Doing the Math

This season will mark an impressive milestone in the history of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball franchise. This season, the southern California team will celebrate 50 years of various name changes, a World Series victory, and a plethora of on-field memories, however something about this doesn't seem right.

Both the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels, as they were called, came into existence in 1961. The Twins, who relocated to Minneapolis-St. Paul from Washington, celebrated their 50 years of baseball last year. However, the Angels will celebrate their fifty years this season. Are you as confused as I am?

If you started playing in 1961, then 1961 would be your FIRST year of playing. 1962 would be your SECOND, 1963 your THIRD, and so on. If the Angels and Twins sown patches on their uniforms to celebrate ten years of baseball playing in their current homes, they would do so in 1970 since that would be their TENTH year of existence.

To the right are patches released by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Minnesota Twins celebrating fifty years of baseball. I know 2011 - 1961 makes a nice round 50, but to celebrate FIFTY years of Angels baseball during your FIFTY-FIRST year of existence makes the party look, in the words of Jerry Seinfeld to Newman about his millenium party, "quite lame".

...this is sad, and I like the Angels!

Baseball + PIRATES gear + The Ezarik Sisters = Total WIN!

I know Justine doesn't get baseball, but I'm still holding out hope ^_^ Which is why I paid to get numbers and lettering for my old Pirates jerseys, which I bought as blank jerseys years ago. When I purchased new personalized jerseys from the MLB Online Shop, I remembered I had old jerseys leftover without any personal flair. When I pick them up next week, I will post photos or maybe a video of me with all my PIRATES gear for my future wife to look at... o_O (Toby & Justine?) ^_^ Hi LADIES! I hope they like "Superbad" Pirates ;)

Defeat

Last weekend, I spent it with friends up north. During one of our numerous conversations, we got on the subject of baseball, and then the slo-pitch league we play in during the summer. Kurtis, who spent most of that summer out west and wasn't playing, recalled how he went to the fields during the playoffs and saw me sitting alone on a bench. He was about to say "Hi Phil! Good to see you!" when he noticed I was alone, head bowed, crying profusely, and utterly broken. Instead, he went "Ok, well Phil is over there. I'll just go that way instead..." I'm glad Kurtis decided to walk away and not talk to me; I doubt that conversation would go over well.

That was my last memory of my first and last experience co-managing in a slo-pitch league. I could come up with all sorts of excuses for why we were eliminated earlier than I thought we would, but as in life excuses get you as far as nowhere. The truth was I overestimated my team and underestimated the opposition; two of the cardinal sins of any manager or coach. There are other misdemeanors I can plead guilty to, so I made a list of them.

• I cried in front of my team that day and apologized for embarrassing them; then, once they left for lunch, I stayed behind at a park bench to cry some more.
• I lost my batting gloves, and by 'lost' I mean 'hurled them in a random direction and neglected to look to see where they landed.
• For a summer day, the next five hours spent alone in my room were the coldest on record.

I vowed never to coach again, unless it was absolutely necessary. Much to my surprise, however, I was already considering next year, and getting better. "Next season" began in my room that August afternoon. There was too much at stake, and the memory of how last year ended is too fresh in my mind. This year will count for something, or I will quit for good.

Anyone got any batting gloves?

Seven Things about Sunday Baseball

1. I watched my 1st live televised baseball game of the season. It was a Spring Training tilt between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Pittsburgh Pirates. If anyone can correctly gauge a team or player's performance during the regular season from watching them in Spring Training, then he should get an hour long show on MLB Network.
2. What are they wearing (See picture above)?!
3. Buck Martinez & Sportsnet crew are stumped by the identity of Pirates ninth-inning pinch-hitter #64. He is black, bats left-handed, and struck out swinging -_- ...If you know his identity, please feel free to type in comments below ^_^
4. Prime Time Sports' host Bob McCown has a new commercial featuring Damien Cox and Stephen Brunt. It was jokes ^_^
5. Jays wins 5-0, and a rainbow rams right through southern Ontario ^_^
   
6. I may buy the new batting practice jersey of the Pirates. I have the black one from last season, but the current bright yellow edition is so sick...literally SICK o_O
7. Where is Bradenton, Florida in conjunction with the major cities in the state? It seems like a nice place, but there are MANY seagulls flying about the ballpark. I think it is along the coast, but I may be wrong?