Reading

Baseball lost a fantastic manager today.  Enjoy retirement Tony.

Baseball is not my topic today.  Instead, I thought I'd talk about reading.

I've come to really enjoy reading for pleasure about 3 or 4 years ago.  When I was in school reading was a chore, therefore I didn't want to read anything beyond what I had to for my classes.  Even then, reading the required material was hit or miss.  Now that I've been out of school for a little while I now can sit down and enjoy reading again.  (I was reading at a 3rd or 4th grade level in Kindergarten, no big deal)

I wanted to use this post to make you aware of some of my favorites I've read in the past few years, as well as encourage you to read them as well if you haven't already.

One of the first books I read for fun was "The Life and Times of Thunderbolt Kid" by Bill Bryson.

This might be one of the funniest books I've ever read.  At the very least, it was the first book that made me laugh out loud while reading.  This book is a memoir of sorts of Bill Bryson growing up in small-town Iowa during the fifties.  His observations of his dad being a sports writer and his mom being a mom as well as her small jobs are histarical.  He also offers his insights into his friends, school experience, and the culture of the fifties in Iowa.  Hilarious.  A must-read.

Another book I really enjoyed was "Freakanomics", written by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.  Since I've read this book they have come out with a sequel called "Super Freakanomics".  It's on my shelf waiting to be read.  "Freakanomics" is a fascinating book about everything, really.  Having a minor in Economics I have always found economic-y things interesting.  This book offers commentary on why people choose to sell drugs to what you should name your child if you want them to be successful.  The authors discuss a wide range of topics that will certainly resonate with something you've experienced in your own life.  Also a must-read.

This past summer I enjoyed reading "Hunger Games", by Suzanne Collins.  I knew nothing about this book going into it.  The only thing I heard was it is an awesome book.  I also heard this from those aged between 12 and 40.  I figured if that much of an age gap can enjoy this book I should probably give it a shot.  So I did.  I liked it a lot actually.  I've only read the first of three in the series, but so far I'm hooked.  I'm excited to read the next book "Catching Fire", and look forward to the movie Hunger Games which is apparently being released next year.

Most recently I finished the book "Moneyball", by Michael Lewis.

This one was recommended to me by a good friend who had read it several times himself and loved it.  I was also informed a movie was being made so I felt pressure to read it before going to see it.  I'm glad I did.  This book is for every baseball lover.  Rewind, for every baseball statistic lover.  Billy Beane, the subject of the book, revolutionized the way scouts look at baseball players.  I loved how this book changed the way I see and watch baseball.  I almost dare say it made me appreciate baseball that much more.  The book was awesome.  I highly recommend it.  The movie was just as excellent.

All in all, I'm always looking for more things to read.  I have about 4 books on my shelf waiting to be read, but I would love to add to that list.  All genres are fair game, except the foo-foo fantasy stuff.  I don't want any kind of romance or kissing or anything like that.  Wait...maybe I should read Princess Bride.  That has everything right?

Leave your suggestions at the tone.

Maya

Having a dog has been an interesting ride.

My wife and I currently don't have any of our own kids, but we do have a dog.  Her name is Maya and we got her back in 2008 as a puppy.  She is a Brittany.  Most of you are going, "What's a Brittany?"  Here she is only a few months old:

Ever since we've gotten Maya she has had an exceptional personality.  She's always been full of energy, curious, and loves to have fun.  Anyone who has met her knows that she is one of the nicest, most gentle dogs one could meet.

Curiosity has always been a trait Maya exhibits.  She never lets us walk around without her at our side.  When we come home, she needs to inspect us, as well as anything we are carrying.  Heaven forbid we came from a place that had another dog.  Our windows are at the perfect height for her to put her front paws on and look out.  It's hard to describe the look she makes when something sparked her attention.  Her ears get perked and her eyes get big, then she'll cock her head to one side.  I wish I had a picture of it.

Maya also loves the outdoors.  Probably a little too much actually.  We can't go on enough walks to satisfy her desire.  There aren't enough squirrels in the neighborhood for her to look at (yes there are).  Going up to our family's cottage on Lake Michigan has quickly become her favorite past time.  Maya will sprint as fast as she can down the steps to the beach and roar into the water.  If we let her, she would never leave.

When she plays hard, she crashes hard:

Her favorite spot in the whole house is on top of a chair we have in front of our corner windows in our family  room.  This perch is where she can survey the whole front and side yard, as well as the neighborhood as far as she can see.  Here is a  picture I took of her on said perch.  She looks annoyed that I've distracted her from her duty of being a watch dog.  In actuality, if someone where to break in she would offer a flashlight and a beverage.

Overall, having a dog is hard work, but it's a lot of fun.  She's spoiled only because we don't have any actual kids yet.  She's our only child for now.  It's amazing to me that an animal can capture so much of my heart.  I know people who don't have pets don't or can't understand, but if anything were to happen to Maya it would be heart-wrenching.  Just the other night, in fact, we came home and I let Maya out of the car.  As always she runs into our front yard to sniff around the bushes where she sees squirrels from the inside.  However, Maya decides to continue running around the house (I don't know if she saw something, or she was just doing it because it was fun to run away from me).  Next thing I know she is multiple houses down and completely out of sight.  Keep in mind it's pitch black out.

So Anna runs in to get the flashlight and I took off down the street in search of this *cussing* dog.  As I was walking and calling her name, the thought kept running through my head of what if she never comes back?  What if she tries to cross the street and in the cover of darkness gets hit by a passing car?  My heart naturally began to pound a little harder and my steps a little quicker.  I say a quick prayer, and just then Anna calls me to say she came back.  

Relief.  

I continually think about what would happen if something were to happen to her.  When we go away and someone else watches her, I get a little nervous.  Understand I have complete trust and faith in those who watch Maya, however, there is a nagging thought of "what if?".  She's only an animal after all.  It's crazy, but this little 30-pound fur ball is part of our family.  We have to constantly be thinking about her needs as well as ours.  Crazy I tell you.  It's so hard to explain.

Having a dog is fun, most the time anyway.  Maya is certainly entertaining.  Naughty at times, but certainly entertaining.  Anna and I wouldn't trade her for the world.  I imagine there are a lot of parallels to having kids.

Connected

Being connected.  It's a strange thing, really.

Everyone seeks to be connected to something, someone, bigger then themselves.  We all do it.  It's our human nature.

It doesn't take long to figure out that I am a sports geek.  I love the Tigers more than anything else in the sports world.  I like the Bears, Spartans, and Blackhawks too.  (I can explain my bi-partisan fanhood later)  This past MLB postseason I joined millions in hoping the Tigers would repeat what they did back in '84 (Thank you Kirk Gibson).  Besides watching the games, wearing my jersey and Tigers hat, I had nothing to do with the Tigers' success this season, nor had anything to do with their demise against the Rangers.  Yet, I still feel somewhat responsible.  As if something I did or didn't do played some sort of magical role in how they performed.  Maybe I should have worn the same underwear as Jim Leyland did during the 12-game win streak.

This feeling could partly be due to the amount we all invested in the Tigers this season.  Giving up hours of sleep in hopes that someone, yes even Andy Dirks, someone! would hit a clutch home run.  But it didn't happen.  The Tigers fell.  For a few days there was an empty feeling in my belly.  Maybe it was because I was hungry, but maybe, just maybe it was because I felt so connected to this year's team I was hurt.

Others connect themselves to their job, to money, to politics, to...  I believe God created us to be connected.  I'm not saying we always choose to connect ourselves with the right things or the right people, but we stay connected.  I got to thinking recently what if I was as connected to God/church/religion/faith as I was the Tigers.  I know I'm not.  I should be, but I'm not.  I should be, nay, want to be connected in such a way when I see injustice in the world, or read how a friend has to suffer with cancer while his wife and son, friends and family worry and pray for him everyday.  I need to feel just as hurt by that as I did when the Tigers lost, or when the Bears drop a game to the Lions.

Sports are sports.  They'll always be there (well, maybe not the NBA).  I will not.  I need to begin being connected with things that matter.  God is so much bigger than a silly World Series title, or a Superbowl.  Being connected to God through faith is something no one can take away.  There won't be labor talks or holdouts, just me, my faith, and prayer.  That's something I want to be connected to.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Dr. Pepper

Dr. Pepper is quite possibly the greatest beverage on earth.


Created by Charles Alderton of Waco, TX in 1885, Dr. Pepper has become a drink favored by many, consumed by the millions.


I don't remember exactly when I became so infatuated by the delicious 23 flavors of glory.  In fact, I remember a time in which I used to not like Dr. Pepper.  I thought it tasted too different than normal pop (read "coke" if you're from the south).  It was somewhere in high school that I consumed a Dr. Pepper and instantly fell in love.


The CEO himself couldn't quite describe the taste.  "I've always maintained you cannot tell anyone what Dr. Pepper tastes like because it's so different. It's not an apple, it's not an orange, it's not a strawberry, it's not a root beer, it's not even a cola. It's a different kind of drink with a unique taste all its own." - W.W Clements, former CEO

It was January of 2006.  Four young college students set off on an adventure that would change their lives forever.  Hitting 5 major U.S cities in less than a week seemed impossible.  Our ultimate destination was Waco, TX.  The birthplace of Dr. Pepper.  Our love and desire for this beverage had grown to a point where the only logical conclusion was to make a 1,200 mile trip to satisfy our need.  Grocery store Dr. Pepper would no longer do.  

Myself, Jim Gamble, Jeff Root and my brother John piled in my Grand Prix with just enough clothes and snacks to survive for only a few days.  We set off for Waco by way of Michigan City to stay the night with Jim's sister and brother-in-law to get an early departure the next day.  First stop, St. Louis.  It only seemed like the respectable thing to do.  After all, we were going west...sort of.  Why not pass through the "Gateway to the West" for its blessing on our trip.  So we saw the arch.  An architectural marvel.  

"Hey guys!  Turn around!"

After a long drive through Oklahoma, and a pit stop at a local Pizza Hut, we made it into Dallas.  We were relieved to find the hotel had a pool.  John was not-so relieved to find out the amount of hair on Jim's body.  We swam, we slept, we headed to the Dallas Zoo.  It was a wonderful way to calm our spirits before heading off to the Mecca of Dr. Pepper.  I remember one thing about that zoo.  They had bald eagles.  Not in a bird sanctuary where they could fly, but in an open air exhibit surrounded by a three foot fence.  Poor birds.  The proverbial face of America and its wings were clipped.

We pressed on.  On to Waco!  When we arrived in Waco our first thoughts were to find the bunker made famous by the violent shootings years earlier.  It doesn't exist.  Or so the locals told us.  The Dr. Pepper museum is a quaint little place.  One might even drive by it without notice unless looking for it.  We took the tour, stopped in the old parlor for Dr. Pepper floats (which by the way, root beer floats are terrible in comparison).  We then filled our car with cases of glass-bottled, cane-sugared Dr. Pepper.  When I say filled, I mean filled the trunk and loaded up the backseat as to still have just enough room for two passengers.  

Not to take away from the rest of the trip, the Dr. Pepper saga was over.  The car struggled along with extra weight of the glass bottles, but we made it home.  From that point, Dr. Pepper has become my drink.  It's a well-known fact that I love Dr. Pepper.  I'm not ashamed.  I love Dr. Pepper and its 23 flavors.  

I'd love to tell you the rest of the story about our road trip, but I need another Dr. Pepper.

The owner of the camera did not set the correct date.

Careers

There are times when I get to thinking about what it would be like to have another career.  I love my career choice, don't get me wrong, but there are days when I wonder.

This got me to thinking about different jobs I would like to have.  Not necessarily quit my current job, go back to school, spend lots of money on textbooks I won't read, and end up even farther in school-loans debt...but to have a job for a day.  What kind of things are out there that I could do for a day?  One single work day.

The first thing that comes to mind (and only because I came up with my list while watching TV) is being a baseball manager.  I actually would like to do this for my full-time job, however, a professional baseball team would never hire a kid from the south suburbs of Chicago who's got spunk, to manage their team.  It would be so much fun to sit in the clubhouse the morning of my game.  Chat it up with my assistant coaches, maybe ask my pitching coach if our ace is ready to go, see if my catcher needs a last minute scratch because he just caught six days in a row.  Sit at my desk and pencil in my lineup card, sip on my Dr. Pepper (because in my clubhouse it's on fountain tap), and mentally get ready for the game.

Then to be able to stand in the dugout and watch the game unfold, making signs to my catcher and third base coach.  Making the split second decisions to lay down a sac bunt or to visit the mound while tapping my left arm would be a dream come true.  Some day...

I apologize for wrapping you into my dream job, however, there are plenty of other things I would love to do for a day.  Such as, being a photographer.  Doesn't matter what the subject matter is.  Mountains, wild horses, athletes, rare sea creatures.  It would all be fun to experience and capture on film.  (Wait, digital file?  Film?  Whatever, you get the point)

I would also like to be an actor in a movie or TV show.  When I was growing up I thought it would be the coolest thing to be JTT's friend in the show Home Improvement.  Does anyone these days even know who JTT is?

Here are just a few of other jobs I thought it would be cool to do for a day...or maybe even a week:

-video game tester

-professional athlete

-firefighter

-limo driver

-pilot

-the guy who runs the elevator for the Washington monument

-tour guide

-talk show host (co-host Jim Gamble, he would be my Andy Richter)

-secret service for the president

I guess for now though I'll stick to what I'm doing.  I like being in education.  Every job has their ups and downs.  As the saying goes, the grass is always greener on the lawn of the guy who takes better care of his grass.

Stay classy.

Baseball's Finest

Tonight is Game 1 of the 108th World Series in baseball history.  The Rangers will take on the Cardinals to see who will be crowned baseball champions.  The baseball fan-hood in me should be ecstatic, but I have mixed emotions this year.  A large part to my uneasiness comes from the Tigers being eliminated just 4 days ago by the very team that will be competing tonight.  I honestly believe the Tigers had the most talented starting pitching and the most explosive offense in this year's AL playoff race.  It was utterly disappointing to see them lose in such a fashion as they did last Saturday night.

Baseball is a crazy sport.  It's all about who gets hot at the right time.  Tigers got hot mid-August and steam rolled their way into the postseason.  The Rangers on the other hand took advantage of a worn out Tigers lineup and bulldozed their way past Detroit.

So I move on.  This year's World Series should be a great matchup between two great baseball organizations.  The Cardinals have the second most World Series wins (10) to only that of the Yankees (27).  The Rangers on the other hand are seeking their first World Series victory in only two attempts, and have all the tools necessary to win.

Being a Tigers fan I generally become a fan of any other American League team when the Tigers are not in contention to win.  I hope the Rangers knock the socks off the Cardinals.  Nothing against Tony LaRussa, arguably one of the greatest managers of all time, but I'm still a little sore from 2006 (Cards swept the Tigers).

The Rangers have an incredible lineup, and an even more amazing bullpen.  The depth of the Rangers is something I don't think the Cardinals can cope with.  I may not even watch any of the World Series this year.  I think I've tortured my wife enough with all the baseball I've been watching, but we'll see.

I predict Rangers in 5.

The Dugout

A wise man once said, "the hardest part of blogging is coming up with a name..."  (Jim Gamble) I could not agree more.  


There are so many different names that would be great for a blog (keep in mind I wanted it to be baseball themed).  The Bullpen.  Behind the Foul Pole.  Obstructed View.  The Bleacher Seats.  After much internal debate I settled on "The Dugout".  I now realize it's a satirical MLB commentary, however, it's also going to be the name of my new blog.


The dugout, as traditionally known, is where baseball players sit while on offense.  It originally got its name from being literally dug into the ground as to not obstruct the view of those in attendance.  Upon further investigation the dugout, as per MLB rule 3.17, "specifies that "no one except players, substitutes, managers, coaches, trainers and batboys shall occupy a bench during a game." (Wikipedia)


The dugout is an exclusive club!  There are certain people allowed in the dugout.  If I just so happened to be Jim Leyland's grandson (for the record, I am not) I wouldn't be allowed to chill in the dugout with him.  It turns out the dugout is a sacred place.  A place players and coaches can be away from the fans and the chaos of the game.  It's a place of hope.  When players are in the dugout their team is on offense.  Anyone who's watched the postseason this year knows anything can happen in one half-inning of baseball.  Need I remind any Tigers fan of the bottom of the 3rd inning.


I hope this blog can be a dugout for some of you.  It will be for me.  I've found writing allows me to escape the chaos of the world.  To put down into words humorous observations from the day, and to clear my mind.  For those of you who take the time to read, join me in occupying the bench during a game and be hopeful for a great half-inning.