Ten Years Ago Today – An Officer Candidate in the United States Army Remembers 9/11

On September 11, 2001, I was 16 years old and in a minivan headed towards Houston, Texas. It was Tuesday, mine and Ryan’s favorite day of the week. Soon we’d be with all of our friends who were part of the, not kidding here, homeschool choir we were in. There probably wasn’t a better place for us to be. Shortly before arriving, unconfirmed and unclear reports started coming over the radio about a plane hitting one of the towers of the World Trade Center. I remember getting the impression it was a Cessna or something along those lines. Not long after we arrived at the church it became clear that this was something serious. No classes were being held, no one was singing for damn sure. Choir rehearsals were all cancelled but several of students stayed at the church. The adults all… did whatever adults do. I really don’t remember seeing them much at all. Meanwhile me and my friends wandered around outside, remarking at the absence of air traffic. Most of us wound up converging on a radio upstairs.

Jim Knows Best!

Ok, check this out. On Steinersports.com you can find a Jim Leyritz autographed baseball with the inscription “Don’t Drink and Drive”. So is he sending a good message or making money off of a mistake? it looks to me like Steiner and Leyritz are profiting of his drunk driving accident that killed Fredia Veitch. To be fair Fredia Veitch was drunker than he was and was not wearing a seatbelt. That may be why he was acquitted of the DUI Manslaughter charge.

Sit This One Out, Soldier

I just read a story about a Soldier, Eddie Nuss, who will not be allowed to play in his High School football team’s opening day game. According to the state a player must have 12 days of practice before he can play in a varsity game. Nuss will be returning home from basic right before the season starts and will not be able to fulfill that requirement by the first game. Even if he and his parents sign a liability waiver and even with the explanation that he will be in better shape than the rest of his team because he’s in Army basic.
As a soldier myself you would think I’d support Nuss on this one. But I don’t.

Overrated? Let’s Discuss That. Pt. 3/3

And the big finish! (We’re dismembering a Top 50 Most Overrated All Time list published on bleacher-report.com
See PART 1 – PART 2
20. Dave Stewart I didn’t realize Dave Stewart was highly rated. Also you say “Consistency makes you a great player. Glimpses of greatness makes you overrated.” Consistency hasn’t meant anything to you on several of the aforementioned players. Also glimpses of greatness do not make you overrated. Being viewed more highly than you should be makes you overrated.

19. Jason Giambi I won’t argue about him.

18. Thurman Munson “Sadly, Munson is glorified for how his life ended, which seems to inflate his play.” Ouch. From what I udnerstand he was a huge part of the team, the captain even when he died. He collected over 1500 hits in 11 seasons and had an average of .292. You compare him to Carlton Fisk and Johnny Bench, but generally when he is spoken of he isn’t compared to them. He’d be overrated if he was. But he is given proper credit for his abilities as a ballplayer and the effect he had on the team and fans in New York.

Overrated? Let’s Discuss That. Pt. 2/3

This is part two of my effort to dismantle a “Top 50 most overrated MLB players of all time” list.
Part 1 – Part 3

Johnny Sain and Denny McLain

35. Johnny Sain I won’t argue here. Maybe I would if I knew more about Sain, but your argument seems sound to me.

34. Bernie Williams This is one that I just might agree with you on, but as usual you argue against yourself. You put him on this list and then say “Bernie Williams was always an able hitter with a knack for coming up with clutch hits when it mattered the most. His 80 RBI and 51 extra-base hits both stand as postseason records.” So maybe that gives credence to why he’s viewed the way he is. Also you forget to factor in his musical abilities.

Overrated? Let’s Discuss That. Pt. 1/3

All 3 are overrated according to a recent list on bleacher-report

Writers have to write. Even unpaid, unobligated folks like myself often feel the need to just write something and put it out. The burden for paid sportswriters in this digital age is far more present. This leads to a lot of news when there is no news. It also leads to terrible lists. Lists can be fun. I generally don’t grade them too hard. But sometimes one jumps out at you and it’s just so obvious that all the writer was doing was putting something… anything… out on deadline. A piece of work like that I have to address.

Shaun McPartlin, a featured columnist for bleacher report wrote an article in April called “Nolan Ryan and the 50 Most Overrated Players in MLB History“. Ok, I have problems with that from the start. You can see that his #1 is probably going to be Nolan Ryan, which I take issue with. Then the simple fact that someone would have the gumption to try to make such a list is a little bogus to me. I think baseball fans are some of the smartest fans in the world and players generally get the credit they are due. I wouldn’t ever want to try to make a 50 most overrated list. It’s just not a realistic project. Well, I figured I’d look his list over. It quickly became clear that “MLB History” to this guy is basically the Steroid Era. Throw in a couple old timers and he figured he had himself a solid article. Well let’s see about that. (I’ll release this in 3 parts, so stay tuned!)

On to #50! (PART 2) – (PART 3)

Home Run Derby Facts w/a Focus on the Reds

Fewest home runs to win a home run derby:My favorite player of all time, Cincinnati Red, Eric Davis in 1989 and Chicago Cub, Ryne Sandberg in 1990. Both won with only 3 home runs. Sandberg is also the only second baseman to win the derby.

Inaugural Home Run Derby winner:Another former Cincinnati Red, Dave Parker won the event in 1985, which is also the year I was born.

In 1987 only 4 players competed in the Home Run Derby. Andre Dawson won with a total of 4 home runs.

1988 the Home Run Derby wasn’t played at all, due to rain.

Ken Griffey Jr. has won the Home Run Derby three times. No one else has won twice. He also has the highest home run total in derby history (excluding swingoff playoffs)

Random Link Round-up

This photo is still awesome.

This here is a link round-up. At times I’ve done them for s certain month or year… this is just… links that I think are interesting. I’m bored. This stuff deserves to be read.

The Morgan Ensberg Index Don’t you wish you had a stat named after you? Also check out his Joust video.

A note on tipping. I don’t completely buy into what he’s say, but it still needs to be read by people who have never waited tables.

The down of Barry Halper; Baseball Collecting’s Bernie Madoff – Pretty sweet reader for memorabilia collectors.

Atlanta schools take testing seriously. Ethics be damned.

I didn’t know they existed… Washington prospects not named Bryce Harper?

Classic Nolan Ryan 8×10

On September 8, 1990 Nolan Ryan was starting for the Texas Rangers against the Kansas City Royals. Bo Jackson hit a line drive, which caught Ryan in the face to start the second inning. He refused help and refused to leave the game. If he wasn’t a legend before, he certainly was now.

Taking Back Sunday – Self-titled – 1st Impressions

Tell All Your Friends! If you are a Taking Back Sunday fan you are where you want to be. You’re gonna wanna turn the new CD up louder now, because the line-up is new again.
New, except that it’s not. Taking Back Sunday, traditionally my favorite band, (though I’ve really gone a different direction lately in musical tastes) has brought back the original line-up from the Tell All Your Friends CD, which is just awesome. Ok, all the excitement from the fact that it’s the original line-up aside, let’s actually listen to self-titled album.