Archive for Baseball

{ September 22, 2008 @ 10:01 am } · { Baseball, Football, Home, MON. MOMENT, TAG }
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Heather at Heather’s Recipes is hosting our Fun Monday this week. She asks us to tell her about a sport, or a team we continually follow – AND [I'll probably get lynched on this] to also add a little bit about what team you love to hate!

First off, I love baseball. I love to watch it, I love to play it [tho I haven't in years since we retired 'cause our family outings with everyone else in the family came to a screeching halt when we moved out of Colorado and the big family get togethers]. I have three professional teams that I follow. Two of those teams I was privileged to see from their inaugural seasons. One of those teams we went to every home game up until we retired and left Colorado. We even followed them to Tucson Arizona for Spring Training games. Then, when we actually retired and relocated to Tucson, we went to several of the Spring Training games…I especially loved the St. Patrick’s Day traditional Spring Training Game – the Cactus League Games – ’cause that day, every year was pitted between the two teams I followed at the time. The Colorado Rockies and The Arizona Diamondbacks. Always fun….and GREEN BEER!

There are two training fields in Tucson. One – Tucson Electric Park [Arizona Diamondbacks] and the other Reid Park in Tucson for the Colorado Rockies. I always loved to go to the Rockies’ “home games” during their Cactus League training in the Spring. The park is beautiful…a golf course, a lake, and a wonderful stadium and in the midst of downtown Tucson. Tucson Electric Park was more or less new and real close to ‘desolation in the desert’…but all in all a nice facility. [The Chicago White Sox also train in that park so we saw quite a few of those games there also.]

Then….getting really ‘burned out’ with the desert heat of the summer months, we wanted to relocate to an area with beach. Texas Coastal Bend, here we are. Which makes me follow the Houston Astros baseball. As you can see I’m a National League follower, so I don’t watch or follow the Texas Rangers…they’re American League. Occasionally I will watch their games when televised. But only if the Astros aren’t playing.

Baseball memorabilia? Oh yes…much much too much I have. I’m almost embarrassed to say just HOW much. T-shirts, caps, golf shirts with logos, sutffed mascots, foul balls I’ve been happy to catch during the games and lucky enough to have the seat where the ball flew from home plate, baseball cards, hat pins, and more.

- – -

The team I LOVE TO HATE? Ewwwwww, Dallas Cowboys!!!! Reason? For years they were oftentimes pitted against my ‘home team’ – Denver Broncos. This team too I followed. The Denver Broncos that is. Another Colorado team. I’ve followed the Broncos since childhood and ended up going to many many home games; from the 1960′s to when we retired and left Colorado in 1996…. From the ugly orange jerseys with just the big white “D” to the new sleek gorgeous ‘”wind swept’ Bronco design! From players of the past like #33 Billy Joe who was the first Rookie of the Year, #25 Haven Moses, #77 Lyle Alzado. My memory of the past quarterback starts with nope, not John Elway but the goofy one that wasn’t too good in performing most times…Craig Morton. Way back in the early 70′s. But…mmmmm, mmmm, mmm…..John Elway. YES!!! He and his teammates with the likes of my favorite player now retired, #87, Ed McCaffrey!!! I still miss him and try to keep on, from reading the ‘net and talking with my sister in Montrose, about what he’s doing now – “my Ed”. [John Elway is coaching football...and coaching his own son Jack.] Oh ya…why I love to hate the Cowboys? For one, mentioned above, they always beat the Broncos!! Always. The first super bowl that the Broncos actually played…the Cowboys whipped some butt! I remember at half time the score was something like 13-0!! And they went on to beat “my” Broncos! Big Time! After years and years of defeats and big losses, they finally did make it to the Super Bowls…lost to the Cowboys…but then….won!!! TWO times. Hey, it’s not quite the record of Dallas, but at least they did win a few. :o )

This isn’t very clear, nor is it even close to a professional clip, but it shows a lot of great plays that Ed McCaffrey made in his career with the Broncos. [neat music too!] It’s a short clip I found at You Tube. Awwwwwwwwww, I do miss this dude. Wish sometimes we could turn the clock back and have that team once again, that actually WERE Super Bowl Winners!!! But, what can I say? I still have my memories of the more or less ‘not so headliner player’…but he was good in my opinion.

My all time favorite players? Baseball? Ummmmm Derek Jeter [Yankee? How did that come about y'wonder?]. Football? Mentioned above – Ed McCaffrey.

~…end Fun Monday
[comment link -HERE- to skip over my TAG blog]

I was tagged by Shadow for the list of 6 quirky things about me:

    1]I have big sanitary issues with those ‘manicure-pedicure parlors’ -they’re dirty to me, and full of disease.
    2] On those terms from above in #1…I love to eat out; thing is, I probably wouldn’t if I saw the kitchens!!
    3] I dislike hair nets! [They're creepy & webby-looking!]
    4] My popcorn has to have butter…real butter!
    5] I detest the news media…but am compelled to watch news often.
    6] As much as I love Halloween, Orange is my least favorite color, but I love black.

{ August 27, 2008 @ 3:53 am } · { AC, Baseball, bridge, Home, W W. }
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…~end Wordless
This also will suffice for “Bridging the Gap” Photo Challenge
[my comment form link found HERE]

Yesterday, as promised, my new best friend showed up around 1:30PM. [Not to mention he was cute too!] And young…virile….oh….dear….wait. I got side-tracked. Okay, Andy showed up. What a hunk! Dang!!! I’m doing it again. Anyway-y-y-y! He fixed our air conditioner. If you read my Tuesday blog and all my ‘talk’ you will remember that in the heat and humidity the AC stops throwing cold air out Monday morning. They couldn’t come ’til Tuesday afternoon for the service call. It’s fixed, and it’s gonna form icicles on the cats’ whiskers cupboards before I feel better.

Luckily, when we moved from Tucson, we had a huge window AC that was portable in case the outdoor unit went on the fritz. We never used it….but we moved it with us for the same purpose. At least the dining room was a bit comfortable for us. But ewwwww, the bedroom was unfit to live in. It was like walking into a blast furnace last night! We had three floor fans going, three ceiling fans going and the patio door was opened after the outdoor temp dropped below 75…still, I just don’t know HOW people survived the desert and the tropical summer weather long ago. They musta had minds and stamina of steel!

And Monday night, I couldn’t take it…I couldn’t [or I should say wouldn't] even begin to think of cooking dinner. We ended up going to the last home game for the Corpus Christi Hooks [baseball 'farm' team for the Houston Astros]. We had hot dogs and beers and onion rings –real healthy I know. And our seats were right by the huge stepped entryway so we got a cool breeze to our backs and the Ship Channel breeze in our faces. The “Hooks” vs. the San Antonio Missions. Bummer of a game tho. For us CC fans. Score after 9 innings? 21-3. Ugh!

I decided to add this for the Photo Challenge ‘extras’, tho I only want to do one a week, if I do, just to keep my blog from being overly-redundant in theme for a week’s time [my choice, no offense to those who do the theme daily for a week...I just feel it's not my style.] The same bridge that I posted for Wordless Wednesday and the Photo Challenge ‘Bridging the Gap’ above is below…as we finished the National Anthem the huge oil tanker was going under the bridge! I ‘boxed’ the conning tower of the ship in black. [both images can be enlarged]

{ July 17, 2008 @ 3:41 am } · { Baseball, Thursday, Yankees }
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My Thursday 13 & a bit more—

Since Tuesday’s Summer All Star Game between the National League and the American League baseball…I thought while watching it Tuesday evening [extra innings 15---to the wee hours of the morning, Wednesday] and tears welled up in my eyes with all the old players of my youth being out in the field –some of the greats like Whitey Ford, Yogi Bera, films of Joe DiMaggio, Robinson, and dozens more! I grew up with baseball. Each summer we’d go see a game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis [my father's favorite team]. Remembering my brother’s caught fly foul ball and he went down and got it autographed by some of the ‘greats’ of our time! I now, also, have an autographed ball from a foul hit in Coors Field in Colorado. It’s a treasure only in my estimation…it’s as the commercial goes…”Tickets to the game – $50, A hot dog with everything on it -$5 –an autographed baseball from the Colorado Rockies?—PRICELESS!!

How sad it’s going to be to see the old Yankee Stadium razed. It’s been there ‘forever’ for me, and it’s part of American Culture!!! Hence my 13 this time is all about the history of us…even those who AREN’T Yankees or baseball fans, it’s still a big part of the American Dream becoming a reality….

edition #67
YANKEE STADIUM
1923

- – -

This is the last year of an American Baseball Icon. I found a very interesting article in our newspaper the other day, and after reading it, I naturally, wanted more. So, I went out on the ‘net and did my usual research—

1. Yankee Stadium was the first ballpark to ever be referred to as a ‘stadium’.
2. After construction was complete at the cost of 2.5 million dollars, it opened in 1923 [85 years ago!]

  1. Construction began on May 5, 1922 and opened for the first game on April 18, 1923
  2. The land is 10 acres, purchased for $675,000.00 from William Waldorf Astor
  3. The Yankees team owned it until they sold it to the city of New York in 1972 for $24 million.

3. After a Yankees Home Victory – the song blares over the field “New York, New York” with Frank Sinatra singing.
4. Prior to the completion of the stadium, the Yankees never won a World Series. The first season playing in the new stadium they won, beating the Giants in 6 games.
5. Among the features within the park is Memorial Park…with 37 monuments and plaques depicting the memorable, honorable, Yankees.
6. Babe Ruth helped ‘design’ the stadium, suggesting aspects that would help the ‘left-handed’ players!
7. It’s been dubbed the “House That Ruth Built”….
8. When Yankee Stadium opened on April 18, 1923 there were 74,200 fans in attendance to see the Babe hit a three-run blast as the Yankees won their first game, 4-1 over the Red Sox.
9. The capacity of Yankee Stadium has changed 15 times since it opened.

  1. largest capacity among all 30 Major League ballparks

10. It was renovated after the 1973 season – 48 million dollars
11. The rebuilt stadium did retain an exact replica of the façade, which now spans the 560-foot-long scoreboard that stretches across the bleachers. Today, the white picket fence-style façade and large line scoreboard in left-center field are Yankee Stadium’s signature features.
12. Known as the “Bleacher Creatures”, the Stadium’s most famous inhabitants occupy the bleachers, which have been alcohol free since 2001.
13. The Stadium’s main entrance is located behind home plate and has the most congested foot traffic.

Note:

  • The All American Team, Yankees, played ball in the polo park from 1913-1922 on the polo grounds directly across the Harlem River from where the stadium now stands. [demolished in 1964]

    • Yankee Stadium’s Physical address is:

      161st Street & River Avenue

      Bronx, NY 10451

  • The new Yankee Stadium will open April 16, 2009
  • Est. cost: $80 million


  • NYY Logo
    1913-


  • NYY Logo
    1987-Current

    • { July 17, 2008 @ 3:41 am } · { Baseball, Thursday, Yankees }
    { Leave a Comment }

    My Thursday 13 & a bit more—

    Since Tuesday’s Summer All Star Game between the National League and the American League baseball…I thought while watching it Tuesday evening [extra innings 15---to the wee hours of the morning, Wednesday] and tears welled up in my eyes with all the old players of my youth being out in the field –some of the greats like Whitey Ford, Yogi Bera, films of Joe DiMaggio, Robinson, and dozens more! I grew up with baseball. Each summer we’d go see a game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis [my father's favorite team]. Remembering my brother’s caught fly foul ball and he went down and got it autographed by some of the ‘greats’ of our time! I now, also, have an autographed ball from a foul hit in Coors Field in Colorado. It’s a treasure only in my estimation…it’s as the commercial goes…”Tickets to the game – $50, A hot dog with everything on it -$5 –an autographed baseball from the Colorado Rockies?—PRICELESS!!

    How sad it’s going to be to see the old Yankee Stadium razed. It’s been there ‘forever’ for me, and it’s part of American Culture!!! Hence my 13 this time is all about the history of us…even those who AREN’T Yankees or baseball fans, it’s still a big part of the American Dream becoming a reality….

    edition #67
    YANKEE STADIUM
    1923

    - – -

    This is the last year of an American Baseball Icon. I found a very interesting article in our newspaper the other day, and after reading it, I naturally, wanted more. So, I went out on the ‘net and did my usual research—

    1. Yankee Stadium was the first ballpark to ever be referred to as a ‘stadium’.
    2. After construction was complete at the cost of 2.5 million dollars, it opened in 1923 [85 years ago!]

    1. Construction began on May 5, 1922 and opened for the first game on April 18, 1923
    2. The land is 10 acres, purchased for $675,000.00 from William Waldorf Astor
    3. The Yankees team owned it until they sold it to the city of New York in 1972 for $24 million.

    3. After a Yankees Home Victory – the song blares over the field “New York, New York” with Frank Sinatra singing.
    4. Prior to the completion of the stadium, the Yankees never won a World Series. The first season playing in the new stadium they won, beating the Giants in 6 games.
    5. Among the features within the park is Memorial Park…with 37 monuments and plaques depicting the memorable, honorable, Yankees.
    6. Babe Ruth helped ‘design’ the stadium, suggesting aspects that would help the ‘left-handed’ players!
    7. It’s been dubbed the “House That Ruth Built”….
    8. When Yankee Stadium opened on April 18, 1923 there were 74,200 fans in attendance to see the Babe hit a three-run blast as the Yankees won their first game, 4-1 over the Red Sox.
    9. The capacity of Yankee Stadium has changed 15 times since it opened.

    1. largest capacity among all 30 Major League ballparks

    10. It was renovated after the 1973 season – 48 million dollars
    11. The rebuilt stadium did retain an exact replica of the façade, which now spans the 560-foot-long scoreboard that stretches across the bleachers. Today, the white picket fence-style façade and large line scoreboard in left-center field are Yankee Stadium’s signature features.
    12. Known as the “Bleacher Creatures”, the Stadium’s most famous inhabitants occupy the bleachers, which have been alcohol free since 2001.
    13. The Stadium’s main entrance is located behind home plate and has the most congested foot traffic.

    Note:

  • The All American Team, Yankees, played ball in the polo park from 1913-1922 on the polo grounds directly across the Harlem River from where the stadium now stands. [demolished in 1964]

    • Yankee Stadium’s Physical address is:

      161st Street & River Avenue

      Bronx, NY 10451

  • The new Yankee Stadium will open April 16, 2009
  • Est. cost: $80 million


  • NYY Logo
    1913-


  • NYY Logo
    1987-Current

    • { June 23, 2008 @ 10:01 am } · { AWARD, Baseball, CHRISTMAS, Football, Home, MON. MOMENT }
    { Leave a Comment }

    Hula Girl has challenged us with going through our closets in search of something of sentimental value…something we just can’t part with on any terms. This is rather difficult since I love to shop and I clean my closets out twice a year and get rid of things I don’t wear. Let me see….[insert rubbing my chin with my fingers and a perplexed look on my face-searching] —-

    Oh wait…I thought of something. Actually, a ‘couple of somethings’. It’s my baseball [and one pro football team] fetish! I have baseball caps from ‘my teams’ where I have lived and attended ball games. And some team logo t-shirts I have worn to the games! Not much to really get all over-whelmed at the value, but I’m a team-backer, and love baseball. So, they remain in my closet until they rot from over-wear or old age whichever comes first. I have given some away to my grandsons who both love baseball too, but I have kept some of my favorites. And the second would be my holiday ‘wearables’. I have some for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas [no photos tho, 'cause they're way in back of the closet right now 'til the holidays get closer]. I never get rid of them either.

    So, here we go —ready?


    I happen to be wearing this from my closet–it’ll never be tossed! It’s a
    Texas Longhorn™
    [University of Texas]
    tank top!

    [all photos have mouseover captions]

    I have more Broncos™ and Rockies™ shirts since I lived there most of my life, and a few more ball caps such as the ‘Cancer’ pink ones and one that is green for St. Patrick’s day Rockies, and a stuffed “Dinger” – the Colorado mascot and a stuffed vintage Denver Bronco™ teddy bear [with the old logo --instead of the horse it's a BIG "D"]. Also, I don’t have any of the new color for the team the Arizona D’Backs –sonoran red and desert tan…I like the purple and teal team colors from the ‘old days’ better.

    - – -

    Last week, with Fun Monday’s theme – walls [this should open in a new window] , I showed the wooden cross [4th photo down] that Bud had carved for me after I begged him to carve one when he was finished making the 1st one for our son, Erik. I liked it so much…well, I wanted one too. I had mentioned that the whole cross idea had come from Guns n Roses Album cover [since Erik loved Guns n Roses --so did I, and still do - especially November Rain, Sweet Child of Mine, Patience, and Civil War!] A few who know my email had asked me from what album cover…so, here is the image Bud used to create the crosses.

    Guns N Roses
    “Don’t Cry”

    I’ve been meaning to add this to my blog entries for some time now and finally, I remembered to show it with great pride! I want to thank Jeanette at Jen’s Chronicles for thinking of me as she handed them to all of us! You, my dear Jen, are a treasure. And the fact that you gave it to me is truly an honor! Thank you very much!

    { April 20, 2008 @ 2:26 pm } · { Baseball, gardenia, GREEN Thumb, Home, Mutterings, SUN. SNIPPET, YARD }
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    Join Here

    I thought this was too cute not to take a photo. Bud and I were out this past week trimming the gardenia bush because it gets soooooooo heavy with blossoms it tends to droop sadly around the flower bed stone foundation and you can’t see anything that’s ‘cutesy’ below and underneath. As we were trimming the bottom of the bush, these two gardenias were peeking between two of our elves. So I snapped a photo before this little branch got cut off. I also like how the morning sunlight filters through the top branches down upon our ‘little men’. Before the trimming, the elves could NOT be seen much…that’s how much and how quickly it gets overgrown around there. That area of the yard is very fragrant with the breezes making whiffs of the sweet, sweet gardenias.

    …and the entire Gardenia bush, after the bottom over-growth was trimmed–


    Play along with your subconscious; Sunday’s Word Association.
    Join here.

    She says … and I think …

    1. Questioning :: asking
    2. Immunity :: diplomatic
    3. Online dating :: E-Harmony dot com [TV commercials]
    4. Calcium :: deficient
    5. Dressing :: gown
    6. Bucket :: list
    7. Stain :: wood
    8. Advanced :: learning
    9. Dramatic :: play
    10. Self-medication :: mind over matter [obviously I couldn't think!]


    Just think…Thursday’s baseball game between “my” Rockies and San Diego Padres lasted 2 and 1/2 games!!! Twenty-two innings?!!!! And the Colorado team was the division champs last year? Oh lordy. I’m sure glad we didn’t live there and we attended the game [dunno exactly if it was a 'home' game or not] —I’d still be in bed recovering. With no travel day off, Friday they came to Houston and whipped Astros’ butts. [while poor Padres hosted 'my' DBacks and ummmm, the Padres were shut out on Friday! - scoreboard courtesy of MLB dot com]

    Also, regarding baseball, if you’ve been listening to the news this past week in sports, you’ll know that the new Yankee Stadium being built was ‘cursed’ by one of the construction workers who was/is a Boston Red Sox fan—he ‘planted’ a Sox Jersey into the foundation of the stadium. Tips were given to the Yankee workers/owners and the jersey, supposedly cursed, was retrieved. The all American Yankees now have it up for auction on ebay…proceeds to this auction will go to charity!!

    [photo courtesy of ebay]
    Auction ends April 24, 9:30AM [Pacific Time Zone]
    AS OF 5AM CDT – $65,100.00 BID

    { April 8, 2008 @ 10:07 am } · { AWARD, Baseball, Candy, TAG, TUESDAY }
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    Join Here

    April 8th
    Express

    A Baseball Game we attended. The Corpus Christi Hooks versus the Round Rock [Texas] EXPRESS!!! As most of you know let me express my love of baseball. For me, the months from February[spring training] to October are the best months ’cause of the game!

    Melli left me a comment Sunday —”ROFLMBO! Anni… I’m off to make an award JUST for YOU! Your post today inspired it… and I GOTTA do it! I just can’t help myself!!! I’ll be back…“

    She came back! With this——

    ROFLMAO…just think Melli, now that I have all the EXTRA hands to type with, what nonsense I can come up with with great speed. Watch out blogworld!!!

    [Thanks Melli....you really made my day fill with laughter. --I promise, I'll shut up now. Well at least for the day ---:::zip a lock::: Oh, well, I'm here, I might as well add "Who's the one who said Silence is Golden? No relation of mine, guaranteed!!!]

    RUBY TUESDAY

    I was tagged by
    Cheerio at Cheer Up to do this ruby meme. It originated here at World So Wide. It’s quite simple, according to the rules below.

    What are the rules?

    A. Create a post that has the word or color RUBY or something else RUBY-related or TUESDAY-related in it.
    B. In your post, create a link to this Ruby Tuesday meme invitation.
    C. Leave a comment here.
    D. That’s all!

    Okay, the only thing I could really come up with for the fact that would pertain to me personally is some of my ruby glass collection. It all began with this candy dish that Bud surprised me with while on our honeymoon [pictured]. It then turned into an obsession of sorts. I’ve long since stopped buying ruby glass only because if I continued with this collection, I would have no room in the house. LOL In all honesty I have too much now the way it is, and I’ve downsized over the years. Why? Because when my father died, I was the one that lived in the same city….I was the one who had to ask the same of my other siblings “What do you want of the folks stuff?” Well, what wasn’t shipped out to them, I got. And I’ve slowly given pieces here and pieces there to our son and daughter, nieces and nephews. But I did keep some things that brought back such good memories of my youth. Mostly what I kept are now considered antiques. And with those items, no room for ruby glass!!

    So, I got carried away a bit there….thing is, if I want to keep my parents’ things, I need to conserve on collecting other things. Otherwise they’d all be packed away and not worth keeping because I can ‘see them daily’ —y’know?

    In turn, my ruby glass items are just a small collection. And at the top of all the ‘prizes’, sitting pretty…the ruby glass candy dish from 1968!! On our honeymoon!!!

    ADDED: More awards received overnight, and others I found on my computer that I kept forgetting to add to my blogging entries:


    Thank You Mary!! I really appreciate the thought!!


    Thanks Storyteller!!! This award is adorable. I must apologize tho, for not adding this in a timely manner.


    This one is just too adorable! I love it. Again, I feel a need to apologize for not adding this as I received it. Forgive me.


    This one, as the award just above, was given to me by Pretty Life Online. It’s a hoot! I like awards, and I like things that make me smile!! Thanks so much!!!


    Karen, thanks!!! You know that YOU MAKE My day too!! I love this award. It’s so sweet!!


    I love this one Mary!!! Being a blogger and having friends who visit and chat as we live our day to day existence online IS A PERFECT blend!!! Thanks my friend!!!

    { March 31, 2008 @ 2:34 pm } · { Baseball, Home, MOVIES }
    { Leave a Comment }

    I LIVE for baseball & beer. And movies!!…
    ……..PLAY BALL!!!
    GO ‘STROS!!!
    GO ROCKIES!!
    GO D’BACKS!!

    [Fun Monday Quotes Below this entry!]


    There is something about the sound of the cracking of the bat when contact is made with the baseball!!!! Yesterday, around the country…a few opening season games were played. This is ‘my time of year’! I love baseball. I’ve been following pro teams most all my life. Well, as far back as I can remember anyway. When I was a kid, it was my dad and his love for the game….his ‘team’ was the St. Louis Cardinals. A couple of times in the summer we’d travel to Missouri and watch a game at Busch Stadium. Then, growing up in Colorado….finally, Denver got a PRO team. The Colorado Rockies. Bud and I had season tickets for the first inaugural season. And it was a ‘winning season’ too! The one and only until last year. Alas, they didn’t go any further…didn’t get any closer to the World Series. Maybe someday. But I will continue to be a fan. After retiring temporarily in Arizona…Spring Training for the AZ Diamondbacks…loved each game we attended [and the Rockies also trained in Tucson, along with the Chicago White Sox]. Gotta love it.

    Now we’re in Texas. And since we do follow the National League more so…it’s the Houston Astros!! What a joke this team is. Some good, some bad, but never consistent. Anyway, here in Corpus, we have one of Houston’s Farm Teams. The double “A” team —Corpus Christi Hooks! If you’ve watched enough baseball, you will know that the ‘prize’ rookie at Houston last year [until he was placed on the DL] was Hunter Pence. Hunter played for the Hooks!!

    Yesterday was an exhibition game for the Hooks. They played against another ‘farm team’…Round Rock Express. The Express whipped some butt! We had ice cold beers, walked around trying to find the mascots [I have a 'thing' with the mascots of teams...hehehehe], drank some more beers….had a great afternoon all in all.


    Me [on the right LOL!] and “Rusty” –The Hooks’ mascot shark


    And here I am with the 2nd team’s mascot, Sammy the Seagull!!!

    - – -

    Now, perhaps you’re wondering what baseball has to do with my opening line….’and moives’. After the game finished, Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Hooks played host to a film crew! They were using the ballpark and the players for the making of a theatrical movie…”The Open Road“. Starring, Jeff Bridges, Mary Steenburger, and……………JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE!!! [among other celebrities]

    All the guests at the game were invited to stay and be part of the movie’s extras, but neither Bud nor I wanted to stick around longer. Besides, the stands we’re quite filled already, for the game, and more and more were ‘pouring in’. I’m not one for big crowds, so we opted to not stay —-

    Besides, I needed meds that were still at home. And some food in my tummy. Not the ballpark food. LOL

    { December 14, 2007 @ 2:36 pm } · { Baseball, CHRISTMAS, GENERAL }
    { Leave a Comment }

    ADDENDUM 2:30 PM
    added to my Mitchell Report Opinion written
    earlier this morning

    I am finally finished with Santa. I glued the eyes and lips on today with glass beads that are flat on one side. Blue for the eyes and red for the lips. I’m done. I can’t tell you how happy I am that it’s completed. I really didn’t care for the way he turned out. The pattern would have made a much better looking angel. hehehehe And after I got the body completed and the arms attached the bearded head was quite top heavy…it leans. Next year? Ya, I’ll probably attempt making another with a much different pattern.

      Everything on this except the eyes, hat bell, and lips is crocheted. The beard is white mohair thread [along with the white 'fur' around the sleeves, the hat, and the button down fur] The hair is a chain stitch with white thread. The face is pink thread. The body, hat, and the sleeves are done with red thread, and the belt is black thread. All done with a size “0″ crochet hook.

    Thanks to “Free Crochet Patterns Online” for the use of the pattern.

    …and speaking of “America’s Sport”; baseball – With the recent outcome of the Mitchell’s Report, a 409 page testimony of the abuse and use of performance enhancing hormonal drugs in the sport [actually, the entire sports world anymore from baseball, to football and beyond to the World Olympics!] and the athletes, I say: More power to ‘em! If this is what it takes to get the whole concept of ‘true’ sports accomplishments, then so be it.

    And I personally don’t think there is any evidence that this report is false accusations of the players. Tho, honestly, I’ve not seen or witnessed any ONE of the players that actually ‘shoot up’ or inject the hormones, I can honestly say that of all the decades of me watching players and seeing the progression of performance that would astound even their own mothers in an off season to the opening season following, there has to be some truth to it. And of course, the general public will never have the knowledge as this would put a black mark on the sport. It’s kept behind closed doors. But, perhaps now that it’s out in the open, I think it’s a GOOD thing!! I’m hoping that with the list of 85 players on the report that it will ‘scare the whole sports league to clean up their acts and play some true ball games!!! I mean really, if this were a false published statement, the list of 85 players could have the highest of court rulings against Sen. Mitchell and sue, sue, sue!! I’m sure within the first 24 hours of its release, there would’ve been lawsuits of slander, defamation of character, false witness, among so many more suits within hours of its release. Our Senator did his homework. Of course, there is bound to be denial everywhere, no doubt even with some loyal fans.

    I do know from a personal level [not me] what steroid injections can do to the heart. I watched intently, when I could, with close-ups and watching him play during our Spring Training a certain Giant outfielder…he would constantly be seen holding his chest. It produces a dangerous effect on the heart and other vital organs. And only to enhance your ability to achieve? Why? I ask. And it was shortly thereafter he put on an extreme amount of weight. I saw first hand a Denver Bronco under the use of steroids. He died from cancer from the over-use of steroids. At the young age of 42-43!! It’s scary. And it’s scary to think that our young kids who idolize these players are watching and taking it all in. Thinking, perhaps without parental guidance, that it is all good. After all, peer pressure to excel in anything is very strong today, and kids will try anything that they can mimic! The attitude of “If star athletes can do this and get by without any repercussions, I can too!” It’s nature.

    There’s been a strong reaction from fans since this report’s release. Perhaps a GOOD thing will come from this: I for one, a great baseball and football fan, I would hope that this would and WIIL bring some reform to the sports field and bring forth HONEST players and achievers.

    If this cleans up the sports arenas and helps our society and our younger generations to come…I would not feel any sympathy for today’s players…they brought it on by themselves, they pay the consequences. Altho, I can’t honestly say that it would do any good to chastise them either, in keeping them from playing still, and they should be allowed to continue their choice of occupation. I do strongly believe that if there is evidence against them of any illegal acts or any wrong-doing according to the rules of play and the game, if they have received accolades and used steroids to accomplish this, the award or prestige should be rescinded. They cheated. They played against the work ethics.

    —


      …”The culmination of former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell’s 20-month investigation into steroid and performance enhancing drug use in the sport — cast a dark shadow [sic]implicated several of the game’s biggest stars, and called the pervasiveness of the drug culture “a serious threat to the integrity of the game.”"

      …”The ramifications stretched far beyond baseball Thursday, sending reverberations through the other leagues and all the way to the White House, where President Bush’s spokeswoman expressed hope this “marks the beginning of the end of steroid abuse.”"

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