Filling Time During Covid-19

One of advantages of the Covid-19 quarantine, if you can call it that, is having more time to read.

Since I retired, I have made great use of the public library system for both books and films. Hated the lock-down when the library wasn't able to bring in my requests from the southwest regional libraries. Thankfully, even with limited pick-up dates, that has passed.

In no particular order, here's a list of some of my most recent reads.

• Out Of My League by George Plimpton. Plimpton is essentially an Everyman kind of guy. He authored a book from a stint as a quarterback with the Detroit Lions (Paper Lion), fought a few rounds with light-heavyweight champion Archie Moore, played golf with pros, etc. In this one he attempts to pitch to the American League and National League all-stars. This was back before players were making serious money, so the players agreed to it for a few hundred bucks each. Plimpton only made it through the AL -- a half-inning -- before the stunt was called due to his exhaustion.
• Ernie Banks: Mr. Cub and the Summer of '69 by Phil Rogers. The summer of 1969 was one that really got me interested in baseball. After the Milwaukee Braves packed their bags and left for Atlanta in 1966, many tried to fill the baseball void. Bud Selig, trying to get major league baseball back to Milwaukee, talked the Chicago White Sox into playing games at County Stadium. Growing up in Central Wisconsin, the NBC affiliate out of Green Bay picked up the WGN feed for Chicago Cub games. We watched them all season, and this collapse in the final 6 weeks of the season was epic. So when the Cubs traded my favorite player, pitcher Fergie Jenkins in 1973, I washed my hands of the whole organization. Still really haven't forgiven them!
• For The Good Of The Game by Bud Selig. The man who brought baseball back to Milwaukee, and went on to serve as MLB Commissioner lays out a great behind-the-scenes look at his life in baseball.
• Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy by Jules Tygiel. This is part of the reading list for "Baseball And Society Since World War II" as taught at the University of Wisconsin Madison. While I wasn't able to take this as a senior guest student (no room), I did get the reading list. Fascinating read for anyone who is a baseball fan.
• Ball Four by Jim Bouton. Probably the first tell-all book by an athlete that pretty much strips away the veneer from a professional sport. Bouton kept a diary in 1969 of his season with the Seattle Pilots -- the team that, by the next season, was in Milwaukee and renamed the Brewers. This was another book recommended in the UW class, as was
• The End Of Baseball As We Knew It: The Players Union, 1960-81 by Charles P. Korr. A fascinating look at the changes in baseball, many touched upon by Selig in his book. And, if looked on in context, a way to see WHY the players and owners continue to be at odds even in 2020.
• Football For A Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise Of The USFL by Jeff Pearlman. Great look at the league that, essentially, Donald Trump killed (and helps explain why our President hates the NFL).
• Playing for Pizza by John Grisham. This is the only novel in the group and is like an old friend; I've read it probably six or seven times over the years and still find it enjoyable.
• Catcher In The Wry: Outrageous but True Stories of Baseball by Bob Uecker. Yes, it is THAT Bob Uecker, long-time radio voice of the Milwaukee Brewers. Published in 1982 -- and my copy is autographed, so am proud of that.
• Instant Replay and Distant Replay, both by Jerry Kramer. The first is a diary of the 1968 Super Bowl season under Vince Lombardi, his second and the final of his career. The second is a followup, a way that Kramer catches up to his teammates years later. Both are good reads for a Green Bay Packers fan.
• Commander in Cheat: How Golf Defines Trump by Rick Reilly. I'll steer clear of making any political comment one way or the other, but suggest that Reilly, a long-time entertaining columnist with Sports Illustrated who does his homework, presents an interesting picture. It's worth the read.

Celebrate Part Of Baseball's History

It's the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues, the baseball league that began in 1920 to give many great players a chance to play professional baseball.

Long before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, many great (and I do mean GREAT) players were denied the opportunity to play in the Major Leagues.

Players like Buck O'Neil, Josh Gibson, Ted "Double-Duty" Radcliff, "Cool Papa" Bell, even Satchel Paige -- who didn't get a chanced until he was in his late 40s -- all starred in the Negro Leagues, playing for teams that were often owned by Blacks. And players who because Hall of Famers, players like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks, cut their teeth in the Negro Leagues.

The expansion of Major League baseball west, the growth of games on television, economics and more were factors that led to the league's demise.

If you're a baseball fan, and you get down to Kansas City, MO, I suggest making a stop at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Well worth the visit, for sure.

A READER, and yes, I do appreciate any and all, questioned the new change in ending extra-inning games in MLB. So, to help with some clarification, when teams go to the 10th inning, the runner at second base will be the player in the batting order position previous to the leadoff batter of the inning (or a substitute for that player).

So, if the number five hitter is due up to lead off the 10th inning, the number four player in the batting order, or a pinch-runner, starts the inning at second base. Any runner or batter who has been removed from the game for a substitute cannot be used (no re-entry).

That's straight from the MLB itself. Hope that clears up any confusion. Personally, I do like this change for the Covid-19 season, tho also like games that go 12 or 15 innings as well.

Baseball Schedule Woes Grow

Looked at the standings for Major League Baseball this fine, clear Wednesday morning.

Oh my.

Toronto, banned from playing in Canada because of Covid-19, just opened their "home" season in Buffalo. The Blue Jays are 6-8, just 3 1/2 games behind the American League East-leading New York Yankees.

Go over to the National League, where a 7-4 Miami Marlins team leads the NL East over an 11-8 Atlanta team.

And in the NL Central, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs are tops with a 11-3 mark. Milwaukee, scuffling at home with just two wins in seven tries, is in third at 7-8.

Now the amazing stat: the St. Louis Cardinals are right behind the Brewers with a stellar 2-3 mark. That's not a typo, folks. They have won two games in five tries! Every other team in the NL East has played at least 15 games. But St. Louis has been Covid central and has missed series after series after series.

MLB is still clinging to a 16-team playoff picture that will be based on winning percentage. Think maybe that ought to be reconsidered, based on the Cardinals. It's just not fair to the rest of the teams to force them to schedule multiple doubleheaders. Milwaukee is already facing a tentative three after having it's home opening series with St. Louis shelved due to Covid.

We have reached a point, MLB, in which time is running out and Commissioner Rob Manfred needs to say to the Cardinals "Thanks for attempting to play; we have lovely parting gifts. You birds just stay home now..."

DOES THE HOME FIELD crowd make that much difference to professional players? It seems to be the case with the Brewers. Over the last two seasons, both playoff-caliber seasons, Milwaukee has gone 100-62 at home, a winning percentage of 61.73% Clearly, the lads have fed off that home crowd atmosphere.

Those in the know figure that if you win 60% of the time at home, and 50% on the road, you're golden. Milwaukee is now 62.5% on the road, but only 28.57% AT HOME.

Gonna have to turn that round, fellas, and do so with just cardboard cutouts and canned crowd noise.