Lena Horne, 1917-2010
Headline in Indypost online,I kid you not:Oakland Raiders Pitcher Dallas Braden Throws Perfect Game
Posted by James Johnson on May 9, 2010
Dallas Braden, pitching for the Oakland Athletics, threw the teams first perfect game today in 42 years and the 19th in major league history.
Braden threw the perfect game against the leagues best team the Tampa Bay Rays, given the Athletics a 4-0 victory.
Braden destroyed the Rays batting order, with the only possibility at a man on base coming off the first hit of the game, a line drive by Jason Bartlett to third base.
During the fifth
inning Evan Longoria was booed for attempting to bunt, an unsuccessful attempt that helped ensure the first perfect game since the White Sox’s Mark Buehrle did so against the Rays on July 23rd 2009.
The perfect game was also only the second pitched by an Athletics player, the first was accomplished by Hall of Famer Jim “Catfish Hunter on May 8th 1968.
1 Ya gotta love it. Now that's a cut 'n' paste. Brilliant.
2 I knew the second it happened that Braden's perfect game HAD to be the headline, even over the Sharks' awesome job of sending the Redwings back to Detroit on Saturday night.
3 I was at my Dad's last night and saw the news streaming on my nephew Michael's phone. We tried desperately to get it on teevee, but didn't even know about it 'til the eighth inning. In all my years working in baseball, I can't recall ever having seen a perfect game. For the layperson, a perfect game is when the pitcher gets every single batter out, with none reaching base at all, for an entire game: 27 batters up, 27 batters down. It is one of the most difficult things to do in sports.
4 And I thought of A's fans who have gone pretty much ignored this season, even though the A's have been holding their own across the Bay.
5 But what a weekend! First the Sharks take care of BIZNISS, and then the Giants start okay, screw up, come back and win. And it was Mothers' Day, so we had a houseload holed up at my Dad's, so after the Giants' game we just left it on that channel as we talked, ate, and reminisced. It was an orange-and-black lava lamp. We chatted with it on in the background.
6 Meanwhile, somewhere Braden was painting his masterpiece.
7 We wound up just having Michael stream it, but I was going crazy for the guy, because I really wanted him to get it, and was into yet another high-five thing.
8 So...awesome job, Mr. Braden. Lovely story too. In high school, his mom passed away, and his grandma took over raising him. Peggy Lindsey, Braden's grandmother, was on hand when he won the game, but was stopped by security from going down on the field. No matter. After all the hoots and hollers with his teammates, he made a bee-line for her.
9 The fun thing is that prior to this game, the main thing Braden was famous for was having words with Alex Rodriguez when A-Rod stepped toward the pitcher's mound in a game on April 22. According to Merc News reporter Carl Steward, he said to her, "I really don't care." Her reply? "I'm thinking, 'Let's forget it. And stick it, A-Rod.' "
10 Ya gotta love that one. Thanks Carl, for sharing that story with all of us.
11 And to Mr. James Johnson, a bit of advise: don't be THAT anxious to scoop everyone, or you might wind up with an idiotic headline. Know the difference between football and baseball, because the Oakland Raiders, I assure you, have no pitchers on their team.
12 They had a moron named JaMarcus Russell , but he certainly couldn't pitch. He couldn't QB either. He couldn't think either. He was shown the door last week.
13 Moving on, Part the First: So...Lena Horne walks into a bar...
14 So many awesome songs, sultry, steamy, and sexy; so many lovely Muppets' appearances, sweet, fun and playful.
15 Stormy Weather, indeed.
16 Moving on, Part the Second: So I feel like I personally swept a series of four straight awesome days. Last Thursday I brought the Songs of Paul Simon to my students, and even though I didn't sing well, they LOVED the songs themselves.
17 Friday completely rocked, from morning to evening. I had Starbucks' lamps, Caffé Verona coffee, tons of fruits, including apples, strawberries, bananas, and oranges, as well as coffee cakes, marble cakes, banana cakes, water, icy cold orange juice, and milk. When the students entered, I played Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes, and the day became a magical day of great food, great laughs, wonderful poetry, and . beautiful thoughts.
19 That night was just a lot of fun, coming off all of that and relaxing with still more Jack Johnson.
20 Saturday found me walking all around the Berryessa Wine and Art Festival, and enjoying it with family and cousins' kids. GORGEOUS day, leading into the Sharks' stunning victory over Detroit.
21 Tumbled into yesterday and not only the Mothers' Day celebration for my Mom, and for all Moms, but the Giants' ultimate victory and the perfect game. Just an amazing streak of great days, the like of which I haven't seen in quite some time.
22 It has been an extremely rough go of it ever since my Mom first showed signs of "losing it" last Mothers' Day. I had called her in the morning and she couldn't answer her phone, something that a week earlier, on her birthday, she was quite capable of doing, along with nearly all other functions except walking.
23 When I did see her, she LOOKED fine, but when the phone rang, she couldn't answer it, even though it was right next to her bed. When she tried answering the remote for the teevee, we all became really worried.
24 That was the day that Lincecum pitched wearing a pink necklace, probably for Mothers' Day. It was that day that I looked up at my Mom and said, "What does Lincecum have around his neck?" And my Mom's instant reply: "Probably a picture of you!" She still had it.
25 Last Mothers' Day was the last time I ever saw my Mom lucid and bright. Her demise ran rather quickly; within a week she couldn't talk, and on May 17 of last year, she passed quietly in her sleep. My last words to her were just the day before. They were these: "I love you Mom."
26 So yesterday was pretty special. My sister played a DVD she had put together a few years ago and that had a musical background with a beautiful slide show celebrating my parents' years of marriage. My Dad would never admit it, but he teared up, as we all did inside. Old, beautiful pictures, old beautiful songs.
27 It was a moment, a day, a weekend, a great four-day stretch.
28 It culminated in the perfect game by Dallas Braden, followed by his hugging his grandma.
29 So I LOVED it, and just had to share, because things have been pretty rough this past year, and this month was sure to bring a lot of it all back.
30 So far, it's been a lovely celebration of love and rememberance.
31 If you've lost a parent, a sibling, or even a pet, then you probably get it.
32 We all held together as a family, and I think somewhere my Mom smiled.
33 That's about it for this Monday. There are probably thousands of similar stories, but to my family, it was an important day. It was a perfect day, and a perfect four days!
34 I hope for many more.
35 That's it.
36 Peace.
~H~
Dallas Braden, pitching for the Oakland Athletics, threw the teams first perfect game today in 42 years and the 19th in major league history.Braden threw the perfect game against the leagues best team the Tampa Bay Rays, given the Athletics a 4-0 victory.Braden destroyed the Rays batting order, with the only possibility at a man on base coming off the first hit of the game, a line drive by Jason Bartlett to third base.During the fifth inning Evan Longoria was booed for attempting to bunt, an unsuccessful attempt that helped ensure the first perfect game since the White Sox’s Mark Buehrle did so against the Rays on July 23rd 2009.The perfect game comes just weeks after Ubaldo Jimenez pitched a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves on April 17th.The perfect game was also only the second pitched by an Athletics player, the first was accomplished by Hall of Famer Jim “Catfish Hunter on May 8th 1968.1 Ya gotta love it. Now that's a cut 'n' paste. Brilliant.2 I knew the second it happened that Braden's perfect game HAD to be the headline, even over the Sharks' awesome job of sending the Redwings back to Detroit on Saturday night.3 I was at my Dad's last night and saw the news streaming on my nephew Michael's phone. We tried desperately to get it on teevee, but didn't even know about it 'til the eighth inning. In all my years working in baseball, I can't recall ever having seen a perfect game. For the layperson, a perfect game is when the pitcher gets every single batter out, with none reaching base at all, for an entire game: 27 batters up, 27 batters down. It is one of the most difficult things to do in sports.4 And I thought of A's fans who have gone pretty much ignored this season, even though the A's have been holding their own across the Bay.5 But what a weekend! First the Sharks take care of BIZNISS, and then the Giants start okay, screw up, come back and win. And it was Mothers' Day, so we had a houseload holed up at my Dad's, so after the Giants' game we just left it on that channel as we talked, ate, and reminisced. It was an orange-and-black lava lamp. We chatted with it on in the background.6 Meanwhile, somewhere Braden was painting his masterpiece.7 We wound up just having Michael stream it, but I was going crazy for the guy, because I really wanted him to get it, and was into yet another high-five thing.8 So...awesome job, Mr. Braden. Lovely story too. In high school, his mom passed away, and his grandma took over raising him. Peggy Lindsey, Braden's grandmother, was on hand when he won the game, but was stopped by security from going down on the field. No matter. After all the hoots and hollers with his teammates, he made a bee-line for her.9 The fun thing is that prior to this game, the main thing Braden was famous for was having words with Alex Rodriguez when A-Rod stepped toward the pitcher's mound in a game on April 22. According to Merc News reporter Carl Steward, he said to her, "I really don't care." Her reply? "I'm thinking, 'Let's forget it. And stick it, A-Rod.' "10 Ya gotta love that one. Thanks Carl, for sharing that story with all of us.11 And to Mr. James Johnson, a bit of advise: don't be THAT anxious to scoop everyone, or you might wind up with an idiotic headline. Know the difference between football and baseball, because the Oakland Raiders, I assure you, have no pitchers on their team.12 They had a moron named JaMarcus Russell , but he certainly couldn't pitch. He couldn't QB either. He couldn't think either. He was shown the door last week.13 Moving on, Part the First: So...Lena Horne walks into a bar...14 So many awesome songs, sultry, steamy, and sexy; so many lovely Muppets' appearances, sweet, fun and playful.15 Stormy Weather, indeed.16 Moving on, Part the Second: So I feel like I personally swept a series of four straight awesome days. Last Thursday I brought the Songs of Paul Simon to my students, and even though I didn't sing well, they LOVED the songs themselves.17 Friday completely rocked, from morning to evening. I had Starbucks' lamps, Caffé Verona coffee, tons of fruits, including apples, strawberries, bananas, and oranges, as well as coffee cakes, marble cakes, banana cakes, water, icy cold orange juice, and milk. When the students entered, I played Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes, and the day became a magical day of great food, great laughs, wonderful poetry, and . beautiful thoughts.19 That night was just a lot of fun, coming off all of that and relaxing with still more Jack Johnson.20 Saturday found me walking all around the Berryessa Wine and Art Festival, and enjoying it with family and cousins' kids. GORGEOUS day, leading into the Sharks' stunning victory over Detroit.21 Tumbled into yesterday and not only the Mothers' Day celebration for my Mom, and for all Moms, but the Giants' ultimate victory and the perfect game. Just an amazing streak of great days, the like of which I haven't seen in quite some time.22 It has been an extremely rough go of it ever since my Mom first showed signs of "losing it" last Mothers' Day. I had called her in the morning and she couldn't answer her phone, something that a week earlier, on her birthday, she was quite capable of doing, along with nearly all other functions except walking.23 When I did see her, she LOOKED fine, but when the phone rang, she couldn't answer it, even though it was right next to her bed. When she tried answering the remote for the teevee, we all became really worried.24 That was the day that Lincecum pitched wearing a pink necklace, probably for Mothers' Day. It was that day that I looked up at my Mom and said, "What does Lincecum have around his neck?" And my Mom's instant reply: "Probably a picture of you!" She still had it.25 Last Mothers' Day was the last time I ever saw my Mom lucid and bright. Her demise ran rather quickly; within a week she couldn't talk, and on May 17 of last year, she passed quietly in her sleep. My last words to her were just the day before. They were these: "I love you Mom."26 So yesterday was pretty special. My sister played a DVD she had put together a few years ago and that had a musical background with a beautiful slide show celebrating my parents' years of marriage. My Dad would never admit it, but he teared up, as we all did inside. Old, beautiful pictures, old beautiful songs.27 It was a moment, a day, a weekend, a great four-day stretch.28 It culminated in the perfect game by Dallas Braden, followed by his hugging his grandma.29 So I LOVED it, and just had to share, because things have been pretty rough this past year, and this month was sure to bring a lot of it all back.30 So far, it's been a lovely celebration of love and rememberance.31 If you've lost a parent, a sibling, or even a pet, then you probably get it.32 We all held together as a family, and I think somewhere my Mom smiled.33 That's about it for this Monday. There are probably thousands of similar stories, but to my family, it was an important day. It was a perfect day, and a perfect four days!34 I hope for many more.35 That's it.36 Peace.~H~
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