Cleaning out the Inbox

   Time to clean the inbox again, and we start with a crazed Woodpecker in Massachusetts!

A Pileated Woodpecker has been attacking trees and homes for years in Rockport, Massachusetts, but the woodpecker has found a new target- windshields and side mirrors.

The bird is destroying vehicle glass and has driven locals to cover the glass by whatever means they can, as the theory goes that the woodpecker is seeing itself in the reflection and attacking!

The Ringer scores with the recollections of Bret Hart, who looks back to his match at Wrestlemania 13 with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as the "night everything changed".

The Hart-Austin match is rated by many as the greatest in WrestleMania history and was recently inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as the first match to enter the Hall.

With the induction, Hart became the first person to be inducted three times- as a single, in his match with Austin, and for his tag team with Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.

The Athletic writes of the legacy of Gregg Popovich, who recently ended his twenty-nine-season run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.

Popovich won five NBA titles, and his over fourteen hundred wins is the all-time most in NBA history.

Popovich deserves his spot on the NBA coaches' Mount Rushmore, but his players rave about him for more than games won.

The Big Red Zone, a site devoted to the St.Louis Football Cardinals, writes the story of former Big Red running back Wayne Morris, who played eight seasons for the Cardinals after being drafted by them in 1976.

Morris finished his career with one season with the San Diego Chargers, finished his career with over 3,330 rushing yards, and his thirty-seven rushing touchdowns are still second in Cardinals team history.

A small business owner decided to test the theory that Americans will pay more for American made products and as the Yahoo article states- the results were "sobering".

Afina tested their top product- a shower head and after finding multiple American suppliers to provide the parts to make the shower head, the Chinese-made version was priced at $129 and the American-made piece was priced at $239.

The results?

After several days (the specific number wasn't mentioned) and over 25,000 visitors to the site- Afina sold 584 China manufactured versus Zero American style.

No love for the American style there.

The added cost came through the extra suppliers rather than one in China and an American version would be three times the cost, more than simply paying the Trump Tariff.

 

Cleaning out the inbox

The inbox is literally over the top with items and I'm going to break it up into two or maybe even three of these before its finally cleaned up.

The Pittsburgh Pirates obtained pitcher Jesse Biddle from the Phillies in the type of decision that I like-a mild risk for a big reward down the road.
Pittsburgh sent Yoervis Medina to the Phillies,who was picked up over the winter after splitting 2015 with the Mariners and Cubs and should be part of the Phillies bullpen for Biddle.
Biddle was looked at as the Phillies top lefthanded pitching prospect for years,but underwent elbow surgery and will miss the 2016 season.
You are never sure in what a year off will do to a pitcher,but when your cost is a free agent journeyman reliever for a player of Biddle's upside-the proactive GM does the trade.

During our recent podcast with Carling Coffing Nolan,we referred to 18 holes with Jimmy Hanlan hiring a replacement for Carling in LPGA star Natalie Gulbis.
Here is an article on Gulbis being hired with Crain's Cleveland Business Journal.
I look forward to Natalie's version of the show,but I'll miss Carling and the birdie dance!

A blog that I never heard of in Exile on Trumbull Street covers in eight well written parts where all the bodies are buried in the move of the Hartford Whalers to Carolina.
Here is the link to part one,you can find the remaining parts off to the side.
It is not a short read,but it is an interesting one as you wind through the political and business maneuvers of moving a team....

Best wishes to long time favorite of ours as Bret "the Hitman" Hart as he is in a battle with prostate cancer.
The Hitman is 58 and has had quite a few medical problems over the years.....

We wrote a little while back about the passing of Ken Stabler and his health issues.
Stabler has been in the news twice this week with the best of the news being his finally entering the pro football hall of fame.
I'm glad Stabler made it,but once again it happened too late for the player to see it.
Stabler should have been in long ago...
Stabler also was discovered to have CTE,a brain condition that is becoming all too common in the lives of former football players.
The New York Times discusses Stabler and his condition in detail,so if you were a fan of the Snake or interested in the issues involving CTE,I think you'll find this interesting...

I just found out about the passing of former Vikings linebacker Fred McNeill in November from Lou Gehrig's disease,but McNeill was the first former NFLer to be diagnosed with CTE while still alive.
Back in 2013,a UCLA study showed McNeill to have CTE and that was a step forward in being able to make huge progress in concussion research,
The Showdown discusses this and more about the former Vikings first rounder that was an underrated player on those later 1970's Vikings teams....
McNeill might be best remembered as the first player to block hall of famer Ray Guy's punt in the Minnesota 32-14 super bowl loss to Oakland.
Back then,many said that Guy's punts were unblockable-McNeill showed differently.
McNeill's block takes place around 3;07 on the below video.


SABR (I allowed my membership to lapse) has many pages on many different baseball players and there is a new updated player page/article on Sandy Koufax.
It's detailed and scan the free part of the SABR files as the articles are on more than just the great ones....

We still have more in the inbox later this week!

Hitting the Hitman in Bowie!

With the Pirates off yesterday,I have a little bit of time to write about taking the family and Battlin' Bob to Bowie for the appearance of wrestling legend Bret "The Hitman" Hart.

Considering that I am not a huge fan of driving on the Beltway,I usually do not hit the BaySox very often.
I really do not have the need when you consider that they play in the AA Eastern League with Altoona and Harrisburg,which are of similar distances,yet easier drives.

I usually check wrestlers appearances of the local teams over the winter to see who the lovely Cherie and Rachel would be interested in meeting,especially after their excitement over Jerry "the king" Lawler's visit to Frederick last season.
They were very disappointed in this year's Frederick grappler selection of "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan to the point of no interest.
So,when I read of Bowie getting Bret Hart,I figured that they would go crazy and sure enough,they did just that!
The lovely one is not always wild about away trips in the car,but I figured for this one,she would manage to tough it out and she did so splendidly.

The trip down was longer,mainly because even though I had been to Bowie twice before,I had never driven there.
The Battler' kindly offered his GPS app on his phone,using something called "Waze".
Well,Waze had us 20+ miles past Bowie,into a residential neighborhood that we could literally touch the Chesapeake Bay from!
Seriously,you hear these storied about GPS' taking you into the water and after this,I not only take their word for it-I have seen it for myself!
I asked a nearby jogger for help and she helpfully told us how far we were "Awaze" from the field,pointed us in the right direction and Bob used Google navigator thereafter.
A little extra gas and a little extra time,but we cruised right in after that.

We got into the parking lot a bit early and was able to hook up with quite a few of my friends from the area such as Tom O'Brien,who is such a huge help in Bowie for me,Mark Bailey,my Devils connection,Mike Belous and of course-the noted "Superfan",who traded about fifty cards with me in the parking lot.
Thanks also to Tom for his help in getting a Tennessee mini-helmet signed by former UT star Heath Shuler!

After waiting in line to get in,(at Bowie season ticket holder can get in an hour early) we were reasonably close to the front of the line for Bret.
It took maybe a half hour or less to work our way to the front with Cherie and Rachel going first.

They were both so excited to meet Bret and I was so happy for them and to have a small part in their happiness.
Cherie was able to get a Hitman figure signed (See on the table in front of Bret),while Rachel had her artwork (She is a brilliant artist) of Bret and Jerry Lawler signed.
I am sure that she never dreamed that when she did that drawing that both men would sign that picture in person!
Bret asked Rachel if she drew the picture and if that was actually Lawler's signature at the bottom.
I exchanged small talk quickly with Bret,had him sign a picture and snapped the above pic of me with the Hitman.
Battlin' Bob did the same and then a family behind us had nothing for him to sign.
I had brought two baseballs,so I offered them a deal-get each ball signed,they keep one and I get one.
Worked out well for both of us as Bowie kept the interaction quick-1 item and 1 picture,which is a good thing as it kept the line moving and allowed more fans to meet Bret,who did a three city in three night tour with Richmond Va. being the night before and Wilmington Delaware the night after Bowie.

I was able to have a few minutes to work on the Portland Sea Dogs.
I did not get a ton in those few minutes,but did get Bryce Brentz,who is hitting very well at AA and Kolbrin Vitek,who was injured but signed anyway.
We watched about five innings and then started home,which was a easy shot compared to the way down and the big day was complete after a stop at Wendy's,where I tried the new Wendy's burgers for the first time....

Thanks to all for a memorable day and I had a blast for both me and my beloved girls....

In today's mailbox-two returns-Former Eagles safety Bill Bradley and golfer David Peoples....

Photo Credits
Cherie and Rachel Heimberger