Guard Dog

It's a good response, but it isn't an either or proposition. We can have diplomacy and military readiness. In fact they depend heavily on one another. The former without the latter is just old powerless men talking and the latter without the former just back opponents into a corner and forces them to fight. Even if they didn't really want to.

Whitey Ford wore number 16 for the New York Yankees. He played sixteen years and in that time was a 10 time All Star, Six World Series Championships, 3 time AL leader in wins, twice in strike outs, won a Cy young and WS MVP. So 16 days to go with #16 Whitey Ford

UC Davis won a place at the table. Your impossible dream is still alive. Of course now they have to beat Kansas.

Yeah I've had a tenant there for a few months now. Nice folks, no complaints at all. I had to install a new overhead microwave oven for them a little while back but no big deal.

I did my taxes today. This was the first year in eight years I don't owe those bastards any money. And they don't owe me much. Perfect. I didn't give Unlce Sam an interest free loan this year. Now that I don't have business interests or sources of income other than my primary employment and my one rental property my return is getting quite simple.

If the beer is cheaper the A's riff raff will be rowdier. There is a plus. The Grizz game I went to two weeks ago we had seats in the upper deck, 2nd row just to the center court side of the foul line. They were $16 each which is pretty decent. But that was for the Pelicans. Had the Warriors been there I think that same seat was $28

Dave Kaval has been making the right moves as far as the fan base is concerned after being appointed team president: holding office hours open to the public; greater transparency; regular engagement with the media; promoting team history and former greats; actively embracing Oakland; upgrading food options and bringing in the excellent local food truck scene; and lowering beer prices. I'm actually optimistic about the future prospects of the A's. Now the Warriors are starting to go in the wrong direction. I dislike the move to San Francisco. The food and beverage prices right now are insane. A burger and drink is costing me more than $20. Parking is $40. Parking at the exact same lot for an A's game is $20. My season ticket prices have gone up by 50% the last few years. There's also been a remarkably different demographic change at the arena. Hardcore fans are definitely getting priced out. ...like a hypocrite, I just literally renewed for next season... You live on the east side of the Bay right? How long a drive will that be for you to see a Warriors game once they move?

The Rebirds here in town have a craft beer they are selling in the ballpark now. I think it's called Dugout IPA. I don't know who is making it for them. I haven't been to a Redbirds game in a long time. I don't work in Memphis anymore so I seldom get down that way. I like that trend though. The Tampa Bay Rays have their own brand too.

Still going to be $10 for a decent beer. I wonder what craft beer they will have, they've got a number of solid craft breweries in the neighborhood. The blogcasts you are doing about the best beers in the world are going to ruin you on the "big breweries". Budweiser and Miller Lite will never taste good to you again! Not that they were all that good to begin with.

Here is some good news. The Oakland A's are reducing their beer prices: http://ballparkdigest.com/2017/03/15/oakland-as-lowering-beer-prices/

Wow... who does that remind you of?

Funny how that works isn't it?

Although he is really known for the five seasons he spent with the Mets Keith Hernandez was actually a standout with the Cardinals for the first six seasons of his ML career. He helped them win n World Series in '82. Personality conflicts with manager Whitey Herzog and other Cardinals players ended with him being traded to the perennial cellar dwellers in New York. But with Hernandez, new manager Davey Johnson, Darryl Strawberry, Lenny Dykstra, Doc Gooden and later Bob Ojeda the Mets franchise turned around completely wining the NL by 21 games and the '86 World Series. Hernandez's drug problems and other off field issues may keep him out of the hall of fame (his eligibility with BWA has already expired) but his career was certainly worth of it. But of course we know him best for this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBz3PqA2Fmc 17 days to go with #17 Keith Hernandez

Now that is cool!

The Midwest bracket is the weakest. If they can win their way in and somehow get by Kansas it's not impossible. There is a Cinderella every year that captures everyone's attention. At lease until the clock strikes midnight in the sweet 16. I think it will be Middle Tennessee State this year but you never know.

Nice wide brush there as always. Ah, people are funny. The brush may be wide but the color suits

Here is my bracket sheet. UCLA vs Arizona in the finals. I's gonna be epic. Think you can do better? Let's just see: https://www.printyourbrackets.com/images/fillable-march-madness.pdf

Completely agree with this: http://www.businessinsider.com/chandler-parsons-contract-grizzlies-become-a-disaster-2017-3

Shifting gears a bit. Words have again failed the intellectual left https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/us/middlebury-college-charles-murray-bell-curve-protest.html?_r=0 I am not familiar with Charles Murry or his book The Bell Curve (other than the fact he did not invent the mathematical concept of Gaussian Distribution we think of as the bell curve). The Southern Poverty Law Center says he's racist but by their definition so am I. But this time they (left wing student protesters) did not just shut down a speech, they assaulted the speaker and the left leaning professor who was supposed to debate him. She ended up in the hospital. Not only will dissenting opinions not be tolerated by the left but participation in debate against them will not be tolerated either. Way to go little Brown Shirts.

Don Larsen was never the best pitcher on any team he was on. He played for eight teams in his 14 seasons and even saw minor league time in many of those. With the exception of one day his career could best be described as "journeyman". But on that one day, October 8, 1956 he wrote his name in the history books. Game 5 of the '56 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers Larsen got the start for the Yankees. In game two he had been staked to a 6-0 lead but allowed four consecutive walks and hit a batter en route to a 13-8 loss. After that forgettable outing Larsen faced Game 5 hoping for better. And did he ever get it. In just 97 pitches he retired 27 consecutive batters to throw the first and so far only perfect game in World Series history. Larsen was so dominant that day only one hitter, Pee Wee Reese, even got him to a 3 ball count. The rest of Larsen's career played out the same as before. He bounced around the leagues doing solid but never spectacular work. But on that one day he caught lighting in a bottle. 18 days to go with #18 Don Larsen

19 days with the incomparable Tony Gwynn. Gone far too soon.

When you gotta go you just gotta go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTH0pXZQ5I4&list=PLq-moO5LC2-lXM7rWhGZwJleThi2hBQ4G

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier for players. His story is well known. If you haven't seen the movie 42 it's on HBO right now. Great movie, not 100% historically accurate but better than most movies are. #20 Frank Robinson (no relation) broke a different color barrier in 1975 when he became the manager of the Cleveland Indians. His career was already legendary. 14x All Star, 2X MVP, World Series MVP, Triple Crown winner, Rookie of the Year, Gold Gloves. He would manage the Indians for three seasons and then go on to manage the Giants, Orioles (where we won manager of the year in '89) and the Expos. He was inducted into the HoF in '82. 20 days to go with Frank Robinson

21 days to go. I was sort of indifferent to baseball until we actually got a team in Florida in 1993. It was a collection of castoffs, the flotsam and jetsam of the Major and AAA leagues that made up that first Marlins club. Chuck Carr, an average fielder and below average hitter on any other team became a star in Miami. Not because of his skill on the field. Oh he could make them pay if he got on base. He was a fast runner and threat to steal from any base. But you can't steal first. However, with his easy charisma, and engagement with the fans and community he became the "face" of the Florida Marlins and one of my favorite players. So I could have gone with Roger Clemens, Jeff Kent, Jimmy Key or a dozen others but instead here is 21 Chuck Carr By the way, were those not the best Marlins uniforms or what? Much more "Miami" than that awful get up they have now.

That would explain the loud swearing in a male voice heard from far to the west