On the job training

Good Morning! Have you ever noticed on the morning shows, the weather is always on? Here in the northeast, it's always unpredictable. Sometimes the weather broadcasters call for a big snow and then we get flakes. Then we run to the food store to make sure that we have enough Skittles to make it through the next 24 hours. It's crazy.

Although, I have found that Skittles are more than a candy. They can be the sugar high that a person needs driving a long distance late at night. On our way home from the games on Saturday night, dad started to fade. Naturally, he was "fine" and did not need to change drivers. But there was a point when Tink scrambled to get the M&Ms out to give him a chocolate and sugar lift to get us home safely. We made it...whew...but there was a scary moment...that's all I am going to say.

On to the big kid....yes! He is close to scoring academic honors for the first time in his 21 years of life. Naturally, we are blown away.....I think that he is finding that earning good grades is as exciting as striking out a batter....almost....OK, not really...but it is pretty cool!

There are two week night games this week and a three game weekend conference series in Ohiooooo. They will be on the bus for that trip. I actually considered going to the weekend series but have to give a faculty workshop on Saturday. Otherwise, I would definitely go and cheer the team on.

As a team, they have not had a day off in months. A NCAA violation? You tell me......


Not much else going on.....I'll be listening to the game tonight. I believe the big kid should make it in to the game. No word from the coaches as to what the schedule will be....in fact, the coaches do not speak to the guys except to berate them. Poor Gopher has not been spoken to in over a month. He no longer travels with the team and rather than working with him to improve his hitting, he is ignored. Do all coaches act this way? Perhaps. The film of the Rutgers basketball coach was compelling and seemingly indicative of how coaches behave behind the scenes. Naturally, it is not all of the coaches, but they can be construed as big bullies rather than teachers. They intimidate rather than nurture. I wish that I knew of this phenomenon a few years ago, because things would be different now. But a person learns on the job and we have a boat load of information to share with high school kids and their parents. If anyone asks, I will give them the facts....just the facts...no editorial or commentary. If they want that, they can read this blog.

Keep the fingers, toes, and eyes crossed. Tink has a job interview today and hopefully, this is it. Her last job ended a few weeks ago as she was a companion for an elderly woman. Sadly, this wonderful lady passed away. Now Tink is working the job circuit looking for anything from a pharmacy tech to an assistant in an extended care facility. She has a good heart and would make an excellent companion.....anyone hiring?

On to work.....have a great day. GO team!

Tink Weekend

Hi! I'm back! It's Sunday and we are in the throes of a "Tink Weekend". Yep, it's her birthday and we are celebrating all weekend..not just a day...she gets three.....

So, what does a family do on Tink Weekend? Generally, it has been sports related and our Tink is happy just to be with family and friends. So, it began with a trip to see the Phillies on Friday night to watch the game and eat her favorite ballpark sandwich. It was so big that it took her four innings to finish it. And yes, she is a very slow eater....I would have had it gobbled before the first pitch, but that's our Tink...enjoying each bite.....

Yesterday was her actual birthday and we were headed to the mountains to watch a double header and spend time together as a family. Starting off at a diner for breakfast, we got to the park 15 minutes early only to find out that the game did not start at noon but at 2 pm. It was stormy and there was a football game too. Yes, there was a football game, an inner squad scrimmage that is played every spring to generate excitement. Sadly, due to the times, there was a state police helicopter circling over the stadiums. Further, we were not allowed to bring pocketbooks or bags into the ball park. No Kashi bars or Skittles....

 

 

With all of the traffic and the fact that it took us an hour to get to our parking space, we were not going to abandon it to leave for two hours, so we sat there in the rain....waiting....waiting...waiting....

On to the game....the first game began on time. Yes, Buddy remembered to order tickets for us and we were behind home plate. As the game proceeded, the starter had troubles and had to be yanked. It was obvious that he was struggling. He had given up 5 runs in the second inning, and finally he was removed. The next pitcher came in and gave up two more runs before the 5th inning was over. The team was way down and we figured that we would see the big leftie since they had 'nothing to lose' and were on their way to a loss. And yes...the big kid warmed up and was soon on the mound...and no, I did not have to wait until the 9th inning of the second game to see him pitch.

As he ran to the mound, it began to snow...again, he is the Rodney Dangerfield of baseball...no respect, even from Mother nature...looking at the big scoreboard, his photo, age, and home town were broadcasted next to his name that is still misspelled...no respect...He thinks it is funny. As his mom, I don't find the humor but am looking for it....

I took photo after photo since it was Wounded Warriors day in the conference; all of the teams were wearing camouflage jerseys. Then the jerseys are auctioned off with the funds going to the Wounded Warriors Foundation. It's nice...but the team's jerseys were bright blue, black and white and looked like they were derived from a cow's spots. They looked like blue, black and white cattle. Will I buy the jersey again as I did freshman year. Is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear live in the woods? Do I have a Visa card? You betcha...that jersey will be purchased, framed and in the house before the azaleas bloom.

Back to the mound....some struggles, but he got his men out. As I looked at the bullpen, no one was warming up which meant that he was staying in for the next inning. He threw 5 pitches and had three outs. I knew that he was staying in until the next inning when he threw 6 balls in a row and his day was done. Before then, however, the pitching coach visited the mound during his first inning, grumbled and said: "You're a junior, you should know how to fix your mechanics. Thanks for wasting a walk to the mound for me." The rule is that the pitching coach can come to the mound for each pitcher twice before he was to take him out. The coach basically was saying that he is on his own out there, so 'man up.' Uh huh...that's the difference between a guy who is engaged with his players and one who is not. What do I have to say about it...to the coach..."Hey, dude, you man up...yeah, that's right...you are being paid handsomely to coach and mentor these kids...do your job...stop the whining...man up...dude...man up...."

And so, after being told that he was on his own, somehow he was able to not give up any runs but did hit a player...oh well. The kid moved into the pitch when it was obvious that that was the only way that he would get on base. There was a silver lining to the stormy and cold day...the team came back in the bottom of the 9th after a 7 run deficit and won the game. Lots of excitement....yahoo!

On to game two...all I can say is the following..."Cold...hand warmers....blankets...shivering..." That's it...game over at 7:30 pm after sitting in the cold conditions for hours after hours. With that, we were rewarded with a good outing by the big kid and lots of photos of a team that had the fashionable cow-attire. Did anyone who had selected the shirt consider that this was a major fashion faux pas?

As we waited in the parking lot for him to emerge from the locker room, I had the demented idea to move his car to another area. We had a key and wanted to play a practical joke....would he be receptive or want to kill us? Only time would tell....Out he comes and he does not see the car...thinking that it was towed, he has a meltdown until he sees it at the other end of the parking lot....good one, dad...I thought that I was towed and would need to borrow money to get it out of the impound lot. All is well, let's go to dinner....

We selected an Italian restaurant for the birthday girl and much to our surprise, our server went to pre school with Buddy....I remember the guy as a cute four year old with eye glasses bigger than his face. He still had the glasses but his face was obviously bigger. Buddy was clueless and said "Sure, we were friends, right?" (Not...but anyway). The kid lived down the street from us and attends college with the big leftie and works as a waiter in an amazing restaurant.

After the world's greatest dish of chicken Marsala, it was time to hit the turnpike. Today is day 3 of Tink Weekend, so there is more celebration ahead.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Throwing 101

Good morning! It's a bit overcast today. The weeds are starting to take hold of the garden, so it is time to get out there and start pulling...Tink! Put the garden gloves on and get going!

What's up in the mountains? Well....two nights ago, someone jumped out of an apartment building to his death. Why would a young man with a great future ahead of him do such a deed? Why, indeed. I said to Buddy that this is a permanent solution to a short term problem. However, not knowing what is going on in this young man's head, I cannot comment any further BUT....

I finished reading the Book "Trouble is a Gift" by Jim Cusack who founded Villa Veritas in New York. It is a rehab center that he founded with his wife Sue. The book depicts the 84 year old's life as a life long alcoholic and hell raiser. He writes about his disease, black outs, his fights, his lack of maturity, and his long road to sobriety. It gave me unique insight into the mind of an alcoholic and now I look at the population from a different perspective....so back to the student jumper...perhaps he was so inebriated that he 'blacked out'. In that case, it is a double tragedy.

On to baseball, two more pitchers have injuries....why? I'll tell you why...their training and protocols are crazy. Their fundamentals are screwed up and the guys are ruining their arms. If I remember correctly from my coaching days......

A coach is a person who teaches fundamentals and places his or her players in the best situations to maximize their effectiveness for the good of the team. My thought here is that someone does not know the basics and is hurting rather than helping these players. If we look back on the three years Buddy has been there, there has been a trail of broken arms, elbows, shoulders, and hearts as the guys cannot even toss a softball anymore.

Fortunately, the big kid has become his own advocate and knows enough about his body that he will not sell his soul for a chance on the mound. He has to do it on his terms and the coach does not like it. He is called a prima donna, yet he has battled back to mound. The coach also thought that he had elbow surgery. This is the coach....he was told a number of times that he had shoulder surgery. The kid even gave to him his rehab schedule and exercises for the shoulder. He never opened the file and never contacted the kid while he was in the hospital  rehabbing. Actually, Buddy did it. He texted him about the surgery, post op, physical therapy, throwing and so on. The coach never responded to any of the texts. And so, he was quite surprised to find out that he had the shoulder surgery. When Buddy was admitted the hospital for epiglotitis, the coach did not respond to that text either. What's the deal?

I dunno, but I will tell you this...with the arms and the season's record as dismal as it is, I am sure that the coach is already aware that a division 1 school is not going to have the reputation that it is running a bad program. In fact, they want national champions. I will tell you...I will be surprised if they have a total of ten wins this season. It seems to me that many of the kids have given up.

On to work....

Thoughts and prayers.....

Hello. I am going to keep this post short and offer my thoughts and prayers to the people of Boston and those affected by the bombings. Don't let evil steal your joy......

Looking back: Lots of similiarities

Good morning! It's tax day...are my taxes done? Nope!

This is going to be a quickie...too much to do and too little time today. Got to squeeze too much into the day.

Yesterday's game was broadcasted on television. Tink and I had the video and regular cameras ready and focused on the screen. And we waited.....first LW started the game. He did not have his best stuff and was giving up hit after hit. I said to Tink:

"Your brother would have pulled out after that walk....."

"Your brother would have been pulled out after that hit batter...."

"Your brother would have been pulled out after that single...."

"Your brother would never have been left in the game this long....."

Needless to say, Tink asked me to refrain from any more commentaries......

And so, the score was 5-1 after 5 innings and LW was finally removed from the mound. But before he was yanked, he started to limp....that's right...an injury....that's what pulled him out of the game...not the five earned and unearned runs that were scored while he was there.

Sorry about the sarcasm....but it gets better.....

Four pitchers were added to the game as the score was rung up. Each pitcher was allowed to give up at least two runs and worked out of their troubles. The big kid never got in....he sat in the dugout with his heavy coat and hat on. After all, it was snowing in Michigan as the game progressed. Something tells me that he was not upset about not seeing any action.

And so, I watched the entire game since I never know whether he will get in or not....and we watched and watched....another train wreck of a game. The announcers were trying to be nice, but let's face it. There is only so much that you can say about a team that is 6-23.

As the game ended, I had this flashback....sophomore year in high school....a new coach....he hated/loathed/did not get the big leftie.....any time that he was on the mound, he would pull him after one incident. He could be heard screaming..."Get him the %@&@% out of there...." Yeah....it happened all too frequently.....he never knew how good he had it until college coaches called him to share the good news that he had a stud sitting on his bench cursing him out every opportunity that he had....cra-zeee....

Those were the days when he would be so afraid to make a mistake that he threw tentatively ad therefore did not have great stuff. It's the same thing in college.....the pitching coach would rather throw anyone into a game including his mother who has a 35 mile an hour fast ball.....and again, I hear, "I don't have time to warm up...I can't make one mistake....I can't get myself out of a problem"....it's confidence...as I said to Einstein's parents this weekend....he lost his swagger.....

Once the game was over, the team boarded the bus for the 8 hour trip home. On the way, he texted me with a number of salty thoughts and one interesting one....I gave him the book "Thirty three year old rookie" for his birthday and he had been reading it in his spare time. A text came through: "Chris Coaste is my favorite player...." You know why? Well, CC never gave up. He was bounced from program to program....the best player in the minors...overlooked for the majors.....brought up to the majors for a day...sent back again....up...down...side ways....backwards....forward....the guy could have and should have thrown in the towel, but did not. He was eventually rewarded for his perseverance. Now Buddy shares a kinship with the guy. Makes me smile....first, he is reading books (wink!). Second, he selects heroes who are heroes...never giving up. This story plays out not only in


baseball but in life....

When we look back on this sorry season, we will see multiple positives. These include finding out more about ourselves....how hard life can be.....life is not fair....no one takes away a person's spirit unless you hand it to them....there are many more lessons, but I have to run....work awaits.....

Ball 4!

Good morning! Special kudos to nephew M, another leftie, who is finishing his senior year in college. He was honored yesterday at the ballpark and given his jersey. It was a neat moment, although Big Sis and Big M had a bit of trouble keeping their composure. It was a touching ceremony to watch.

It was a beautiful day and Tink and I arrived at the ceremony in our usual baseball watching attire....heavy parka, gloves, hat, hand warmers, heavy socks, and boots. People were wearing sweatshirts and jeans....Huh? Aren't you guys underdressed for this one? Nope....they obviously never watched a baseball game in the mountains.

Oye! I started to feel warm for the first time in a long time at a game. And yes, we were prepared for the snow and a blizzard....It never came....I guess we have begun to take the bad weather for granted. Although, this past week, the temperature went up to the high 80's. I was not going to break down and turn on the air conditioner until my concealer and make up melted in the bathroom. I knew that I was in trouble. The air conditioning went on even for a few hours.

On to the big kid....the team traveled to Michigan this weekend by bus (eww) and  Tink and I performed our usual pre-game ritual.....open the laptop....get out the speakers.....sit on the sofa and listen intently to the computer.....and we listened and listened....it was the bottom of the 8th inning and the score was tied...the starting pitcher was pulled and a new pitcher was placed on the mound. He proceeded to get the first two outs....then he walked the next two batters. With 1 minute to warm up and no pitching in 2 weeks, the coach called Buddy in to get the third out....sadly, with a count of 3-2, he walked the next batter and was yanked out of the game. The closer came in....the batter hit the ball to shortstop....easy out! Nope...throwing error....two runs score.....then three runs....then the inning was finally over. I turned off the game and stared at the computer knowing that this one really smarted.

When he called home after yesterday's game, I heard him say for the first time in his life: "I don't care if I am in. I want the season to end." Huh! What? Not my kid....not the kid who during a lightening storm would look up in the sky and shout: "Why Lord! Why are you letting it rain!?" Yeah...that kid....who saw a rain out as a personal failure...there he was on the phone from Michigan saying that all he wants is to do well in school. Huh? Again....huh?

That one did not go past me and I called him out on it. "That's a lie...."

"no, I want to get better grades...."

"Don't throw this kind of bull at me. I know you better and if you can get into a game and throw a ball passed a batter while he misses it, then you would trade an A+ on an English paper for an out in a big game....."

I got him on that one. 'Cause deep down inside, he hurts. He expected more from himself, the coaches, and the team. He now has to figure out what to do on his own, since the coach is unable or unwilling to help him.

Crazy...it's crazy....if the coach would give the kid time on the mound without the pressure of getting one guy out perhaps he can regain his former form. But the coach continues to place him in to these situations that he cannot overcome. His mind, his mechanics,  and his confidence have been at risk. This is not the way to coach my son. Yet, the coach is doing this to all of the pitchers and not just Buddy. After calling home, he mentioned that his elbow was sore. This injury occurs with poor mechanics. It's time for him to start over with Coach T. Although dad is going to send him to Texas for a prolonged series of tutoring to increase his speed. Hopefully, the Texas coaches will tinker with his mechanics.

By the way, my name has been mentioned a number of times as a person who will accompany the kid to the Lone Star state. I am not sure if I can make it since I will be in the classroom this summer. But I would love to go. I like Texas....the people...the food....the weather....the food...the food.....I can leave my hand warmers at home but bring my Weight Watchers 360 database. I can also try to score a job at Starbucks...come on...give me a chance! Please! I'll practice: "Would you like room for cream in your coffee?" I can even say it in Espanol....

"café con azúcar y crema."


The game is on television today, so I can watch the  kid stand in the bullpen and spit seeds out of his mouth.....It will be nice to see him. I am sure that he will not be put into the game since the coaches seem to have given up on him. Oh well, there are 24 games to go until Texas...yeee haw!

Thrown out

I'm baack! I had to take a day off to catch up on life. Now that I have a repairman coming to the house to fix the freezer, I am immobile waiting for the guy to show up. Yes, the freezer does not freeze anything. I lost all of my frozen food. The only thing that really bothered me was that my Weight Watchers ice cream bars (open in case of an emergency) melted. Once my third set of the ice cream cones melted away, I called the guy and said that this is definitely an emergency. And so....I wait....wait...wait...wait....

On to baseball....on Tuesday night there was a home game that was broadcasted on television. There was no need for me to head to the mountains since it was on tv. Yes, I saw the big kid lots of time standing in the dugout and bullpen...spitting....laughing...smiling...He never made it into the game and was quite salty when he called home. Never asking for me....he went right to the top and complained vociferously to dad.....who once again advised him to speak to the coach.

Last night's game was at home and looking at the forecast, I did not want to sit nor drive in the rain, so I did not make the trip. I guess that I am becoming more choosy. There was a 30 minute rain delay postponing the start of the game. Once the game began, the announcer mentioned that the score board had been hit by lightening and it was not working....huh? The Jumbo-tron!     Whoa...that was a storm....feeling better about my decision, they played 5 innings with the home team crushing the competition. Then the game was called for severe weather. Rather than picking it up where is ended the coaches decided to replay the game next week. Ouch!

On to the phone call home....when the big kid called to chat after the game, he was in good spirits....guess where he was going? Hmmm...if you check Sunday's blog, I mentioned that the coaches told all of the players to go to the bars to relax....well, not happy about the endorsement of using liquor to alleviate stress, I let it be known that I disagreed.....go to a movie, restaurant, pizza parlor.....

Anyway, when I asked if he was going to the library to study, he said "I had a rough week. I am going to the bar with the guys." A rough week? What constitutes a rough week? True, your bedroom window and the car were egged yesterday, but aside from cleaning it, what was so stressful? Do you have a blister? Did you meal money run out? Does your pen have ink in it? Ran out of underwear? What? What was so bad?

Not knowing, I advised him as a mom would: "NO drinking and driving....Sparky will not bail you out. So you are on your own....."

"No, mom. I know that. I am walking to the main street....no driving...I can't afford it." Great...'cause I ain't gonna send him a dime.....although I did pay his speeding ticket a few years ago....

Flash forward to this morning....I received a text at 12:20 am when I was sound asleep....."Got kicked out of a bar for the first time. Some guy asked me to help him to find a girl to spend the night with and I told him to &^$(((. He offered me $100.00...I guess that I am not cut out for the bar scene".  There must have been more to the story to be kicked out a bar. Nevertheless, it is disturbing on a number of levels.

I am glad that he shared this text with me. I think....yeah, I am glad. This opens dialog about drinking, women, idiot guys, stupid girls and so on.I suppose getting thrown out of bar is a badge of honor for some people. But something tells me that heated words were exchanged and some people were more inebriated that they let on....

OK, it's college. They have to learn and this is why they are there. In a way, it is a safe environment (except for the egg tossing) for the kids to learn about life, rules, and standards. I am actually fine with the bar throwing these knucklehead kids. Go for it......toss them out on their bottoms.....humiliate them....let them know in no uncertain terms that this is not the way decent people behave.
 
Once they have these experiences, they will either continue to embrace them or look for other ways to gather with their friends and blow off steam. What ever happened to a Frisbee game in the backyard....toasting marshmallows? Eating ice cream sundaes? How about tutoring a kid? Volunteer at a soup kitchen? Hey, that will show you what real stress is....just sayin'.....

Still waiting for the repairman.....Later!