...I'm a proud papa....
Edgington pitches Pads by Bells
Serra belts Bellarmine for third time of season
Three times the Serra Padres have welcomed Bellarmine Prep of San Jose to Danny Frisella Memorial Stadium - and three times the Padres have proven to be shabby hosts.
Last month, Serra blanked the Bells twice en route to winning their home tournament. This time around Bellarmine managed to plate a run. An improvement, yes, but not enough to beat Serra on Friday afternoon as the Padres bounced back from a loss earlier in the week to win 8-1. The Padres have outscored the Bells 27-1 in the three games.
This time the Padres rode the arm of Zak Edgington, who threw a masterful seven innings, surrendering a lone run on two hits. Bellarmine managed only seven runners while the left-hander rang up four Bells.
Edgington did a superb job of staying ahead of hitters - 17 of 27 were welcomed to the plate by a first-pitch strike. The senior had a rocky first inning, throwing 26 pitches, he threw only 79 the rest of the way.
"I felt really good," Edgington said after the game, his arm draped with ice bags. "I felt like I had good stuff."
The feeling was very real for the Bells, with their lone run coming in the top of the second on a Kevin Jarvis bomb that probably landed somewhere on 21st Avenue. Despite the home run, there wasn't much to celebrate for Bellarmine, which was down 6-1.
Serra sent 10 men to the plate in its half of the first. Unofficially, the Padres sent 11, but Zack Turner was caught trying to steal third while Tony Cooper was taking pitches during his second at-bat of the inning.
Before that, the Padres found themselves with the bases loaded and no one out. Ryan Palermo got the real fun started with an RBI single to left center. One out later, Justin Maffei roped a single to right for run number two.
Serra got some unneeded assistance on the next at-bat when the Bellarmine third baseman shot-putted a throw to the plate on a Kevin McEntee chopper. The weird throw never really reached the plate and allowed another Padre to score. Turner followed the error by singling to left. Two scored on the base knock when the Bellarmine left fielder booted the ball into foul ground.
After Turner did his damage, Bells coach Gary Cunningham had seen enough. He removed his starter, Josh Nicholson. Patrick Lewicki was brought in and gave up run number six on a sacrifice fly to left courtesy of Brad Stirling.
"It was great to get the bats on track," Edgington said - this after the Padres had managed only five hits in a loss to Riordan of San Francisco earlier in the week. Serra had eight on Friday.
Despite what Edgington called a "get me over fastball" that Jarvis ate for lunch, the senior settled down and went to work with the six-run cushion. Once again, the first pitch strike was key.
"Once I get ahead, I can go to any of my four pitches," Edgington said - pitches that were biting even during warm-ups, according to the left-hander. While Edgington won't burn you with his fastball, his change-up was something else Friday afternoon, making his four-seamer a formidable weapon.
"That's definitely my best pitch," Edgington said of his change-up. "I felt like I could throw it in any count, in any situation."
Serra was quick to get back the run Edgington gave up in the second. After Tony Cooper just missed hitting one out, Tony Renda and Palermo got on base and were driven in by Kevin Daniele and Maffei, respectively, to push things to 8-1.
There wasn't any more scoring after that, but the seven-run lead was more than enough for the Padres. The win was the second of the season for Edgington and improved Serra to 3-1 in WCAL play.
]]>As no doubt many are, I'm a huge fan of Larry David. Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm are so refreshing when compared to television's usual sitcom fare, (though Two and a Half Men is worth a watch these days), that I was delighted to read that Larry is stumping for Obama...some good info here and a few laughs...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/curbing-new-hampshire-la_b_80465.html
]]>This story is so fitting and so telling of the hypocrisy and duplicitousness of the Republican party...vote them out and do it in such a way that it will be a long, long time before they can come back....
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/02/scaife200802
]]>In a carefully crafted PR move Bill Clinton gazumped the Republicans and the Bush adminstration with the following sound byte today. Discussing Hilary's first days in office he remarked, "Well, the first thing she intends to do, because you can do this without passing a bill, the first thing she intends to do is to send me and former President Bush and a number of other people around the world to tell them that America is open for business and cooperation again."
Of course Bush Sr. has had to make a counter statement saying he never agreed to be Hilary's envoy, (this level of non partisan effort would be a giant step forward) can you imagine him doing so? The conversation in the offices of foreign goverments would go something like this (imagine Dana Carvey doing his impeccable Bush Sr imitation)
"Yes, well, that is my boy. No, no he didn't fall out of the dumb tree and hit his head on all the branches on the way down. Well, yes he didn't have much experience in foreign policy before...what's that? Nope, just govenor of Texas. Yes, that must be where he got that faux Texas accent. No, I can' t think of anything good that came out of his administration either. Well, sorry for the past 8 years."
Wouldn't it be like going over to your neighbor's house after your kid got their daughter pregnant? God I love Bill Clinton, he must be killing himself laughing over this one....
]]>This is Byron. He lives in a 6 x 10 foot cell he shares with another guy in a prison in Maryland. It's noisy in prison, there's always noise 24/7. Guys fighting, getting stabbed, screaming from the madness brought on by bad hootch, getting raped in the shower and just plain boredom.
Byron sits in his cell with a pad of paper and pencil and writes outlines for screenplays. He wants to be a screenwriter when he gets out, he wants this very badly. What he doesn't know is that he has more talent than a lot people on the outside who put less time into their craft and expect more.
Like a lot of kids from the ghetto who grew up on the streets without a father, he turned to peddling drugs to make his bones. I'm not condoning it, but it's what happens when you're 20 years old with no tomorrows.
He reached out to me awhile ago to help him learn how to write screenplays. I used to have a company that produced events for wanna-bes who wanted to learn the art, craft and business of screenwriting. It's a terrifically difficult business with little or no success on the horizon for most. But then most won't sit down, pour their hearts and minds into 110 pages and then fight hard to sell those 110 pages.
Byron sits in 6 x 10 foot cell with a pad of paper and a pencil and gets better with every draft. No computer or fancy screenwriting software. Just some notes from me and a whole lot of desire. He reads everything he can out loud and rewrites the notes in his own hand to try to better his grammar and speaking skills as well. He's trying to get into some prison classes, but there isn't room in the classrooms for everyone who wants to better themselves in prison. Imagine that.
As you are writing and sending your Christmas cards this year, why not send Byron one? It would take just a moment of your time and he would love to hear from you. It would brighten the life of someone who eats three square meals of hope everyday.
Byron Bazeman
#333-765
18601 Roxbury Rd.
Hagerstown, Maryland 21746
Tell him you know me, he'll get a kick out of that, for sure.
Thanks, and happy holidays.
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The Long Suffering Child Bride is back from Australia...let the games begin!
]]>Holy crap kids....I'm just coming up for air and feeling normal after what turned out to be one of the biggest rolling birthday parties ever....all thanks to the Long Suffering Child Bride, Loinfruit, and friends.
So after all the hoopla with the most talented Haze over at Studio 524 and all the fantabulous peeps on Vox I was feeling pretty good about the birthday thing and ready to take it easy, after all I'm half a century old now and tired from all the hobbling around-- I was told last week by my knee specialist that he is 95% sure I need surgery on my left knee if I want to continue to ski, run, cycle, tennis etc...which I do. (we're waiting to be scheduled for an MRI as I write).
But the LSCB had other ideas. First she flew Big Daddy and his wife from North Carolina as a surprise, then she organized a suite at Oracle arena and filled it with all my buds to watch the Warriors play the Clippers (Warriors won) as a surprise. The party rolled on through the weekend with lunches and dinners out, copious amounts of wine, naps in the afternoon, phone calls from mates around the world, too much cake and brownies (thanks Haze I'm officially old AND fat now) and much hilarity...bum knee and all.
Check out the photo album taken by THE Miranda Wilson, voice of KKSF FM, the Bay Area's smooth jazz station.
Thanks ya'll....too bad I can't turn 50 again....http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/Iy9KV7Iv
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Today I am turning 50. The most talented Haze over at Studio 524 and I share birthdays today, but she is not turning 50. She won't tell me what her new age is. My guess is 29. One time she made her husband wear Plaster of Paris underwear. I think that is why I like her so much.
For me turning 50 is not as much a noble birthday as a testament to good genes and fortune. However, I have managed to learn a few things in my time, here are just twelve….
If you've been wondering what the writers strike is about in Hollywood and why you can't watch Letterman, or gag, Leno....this should provide some clarity....rally on 'riters!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ55Ir2jCxk
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if every company placed as much emphasis on customer service as Zappos.com. I picked this up off of Seth Grodin's blog who is a long time champion of marketing and companies doing the right thing rather than being obnoxious.
Congrats to Zappos for finding a way to help someone out, get the job done and make a life long friend from a customer with a simple act of kindness...I Heart Zappos
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