Bayonne, N.J. Girl Throws No Hitter
This caught my eye, only because of my Bayonne ties to the Kirchbaum and Kopacz families.
Her name is McKenzie Brown…
,,, and she pitched a perfect game in a Little League game, against boys. Quite an accomplishment!!
Lasik Surgery A PED For Baseball?
Many have improved their vision, dramatically. Some, not so. Here’s what I read today about a very good young ballplayer.
CINCINNATI– Brian McCann has spent the past couple weeks frustrated by the fact that he’s had constant blurred vision in his left eye. The Braves All-Star catcher will spend the next two weeks hoping to find the proper solution.
The Braves announced on Saturday morning that they’ve placed McCann on the 15-day disabled list with what they’ve termed a left eye infection. With the move made retroactive to Thursday, the 25-year-old catcher will be eligible for activation for the May 8 series opener in Philadelphia.
“I hate going on the DL,” McCann said. “That’s the last thing I was going to do. But I feel like it’s something that’s going to get me back to seeing the baseball and being able to perform at this level.”
McCann is hopeful that he can regain his optimal vision by simply repeating the Lasik surgical procedure that he first underwent after the 2007 season. But he’s conscious of the fact that he might need to do more than simply correct the vision in his left eye.
While dealing with this blurriness since Opening Day, McCann has tried multiple remedies, but eye drops, an antibiotic ointment and multiple contact lenses haven’t proven to be unsuccessful in solving the problem.
McCann is hoping to find more clarity about his situation when he visits Dr. Alan Kozarsky in Atlanta on Monday. Kozarsky performed the initial Lasik procedure on the catcher two years ago.
Why he chooses to go back to the same neck, is what really interests me. Are the magazines in the waiting room current? Does the Doctor see him in a timely manner? Do the medical staff handle all the insurance forms? Does he think 50% is a high success rate in the “eye fixin’ biz?”
My advice to Brian: Get your arse up to New Yawk and make an appointment with a Doc named Myron, Seymour, or Bernie… then it would be back to the room with a bag of good Columbian Boo, a six pack o’ brew, and some great pizza. Then you can practice playing “peek-a-boo” with the good eye while ravaging the mini bar, and trying to decode the porn channel. Remember that a $500 hooker with a Green Card automatically turns into a $50 hooker without a Green Card. Don’t fall in love.
Aside that your extended stay on the disabled list increases the chances of the Mets winning the division [I just hope that they don’t find a way to blow it ,in spite of your misfortune], I wish you a speedy recovery… I guess. :-)
Not Your Grandfather’s Sheriff Taylor
Most modern day Sheriffs are alert, diligent, and hard to fool. Here’s an exception.
‘Hello, is this the Sheriff’s Office?’
‘What can I do for you?’
‘I’m calling to report ’bout my neighbor Virgil Smith …He’s
hidin’ marijuana inside his firewood! Don’t quite know how he gets it inside them logs, but he’s hidin’ it there.’
‘Thank you very much for the call, sir.’
The next day, the Sheriff’s Deputies descend on Virgil’s house.
They search the shed where the firewood is kept.
Using axes, they bust open every piece of wood, but find no marijuana.
They sneer at Virgil and leave.
Shortly, the phone rings at Virgil’s house.
‘Hey, Virgil! This here’s Floyd….Did the Sheriff come?’
‘Yeah!’
‘Did they chop yer firewood?’
‘Yep!’
‘Happy Birthday, buddy!’
Les Keiter, RIP
Baseball has mourned the passing of a number of their [our] own in the past few weeks, among them Less Keiter. He was the announcer who recreated Giants baseball broadcasts when they carpetbagged to San Francisco. It made the loss of a beloved team, to this eleven year old kid, more easily bearable. “It’s off the wall and Willie rounds first, with triple on his mind…” All done via ticker tape from NYC studios, while the New Yawk Jints were calling SF their home.
Brings to mind that a fellow named Ron Reagan had a similar job with Cubs, years earlier. Ron turned out to be President of the United States, but Les never had to schtupp Nancy Reagan, and he later got to announce the Knicks… Tie, Les wins in “sudden death overtime.”
Here’s a link to his [certainly more formal] NY Times obituary.
The High Holy Days Have Past…
… thankfully. Holidays make people [over?] react in strange ways.
Seems I’m feeling the fallout. I posted a silly line on my Facebook about the body being found, and Easter canceled. Funny to me, and more than likely, funny to you, gentle [and/or gentile] reader… but, alas and a lick, not to everyone, I guess. Apologies in advance for my retelling the Red Foxx Thanksgiving Day joke next November.
Onward and downward… Spring has sprung without the likes of Willie Jaye Johnson, a former co-worker of mine at Earthtel, Inc. Willie past away last month. He was recently married and only 34 years of age. How very sad. I’ll forever miss his spirit.
As for me, I continue to continue… doing the best I can, and living with the results.
Our Religious Differences
1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God’s chosen
people.
2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
3. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader
of the Christian world.
4. Baptists do not recognize each other at Hooters.
Gary Sheffield, A New York Met…
… and Ralph Zig Tyko, once again, roots for the laundry… perhaps not as vehemently.
Yes, he’s Doc Gooden‘s nephew, and yes he’s amongst the “steroidal era’s” candidate’s for the Hall of Fame, down the road. He just may be the swinger of the big bat that takes my beloveds to the top.
Also true, for reasons too numerous to chronicle [more than two, making this “three twoed” sentence a true “sentence” to read], I dislike the man… a lot. He is my least favorite Major League player.
For me, my Mets fandom starting going downhill just a tad when they traded George, and than, later, Frank. It worsened when previous owner [Doubleday] made antisemitic remarks [traditionally, not what I like hearing], deteriorated further with current owner making new Citi Field a Dodger shrine[all but ignoring New York Giants history]… and now this former Stockton Port, Gary Sheffield, is a Met. What next?
I’ll always be a Mets apologist, as I am an SF Giants apologist, but a fan [as in fanatic]? Hardly in the same way.
My #1 baseball allegiance these days is to the California Sea Otter, my Fantasy Team in a league played on an “even field,” with players chosen by me, Ralph Zig Tyko, the man I love.
Here’s a picture of the newest Met. Let me know what he looks like in the “Orange and Blue,” because it will take me a while to stomach watching:
Herman Franks, Yet Another Leo Disciple, Passes
It’s been a very sad week for we few remaining New York Giants fans. Earlier, Whitey Lockman passed, and now Herman Franks. They were two of the many Leo Durocher managed players to go on to manage, themselves, in the Big Leagues.
I’ll remember that it was Franks, a real estate mogul, who helped Willie Mays get his financial “stuff” together back in the day. Here’s picture of them in Santurce..
… and, more importantly, who I was with on that warm Sacramento night when I heard on the radio that Charlie Fox had replaced him as manager of the SF Giants. Here’s a picture of Herman in his playing . I wish I had one of the lovely and provocative Dorit, in our playing days…
… I do, however, have a list of the 49 surviving players who donned the uniform of the
New York Giants
Tommy Henrich- 2/26/1910 (Coach 1957)
Lonny Frey- 8/23/1910 (1948)
Monte Irvin- 2/25/1919 (1949-1955)
Buddy Blattner-2/8/1920 (1946-1948)
Larry Jansen- 7/16/1920 (1947-1954; Coach 1954)
Artie Wilson- 10/28/1920 (1951)
Charlie Mead- 4/29/1921 (1943-1945)
Les Layton- 11/18/1921 (1948)
Alvin Dark- 1/7/1922 (1950-1956)
Gil Coan- 5/18/1922 (1955)
Clint Hartung- 8/10/1922 (1947-1952)
Hub Andrews- 8/31/1922 (1947-1948)
Red Schoendienst- 2/2/1923 (1956-1957)
Chuck Diering- 2/5/1923 (1952)
Bobby Thomson- 10/25/1923 (1946-1953; 1957)
Jack Lohrke- 2/25/1924 (1947-1951)
Hal Bamberger- 10/29/1924 (1948)
Wayne Terwilliger- 6/27/1925 (1955-1956)
Windy McCall- 7/18/1925 (1954-1957)
Joe Garagiola-2/12/1926 (1954)
Harvey Gentry- 5/27/1926 (1954)
Mario Picone- 7/5/1926 (1947, 1952, 1954)
George Spencer- 7/7/1926 (1950-1955)
Rudy Rufer- 10/28/1926 (1949-1950)
Don Mueller- 4/14/1927 (1948-1957)
Dusty Rhodes- 5/13/1927 (1952-1957)
Jack Harshman- 7/12/1927 (1952)
Billy Gardner- 7/19/1927 (1954-1955)
Davey Williams- 11/2/1927 (1949, 1951-1955; Coach 1956-1957)
Stu Miller- 12/26/1927- (1957)
Valmy Thomas- 10/21/1928 (1957)
Al Worthington- 2/5/1929 (1953- 1954;1956-1957)
Daryl Spencer- 7/13/1929 (1952-1953; 1956-1957)
Bill Taylor-12/30/1929 (1954-1957)
Joe Margoneri- 1/13/1930 (1956-1957)
Ron Samford- 2/28/1930 (1954)
Johnny Antonelli-4/12/1930 (1954-1957)
Pete Burnside-7/2/1930 (1955, 1957)
Foster Castleman- 1/1/1931 (1954-1957)
Willie Mays- 5/6/1931-(1951-1952; 1954-1957)
Ray Crone- 8/7/1931 (1957)
Gail Harris- 10/15/1931 (1955-1957)
Ed Bressoud- 5/2/1932 (1956-1957)
Ozzie Virgil,Sr.- 5/17/1933 (1956-1957)
Roy Wright- 9/26/1933 (1956)
Joe Amalfitano- 1/23/1934 (1954-1955)
Bill White-1/28/1934 (1956)
Jackie Brandt- 4/28/1934 (1956)
Mike McCormick-9/29/1938 (1956-1957)
Comfortably Zoned with Ralph Zig Tyko 