"Religious leaders in Gainesville, Florida, have planned a Gathering for Peace, Understanding and Hope, in response to a local church's International Burn a Quran Day."
That quote is the tease line for the opening of a storyfrom Gainesville Florida where a religious group plans to burn the Koran on September 11 in memory of the disaster of that day.
First of all, I wonder if these uneducated, insensitive, bastards stopped to think for a minute that a bunch of the people killed on 9/11 were MUSLIMS. They were in both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon when the attacks happened. They died just like the "Christians" also did that day.
But aside from that fact - what a bunch of bull. Although I never met the apparition, I'm quite sure that the "Jesus" all these "Christians" claim to worship would not have behaved like these swine propose to behave on September 11. The Jesus I learned about in Lutheran confirmation classes was a loving person who healed the sick, fed the hungry, cared about the poor and put others ahead of his own needs (damn, he sounds like a Democrat).
Although I was confirmed in the Lutheran Church in the 6th grade by the 12th grade I had rejected organized religion. I became increasingly bewildered with alleged "Christians" who behaved horribly for 6 1/2 days of the week. However on Sunday morning they would appear in church dressed in their most pious uniforms of the week. There they would put $10 in the collection plate, sleep through the sermon, congratulate the minister afterward on what an inspiring speech he gave, and 2 hours later be sitting in a bar in Mikana behaving as they would for the next 6 1/2 days until the charade could repeat itself.
Once fully fed up with this nonsense, I announced to my mother, a devout "christian" that I was no longer going to step foot in a church. And since the 12th grade, other than for weddings (mine was outside in MY church) and a few funerals I have not sullied my being with the confines of a church.
At the time I rejected religion I told my mother that "my god lives in a muskrat house." I created the religion called "Muskratism" which at the time I said was based on "respect for rivers, forests, marshes, prairies and all the creatures living in and on them." Later, in college, I learned that someone had already come up with a religion called panantheism. Simply stated, panantheism is a belief in the oneness of nature. However it has a sexier name than Muskratism even though both are based on the same principle.
So, for me, on September 11 this year, while these jackals in Gainesville are burning the holy book of the Muslim faith, I will be out in a forest somewhere looking for birds and enjoying nature. Perhaps if I am lucky I will be far enough north to find the Prophet Muskrat swimming around in a marsh somewhere doing what Muskrats do best - hanging out. If I see one I'll be sure to chant "Power to the Muskrats" and then I'll just move along. No books will be burned, no tempers flared, and no angst anywhere. Just peace and tranquility and a respect for all things around me.
Isn't that what religion is really supposed to be about?
Baseball, probably more than any other sport, is a sport of statistics. As Kevin Costner's character told Kelly Preston's character in the movie For Love of the Game, "we record everything in baseball."
Some times I'm amazed by how ultra specific some of the data are that get recorded. Things like, "number of ground balls hit on astro turf against left handed batters," or more abstractly, the "component ERA" which is an estimate of a pitcher's Earned Run Average based on the individual components of his statistical line (K, H, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, HBP). And the list goes on.
As Ken Burns said so eloquently, "It (baseball) is a haunted game in which every player is measured against the ghosts of all who have gone before."
Until now.
During last evening's resounding 12-8 defeat of the hapless Jupiter Hammerheads by the Bradenton Marauders, I came up with a new statistic that I will be recording from now on at all minor league baseball games I attend. This statistic could be recorded in major league games but the noise levels will probably preclude the collection of much data.
The new statistic is BSADW. It is the acronym for Bats Slammed Against Dugout Wall. Last night in Bradenton the Jupiter Hammerheads recorded 6 BSADWs. It was a great night.
Last evening I assisted both Kevin Mattison the center fielder, and Jeremy Syman the left fielder in their successful acquisition of 6 of the 10 strike outs Jupiter recorded during the game. For Jeremy it was particularly special because he started the evening with 98 strike outs for the year (having recorded 3 the night before) so he reached and passed the century mark tonight - the worst strike out record on the Hammerheads team this year.
In the top of the third both Kevin and Jeremy struck out swinging and on their return to the dugout, I noticed that there was a lot of yelling, and the sound of a bat hitting the wall could be heard quite clearly.
Jake Smolinski (last night I asked him if his was an Irish name) smashed his bat against the dugout wall after a 4th inning strike out. In the 7th inning Jeremy Syman recorded his hallowed 100th strike out. With two strikes on him I yelled that I would stand and applaud him if he got the K. Sure as hell...next pitch was a swinging strike and soon you could hear his bat against the dugout wall again. Kevin Mattison followed suit in the top of the 8th inning and then in the top of the ninth Jeremy Syman came through with his 101st strike out of the season. My applause for Jeremy was greeted not only with one but TWO bat smashings on the dugout wall. One of the fans seated near me said "I think that was anger."
Perhaps.
Anyway I noticed earlier this year that there was the occasional bat smashed against the dugout wall but nothing like last night. So, in honor of this discovery and to celebrate the latest Marauders victory, I 'm now recording this new statistic. At first I will just record the number of BSADWs per inning. Maybe if I get my data recording down more scientifically I will record the number for each individual hitter.
My intuition tells me that this statistic will show up more frequently in games with relentless heckling of the opposing team. Perhaps that will be the next statistic developed for baseball - something like "percentage of time opposing team is subjected to relentless heckling" or at least along that line. It's something to think about.
This morning I sent the following email to the management of the Pittsburgh Pirates through their online portal at this link. The focus of my message was to ask Pirates management to bring up several of the incomparable Bradenton Marauders when they expand to a 40-person roster. For the sake of our kids, I hope they listen and give these guys a chance. At more than 20 games out of first place and with no hope of even a wild card berth, the Pirates have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving our guys a chance. I hope they listen.
Here is the email:
Dear Pirates Management
I am one of several hundred holders of season tickets to watch the incomparable Bradenton Marauders play Class A ball here in the Florida State League. The Marauders are, without doubt, the greatest show on dirt.
As the summer has progressed it has become readily apparent to me and others that Pirates management has some definite major league talent waiting in the wings with the Marauders. People like Robbie Grossman, Quincy Latimore, Starling Marte, Eric Fryer, Jeremy Ferrell, Greg Picart, Brock Holt, and Tony Sanchez immediately jet to the top of the list of Marauders who should be in the Show some day. And lets not forget incomparable starting pitcher Nathan Adcock and Noah Krohl, quite possibly the best closer in baseball. Its because of these guys, working hard with the others on the team, that Bradenton will likely win their Division this year and hopefully take the Florida State League championship.
As I have watched these guys grow and develop over the 2010 summer I've also watched as the Pirates have had a less-than-successful year. Right now the Pirates are about 20 games out of first place and unfortunately its very unlikely they will get even a wild card shot at post season play.
That reality being the case, I have a suggestion I wish you would seriously consider. As much as it would pain all of us to see the Marauders stars mentioned above leave us in the closing weeks of the season, why don't you give them each a chance? When you expand to a 40- person roster why not bring each of the kids I mentioned up to Pittsburgh, give them a Pirates uniform, and tell them to go take on the opposition just like they do in Florida?
What do the Pirates have to lose? You will give these guys some time in the Show, and who knows, if they perform as well in a Pirates uniform as they do in a Marauders uniform, my guess is your record will be much better than 20 games back from the lead. Again, it would be a blow to the Marauders and our chance at winning the Florida State League to see them go, but those kids have earned the privilege to be in the Show.
Please consider giving at least some of them mentioned above a chance when you expand the roster. Thank you for considering my request.
Ben Nelson, former Governor of the great Cornhusker State of Nebraska is one of two Senators that represent Nebraskans in the United States Senate. For some unexplained reason, Nelson continues to parade around with the (D) for Democrat in his title (sensu, D-NE). Ben Nelson may have been a Democrat at one point in his life but he sure as hell is not one now.
Throughout the first 18 months of the Obama Administration, this little gutter snipe has bent over backward to accommodate the Republicans in the Senate. He votes with the Republicans FAR more frequently than he does with the Democrats with whom he caucuses.
Ben Nelson is about as much a Democrat as Joe Lieberman the permanent Senator from Tel Aviv is a Democrat.
On Saturday July 31, Nelson became the first Democrat to openly admit that he would oppose the nomination of Elena Kagan to be the next justice of the United States Supreme Court. Nelson made this calamitous statement under the cover of having "heard from Nebraskans" who didn't like her. He never once, apparently, considered all the Nebraskans who wrote in saying they LIKED Kagan.
When I read this news I decided that I had to take some action.
I lived in Grand Island, Nebraska, from January 1987 until late February 1993. I still consider my 6 years in Nebraska as the most productive years of my career with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In many instances I still consider myself a Cornhusker (although I could give a Cheney about their football).
Today I wrote an email to Senator Nelson through his online portal on his official office website. You'll notice that to use this portal to send him messages you have to have a Nebraska address. To contact him I used my first address in Grand Island - 315 Waldo Avenue, Grand Island, NE 68801, and for a phone number I used my old office phone 308-381-5571. I then sent him the following message. You should also if you feel similarly about this travesty:
Memo:
Dear Senator Nelson (and I use the word "senator" very loosely).
On Saturday July 31, 2010, it was announced through Yahoo.com news that you were the first Democratic member of the Senate to acknowledge that you will vote no on the nomination of Elena Kagan to be the next justice of the US Supreme Court.
In the Yahoo news article you claim that your vote against her is because "I have heard concerns from Nebraskans regarding Ms. Kagan, and her lack of a judicial record makes it difficult for me to discount the concerns," Nelson said in a statement issued late on Friday.
Senator Nelson how did you differentiate between comments provided by constituents who support her (like me) and those who oppose her? Now that I have voiced my support will you change back to voting for her? What does it take to get you to vote like a Democrat?
It sickens me to have you as my Democratic Senator from this great state. You are following in the footsteps of James J. Exxon and Bob Kerrey who were fine Democrats. Then you come along and claim to be a Democrat but you vote like a Republican every time something important comes along.
Instead of playing this cat and mouse game with your intelligent constituents (those of us who don't watch the Fox Fiction Channel or listen to Rush) why don't you just come out of the closet? Just come out this afternoon and admit that you are a Republican and that you are giving up your place in the Democratic caucus so you can be just like the rest of those losers on that side of the aisle.
Now is the time for real leadership from Washington and instead of seeing that from you, we the people of Nebraska see you kissing the ass of the Tea Bag Anarchy people and the Fox News watchers. You do this not because its the right thing to do but because you think it will get you re-elected.
In the world of political punditry there are a few names that stand out mainly because the pundits are not necessarily intelligent but only because they are vociferous. Principal among these pundits is Rush Limbaugh, the porcine spawn of poor white trash whose idea of a good time is to fly to the Dominican Republic with a bottle of Viagra and then claim he was there just to visit the beach. By his own admission, Rush is a show person not a news person. Still more than 30 million misinformed individuals get further misinformed each day listening to this waste of oxygen.
Next comes Glenn Beck (or Beckkk) another person who has no journalistic background and no journalism ethics. Glenn Beckkk wouldn't know the truth if it bit him on the ass. There is a modicum of hope however. It seems that even the ineducable who watch Beckkk and his histrionics are getting fed up with him; he has lost 50 percent (that's half) of his viewership in recent months. There is hope for humanity after all!
And of course let us not forget Ann Coulter, a first class skag, and less than a human being who despite being a "christian" and a member of the party of family values, once advocated the killing of Supreme Court justices with whom she didn't agree. Hate is an interesting family value.
There are all these alleged pundits who scream and holler and make it sound like the world will end - and then there is a real professional. Her name is Rachel Maddowand I think the sun rises and sets on her.
Unlike the Republican pundits mentioned above, Rachel Maddow has a real background in politics that actually qualifies her to discuss politics. She was a Rhodes Scholar and received her PhD in Political Science at Oxford University in England. I don't think Rush, Beckkk, Coulter or any of those other wastes of oxygen can come close to Rachel in terms of education and preparedness for discussing the events of the day.
I first heard of Rachel in 2004 when Air America Radio first hit the airwaves. Rachel had a show from 9:00 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday that she co-hosted with hilarious political comedian Lizz Winstead (you can watch Lizz every Friday afternoon on the Ed Show on MSNBC). I remember sitting in my Fish and Wildlife Service office in suburban Washington DC listening diligently and intently to everything Rachel said. I was intimidated by her intelligence. One of the highlights of that show for me was the day I called in and got to talk with Rachel on the air! How freaking cool was that? And the Bush Administration was paying me to make the call!
Rachel got her own show on MSNBC more than a year ago and I've been a loyal but not often constant viewer of it ever since. If you ever want to get to the meat of an issue, just tune in Rachel at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time and be prepared to be educated.
Last night on her show she had a strange request. She had been walking in a forest in western Massachusetts where she heard a bird singing that she did not recognize. Using the recording option on her Blackberry she recorded the bird and then last night on her show she played the voice and asked her fans/viewers if anyone could identify the voice.
I could :)
The recording is pretty crappy, to say the least, but when you listen closely (and you're trained to know these things) it's pretty obvious that the bird is a White-throated Sparrow, one of the most beautiful singers in the northern forest in summer. Using mnemonics someone described the voice of the bird as being "poor sam peabody, peabody, peabody." In Canada they claim that it says "Oh, Sweet, Canada, Canada, Canada." Regardless its one of the nicest voices in the north woods in summer and for me a for sure sign that you are in the boreal forest or close to it when you hear them singing in the nesting season.
Rachel put a request for help on her Facebook page this morning and I answered it. This afternoon she posted a note on her blog saying that I was the "winner" of the contest! There of course was no "prize" for winning this but if there were I think what I would have liked to win was the chance to stand on the steps of the United States Capitol with Rachel and with each of us surrounded by boxes of baseballs, we would stand together and pepper every Republican obstructionist Member of Congress (I know that is redundant) for a couple hours of fun and enjoyment some afternoon. Maybe she'll arrange that the next time I win one of her contests.
And if Rachel Maddow and her partner ever need help identifying birds by voice all she needs to do is call.
Shrimp: The Endless Quest for Pink Gold by Jack Rudloe and Anne Rudloe. 2010. Financial Times Press, 251 pp. Hardcover.
Recently I saw an advertisement for Shrimp: The Endless Quest for Pink Gold on the All-Jimmy Buffett news site www.buffettnews.com. The book seemed like an appropriate subject for Buffett news given the importance of the line "Smell those shrimp they're beginning to boil" in His song "Margaritaville" so I bought it.
The small dimensions of the book and the large font make it seem like the 251 printed pages would have been many fewer with a few adjustments. The book is divided into 11 chapters that cover almost every possible aspect of the ecology of shrimp you could ever imagine wanting to know. For me the two most interesting chapters were number 8 "Turtles, TEDS and Troubles" that covered the controversy (now largely non-existent) that raged over the requirement to put Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) on shrimp nets, and chapter 9 "Wetlands and Real Estate" that delves into the issue of wetland loss and how it affects shrimp and almost every creature that is wetland related.
The bulk of the book deals with the ecology of the many species of shrimp, from their relationship with sea grass beds as foraging habitat, to the many ways shrimp can be cooked and served to the public. I had to chuckle when the authors included part of the quote by Benjamin Buford Blue (Bubba) in the movie Forrest Gump, where Bubba tells Forrest about all the ways you can prepare shrimp (and trivia fans be aware that Bubba mentions 21 different ways to fix shrimp).
I certainly learned a great deal about shrimp from this book which I guess was the point. My only disappointment was the repetition of information from one chapter to the next that happens occasionally. Once you read in chapter 1 about the "pink bodies glistening in the sun" as a net is pulled from the water, you simply don't need to read it again in every subsequent chapter - the bodies are still pink. Also, in trying to help distinguish one species of shrimp from the next, the authors get a tad bogged down with scientific names. That, however, is something on which most non-biologist readers won't pick up.
After reading this book I have a much better understanding of how my most favorite food item came to be. The next time I'm up on the Redneck Riviera of Florida (the Panhandle) and watch shrimp boats working the bay off Carrabelle, I'll be much more informed about what the shrimpers are doing and why, and more importantly about the future of the shrimp that they seek, thanks to the multitude of information packed into this little book.
Sunday I flew from Sarasota via Atlanta to New Orleans to watch the Triple AAA New Orleans Zephyrs (Florida Marlins affiliate) play the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals affiliate) at Zephyr Field in suburban New Orleans. New Orleans won the game 5-2.
Neither New Orleans or Memphis are tearing up the charts in their specific divisions of the Pacific Coast League but it was still a nice game to watch.
Before going to New Orleans I found a link on their website to the New Orleans Airport Hilton Hotel that gives special Zephyr fan rates. The regular nightly rate at the Hilton was $189 but they offered a "Zephyr Fan" rate (obtainable only through a link on the New Orleans Zephyrs website) of $89 a night. I grabbed that rate and spent the night.
The Hilton is directly across the street from the entrance to Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans. Because of my status with Hilton they upgraded me to a suite and gave a free breakfast. On arrival I called the Hilton and got a shuttle ride to the hotel. However it is so close to the airport that you can easily walk it. On my return to the airport on Monday I did just that.
I thought the hotel had a free shuttle to Zephyr Field but learned that was wrong. Instead I rode with Service Cab for the 3 miles to and from the ball park and the Hilton. The fare, with tip, was $15.00. That might seem like a ton of money, however when I checked on a rental car, the cheapest one available was $94.00 a day. I thought this was probably because of the oil spill. However on getting to New Orleans I learned that more than 35,000 Lutherans were in town for a convention. No doubt they ate up a lot of the availability of cars as well.
I left the hotel about 5:00 for the 6:00 p.m. start of the game. On arrival at Zephyr Field I went first to the "Strike Zone" store where I purchased a Zephyr home field baseball cap. I also picked up a set of the 2010 Zephyr baseball cards for a friend of mine. Leaving the Strike Zone I went first to check out my seat. Excellent is the only word I can use to describe my seat. I was one row back from the edge of the field, directly behind home plate. This is as good as my season ticket seat at McKechnie Field in Bradenton for the Bradenton Marauders.
After finding my seat I took off to explore the stadium and in the process discovered that not only can you get constant New Orleans jazz and Cajun zydeco music in the stadium you can also get red beans and rice and jambalaya for a meal! It doesn't get a hell of a lot better than that. The only downside to the stadium was the limited beer supply. Despite numerous beer outlets there was only one place where I could find real beer - anything other than Budweiser - for sale. That place had Stella Artois so I was a happy camper.
In my exploration I discovered the "Gator Den" down the right field line which is available for parties. The Gator Den even has a swimming pool in it and this evening the pool was filled with little kids. The game was supposed to begin at 6:00 p.m. but some lightning in the area kept the game at bay until 6:30 when the first pitch was thrown.
The final score was 5-2 in favor of the Zephyrs. I didn't really have any dog in this fight so I wasn't much into heckling although I guess since the Zephyrs are the AAA team for the Florida Marlins I was there as a Marlins fan. The quality of play was, as you would expect from AAA level, very good. The highlight of the night was a towering home run way over the left field fence that was hit by Hector Luna, the Zephyrs third baseman. Hector's home runs was one of those classics where you hear the bat hit the ball and just know that the ball is out of the park. The only question is how far out of the park! Hector is from Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. He was born in 1980 so he was probably running around the streets of the town in March 1985 when Chris Haney and I found the first Dominican Republic record of Kirtland's Warbler just a few miles south of Monte Cristi along the Haitian border.
Attendance at the game was about 3,000 but it seemed like many fewer people than that. The upper deck of the stadium was almost vacant and there didn't seem to be that many people in the lower deck where I was. I asked the woman selling Stella Artois if the Sunday night crowd was typical. She said that on Friday and Saturday nights the stadium is usually packed but on Sunday night few come to the game.
Those of us who came out saw an interesting game. I wish I lived closer to New Orleans for several reasons. One of them would be to have season tickets to watch these almost-Marlins play 70 home games each summer. At least I'm glad I was able to watch them once.
This past Sunday I flew from Sarasota to New Orleans (via Atlanta) to attend a New Orleans Zephyrs (Class AAA) minor league baseball game. The cheapest option available was to fly from Sarasota to New Orleans on Air Tran Airways (this was even cheaper than taking the Southwest nonstop from Tampa to New Orleans). Being retired I went for the cheapest alternative and I was not disappointed.
Air Tran flies a fleet of two-engine Boeing 717 (pictured above) and Boeing 737-800 series aircraft. Air Tran's route system is decidedly eastern but they provide service to some of the larger cities on the west coast (and of course to Las Vegas). For the tropical traveler, they have recently begun service to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Montego Bay Jamaica, and to Cancun.
Air Tran's genesis came about when ValuJet Airlines flight 592augured its way into the Everglades just after take off from Miami on May 11, 1996. The crash occurred because some cargo that shouldn't have been on the plane was on the plane and the cargo exploded not long after take off. ValuJet's name was pretty well trashed because of the circumstances leading up to the crash and the traveling public flocked away from ValuJet after that day. Rather than fold the airline, its management simply changed the name of ValuJet to Air Tran and its been in the air ever since.
My first segment Sunday morning lifted off full from Sarasota at 11:05 a.m, about 10 minutes early. I had upgraded to First Class for $39 dollars. We arrived in Atlanta 10 minutes early where I had a 2 1/2 hour lay over until my outbound flight at 3:20 eastern time. Luckily when I stepped from the plane in Atlanta a flight to New Orleans was boarding at the next gate. Had we not gotten in early this connection would not have been possible. There was room available in First on this earlier flight and away I went, having spent about 7 minutes in the Atlanta airport. We arrived New Orleans early.
Yesterday I returned from New Orleans via Atlanta to Sarasota. Just like on Sunday the flights were full, they left the gates early, the planes arrived early and everything went smoothly. I thought I had flown Air Tran before but realized in flight last evening that I had been on ValuJet before it became Air Tran. Thus, Air Tran was a life airline - the 201st commercial airline I have flown.
Although the four segment flight on Air Tran is a very small sample size, I have to say I was impressed by it and will most certainly fly the airline again. Not only was the fare cheap, and the flights early, but the people working for Air Tran seemed to actually be happy and seemed to actually enjoy having you on their plane. Fly on Delta, United or American airlines a few times and you'll understand my example.
If you haven't been on Air Tran I'd suggest you give them a try. If your experience is like mine was this weekend you'll likely not be disappointed.
My orthopedic surgeon took pictures of his work as he performed surgery a week ago to repair my torn meniscus. I'm sure he did it to satisfy his lawyers should there be a complaint of post-surgical malpractice. There was also the advantage of the pictures being taken to satisfy the curiosity of a patient who is a biologist.
Dr. Oettinger took at least 12 pictures of my meniscus while he was conducting the surgery. He conducted the surgery using an arthroscope. He gave me the pictures last week and explained what the images showed. The purpose of the surgery was to "clear away" the torn portions of the meniscus - the "cushion" of cartilage between the femur, and the tibia and fibia below it. In the upper left image you can see the end of the arthroscope and the "knife" part of the scope, and if you look closely you can see the "knife" cutting away portions of the torn cartilage.
In the lower right image you can see a bunch of material that looks almost like angel hair pasta where I ripped the meniscus. That material is the tear along the edge of the meniscus. In the lower left image you can see where the meniscus was cleared away of the stuff "floating" in the lower right image.
Its been a little over a week since the surgery. I still have some pain in the area of the lateral incision and I'm still limping. However in a week or so I hope I don't even remember the pain and discomfort that came from tearing the cartilage in the first place.
As a kid growing up in Northern Wisconsin I remember always looking forward to the days between May 1 and May 5 when, just like clockwork, Bobolink'sreturned from their winter habitats on tropical and subtropical grasslands of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. Their return was exciting for me because I got to listen to their nearly-indescribable voice each time I was anywhere near a grassy field.
Bobolinks always livened up summer days whether it was as a kid in Wisconsin, or later while living in North Dakota or Nebraska. I remember quite well in the early 1980s doing breeding bird censuses on native prairie plots near Woodworth, North Dakota, that Douglas Johnson had maintained for many years. Plot number 11 was always the one where you could be assured that you would have to scratch your head for awhile trying to figure out which male was singing on whose territory and how do you map all of that on an 8 x 10 piece of paper. In Nebraska we found Bobolink's to be quite common in the eastern half of the Platte River Valley, where they especially liked wet meadows along the river, and nearby alfalfa fields for nesting.
In the summer of 1978 Hal Kantrud and I were able to listen to Bobolinks singing on native prairie research plots all over both Dakotas and Montana and even a few in Wyoming. In 1980 and 1981 I remember finding them on native grasslands and in domestic hay fields throughout west central Manitoba and east central Saskatchewan.
Still, no matter where I was looking for them when July 1 came on the calendar it seemed like some switch went off in the head of Bobolink's and they stopped singing. At least they greatly reduced their song output. Go out on a patch of prairie on the Mormon Island preserve south of Grand Island Nebraska this evening and if there are no tornadoes around, you will hear a feast of Bobolink voices. Go out to Mormon Island in 24 hours and you'll hear 1/4 the voices you heard today. Go there a week from today and you'll be telling yourself you have to wait until next year to hear them again.
In fact, the latest day on which I have ever heard a Bobolink singing anywhere was July 7, 2007 when I found one bedraggled male still singing from the grasslands adjacent to the Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Why Bobolinks abruptly cease to sing on July 1 is one of those ornithological mysteries that will always be a mystery. Mourning Warblers return to northern Wisconsin about the same time as Bobolink's return and like the Bobolink's they beginning singing the moment they alight on their territory, but Mourning Warblers keep singing, at least occasionally, through July and into early August. Northern Parula start singing here in late February and continue to do so well into mid-August. But for Bobolinks, its a two month show and then its over.
This past spring I found Bobolink in abundance on the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Parkin Okeechobee County Florida in late April. A week later I found several migrant Bobolink in Glades County near the southwest shore of Lake Okeechobee. There were also a few along the beach at Lido Key in Sarasota, County. Luckily for me at least some of the birds in Okeechobee and Glades Counties were singing. I listened to them and wondered where they would be a week from that day.
However despite where they were going, in all likelihood the song fest that is a Bobolink is going to substantially shut down beginning tomorrow morning at sunrise on July 1.
I always knew there was a reason I didn't like July.
On June 21, 2010, I attended a Gulf Coast League (Rookie League) baseball game at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota (the local team lost). At about 12:30 p.m. when I looked up to follow a pop fly hit to right field I saw what I was certain was a Mississippi Kiteslowly moving southward over the baseball field. I had been out birding before going to the game and luckily had my binoculars with me in my day pack. With them I was able to confirm that the bird was an adult Mississippi Kite. What it was doing in Sarasota County on the first day of summer remains a mystery.
The booklet "Birding Hot Spots in Sarasota and Manatee Counties" (Fourth edition, 2008) published by the Sarasota Audubon Society does not include Mississippi Kite in its checklist of birds seen in both counties. Data from the eBird database maintained by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology shows that Mississippi Kites are quite common in the Panhandle and North Florida but spotty (at best) south of about Gainesville. Further, the Florida Breeding Bird Atlas, although currently 19 years old, shows confirmed nesting by this species in Florida south to Levy and Marion counties. Thus the bird on Monday may have been the first record for Sarasota County.
I wonder if this was part of a pair that had a failed nesting attempt and this bird was making its way back south already? I put a notice about this bird on the BirdBrains list serve that covers much of the Florida birding community. In response to the message, Rex Rowan from Gainesville directed readers to a summary of nesting season Mississippi Kite records south of the known breeding range through 2006. His summary from that 2006 message to BirdBrains is reprinted verbatim here:
Subject: Mississippi Kite range extension. From: Rex Rowan <[log in to unmask]> Reply-To: Rex Rowan <[log in to unmask]> Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2006 21:29:25 -0400 Content-Type: text/plain Parts/Attachments: Parts/Attachments
Mississippi Kites seem to be in the midst of a rather rapid range expansion. After arriving in the Gainesville area in the latter half of the 1960s, they seemed to stop moving, and the 1986-91 Breeding Bird Atlas found them well established in Alachua and Levy Counties, with nothing beyond that limit except one confirmed nesting in Ocala and a sighting in Hernando County:
http://www.wildflorida.org/bba/maps/MIKI.htm
However in the past two or three years they seem to have worked their way both south and east:
NASSAU COUNTY: Pat Leary saw one in northern Nassau County in late April this year, though given the date it could have been a migrant rather than a resident.
DUVAL COUNTY: This month Noel Wamer reported two birds south of the St. Johns River and Kevin Dailey reported up to three north of the St. Johns. A pair has nested in south Jacksonville in recent years.
CLAY COUNTY: I saw four or five near Green Cove Springs on May 29th; Lenore McCullagh informed me that they'd been present for at least one year previously. Bill Pennywill saw two sitting in a tree at Penney Farms in western Clay County this spring.
BREVARD COUNTY: Tom Dunkerton reported one at Tosohatchee Preserve in June 2005.
MARION COUNTY: Last spring Angela Luzader made multiple observations of 30 or so over fields between Ocala and Belleview.
CITRUS COUNTY: If I'm remembering correctly, they're resident in Crystal River.
HERNANDO COUNTY: Bev Hansen reported a nesting near Brooksville in July 2004.
SUMTER COUNTY: Yesterday I saw one soaring over a treeline just north of where CR-514 dead-ends at I-75 in Coleman.
Any other sightings outside the range shown on the BBA map?
Rex Rowan Gainesville
During June 3-10 2010 I was in the Panhandle and north Florida visiting State Parks and looking for birds for my "Big Year". Mississippi Kite was one of the target species and I found them as far south as the intersection of US 19 and State Highway 24 (the road to Cedar Key) in Levy County.
I guess now I could have stayed home and just let the year birds come to me.
Monday June 21 marked the beginning of Gulf Coast League (Rookie League) baseball in Sarasota. The "hometown" team is the Gulf Coast League Orioles, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.
Wikipedia has this information about the Rookie League:
Leagues in the Rookie classification play a shortened season similar to the Short-Season A classification leagues, starting in June and ending in early September. This lowest level of minor league baseball consists of six leagues, the Appalachian League, Pioneer League, Arizona League, Gulf Coast League, Dominican Summer League, and Venezuelan Summer League.[1] The Appalachian and Pioneer leagues are actually hybrid leagues; while officially classed as "Rookie" leagues, several major league teams have their higher-class short season teams in those leagues. These teams also maintain Rookie-level teams in other leagues as well. All of the other Rookie leagues are short season leagues as well.
You can read more about all of Minor League baseball at this link.
I attended the first game of the GCL Orioles season on June 21 here in Sarasota. The games are held in the back fields (spring training practice fields) at venerable old Ed Smith Stadium which is being renovated (finally!!!) in preparation for the 2011 spring training season.
Very little information has been made available about the GCL Orioles and their schedule. I finally called the Orioles about 10:00 a.m. on the Monday and was told when the season would start (that day) and at noon (in 2 hours!) and that they would be playing on the back fields of Ed Smith.
The person I talked with was Tracee Crump a Field Operations Assistant (does that mean Intern) with the Orioles in Sarasota. She was most helpful and immediately emailed me a copy of the GCL Orioles home season schedule that I've included below.
As instructed by Tracee I drove to the usual parking lot at Ed Smith and intended to walk south to the playing field. However the gate there was locked and bolted so I drove over to the Orioles Clubhouse and office and walked in from there. As I did I encountered a classically grumpy old bastard who took it as a personal affront to him that the gates in the main parking lot were not open. Unfortunately for Ms Crump she was walking back to her office when Grumpy Old Man found her and proceeded to read her the riot act about any number of things including the fact that there was no information anywhere on who the players were for either team. I thought the grumpy bastard was going to blow a gasket he was so upset. Ms Crump nodded her head knowing, as we used to say in Wisconsin, "when you get in a pissing match with a skunk all you get out of it is sprayed."
There were six fans sitting on the wooden bleacher behind the playing field. As you can see from this picture taken with my Blackberry, you can get really close to the field here. Here you can mingle with the players on either or both teams, several of whom were sitting in the bleachers with me running the radar guns and recording data on pitches and their speeds.
The game was between the GCL Baltimore Orioles and the GCL team representing that state just west of Wisconsin where traitorous football quarterbacks go to play. Of course I was rooting for the Orioles (when asked by someone what team is my favorite I tell them "whomever is beating the team from just west of Wisconsin." As the final score indicates, the team from just west of Wisconsin beat the Orioles 8-4.
The quality of baseball played here is pretty limited. Think of a cross between a junior college and high school baseball team and that pretty much describes what I saw of Rookie League baseball. For the 35 or so kids in uniform on a Rookie League team this is likely their only shot at getting to the show. In AAA ball you can get sent down to Single A and work your way back up, or in Single A you can get sent down to Short Season A and work your way back up. However for Rookie League if you are cut then you go home. For the multitude of Dominican kids on both teams I watched that day that means back to cutting sugar cane in the fields north of San Pedro de Marcoris! This is it.
I won't make it a habit of going to GCL Orioles games like I'm going to the Bradenton Marauders games. The excitement just isn't there, the quality of play isn't there, and there is no beer to be had at the field. What's the point of watching baseball if you can't quaff some suds and eat a dog? However as time allows I will no doubt make it to some other games this year. I certainly won't travel away from Sarasota to watch the Orioles but if the Bradenton Marauders are out of town and I'm bored senseless I might stop by occasionally. After all there are few places where you can watch the greatest show on dirt for free. Day Date Time Opponent Monday 21-Jun 12:00 Twins Wednesday 23-Jun 12:00 Red Sox Saturday 26-Jun 12:00 Rays Tuesday 29-Jun 12:00 Twins Thursday 1-Jul 12:00 Red Sox Friday 2-Jul 12:00 Rays Tuesday 6-Jul 12:00 Red Sox Wednesday 7-Jul 12:00 Twins Saturday 10-Jul 12:00 Rays Monday 12-Jul 12:00 Red Sox Tuesday 13-Jul 10:00 Rays Thursday 15-Jul 12:00 Twins Monday 19-Jul 12:00 Twins Wednesday 21-Jul 12:00 Red Sox Saturday 24-Jul 12:00 Rays Tuesday 27-Jul 12:00 Twins Thursday 29-Jul 12:00 Red Sox Friday 30-Jul 12:00 Rays Monday 3-Aug 12:00 Red Sox Wednesday 4-Aug 12:00 Twins Saturday 7-Aug 12:00 Rays Tuesday 10-Aug 12:00 Red Sox Thursday 12-Aug 12:00 Twins Friday 13-Aug 12:00 Rays Monday 16-Aug 12:00 Twins Wednesday 18-Aug 12:00 Red Sox Saturday 21-Aug 12:00 Rays Monday 23-Aug 12:00 Red Sox Wednesday 25-Aug 12:00 Twins Friday 27-Aug 12:00 Rays
*All times are tentative. All games held on backfields, please park in east parking lot on the corner of Tuttle Ave. and 12th Street. Games are free to the public.
Yesterday, June 24, I had surgery on my right knee to repair my torn medial meniscus (as shown in the drawing above). Along with the torn meniscus the orthopedic surgeon also scraped away other things in my knee that had degenerated with age. Apparently this part of my knee has worn out and my femur was pinching down on the torn meniscus adding to the pain. What a bite this was! Furthermore the doctor told me that I never did myself any favors being a catcher in baseball so many years ago. And to think my mom wouldn't let me play football because "you'll hurt your knees." I guess mom's don't know everything!
In late February 2010 I was at the You Fit health club doing my usual every-other-day upper body and lower body work out. On the days when I was not at the club I was putting up to 21.2 miles on my bicycle as an efficient cardio exercise.
Then came that fateful day in late February when I was doing my leg extension exercise. I was going for fewer repetitions with more weight in a pyramid workout (30 reps at 120 lbs, 20 reps at 135 lbs, 10 reps at 150 lbs). Leg extensions were my last exercise of the 19 upper and lower body stations that I hit in this exercise. When I sat down for the leg extensions my legs were feeling just fine and especially my knees. On my first extension with 150 lbs, as my legs were pushing my torso back I heard and felt a loud "POP" from my right knee. Not exactly a good sign!
Wisely (a first for me) I stopped the exercise and hobbled away from the weight station. From that day onward I limped like old Walter Brennan in the old television show "The Real McCoys."
Foolishly I continued to bicycle after this injury and I did so under the guise of being male and thinking "ah, it will get better." Unfortunately over the intervening two months it didn't get better - it only got worse. My hunch was that I had probably blown out my medial meniscus - the cartilage that serves as a shock absorber between your femur and your tibia and fibia.
On April 19, 2010, I visited an orthopedic surgeon (who is personal friends with and plays golf with Johnny Bench!) who looked at the x-rays and confirmed that I had done just that - torn my medial meniscus.
He shot me up with a cortisone and two other anti-inflammatory drugs. The plan then was to see if the drugs will eliminate the inflammation that was causing all the pain in my knee. If so, then good news. If not, then it was going to be arthroscopic surgery to scrape away the torn cartilage. This knee injury is the latest in a string of issues that my body keeps using to remind me that I'm not 18 any more.
At the initial consultation with the orthopedic surgeon he said the scenario would work like this: 1) Cortisone would give me instant relief from the pain (which it did), 2) after a few days the pain would come back and it would be worse than before (which it was), then 3) the pain would go away again. If 4) the pain came back then I needed to go back to see him. Unfortunately number 4 became reality and I went back.
Over the intervening six weeks after the cortisone shot I have been limping although not as bad as before. The only relief would come from swimming in the ocean. I guess with no gravity to get in the way the knee felt fine. As soon as I was back on land however the pain came back.
I visited my orthopedic surgeon about 2 weeks ago and said that the pain was not going away. Consulting with him we concluded that surgery to fix the torn meniscus was the best alternative. By the way my orthopedic surgeon is Jeffrey Oettinger, a hell of a nice guy whom I would recommend to anyone. I think he's a Republican but I'll forgive him.
My surgery was scheduled for 8:00 a.m. yesterday and I was told to be at the Intercoastal Medical Group's Ambulatory Surgery Center by 7:00 a.m. This being the first surgery I have had since my tonsils were removed in January 1958, I was a bit more than a tad anxious and wound up not getting a second of sleep the night before.
After a brief time spent getting checked in, I was taken back to the preparation area where I was hooked up to an electrocardiogram and a blood pressure monitor. The nurse took my blood pressure four times before she got a reading that wasn't off the scale. Eventually she said "we'll give you some happy juice that will bring it down" and it did.
Before the surgery began I understood the procedure to be that I would receive a local anesthetic in my right knee and that also I would be sedated so I could be awake during the procedure. Doctor Oettinger told me I'd be able to watch the work on a screen as he scoped my knee. It didn't work that way. They started me on an IV of Propofol (the drug that killed Michael Jackson because it wasn't being monitored) to sedate me.
The last thing I remember was talking to the anesthesiologist (who was a chemistry major) and telling her how I still have nightmares about the year of Organic Chemistry I took as an undergrad. The next thing I remembered was waking up in the recovery room and asking my nurse Sue Ellen "is this the operating room?" I woke up about 9:30 and don't remember a thing about the procedure. All I know is I had (and still have) a huge bandage on my right knee.
I was given a list of information about the drugs that were administered to me, told to stay off the leg and keep my knee above my heart (damned difficult to do when you're sleeping), use a cane to get around (why do they call it a cane when its made out of metal?) and drink no alcoholic beverages.
My check out materials included a list of what I can and cannot do for the next few days. It also included a list of all the drugs I was given including:
Versed(to reduce anxiety before surgery - must have been the "happy juice" she mentioned). Information I was given says that Versed may cause amnesia which might be why I dont remember a thing about the experience.
Robinul (to prevent nausea and decrease secretions - which might explain why my mouth was so incredibly dry after the procedure) Fentanyl (an opiate used to reduce or eliminate pain - Fentanyl is also known to cause constipation which certainly seems to be true!)
Adding to this cornucopia of drugs in the surgical center I was also prescribed Hydrocodone which a note on the prescription label says was "substituted for Lortab-500). Hydrocodone is a narcotic in the opiate family used to reduce or eliminate pain. I'm supposed to take 1 tablet every 4 - 6 hours "as needed" but the nurse told me to take it before hand so I have it in my system when the Fentanyl wore off. So far so good.
When I woke up from the anesthesia my throat was very sore - as if I had gotten some sort of cold or virus while asleep. I learned later that this was from something stuck down my throat to keep my passageway open while under anesthesia. The other thing I noticed this morning was a very pungent odor to my urine, no doubt a direct affect of my kidneys and liver metabolizing and excreting the drugs I was given yesterday.
My life long friends Larry Stoffregen and Dave Bylsma who are both nurses back home in Wisconsin have been their usual wonderful and helpful selves giving me all sorts of information and support in the last 24 hours. I appreciate every bit of it.
Now that I am on the mend I have several positive things to look forward to. First and foremost I wont be hobbling around like Grandpa McCoy any longer. I can get back on a bicycle and start putting on some miles in a month or so. I can get back to working out in the gym and I can be back on a boat in a week or so. I had been thinking about making a trip to the Western Aleutian Islands in mid August to look for Short-tailed Albatross for my life list with my friend Jon Andrew and to hang out with my oldest daughter Jennifer who lives in Anchorage. However the doctor said despite me being able to be on a boat here in Florida there was no way my knee could stand the rocking and rolling of a research vessel in 20 foot seas in the Aleutians so I have to cancel the trip for this year. Hopefully in 2011.
Before falling asleep yesterday I also mentioned to the anesthesiologist that when I had my tonsils out the doctors then told me that I could "have all the ice cream you want when you wake up." Of course they lied to me - I never saw an ounce of ice cream. Reacting quickly the anesthesiologist laughed and said "Any you're not getting any here either."
The Siesta Inn at 4787 North Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, Florida is a less than exciting hotel along the Trail just north of downtown. It looks rather downtrodden and consequently I would stay in it only if there was no other alternative available.
I've driven by the Siesta Inn every time I've traveled south on North Trail and each time before today I have meant to bring along my phone so I could take a picture of the hotel's ridiculous greeting sign.
Note on this sign that the Siesta Inn proudly claims to all who give a Cheney about such unimportant things, that real 'Merikuns own the hotel. The owners are probably part of the "English-is-the-only-language" crowd that watches Fixed News and listens to Rush Limbaugh. Notice also that visitors are welcome (as if local residents make up most of the hotel clientele?).
Most importantly notice that despite this likely being an English-is-the-only-language kind of place, visitors are greeted with the Spanish word "Abierto" which means "open."
I guess the hidden message here is that the owners want other real 'Merikuns staying here but we'll take your money also if you're a "Mexican" (which is what 99 percent of the redneck crowd calls anyone of Hispanic heritage or who has a Hispanic surname).
Just for the hell of it I think the next time I drive by the old Siesta Inn I'm going to confuse the owners and stop by. I obviously look like a real 'Merikun but I think I'll just ask for a room by speaking only in Spanish. I wonder if they'll still let me stay there?
Today, June 1, marks the start Hurricane Season - traditionally my most favorite and anticipated season of the year.
Every June 1 I write about hoping for the coast's long deserved and long overdue Category 6 hurricane. Its a hurricane that is so strong that its never been recorded at that intensity before. My dream hurricane (the "Great Undeveloper") never makes formal landfall. The center of it comes within 5 miles of the coast at the mouth of the Rio Grande on the US / Mexico border. There it moves north and east, keeping the eye five miles off shore so it retains a constant energy source. It follows and scours the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in a perfect arc along the Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida coasts to the Florida Keys. There it follows the islands northeast to Key Largo where it miraculously changes course once again and follows the entire east coast of the United States (including the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay inland to Philadelphia) to Calais Maine where it becomes extratropical in the Bay of Fundy. At the conclusion of its trip along the coast it has removed all condominiums, rejuvenated the coastal sands, and cleared out the vermin known as the human race that has done so much to destroy the integrity of the coast.
However this year, 2010, poses a special case for coast lovers, even someone as twisted in their logic as I am.
This year we have an even more horrific disaster, a real one, in the Gulf that further exacerbates the problem. Thank you very much British Petroleum and thank you even MORE George Bush's administration for looking the other way in the permitting process and allowing this disaster to unfold. Since April 20, at least 12,000 barrels of oil (42 gallons per barrel) and maybe 19,000 barrels of oil have been spewing daily into the ocean just off the Louisiana coast. Much of that oil is now or soon will be coming ashore somewhere along the Gulf Coast from west of the mouth of the Mississippi River east to who knows where along the Florida coast.
Because of the oil spill coastal habitats are going to be overly stressed this year and I worry that the spill on top of a large scale hurricane could be too much for existing habitats to bear there. Because of that, for 2010 I'm moving my dream a little further east.
For the 2010 season I'm still hoping for a great undeveloper hurricane to come ashore and cleanse the coast but this year I am hoping that it makes landfall just five miles off the coast of Miami and then moves northward along the coast to Calais, Maine. At least half the coastline of the United States will still be cleansed of condos and other eyesores and while this happens the Gulf Coast will be given some much needed time to heal.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a more active than usual hurricane season in the Caribbean region. NOAA is giving us this prediction of activity:
We estimate a 70% probability for each of the following ranges of activity this season:
* 14-23 Named Storms, * 8-14 Hurricanes * 3-7 Major Hurricanes * An ACE range of 155%-270% of the median.
Three to 7 major hurricanes is fine with me. Maybe a couple will be Category 5 storms. If they come ashore and do some reconstruction of habitats so much the better. This year I'm hoping the most damage occurs at and in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a city in dire need of huge rearrangement.
So join me in welcoming in this most auspicious and potentially regenerative season. All day today I will be playing this classic song by Jimmy Buffett each hour at the top of the hour to help welcome in the season. You might consider doing the same.
I find it curious that we never see the bible-thumper crowd carrying this quote around with them. I guess the Family Research Council and the anti-gay marriage crowd never wanted anyone to hear other things quoted in the bible - things that don't fit their current issue.
I sent the following email to the Florida State League this morning regarding the most horrible "Umpiring" I have ever seen in a baseball game anywhere.
Dear Florida State League
I am a loyal fan of Minor League baseball and enjoy watching it immensely, so much so that I purchased season tickets to the new Bradenton Marauders home games. So far this year I have missed only two games.
In all of the minor league games that I have watched this year and last, I have never ever seen umpiring as atrocious as that performed last night (May 14, 2010) in Bradenton by Florida State League umpires Allen Alvarez and Luke Hamilton. If there is a minor league for minor league umpires to train in these two need to be sent down as soon as possible.
In the top of the ninth inning of last night's game between the Fort Myers Miracle and the Bradenton Marauders there was a controversial play at first base where Paul Kelly of Fort Myers hit a ground ball to the Marauders second baseman who threw the ball to Marauders first baseman Eric Huber. Kelly crossed the bag while Huber held the ball in his glove. Huber then DROPPED the ball and base umpire Luke Hamilton called Kelly OUT.
I am 58 years old. I have played baseball or watched baseball since I was five years old. In those 53 years of watching baseball or playing baseball it was always my understanding that when there is a play at a base and the defensive player drops the ball, the offensive player is safe. Last night Luke Hamilton reversed 53 years of baseball rules and logic with one bone-headed call. It was so obvious that Kelly was safe that a blind person could have seen it. The call was so egregious that the Bradenton Maruaders fans all started to jeer the call even though the call was to Bradenton's advantage.
A predictable argument ensued involving the Fort Myers coach (their manager had been tossed from the game earlier by a very insecure Allen Alvarez when Alvarez was challenged on a call by Manager Mauer. Rather than be reasonable, Alvarez immediately ejected Mauer). At the end of the ninth inning argument over the play at first base, home plate umpire Alvarez indicated to the score keeper that the remainder of the game was being played under protest.
It should have been and deserved to be. The actions throughout last night's game by Umpires Alvarez and Hamilton (actions affecting both teams) were enough to cause the entire game to be played under protest.
I don't know how much training umpires get before they are hired to call games in the Florida State League but these two individuals clearly need more training. They also need to learn how to handle situations in an adult, professional manner. Tossing the Fort Myers manager for a simple disagreement was not the right choice to make in that situation. Watching Umpire Hamilton call someone out who was clearly safe (AND from our opposing team) demonstrates that he needs to learn the rules and be more honest.
It is my most sincere hope that other fans of baseball have complained to you about either or both umpires Alvarez and Hamilton. If there have been other complaints about them and their abilities then I highly recommend some corrective action. As it stands now these two gentlemen are very far out of their league and have no business having the final say on any actions on a baseball diamond.
Just before leaving for tonight's Bradenton Marauder game vs the Daytona Cubs in Bradenton I received an email announcing the unprecedented occurrence of a Bahama Mockingbird in Fort DeSoto County Parkin St. Petersburg, just on the other side of the Sunshine Skywaybridge. Needing this bird for my 2010 Florida Big Year I made a command decision to run up to Fort DeSoto (just 40 minutes from home) to look for the bird. If successful in my search I could be back in Bradenton (I figured) by the fourth inning. With luck I got the bird within minutes of arriving at Fort DeSoto so I abruptly left headed back over the bridge to Bradenton. It was the 359th species I have seen in Florida so far in 2010. The record for a "Big Year" is 367 species so I'm well within reach of the record with more than half the year to go. But I digress.
Arriving in Bradenton about 8:15 p.m. the game with the Cubs was already in the SIXTH inning! The teams were in a pitching duel - Daytona had one hit and the Marauders had zero.
Before tonight's game the Daytona Cubs had the worst record in the Florida State League and the Marauders were 0.5 games out of first place in the South Division of the FSL. It should have been like David and Goliath out there (we being Goliath) but things don't always work according to plan. And when I entered McKechnie Field the Cubs were ahead by 1-0.
This was a pitchers duel.
Bradenton scored two runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to take a 2-1 lead however the Cubs came back in the top of the ninth with a run tying the score at 2-2. It was a nail-biter.
The umpires tonight were two of the worst umpires I have ever seen. Calling things incorrectly on the bases was Roberto Medino, a waste of flesh from a small town in Puerto Rico. Calling from behind home plate was Brandon Henson, a loser of the highest order. How either of these jackals was ever hired to do umpiring is simply beyond me. Last Saturday night in Port Charlotte these two clowns had to be escorted from the field by the Charlotte County Sheriff's Department after the game because so many people were upset with them. Last night in Bradenton a city police officer, wearing his gun and a taser, was so incensed at these two jerks that he stood at the edge of the field and screamed at them to get their act together.
They were no better this evening.
By the end of the 8th inning I had said very little in the heckling department although I was happy to hear many people around me heckling in my place including one woman who was coming up with some great lines! In the bottom of the 8th inning on an particularly ridiculous call I yelled at the umpire "Hey Ump!!! Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in awhile." This drew a lot of laughs and also a comment from someone sitting behind me who said "Watch out, he's started again."
The real excitement in the game came in the proverbial bottom of the ninth inning with the score tied 2-2 and one out the scenario went like this:
Bradenton Bottom 9th
* Pitcher Change: Jeff Beliveau replaces Marco Carrillo. * Austin McClune strikes out swinging. * Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Tony Sanchez replaces Erik Huber. * Tony Sanchez singles on a line drive to right fielder Nelson Perez. * Greg Picart singles on a line drive to center fielder Kyler Burke. Tony Sanchez to 3rd. * Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Starling Marte replaces Tony Sanchez. * Jeff Beliveau intentionally walks Brock Holt. Greg Picart to 2nd. * Robbie Grossman hit by pitch. Starling Marte scores. Greg Picart to 3rd. Brock Holt to 2nd.
It was sweet. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, runners on first and third, the Daytona Cubs manager called for an intentional walk of shortstop Brock Holt, himself a damned good player and someone to be reckoned with at the plate.
The bases are now full with one out. Walking Brock was a perfect strategic move because now any play at any base was an out, and with luck they could get a double play ending the threat.
However things didn't work according to plan.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, Center Fielder Robbie Grossman comes to the plate. Robbie is a good all around hitter but nothing really special. He dug in at the plate, took a few practice swings, scratched his balls a couple times and stood there waiting for the pitch.
I had visions of a grand slam coming up. Instead, the Daytona Cubs pitcher HIT Robbie with the first pitch. He went to first base and when Robbie went there, Starling Marte, the pinch runner on third scored the winning run and the Marauders WON this highly important game by the score of 3-2!!!!!
Some of my earlier predictions about Marauders players are not panning out the way I hoped they would. For one, Quincy Latimore seems to be in an endless slump. I don't remember the last time he got a hit and Quincy probably doesn't either. I'm not sure what's going through his head but it's not baseball. The same can almost be said for catcher Tony Sanchez who was last year's number 1 draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Granted, Tony had a clutch hit in the 9th inning tonight and was instrumental in Bradenton's win but its been since forever that he's gotten a hit. We were just lucky.
Outfielder Starling Marte is another disappointment. Starling started off strong but seems to be fading like a flare now. He was with the Gulf Coast League (Rookie League) Pirates last year and I am starting to think he needs to go back to them. First baseman Calvin Anderson is another person who is rapidly becoming a disappointment. At 6'7" Calvin is by far the tallest player on the Marauders roster however tallness doesn't translate into efficiency. When I see Calvin come to the plate I think to myself "Here's the designated out." He cannot hit a fastball to save himself. Toss him a curve and he will murder it. As one Marauder pitcher who regularly sits behind me said one night about Calvin (stealing a line from Kevin Costner in "Bull Durham") "Calvin couldn't hit water if he fell out of a fucking boat."
And he couldn't.
Tonight the Marauders play the Fort Myers Miracle. As usual I will be in Section 1, Row 1, Seat 1, primed to provide important heckling action as needed. Out of respect for him I will not heckle Miracle shortstop Chris Cates, but all the rest of them are fair game. The last time the Marauders played the Miracle in Bradenton I got on third baseman Debinson Romero's case so intensely that after he struck out the fourth time he walked into the dugout and broke his bat against the wall of the dugout. It's my hope that I can aggravate him to that point again tomorrow night. That's what heckler's do.
