I got two phone calls today which slowed me down. Since the day before my birthday I’ve gotten so many calls that I haven’t felt the need to call anyone. There are specific people that I want to talk to, but I’m all talked out. This is a good problem to have.
The seal on our refrigerator is shot and the building has to replace it. We were told it would come yesterday at 2. It didn’t come and we got a call in the early evening that it would come this morning. This morning they texted us and said that they only replacement they had was a rusted-out use done that they sent us a picture of. We decided to live with the devil we know. The only reason I’m bringing this up as it gave me an opportunity to be creative. I had taken my iced coffee pitcher out of the old fridge. I had taken the ice cubes out. That’s tough when you want to have iced coffee with your breakfast. My solution was to make ice creamed coffee. The ice cream was still in the freezer. Ice cream as part of your breakfast is a good thing.
I’m writing this while watching the Met game. They are playing the Braves. Yesterday was opening day, the best day of the year. I say this every year because it’s true. On opening day anything is possible. We had to wait extra long for it and the Mets made it worth waiting for. Jacob deGrom pitched five shoutout innings. The relievers were just as good. Too bad the Braves had the second-best pitcher in baseball going for them, whoever is pitching against deGrom. The Mets never score for him. He did not get the win. They scored one run on a home run by Cespedes after deGrom had left the game. This is how deGrom who has had one of the greatest two year stretches in history has gone only 21-17 despite a 2.05 ERA over that span.
As usual I’m a pessimist about the Mets, they are a poorly constructed and are missing their number 2 and 3 pitchers and the number 4 is day to day. They have two players best suited to DH, two players best suited for 1B or 2H, only two complete outfielder and one late inning defensive replacement. They are using one of the DH only guys, Davis, in the outfield. They have on decent hitting terrible fielding catcher and two defense only catchers. Last season’s biggest weakness, the relief pitching, might be their greatest strength. Last year they all had freak bad seasons and they added Dellin Betances, who just came into the game. He was hurt last season but one of the best before then..
On the other hand, they have Alonso, perhaps the best first basemen, MacNeil, a great second baseman, playing third, and the two aforementioned solid corner outfielders in Conforto and Nimmo. Too bad Nimmo has to play center. Betances struck out his first batter.
With all that’s wrong in the world why am I writing about baseball? Because it’s important. The unalienable rights from the Declaration of Independence are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Happiness is last but not least. Why do we want to live? To be happy. What will do with our liberty? Pursue happiness. Never feel guilty about being happy. It doesn’t mean you don’t feel for others It means you are in touch with your humanity. My political science professor had a friend that said, “I can’t be a true revolutionary until I give up Willie Mays.” That friend blew himself up making a bomb. Those two things are related. He lost his perspective. You can work for social justice and against the spread of COVID-19 and still love baseball, music, and whatever else it is that you love. It is not a distraction; it keeps you whole..
The Braves now have a runner on first with two out and Wilson came in to face a lefty. The Mets are winning 2-1 and I’m looking forward to them wining this game and then the next 58 games. Sure, it’s against the odds, sure I said I don’t expect it, but it can still happen, even though the next batter got a hit. They can still win and go undefeated. That hope is what baseball is about.
Wilson struck out Acuna. The Mets got out of the inning.
Wise Madness 