Here's a New One

My latest letter to the editor:

For probably the first time ever Charles Krauthammer, President Obama and I all agree on something (sort of).  Chuck and I agree that the President is 'ambivalent' about the 'war on terror.'  The President and I agree that ambivalence (at least) is the way to feel.  Because while we do despise terrorism and condemn the people and groups that practice it we also detest war.  How could we not be ambivalent?

So here's something I want you to consider.  It won't be the first time you've heard this, either.  Maybe (just maybe), after thirteen years and counting of a 'War On Terror,' with no end in sight, MAYBE we need to consider the possibility that 'War Is Not The Answer.'

You think?

Faith?

We were talking about the upcoming Packers-Cowboys game last night and I shared my belief that the Packers could very well lose.  And the guy said to me, 'you sure don't have much faith.'

And I said well no, I suppose I don't. 

But why would I?  They're going to play Sunday.  One team will win, one will lose.  My faith or lack of same will play no part.  So it doesn't help them win.  Is it supposed to help me, so I don't 'despair' in the days before, maybe?  No need, I feel just fine.  I'll feel sad if they lose and I'll feel happy if they win but having 'faith' in the interim won't change any of that.

Am I missing something?

2014 Book List

A list of the books I read in the last year:

The Beatles: All These Years Vol. One
Tune In
Mark Lewisohn

The Unfinished Odyssey of Robert Kennedy
David Halberstam

Under The Banner Of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
Jon Krakauer

Remembering America: A Voice From the Sixties
Richard N. Goodwin

Wilt
An Autobiography by Wilt Chamberlain
and David Shaw

In The Name Of God: The True Story of the Fight
to Save Children From Faith-Healing Homicide
Cameron Stauth

Nice Guys Finish Last
Leo Durocher with Ed Linn

And Man Created God: A History of the World
at the Time of Jesus, Selina O'Grady

Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris

The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power, Robert Caro

The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Means of Ascent
Robert Caro

Coach: A Season With Lombardi, Tom Dowling

The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master of the Senate,
Robert Caro

The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Passage of Power
Robert Caro

The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan
Rick Perstein

Marathon Man, William Goldman

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth,
Reza Aslan

Brothers, William Goldman

35+ Division

Eight teams contended for the regular season crown in the 35+ division of the MABL of Southern Wisconsin, 2014 edition. In the end co-champions were declared. Last years champions, the Diablos, won their first four games and moved out to a 10-1 record, seeking a wire-to-wire championship. The Pirates, however, after dropping their first two games, gelled around new pitcher Jay White and won ten straight, including the first of two games against the Diablos, moving into a percentage points league lead. That lead was short-lived, however, as the two teams met again the following Friday night to play their rain-out make-up and Andrey Hansbro staked out his claim as the league's best pitcher, scattering six hits and shutting out the Pirates, 6-0. The win clinched at least a share of the pennant for the Diablos but the Pirates came through the next Friday and with the Diablos' season over, the Pirates did what they needed to do, defeating the Rangers in their regular season finale, 6-0, a complete game four hit shutout for Tim Adamany, and driving across town to complete a suspended game against the Madison Mariners, which they won with a four run top of eighth inning. (The game had been suspended due to time constraints, 12-12 after seven complete.)

Jay White led the league in wins (9), strikeouts, innings pitched and complete games; Hansbro led in winning pct. (5-0) and ERA. On the offensive side, Shane Mesenberg of the Diablos led in total bases and RBI, Hansbro led in runs scored and Bill Nowak of the Home Brewers lapped the field in hit by pitches with nine (in just twelve games played, no less). Tom Kersten of the Diablos led with four home runs while three players managed three: Luis Tavarez of the Latin Raiders, Mesenberg, and Matt Kanters of the Madison Mariners.

With the whole month of September beckoning the teams were then split into two four team divisions for a round-robin tournament. It had been thought originally that if the regular season produced one champion and the tournament another the two teams would be matched in a final, ultimate championship game. Obviously the regular season co-champions rendered that scenario moot but the possibility remained for one of the two co-champions to claim the tournament crown and be ultimate champions.

True to form the Diablos emerged from their pool 3-0 but faced not the Pirates (1-2) but the Latin Raiders in the tournament championship game. 30 mph winds with temperatures in the low forties forced the postponement of the Friday night affair to Sunday afternoon ...
The game began with the temperature a balmy fifty degrees with a steady wind. Welcome to October baseball! The Diablos scratched out a run in the bottom of the first when Chad Bieri's single drove home Andrey Hansbro who had led off with a single. The Latin Raiders came back strong with a four run second off Hansbro, including a single by starting pitcher Oscar Gutierrez and an RBI double by Sixto Herrera. The Diablos chipped away with single runs in the second and third and took the lead for good with a four run fifth. Shane Mesenberg, Tom Kersten and Chad Bieri hit consecutive singles in front of Scott Hmielewski's three run homer. Hansbro, meanwhile, held the Latin Raiders without a hit for the third through eighth innings, allowing a run in the eighth built around a pair of walks and a fielder's choice ground ball.

The Raiders went down swinging in the ninth with back to back singles followed by back to back walks producing a run but Hansbro struck out two of the last three hitters and the Diablos had their tournament championship.

Championship Game

The national organization wanted a write-up of our 'championship game.'  I'm sending this:

The 45+ championship was decided on the last day of the season between the Grays and the Crawfords. The Grays would be champions if they won either of two games scheduled for that day; the Crawfords would be champions if they won both.

Dave Keene took the mound for the Grays in Game One and worked a scoreless first inning allowing one hit, a single by Eric Selje. In the bottom of the first Dave's brother in law Andy Sutherland led off with a single. Matt Varney followed with a single and Dave drove them both home with his first triple of the season. Tom Hopkins, Dan Ketter, Kevin Mack and Glenn Griffin each followed with singles for two more runs, staking Keene to a 4-0 lead.

The Crawfords battled back, scoring a run in the third on hits by John Snitka, Tom Day and Doug Rosenberg and adding two in the fourth when Tony Barone and Sean Michael Dargan scored ahead of Scott Jennings' two run single.

With the lead cut to one run Keene and the Grays stranded a pair of Crawford runners in the fifth and Keene led off the bottom half with a base hit, coming around to score on Dan Ketter's single. Keene then retired the Crawfords in order in the sixth and stranded Snitka, whose lead-off double was the Crawfords last meaningful hit of the season, in the seventh.

Grays win, 5-3, to claim their first league crown.

http://www.leaguelineup.com/gamesum_baseball.asp?url=msblofsouthernwi&sid=651635803&GameID=19118373

Just Seeing How It Looks

One word can describe the 45+ division of the MABL of Southern Wisconsin, and that word is 'balance.' Two seasons have now been completed and all three teams have won 13 games and lost 13 games. The Crawfords finished at 6-6 and repeated their second place finish in 2014, while the Bears dropped to 5-7, with the Grays (7-5) claiming the pennant after finishing 3^rd last season. Highlights for the Grays included an at times all left-handed infield (including catcher) and a battery featuring 78 year old Milt Friend pitching to 67 year old Bob Bezzi.

Some league leaders were Eric Selje of the Crawfords, most hits, most runs 21 and 17, Bill Nowak, Crawfords, most runs and RBI, 17 and 15, Keith Richley, Crawfords, total bases, 25, and Dave Weidenhamer, Crawfords, a 1.280 OPS.

Jim Wichern of the Bears led in steals, with 10 (in just nine games), and his teammate Bruce McNeill was second in batting average at .536 while Grays rookie (and lefty shortstop) Tom Hopkins led in triples, with 2. Also contributing mightily to the Grays first place finish were Dan Ketter, third in batting average, .528, third in hits, 19, third in RBI, 11 and steady as a rock at first base; and starting catcher Dave Keene who also pitched a complete game, pennant clinching win on the season's last day and whose daughter got married in an outdoor ceremony on the other side of the outfield fence during a Grays game. The Grays won with Dave attending the wedding but keeping an eye on his team.

Latest Letter to Editor

http://host.madison.com/news/opinion/mailbag/society-loses-as-feminists-win-war-on-women--/article_6ebf6ee9-43d5-5df7-9ed5-f95efb7dae24.html

Reading the above will give you some needed context for my rebuttal letter to the editor, which follows.

A Thursday letter writer declares that the 'War on Women' is over and "the feminists won."  (He sees this as a bad thing.)

Our government, universities, corporations and the media have been "feminized," he says.  As he doesn't elaborate we must assume that the mere presence of women in these previously all-male bastions is what upsets him.

What he says next is truly mystifying.  : " ... once children have reached school age, social expectations drive women to their careers, leaving ex-husbands in charge of child rearing."  He sees this as the norm?  Whether or not 'social expectations' are the driving force behind women  seeking careers, how often are ex-husbands left in charge of child-rearing?  Or is this just something that happened to him?

Finally there is "Men, no longer the providers, are increasingly frustrated, not understanding the new role the feminists have assigned them. They don't want to compete with women, but to love, cherish and protect them."  What this guy wants is a pet, maybe a nice bunny rabbit.  Obviously he isn't capable of looking at a woman as his equal.