A Question and a Mini Rant

First, the Mini Rant: What is up with the start times for today's MLB playoff games? The Dodgers and Nationals kick off at 3:08pm (central time), the Red Sox and Indians play at 5:08pm, and the Giants and Cubs have a first pitch scheduled for 8:38pm.

There are three things here that I would explained to me:
1. What's up with all the 8's? Is it set up that way so they can do two minutes of pre-game material sandwiched in between six minutes of commercials?
2. Why is MLB overlapping two of the games, but not the third? Two hours is NOT enough time to finish a playoff game, but three and a half certainly is. What gives?
3. The third game has a wonderful start time for Giants fans on the west coast. BUT, it really stinks for someone who lives in Illinois and typically finds themselves clocking in to work at 6:30am.

Starting times . . . argh. 

I just had to get that out of my system. Thanks for being my sounding board!

The Question: Who wants all of my Miami Marlins cards?

I'm currently in the midst of emptying out my trade boxes and sending cards out to #SuperTraders. All of the trade bait for twenty-nine teams were housed in two 3,200-count boxes AND one "shoe box" and my goal is to get everything to fit into one 3,200-count box. I will not reach that goal unless I find a taker for the Marlins. Every other team is covered.

Speak up! I have roughly 300 Marlins cards that I will ship to your address and it won't cost you a penny. That's right, FREE!  Just comment below and they are all yours! (Somebody queue the cricket sound effects.)

Apparently the White Sox Are Chicago's Team

So I walk down the stairs of my in-law's house, in the south suburbs of Chicago, and my mom-in-law hands me a sheet of uncut baseball baseball cards from this morning's paper. I was still wiping the sleep out of my eyes, but once my eyes focused I was quite alarmed.

See for yourself:

One Cub?  Seriously?

Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune

Ron Santo is the lone representative from the north side. Honestly, I'm a little surprised Robin Ventura didn't make it. Perhaps it has something to do with Ronnie playing his last games for the White Sox.

The Chicago Tribune's Greatest Baseball Team of all Time was voted on by the Tribune's readership. For those who live in our "great" state I know I don't need to rehash Illinois' voting and political history. Some things don't change I guess.

Here's the one selection I really can't argue with at all:

Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune

Yeah, the Big Hurt makes Frank Chance and Mark Grace look like amateurs.

But, somehow the voters left off the likes of Ryne Sandberg and Ernie Banks (among others) from the team. Nellie Fox and Luke Appling were great ballplayers and I can see them garnering some votes over the aforementioned duo. But still, it raises a few eyebrows.

But, in my mind the most glaring omission was Billy Williams. Ron Kittle in left field over Billy Williams?  Wow. Kittle's career WAR was 4.7 and Billy Williams had a WAR of that amount or higher in six separate individual seasons!  How in the world could Kittle get voted in over Williams?  Again . . . vote early and vote often.

I shouldn't complain. I stopped reading the Chicago Tribune when they started charging for their on-line content and by the looks of the roster I'm thinking many Cubs fans did the same. It is what it is, but the lopsided results of the composition of the team are a little astounding!

I'm sure JediJeff will have something to add to the discussion and I'm hoping Wrigley Wax creates a digital custom card of Billy Williams to correct this glaring omission.

Please share your thoughts below!

Edit: RIP Jose Fernandez. He seemed like a fellow who was just coming into his own as a leader and was also on the cusp of becoming one of the elite pitching talents in MLB.

It's March, Right?

It was 6a.m. and I was out on the roads this morning going to work.  After sliding through an intersection in my neighborhood I decided to take a look at my phone once I got to a stop light.  Two missed phone calls, one voice mail, and three text messages.  Shoot.

Why didn't I check my phone before I left the house?  Argh.  Stupid. 

So, I did a u-turn and made it half-way up my drive way before loosing my forward momentum.  My newly repaired card was now sliding back down the driveway . .  backwards.  Just my luck, right?

I came to a stop in the snow bank, which I created with my trusty shovel a week earlier, and I was safe.  Stuck, but safe.  I was only in about six inches of snow, but that was enough to stop me and trap me.  If I had traction I would have been able to push through or pull out, but my front wheels were on hockey rink.  Sigh.

I left the car and went inside to announce that school was wisely cancelled, and I would be making pancakes for breakfast after I extricated the card from the snow bank at the bottom of the driveway.

The above picture gives you a better idea at the steepness of my driveway.  This shot is after my salting efforts.

A 40-pound bag of water softener salt later and . . .   poof!  It's magic!  The car is gone!

Now, the car is in the garage, my belly is happy, and I can catch up on the piles of cards and my blogging responsibilities.  Life is good.

Happy National Pancake Day!   Stay safe out there!  It's March, so it's going to get warmer soon, right?

A Math Equation I Could Do Without

I jumped in my car to head to work this morning to get prepped for the upcoming school week. It's tough to stay on top of things during basketball season so going in on the weekends has been a pretty regular occurrence.

If you live in the midwest, then you know we got dumped on last night. And although it's not as bad as what the east coast had to deal with recently, the white stuff always has the potential to create some troubles.

All I wanted to do this morning was go to school to do some lesson plans, write a few quizzes, grade some papers and run some copies.   Instead, I created a new math equation, which is unrelated to any of my geometry or calculus curriculum that I needed to catch up on.

What a bummer. 

Although I was taking the right turn much slower than normal, I guess I was going too fast for the snowy conditions. I started to drift and I tried to pull out of it, but I just tapped the curb.  Next thing I know I don't have any steering at all and I'm in a snowbank.   

 I inspected for damage and everything looked good until I got under the wheel well and I found the driver's side drive shaft is two pieces.  Man, I didn't think I hit the curb that hard. The airbag didn't even deploy!

Needless to say, I had to call for a tow.  I haven't owned the vehicle for even a year yet and I've already had two flat tires and now this little faux pas. I owned my last vehicle for twelve years and only had one issue during that time. Law of averages? 

I have no idea how much this is going to cost me and whether it's going to be worth it to get the insurance company involved.   ... Sigh ...

There is a silver lining I suppose: No other cars were around and I'm fine.

I sure hope February gets better from here.

Where's #4? I need your advice.

About a week ago I posted about three PWE from Wes, the author of Jaybarkerfan's Junk.  Wes numbered the back of each one, which makes it easy for me to know which one to open first.

Generally, I just open at will and don't think about it, but this new numbering system has me somewhat bamboozled.  I'm trying my best to maintain order and civility during the course of Wes' most recent barrage.

Here's what I've received on Monday (1/27):
PWE #6, postmarked 1/23, received on 1/27
and
PWE #7, postmarked 1/24, also received on 1/27.

Huh.  I've already cracked open #1, #2, and #3.  Now I have #6 and #7?

Yesterday (1/28) I received two more:
PWE #5, postmarked 1/22, received on 1/28
and
PWE #8, postmarked on 1/25, received on 1/28.

There's three days difference on the postmarked date, but the PWEs were delivered on the same day?  Seriously? It's 2014 and this still happens?

The better question is... "Where's PWE #4?"

As a high school teacher each spring the staff is on the lookout for the graduating seniors' class prank. I'm often asked by students what was the best prank I've heard of and I always refer back to the same story: Three pigs were let loose in a school and they were numbered 1, 2, and 4. Imagine the ensuing chaos as faculty, staff, and administration try to round up the pigs!  And then when things settle down, the confusion sets in, "Where's pig #3?"

 Perhaps you've heard of that one?  Some say it's urban legend. Regardless, I feel like I'm living it PWE-style.

Should I continue and open #5?  Or should I maintain my patience and wait for #4?  Following the above data, I can assume that PWE #4 was postmarked on 1/21.  It miiiiiight show up in today's mail, 8 days later. 

What if there is no #4? 

What would you do?

New Year, New Banner

Here's one more shot of last year's banner:

Looky there, a nice shot of the Friendly Confines and three sweet cards of Cubs players.
Let's take an inside look at how Darwin Barney, Starlin Castro, and Anthony Rizzo fared in 2013 versus 2012.

2013 was a year that the "core" of the Cubs was supposed to take a step forward.  All three of them regressed in each category.  Hmph.  Coincidence, I think not. 

Evidently, my blog banner is akin to the SI jinx.  Go figure.
 
So, I've changed things up.  No players will be represented in this year's banner, but instead I have a nice Wrigley Field renovation rendering.  Heck, the renovation is already cursed, so I know my banner won't be the cause of it's downfall.  So I guess I'm in the clear this season.

To Darwin, Starlin, and Anthony: I apologize for personally wrecking your 2013 seasons.  My bad.

Card Show FAIL

I've been planning a trip to Springfield for a Sunday card show for about two weeks now.  I didn't sleep too well last night, which is typically what happens when I'm in full fledged anticipation mode.  You see, I haven't been to a card show outside of my home town since my early high school collecting days.  This was going to be an epic eighty-nine mile jaunt to 40 card dealer tables!

I woke about an hour earlier than planned this morning, but I made good use of the time as I put together a shopping list to take to the card show today.

Perhaps I'd finally put my '78 Topps set to bed?  Maybe I'd finish off the Panini Triple Play set or perhaps find the last 2012 Topps Archives SPs that I need. 

Would I run into one of those illustrious dime boxes that Nick is always raving about?

Hah!  For sure I would fine some vintage for Wes to send in retaliation for all the PWE bombs he's been sending me.

I should have driven the extra miles to Rosemont, IL, to take in the Chicago Sun Times card show.

Why? Because three hours later this is what I returned home with:

Yep.  An empty box that all of my prized purchases were supposed to fill and my unscathed shopping list.

I arrived at my destination about an hour after the doors were supposed to open and the receptionist divulged that the card show had been cancelled about thirty minutes prior to my arrival. 

"Wow," I thought to myself. 

"Thank you," I mumbled to the kind lady.  I then did an about-face and drove my disheartened person home. 

I guess that's what 3 hours in a car and $28 worth of gas will get you these days.  Bummer. 

Oh, Panini. How will you ever compete with Topps at this rate?

So, as I mentioned in a previous post, the last box of 2012 Panini Triple Play was missing the guaranteed "Real Feel" game-used card.  There are six such cards in the master set, and this would have been the third in my possession.   Yet, it wasn't meant to be.  Someone in Panini's quality control division must have taken an extended coffee break and my box went without.

So, I went to Panini's website and filed with their Quality Assurance team.  Here's the packing slip information page that they requested I complete.

I wrote a letter as they asked and sent everything through snail mail.  I wasn't expecting the issue to be resolved anytime soon.   But sooner than expected, I had a response waiting for me on-line:

Huh, I guess Panini assumes everything will go as planned, everyday, on every line, in the packing department.  Why else would they not keep any extra "Real Feel" cards on hand.

Side note #1: I love how the Panini Representative can't spell his own product correctly.  They cards I'm trying to complete do not focus on fishing reels, but are called "Real Feel".

Side note #2:  Way to win over your consumer by calling him Tim, rather than Tom.  Who's in charge of quality control within the quality assurance department?  Yikes.

So, here's what arrived in the mail the other day:

Yep, my two packs were here!  Perhaps the individual in the pack picking department took time to "pack search" a bit before choosing the packs to mailed?  You know, to try to right the original wrong in a circuitous manner.

Nope.

Of the fourteen cards, I needed two.  One Andrew McCutchen puzzle piece and this card of Matt Kemp.  Bummer.

Oh, and not that Panini was intentionally trying to add injury to insult, but one of the stickers in the pack was of Mr. Verlander.

Hey, I have nothing against Justin Verlander, but I do not care for Panini's card collation within their boxes.

Yes, the sticker subset is ONLY thirty cards, and I still have 10 left to track down.  Yet, I have 10 Justin Verlander stickers.  Seriously? 

I originally thought I would collect the 2013 Triple Play set, but now I am seriously considering chasing something else.  I am a little more than frustrated with this card collecting experience and I'm afraid that the same collation issues will abound in '13.

What set should I build this year?  Vote in the poll within the right margin, and/or leave a comment!

Thanks for reading,
Tim  . . . um, I mean, Tom.

Being a fan Vs. Fantasy Sports

Let me start off saying this: being a fan and playing fantasy sports can cause a bunch of headaches.

I have learned over the years to separate the heart from matters of fantasy sports, but sometimes that's easier said than done.  In my two fantasy baseball leagues this year I only had one Cub, and I only rostered him until a week after the All-Star break and then cut ties with him.  Tough for a homer to do, but Bryan Lahair wasn't playing much and rumors were flying that Anthony Rizzo was to be soon called up. In all, it ended up being the right decision.

I'm a baseball-first kind of guy, and football to me is just something that helps to pass the time until spring.  But, I do love my Bears.  Monsters of the Midway! The Bears take on those crazy Packers tonight. 

Again, I tried  to steer clear of the Bears in my two leagues, much like I did with my baseball leagues, but Brandon Marshall fell to me in one league and Matt Forte in the other. 

My heart and head both say, "Start Marshall!"  The aerial attack should be out in full force in this gunslinger showdown.

Matt Forte?  Forte is one of the top backs in league, but he's only scored one touchdown in his history against the Packers.  Yet, he's an awesome pass catcher out of the backfield, but Cutler has a REAL target in Marshall.  Forte can bust of chunks of yardage at anytime, but Michael Bush will vulture all of his goal line touchdowns.  As you can see, I'm on the proverbial fence with my decision on sitting or starting Forte.

Here were my options, which are never good when fantasy sports and "fandom" intersect:

A) Start Forte.  Surely, this would result in minimal fantasy points.  If Forte doesn't have a good fantasy day, then the odds of the Bears winning are slim at best.

B) Sit Forte.  Murphy's Law says that this would result in oodles of points!   This would be better for the Bears chances, but I would be sore from kicking myself for missing out on the fantasy points.

Yeah, he's on my bench.  What's a guy to do?  My hands were tied.   If you think I should look at my other running backs before making this decision, then you're not picking up what I'm laying down. It's one of those darned if I do, darned if I don't scenarios.

I'm a fan first, fantasy is just for fun.  I choose option "B"!  Bear down, Chicago Bears!

Things are a bit upside down.

The past week or so has been a bit of a whirlwind.  You know how "they" say that things always happen in threes?  Well, I think I just experienced that.

1.  A little over a week ago my wallet and camera were stolen.  Yuck, what a hassle.  You can imagine all the phone calls and running around that ensured as my entire identity was in that wallet.  A secondary consequence, and albeit much more minor consequence, was I could no longer take pictures.  I can't blog without pictures! 

2.  The electricity went out Tuesday night.  Well, call me pampered if you like, but that was a horrible night's sleep.  My grandfather tells me stories about sleeping on a fire escape in Chicago when he was younger.  I'm not sure how he managed, but another night without AC is not something I'm hoping for anytime soon.

3.  This morning I used my wife's car to jump mine so I could drive to softball practice.  Yes, junior high softball has started already.  Can you believe it?  Anyway, I tried to get the other coach to jump the car after practice so I could then round up a new battery.  Nope, no dice.  Libby (my car) wouldn't take the jump.  Two hours later I was back on the road.  Yuck.

As I said in the title, things have been turned a little bit upside down as of late.  But, that was the third inconvenient thing so now I'm in the clear.  Remember, this is coming from the guy who jumped over the third/first baseline to and from the dugout.  Call me superstitious or silly if you wish, but that's the way I operate.  So, again, I'm in the clear ... well, at least for a while.

I have new credit cards, a new camera, the electricity is working, and my car battery is now the cleanest object under the hood.  Woo-hoo!

How do I celebrate?  Let's turn some more things upside down!

Laura really has an eye for decorating and I like to lend a hand when I can.

Before:

 After:

 Close up:

Yep, that's a rocking chair hanging from out ceiling in the dining room.  Oh, and it's upside down.  Go figure.  That's what she wanted and that's what she got.

I'm glad things are back to normal.

Bath Time Kitty

Laura went out this morning to check on the garden and our two cats, Gus and Mooshie, snuck out on the back patio to join her.  Ten minutes later, Laura was inside and had corralled Mooshie, but she couldn't find Gus.  She looked outside for the better part of a half-hour, but to no avail.  Laura offered, "He'll be back, he knows where he's fed."  I knew she was right, but I still worry about him. 

Fifteen minutes later he's on the back stoop sopping wet.  Not the "I just got caught in the sprinkler," wet but the "I did something stupid and fell into the neighbor's pool" wet.  His entire coat was wet, even his underbelly, was soaked all the way through.  Gus was not amused.  His nose was scraped up as well in this morning's events as well.  I'm sure there's a good story to be told.  Just wish I could have seen it!

Check the picture above and you'll see the scratches across the white fur of his nose.

Our best guess was that he was chasing something, fell into the pool, and then used the ladder to climb his way out.  I'm just happy he's alright and back doing what he does best: napping the day away.

Dine and Dash 2012

I competed in the Roselle Park District Dine and Dash this past Saturday.  It was a running and eating relay race, where the first three team members run a 5k then eat, while the the fourth team member has to eat with no hands.  Sixteen teams registered and we earned the third place trophy. 

Jeff got us off to a great start with a very fast 5k run and then he pounded his food portion: the bread pudding.

Mikelle was next up and even though she didn't have much advanced warning to train she did a great job.  She wasn't a big fan of the wings, but she was able to scarf them down with out too much trouble.

I was the third leg and although I managed to finish the race I couldn't finish the pizza and had to take the ten minute penalty.  I have a pretty decent excuse for "wussing out," but let's not get into my GI issues. Okay?

Have no fear, Vince was there!  He was our closer,owned that skillet cookie, and locked up the trophy for us!

Good times with great people! 

Flamin' Hot Cheetos

I like to teach, I really do.  It's cool to see the light bulb flicker and then finally shine bright.  I enjoy the challenge of trying shape young minds on a regular basis with mathematics, while being able to occasionally throwing in a simple life lesson or a slice of advice when the opportunity presents itself.

Dare I say it?  Yes, I even feel as though I make a difference.

Today was one of those days where I come home and look at baseball related job postings on the internet.  This usually happens only 3-5 times a school year, but the more times this happens, over the length of my now twelve year career, the more I seriously consider the jump to another profession.

I have no numbers to back this up, although I'm sure they exist, but the number of fights at my high school seem to be going up each year.  I remember years where we only had  two fights, and I've already walked participants down to the office for two fights this year. 

Today was something else.  Started over a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos.  Ended a couple minutes later after I was finally able to force some space between two "gentlemen."

I hate it when people compare the teaching profession to that of a glorified babysitter.  Today, I was that babysitter. 

Here's the latest job in Major League Baseball that I have come across.  It's only an internship, but you have to get your foot in the door somehow, right? 

Oh, wait.  I forgot.  I'm really not keen on living in NYC and I really don't like the Yankees.

Hopefully tomorrow I won't feel like a babysitter.

Let's Review, Shall We?

Things Tom Dislikes

1.  Being hot.  The heat.  Humidity.
2.  Blood and stories referring to it.  (Okay with my own most of the time.)
3.  Mushrooms. (Learning to live with them on pizza, but it's a slow go.)

Change #2 to read, "Blood and stories referring to it.  (NOT okay with my own.)"

Laura and I thought we would burn some calories today by splitting and stacking wood at Mom & Dad's place today.  We're a little more than an hour in and before we knew it we were on our way to the emergency room.

Since this intended to be a PG-13 blog we won't show any "real" pictures of the event, although Nurse Laura has one on her smartphone that I'm sure she'll share if asked.  Here's a little math equation instead:

So, yeah. Um, I'm not Dr. Evil, but his left pinky does look much better than mine. I'm not real big on details (see #2 above), but I guess my pinky has a "minor open fracture" and a decent sized laceration that required 9 stitches to close.

In all honesty, I was due.  Actually, way overdue to do something stupid beyond all doubt.

Many thanks to the ER nurses for not letting me pass out, to Ben for stitching me up, and for Laura being a rock during the whole series of events.

I guess I'm on the DL (disabled list) for at least a week.  Bummer.