It's an IFL World that we live in....

IFL Weekend (Yes,Caps needed) is always the best weekend of the year for me.
Not only does this weekend mean the beginning of the football season,but it means a non-stop 48 hour frenzy of hanging with my buddies and spending time with my oldest friends.

Battlin' Bob,Corey,Greg,Jeff and Ryan have been the core friends of mine for years and even though I've made great friends in the graphing world,you can never get away from the friends that know you best.
Derreck,Brad,Kendall,Bill,Tracy and Mike have all become terrific friends and I have a great time with them,but there is always a special bond with your original friends.
Think about a close knit group of college buddies or childhood friends,they may come and go from your life,but when you see each other,it seems like you are able to seamlessly move right back in form.
It's not that it's always better friends etc,it's just the people that know you longest and have more memories of you than anyone else.

I may spend more time on the graphing circuit in the summer now than with the IFL guys and I'm sure that occasionally they might feel neglected,but they should never feel shifted aside for the other group.
I really wish that I could get the two groups to interact more,but things might be best as they are-with plenty of good friends on both sides.

We finally accomplished the next step in the league this year as we entered year 15 of the history books-the move that I've always wanted- holding the draft in a setting that befits it-a hotel conference room.
Lots of space to spread out, places to go for our smoking members and lobby space to get away for a private trade negotiation-in other words,it has that baseball winter meetings feel that I've always wanted for the league.
It wasn't universally loved by everyone,especially when it meant tossing in more bucks to the league,but once you walked into the room and saw everything,it changed quickly!
I know I enjoyed my league hosting the draft and Corey enjoyed his many years as well,but as the league transitioned into more local owners,the time of having the draft in an owner's home had passed and it was time for a new page in the annuals of the IFL.

I'm not going to bore you with details of who did what and when at the draft.
I've always thought that fantasy sports leagues rank right there with pictures of children/grandchildren and pets as things that are terrific for the people involved,but a terrible bore for everyone else!
What I will say is this-a great time with one's pals and I think this is the way that it will be for quite a while,I'd tell you about it,but I might have to look at a cat picture in return!

The Sunday after the draft is a day for league members and other friends of mine to bring their wives and families to enjoy great food,play some "big ball" (remember this post?) and of course talk IFL.
One trade did get done on this day that usually just sees talk,so that was pretty great and the big ball game was fun despite a 6-5 loss.
I didn't pitch for the first time ever,I messed up my left calf running through a thunderstorm at the Muni last month and it really hasn't healed totally since.
As I am gradually becoming old and infirm,I need to take better care of myself,so I settled for playing first,although the old man still dove and rolled on the ground to make a nice play in the field (lefthanded,mind you),so the mind is still willing even if the body isn't always able to respond in kind.
We also made plans to start back up fantasy sports leagues in the winter-last year was the first year without a basketball or hockey league and I missed the league and camaraderie,so hockey had more support,but I think a basketball league might get started as well,even if the teams are few...

I missed a few of my friends this year that couldn't make it,but my mom and dad most of all.
Mom makes my favorite potato salad in the world,but my dad is in the hospital right now and mom cannot drive yet,so all things considered they sat this one out.
They were missed though and I'm hoping that they will be back next year!

All and all,IFL Weekend is a getting back to basics weekend,where we put things right with our friends,have a great time and act young again for a weekend.
I think Battlin' Bob put it best when he said "We really need to get off our asses and do this more than once or twice a year getting together".
Bob's right and we have already planned to have fun as a group for the opening day of the NFL season!

Thanks again to all the owners,helpers (Corey's mom Chris especially),wives and everyone that help make this weekend as great as it is!
Can't wait for 2015!!!

Graphing Disillusionment

Different things have arisen in the hobby that I have so much fun in and suddenly I find myself questioning a future in the hobby.

I'm not going to get into things in detail,but one of my close friends is upset and therefore I'm upset.
Every hobby has its issues,if you do something socially,these things can happen,but when it starts to bother the friends that you have made,then it's time to reevaluate.

So I did overnight.
I thought about the bad things of our hobby.
People that are rude,have a negative opinion about what we do,make things tougher on getting things finished etc are all bad things.
And some of the hobby has a certain degree of bad acting ranging from the business of sports all the way to the interaction between collectors,but I suppose any hobby that involves other people has some of that.

When you think of that,it's easy to feel disillusioned.
However,then you have to measure the good and there's where things clear up.
I have made so many great friends,seen so many things,met so many people that I never would have before and gotten to do more than watch games on my couch (anything that gets a fat man moving is a good thing) and none of those would have happened without baseball and this crazy hobby.

I coached for ten years and I feel overall that it was a positive experience (Bet the lovely Cherie doesn't quite see it that way),I made one of my best friends that way,but it had so much negative parts too.
I don't look at graphing that way.
Other than the occasional idiot (and more often than not,they are amusing more than infuriating),I don't have a ton of negative things to write about.

All things considered,it's a pretty neat thing that I participate in.
People have come and people have left the hobby,but I think I'll stick around for a while....

Q and A

Time for a little feature that we call Q and A in a very imaginatively name for the feature.
It basically takes the occasional question that we get in an email or a conversation and I get to stretch it into a post!

We start with this-
Shawn,
Why do you never seem to be at work?

Well,it does seem that way at times,but I work plenty.
I just happen to work at an agency that allows to use one's personal leave as they see fit.
Since I roll up a tremendous amount of hours from September to April,I choose to use them a lot during baseball season.\
Don't worry,I've got an eleven day in a row run coming up,so don't be too jealous...

Shawn,
                                               What happened to some of the trips that you planned for graphing this year?

This one is some of my own doing and the other was a calculated decision.
I decided to pass on the LPGA this year because I really didn't want to do it alone,since it was new to me and that is what it looked like it was going to be.
I decided to roll that money into New Orleans Saints training camp and that was a go until two things happened.
One was I was told of the restrictions doing the camp (no bags,nothing that was concealed even to carry items in) and that a meet the team session was the way to go.
The problem was that was not announced until late and I wasn't able to get to go on that date.
Then I was in the 11 day work run along with other commitments and I just decided to wait until next year since the Saints have signed a three year deal to open camp in West Virginia.
I hope to do both events next year!

Shawn,
            What's with the sudden interest in golf?

I wouldn't say that it's sudden,but I would say that it has grown.
I've always said that major tournament golf ranks near the top of my must watch television list (especially the Masters),but I've grown quite fond of the LPGA in the last few years,especially on weeks that my favorite male players are taking the week off of the PGA and Champions tour.
The best thing about watching golf (like baseball) is that you can watch and do other things (like work on this for example) without missing a lot of the telecast.
I quite enjoy it...

Shawn,
           Who do you like for the Browns starting QB job-Brian Hoyer or Johnny Manziel?

This is my second most asked question.
Simply put-Hoyer for now.
Hoyer deserves the chance to start unless Manziel beats him out decisively.
Manziel's off the field issues are besides the point-Hoyer is the starter to give Manziel a chance to develop even if that decision only lasts a few weeks....

Shawn,
            Do you forgive LeBron James for leaving now that he is back?

My most asked question by far!
Yes,I forgive,but not forget.
I'll forget,if he spends the rest of his career with the Wine and Gold.
He made a decision and he regretted it,despite winning those titles with Miami.
Everyone deserves a second chance-especially when he might to deliver a long awaited title to the most suffering fan base in the nation...

Hope you enjoyed this.
If you have other questions,toss them to me,I might take care of them here....
         

Matt Cain done for the season

Matt Cain will be missed by both the San Francisco Giants and the Akron Rubber Ducks (my fantasy league team) as Cain will miss the remainder of the 2014 season with elbow surgery.

Cain has bone chips in his elbow that need to be cleaned up and have affected his numbers (2-7 4.18 ERA) from their normal statistics.
The good news is that bone chips are an easier operation than other elbow injuries and the recovery time is expected to be just three months,so the righthander should be ready to go for the 2015 spring training season.
Cain really hadn't pitched much worse than 2013 (8-10 4.00 ERA),but the elbow issues had taken their toll on Cain's much vaunted durability and as a result ended the season.

The big question becomes what will Brian Sabean and the Giants and do about the sudden hole in the rotation on a team that already is not a great hitting team with other holes to fill?
With a farm system that has little immediate help available to the point of bringing up two players from AA Richmond (Matt Duffy and Jarrett Parker) rather than AAA Fresno,will the Giants play the hand and see how it falls?
Or will Sabean roll out the one top trading chip he has in Richmond righty Kyle Crick in order for reinforcements for the present?
That didn't work out so well in moving Zach Wheeler (boy,could they use him now!) for Carlos Beltran,but worked out very well in adding Hunter Pence from the Phillies.

If it was me,unless it was a player that is signed for at least next season.I'd stand pat in making big deals.
I realize that the Giants need help,but with little help on the horizon from impact prospects,I think they should keep what they have for now....

Rained out in Jamestown

Yep.
The picture says it all as Ryan and I drove over four hours to reach Jamestown, New York, and then watched as a massive thunderstorm smashed the area just before the gates opened.
The net result was the Lowell Spinners and Jamestown Jammers were rained out and we were on our way home.

The company was good though and I had a blast spending time with Ryan and I hope he did as well.
The scenery was interesting as we wound our way through various forests and small villages that I've never been to before, but nothing overly stimulating.

Jamestown didn't seem to have much interest in their team as we drove through various (though not all) part of town, I didn't see one Jammers sign, ad, etc.
It was like the team didn't even exist.
Even the Suns do more than that!
Before the rain started about thirty mins before the gates opened, we tried to find something to do and just continued to come up empty on the places even miles away.
No Wal-Marts, Targets, etc and not even tons of places to grab a drink to pass the time.
There was a Tim Horton's as Ryan Siebert tipped me off on, but otherwise almost desolate.
I might not pick on dull Hagerstown for a little while!

We pulled into the parking lot and saw about six cars, no line (as in zero people), neither of the two ticket windows open, just three employees standing inside the gates.
They must have had the radar ready because the sky opened and you saw Lowell players running for the clubhouse.
After sitting in the car as the rain pummeled the car, things remained status quo and when it got to five of six, we walked to the gates-none open, so we walked to the side of the field and walked into the office to ask the status of the game.
The game hadn't been called yet, so we are escorted to the team store, which had terrific prices.
I bought a hat and the girls at home each a shirt and talked about the move of the team.
The fellow that was there with us told us that it wasn't a done deal and that it could be the Jammers or Batavia or Auburn to move to Morgantown WV for the 2015 season.
I still think it will be the Jammers, but I understand why they didn't acknowledge anything.
After all, Hagerstown came right out and said goodbye and look at their wonderful attendance numbers.

Russell Dietrick Stadium is on the campus of Jamestown Community College and even though I didn't get to see the game, I liked the covered grandstand and it was sort of a cross between Hagerstown's Muni (the cover) and the more oval-shaped grandstand of the Potomac stadium.
It also made me think a little of Bowman Field in Williamsport PA where the locker rooms are part of the outer ring and the players have to cross the concourse by the fans to reach the field.
I bet I could have cleaned up as far as graphing goes in that alignment!

The team allowed us to walk around the stadium to take pictures and here was the one big regret of the day for me was when we asked to go to the team store, I didn't bring my briefcase because I figured I'd have to get tickets to get back in for the game.
When we walked up to the grandstand almost the entire team of Lowell was sitting in the stands.
I could have gotten almost all my cards signed then and there.
Bad luck.
I spoke to a few of them and asked if any had played for Greenville and saw the Muni.
One spoke up and said he had and said "pretty comparable to here".
After about five minutes, the guys must have gotten a text that said game called, because they all leaped up and went back to the locker room.
It was still raining and the rain intensified as the players waited for the bus and that helped my decision to not ask them to sign as they waited.
I just didn't want to gamble on rain messing the cards up.

Long drive home filled with rain and good conversation, although we drove by the Altoona park, who must have avoided the rain and managed to get their game in against Richmond.
It's too bad that the New York/Penn League is moving out of the small city/old-time ballpark situations.
Towns like Oneonta NY, Jamestown, and Batavia NY simply aren't big enough towns to keep teams anymore without building new parks and the desire to do so (or just as likely the money) are not enough to keep those towns baseball heritage alive.
So we move onto bigger population areas with brand new (and nice) stadiums that make more money, which is understandable, but I have to feel that we are losing something for days gone by.
The rookie and short-season leagues are made for small towns to help the youngest players get their feet wet as pros, I would hate to totally lose that altogether in the quest for big profits.

I didn't see one pitch thrown on a day devoted to baseball, but I still had a great time spending the day with Ryan.
Nine hours in the car round trip seems like a long time on paper, but it was not in real-time.
It was like a step back in time as we talked, laughed, looked back, and yet forward on the same day.
Great experience without the end result and I hope to make another road trip with Ryan soon and maybe even before the end of the season with some luck...

I'll have some more pictures as I get them from Ryan to add to this post. 

Lodge Cast Iron

I know this might not be everyone's interest,but it's a slow day before I prepare for a road trip,so today's post is going to a light and short one.

I like cooking in cast iron and I think the cast iron pan is the most versatile one that I know of.
You can fry,deep fry (in a large dutch oven),grill (with a cast iron pan with raised ridges for the grill marks),bake etc.
I cannot think of a kitchen task that heats food in some way that cast iron cookware cannot perform and perform well.
Stick on it on a stove top,set on a grill or in the oven and cast iron takes care of business.
Cast iron retains heat so much better than standard cookware and things just plain taste better too!
Our chili never tastes as good as it does when we whip it up on our dutch oven!
I also am a huge fan of sausages and hot dogs in cast iron,it adds such crispness to the casings and the snap that you expect from a good hot dog and don't get me started on bacon and eggs!

You can also find about  any type of cookware shape and size too.
From skillets to hibachi grills to baking pans,cast iron just adds that zip to whatever is cooked in it!
And the additional value to cast iron?
It is almost indestructible!
As long as you care for it and don't allow it to get rusty,it's the type of cookware that you can easily pass down to your children and grandchildren!
Plus,even if it does get rusty,a few easy maneuvers and you can bring what seems to be a dead pan back to life for future uses!

Lodge is the name brand in the field and with the exception of the first pan that I ever bought,I wouldn't go elsewhere.
I couldn't bear to toss the first pan that we bought,but the Lodge items are so superior that I rarely use it.
Cherie will be getting another piece sometime for her Lodge collection (SHH,don't tell her) and I have a few ideas.
She liked the original so much that when Corey and I were in Tennessee,I saw the Lodge factory outlet and I had to buy her a set of pans!
In hindsight,had I known more then,I could have spent even more on Lodge pans.
If I am ever able to return to Tennessee for another Smokies game,I can almost promise that I'll be there buying more Lodge!
I even bought Ryan a set of Lodge pans for Christmas one year and although I don't know how much he uses them now,they will be ready when he needs them and I plan on buying Rachel a set sometime for her eventual departure (sniffle).

Lodge cookware not only does a great job in its job,it also adds a little nostalgia to time in the kitchen.
My grandparents used cast iron a lot and I'm sure it traces far further than that,but I can still smell and hear the aromas and the pop sailing through the air during times there.
I highly recommend giving cast iron cooking a try,I think you'll not only like the food cooked in it,but I bet you spend more than a few seconds imagining cooking from times gone by.....

Cleaning out the inbox

We start the cleaning of the inbox with an article on Andrew Wiggins on the reality of being in the pro game from Fox Sports.
I've been desperately hoping against hope that that the Cavaliers will be able to hold onto Wiggins in the prospective Kevin Love trade because I love his game.
I still believe that the Cavaliers would have been better served waiting a little while to gain Kevin Love and I also still believe that the asking price would have dropped over time.
I understand the lust for a title for Cleveland fans-I have it just as bad,I think that holding onto Andrew Wiggins would have made things more sustainable long-term....

The Oklahoma City Thunder are trying an unusual end around the NBA rules with an attempt to "draft and stash" Stanford forward Josh Husetis in the D-League.
The catch is that Huestis has to refuse his NBA mandated rookie slot contract of over a million dollars to take far less to play in the D-League.
As in 25,000 dollars to play the season there.
The Thunder gambles that Huestis doesn't sign it and takes him at his word that he doesn't,Huestis gambles that he can develop his game there and make up those earnings later with a more improved game.
It'll be interesting to see how this works out...

I rarely link to Herald-Mail articles,but this one that discusses why the Hagerstown Suns are drawing so poorly is worth a look.
The article talks to fans,although the author didn't do a good job of talking to fans that are regulars,about their thoughts on why the Suns attendance is lousy.
There are plenty of excuses by various people quoted in the article,but two things that are only lightly touched and yet loom as the two largest reasons for this problem-the decrepit state of the stadium and that fact that the Suns have been so transparent about heading out of town.
Pretty tough to hook fans when you have stated you don't really want to be around....

Grantland writes about the seemingly revived Tim Lincecum and makes a case that the Giant pitcher has had various issues that accumulated into the decline and perhaps the return.
Very interesting if you like more than the everyday statistics and even more so if you like Lincecum and the Giants....

Hardball Times reviews a new book about the AA Southern League that covers the time period of 1965 to the present and looks like a good read.\
It appears to be a book long on characters known and less known and I'm considering getting it sometime in the future.
Former Indian rookie of the year Joe Charboneau is pictured on the cover from his year with the Chattanooga Lookouts in a tuxedo while sipping champagne at a table placed on the field.

We wrap up with a link to the Moon.
More specifically what the landing spots of the Apollo missions look like today from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
What they look like is just about like things looked when the Apollo astronauts left after their mission.
As the article states,erosion is an extremely gradual process on the moon and those footprints would still be visible if you arrived there today...

Consider things cleaned out for a while-Back for more next time!