m either on my way down to Boerne, Texas to see the in-laws or I will be soon.

Because a good chunk of yesterday was spent flying down to Dallas things are just a tad brief today. Not too brief, but brief by my standards. We talk about how D’Andre Swift and Terrell Edmunds are the best MLB ambassadors going, the Hall of Fame Eras Committee nominees, and another robbery that has hit a big league team’s Dominican Republic academy. In Other Stuff we talk about Ohio possibly doing the right thing for once, we bid farewell to Burt Young, and we consider America’s self-imposed dystopia. Friday Funday, you guys!

Things will be normal on Monday and Tuesday. As we’re flying home on Tuesday there’s a chance Wednesday’s newsletter may be a tad cursory, but we’ll see. Y’all know the drill at this point.