Sunday Search: Being True To Father’s Day

This is a long overdue post that I have kept putting off when the thought of writing it has entered my mind over the years. As the most recent urge to record my thoughts coincided with Father’s Day it really was no longer an option to write about my father at greater length. While I have briefly mentioned my father in previous posts, I have consistently left out many of the details… pretty much all of the details in fact. While by no means comprehensive and certainly a work in progress, I dedicate this post to my father.

Growing up in a rather modest row home on Iona Avenue in Narberth, Pennsylvania my father was one who, despite his academic abilities, focused largely on sports during his formative years. In fact, I have been told stories on a few occasions that there were even scouts in the stands when my father was a catcher on the varsity baseball team for Lower Merion High School. And not all of those scouts were focusing on other players on the team or opposing hitters in the other dugout like Reggie Jackson. Because major league teams don’t keep all of their scouting records, this is a story that has no substantiation but, given the honest passion with which they were told and the talent that I saw on display decades later, there has to at least be a little truth in those tales.

What I do know for certain is that following his high school graduation my father knew with near absolute certainty that he was going to be drafted. Not surprisingly, he took his fate into his own hands and figured out a way to go into the military as an officer without the luxury of a college degree. This how my father ended up serving as a warrant officer and helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. While he flew in excess of, conservatively, 50 combat missions and nearly paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Tet offensive on 30 January 1968 at 1830 hours when he was struck by one of the seven 30 caliber rounds that punctured his aircraft, he has yet to receive the recognition for his service with the 155^th Assault Helicopter Company (Stagecoach) out of Ban Me Thuot. This is an oversight that I am trying to rectify… I actually found out that this is an issue common with the company in which he served.

Following his Army service, my father returned home and, with his newly found focus, truncated the time it took to receive his degree from St. Joseph’s University (then St. Joseph’s College). With funds remaining in his GI Bill, he immediately pursued and later received his MBA from the same institution. He considered law school but eventually decided to continue his career in finance. Mind you he was also maintaining full time employment and volunteering with the Narberth Ambulance  Corps. Also during this period in his life, he was introduced to my mother (thanks to her brother), a relationship that has lasted for over 40 years.

With his education complete and a young family at home, my father continued thrive in the business world. While there have been certain unpleasant monikers and unpleasant terms used to describe my father during this time, in the end, he was good at his job, didn’t accept failure, hated braggers and name droppers, and expected people to work just as hard as he did. Even years later, I can recall brief moments of conversations echoing from his office. I may not have completely understood them at the time and even now I can’t recall exactly what was said but, as I have gotten older, I have come to understand those moments to be glimpses into his aforementioned work ethic.

I have also come to realize that my older siblings may have had a different experience growing up but I remember my father trying to find the time to help me when he could, attend practices and games, and answer questions that broke through my stubbornness while completing homework assignments. I also recall the moments playing miniature golf on the board walk in Ocean City, my poor attempts to play real golf on various occasions, going to Phillies games at the Vet, and simply joining him during weekly short car rides into the city or along the main line with the oldies station or KYW News Radio (1060) playing in the background.

To this day I still look up to my father and there are new memories made every day. I have come to better appreciate everything that he has done for me and the lessons that he has taught me over the years… some I took to quickly while others it took years before I finally got it. While our conversations have changed over the years, I enjoy the times that he is able to share his experiences and knowledge about subjects with me as well as those rare moments when I am able to tell him about something new or a recent family discovery that I have made.

However, the greatest moment are when I am able to see him with his grandson with whom he shares his name. And the times when we can all experience something new as a family are the memories that will last not just my lifetime but my son’s lifetime as well. There is no greater feeling than when I remind my son that this is your granddad, this is daddy’s daddy. Happy Father’s Day Dad!

Firearms Friday: Grips

When practicing my pistol grip the other day I started thinking about all the other sports when I found myself in this routine. It really is interesting when you think about the commonalities that can be found across three completely different sports… golf, baseball, and shooting. Of course there are drastic difference between the three as well but for the sake of this post I will focus my thoughts, as I did the other day, on the grips.

Like most kids growing up I played baseball every year and over time I picked up more and more techniques and learned the proper way to do things including many of the basics including how to properly hold a baseball and, as it pertains to this stream of consciousness, how to grip a bat. While most see a bat and simple grab it there is actually a method to the grip to maximize bat speed. Basically, you start the bat at the tips of your fingers and roll the bat toward the palm. For some the knob is part of the grip to capitalize on the leverage gained by the additional circumference. By gripping the bat this way you completely free up your wrists allowing for full extension during your swing.

Gripping a golf club is completely different from holding a baseball bat but it also brings us a little closer to a handgun grip. While you want your wrists to be as free as possible when swinging a bat, your wrists should be locked when holding a golf club. This is why you place the club in your palm and you’re your fingers around it with both your thumbs in line pointing at the ball. Strength is also not your friend when it comes to golf as you should have a firm grip on the club but only enough to keep it in your hand. Any more and you risk tilting the head and sending your shot right or left. You can see this at the range all the time.

That last part sound familiar, doesn’t it? When working on my pistol grip there is actually more commonalities with a golf club grip than that of a baseball bat. I do my best to get a high purchase, line up my thumb just below the slide, bring my support hand with my fingers at a 45 degree angle along the front pulling toward my body and down, and line up my thumb just under the other. The part I am really working on is that support hand angle as this is what is really locking in my wrists, forcing the recoil into my shoulders, and allowing me to be firm but not flex with my other hand. This allows for relaxed initial engagements, quick follow up shots, and little in the way of pushing or pulling the trigger. Again, you can see this at the range all the time.

Understandably this is a very basic overview but it was an interesting chain of thoughts that I wanted to share. I am sure I am not the only one that has had this slinky moving through their mind and it just goes to show how closely muscle memory and actual memory are tied together. If we can tap into that it might be a little easier to retrain yourself at the range… you never know. It might work.

Baby Bucket List

As the days fly by and our son keeps getting bigger and bigger, the list of things that I want to do with him keeps getting longer. Actually, it is not just about things I want to do with him, it is also about the milestones that I am looking forward to witnessing. While by no means my complete list of scribbles, here are a few of the things that I am looking forward to as our son grows up:  

1. First Words – He is already proving to be quite the vocal child and while he is already making a sound similar to that of saying ‘Hi’ when I come home from work, I am looking forward to hearing that first distinct word. I am hoping that it will be either mommy or daddy (or something similar) but I am not completely ruling out the possibility that we could have a similar instance than that seen in “Meet The Fockers”.

2. Crawling./ Walking – He has surprised us at this point by standing with little help from either of us (we are mostly there for stability) but he also has no interest in laying on his tummy so I am curious to see how this progresses. While a whole new host of issues arise once he becomes mobile, I am looking forward to the day when he demonstrates this little kernel of independence.

3. Pool / Swimming – This one is more for my wife. We haven’t taken him to a pool yet. This should be an interesting experience. Hopefully he likes the pool as much as he enjoys his bath (at least the first half of the bath).

4. Baseball – Now we are progressing a little further in his development. While he has already shown an interest in throwing things and watching baseball on TV (made for a quiet dinner at Fox & Hound last week), I am looking forward to putting those two things together. I just hope he got his grandfather’s athletic ability because it definitely skipped me.  

5. Lodge Events – While we have taken him to the lodge once I am looking forward to the future events both at my lodge as well as other masonic events in the area (and outside the area like our trip to Pittsburgh coming up). There are a lot of us with young kids and I really want to see all of us get together for an experience far different from those on meeting nights.

6. Synagogue – We are a little behind on this one. While there isn’t much that he will comprehend early on, we want our son to be used to going to synagogue and make it part of his routine. We need to get moving on this search.

7. First Day of School – Again, looking into the future. This is a milestone that I think every parent looks forward to happening. I will be there the day that this happens (mixed emotions and all). Hopefully he proves to be a better student than his father.

8. Family History – My wife and I have spent a lot of time learning about our families and we want to share those histories with our son. We want to make sure that he knows where he comes from and learns all about the people we come from both more recent and in the distant past. Hopefully, I can find some answers along the way and share these discoveries with him. After all, he is a continuation of both our families.

9. Family Reunions – This is something that my wife and I agreed is incredibly important for us as a family. We are starting this year with my side of the family (I will be writing extensively about our trip to Virginia this summer) followed by my wife’s family next year. We plan on going back and forth every year. Again, we want our son to know his family and family history.

10. Family Vacations – In addition to bringing our son to some of the places that my wife have been and enjoyed over the last several years both local (i.e. Jim Thorpe, Gettysburg, Knoebels, etc.) and not so local (i.e. Florida, Massachusetts, London, Israel, etc.), we are also looking forward to exploring new places and destinations with him. While we have no idea where those places will be at this point, it is still fun to think of the possibilities.  

As I previously mentioned, there are countless other things that I am looking forward to but this at least gives you an idea of some of the things that I am eagerly anticipating. There are a few things that I have already been able to check off (cooing, smiling, first weekend trip, etc.) but the list is growing much faster than we are able to take things off. I guess this is also a part of parenthood… the annoying, slightly OCD, impatient part.  

So I now turn things over to you: What does your list look like? What have you already checked off? What are some of the things that you wish you had done?

Trade Deadline

Based on a few previous posts and the other daily blog that I have, it should be no surprise that I am a baseball fan. I always have been and always will be even when things aren’t looking so good for the Phillies. This season has been a perfect example of the latter. It has been a means for me to bond with my dad, mom, and grandmother throughout the years and was one of the primary means of forming friendships during my childhood.

It is a game that I understand the ins and outs where, at least until recently, there have been few rules changes and alterations to the game. For the most part it has remained a game unchanged and while there have been alterations recently, the general strategy and gam play involved remains intact. Every pitch is thrown purposefully with every player, at least the great ones, knowing how to consider the numerous factors at play with every ball thrown from the mount, thwack of the bat, and kicking up of dirt from the base runner. Of course, that might just be from my time on the mount and behind the plate.

One of the more interesting days during the season is going on right now… the major league trade deadline. It is a time when measurable and intangibles are at play in deciding what players will be changing uniforms. It is a time to push for a ring, cut losses, or plan for the future. With the Phillies completely out of the race, I have been anticipating a flurry of moves today but, like much of this season, I am heading into this evening disappointed.

Like most seasons, there have been plenty of moves made throughout the sport but none of the trades had anything to do with the Phillies beyond eliminating trade partners. While it is one thing to watch a team falter on the field for over half a season, during those years of less than spectacular play, the young talent brought up and the new faces brought in have, in many instances, offered some hope for the spring. The Phillies front office remained stagnant leaving the quality of play to fester on the field and the horizon that is spring to become covered with the storm clouds of another tumultuous season ahead.

So, disappointedly I wait for the next game to begin hoping that the waiver wire is soon filled with players that I had such high hopes for at the beginning of the year. Maybe, just maybe, the spring clouds will clear and next season will be filled with anticipation of the performances of prospects and newly acquired talent. Of course, we are talking about Ruben Amaro so I’m still going to bring an umbrella with me to Spring Training.

Grand Lodge and Mini Golf

As I approached the Convention Center parking lot early this morning I knew that it was going to be a challenge finding a parking space and navigating the sidewalks. Wave upon wave of teenage volleyball players and families were pouring out of the doors and scurrying across the garage without regard for cars driving to the top of the garage to grab one of the last remaining spots. It was a challenge to stay calm behind the wheel with that kind of reckless abandon occurring before my sleep deprived eyes.

With the car safely tucked in the corner of the 9^th floor, I made my way down the cramped elevator and walked up the block to the shake hands with the growing crowd of smoking brothers standing just in front of the Grand Lodge. After about 30 minutes of chatting and catching up with the brothers I rarely meet except for similar occasions, we all headed up the marble stairs to get the morning started. My original plan was to simply observe the training sessions this morning.

However, moments after taking my seat the District Deputy Grand Master asked if I would be willing to sit in as Secretary for the first session of the morning. I have sat at my desk during regular lodge meetings many times now but sitting in the east at the grand lodge is a completely different experience and one that is very humbling when you are being critiqued on every word you say. In what seemed like a few fleeting minutes, the morning had evaporated and before I could give a moment of thought to the flying time, we were off to lunch at the Racket Club.

After a quick and tasty lunch, including a childhood favorite of Snapper soup, compliments of the Worshipful Master we went on a quick tour of the landmark building before walking back to the parking garage and headed off in various directions to meet again on Tuesday night. Surprisingly I was running on time for the first time all week and made it back to the apartment by 2pm. And, of course, within a few minutes of stepping foot in the apartment we were walking back out and getting in the car to drive around up north.

We set the GPS to drive by a rental in an area near where we were considering moving to check out the area and the travel time. With a nice drive behind us and a pleasant surprise in the location of the listing, we drove over to the next town where my wife knew of a miniature golf location. Seeing that the weather was so nice and we were in the area anyway be both thought that it would be a nice relaxing outdoor activity that would occupy the rest of the afternoon.

Following a crappy put-put performance, it was time to continue my sucking ways by walking over to the batting cages. Granted it has probably been close to a decade since my last time in the cage that is no excuse for just how badly I stunk. And, to make matters worse, the pictures my wife captured really are not flattering and are, in a certain sense, quite sad. Let’s just say I have a long way to go at the gym. But, in the end, it was a great day with some quality time spent with my brothers in the morning and my wife the rest of the day. Now, it’s time to rest a little bit this weekend.

 

 

 

A Clichéd Opening Day Post

 

Today the baseball season officially started. Well, as a Phillies fan, the season officially started. After a long spring full of minor league performances it was surprising, to say the least, to watch the Phillies take the season opener in Texas. Having been shut out in their last three pre-season games, I guess the offense decided to wake up as they realized that these games actually count.

While the opening slug fest was a great way to start the season, I am still heading into this drawn out campaign with a considerable amount of trepidation. Given their performance in recent years and the questionable roster moves that have been made during the offseason, I doubt that they will be able to seriously content. However, there are always those seasons when things just seem to click and, out of nowhere, a season to remember comes to fruition.

It wasn’t long ago when the Phillies headed into a season having finished dead last the year before only to find themselves in the World Series. When you look at that 1993 roster, especially when you compare it to the competition, there is no way that anyone could have anticipated the season that they had. It was one of those instances when the right players found themselves on a team during the right season, at the right time in their careers.

It is for that reason that I still have an ounce of hope for this roster. When you look at the players on an individual basis, they are clearly better than that team but the question is whether the players feed off of one another and push (or pull) in the same direction. It would also be a great way to both honor the late Jim Fregosi and encourage the ailing Darren Daulton by shocking the NL East and running away with the division.

Either way, I think this is going to be an entertaining team to watch. They could come together or they could turn out to be a dugout full of McMurphys waiting to Amaro to shove a pillow in their face at the trade deadline. I guess we will just have to watch, wait, and see what happens. Of course, if you don’t have time to watch a protracted game full of replays, warnings, and pitching changes you can always read about it on my other blog.

So, how do you think the Phillies will fair this season? Will they pull things together and finally return Ryno to the postseason or will Bowa be calling everyone Private Pyle as they struggle to resemble a major league ball club? Of course, they could always end up in the middle but that wouldn’t be interesting to think about so let’s hope for the extremes. With this team, I can’t tell what is going to happen which makes for an intriguing beginning to the season. What do you think?

The real reason why we now have instant replay!

Today From The WTF Files: “Silent Cheer Day”

Don't snore! It could be too loud and you might offend someone.

A big part of sports is the cheering, booing, and everything in between. This aspect of athletics only becomes more prominent as we get older and we can’t be the ones in the competition. Just go to any baseball, football, hockey, or basketball game and you know exactly what I am talking about. For those outside the U.S. think rugby or soccer.

When I was younger I can remember my parents on the cold uncomfortable metal bleachers just beyond the dugout cheering on the rare occasion when I actually showed some semblance of athletic ability. Albeit a rare occurrence I had a few moments. Most people know that feeling of those moments (some more some less) when they can hear the cheers of their team mates and family ringing in their ears. It is a part of growing up and it motivates you to try and get better.

On the flip side, we all know that feeling when we let our team down. I remember many long hits given up when I could see hear the cheers against me and see the faces of my team mates as they did whatever they could to minimize the damage. Even those moments can prove to be formative ones as you bear down, move on, and focus on turning things around. Learning how to deal with a little adversity is a great thing growing up. In many respects it is a better learning tool than the moments of glory.

In both of these instances the roar of the crowd for or against is the fuel that is needed to succeed the next time around. But what if there weren’t any cheers? What if parents were penalized for cheering? I know, that is just crazy talk and things would never become so screwy that something like that would ever happen. Right?

Think again. The notion of “Silent Cheer Day” has been around for probably 20 years in one incarnation or another and every once in a while a story pops up to remind us all of the quality ideas coming out of California. I know, it sounds like something from the stoner Olympics (Denver 2018). This year, Idaho is in the news for implementing this mellow means of ‘you’re all special’ kind of athletics. Funny, I was certain it would have been Colorado this year. From The Coeur d' Alene Press:

“Silent Cheer Day” focused on sportsmanship and encouragement without spectators yelling negative or even positive remarks at the players or referees.

“Coaches said the kids played a little better because there was less noise,” said Post Falls recreation coordinator Justin Brown.

Brown got the notion for the silent cheer at a seminar he recently attended at the National Alliance for Youth Sports in San Diego. The goal is for parents and spectators to find less distracting ways to communicate their support for their kids, such as applause and signage, and eliminate some of the negativity that can come out during a game. If they were loud during Saturday’s games, they were given a red penalty card and sent to the penalty area for one minute.

I repeat, hearing cheers either for or against you are a means of motivation (especially when they use your name or position). Incurring such penalties, even for a day, is a ridiculous waste of time and energy. And what is it really teaching these kids? It’s not your fault if you don’t succeed, the crowd was too noisy. Give me a freaking break.

Oh, wait, I forgot. It’s a California idea. That means we can’t hold people accountable for their own actions. We can only blame those around them or some other circumstance that was out of their control. We might as well start them off early and teach them while they are young that there is always something or someone else you can blame for anything that goes wrong.

I just wish that they would start silent bitching day. Instead of forcing the rest of us to participate in this crap, how about you miss and moan silently to yourself and leave the rest of us out of it. That is a day that I will be happy to stand behind.

Say Goodbye To Baseball Bats

I know the title has some of you thinking about the meaning behind the statement but it really is very simple. I have decided to take the advice of the President and will start doing anything I can to save lives. After all, “if it saves one life, it’s worth it.” And so begins the campaign to ban baseball bats or, at the very least, require a background check in order to purchase one. It only makes sense to start looking at sources of unregulated weapons (especially if they’re black and scary looking) to ban or control first before going after other items (themselves innocuous) used in crimes.

Essentially, a criminal can walk into any sporting goods store, Wal-Mart, or thrift shop and buy a weapon without showing any form of idea, without filling out any forms, and without a background check having been completed. Even children can buy bats at numerous retailers, even the tactical black models. How long are we going to sit on the sidelines quietly and wait for these kids to recreate the meeting scene from “The Untouchables”. This unregulated market needs to stopped and only professional athletes paid to play this sport and certified trainers should have access to these items with such deadly potential.

Of course, this is only the first of many initiatives. Knives are also an unregulated weapon which children and the mentally unstable have easy access to and the same can be said for household cleaners, fast food, and power tools. All of these things have been the cause of death on countless occasions. Also, while tobacco, alcohol, cars, and prescriptions are regulated to a certain degree, they are still prevalent aspects of daily life which also cause a substantial amount of deaths every year. Ban them all and save thousands of lives. Maybe tens or hundreds of thousands of lives.

I know what you’re asking, but why would I chose to go after baseball bats and not guns? Well, they simply aren’t as big of a concern. Contrary to the rhetoric being bandied about recently, those statistics are trending in the right direction and, therefore, should not be our first priority. After all, at least you have to pass a background check to legally buy a firearm. But why take my word for it…

As was reported by the U.S. Department of Justice and Pew Research Center, gun crime statistics continue to steadily decline while gun ownership, especially in recent years, has experienced a sharp rise. According to DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. gun-related homicides dropped 39 percent over the course of 18 years, from 18,253 during 1993, to 11,101 in 2011. During the same period, non-fatal firearm crimes decreased even more, a whopping 69 percent. The majority of those declines in both categories occurred during the first 10 years of that time frame. Firearm homicides declined from 1993 to 1999, rose through 2006, and then declined again through 2011. Non-fatal firearm violence declined from 1993 through 2004, then fluctuated in the mid-to-late 2000s.

Additionally, Pew researchers observed that the huge amount of attention devoted to gun violence incidents in the media has caused most Americans to be unaware that gun crime is “strikingly down” from 20 years ago. In fact, gun-related homicides in the late 2000s were “equal to those not seen since the early 1960s.” Yet their survey found that 56 percent believed gun-related crime is higher, 26 percent believed it stayed about the same, and 6 percent didn’t know. Only 12 percent of those polled thought it was lower.

In the end, if you really want to save a life, turn in your baseball bat and buy a gun.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

While everyone is focusing on the upcoming super bowl, I have been treating these weeks as I would any other. Football never had that much of an appeal to me. I used to enjoy watching the Eagles on occasion but never felt I was missing out on anything if I didn’t put the game on. And now, with all the rules changes, additional penalties, and a seeming increase in showboating, it really has lost the little attention I paid the sport.

Of course, that is a major issue across all sports. The rules are changing and removing some of the aspects of the game that kept it interesting. Hockey has fallen into this same model. While football has increased the prevalence of penalties, slowing the game down and, possibly, causing more injuries due to the hesitation of some players during plays, baseball seems to be implementing changes that are having a greater negative impact on the way the game used to be, the traditional game of baseball.

The most recent changes have taken the human element out of the game. The expansion of instant replay and the manager’s ability to challenge is something that I don’t have a big problem with. However, when it comes to umpires, monitoring the strike zone is something that should have never happened. Part of the game and part of the pitcher’s job is to know what kind of strike zone that particular umpire has. Some used to have massive strike zones like Eric Gregg and pitchers would take advantage of that fact. Others would have high or low strike zones. It is the pitcher’s and the batter’s responsibility to adapt to the situation.

Speaking of strike zones, whatever happened to pitching inside? The art of the brush back has been completely lost on the current generations of pitchers and I can’t really blame them. If you throw a pitch inside you run the chance of getting thrown out of the game. Put a shrinking strike zone on top of that and it’s no wonder why offense remains so stout throughout baseball.

And now we get to the real issue that bothers me about modern sports. Eliminating collisions at home plate is completely ridiculous. As a catcher, you know what may happen. You signed up for it. You made the decision to play the sport professionally knowing the risks that are involved. Football and hockey have had similar regulations put in place to eliminate certain kinds of contact. What the heck did these athletes think they were getting into when they decided to pursue this career?

There is something wrong when you can watch more hard contact in NASCAR. I think we should sign all these millionaires up to play a full season of rugby and see if they continue to complain about the violence that exists in their sport. In the end, toughen up and earn the absurd amount of money that you are getting paid to play a game!

So, going back to the original question, am I ready for some football? Eh. Not really. Not sure I am ready for spring training either. The real question is, where can I watch some rugby?

I Have No Proof But I Still Think You’re Guilty!

On Wednesday, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced the three inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2014: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas. All three men are well deserving of their place in the hall and I congratulate each one of them. However, this year further demonstrated the flaws that exist in the election process. With the exception of the years during the Hall’s inception, there has never been such a long list of candidates that deserve enshrinement in Cooperstown, New York. Because of the process currently in place, the misdeeds of many in the game in the past twenty years, and the idea that emotion outweighs talent in the minds of voters, there are many candidates that will either have to wait for a few years or will simply never see their bust of bronze.

The process has become a game of finger pointing and accusation. Evidence is no longer a factor in determining whether someone committed a crime against the character of the game. In fact, in some instances, outstanding talent and performance has hurt the chances of a few while steady performances year over year has proven an obstacle for at least one candidate still on the waiting list. For me, as someone who grew up watching man of the players now coming on the ballot, it is a shame that I will not be able to celebrate the talent that I spent so many years watching on the field.

I grew up watching and playing baseball. I never really demonstrated any talent for the game beyond a strong arm but I still enjoyed the spring and summer games. It was also one of the few sports, and still is, that I can watch on television that will hold my interest. This may be an oddity to some but my mind is constantly working, pitch by pitch, play by play, whenever a game is filling the pixels on the screen. Many of those players I watched for so many years are, most likely, never going to stand on that stage with some of the all-time greats of the game.

The problem with the assumptions, accusations, and general stubbornness of the voters is the fact that they see this tainted era as being something that is finite. We will never be able to determine the beginning or the end of the steroid/PED era and if you think you can you are wrong. While, undoubtedly, performance enhancers were more prevalent during certain years but so were greenies and cocaine during other time periods.

Heck, no one accused Roger Maris of having an unfair advantage for smoking like a chimney in 1961 in order to calm his nerves. In general, no one really knows if players received any benefit from tobacco use over the years. Granted, it did not make them bigger, stronger, or faster but maybe it helped some relax or focus. To those who respond with the fact that most players used tobacco my response is simple… exactly.

Players should be evaluated for their performance on the field in competition against their peers. Barring any illegal activity or evidence that they have broken written rules, all players should be based on performance. Even if it seems likely that they used something (i.e. Bonds and Clemens) we can’t exclude based on something that wouldn’t hold up in court. And, more importantly, we can’t put roadblocks in front of players who played in the same era where no evidence has ever been found of any wrongdoing (i.e. Piazza, Biggio, Bagwell, Walker, and numerous others). The BBWAA are an emotional bunch to the point that they have allowed there disappointment of a few during an era to cloud their judgment of the truly talented men who played the game during that time.

Something needs to change. Objectivity needs to find its way back into the process. And, while I don’t agree with how Deadspin went about it, the fans should have some say, maybe just a single symbolic ballot cast for the other voters to see ahead of time, in the process. Now that the voters have seen the ballot the fans have cast, thank to Dan Le Batard, maybe they will finally listen. However, based on the overreaction of the BBWAA, I seriously doubt it and it looks as though a generation of great players, some of the greatest of all time, will languish on the ballot finally giving way to the similarly temperamental and flawed veteran’s committee.

Back To Normal

The baseball season is winding down and things seemed to have returned to normal. Like in my formative years, the Phillies are near the bottom of the division and the Braves are playoff bound. Another year and another losing season.

However, given the recent success of the organization, this season has a certain sting to it. I am not one of those people who can just flick the switch and start watching football like the summer never happened. Baseball has always been and will always be my favorite sport so a bad season doesn’t sit well with me and will continue to fester until spring.

While baseball may have always been my sport of choice it doesn’t mean that I was any good at it. I did not have the athletic gene passed down to me. But it is a game that I have studied my whole life, mostly when I was younger, and I have a deeper understanding of the details of the game than most. Basically, I can tell you more than just a player stinks; I can explain why a player stinks.

With that said my passion for the game has wavered some over the last decade. While most fans were enthralled with the homerun records and the strikeout pitchers I was watching as the game I treasured was changing before my eyes and not for the better. The grittiness of the game was beginning to disappear, the strategy became more black and white, and the norms of the game began to morph into a sport focused on entertainment rather than athleticism.

This year I began to see things revert to some of the old ways which got me to pay a little more attention even though the Phillies looked like they should be playing in Williamsport rather than South Philadelphia (I even started posting blogs during the second half of the season). While pitchers still can pitch inside without being tossed, they seemed to be relying on pitching rather than striking batters out. And not just pitching, pitching to the situations and not being afraid to put a ball just beyond the black.

We are still a long way from what the game used to be just a couple decades ago but that will hopefully change in the near future. Maybe the league will realize that pitching inside is part of the game. Maybe the strike zone will once again be larger than a thimble. Maybe coaches will abandon the absurdity of the pitch count. Maybe we can go back to reality.

Some things have changed in the batter’s box too. Homeruns seem to be a natural occurrence again. Hitters seem to realize that there are two sides to the field not just the pull side. And players seem to be taking pride in base running again.

These players also have a lot to work on. It used to be a shameful feat to strikeout more than 100 times in a season yet not countless players pass that mark without flinching. Running out a routine ground ball should be a given not a surprise as it is today. These are pervasive on the field and I don’t know if these will change.

So, just a weekend series to go before I start thinking about spring training. I don’t know if I will be able to root for anyone in the playoffs but I will certainly be paying attention to what happens. Do I think the Phillies will return to the winning ways of the last decade? I doubt it but I can still hope (remember 1993?). But even if they lose, and lose badly, it will always remind me of my childhood and something that can do that for you can’t be all that bad.   

Any Phillies Phans Out There?

Yes, I still have my Jim Thome jersey from 2003.

In recent years I have lost touch with my passion for baseball and, in particular, the Phillies. I have been a phan my entire life, through good years and bad, during seasons of victory and times of collapse, I have never wavered in my support. I used to watch most of the games on TV and go to a hand full of games a year but, lately, I have not been keeping track of the games, the players, or the standings. 

One way for me to remedy that problem is to write about it so I am starting another blog where I will post summaries of games played, the pitching match ups for the next game, trades and transactions with some other random information sprinkled throughout. I am going to try and keep it simple to start and see how that goes for a while. I might even miss a game or two. GASP!

The new blog, Getting Your Phil, can be found at gettingyourfill.blogspot.com. As you may have already noticed on my social media accounts, I have already started posting. That is also why much of the content in this post may seem familiar. Almost like Déjà vu allover again!

Overall, I will try to post regularly (even during the off season). Sometimes it may be a simple link to an interesting article, a random stat, or a surprise post which may be a little longer. Who knows. All I have at this point is a schedule and an interest to reeducate myself.

Something to keep in mind as this blog gets off the ground (low flying as it may be) is that this is a blog that will be full of home runs, errors, and everything in between not just in the box score but also in the writing. The focus is going to be more on the information rather than the way it is conveyed.

Now that the foundation has been poured I am curious to know what you are interested in reading about. Favorite players? Memorable seasons? Classic Calls? Maybe you are interested in reading about something beyond the box score (but still Phillies related). Let me know what piques your interest and I will do my best to satiate the current focus of your Phillies fascination or, if you would like to share your opinion/experience, I would be happy to consider a guest post.

Enough of the jabbering, let’s play ball!