Last Dance

This is the last post.

Stay Tuned....

There has been very little activity here recently, but that will all change.

We will be launching the new site in September so stay tuned.

Thanks for your patience.....

5 Things You Didn't Know About Me

I’m it.

My buddy Rick Stavanja tagged me to play "5 Things You Didn't Know About Me". So, even though my life is pretty much an open book, (albeit not very thick and with a lot of pictures) I’ll give it a try.

1- I started drinking in Junior High School. Yep, and it became quite the hobby. As my old friend John Likarich once told me “You don’t drink a lot, just often.” It has been over 20 years since I quit, but there are many people out there who never knew me sober. Maybe that is why whenever I run into some of my old High School acquaintances they have that strange look on their face.

2- I am somewhat of a "grognard" and have a pretty good collection of war games mostly of the Avalon Hill board game variety. But don’t have the time or the opponents around to play them. Some day somebody will find some great deals on eBay if I ever get around to selling them.

3- Like Rick, it took me a long time to warm up to computers. I actually thought they were a passing fad. Then I started using them for football and eventually broke down and got one. And now I can’t imagine life with out one. It is funny now that some people consider me a real computer guru and turn to me for advice. (I also thought Madonna was going to be a One Hit Wonder, but that is another story.)

4- I used to pick up extra money working as a figure model for art classes, oftentimes posing nude. In Butte no less. Again, my friend John Likarich had a hand in this. "C'mon, $50 an hour, it's easy..." And it was even after I stopped drinking, which took some of the fun out of it I guess.

5- In spite of being a coach for most of my adult life and being around people constantly, I am not too good at remembering names. I am kind of the opposite of Joe Glenn in that regard. But chances are if you tell me your birthday I’ll remember it and be able to tell you who else shares it or what happened on that day. I guess all the beer, wine and brandy rewired something back when I was a teenager.

Now, I get to “tag” a couple of people to blog their 5 things. So, I am reaching out and tagging my nephew, John Softich and my good friend Phil Maxted to perpetuate this.

Slip Kid

Ran into an old player of mine the other day. And I mean old, from the Auto Wash Bear days. Anyway, here is a shot of that team from the late 70's and I'm sure you can pick me out.

The Kids Are Alright

Most of you know I have been a Pittsburgh Penguin fan for years. Since their inception in fact. It has not always been easy since they have had some very lean years, especially the last 4 or 5. However, all those low finishes and high draft picks are starting to pay off.

The Penguins have four teenagers starting for them. Yep, four players only a couple years older than Ben are not only playing but playing very well. And the 20 year old rookie they have, Evgeni Malkin, has scored a goal in his each of the first 6 games of his career. That has never been done before in the NHL. Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fluery and Jordan Staal, who aren't close to 20 yet, are arguably among the best 10 or 12 young players in the league.

Now I know the season has just begun and just because the Pens are on top of their division for the first time since Emma was still living in Indiana I should curb my enthusiasm a bit. But, when a team is this young and this good I think it bodes well for the future. These guys have the potential to give the teams of Lemieux, Jagr, Francis and Barrasso a run for their money. And with the diluted talent pool which is today's NHL any group this strong could dominate for years. Should be fun to watch.

Now if the Orioles could find an owner.....

Far Away Eyes

World Series - Tigers v Cardinals

So, I was wrong about the Tigers. Again. But, much to the chagrin of my buddy Phil, right about the Cards. And now we have another Detroit-St. Louis series. I remember the last time they faced off, in 1968, very well. My Mom let me stay home from school and watch a few of the games in the afternoon. She liked Bob Gibson and loved watching him pitch. I remember sitting there as Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda, Norm Cash and Al Kaline gave it their all. I recall the announcers talking about Lolich and McLain and Dobson and the Tiger pitching. But Gibson stole the show with what I think was one of the best performances ever by a pitcher in a series. I'm not sure on the exact stats but I know he had 3 complete games and struck out something like 36 batters while walking 4 or 5. Incredible.

I also remember that series because my Dad would come home from work and I would let him know what had happened in the game. He would tell me all about the '34 Series and the Dean brothers for St. Louis and how he would listen to the games on the radio and keep score. It was during that series that the lady who lived across the alley from us, Mrs. Kralic, died. Her first husband had went down on the Titanic and maybe that was why she got so upset every time we broke her bedroom window, which was quite often. We couldn't help it if it was located in right center field and both Mike and I were push hitters.....

Anyway, I'm sure as I watch this years edition of the World Series those are the visions which will pass before my eyes and poor Emma will have to listen to some boring stories. I'm almost as sure that the Tigers will win it because they just have too much and the Cards are spent. Leyland will outsmart LaRussa in this one. Then again, I have been wrong before. Detroit in 5.

Wild Horses

Well, after going 3 for 4, (the Yankees messed me up) here are my LCS picks. Again, feel free to agree with me....

AL -

A's v Tigers: Last time these two franchises met in the playoffs I was was in Junior High and my pick is the same... Oakland. With Catfish and Reggie and the irrepressible Joe Rudi the Tigers will be hard pressed...wait a minute, back to now. With Zito and Frank and the irrepressible Jay Payton the Tigers great run will finally come to an end. Though I hate to bet against Jim Leyland, the A's pitching is just too deep and I think Detroit got too emotional over beating the Yankees. That hangover may cost them and so I'm going with Gene Tenace over Pudge... Oakland in 6.

NL -

Cardinals v Mets: The Mets may have better talent all around. Glavine is experienced and I like the way the Mets put away the Dodgers. But Floyd is a big maybe and I'm not sure if Randolph is up to taking on LaRussa. But there are three big reasons I think we may see the Arch featured prominently on Fox in 2 weeks: Pujols, Carpernter and Rolen. Sorry Nick. St. Louis in 6.