Random Thoughts at Baseball's All-Star Break

My beloved Cardinals baseball team has fired Mike Matheny as its manager and now starts the second half of the season with interim manager Mike Schildt.  I'm not sure I would have made the change to Schildt now.  If the Cards are serious they would have named a new permanent manager immediately.  My choice would have been former infielder Jose Oquendo who reportedly relates well to Latin players and young players.  But, the Cardinals went interim instead.  Perhaps Oquendo doesn't want the job or the Cardinals have something else planned.  I am skeptical the team will get back into the National League Central division race this season.

-The MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night epitomized everything wrong with the professional game.  Just like regular season games, batters were swinging for the fences in each at bat and striking out at a record pace.  While the home run is an exciting part of the game its pursuit results in a lack of action on the field.  Wake up MLB.  As far as the All-Star Game, thank God we won't have to deal with it for another year.

-Finally, if you put a gun to my head and ask who will be in the World Series this year, I will say the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The Dodgers have struggled at times, but in my opinion they are the best of a mediocre National League.  Ultimately I expect the Dodgers' pitching to put them into the series.  I also think the Red Sox are much better than any team that would face them in the World Series.  The Bosox pitching, hitting, defense and speed will carry them to their second world title in the last six years.

Happy 242nd Birthday USA!

Today marks the 242 anniversary of the United States of America.  This my where I live and I am proud to be a citizen of this great land.  Yes, we have our problems and with any nation we have our disagreements and arguments over how we should be headed and how we should be treating our citizens.  But, I can think of no other place I would rather live.  I originally posted the article below several years ago.  It still holds true today.  Happy 4th of July America!


"I am blessed to live in the United States of America.  It is still the richest and most powerful nation in the world.  But more importantly I am allowed to express myself and to criticize our leaders as I see fit due to the Bill of Rights of this great nation.

Today  marks the 242nd birthday of the United States of America.  It is one of the longest running democracies in the world.  This has been accomplished through the sacrifice of thousands going back to the Revolution against the British to today with our troops deployed in Afghanistan and other Middle East hot-spots.  These brave men and women paid the ultimate price for our enduring freedom.  I have no good way of sufficiently expressing my gratitude to them and to those who have served in conflicts such as World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.  Today I say thank you to all of our armed forces past and present.  Because of you I am able to live in what I truly believe is the greatest nation on Earth.  Happy Birthday America!  Long may you stand"!