Donuts and Kickball

Worked with 11U team yesterday morning, basically a hitting workout with different drills:

High Tee Drill

Spray Drill

Double Tee Drill

Front Toss

Bunting

So after practice, we got some DD donuts and the boys played kickball to let off steam. They had a tough spring; they're a better team than they showed; and I think some of them have retreated (mentally). So a little fun. But since all of the boys are essentially umpires (not literally), they argue over every play, every kick. Maybe having fun is out of there reach. Hard chargers I guess. A-types.

Poor Ralph Macchio

He was the Karate Kid. Always in our hearts. "Wax on, wax off". Takin' down the bad guy. You know it.

Now he's being relegated to the Heep. By Will Smith's kid. A kid with dreads.

And he doesn't even do karate.

Apparently, the new movie, the Karate Kid is set in Beijing, with Jackie Chan the mentor. So that would mean China. Karate is Japanese (actually Okinawan - though the basis came from China). So this pint-sized Manny Ramirez look-alike is actually the Kung-Fu Kid.

So Ralph has to resort to making You Tube videos to stay current.

Is an Eight is Enough reunion move for behind?

M.I.A (Not Really)

Where has SoulSlam been?

Nowhere special. Busy. Work. Baseball. Sleep.

Couple of tidbits:

Strasburg can pitch, can't he

My investment in the signed Harper ball might pay off

People with agendas are not your friends

Watched a new show called PErsons Unknown or something else on NBC. Jury is still out on this one. Cameron from Ferris Bueller is in it. Looks old

My iPod Nano rocks!

I have to venture to the Land of the Rising Sun in July

I'm looking for a bounce-back season with my 11U Team this summer

Rec baseball is unrelenting

BP is evil

Pool Update #2 for 2010

Since you are most likely asking yourself "how's the pool?", I am happy to report:

Pool water is a perfect 84 degrees

It is chemically perfect, but this is because of my vigilance

It is literally an oasis, but you knew that already

I have some work to do on the stones and landscaping around the oasis

Swimming daily, sometimes with a cold brew-ski after a long day

In other news:
Spent the day at the fields yesterday for in-town baseball leagues. Hot. My oldest guested on a team at noon, then my Majors team laid a whoopin' on a coach that irked me. At 4PM, I donned the gear to ump a game, then my youngest played two games (I coached the first one), one as a guest player.

As for irking me - I was short a player, so we added a guest. When my last player finally showed about an hour late ("thought it stated at 3, coach") the opposing HC wouldn't let the guest continue, even as a DH. I didn't like the response I got, so I put the hammer down for the rest of the game and beat them 16-5. It's best to not irk me.

Trot Slow My Friend

Saw this and thought I'd share. Bakersfield Blaze vs. Visalia Rawhide in a Minor League Game.

Best part is the cowpoke-music in the background the whole time.

Junior

Late on this, but what the hey.

So last night, as my 9U team was wrapping up the regular spring season with a win, I wanted to check the Mets score. I see this as the headline:

Ken Griffey Jr. Retires.

Wow. I still think of him as Jr. A kid. Arguably the greatest ballplayer in my lifetime. Saddled with injuries, he might have broken every record on the offensive side if he had remained healthy. In the steroid-era, he was never accused or linked with the bad stuff. He was an immortal.

And the day he retires, the story is overshadowed by a blown call.

That's OK. Five years to first ballot. Later Kid.

The June Swoon

Don't know why I called it that. It rhymes. So that makes me like Dr. Seuss, but a whole lot tougher.

When last we met - I was 'splainin' about the tournament weekend. Over now. My 11U team will get back on the diamond for some much-needed practice. The 9U squad is on the cusp of some playoff ball - if the t-storms hold off tonight and the other team shows, we will most likely make it.

Articles everywhere in the greater NY metro regarding Mr. Ollie P. and his unwillingness to do what he should. Bad Ollie. He, in a word, sucks.

And the world is all aglow about the World Cup, set to begin in about 10 days. Everybody but me that is. It's not that I dislike soccer. I detest it. It's a trophies for everybody sport. It's the type of sport where some kid runs around for an hour, kicks the ball 2x and people say "great game". Dumb. The fact that it is popular is of no importance. It is dumb. D-U-M-B.

All you soccer fans can send the hate mail.