The Elephants Are Back In The Room--This Time As A Herd

I know I haver said it before. The elephant is in the room. This week that line is so true.

It isn’t easy to recognize someone’s flaws. Especially when we think that they are super human and beyond imperfection.

Such is the case with Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka. Or Serena Williams. Or a handful of hockey goalies and other athletes who threw up before every game, no matter its importance.

Athletes are our heroes. We exalt them beyond mere mortality, elevating them to god-like proportions. We do the same for TV and move stars, politicians and musicians. 

Because we revel in the mystique we apply to these individuals. People crave their successes and, like a crash on a NASCAR track, await the stark failures. 

We must always remember that they are human and at any time can fail, as we all do, in some capacity, whether in our jobs, marriages or a myriad of other ways. 

Perhaps some of the deification blame goes to the media. It started with the print media and now, in this day of 24/7 sports saturation, the myths of immortality and the anointing of G.O.A.T. status takes our demand for perfection to an even greater and more unrealistic place. 

Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci. Remember those names? Perfect 10’s. The first ones to achieve those scores. Which set a standard that was incredible and for far too many, unreachable. 

Bela Karolyi. The Hungarian-Romanian-American gymnastics coach who looked and sounded mean and demanding. Which he was. That was the expectation in the sport and he was the top dog with his charges. 

But I have seen the mental stress of gymnastics first hand, with a daughter who competed in club gymnastics in New Jersey. There were coaches who wanted her and others similarly situated, to go to the next level and made young girls repeatedly break down and cry over their inability to master a vault or bars move. 

Young girls idolized the Korbuts and Comenicis and Shannon Millers. With no idea of the mental torture that they endured at the elite tiers of the sport. 

Believe me, gymnastics is not standing alone with the abuse and unrealistic demands. Tennis is full of that too—I have seen that with my son when he competed in U.S.T.A events. 

So it is no surprise that young women like Biles and Osaka have their difficulties when saddled with so much stress and emphasis on becoming and remaining the best. There is huge money also involved, which adds to the high levels of anxiety every athlete has. 

Sure, there are many who make it and thrive on the pressure. Most of them are in team sports. Even if you are the QB like a Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes, there are 10 others on offense and the remainder on defense and social teams to offset mistakes. 

I fully understand what is going on with Biles this Olympiad. The build up and expectations were immense. She performed like no other had, with death-defying acrobatics which very few, if any, could attempt let alone master. 

Let that sink in—death-defying acrobatics. When she stated she suffered from the “twisties,” that was an acknowledgment of the fear associated with the routines she was attempting.  A small mistake at any time could throw off her timing and lead to serious injury, paralysis or, yes, death. 

I don’t say this lightly. I have seen my daughter suffer the ravages of injuries to her lower limbs and hands and arms. 

Gymnastics is an unforgiving sport. The higher the performer goes, the faster she accelerates; it is pure physics. Which means that the impact and toll on the human body become so much greater. 

Thus, the combination of the danger inherent in gymnastics at the Olympics and the concomitant pressure of being the greatest ever can debilitate a person. Which it did with Simone Biles. She is human. She has been through much more than one can comprehend, including the horrific acts of Larry Nasser, which the U.S.G.A. swept under the rug for so long. 

All of this adds up. And there comes a time when even the mentally toughest can no longer handle the demons of their past along with the onslaught of the present. 

Do not demonize Biles, Osaka, Serena or anyone who shows emotion while not making it back to the summit in their individual sport. If they are calling a time out, there is good reason for it. 

Plus I will offer Exhibit B. Eldrick “Tiger” Woods. A child prodigy since age 4 and  appearing on the nationally-syndicated show starring Michael Douglas, he resorted to drugs and alcohol, failed miserably in his marriage and was a shell of himself with injuries. He will never reach the pinnacle that was expected of him—that he would surpass Jack Nicklaus as the greatest golfer ever. We didn’t give second thought to the pressure and demons he had and still is beset with.

We should embrace these athletes for being human and coping with so much pressure. Just because they are rewarded richly with endorsement contracts and prize money does not stop them from being who they really are—often a jumbled and damaged child in an adult world. 

I was tangentially reading about Biles. Now I know more. The shock and disbelief in her not going for Olympic gold is fully understandable. 

I root for her not to come back and be the best in her sport again. I root for her to achieve some sort of normalcy with her life and be in a happy place for what she has endured.

The MLB trading deadline has concluded. The Yankees, who were atrocious in Boston, where they blew three leads that led to ugly losses, still are only 3 games away from the second A.L. Wild Card slot. With a defective team which needed an injection of some fresh blood to change the dynamics of losing.

GM Brian Cashman went out and made a few trades. First, he picked up RHP Clay Holmes from Pittsburgh. Next, relievers Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson were shipped off to Cincinnati and the Yankees will receive a player to be named later. 

This was the precursor to bigger activity. Without losing a prospect in the top 8 of all Yankees minor leaguers, New York managed to first pluck All Star Joey Gallo along with lefty reliever Joely Rodriguez, then grabbed 1B Anthony Rizzo from the Cubs. Finally, the Angels left-handed starting pitcher Andrew Heaney is now a Yankee. 

The haul is enormous and gives the Yankees lineup more left-handed power. Gallo is a Gold Glove outfielder and it appears that Aaron Judge will move to centerfield as a result. Rizzo will offer stability with his good bat and glove. 

Moreover, the pitching got better with three new relievers who bring some great statistics to the Yankees. Heaney will be the fifth starter in the rotation, shedding the opener spot that isn’t really working. 

Don’t forget that starting pitcher Luis Severino is progressing nicely and could be an important component down the stretch. Ditto Corey Kluber, whose rehab is coming along nicely so far. 

This will give Chad Green, who has been a detriment lately, a chance to be used more appropriately in the right situations and give that tired arm more time to recover. Starters Justin Montgomery and Jameson Taillon have shown much improvement recently. And of course Gerrit Cole is still Gerrit Cole; discount the stinker Thursday versus Tampa Bay as he is 1-6 lifetime against the Rays. 

The expectation is that this lineup will now produce runs, allowing the fairly solid pitching to thrive even more in the last 60 games. Closer Aroldis Chapman seems over his woes and is back to form—for now. 

New York is entering a fairly easy portion of its schedule, with games against the Marlins, Orioles and Royals—all losing teams—and Seattle which is above .500 now but made some very curious moves with trades. This is the chance to make up ground in the chase for either the Division lead or the Wild Card. Or the moves GM Cashman made will be for naught and will estrange him from the fan base. 

The Yankees were far from the only team to make significant moves this week. The Dodgers acquired Max Scherzer and All-Star SS Trea Turner from the Nationals. LAD is much stronger and will make a real push to head off the Padres and the NL West leaders, the San Francisco Giants.

Those Giants traded for former M.V.P. Kris Bryant—a bold move making them stronger too. San Diego added pitching and All Star 2B Adam Frazier. It is going to be some race out West.

The Mets procured Javier Baez from the Cubs. He will play 2B. The Mets are now stronger than ever and a logical favorite to win the NL East. Philadelphia and Atlanta also made moves. This make the two New York teams special—even if the Yankees are in a hole and chasing others. 

Milwaukee also became stronger with some trades for pitching and infielders. All of a sudden things are pretty good in Wisconsin—the Bucks are the NBA Champs, the Brewers have the look of a title contender and Aaron Rodgers is back in Green Bay with a team that has Super Bowl aspirations. 

Seemingly all of the teams pursuing the post-season have made trades to strengthen their rosters. Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Oakland, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, San Diego, Seattle and Toronto did not stand pat at the July 31st deadline. 

The Cubs got rid of so many good players. Craig Kimbrell went to the White Sox, giving the Sox two elite closers. Baez, Rizzo, Jon Lester are now gone. Big names and champions who the Cubs faithful will never forget. Still, the team wasn’t winning and the need for an overhaul was emergent.  

Ditto in Washington, where they have dealt or let leave Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper, Scherzer, Turner and other integral cogs. Yet the trade with the Dodgers netted some good prospects who will reach the big club sooner than later. Patrick Corbin and Stephen Strasburg will still be the top pitchers and Juan Soto is the star of the team. The future is brighter than you think, Washingtonians. 

Oh, and Texas and Oklahoma declined to renew media rights in the Big 12, which would permit them to leave in 2025 without penalty. Then the two schools applied to the SEC for membership and their applications were approved. Now the fun begins, to see how the dominoes fall and how soon the two schools can get to the SEC, or for that matter, if the Big 12 will survive. 

Lastly, the NBA Draft was concluded Thursday night. A three hour yawn fest. 

What wasn’t boring was the trade that the Lakers made with the Washington Wizards. Lebron James and Anthony Davis are going to have top point guard and triple-double specialist Russell Westbrook on the team. The Lakers traded a couple of pretty good players including Kyle Kuzma. LAL is in a win now mode, as Lebron is getting much older—even in NBA years. Washington will be more of a force in the East with Bradley Beal and the new players augmenting a fairly good roster. 

With all that transpired this week, I leave you with this thought. There is no doubt that the elephants are back in the room—this time as a herd. 

The Olympiad and Other Pertinent Thoughts

I’m already in a bad mood with the constant noise of the gardner’s leaf blower emanating from across the street. This gardener spends two days a week minimum at this house, doing everything from trimming the shrubs to gutters, to the regular grass cutting. They were there yesterday and they have been here all morning and into the afternoon as I sit in the room nearest to the street; moving won’t abate that din.

Moreover, the nearer neighbor across from our house is having a larger upper extension put on his home. Today’s work is new siding. Which involves cutting and sawing insulation and vinyl. At least, for the moment, they are on a lunch break. 

That will last a short time. Besides, the entire project will last into October. Oh joy. 

I want to address the Olympics first. I am not into this Olympiad. I don’t exactly know why, but I have little interest. Maybe because it is out of its normal cycle. Perhaps it is the fourth COVID surge gripping this U.S. and the host country, Japan. 

It might be that I don’t know very many participants. I think the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams are going to encounter rough sledding—like the U.S. Women’s Soccer team, which saw a lengthy winning streak snapped by Sweden in a 3-0 rout on Wednesday. 

Call me jaded—I want U.S. superiority in those contests and it is not happening anymore. Look at the N.B.A.—there are plenty of stars from other countries who are dominating the sport. 

Plus we are sending the B team—a very good compilation of players who might work into a formidable team. Even so, three members are coming from the N.B.A. Finals, so they are not going to be fully integrated into the team and their legs are going to be tired in addition to enduring the lengthy flight from the U.S. to Japan.  Hardly the optimal scenario. 

There will be Women’s gymnastics. Probably with the anticipated result that Simone Biles takes gold and the women are the best in the world. 

We seem to be doing well at the outset in softball. Who knows how the U.S. will fare in baseball, given the fact that our best players are playing for MLB teams. 

Usually, I can identify some of the known swimmers, track and field participants and wrestlers. Not this year. 

Somehow, this Olympics isn’t gripping me like it should. Was it a good choice for Japan to select Naomi Osaka to light the Olympic flame? Absolutely—on so many levels. 

I was more excited that Brisbane was awarded the 2032 Olympics. I will be 81 at that time. And being reminded that the next Summer Games will be in Los Angeles is much more enticing. I guess I love the home games. 

I imagine my wife will put on the TV and I will check out whatever it is. Or perhaps I will find an event on the myriad of channels NBC has on cable to satiate those with the Olympic spirit. 

Then I might get caught up in the hype of the moment and actually watch the Olympics for more than a fleeting glance. Who knows—I might actually enjoy it too.

Congratulations Milwaukee Bucks. Fifty years after winning the only NBA Championship in franchise history, led by a gangly kid named Lew Alcindor from Power Memorial High School and UCLA, the Bucks are the World Champs. 

It is easy for me to say I was wrong. I thought the Suns had the better team. That was not the case.

Devon Booker played his heart out for Phoenix. He is one helluva player. 

Chris Paul was stopped by the Bucks defense. Maybe he is snakebitten, as some suggest. No matter what, he is still a Hall of Fame point guard. 

Paul is highly in demand for next year, even with his $44.2 million price tag. The Lakers are highly covetous of him, especially LeBron James, who has had a long-standing friendship with Paul. Or he can stay out in the desert and, with some tweaks, Coach Monty Williams, who Paul holds in high regard, can guide the Suns back to the Finals.

I have one name which outshone the others. Giannis Antetokounmpo. Not easy to say or spell. Which is why we know him as Giannis. For good reason. 

There is a reason why Giannis won 2 M.V.P. awards. He is that good. He is that dominant. He can change the course of a game. He can carry a team to a championship. 

His valedictory came in the form of 50 points with 17 of 19 from the free throw line in the deciding Game 6. Giannis took the Bucks on his very broad and muscular shoulders and would not be denied. It was a no-brainer that Giannis was named the M.V.P. of the NBA Finals. 

But I want to add that the Milwaukee Bucks were the better team. Two other members of that team, Kris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, were outstanding. 

They deserve their place on the U.S. Men’s Olympic team because they are that good. Middleton was outstanding on both sides of the court. Holiday doggedly guarded Chris Paul, forcing him into uncharacteristic turnovers—which proved to be pivotal in the Bucks coming back from an 0-2 deficit. 

Coach Mike Budenholzer was magnificent. He astutely managed the games, substituting players in the right situations. In my opinion, it was Coach Bud’s admonishing his team to hound Paul which turned around the series. 

I am not going to do the what if’s about the Brooklyn Nets missing Kyrie Irving and having James Harden hobble whenever he was on the floor. The Bucks are the champions. Not the Nets. Not the Sixers. Not the Jazz. And they deserved it. 

Okay, Yankees devotees. They teased you with a four game winning streak. The new kids from Scranton-Wilkes Barre interjected some life into the moribund team. 

Your hopes were raised with this heading into Boston. Thursday night they had chance to win. Which an overworked bullpen frittered away.

Chad Green is wasted. Aroldis Chapman needs to be moved—if his salary isn’t an impediment. 

Even when Aaron Judge and Gio Urshela return, the die is cast. This team isn’t very good.

I watched supposed superstar Giancarlo Stanton swing at a ball so far outside of the strike zone that I wondered out loud how a big leaguer could swing at a pitch like that. It was flat out embarrassing. 

I realized that the four wild pitches thrown by Brooks Kriske on Thursday night epitomized how this season has gone. Badly. Very badly. And who the heck is Kriske? Clearly he was in the game because the bullpen was so overworked and suffering from injuries and COVID-19 unavailability that the Yankees had nowhere else to turn. 

Not to worry, Yankees fans. The Dodgers closer, Kenley Jansen, has blown 3 saves in a row. Unfortunately, he blew two games to the NL West leaders, the San Francisco Giants, at Dodger Stadium. If he keeps this up, he could be ready to join the Yankees pitching staff. 

We are in the last week of July. The trading deadline looms. Tampa Bay snatched DH Nelson Cruz from the Twins. A great pickup—even if it might only be a $5.5 million rental, since Cruz will be a free agent after the season ends. 

The other team in New York City sits atop the NL East. I don’t see Philadelphia threatening the Mets. Nor Washington, Atlanta and Miami. Trading for Rich Hill was a great move. He will give the Mets a veteran, savvy pitcher. 

There will be other moves made by a number of teams. This will be a very active trading deadline period. I somehow think that New York GM Brian Cashman still looks at this season as salvageable and that the Yankees can make the Wild Card game. I would not be surprised to see the Yankees look to improve the team for a run at the one gamer playoff. Even with some additions, I still think that this team isn’t very good.  

A comment here about the Cleveland Indians name change. Guardians refers to images on the two gates on a bridge entering the city. But if you look at the logo, the “In” was dropped, replaced by “Guar.” So cheap. Besides, they could have gone back in history and resurrected the nickname Spiders. Way better.

The last subject to broach came recently and somewhat unexpectedly. That is the fact that Texas and Oklahoma are going to join the SEC, bolting from the Big 12 to greener pastures. 

Texas A&M hates the Longhorns and is very upset about this. A&M feels that the secret negotiations over the past six months violated a gentleman’s agreement that A&M would have veto power over any team from the state of Texas joining the SEC. Missouri is no fan of them either.   

It takes 11 of the 14 schools to approve any changes in the membership. Supposedly Texas and Oklahoma have the votes to get in. This sounds like a done deal to me. 

What this does is change the entire landscape of college football. It also puts another nail in the NCAA’s coffin. Talk about a group who hasn’t been too fortunate lately with COVID, the NIL changes and now the potential demolition of the Big 12 and the establishment of the super conferences which has been discussed for many years. 

Football is the big money sport. Texas and Oklahoma are big names in college football. The SEC is the premier conference in the nation, with the Big Ten second. Plenty of money within those leagues. 

Immediately, the Pac-12 is meeting to see what they can do about picking off some Big 12 teams. Oklahoma State and TCU come to mind. They could also add Boise State and BYU.

Other speculation has Kansas and Iowa State headed to the Big Ten. They fit the academic profile. 

West Virginia could easily slide into the ACC. Or the AAC might lure some of the teams from the Big 12. Maybe the Big 12 can survive by poaching from the AAC. 

Whatever happens, I wonder if it is going to be good for college football. Sure, A&M and Texas get to knock heads again. Thanksgiving Day, like they used to?

If WVU goes to the ACC, they can meet Pitt again in the Backyard Brawl. I am sure that RU would love to have Kansas periodically on its schedule—they can actually beat there Jayhawks with the talent Greg Schiano is now amassing. 

Stay tuned. This is the story of the year. To me, it is more interesting than the Olympics. 

Well wishes to my editor’s husband as he recovers from hamstring surgery performed this week at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Rest up and get stronger. 

There you have it, loyal readers. The Olympiad and other pertinent thoughts.

Breakthrough Cases

I was already on a baseball high having had my fun-filled Camden Yards adventure with Fan X. Then the baseball waters started to get a little bit choppy.

First, the Yankees shut out the Astros on Saturday night by a score of 1-0. Gerrit Cole pitched. He was dominant, throwing 129 pitches in a complete game. It was an epochal performance, punctuated by an Aaron Judge home run to complete the scoring. Judge made sure he reminded Houston, its fans and the baseball world that the Yankees did not take lightly to the Astros cheating when he tugged at his jersey while rounding third base, thus mimicking Jose Altuve’s gesture when he hit a walk off homer to down the Yankees in the 2018 ALCS. Altuve said it was to not expose a horrible tattoo; others thought it was to conceal the fact he was wearing a device to warn him about the type of incoming pitches. 

On Sunday, the Yankees finally hit the Astros pitching, leading 7-2 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning, thanks to a late inning home run from the much-maligned Gary Sanchez. It seemed like the Yankees could actually sweep the injury-depleted Astros and vault themselves back into contention for the AL East  crown or the Wild Card.

Except that inning showed everything that is wrong with the team. Chad Green is a fine pitcher. He is not a closer. He also cannot be overworked. 

What choice did manager Aaron Boone really have, with alleged All-Star Aroldis Chapman possessing a recent E.R.A. over 34 in his recent outings and Zach Britton, a former closer with Baltimore, still on the IL? So he went with Green and the roof caved in. A six run outburst capped by a home run on a pitch below the strike zone by Altuve brought  the Yankees from almost certain victory to sudden defeat. This time, Altuve ripped off his jersey at home plate where he and his joyous teammates celebrated. And we saw the tattoo—it wasn’t so bad. 

I think Altuve is one of the greater players in baseball. Given his diminutive size, what he has accomplished at bat and in the field is remarkable. Without the cloud hanging over him and his fellow Astros players, coaches and then-GM, I believe Altuve would have been a lock for the Hall of Fame. That is going to play itself out in the future, no matter the body of work Altuve continues to display. 

Why awaken a team leader like Altuve like Judge did? He does not need extra motivation against the Yankees—both teams don’t like each other very much. Especially with your own team having glaring deficiencies in hitting and in the relief corps. 

That game may have sealed the Yankees fate. Sure, they play the Red Sox and Rays 11 times in the next couple of weeks. If they get hot, Chapman returns to form and the Red Sox and Rays start to fold in the July heat, then maybe a run is possible. Reinforcements might be coming from the IL and via trade.

Will it be enough to right the ship? Probably not. Why? Because on Thursday we learned that 6 Yankees had positive COVID-19 tests come back. Aaron Judge was one of them. Gio Urshela, the incumbent third baseman was another. Kyle Higashioka, Cole’s battery mate, is a third name which has been revealed. Plus three key relievers are out. 

Who knows how long and what the effects of this outbreak will be? New York is one of the teams with an 85% or greater vaccination rate. Boone stated that “most” of the affected had been vaccinated. I don’t quite know what that means, but it doesn’t remove the fact that they are unable to play and that each one might have greater health concerns for their lives, let alone their baseball careers.

When somebody who is vaccinated still gets the virus, the Center for Disease Control calls them “breakthrough cases.” We don’t know how or where the exposure occurred. It is a stark reminder to all athletes that the utmost care must be taken to ensure that they remain healthy and on the playing fields. 

With Judge apparently being one of the breakthrough cases, he has unwittingly made the entire Yankees team and the American League All-Star team subject to contact tracing at a minimum. Worse case scenario is that Judge infected a large swath of the best players in the American League, which could greatly impact how the season plays itself out and how the AL fares in the World Series. 

At a minimum, the Yankees are going to be subject to a few more doubleheaders if any more games in the Boston series and the upcoming two game home series with Philadelphia starting on Tuesday, are played. It is former manager Joe Girardi’s return to the Bronx and I wonder what kind of reception he will receive from Yankees fans. We still aren’t sure of the severity of the outbreak within the team and how many more players and other personnel might be affected, and for how long. 

I see that the virus is affecting the US Men’s Basketball Team. Washington Wizards start shooting guard Bradley Beal and another player are off the squad after testing positive. A team which is minus the great talents of the NBA, then losing Kevin Love to injury and awaits Kris Middleton and Devin Booker to be added to the squad once the NBA Finals ends, is showing how weak it is. And of course the team is very vulnerable to the disease. I don’t anticipate the U.S. winning gold this year unless a miracle happens in the form of new players like Booker and Middleton and the replacements forthcoming for those stricken with COVID-19 are able to enhance rather than merely fill out the roster. 

Which brings me to the subject of the Olympics. Japan is in the throes of a serious coronavirus health emergency. There will be no fans in attendance and the rules that are in effect for the athletes’ safety might make one wonder why they chose to go.  

Yet we al know that this is the grandest spectacle of sport. International competition to see who is, at that moment, the best in the world in their particular event. 

I could not help but think about the health of the athletes when I saw Simone Biles and the U.S. Women’s Gymnastic Team arrive in Tokyo this week. I think of track performer Sydney Mc Laughlin and her safety. Or Todd Frazier, a Rutgers and an ex-Yankees and Mets baseball player. I applaud them for their courage and sacrifice while hoping and praying that this exposition does not become a mass spreader event. 

Let’s be real about this. These Olympics, already once delayed, were going to happen this year, come hell or high water, or even a continuation of the plague enveloping the world. 

There is way too much money at stake here. The investment by NBC is supposed to help ratings with a more captive audience this Summer. 

But the ratings for the recent MLB All-Star Game were down. I am going to hazard a guess that the NBA Finals ratings will not meet those of recent years—Phoenix and Milwaukee are very good teams that deserve to be playing for the championship. There isn’t the star power that draws viewers when Lebron James or James Harden or Steph Curry are in action.

NBC will recoup what it can from this Olympics. Their investment won’t be as profitable as anticipated. It still is the participants who I worry most about instead of the bottom line that the beancounters and investors are watching.

We are still in the midst of this pandemic. Make no mistake about it. The infection rates are beginning to climb in all but one state. In some places, the hospitals are beginning to reopen COVID wards while other locales are straining with a mounting number of newly-infected younger adults. Los Angeles County, the largest county in the country, has reinstated a mask mandate for inside any venue. The goal of 70% vaccination of the population is a pipe dream. 

No one ever said this battle was over. Americans like to think of winning and we can defeat anything with our hard work. This is when we are united, working toward a common goal with maximum effort. 

Unfortunately, that is far from the case in the United States. There is a tremendous political/moral/ethical divide which is not going to dissipate any time soon. Fear on many fronts also is a determining factor why we aren’t more vaccinated as a nation.This will hold up any chance of keeping a grip on the coronavirus as it mutates into even more virulent forms like the Delta variant and its successors. 

We don’t even know or understand the extent of the vaccines presently in use and how well they afford protection. Pfizer has indicated that it is working on a booster shot to supplement their vaccine. That is worrisome enough and there will be a large segment of those already vaccinated who will shun a yearly booster for a variety of reasons, from ethnicity to bad experiences with the first rounds of inoculations. 

There is a need to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Our fragile economy requires a well-oiled, functional system. This includes the entertainment industry, where sports is a prominent fixture. 

However, so much is out of whack right now that we are dealing with mirages. Gas and food prices have soared. Try to get a device with a microchip—good luck. Used car and house sales are above asking price, and cash will win the day. 

No matter what calming words Dr. Anthony Fauci or Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the faces of science and medicine during this health crisis, have to offer, COVID-19 is still at the forefront of our lives. We may have to wear masks for an indeterminate period—for senior citizens like myself it may be for the remainder of our lives.  

Sports may continue to be impacted for years to come. Health and safety concerns will be continually modified, adapting to the forms that the virus creates. 

I felt almost euphoric being in a stadium last Saturday when Fan X and I were seated with 26,000 others at Camden Yards. I started to dream about going to another baseball game this season, in a quest to capture those five sites that would complete my MLB odyssey. My son and I were talking about finding a hockey game to attend in Canada if the border restrictions were relaxed, thereby renewing our father-son excursions. 

I have begun to question the safety at Jets games this fall. I immediately turned down a chance to go to training camp in Florham Park—there would be too much mingling and I have already been there, so it was not essential. So, too, have I begun to wonder if going to the RAC to watch Rutgers play men’s basketball may be in jeopardy. 

I wanted to extol the beauty of New York Mets 1B Pete Alonso’s performance in the Home Run Derby on Monday night. His brash, cocky attitude was backed up by the sheer awesomeness of his performance. I hope he is able to attempt a three-peat next year. I so enjoyed his happiness in smashing baseball into orbit. Kudos also to Trey Mancini of the Baltimore Orioles, who put on a wonderful show that was topped only by Alonso. 

I love the MLB All-Star Game. I always have. Watching Shohei Ohtani of the Angels both pitch and hit was remarkable. Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. from the Blue Jays is a beast and is near Triple Crown numbers. His 468 foot blast was monstrous. He deserved to be named M.V.P. of the game. Liam Hendriks, the Aussie reliever from the White Sox, who we saw shut the door on the Orioles on Saturday, was a pumped up closer for the AL on Tuesday night. 

Once more, the American League extended its recent domination over the National League in this contest. The Americans have won 8 straight and 19 of the last 23 games. Interestingly, the all-time series record is 46-43-2 in favor of the AL. The NL has the longest consecutive win streak at 11. Now the Guerreros have joined the Bonds and Griffey father-son combinations as All-Star home run hitters. Guerrero, Jr. is the second-youngest to hit a home in the Mid-Summer Classic. Add in the two home runs hit by opposing catchers, only done once before, along with some great defense and timely hitting and pitching, and it added up to an enjoyable prelude to the beginning of the second half of the season. Until Thursday late afternoon. 

The NBA Finals have been very enjoyable. It has been a home court series thus far, with Game 5 set for Saturday night in Phoenix. While Kris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo have starred for the Bucks and Devin Booker has shown why he is a budding superstar in carrying Phoenix, this series is still going to be decided by which team plays better defense in what is now a best 2 out of 3 series. 

Thus I end this rant with this thought—I hope that the term Breakthrough cases will not be used more frequently than it is thus far. For if it does, I don’t know what the future will look like for us, and for athletics. 

Back In Baltimore

The day had arrived. I have to admit I had some reluctance. Yet it was finally time to do it. Largely because I had faith in the place where I was headed.

Fan X and I have traveled to Baltimore numerous times in the past to see the Orioles host  a variety of teams. We go because we can sit near the action for a fraction of the cost it would take to obtain similar seats in either New York ballpark. 

Besides, Orioles Park at Camden Yards is a great setting for a ballpark. Nestled in the  bosom of downtown Baltimore, the view is wondrous. From the people watching from the balconies of the nearby Hilton hotel standing over the tiered bullpens sequestered beyond the left field wall, to everything inside of the park, there seemingly is so much activity. Similarly, outside the park but inside its gates behind the right field stands are Boog’s BBQ (named for legendary O’s first baseman John “Boog” Powell, it is apparently closed for now as there was no ubiquitous smoke lofting in the air from that location) Eutaw Street, and the masterpiece of this architectural gem—the warehouse that encloses the entire right side of the park. 

There is always a small downside to our trips. That is the traffic on I-95. In the early years, we went to Saturday night games and caught late afternoon traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike, or there was an accident which caused us to detour. 

Such was the case on Saturday, and although our favorite standby, I-295, was available,, even it had the usual bottleneck caused by the ever present construction where it intersects with the roadways heading towards Philadelphia. Then there was the ongoing construction in Delaware, from the time we passed the tolls for the Delaware Memorial Bridge, to the rest area along the Delaware Turnpike. (A side note here—While I was a student at the Delaware Law School and living in an apartment on the outskirts of Newark—pronounced New-ARK—the home of the University of Delaware, I traveled that roadway seemingly every day. 50 years later the traffic has increased dramatically). And as difficult as our trip through the Diamond State was, the northbound side was locked in a 12 mile delay due to its share of construction. 

We encountered more traffic headaches in Maryland, until we reached just beyond I-685, where the traffic on I-95 seemed to abate without reason. I was getting to know the drivers of a green Subaru from New Jersey, a white SUV with Massachusetts tags and another SUV with Oklahoma plates as we snaked our way to our destination. 

So much is familiar on the trip. We seemingly always made a pit stop at the first Maryland House to answer nature’s call. The Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge over the Susquehanna River allows a beautiful picture to be etched in my mind again and again, as I look upstream towards Pennsylvania or downstream where the river widens as it empties into Chesapeake Bay. The name of the riverside town, Harve de Grace, is a beautiful French description of the tranquility of the Susquehanna at that point. 

Then there is the Fort Mc Henry Tunnel, its tubes designated as Bore 1-2-3-4. The depth of the tubes is such that they are actually in the earth beneath Baltimore Harbor. 

Speaking of the harbor, there were plenty of big cargo ships in port. Which is good to see.

Two exits later, after the skillful driving of Fan X as he negotiated the highway in a way that is so natural while engaging in tactical maneuvers which Mario Andretti would have been proud of to move us further long in the morass of vehicles edging their way south, there were the two ballparks that have become landmarks in the Baltimore skyline. 

With the time now 3:50, Fan X steered us into a parking space in a nearby lot—good move getting parking so close—and we hauled from the car towards the ballparks gates. Where we were serenaded with the rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner while in line, punctuated by the Baltimore tradition of yelling “O” when the lyrics hit that seminal spot. 

Somehow, armed with our ugly Orioles Hawaiian shirts given to us in conjunction with a promotion by the Maryland DOT and Maryland Turnpike Authority and with a men’s room stop included, we were in our seats as the first pitch was thrown. Only one other time did we run it so close, and that was when we had to get our BBQ from Boog’s and make our way from the right field stands to our seats near home plate and we watched the game start while walking the inner aisles of the stadium. 

Part of the attraction of going to this game was to see the A.L. Central Division-leading White Sox, piloted by Hall of Fame Manager Tony La Russa, who was seeking to win titles with three teams in his second engagement at the helm of the team from the South Side of Chicago. We certainly weren’t there to see the Orioles, who were ensconced in the A.L. East basement, with no hopes of escaping. 

On the previous evening, the Sox bombarded Orioles pitching in a 12-1 rout. We had no reason to expect that something like that wouldn’t occur on Saturday. Which translated into an 8-3 Chicago victory on this warm and a bit humid Baltimore afternoon. 

Only one home run was struck, and that occurred in the first inning.  Outfielder Brian Goodwin, who smashed the homer, went 4-5 with 3 R.B.I. in pacing the White Sox. Chicago collected 13 hits, and managed to leave 8 runners on base, which could have made the game into a larger rout. 

Lucas Giolito started for the White Sox, lasting 5.1 innings while racking up 9 strikeouts. In all, Chicago pitching stuck out 14 Baltimore batters. 

While the score reflected a one-sided game, the Sox pitchers repeatedly were faced with jams. In leaving 9 runners stranded, six of those Orioles runners were left in scoring position with 2 outs. A double play on liner to first baseman Jose Abreu was turned into an unassisted double play to help escape a perilous situation. 

The pitching on Baltimore wasn’t very good, and the low batting averages of the Orioles hitters reflected how bad the team really is. While Baltimore hurlers did strike out 9 Chicago batters, they also issued 5 costly walks. The 5 walks issued to Baltimore hitters didn’t do half as much damage as those collected by Sox hitters. 

The seats were excellent as always, 11 rows from the field, behind the middle of the Chicago dugout. We were in midst of a sizable contingent of White Sox fans, some of whom had traveled from Chicagoland for the game(s). They were very vocal, and they chanted “M.V.P., M.V.P. for Abreu, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player. He heard the chants and smiled, tapped his chest and nodded. 

In contrast, there as a significant number of Orioles faithful who rooted hard for their team. Notwithstanding h0ow downtrodden the team had become, this was one game, and anything could happen. They cheered and cheered, even to the last strike of the game fittingly a strikeout to punctuate the dominance of Chicago’s pitching. 

Of course, we had the loudmouth nearby, whose drunken state was easily apparent from the slurred and inane commentary he offered. Thankfully, he was a chorus of one. 

There was banter with the Sox and the partisans. Especially over balls thrown into the stands after the innings were over. La Russa looked obviously dour and deep in thought, yet he touched his cap in response to something somebody said when he was waking back to the dugout after one of his trips to the mound. 

The sounds of the game were there. Granted, the Oriole Bird mascot was only seen around the 7th inning, when he led two maidens on a dance atop the home dugout while the speakers blared the Baltimore traditional song for that time, “Thank G-d I’m a Country Boy” by the late John Denver. Fun fact: the Bird was hatched from a giant egg on April, 6 1979 at Memorial Stadium, the team’s former nest. 

Nothing is like the crack of the bat when a ball is well struck. There were some folding gems, including a very short hop grab by Sox SS Tim Anderson, who deftly made the play and throw to first base look routine. 

I saw something that would appear on a blooper highlight reel. Anderson, a blossoming star who has won a batting title and has an average over .300 this season, smacked a ball down the first base line, barely, for a double and two runs scoring for sure, if not a triple for the speedy All Star. 

Except that the ball boy mistakenly played the ball. Then he commanded the ugly scenario by trying to quickly throw the ball over the netting into the stands. Which he also botched. Anderson was stopped at second and a runner was halted at third base. 

No one scolded the boy for his meddling. He had numerous difficulties stopping or fielding foul balls in his area. This led me to believe that he was challenged in some way and this was a good thing to have him stationed where he was, even if he momentarily became a part of the game.

I felt at home again, experiencing some normalcy after the pandemic, along with 26,000 others. We chowed down some chicken and fries. A lot of fans were having all sorts of beers. There weren’t any vendors in the stands, which I understand, but it still takes away from the ambiance of the ballpark.

It was different in the stands, but the game was played the same way it always has been. I can just imagine how quiet the stadiums must have sounded last season, with no one there to cheer. 

Yes, Oriole Park at Camden Yards shined like the jewel it is—a diamond within a diamond. The colors were vivid and the field was mostly sun-splashed until the end of the game, when it was like a night game’s start after 7:00. 

The rest rooms were extraordinarily clean, smelling of cleaning products in deference to the ongoing pandemic. Very few masks were seen—evidently people felt safe enough outdoors and probably a high percentage of those in attendance had been vaccinated. 

Fan X remained well-behaved throughout the game, taking in the sights and sounds, grousing about the food and how bad the Orioles are. He did a great job of driving both ways, obviously tired at the end of the long trip, which started out at 12:10 p.m. in Springfield and concluded for me at a little past 10:30 p.m. He is a trouper and our trips to Baltimore are always special; this time he provided home grilled Hebrew National hot dogs with mustard and sauerkraut which we scarfed down on the New Jersey Turnpike.  And for once, I stayed relatively hydrated, having consumed three .5 liter Poland Spring bottles in both directions plus another bottle of water to go along with dinner. 

Sure, I could have talked about the budding dynasty in Tampa Bay, where the Lightning disposed of the Montreal Canadiens in 5 games to once more have their names etched on the Stanley Cup. That would have been easy.

So, too, could I have written about the NBA Finals, where the Phoenix Suns are ahead of  the Milwaukee Bucks 2-0, with the series now shifted to Wisconsin for Games 3 & 4. Chris Paul’s search for that elusive ring may be over if the Suns can put together two more victories. Imagine the State Farm commercials if that happens. 

And Yankees fans, don’t get too excited after winning 2 of 3 in Seattle and the first two games Houston, punctuated by a Gerrit Cole 129 pitch shut out and an Aaron Judge homer in a 1-0 nail biter. Troubles abound with reliever Aroldis Chapman, which has led to Chad Green becoming the new closer and probably contributed to Cole throwing so many pitches. Local writers are prolifically offering solutions for the Yankees in both the short term as well as for next season. BTW, Aaron Judge, don’t rile up Jose Altuve; he can still hit and he proved that with a three run walk off homer on Sunday as part of a six run uprising against Green.

Or perhaps I could have mentioned that Geo Baker and Ron Harper, Jr. returned to Rutgers instead of heading for the NBA. Suddenly things look a lot brighter for Steve Pikiell’s team in 2021-22. 

Plus there was the stunning victory by Nigeria over the U.S National Team in an exhibition game Saturday night in Las Vegas. Do you think that team coach Greg Popovich will have the payers attention now?

Maybe I could have delved into the now spectator free Olympics in COViD-19 ravaged Japan, or the controversy over marijuana use derailing one of America’s star track athletes. Perhaps I could have spoken about Wimbledon and Ashly Barty’s second major title, Novak Djokovic ’s quest for his 20th major win or the decline of Roger Federer, who seems incapable of winning another major.

Soccer? Brazil won Copa America, while Italy downed England. Plenty to discuss there. 

Then there was the bizarre action of a spectator at the Scotland open who took golfer Rory Mc Ilroy’s 6 iron from his bag. How about MMA fighter Conor Mc Gregor suffering a gruesome leg injury in a trilogy fight with his nemesis, Dustin Poirier. I wonder how it will affect his hawking whiskey?

Nope—this blog isn’t about those things and probably more events which I neglected to mention. Why would I want to do that?

Emerging from the solitude experienced during the pandemic has been a slow process for us. Going out to dinner is a selective process. We aren’t rushing to indoor events.

Even going to an outdoor venue isn’t risk free, given the level of vaccinations in this country and what the experts have said regarding catching the coronavirus. Wearing a mask at a service area or a rest room is still the right thing to do. Hand sanitizer is a must.

But on Saturday, it felt good to be back in Baltimore.