Plumes of smoke from the WTC on 9/11

From the slideshow photos that changed the world at Slate.com

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

I visited the MFA (Museum of Fine Arts) in Boston today, got a nice print of Cape Cod Evening(>) by Edward Hopper from his exhibit, which lasts until August 16. The description under it observed the unhappy couple and the dog hearing something off in the background. Something about the seemingly stillness of the dog brings out emotion in me. 

Cyber-war

Here is an interesting article (requires registration) about potential cyber-war with China. That is the situation right now, our enemy over the horizon is China and our current opponent is terrorism, also a War on Drugs is being waged. In airports and the Boston subway system, announcements come on warning travelers and commuters to not take packages from strangers and to not let luggage and out of your sight. I was in the mall connecting with the Prudential center building in Boston earlier and it reminded me of Total Recall, from scenes of the shopping center on Mars.

Griffey's return

I didnt watch the game as I'm currently in Boston but I did see clips of the pregame ceremonies honoring Griffey Jr. They were showing posters and signs from the crowd, among them saying things like "we want Griffey back" and "welcome to the house that Griffey built." Now thats interesting, Griffey is on the trading block and the Mariners are in relative contention, its possible that Griffey might return to Seattle, though unlikely in my opinion because our [Mariners] outfield is pretty solid right now, especially in center (Ichiro) where Griffey would likely occupy. A snippet that sums up the game "The 46,340 came early to honor Griffey and stayed to watch his team demolish the hometown squad." Many of my fellow Seattlites attented the battle, the sixth-largest crowd in Mariners history. 

Freedom

People who dont fullfill freedom despite ones goodwill or intentions should stop using that word in disgrace, for it will become what Communism has entered into, inability to use because it now means, pretty much, a dictatorship. If it is not legal for someone to smoke a marijuana cigarette, then you cannot justifiably use the word "freedom." That is what America has done to that word, it now requires qoutes to refer to it, american-style. 

Oriole Tejada

Miguel Tejada is suffering from a purported broken wrist, which is expected to end his 5th longest consecutive games played record. He has already passed a few hall-of-famers this but it is now expected to end. It has always been said that no one will pass Cal Ripkens record, one that is a couple hundred games higher than baseball's former "Iron Man", Lou Gehrig. I think this occurence is unfortunate, I have been aware of Tejada for a long time because of what his A's have done to my M's. He was awarded as the MVP when he was flourishing with the Athletics, therefore I am very aware of out of respect and thereafter extreme envy and jealousy, of both him and his former franchise. The Orioles started well this year but have since tapered off, resulting in not only Sam Perlazzos, the managers, job but also the refusal of  great unemployed manager, Joe Giardi, to accept the vacant job. Tejada is expected to be out for a few months if this injury is for real. Too bad, it was a challenging of the most unbreakable baseball record, Ripkens Jr's. I'll be pleased to see his return to begin a new journey to break Cal's. 

No-spin Zone...my ass

I was traveling through Maine via automobile and I was listening to the Bill O'Reilly show talking about the situation in Iraq. He says that he has been honest with this viewers, that he has been aware of the problems we are facing in Iraq since day 1, but does not advocate troop withdrawl. He sees it that as long as we are there we might as well try to win it. This is a direct qoute from his show, talking to the Iraqi people "we will install freedom and democracy, if you cooperate." If you cooperate? Thats not what freedom is, they should have the choice to install whatever form of government that they choose, whether that be theocratic or a dictatorship, we dont have the right to tell them how to run their own country. Though we may think that our form of representative democracy is the best, we dont have the right to force that onto another people. We need to stop acting as the world police. I dont believe in isolationism but we shouldnt constantly interfere in other countries affairs. 

Resume'

The Mariners have resumed their winning ways. After a long overdue break spending time with their famalies, they have thankfully appeared to relax and have started to play solid ball in all aspects. The last two wins over the Pittsburgh Pirates have exhibited the offensive and defensive skills that the Mariners have this year so often showed to their opposition. Felix threw 8 shutout innings and Ichiro has been electric during the Pirates series. Tonight Ken Griffey Jr. makes his return to Seattle and to the park that wouldnt exist without the revenue he created for the team. Its possible that Seattle might not even still have the Mariners at all without him. He pretty much saved this franchise. He is on the trading block this year due to his mighty return and his Reds stinking up the NL Central. However he doesnt seem to want to go to a contending team like the Yankees or anything. The Mariners have begun another winning streak which I'm sure is to continue tonight. We have pitched back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 2004 (courtesy ESPN).

Oh My Poor Mariners, Home Sick they are!

Heres a qoute from Mariners first basemen "We have been on the road a lot, and maybe guys are [tired] at this point. "We've had two tough road trips this month," he said, referring to the current four-city trek that ends Sunday afternoon and an earlier 10-game journey through four cities and three time zones. "We have been on the road a lot, and maybe guys are [tired] at this point." Damn right my man. THEY WANT TO SEE THEIR FUCKING FAMILIES! Baseball is a peculiar sport as these players sometimes have no time to get back into reality, what truly matters. When these unfortunate incedents happen, a much needed break needs to be scheluded somewhere. I realize they are being paid a fortune but on the backs of many a poor Seattle person they are riding on, and they matter too, perhaps most.

It was unfair what happened with all those delays in Cleveland and Boston, etc. However I have noticed both teams [Indians and Mariners] excel since that "breaking" point. Struggle makes an impressive group of guys more powerful. I hope that someone reads this "article" because I want them to know that I have faith, I really do. I will have faith until the day I die. Like my out-of-state friend said that I have "Seattle vibe" and damn fucking right I do. I want these hard fighting boys to know that I BELIEVE IN THEM no matter what. Keep on battlin' my friends, I'll be watching.

Superstition and losing streaks

So the Seattle Mariners are on a losing streak, again. I say again because last year when I went on holiday to the East, they embarked upon a losing that effectively ended their season. Before I left they were still in reasonable contention and whenever I had access to wireless internet I would check their progress. However, for nearly two weeks after my debarkation all I would see as I gained access to the Information superhighway were losses. Checking the box scores I would nod my head in disappointment. 

I am not a very superstitious person by nature but due to these latest developments, I am beginning to have my doubts. My mother is very superstitious, probably due to her South Carolinian upbringing so growing up around her I would notice her idiosyncrasies, from not wanting to drive across a stretch of road if she saw a black cat cross it to knocking on wood whenever someone said something they didn't actually want to happen. Now with these losing streaks coinciding with my departure from Seattle I am rethinking all of this. Not that I'm going to become a neurotic about black cats or anything but I'm starting to think there might be something to it after all. When something you care about a lot is all of a sudden not being as successful as they were, anyone can begin to have doubts.

The night I left the Mariners won against the Cubs in extra innings in Chicago and they then lost the next two games. I thought it might just be a fluke since the Cubs are hot right now, ever since Lou's choreographed outburst, and won against the Padres which are one of the top teams in baseball currently. So I thought things would turn around when the Mariners faced the Astros tonight, unfortunately they did not, losing to a bad team and our so-called ace King Felix blew another game. He has a 6.00 ERA since coming of the DL, are those ace numbers? 

Yogi Berra

I admire his versatility and capability to carry a game on his back. Although its possible being a good defensive catcher or even an adequete defensive catcher is relatively east when considering the average stock from the minors and other countries.But when considering catchers defense is the priority as it is probably the hardest, most exhausting and effort-driven positions, as you have to sit down and move around alot and call pitchers and be hit by a baserunner at home sometimes. Yogi Berra won the MVP award 3 times, an award only given to the player that aided its teams usually through offensive prowess but the rule is the exception as occasionally a good starting pitcher has won it and possibly a person who not only was a good offensive producer but a good defensive player. So Yogi Berra "carried his team" 3 times and probably more but other players did better as a world series win is not necessary. He was also a notourious bad ball hitter.

Slugging Percentage and Barry Bonds

This is a stat that shows how many bases you hit for, for example a single would give you one base, a double two bases and so forth until a home run which gives the most bases, 4. Although if you are a hitter that finds gaps very well in the outfield and hits a lot of triples then you could have a good slugging percentage even though you might not hit very many homeruns although that usually doesnt happen. The highest slugging percentages in history I believe belong to some of the greatest sluggers the game has ever known, Babe Ruth for sure, Hank Aaron likely as he holds the record and of course the current Barry Bonds, number 2 on the all time list and still chasing Hank today. He had an unbelievably good stretch of seasons from 2000 on, .500+ on-base percentages and .800 slugging percentages were common at this time for him. This was due to his enormous ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark therefore pitchers intentionally walked him and everyone time they didnt it seemed they would regret it as he would make some runs happen and help out his team offensively. 

Rumours exist of his possible steroid use which seems possibly likely as his body and voice seem odd and suddenly he broke the single season home run record at 73, an astounding amount of home runs to be hit in around 140 or more games. They say this is a good measure of a hitters ability to hit for power, seeing if he can hit to alot of bases in comarison to his at bats then he can hit the ball hard and usually for extra bases. You can have a low average and still have a very high slugging percentage and high ob-base percentage. Such a player is Jason Giambi who can hit for average average but even when it is low he still would lead the league at least in the category of on-base percentage and sometimes slugging but rarely as you would have to hit a home run and triple alot for that. Albert Pujos, who was injured just a few days ago was on pace at 25 homers and 65 rbis to break the record for both, on pace for nearly 80 homers or so and nearly 200 rbi's, phenomanal numbers, an offensive paramount that could potentially carry a team into the playoffs, such a player is a manager and gm's dream and a source of doubt and speculation. Baseball is a sport where having a few tremendous MVP sluggers/good players would not gurantee a trip to the postseason as in other sports where a good forward or quarterback or "runner" in football could carry a team, like brett farve on green bay and michael jordan for the bulls. Albert Pujos has been considered the re-deemer in baseball after all the steroid problems of recent years. But you cant fault them for having such high hopes and crazy human emotions, considering all the pressure and potential glory if you do very well and hit alot of homeruns and get a lot of RBI's

Intro

What I plan for this site is mostly ramblings on baseball the main topic but this is basically to help me improve my skills as a nonfiction/sports writer/journalist and see if I have what it takes for this blog to to be noticed and recognized.