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Entries from July 2016

Huston Street and a Bullpen Dead End

July 31st, 2016 · No Comments · Angels, Baseball

An important part of fantasy sports leagues is how it brings a fan improved awareness of the players — particularly those on his or her team. Some “owners” even do a sort of scouting of players — just like the professionals! Huston Street of the Los Angeles Angels was the third of four relief pitchers […]

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A Taunting Adolescent Fan Messes Up Mets

July 30th, 2016 · 1 Comment · Baseball

If you’re going to be an ass in dealing with a visiting team … perhaps you first should make sure your case is watertight before you launch on your taunting. A Mets fan, maybe 14, 15 years old, reached over the railing in left field to catch a long fly ball hit by Mets infielder […]

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The Marvelous European Skies

July 29th, 2016 · No Comments · France, Travel

I’m not sure a little camera will do justice to how interesting this particular sunset was, here in France. We sometimes talk about the “European sky” and it is different from what you see elsewhere in the world. It just is. Fantastical and malleable, likely to filter the light in odd and wonderful ways, ready […]

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Baseball’s Seager ‘Twins’ and Similarly Fine Seasons

July 28th, 2016 · No Comments · Baseball

Brothers in Major League Baseball … not at all unusual, as this massive story makes clear. MLB brothers having big years in the same season … quite a bit more unusual, and MLB brothers also having very similar big seasons … even more rare. Looking, in this case, at the Seager brothers, Kyle and Corey. […]

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England, Big Sam and Settling for Mediocrity

July 27th, 2016 · No Comments · English Premier League, Football, soccer, World Cup

England’s latest international soccer tournament ended in such a disaster — going out in the Euro 2016 round-of-16 against Iceland — that things concerning the Football Association got weirder than usual. Following the 2-1 disaster versus tiny Iceland, England coach Roy Hodgson resigned, as he had to, for professional reasons but also because he seemed […]

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The South of France and Weather Wimps

July 26th, 2016 · No Comments · Abu Dhabi, France, Languedoc

We expected “warm” in southern France. We did not expect “hot”. We thought we had left behind “hot”, back in Abu Dhabi. And in a sense we did. No highs of 118 Fahrenheit with high humidity, here in the Languedoc. However, perceptions of heat are impacted by considerations we had not necessarily considered. To wit:

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Guardiola Bans Pizza at Manchester City

July 25th, 2016 · No Comments · English Premier League, Football, soccer

This is according to Gael Clichy, a veteran midfielder from France who plays for English Premier League side Manchester City. Clichy says City’s new coach, Pep Guardiola, formerly of Bayern Munich and Barcelona, is barring pizza from the diet of City’s players. And the club can produce as many experts as it likes,  but telling […]

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Griffey, Piazza Take Different Routes to Hall of Fame

July 24th, 2016 · No Comments · Baseball, Dodgers

The two players voted into the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America were formally inducted today in Cooperstown, New York. Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza had long and productive careers and their numbers indicate they deserve a place in baseball’s ranks of immortals. But my personal recollections of the two […]

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White Sox Ace and Refusing to Wear a Throwback Clown Suit

July 23rd, 2016 · No Comments · Baseball

Some will see Chris Sale as the typically spoiled baseball millionaire who must always have his way, blah, blah, blah. I, however, believe the Chicago White Sox ace left-hander has struck a blow for dignity for the on-field employees of his team by refusing to wear the 1970s “leisure suit” throwback uniform in a game […]

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Cristiano Ronaldo Airport?

July 22nd, 2016 · 2 Comments · Football, soccer

This is never a good idea. Want to give the name of a prominent person to a civic facility? Wait until that person is dead. So you don’t look silly if/when that living person does something stupid/immoral/illegal. And when that person is an athlete … be doubly as cautious. The government of Madeira has ignored […]

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