The Sounds of Airwolf

Well the rain came and now, the sweet sound of helicopters is overhead as all the news stations try the best vantage point for the flooding.

Vultures.

Got An Oar?

Raining again. Lots of the wet stuff. So much it seems the news people don't have the heart to speak the unthinkable. Another flood about three weeks after the last one would be un-freakin-believable.

Crossin' my fingers for all the people in harm's way.

One In The Books

My 11U team opened up our spring season today with a 7-0 shutout. New league for us, and nobody knows who we are so I'm sure when the other teams check the standings tomorrow they will be scratching their heads.

Exceptional pitching and great defense, along with some good at-bats and base running was the ticket.

In yesterday's 9U scrimmage, my team scored 3X in the bottom of the 6th to tie the game. We ended after 6, so I call that a victory of sorts. And maybe it's all the work we've put in, but I had more fun coaching this weekend than ever.

Rain in the forecast. Lots of rain. Gonna be rough for people who just got out from under.

Enjoy a video!

Correlation?

I may have finally figured something out.

Now there are always exceptions to rule...but it occurred to me this morning waiting an eternity at the ATM that most of my trials and tribulations at this oasis of cash is caused by people driving what is termed "luxury automobiles"!

Tell me I'm wrong. I dare you.

Now if that is the case, we can then make the leap to the next point; people in luxury cars are dumber than the average Joe (or Josephine). I don't think it's a stretch.

I will be verifying my hypothesis over the next few months. Stay tuned.

Hiding Spring

Cool and not so nice today...

Practicing indoors tonight, swinging the lumber to get the boys ready for our Spring Opener on Sunday. Practices this week have been good, lot's of optimism on my side.

Remember this: Every position is important

Doc

Sorry to hear the news story about Doc Gooden's brush with the law in Franklin lakes yesterday. Check deadspin for story...

Son of SoulSlam attended a baseball clinic featuring Doc last year in October. He was great with the kids (a little quiet), but signed just about everything under the sun. I always will have a soft spot in my Mets colored heart for him. The pic at the top is from that day (P.S. - I'm not one of those jabronis in the background)

Hope he can turn it around (again).

Busy Time

Work is frantic, have our big meeting of the year in a couple of weeks...

Baseball is coming along. Boys are working hard.

Out for now. Just a quick update.

Early Season

So we scrimmaged another 11U team yesterday...

So how'd we do?

Pitching was very good. I used 5 boys for 7 innings. And for the first time out, they pitched well.

Defense was good. Couple of errors hurt. Some tentative throws didn't help either.

Hitting was pitiful. We couldn't hit our way out of a wet paper bag. So we work on hitting a lot this week. Bet.

I wasn't disappointed though. I saw some ballplayers in navy blue. All that matters.

And I scheduled a tough practice schedule this week. Let's see who wants to play.

Species

So the weather has been unbelievable the last couple of days here in North J. Into the 70's lots of sunshine. Couldn't ask for more.

So I was at the ballfields last night for a couple of practices and notices a new species of insect:

The Winter Mosquito!

Now we always got mosquitos. Usually appear in May and run through October. But I have never seen a mosquito in winter (even though it was really the last day of winter).

So I gave my blood to this poor little fellow who will undoubtedly be dead once the cooler spring temps hit beginning Monday.

In any case, baseball games today. Yes.

Lots 'O' Baseball On Tap!

Practices and scrimmages all weekend. Nice.

Time to get serious. Check back tomorrow to see how we did.

Happy St. Paddy's!!!!

HAVE ONE WITH MY PAL LUCKY!!!

Drive Time

Storm came and gone. Rough time here in North J.

Flooding everywhere near me. I live about 3.5m from my place of happy employment and it took me an hour 10 to get in and about an hour five to get home. Not used to that, don't know how you people do it. Hopefully tomorrow is a little better. My hopes are not high.


Water water everywhere...

Unrelenting

The weather. When it is beautiful out, you probably take it for granted. But when it rains and rains and you have a baseball team or two you need to whip into shape, you just look out the window, turn on the weather, check every local weather site known to man hoping that their is a break somewhere in our collective future. No dice today apparently.

So anyhoo, today is "Championship Saturday" for recreation-style hoops in my town, so we've got consolation and championship games all day. My 2nd/3rd grade boys team got beat in the play-in (5 team league) so I am off. I run the whole shebang, so I have to make my way over late this afternoon in an official capacity, hand out the medals and trophies, etc. Remember this...somebody's gotta win and somebody's gotta lose. Words to live by.

DST tonight. Get your rest.

And Turned Again!

AAARRRGGGGHHH!

We get a few days of 50+ degrees, snow all gone, everything drying out and now the forecast for this weekend. Rain. Lots and lots of rain.

Looked at the weather map and we are on the edge of the heaviest part...in my neck of the woods you color that "not good", since we are prone to flooding anyway. Time to batten down the hatches.

Wet.

The Weather Has Turned

Nice. Like high 50's nice. Snow is melting, I'm pumping water from the top of my pool cover (waiting for that oasis of fun to open!).

Daylight savings this weekend means baseball practice during the week next week. All is right again.

God Loves Baseball.

OUTSIDE!

BASEBALL PRACTICE TODAY!

Only an hour for each level, but we are out in the air and throwing the old horsehide. Still some remnants of winter on the ground, but it's melting away and we have found a patch of grass to congregate.

Three weeks until first game. A lot to work on.

Known and Admitted

I have an ongoing dialogue at my place of employment with a Yankee fan that likes to point out the shortcomings of the NY Mets. Now he's on the "Reyes as HGH user" bandwagon.

So I made a cartoon. Enjoy.

In Like A Lion

Hopefully a lion that is old and ready to keel over. March I mean.

Watched the forecast and apparently the northern part of Jersey (aka the best part) will avoid another dumping of snow. Something to be thankful for. Coupled with some warm weather (in the 50s!) rolling in this weekend, we may actually be able to begin playing some baseball outside. Season starts in 26 days!

So where do you start. I'm sure my assistant coaches are sick of my e-mails by now; but I gotta tell ya: when you have reached the tender age of 11 and can't catch and throw a baseball, you may want to pick up another sport. My team is staying at 46/60, so I think we'll have a pretty good team. But there's that little gnawing inside my brain that leaves me with some reasonable doubt. But that's why you play the games.

Trivia

Q: Who is the only player to ever hit two Grand Slams in one inning?
A: Fernando Tatis, St. Louis Cardinals on April 23, 1999 at Dodgers Stadium. (By the way, prior to that game he had exactly 0 grand salamis)

But this trivia question has a second part:

Q: Who is the pitcher who gave them up?
A: Chan Ho Park (new Yankee reliever) - two in one inning. Career highlight for sure. Funny, it was not the first time that ever happended, but you have to go back to 1890 for the first guy. Mr. Park pitched 2 2/3 that day, gave up 6 earned runs, 11 total. That's called putting your team in a hole.

Now he's a Yankee. Watch out Joba.