Trade Day

Today is the non-waiver trade deadline in MLB...and we got us a big one!

Lester & Gomes for Cespedes. Huge. Stay tuned.

What's With The Weather

Been cool around these parts, which, truth be known, are the only parts that matter. Coole enough to get under the blanket last evening.

Now some might like this kind of temps, but SoulSlam actually prefers a little bit of heat. Cool-off in the pool kind of heat. But for the near future we're pretty much status quo.

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In other ramblings:

The Strain on FX is creepy. And tremendous.

I'm still watching The Leftovers on HBO...though I have absolutely no idea what is going on.

The Bridge is my Wednesday night spot.

I saw the trailer to the new Mad Max movie, and it is awesome.

John Oliver is the funniest man on TV.

The Mets are doing just enough to keep the fans watching...how long until the fall?

OSSS got his driving permit.

I am boycotting haircuts. My heair is ready to explode!

Sleep Deprivation

I am having some trouble sleeping. Could be the weather. Thunder last night woke me for quite awhile. I used to have a lot of insomnia so I'm hoping that doesn't return.

Free Weekend Sort Of

Baseball over for the Sons of SoulSlam...so kind of free. Took the BWSS to PA. to visit and hit the outlets on the way back. I got some BBQ sauce.

Sunday we have some church in the early AM then...nada. This is weird. I'll hit the G-Y-M in the morning, do some yardwork and watch some MLB no doubt. A beer or two will undoubtedly be consumed as well.

#WalkOffHero

Little bit of dad-beaming here:

Last night, YSSS' 13U team played a game, with a 4-2 lead in the 7th. Away team scores two at the top of the inning to tie this baby up. We have top of order coming:

Leadoff hitter walks, steals 2B on first pitch to #2

#2 Hitter (a Jedi) bloops a single, runners on the corners

With #3 hitter up, the Jedi takes 2B on defensive indifference

#3 Hitter takes a walk to load bases no out

So with that as the setup, the YSSS (Cleanup Hitter) comes up. Tell him to take a breath and drive the ball hard. The lefty of the mound proceeds to throw him a COOKIE and YSSS drives the ball into the right center gap for an RBI single and a walk off. Team mobs him! He may have had the biggest smile I have ever seen him have on a ballfield.

That is why I do what I do. That made everything worthwhile this season. We are almost done for summer, and I will always have that memory of him succeeeding, but most importantly, having fun and feeling like a superhero for that moment!

A Cookie

AND GOOD RIDDANCE!

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On the Grand Jeter Farewell Tour, he made a stop in the Twin Cities to start (wrongly) for the American League in something we like to call the All-Star Game around here. And he had a terrific night with a double to RF and bloop single to RF (thank your lucky stars there is a RF!).

Now, SoulSlam watches a lot of baseball. MLB, MiLB, College, HS, Youth, Caribbean, etc. And you can kind of tell when a pitcher grooves a pitch. Wainwright? He threw DJ#2 a big, fat, cookie across the middle of the plate. Still had to hit it. Which you would expect an 18 year major leaguer to do. Still couldn't drive it to anywhere but RF.

I'll leave you with this:
What would Derek Jeter be called if he played his whole career with the Astros?

Craig Biggio. And I don't remember the glorious send off to him.

The Automatic Wave

OK, time to rant silly.

Have you ever driven down a road, a somewhat busy road and there's an opportunity to allow a car to make a turn (left or right) and go ahead of you...and you do it because you were brought up right and try to be courteous to others. And that car pulls out after it's been sitting for a couple and...

NO WAVE. You got NO WAVE. No hand up to say "hey thanks kind person!". That is one of those things in life that should involve corporal punishment.

Now, it's not one type of person (race, color, creed, sex) that this applies to. I'd say on average it's a 50/50 whether you get the wave. And that is another way you know about the decline and fall of western civilization. That and the postman (postperson) wearing whatever they want.

The Almost Over End

Baseball season for summer is almost over. YSSS' team is playing a little better,couple of games this week then a sleepaway tournament near Philly. All in all it's been a rough season though. But he's playing well, learning how to play 1B and hitting really well.

OSSS' club team has one more tournament during week of 7/21. This team looks like they are ready for a break; seems a lot of the players not too enamored of the coach. From my perspective, he absolutely plays favorites, of which OSSS is not. #17 has also hit a rough patch at the plate, so that isn't helping. But he's in good spirits so that's really all that matters. The Legion team finished out of the money so to speak in making state playoffs. That's a whole 'nother story.

And I'll leave you with a last question: why would a kid batting .176 bat in front of a kid batting .346? because his dad made out the lineup, that's why.

The (Right) Decision

Whatever the reason he left, you have to give it up for the King on his decision to return.

I Think It's Hot

We're having a tropical heatwave...only in the low 90's for the most part but H-U-M-I-D. That spells uncomfortable. But we persevere just the same.

It's mid-July (early mid-July?) so that means BASEBALL in the House of SoulSlam. Games or practices nearly every night, tournaments on weekends. The game is ours.

This is this week (by day):

Monday
OSSS - Baseball Factory Showcase in Trenton NJ (daytime), American Legion Game 6PM
YSSS - 13U Home Game 6PM
Tuesday
OSSS - Club team practice 7PM
YSSS - 13U Home Game< 6PM
Wednesday
OSSS - 16U Away Game 6PM (long way away!)
Thursday
OSSS - Club team practice 7PM
YSSS - 13U Away Game 6PM
Saturday
OSSS - 16U Tournament in Staten Island NY, games at 8AM & 12:30PM
YSSS - 13U Away Game 1PM
Sunday
OSSS - 16U Tournament in Staten Island NY, games at 8AM & later if we do well

So you can see we busy. Means I get less gym time for my bad self all week, but watching these guys play baseball is worth it.

Long Weekends Seem Short

Maybe it's my age (which I look really good for), but this weekend seemed to fly by. Too short. Not enough time. Yada Yada.

I have one more blessed day off after today; gotta take OSSS to a Baseball Factory showcase/tryout. It's down in Trenton (the home of Taylor Ham!) so it's pretty much all day. Then I gotta shoot up the TPKE for YSSS' 13U game. We're on a one game winning streak, so we're looking to extend that Monday.

16 Years Ago

SoulSlam was in a hospital delivery room for the birth of the Oldest Son of SoulSlam (OSSS). AKA Jack. To say that he changed my life would be the biggest understatement of the century. he may not know it, but he (and his brother) are my heroes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK LOGAN CASSIDY.