1st - am I having a Stroke ? Everything on the Right side of my Body is failing !
I cannot sleep on my right side because it kills my Shoulder to do that..... Ok - its sore all the time, and something is happening in there cause My hand goes numb to the point of pain - like its on fire, and I dare not hold anything in it for fear I drop it. (and I do)
My right knee is swelled up like a balloon, , sore to the touch and painful ,, and forget about kneeling on it,,, BTW ,, did you know that when you kneel you always lead with the same knee??? you - well at least I do,,, and Now I have to stop and kneel with the left one,,,
My back is sore on the right side o but thats always,
and I just had a cancerous growth removed from my right ear - the stitches are out and that seems to be healing nicely. But that has been sore and swelled up - as you might expect after surgery,,, and that also prevents me from sleeping on my right side - ugh !
Topic #2 - I gotta say - the yankee replacements for all the damn guys on the DL are doing the job - so far...they are a game and a half back from the Tampa bay rays, and 3 games ahead of the Blue jays , 6 games up on the Bosox ....
Topic #3 - Why I do and you need to support Independent Radio..in our case its WDST
Here is an example of why.
You know that WDST does Live Lunch Concerts - 30 minute shows on the Utopia Sound stage, - same building that the Radio is housed in and just across teh parking lot from the Bearsville Theater.
We have seen al least 12 - 15 shows there - with a free lunch - over the past year or two..
Last week we saw the Felice brothers - a local band that is on the verge of really getting to main stream music. they have had a few songs that have gotten some notice (other than DST or NPR radio) - they had a song in the movie about the Billboards outside somewhere or other - the movie won some awards and their song - RADIO SOJNG - was used in the movie.
anyway they are days away from releasing a new CD - UNDRESS- so this was a good opportunity from them also to showcase those songs. they started with an excellent song - about a kid , and reminds up that the sins of the child are yours and mine ,,, just a good song.. Well - I get home after the show ,, and I even thought the Album is streaming on NPR radio - I cant find that song,,,, I re review their latest albums to see if its hiding in there,,, but NO - I can't find the song,, I Email - one WDST 's on air folks who is also their music director, - MaryKate - goes by MK - We met her on the DST cruise the year before, so I thought maybe - she would answer,,,,,, She does - like 15 minutes later,, she says she thinks the song is called Ghost town NY, and only mention she can find is in a blog that IAN Felice was playing it in 2017.... I go back and look at play lists from that year - and I see a song called THE KID (newsong) listed in the Set list.... I email her back thanking her for the response and saying that I see the song in the playlists in 2017,,, and I wonder - why would they open with as song that was NOT on the new CD .. MK again nearly immediately responds, and she says - yea - its driving her nuts - she says she had James Felice's cell number - so she is gonna call him and ask..... James tells her - that indeed the song is called "The KID" and NPR screwed up and omitted the song when the uploaded the CD to their web site and is really impressed that someone noticed it !!! How about that !
A listener emails a radio station DJ- that DJ contacts a member of the band, and he responds with the answer,,,, THAT is independent Radio ! You are part of the station !!
remember that Tulo was playing SS for Didi Gregorious who is also on DL and Aaron Hicks has been on the DL since the start of the season.. - so now I will say that 7 of the 9 regular starters are NOT playing !! Plus their #1 starter - Luis Severino & out of the bullpen - Dellin Betances
I am not sure how you survive this ..... I know that Boone says - that guys need to step up - that the
players need to continue to play hard till the regulars get back,.... BUT come on,, let's be serious. 1st - NO ONE is gonna feel sorry for you ,, NO ONE,.. and BTW - the BOSOZ are not going to keep playing as bad as they have been,,,, they will be there in the end.... and WATCH out for the Tamp Bay Rays - they finished with 90 some wins last year.... but they happened to play in the AL east where Boston had 108 and NY had 100 wins,,,,, so they - the Rays - are a legit contender
I think they are in a survival mode.... remember where they are right now - April 21 - 20 game sin Yanks are at .500 - 10 wins - 10 losses.. Let's see where they are when they get these guys back now you ain't gettin all the guys back ,,, but let say 3 or 4 of the 7 - Judge , Stanton, Andujar, Sanchez and Hicks.
Don;t tell me about how well Clint Frazier is playing - he IS - however - when Hicks or Stanton is ready to return it will be a decision to send someone down - someone that has options left that can be sent to AAA - and no ya can't send Stanton or Hicks to the Minors ... don't be stupid ! Go educate yourself on the rules that govern this.....
I wish I had a better life plan,,,, for work , for retirement, for ,.... I dunno...
Sometime it feels like everything is controlling me, and I am in charge of nothing... yea,, I don't need counseling to gain self esteem ,, I just wish I had a better plan...
#1 - I need to go to work with now... but rest assured (what ever that means) I will be back to finish this... Remind me to talk about music next time also
enjoy a few Songs from Jason Isbell for now..
YOU might actually listen to these....
maybe we'll get 40 years together,, one day I'll be gone, one day you'll be gone.
- Can't wait to see Jeffery Gaines at 'DST on Thursday evening.
_ I was hoping that they signed Gio Gonzalez a few years ago before hw went to the Nats
- I want it to be warmer now - for a guy that always wanted to live in Vermont/New Hampshire/Maine - I am hating on the Cold weather this year , and thinking maybe Kentucky/ Tennessee is more for me.
While this is not a political post, - I will say that things are completely out of control - while the Republicans have been asking for evidence of wrongdoing,,, and now all these check from the POTUS to Pornstars for hush money that were written after he was the President, the GOP chooses to turn away , and continue to defend him.
Now on to the REAL subject fo todays entry - Baseball Rule changes.
I will try to discuss all that I have heard about... Many are PACE OF PLAY issues.
1. The time clock - there is one now that gets Teams on and off the Filed Quicker - want to say its two or three minutes between innings. But the discussion is now around each pitcher. and each pitch - that they deliver it within 20 seconds. As you might expect Relievers are the top of the list as they take the longest in between pitches,, not surprising - they are pithing on critical times of the Games when it could be won or lost based on the next pitch..
2. Minimum batter Rule - When you bring in a pitcher they must pitch to least three batters. No more lefty or Righty specialist throwing to only that one batter. I think here you are significantly changing the game. Pitchers that pitched to night before to 3 batter how many pitches did they throw ? What happens if you every intention of letting them pitch to 3 batters , but one at bat goes consideraly longer he has to throw many more pitches,, (we will get to the foul ball rule in a minute) You want that pitcher to risk an injury because of this ? Are they going to "freeze" the batting order so that when you bring the guy in to pitch to 3 batters it MUST be to the 3 you have in the line up at the time of the pitching change ?? No pinch hitting till after that 3 ? Perhaps they need to adopt a sort of Mercy Rule - that you need to pitch to three batters if your team is ahead by 5 or more runs after 7 innings.... I know it does not solve everything,... but there is nothing Crazier than watching a team / Manager change pitcher after pitcher when they are up or down by 10 runs in the 8th inning.....
3. OK let's talk about the FOUL BALL RULE .....Today working the count, fouling off pitches , is a positive. It extends the pitchers pitch count. It allows the on deck batters to get a look at what "stuff" he is throwing, and increasing the possibility that the pitcher will make a mistake and leave something hittable over the plate. SO the Changes I have heard discussed are simply to limit the foul balls ,,, you get 2 strikes and 3 foul balls ,,, the 4th foul ball is Strike 3 ... now you change that Strike 3 on the 4th foul to whatever you like - foul ball #5, #3 #6,, This rule change is a mess...
WE used to do something similar when we did not have enough guys to have two nine player teams for a sandlot game.... we would use the Defenders in the field - sometimes Just 2 outfields and 2 infielders. the team batting would have to provide their own pitcher, and the Batter had to hit the ball to THEIR side of the field - AKA - right handed batters had to hit it to the LEFT of the Pitchers mound and Lefties had to hit it to the Right side of the mound or you were out....
4. the Batter Keeping one foot in the box, I actually thing they are spose to do this ,, but they don;t and you only see a few umpires try to enforce the rule.. I believe they get a strike called on them for that infraction..... I HAVE seen this called in Little League play.
5. Finally coming up with a standard for Designated hitter or NOT ... IMHO - the difference here is not fair to either the NL or the AL teams..... Every AL team plays an NL team in the National league park many times in a year. And visa-versa.. SO that pitchers that are certainly not used to hitting and running the bases are forced to do just that... Imagine a Defense lineman have to play on the Offense line 3 or 4 game a year - Stupid....and BTW - don;t think this matters as Chin Ming Wong - hurt his leg running the bases - effectively ended his baseball Career. Plus the NL is at a disadvantage - NO way they have a DH on the bench the Caliber of the DH's in the American League. Can't we all just Get along !
6. Positioning players on the Field.. This is the SHIFT rule... SO that you must play two infielders ion each side of Second Base... No more moving the Infielders to the Right or Left side based on if the Batter was a dead pull hitter. You see it today - mostly with Left handed batters - they swing the infield around so that either the Shortstop or 3rd baseman is playing where the 2nd baseman usually is and the 2nd baseman plays short right field - so that when the batter hits a grounder between 1st and 2nd - they get thrown out at First base by that 2nd baseman playin way out in the out field. And the argument is - hey - Just bunt the ball down the 3rd base line and you got it hit. 'Cept many of the players that they shift on Are being paid to hit extra base hits and homeruns,,,, at times the defense would gladly trade a bunt single for a dinger hit into the Bleachers !! I say - let 'em play the players anywhere the want to ..... let the pitcher pitch to the defense alignment, and the shift.
7. The 25 man Roster expansion to 40 on September 1st ,, OK they have to do something about teams keeping the playing in the minors so that they control them for an extra year - before they are free agents. Now - I will give credit to Jim Leland manager of the Pirates at the time - I 100% agree with this simple change. You can have all the players on your 40 man roster in the Dugout,,, essentially on the Team, However , for each game you need to designate the 25 that are eligible to play that day or that Series of games versus the same opponent. Of Course teams will bounce starting pitchers on and off the 25 man roster - But this will Stop the endless pitching changes that they are so so concerned about back in #2......
8. Today I read of Moving the Pitching Mound Back ! Are they insane. Pitchers from high school to college , AAA ,,, AA ,, A Ball,, have been used to 60 feet 6 inches... now what you want them to throw another 2 , 3 ,4 feet,,,, ya right - talk about arm injuries = maybe leave the mound where it is and Make Home plate Wider- make it 19 inches instead of 17. Oh - you want more offense. ?? Make the Plate smaller by 2 inches,,,
ETC..... How about this ,,, use an Automated Strike and ball caller... now you need the ump there for plays that the plate, Foul tips, Cather interference, calls at times at 1st or 3rd, and Fairball Foulball calls,,, however,, we have the technology to have an automated strike zone. Just transmit that data to the ump in real time and have him indicate the Ball or Strike. I believe they use this in Professional Tennis to call balls in play and out of play - why not Balls and Strikes.. They use replay all the time - this is not a far leap Balls and Strikes.
They are discussing moving the trade deadline earlier - Like Before the all star break
Expanding the roster to 26 players, and making the Team have 12 pitchers on the roster (not sure how you enforce that one ?? Cause I can call anyone a pitcher)
The CBA - Collective Bargaining agreement does not expire until December 1st 2021. so You and they have a few years to chew on the rule changes.
Let's go for some music today.....
Not sure if I ever posted this one,,,, but here is Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats..
S.O.B.
I'll give you one for Mardi Gras - Trombone Shorty
If I was smart enough to it ,, I would add this to Instagram,,,, but I ain't !
So ,,, now discovering a whole new aspect of insomnia.... obviously the 1st is that you just can't fall asleep,,, Been there - done that ! Now I have moved on to the more sophisticated form of insomnia, I am able to fall asleep - with some help from Melatonin. However - I awake to my usual bathroom break between 1 & 2 AM and of course ,, I cannot go back to sleep...... evidence that it is 2:15 Am as I am writing this....
- Can't get comfortable ,,, and I seem to be cold. fo let's talk about that.... for someone who was ready to move to a colder climate - Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine ,,, I have been colder this year than at any time I can remember. Sleeping in a sweatshirt, and sweat pants, 2 pairs of socks. Going outside in a hooded fleece or sweat - with gloves and wool hats and hell I'm still cold. not real sure What I should do about it.
Spring training under way - the 2 big free agents are now signed - Machado to the Padres for 10 years - 300 million dollars, with a player opt out clause after 5 years,,, and Bryce Harper - 13 years 330 million - no Opt out , but a full no Trade Clause... so he can't leave and the Phillies can't trade him away... not sure if either deal will make the Padres or the Phillies a World Series contender just yet......
Bosox former closer Craig Kimbrel, still not signed, His agent denied reports that he will sit out 2019 of he does not get a deal he likes. I know the sox offered him a qualifying offer at 17.5 million for the one year,,, I believe that is more to ensure they get a minor league pick from the team that does eventually sign him.. I'm sure Resox nation is ready to either welcome him back with open arms or vilify him for signing with another club.
Political Rant ON :
with the Cohen testimony and the POTUS failing to reach a deal with the brutal dictator - Kim Jung In in Vietnam... Our pals at FOX news are all over those lead stories - NOT !
you really have to wonder how far up tRumps ass they will crawl ....
that's all I can take for right now,,,,
Upcoming events :
Friday - work - 6am - 1 or 2 ,,,, Reassemble boat. then back to customers house to put the Bathroom hardware back together after painting.
Saturday - humm not sure, I do need to finish the Cat shelters , and get them out of my Shed ! and play with my New toys, roto- Zip tool and buffer that we bartered to paint a bathroom..
Sunday - maybe see grandsons - While keeping an eye on the Predicted storm, I don't like driving the Taconic in the snow,,, possible breakfast with the boys ....
Monday - back to work -
Tuesday - revisit a bathroom / kitchen rebuild. Plus take another shot at getting the heat working better in that house....
Wednesday - work ...
Today I'm going with two Jim Croce songs you might not know - you should listen,,
