Ramblings… by A Moron!
Greg Hall, columnist, photographer, pain in the ass of local media, and “software guy” has passed away suddenly. He was an idol and mentor to me, and I am beyond heartbroken to hear of his sudden passing. I have a… (READ MORE)
It’s rare anymore that I get to actually have a long conversation with my son. But on Christmas Eve, Kara and I drove around with Brett looking at Christmas lights. Kara mentioned that it didn’t really feel like Christmas this… (READ MORE)
So I find myself opening my computer for the day, and up pops up my daily news site. Usually the first headline of the day lets me know if it’ll be a good day, or a bad day. A Trump headline is usually a down day, a puppy headline is a good day. This day was… weird.
“Hey Dad?” This was the first thing I had heard my 15 year old say to me in the last several months that didn’t include the words, “need a ride,” “money,” or “more money.” “My buddies and I were talking.”… (READ MORE)
This first appeared in the Platte County Landmark on July 3, 2018. Over the past week, politicians and media outlets have seemed to focus on a call for civility by President Trump. This follows the controversy about the immigration policies… (READ MORE)
Every morning, it’s there. Sometimes, I see it appear on the horizon, others, it’s front and center of my gaze. But every day, it’s there.
My day job is out near the Kansas Speedway, and on the eighth floor of the building I work in, one of our conference rooms faces it. When I walk to the bathroom, it catches my eye. When I drive home out of the parking lot, it looms in the background.
What’s not to love about Salvador Perez? Since the second he became a Royal, he has been a fan favorite – dating back to his time in the minor leagues. Ned Yost has been on the Salvy bandwagon since the early days. “He’s the total player,” Yost said. “He’s offensive, he’s defensive, he’s got leadership skills. But there are still things that he needs to do to continue to get to the next level. I think he’s going to be the best. I don’t think there’s going to be anybody better than him.” High praise from a former catcher.
In 50 years of Royals history, there are certainly hundreds of moments to celebrate. Championships. Comeback wins. Records. All of it is interwoven into the fabric of the Royals crown. What is also woven in the crevices are stupefyingly dumb moments where you really wonder if any club has been so hapless in Major League history. One such moment happened in August, 2008.
Some of you may or may not know that in a previous life, I was an amateur umpire. When I got to college, I quickly learned that I really enjoyed beer, but that it also interrupted things like studying, and sobriety. So I took a semester off, and traveled to the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring. Fancy, right? The four week camp was located in Chandler, Arizona about a month before the start of spring training. I remember my dad and I drove down on New Year’s Eve and celebrated the ball drop on the campus of Arizona State. It’s also where I saw how many Long Island Iced Teas he could drink. Answer: 2.
Our scene opens on a modest, ranch home in Kansas City’s Northland. New home owners had just laid their two year old down in her crib, and were patiently trying to convince their one year old to go to sleep.