I may not be David Letterman, but I can still make a top ten list with a little bit of humor (or so I think). So here's my latest attempt. (Are there any other lists you want me to try? Let me know.)
10. Peter O'Malley - Why not?
9. Me - If the Dodgers are community property, and I'm a part of the community, then I should already own them!
8. Lady Gaga - I would love to see the Dodgers new uniforms!
7. Japan - Free baseball player pipeline
6. China - They already own half of America
5. Vince McMahon - I would love to see baseball played inside a steel cage!
4. City of Bell Officials - This is something legal they could do with all that extra money they've collected
3. President Obama - He's throwing money everywhere else to make things better. Why not include the Dodgers?
2. Mark Cuban - Seriously...Mark Cuban
1. Preparation H - They might make us feel better since current ownership is such a pain in the @$$!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Best Engineers
So, being the weirdo that is fascinated by spiders that I am, I was watching one of my friends in the backyard last week as it moved from the center of its web up to the tree where it is attached at one point. As I angled to see just how the web as setup and where exactly it went, I began to appreciate the instinctively intelligent design of it. If you've ever watched an Orb-Weaver create its web, it really is something pretty cool, if you aren't freaked out by the spider.
Typically, you have one master strand that is strung from two high places that is the main line used to create the rest of the web, from which they drop down one new strand for a third attachment point of the web, sometimes on or close to the ground. Upon watching the spider crawl along the main strand back into the tree, where it hangs out when it's not in the middle of its web, I noticed that it had at least three other strands attached to that main strand, from the tree, to support it while the large spider (it's body is pretty close to the size of the fingernail on my pinky finger) crawls along it. The main strand only sagged a little while crawled along it. That's what got me to thinking about how smart these spiders are in terms of web design (and I'm not talking IT here). And it's all instinct...no schooling needed!
Typically, you have one master strand that is strung from two high places that is the main line used to create the rest of the web, from which they drop down one new strand for a third attachment point of the web, sometimes on or close to the ground. Upon watching the spider crawl along the main strand back into the tree, where it hangs out when it's not in the middle of its web, I noticed that it had at least three other strands attached to that main strand, from the tree, to support it while the large spider (it's body is pretty close to the size of the fingernail on my pinky finger) crawls along it. The main strand only sagged a little while crawled along it. That's what got me to thinking about how smart these spiders are in terms of web design (and I'm not talking IT here). And it's all instinct...no schooling needed!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Tick, Tick, Tick...Goooooooooooooooooooooooal!
As each day goes by, I continue to wonder what God has planned for me and the family. No news on the job front is not a good thing in my mind. Then again, the news I have already gotten hasn't been good either; a number of thank-you-but-no-thank-yous, and no interviews. I'm trying to stay optimistic, which can be tougher on some days than others, because I don't want to think of what may happen if I wind up with no work. I'm determined to make something happen, though. So I check the internal postings daily at work and am noticing that the number of openings seems to have dropped pretty dramatically within the last week or so. I still have a number that I'm waiting to hear on or the postings haven't closed yet. I'm getting in the mindset that we will be moving because I'll get one of those internal jobs I've applied for. (The only way I can stay with Chevron at this point, is to accept a position in another location.)
There is this one phrase that I have gotten used to, which is a good thing: "It is what it is". The first time I really remember hearing that phrase was at my last employer, when my manager there would use it, typically in a negative way. So everytime I hear the phrase, I think of him, which makes me a little tense because of how I left there and the fact that I didn't like him. I hear it so often now that it doesn't bother me as much although I always picture him saying it when I hear it. Fortunately, I can make myself laugh though because I picture the chef from Ratatouille saying it. He and that manager look eerily similar. (Traci even agrees!)
There's not a whole lot to do at work since I turned all my contracts over to a co-worker. Contracts were about 80% of my job even though my title is Procurement Analyst. The other 20%, the analysis, I'll be turning over to my "roomie" here at work next week when she's back from vacation. I will not miss sharing an office with her. She's very smart and knowledgeable about the work she does, but she comes across as talking down to you when she explains something. I've gotten used to sharing an office with her so it's not bad. She just wouldn't have been my first choice.
On the home front, Skyler had her first soccer game last Saturday, which was also my first coaching experience. I was happy with how it went. We tied 2-2, but at the age of these kids (4-5 year olds), that doesn't matter much. The idea is to teach them some basics of the game and to have fun playing the game. It seemed like most of them had fun. The only one I think that wasn't enjoying himself was my assistant coach's nephew. I'm hoping he warms up to playing as the season goes on. If he starts running with the kids in the game, I'll consider that a victory. There's another kid on the team who is extremely shy. I was excited during the game when he kicked the ball and looked back at me (I was on the field also) with a smile that said "I kicked the ball!" That was great to see.
It was fun to see which of the kids seem to have a talent for the game and how each of them performs. They all followed the ball really well and for the most part knew which way to kick it. Both us and the opposing team kicked one into our own goal. The ref didn't count either one, although it turns out it wouldn't have mattered. I think I'm really going to enjoy coaching this team, even if soccer isn't my sport. This Saturday will be a little more fun than usual too. One of the coaches on the opposing team was a high school baseball teammate of mine. (It all comes back to baseball!) Then in the afternoon, we have our team's first party of the year...the always enjoyable pizza party!
There is this one phrase that I have gotten used to, which is a good thing: "It is what it is". The first time I really remember hearing that phrase was at my last employer, when my manager there would use it, typically in a negative way. So everytime I hear the phrase, I think of him, which makes me a little tense because of how I left there and the fact that I didn't like him. I hear it so often now that it doesn't bother me as much although I always picture him saying it when I hear it. Fortunately, I can make myself laugh though because I picture the chef from Ratatouille saying it. He and that manager look eerily similar. (Traci even agrees!)
There's not a whole lot to do at work since I turned all my contracts over to a co-worker. Contracts were about 80% of my job even though my title is Procurement Analyst. The other 20%, the analysis, I'll be turning over to my "roomie" here at work next week when she's back from vacation. I will not miss sharing an office with her. She's very smart and knowledgeable about the work she does, but she comes across as talking down to you when she explains something. I've gotten used to sharing an office with her so it's not bad. She just wouldn't have been my first choice.
On the home front, Skyler had her first soccer game last Saturday, which was also my first coaching experience. I was happy with how it went. We tied 2-2, but at the age of these kids (4-5 year olds), that doesn't matter much. The idea is to teach them some basics of the game and to have fun playing the game. It seemed like most of them had fun. The only one I think that wasn't enjoying himself was my assistant coach's nephew. I'm hoping he warms up to playing as the season goes on. If he starts running with the kids in the game, I'll consider that a victory. There's another kid on the team who is extremely shy. I was excited during the game when he kicked the ball and looked back at me (I was on the field also) with a smile that said "I kicked the ball!" That was great to see.
It was fun to see which of the kids seem to have a talent for the game and how each of them performs. They all followed the ball really well and for the most part knew which way to kick it. Both us and the opposing team kicked one into our own goal. The ref didn't count either one, although it turns out it wouldn't have mattered. I think I'm really going to enjoy coaching this team, even if soccer isn't my sport. This Saturday will be a little more fun than usual too. One of the coaches on the opposing team was a high school baseball teammate of mine. (It all comes back to baseball!) Then in the afternoon, we have our team's first party of the year...the always enjoyable pizza party!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Job Update & More
And the job search goes on. So far within Chevron, I have been rejected for 3 and have 12 more I'm waiting to hear on. Of the 12 I'm still waiting to hear on, they are located in Bakersfield, CA (6), San Ramon, CA (4), Salt Lake City, UT (1), Covington, LA (2), and Houston, TX (1). There are no positions available in El Segundo where I currently work. Therefore, if I stay with Chevron, which is my preference, we will need to relocate. Fortunately, Chevron would pay for almost all of the moving costs. It would still be a hassle though.
Outside of Chevron, I have submitted for 8 different positions located from Whittier to Universal City. I submitted all of those today so nothing has happened with any of them yet.
I took the girls to Disneyland tonight and realized that as of tomorrow (Sept. 4), it will be exactly 11 years since I last worked at Disneyland. It doesn't seem like that long ago, but I think that's because I always think about it and how much I enjoyed and wish I could work there again. Hey, there's another place I need to look at for work!
Traci continues to amaze me. She ran (and finished) her first half-marathon this morning! I couldn't be more proud of her. She has built up quite a bit of endurance since she started running. I need to try to catch up to her.
Outside of Chevron, I have submitted for 8 different positions located from Whittier to Universal City. I submitted all of those today so nothing has happened with any of them yet.
I took the girls to Disneyland tonight and realized that as of tomorrow (Sept. 4), it will be exactly 11 years since I last worked at Disneyland. It doesn't seem like that long ago, but I think that's because I always think about it and how much I enjoyed and wish I could work there again. Hey, there's another place I need to look at for work!
Traci continues to amaze me. She ran (and finished) her first half-marathon this morning! I couldn't be more proud of her. She has built up quite a bit of endurance since she started running. I need to try to catch up to her.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Busyness All Over
I guess it comes with this time of the year, but it seems like there are so many things going on. Everytime I ask Traci what we have going on, it's like a while new list! I figured I would try to organize my thoughts while I have a little time, even though it's getting pretty late and this weekend gets really busy tomorrow. So here's the haps...
First of all, the biggest issue right now is my job situation. Chevron (Global Downstream operations) is in the process of downsizing. They are currently neat the end of the seventh of eight rounds. This seventh round is the one I'm involved in. The first week of this month, I put in my request for the five positions I'm most interested in. Three of them are in El Segundo, where I currently work, and two are in Brea, which would be a very nice commute (< 30 minutes one way). This week, my (new) manager was at HQ up in San Ramon with all the other managers associated with this round, in meetings to determine who would be offered what positions. I have an appointment with him on Monday afternoon, as do the other 11 in our department that are going through this at the same time. Of the 12 of us going through this joyous process, only 7 of us will remain after this is all said and done. There are others in our department who have already gone through this process and they all ended up with jobs within our department, sot his will be the first bad news for the group and where all the changes will really take place, although we did layoff two support staff at the end of June and didn't replace one who left earlier this year. I also have other potential options within Chevron that I have been pursuing but one of those doors is now shut I learned yesterday; still several others open, although I'm not sure I should hold my breath for any of those. The good thing is that my depression has not comeback during this more-stressful-than-usual time.
Outside of work, personal life is going pretty well although starting to get really busy for all of us. Traci is in her first semester of co-leading MOPS at our church and she has already been very busy with that. Courtney starts first grade on September 1 and Skyler starts Pre-K two days earlier. At least we already have Skyler's school supplies bought and ready to go when she meets her teacher(s) next Friday.
Also, Skyler will be playing soccer in our Youth Kicks league at church and I'm the head coach of the team. I find that ironic because my only soccer experience was in PE classes in school, and I have never really liked the sport that much, I think mainly because my feet do not function well in sports. Running was always the weakest part of my baseball game. We went through some training last weekend and it just confirmed that soccer is not my sport. However, I was asked by the Sports Pastor at our church if I would be willing to coach, and I accepted. I figure there's not really a whole lot to teach since they will all pretty much be chasing the ball like a swarm of bees. Besides, I'll have a cool Assistant Coach in Traci's cousin Bryan. It should be a fun season and I'm really looking forward to it. The fact that all practices are immediately before the games on Saturdays (at 8AM) is nice too since it will still leave Saturdays very open for us. We take team pictures next weekend and the season starts September 11.
In preparation for the season, I will be spending tomorrow, most of the day, at church helping construct the new indoor soccer walls for the upcoming season. I'm excited because I may be able to use my screw gun, which doesn't get a whole lot of use, and I really enjoy using it when I do. Plus it will be good to know that I have helped get the church gym ready for the season. (Traci will be at an all-day meeting for Women's Leadership for our church, so the grandparents will enjoy some quality time with the girls.)
Sunday will be made up of church,and Sunday School BBQ/game day and then a birthday party (out in Corona). it should be a pretty fun day and I'm looking forward to all of it, but I know I'll be pretty tired at the end of the say, not to mention probably sore from Saturday's work day.
Let me back in time slightly. Last night turned out to be quite the interesting night. Since Traci was hosting a MOPS leadership meeting at our house, I needed to take the girls somewhere for a while and Disneyland was the first place we all thought of, but we didn't have enough gas in either car and we didn't have enough money to put gas in either car until I got paid today so, Disneyland was out. So off to my parents' house we went. The girls always have a good time over there and last night was no exception. Things got interesting very quickly towards the2 teeth had been knocked out: the two top front teeth. The right one was already hanging on by a thread so it didn't bleed as much as the other which was loose, but not nearly as loose as the other one. I'm assuming that was the one she was holding in her hand since there was so much blood on it. My mom and I had her sit on the couch to put pressure on her gums, with a paper towel, where the teeth had fallen out. Within about a minute, the paper towel was half red with all the blood has absorbed. Fortunately, it began clotting pretty quickly after that and after 5-10 minutes, the bleeding was done. We started looking for the other tooth but couldn't find it. (Fortunately, my parents found it as soon as we left and brought it over.) So now Courtney has a big gap in the front of her mouth since the two top teeth are no longer there and one on the bottom (immediately to her left of the middle teeth) recently also fell out. Now there is another tooth hanging on by a thread on the bottom on the other side of the middle teeth. That one could easily fall out anytime as it can already be pushed pretty far forward and back. So she has lost 5 teeth by the time she is 6 1/2 (today) with a sixth ready to go. School pictures should be classic this year!
Now that it's just past midnight and I need to get to bed, I'll sign off. Until next time!
First of all, the biggest issue right now is my job situation. Chevron (Global Downstream operations) is in the process of downsizing. They are currently neat the end of the seventh of eight rounds. This seventh round is the one I'm involved in. The first week of this month, I put in my request for the five positions I'm most interested in. Three of them are in El Segundo, where I currently work, and two are in Brea, which would be a very nice commute (< 30 minutes one way). This week, my (new) manager was at HQ up in San Ramon with all the other managers associated with this round, in meetings to determine who would be offered what positions. I have an appointment with him on Monday afternoon, as do the other 11 in our department that are going through this at the same time. Of the 12 of us going through this joyous process, only 7 of us will remain after this is all said and done. There are others in our department who have already gone through this process and they all ended up with jobs within our department, sot his will be the first bad news for the group and where all the changes will really take place, although we did layoff two support staff at the end of June and didn't replace one who left earlier this year. I also have other potential options within Chevron that I have been pursuing but one of those doors is now shut I learned yesterday; still several others open, although I'm not sure I should hold my breath for any of those. The good thing is that my depression has not comeback during this more-stressful-than-usual time.
Outside of work, personal life is going pretty well although starting to get really busy for all of us. Traci is in her first semester of co-leading MOPS at our church and she has already been very busy with that. Courtney starts first grade on September 1 and Skyler starts Pre-K two days earlier. At least we already have Skyler's school supplies bought and ready to go when she meets her teacher(s) next Friday.
Also, Skyler will be playing soccer in our Youth Kicks league at church and I'm the head coach of the team. I find that ironic because my only soccer experience was in PE classes in school, and I have never really liked the sport that much, I think mainly because my feet do not function well in sports. Running was always the weakest part of my baseball game. We went through some training last weekend and it just confirmed that soccer is not my sport. However, I was asked by the Sports Pastor at our church if I would be willing to coach, and I accepted. I figure there's not really a whole lot to teach since they will all pretty much be chasing the ball like a swarm of bees. Besides, I'll have a cool Assistant Coach in Traci's cousin Bryan. It should be a fun season and I'm really looking forward to it. The fact that all practices are immediately before the games on Saturdays (at 8AM) is nice too since it will still leave Saturdays very open for us. We take team pictures next weekend and the season starts September 11.
In preparation for the season, I will be spending tomorrow, most of the day, at church helping construct the new indoor soccer walls for the upcoming season. I'm excited because I may be able to use my screw gun, which doesn't get a whole lot of use, and I really enjoy using it when I do. Plus it will be good to know that I have helped get the church gym ready for the season. (Traci will be at an all-day meeting for Women's Leadership for our church, so the grandparents will enjoy some quality time with the girls.)
Sunday will be made up of church,and Sunday School BBQ/game day and then a birthday party (out in Corona). it should be a pretty fun day and I'm looking forward to all of it, but I know I'll be pretty tired at the end of the say, not to mention probably sore from Saturday's work day.
Let me back in time slightly. Last night turned out to be quite the interesting night. Since Traci was hosting a MOPS leadership meeting at our house, I needed to take the girls somewhere for a while and Disneyland was the first place we all thought of, but we didn't have enough gas in either car and we didn't have enough money to put gas in either car until I got paid today so, Disneyland was out. So off to my parents' house we went. The girls always have a good time over there and last night was no exception. Things got interesting very quickly towards the2 teeth had been knocked out: the two top front teeth. The right one was already hanging on by a thread so it didn't bleed as much as the other which was loose, but not nearly as loose as the other one. I'm assuming that was the one she was holding in her hand since there was so much blood on it. My mom and I had her sit on the couch to put pressure on her gums, with a paper towel, where the teeth had fallen out. Within about a minute, the paper towel was half red with all the blood has absorbed. Fortunately, it began clotting pretty quickly after that and after 5-10 minutes, the bleeding was done. We started looking for the other tooth but couldn't find it. (Fortunately, my parents found it as soon as we left and brought it over.) So now Courtney has a big gap in the front of her mouth since the two top teeth are no longer there and one on the bottom (immediately to her left of the middle teeth) recently also fell out. Now there is another tooth hanging on by a thread on the bottom on the other side of the middle teeth. That one could easily fall out anytime as it can already be pushed pretty far forward and back. So she has lost 5 teeth by the time she is 6 1/2 (today) with a sixth ready to go. School pictures should be classic this year!
Now that it's just past midnight and I need to get to bed, I'll sign off. Until next time!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Frustration, Anxiety and Patience, Oh My!
Work is as interesting as it has ever been right now. As you may or may not know, Chevron is downsizing. Well, the Global Downstream part of Chevron is downsizing. There are 8 stages to it. They refer to it as ROM (Resource Optimization Management). You know, one of those big fancy corporate terms that sounds better than downsizing.
This week is the beginning of ROM7, or the seventh round of ROM, and it happens to be the round I am in. Here's how it works. At the beginning of the week, they post all of the positions worldwide that are included in this round. In this case, that number is 1,431, of which 273 were in the US, about 20-25 in Southern California, and about 8 in El Segundo (all our department...lucky me). We each choose 5 positions we would like to apply for and then meet with our manager to discuss which four he would like to nominate us for and then one choice we nominate ourselves for.
On Monday, I reviewed the positions available and put in for three procurement positions (within my department) and two in Brea that I think I could do well. Next week, nothing happens. The week after that, all managers who oversee the position affected in this round meet in HQ in San Ramon and discuss/debate who should be placed in what position. The following week, we are told what position we have or that we have been "left standing" as they put it. So at this point in time, I basically have to wait for at least two weeks to find out my fate.
However, in wanting to head this off and not go through this whole process, I have applied for five other positions with Chevron, but in the Global Upstream part of the business (and not in Procurement). Four of the five positions have closed (no longer accepting applicants) and one closes on Monday. At this point, the four that are closed are in the process of determining who they want to interview and who they want to issue the "Thank you, but no thank you" e-mails to. I haven't received any e-mails yet, so that's a good thing, but I haven't received an invitation for an interview yet either. Being in holding position as I am now with these five, as well as the other five, is not very comfortable.
Here's how I see it. I am at a 3-way fork in the road. One direction keeps me going straight ahead with a very similar position to what I have now, one represents the unknown, and one represents BIG changes. The worst part of being at this 3-way fork is that I don't have much control over it. I'll be happy as long as I am not sent down the unknown road. That road is like the road that fades off into the fog: you know it's there, but you have no idea where it will take you.
So, that's where I'm at...very on-edge about work. I guess for now all I can do is keep doing the job I have, and pray. After all, I know God has a plan for me. I just wish I knew what it was.
This week is the beginning of ROM7, or the seventh round of ROM, and it happens to be the round I am in. Here's how it works. At the beginning of the week, they post all of the positions worldwide that are included in this round. In this case, that number is 1,431, of which 273 were in the US, about 20-25 in Southern California, and about 8 in El Segundo (all our department...lucky me). We each choose 5 positions we would like to apply for and then meet with our manager to discuss which four he would like to nominate us for and then one choice we nominate ourselves for.
On Monday, I reviewed the positions available and put in for three procurement positions (within my department) and two in Brea that I think I could do well. Next week, nothing happens. The week after that, all managers who oversee the position affected in this round meet in HQ in San Ramon and discuss/debate who should be placed in what position. The following week, we are told what position we have or that we have been "left standing" as they put it. So at this point in time, I basically have to wait for at least two weeks to find out my fate.
However, in wanting to head this off and not go through this whole process, I have applied for five other positions with Chevron, but in the Global Upstream part of the business (and not in Procurement). Four of the five positions have closed (no longer accepting applicants) and one closes on Monday. At this point, the four that are closed are in the process of determining who they want to interview and who they want to issue the "Thank you, but no thank you" e-mails to. I haven't received any e-mails yet, so that's a good thing, but I haven't received an invitation for an interview yet either. Being in holding position as I am now with these five, as well as the other five, is not very comfortable.
Here's how I see it. I am at a 3-way fork in the road. One direction keeps me going straight ahead with a very similar position to what I have now, one represents the unknown, and one represents BIG changes. The worst part of being at this 3-way fork is that I don't have much control over it. I'll be happy as long as I am not sent down the unknown road. That road is like the road that fades off into the fog: you know it's there, but you have no idea where it will take you.
So, that's where I'm at...very on-edge about work. I guess for now all I can do is keep doing the job I have, and pray. After all, I know God has a plan for me. I just wish I knew what it was.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Vacation!
I have taken this week off from work for vacation. We don't have any travel plans, but we're just doing fun stuff around here. It's always nice to take trips when I have time off from work, but it's also nice to not feel like we have to go anywhere either. So here's a little snapshot of what's been going on and what's lined up.
Last Friday, I won the battle of the smog test with my car. It failed the first time and wasn't ready yet the second time we took it in to have it re-tested. Finally, when we took it in Thursday, it passed and now I await the sticker for my car. It was due Friday, so I barely got it done on time. If only we had money for a new car...
Saturday was fun. It started off with a half-birthday party since the baby's birthday is Christmas and throwing a party around Christmas is, well let's say, nightmarish. I like the concept of a half-birthday party if you're not going to throw a traditional birthday party. The girls had some fun waterplay with a some of their friends at the party.
After that we rested for a while and then went to my buddy's house for his housemate's birthday. I don't get over to his place in Long Beach very often, so it was nice to get down there and visit with him and his fiance. I'm really looking forward to their wedding, whenever they set the date, and assuming I'm invited.
Sunday was a lot of fun too. Church in the morning where the girls actually sat through the service, although half of it was in the foyer. Then after a little rest at home, we were off to out 4th of July party at my brother-in-law's mother-in-law's house. I actually spend a couple of hours in the pool which was fun. It was fun when Courtney and my niece and nephew decided it was time to climb on me. Normally, I'm not big on that kind of play, but they were being fun and not too rough, so it was good. We got a really cute picture of it too! Finally, after the pool time and very yummy BBQ, it was time for fireworks...in a city where they are actually still legal (stupid Whittier). The kids always love them, and even though Skyler was scared at first, she was loving them by the end.
Yesterday, we implemented a new reward system for the girls and they are eating it up! It the whole marbles in a pail thing where for certain actions, they earn marbles to put in their pail and for certain actions, they have some marbles taken out. The seem to really enjoy this and we had to remove the first marbles from Courtney's pail today (not a big surprise). She was extremely upset when this happened, and I may have made it a little harder, when I had her remove the marbles from her own pail. She was in tears. However, we encouraged her to earn them back by doing some of the things on the list, and sure enough she did.
Also yesterday, even though I'm on vacation, the girls started VBS. However, since our church is not doing it this year due to extremely tight finances and major construction underway, our friend told us of a church (Green Hills Baptist Church) near them in La Mirada that is doing it this week for free. So far, they love it. Also, I have to admit I am very impressed with how this church has run it so far from what little I've seen. It is nice having a little time together with Traci though.
Tomorrow we all go see Toy Story 3! I think all four of us are excited to see it. We'll go after VBS and lunch. It should be good. And in the evening I'll be hanging out with the guys since one of my friends is in town for a few days. It's always good to see him.
Thursday will be very exciting for me as I start my All Star Week Volunteer duties, which will have me on the field at Angels Stadium! I'm not sure what my exact duties are, but I'll find out when I show up. I know I work a few hours Thursday and Friday afternoons and I get two tickets to All Star Fan Fest as a result. It's very exciting since there were 5,000 applications for 2,000 volunteer positions, and not only did I get chosen, but I will be a big league field for the first time ever! Did I say I'm excited?
Finally on Sunday, Traci will be running the All Star Charity 5K (and Fun Run) at Angels Stadium. I'll take the girls to document it. It would be awesome if I could get a picture of Traci with Jillian Michaels since she will be there. We'll see how that goes.
Then it's back to work on Monday. However, it won't quite be work as normal. Last week at work, I applied for three internal jobs at work (in a part of the company that is not affected by the downsizing!) and the postings all close next week at various times. So I could hear next week about whether or not I get to interview for any of those positions. I'm hoping I can at least interview for the positions, but I don't want to set the expectations that I will, which I'm afraid I already have. So if I don't get contacted, I will probably be disappointed, but I will also know it is part of God's plan. And then it's back to the anxiety of reapplying for positions the first week of August
Last Friday, I won the battle of the smog test with my car. It failed the first time and wasn't ready yet the second time we took it in to have it re-tested. Finally, when we took it in Thursday, it passed and now I await the sticker for my car. It was due Friday, so I barely got it done on time. If only we had money for a new car...
Saturday was fun. It started off with a half-birthday party since the baby's birthday is Christmas and throwing a party around Christmas is, well let's say, nightmarish. I like the concept of a half-birthday party if you're not going to throw a traditional birthday party. The girls had some fun waterplay with a some of their friends at the party.
After that we rested for a while and then went to my buddy's house for his housemate's birthday. I don't get over to his place in Long Beach very often, so it was nice to get down there and visit with him and his fiance. I'm really looking forward to their wedding, whenever they set the date, and assuming I'm invited.
Sunday was a lot of fun too. Church in the morning where the girls actually sat through the service, although half of it was in the foyer. Then after a little rest at home, we were off to out 4th of July party at my brother-in-law's mother-in-law's house. I actually spend a couple of hours in the pool which was fun. It was fun when Courtney and my niece and nephew decided it was time to climb on me. Normally, I'm not big on that kind of play, but they were being fun and not too rough, so it was good. We got a really cute picture of it too! Finally, after the pool time and very yummy BBQ, it was time for fireworks...in a city where they are actually still legal (stupid Whittier). The kids always love them, and even though Skyler was scared at first, she was loving them by the end.
Yesterday, we implemented a new reward system for the girls and they are eating it up! It the whole marbles in a pail thing where for certain actions, they earn marbles to put in their pail and for certain actions, they have some marbles taken out. The seem to really enjoy this and we had to remove the first marbles from Courtney's pail today (not a big surprise). She was extremely upset when this happened, and I may have made it a little harder, when I had her remove the marbles from her own pail. She was in tears. However, we encouraged her to earn them back by doing some of the things on the list, and sure enough she did.
Also yesterday, even though I'm on vacation, the girls started VBS. However, since our church is not doing it this year due to extremely tight finances and major construction underway, our friend told us of a church (Green Hills Baptist Church) near them in La Mirada that is doing it this week for free. So far, they love it. Also, I have to admit I am very impressed with how this church has run it so far from what little I've seen. It is nice having a little time together with Traci though.
Tomorrow we all go see Toy Story 3! I think all four of us are excited to see it. We'll go after VBS and lunch. It should be good. And in the evening I'll be hanging out with the guys since one of my friends is in town for a few days. It's always good to see him.
Thursday will be very exciting for me as I start my All Star Week Volunteer duties, which will have me on the field at Angels Stadium! I'm not sure what my exact duties are, but I'll find out when I show up. I know I work a few hours Thursday and Friday afternoons and I get two tickets to All Star Fan Fest as a result. It's very exciting since there were 5,000 applications for 2,000 volunteer positions, and not only did I get chosen, but I will be a big league field for the first time ever! Did I say I'm excited?
Finally on Sunday, Traci will be running the All Star Charity 5K (and Fun Run) at Angels Stadium. I'll take the girls to document it. It would be awesome if I could get a picture of Traci with Jillian Michaels since she will be there. We'll see how that goes.
Then it's back to work on Monday. However, it won't quite be work as normal. Last week at work, I applied for three internal jobs at work (in a part of the company that is not affected by the downsizing!) and the postings all close next week at various times. So I could hear next week about whether or not I get to interview for any of those positions. I'm hoping I can at least interview for the positions, but I don't want to set the expectations that I will, which I'm afraid I already have. So if I don't get contacted, I will probably be disappointed, but I will also know it is part of God's plan. And then it's back to the anxiety of reapplying for positions the first week of August
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Summer is Off to a Fast Start
Hey, I have an idea! Let's go into the Summer running and not catch our breath! At least that's what it feels like right now. While I sit here, I have brownies in the oven, which will be a part of the Team WACC potluck at the Relay for Life at Cal High. Traci is there right now probably walking or running her legs off.
In a little while, we'll headed over to the house of one of our pastor's at church who just graduated with his Master's Degree from Bethel Seminary. He's probably the pastor I know best at church, so it should be fun to go celebrate with him.
Tomorrow is Fathers Day, so we're hosting our annual Fathers Day BBQ. The yard is ready to go since I mowed and edged yesterday. Boy, did it need it! It's always fun having the BBQ here on Fathers Day. This year will be a little more fun that it has been the past couple of years because Traci's brother and his family have moved back down here from Colorado. SO instead of my kids being the only ones, they will have their 3 cousins, which they love hanging out with, here to play with.
If I may (yes I can...it's my blog!) I'm going to go off on a little tangent. Yes tomorrow is Fathers Day, but I don't expect special treatment, which is where I have a problem with some people. To me, Fathers Day is another day. To some people, they expect to be treated special on a "special" day like this. I don't take that approach because if I do and things don't go exactly the way I would want them to go, I would be really upset and Fathers Day wouldn't be any good, which means I would rarely enjoy Fathers Day and then have nothing to look forward to when it comes around each year. With two kids (girls), there will inevitably be some drama at some point in the day. Get my drift? There are some people that expect to be the center of attention on a special day and that kind of annoys me. And then there are the people that expect to be the center of attention EVERY day. I don't want to even go there, so I'll leave it at that.
Friday's have pretty much become Frugos Friday since we discovered it about a month ago or so. The girls always like it, and so do Traci and I. It's just fun and is really good. Also, they sell bottled water for $1! That's an awesome price, especially since it's .7 liters.
It's been an eventful month so far besides everything coming up, including me and Traci's 11th anniversary a week from today. Oh the joys of being poor...we'll do something local without kids and make the most of it. It worked out pretty well last year and we had a lot of fun. Skyler finished her first year of preschool last week which means she has one more year of preschool before she hits kindergarten and we save $350 each month! Courtney just finished kindergarten yesterday and she is very excited to be a first grader now. She did amazingly well this year. We are very proud of her.
Well, the brownies are almost done, which means I need to get ready to go. TTFN
In a little while, we'll headed over to the house of one of our pastor's at church who just graduated with his Master's Degree from Bethel Seminary. He's probably the pastor I know best at church, so it should be fun to go celebrate with him.
Tomorrow is Fathers Day, so we're hosting our annual Fathers Day BBQ. The yard is ready to go since I mowed and edged yesterday. Boy, did it need it! It's always fun having the BBQ here on Fathers Day. This year will be a little more fun that it has been the past couple of years because Traci's brother and his family have moved back down here from Colorado. SO instead of my kids being the only ones, they will have their 3 cousins, which they love hanging out with, here to play with.
If I may (yes I can...it's my blog!) I'm going to go off on a little tangent. Yes tomorrow is Fathers Day, but I don't expect special treatment, which is where I have a problem with some people. To me, Fathers Day is another day. To some people, they expect to be treated special on a "special" day like this. I don't take that approach because if I do and things don't go exactly the way I would want them to go, I would be really upset and Fathers Day wouldn't be any good, which means I would rarely enjoy Fathers Day and then have nothing to look forward to when it comes around each year. With two kids (girls), there will inevitably be some drama at some point in the day. Get my drift? There are some people that expect to be the center of attention on a special day and that kind of annoys me. And then there are the people that expect to be the center of attention EVERY day. I don't want to even go there, so I'll leave it at that.
Friday's have pretty much become Frugos Friday since we discovered it about a month ago or so. The girls always like it, and so do Traci and I. It's just fun and is really good. Also, they sell bottled water for $1! That's an awesome price, especially since it's .7 liters.
It's been an eventful month so far besides everything coming up, including me and Traci's 11th anniversary a week from today. Oh the joys of being poor...we'll do something local without kids and make the most of it. It worked out pretty well last year and we had a lot of fun. Skyler finished her first year of preschool last week which means she has one more year of preschool before she hits kindergarten and we save $350 each month! Courtney just finished kindergarten yesterday and she is very excited to be a first grader now. She did amazingly well this year. We are very proud of her.
Well, the brownies are almost done, which means I need to get ready to go. TTFN
Friday, June 4, 2010
Get Over It!
Since the bad umpire call that blew the perfect game for Tigers' pitcher Armando Galarraga, there have been a lot of people throwing out ideas of instant replay, reversing the umpire's call to award the pitcher a perfect game and other crazy ideas (such as firing the umpire), I thought I would weigh in with my opinion of the whole situation. I though Bill Plaschke's article on this whole event (in the LA Times) was a great article. While I don't agree with him an all points, he supports his case very well. That's probably why he's writing for the LA Times. (Check out the article here.)
In my eyes, the two big questions that have come out of this whole situation are these: 1) Should the call (at first base) be reversed and therefore give the pitcher credit for a perfect, which would be only the 21st ever in baseball history? and 2) Should instant replay be used on a broader basis? Well, here are my thoughts and opinions.
Question 1: Should the call be reversed?
This one is simple in my mind...NO!!!! If baseball was to reverse this call, there would be a bigger than life can of worms opened up which would be more annoying than anything. Besides, as soon as the game was over, the umpire in question, Jim Joyce, asked to take a look at the play, apparently without any prompting. As soon as he reviewed the play, he admitted that he missed the call and that when he made the call he honestly thought the runner was safe. (If you have seen a replay of the play, you will also see that the runner was clearly out.) Put simply: Joyce did his job. Umpires are as human as the rest of us. We have all made mistakes and that will never change. Some of the mistakes may have bigger impacts than others, but that's the way it is.
Also, if this call is reversed, how many other calls will people want to see reversed? Missed calls have been a part of the game as long as it has existed. As a matter of fact, some of those missed calls are a big part of history, as this one will now be. What's done is done. Let's accept it for what it is, no matter how wrong it may seem, and move on. Joyce and Galarraga have done that, why shouldn't we? They both realize what happened, and how unfortunate it was, but they hold no grudges, have hugged and shook hands and are moving on. Joyce has been in tears on multiple occasions already. He feels bad for the mistake. He manned up and took responsibility for the botched call. That's more than a lot of us do.
Another issue with reversing the call is that the umpires lose the power of the game. Allowing someone who is not an umpire to reverse the call, such as Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, would undermine the umpires' authority. If the umpires lose their authority, the potential for players and coaches and managers to always question the umpires could get out of control. I'm not saying this would happen, but it seems like a possibility. And while we're headed down this road, how many players, coaches, etc. would then appeal to the Commissioner to overturn other calls when they happen?
Question 2: Should instant replay be used on a broader basis?
This one is not as simple in my mind and it will take some explanation, but I think the answer should be YES!!! Currently, instant replay is only used when a home run is in question. Was it fair or foul? Did a fan interfere with it? Did it really clear the fence? I think instant replay has been well-used so far. I have seen a number of home runs upheld and I have seen some overturned. Every instance when I have seen it used, it appears the ultimate call has been the correct one.
While I think the use of instant replay should be expanded, I think there are also limitations that would need to put into place. I think it should be available for use on all plays, except for calling balls and strikes. Since there is no way to get a head-on shot of the strike zone, it would not make sense to use it there. The view from the traditional center field camera is above and off to the side of the alignment of the pitcher and batter. Even the projected strike zones used on Fox ESPN and the like are not the most accurate. Besides, they only show the strike zone going up to the belt, which in and of itself is inaccurate.
People have said that the expansion of instant replay use would slow down the game, and this is true. However, if you put the right restrictions in place, it wouldn't have that much effect on the length of the game. I would propose allowing each manager/team two requests/challenges (to use the term from football) for review per game, regardless of the number of innings played. I think by restricting to two reviews per team per game, that will force the manager to decide if the play is really worth challenging. Once the game is over, there are no more challenges, unless there is an immediate challenge on the last play.
You may think I'm contradicting myself based on my statements from the first question and answer (about us all being imperfect), but I figure that if we are given the opportunity to correct our mistakes, why not do it? And I think you have to limit the number of challenges since unlimited would truly make some games a lot longer. (Don't get me started on why the Yankees and Red Sox seem to be incapable of playing a game in less than three and a half hours!)
So in summary, no the call should not be overturned and yes I think the use of instant replay should be expanded. All the media attention being given to this has been somewhat blown out of proportion. The two individuals who were involved have made up and moved on with life. Let those who run baseball make the ultimate decision. Everybody else just needs to get over it.
In my eyes, the two big questions that have come out of this whole situation are these: 1) Should the call (at first base) be reversed and therefore give the pitcher credit for a perfect, which would be only the 21st ever in baseball history? and 2) Should instant replay be used on a broader basis? Well, here are my thoughts and opinions.
Question 1: Should the call be reversed?
This one is simple in my mind...NO!!!! If baseball was to reverse this call, there would be a bigger than life can of worms opened up which would be more annoying than anything. Besides, as soon as the game was over, the umpire in question, Jim Joyce, asked to take a look at the play, apparently without any prompting. As soon as he reviewed the play, he admitted that he missed the call and that when he made the call he honestly thought the runner was safe. (If you have seen a replay of the play, you will also see that the runner was clearly out.) Put simply: Joyce did his job. Umpires are as human as the rest of us. We have all made mistakes and that will never change. Some of the mistakes may have bigger impacts than others, but that's the way it is.
Also, if this call is reversed, how many other calls will people want to see reversed? Missed calls have been a part of the game as long as it has existed. As a matter of fact, some of those missed calls are a big part of history, as this one will now be. What's done is done. Let's accept it for what it is, no matter how wrong it may seem, and move on. Joyce and Galarraga have done that, why shouldn't we? They both realize what happened, and how unfortunate it was, but they hold no grudges, have hugged and shook hands and are moving on. Joyce has been in tears on multiple occasions already. He feels bad for the mistake. He manned up and took responsibility for the botched call. That's more than a lot of us do.
Another issue with reversing the call is that the umpires lose the power of the game. Allowing someone who is not an umpire to reverse the call, such as Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, would undermine the umpires' authority. If the umpires lose their authority, the potential for players and coaches and managers to always question the umpires could get out of control. I'm not saying this would happen, but it seems like a possibility. And while we're headed down this road, how many players, coaches, etc. would then appeal to the Commissioner to overturn other calls when they happen?
Question 2: Should instant replay be used on a broader basis?
This one is not as simple in my mind and it will take some explanation, but I think the answer should be YES!!! Currently, instant replay is only used when a home run is in question. Was it fair or foul? Did a fan interfere with it? Did it really clear the fence? I think instant replay has been well-used so far. I have seen a number of home runs upheld and I have seen some overturned. Every instance when I have seen it used, it appears the ultimate call has been the correct one.
While I think the use of instant replay should be expanded, I think there are also limitations that would need to put into place. I think it should be available for use on all plays, except for calling balls and strikes. Since there is no way to get a head-on shot of the strike zone, it would not make sense to use it there. The view from the traditional center field camera is above and off to the side of the alignment of the pitcher and batter. Even the projected strike zones used on Fox ESPN and the like are not the most accurate. Besides, they only show the strike zone going up to the belt, which in and of itself is inaccurate.
People have said that the expansion of instant replay use would slow down the game, and this is true. However, if you put the right restrictions in place, it wouldn't have that much effect on the length of the game. I would propose allowing each manager/team two requests/challenges (to use the term from football) for review per game, regardless of the number of innings played. I think by restricting to two reviews per team per game, that will force the manager to decide if the play is really worth challenging. Once the game is over, there are no more challenges, unless there is an immediate challenge on the last play.
You may think I'm contradicting myself based on my statements from the first question and answer (about us all being imperfect), but I figure that if we are given the opportunity to correct our mistakes, why not do it? And I think you have to limit the number of challenges since unlimited would truly make some games a lot longer. (Don't get me started on why the Yankees and Red Sox seem to be incapable of playing a game in less than three and a half hours!)
So in summary, no the call should not be overturned and yes I think the use of instant replay should be expanded. All the media attention being given to this has been somewhat blown out of proportion. The two individuals who were involved have made up and moved on with life. Let those who run baseball make the ultimate decision. Everybody else just needs to get over it.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Final Basbeall Thoughts...Finally!
Oops, I guess I kind of screwed up with this series since I never really finished it. Since I'm not finding the desire to get on the computer at home as much anymore, I figure I should zip through the last several years of my baseball experiences. So here we go....
After the Whittier Little League AAA A's, there was a big dispute within Whittier Little League, which is when Whittier Pony league formed; 1987. For the first two years of Pony, I was again on the team lead by Traci's uncle. This obviously allowed me more time to see Traci, even though nothing was happening with us at the time.
Anyway, on the Padres, I typically had a really strong first half of the year and then tailed off towards the end. No top 3 trophies either of those years, but i really enjoyed playing and had a lot of fun. One of the memories I have from those years is when I was playing 3rd base and really had to go to the bathroom. I think our pitcher walked a batter or two while I danced around at third base trying to keep it in. Eventually, we got the third out and everybody was yelling for me to run to the port-a-potty. Somehow I made it, but man was it torture standing around being frustrated pitch after pitch waiting for the chance to go.
Another memory I have from the Whittier Pony, Pony Division Padres is when we were being no-hit by the opposing pitcher and I broke it up with a triple down the right field line at Joe Miller field.
My finest pitching performance ever was mercy rule shortened game where I pitched a 2-hit complete game shutout. I didn't pitch very often because although I was accurate, I was not very fast. Regardless, that was a great memory.
After playing for Traci's uncle for three years, it was time to move on to the Bronco Division, where I was on the Reds for two years. I didn't do great either year, although my highlight from those two years was a home run I drilled at York Field where there were no fences. It was a shot into the left-center gap and I had time to circle the bases before the left and center fielders could chase down the ball an get it back to the infield. Considering i only hit 3 home runs in my whole time playing baseball, it was a pretty special moment for me. (Notice that both home runs i have hit to this point have involved not going over a fence.)
After the Reds came La Serna High School. I started at La Serna High School in the Fall of 1990, which is just a few months after the school's baseball team had won a CIF Championship, very exciting. I made the Freshman team my freshman year and was excited to play at the high school level. I started the year sharing playing time with the other, bigger first baseman. Eventually, I earned a majority of the playing time. Although I had one of my worst offensive years that year (I think I hit .225), I still loved playing and was looking forward to advancing up the high school ranks.
My sophomore year I made JV. I saw limited action the first half, but when I was given a chance to start a game about half way through the year against Pioneer High School, I took advantage of the opportunity, hitting a ground-rule double (bouncing over the fence), showing I deserved playing time. I managed to start every game the rest of the year, whether paying first base or DH (Designated Hitter). I finished the year with pretty good numbers although I don't remember the stats.
My junior year I had hopes of making the Varsity team since there were typically very few juniors on the JV team. The JV coach said he thought I would make the varsity team and so I was excited. However, a couple week s later when JV and Varsity team rosters were posted, I found myself on the JV for a second year. Needless to say, I was disappointed. however, that couldn't make me quit; I was too determined. Again, as a junior this time, I rode the bench most of the first half of the year. Again, I was given a chance to start a game about half way through the year, this time at Whittier High School and I played the game of my life! I went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI (runs batted in)! And my hits weren't little singles. The first hit was my first, and only ever, home run that cleared the fence. It is a moment I will never forget! The pitch was down and in. I know I had two strikes on me because first I fouled a pitch down the third base line and almost got my coach near third base. The following pitch I fouled off into my team's first base dugout. The next pitch I nailed and it soared over the left field fence, bouncing on the tennis courts! I remember my parents screaming with excitement. I was totally pumped when I saw it bounce off the concrete past the fence. I didn't think I had hit it that well. I wanted to keep it cool circling the bases and was able to until I saw all my teammates gathered at home plate to congratulate me. Then I couldn't hold back the smile. Later in the game, I drove another one to the left-center field wall, which turned out to be a double. I tried to advance to third on the throw that got away from the catcher trying to tag out the runner, but I was thrown out at third. Oh well. As a result of this game of my career, I again played in every game the rest of the rest of the year. I finished with my best offensive year ever, batting over .400 (.429, I think) and earning Most Improved Player of the Year Award for the team. It is still the award I am most proud of that I ever received.
The following year as a senior, I made the Varsity team finally. However, it was an extremely frustrating year. I saw a total of 10 at bats the entire year, although I did have 3 hits for a .300 batting average. Those three hits were productive though. One was a bases loaded, bases-clearing (3 RBI) double against and at Loyola High School in L.A. during a Spring Break tournament. Another hit was during the last regular game of the season, when we were at home playing against Santa Fe High School. We had given up 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning. i was batting ninth in the lineup and actually got to bat in the 1st inning. The score was 5-4 in favor of Santa Fe and there were 2 runners on base. The first pitch I saw I drove to the wall in right-center field, knocking in both runners and giving us a 6-5 lead, which wound up being the final score. Also in that game, I grounded out and walked. The best part of this was that the coaching staff from Whittier College was in attendance since I had already received a partial academic scholarship from there. Coach Brock told me that they were very impressed with what they saw. Although I didn't wind up laying in college because I decided to focus on keeping my scholarship, it was great to know that they saw what I could do. The funny thing about my third hit that year on Varsity, it was a single that made it onto the school's video annual that year, along with a play from that same game where I did the splits at first base. So the stats for the year were a .300 batting average with 5 RBI. We made the CIF playoffs that year as the League Champions. We made it to the semi-finals before being eliminated. I don't remember seeing any action in the playoffs, but it was fun to watch and be there.
Since then I have played a softball team a church one time and have played a few years in MABL (Men's Adult Baseball League) in Orange County. Watching Courtney play softball for the first time this year has given me the itch to try to get back into baseball, but I need to get into shape (and save money) if I ever want to play again.
Baseball has always been a part of my life and always will be. There's just something in my DNA that prevents me from being who I am without baseball. In addition, it is because of baseball that I am married to the person I am married to today. What more could I ask for?
After the Whittier Little League AAA A's, there was a big dispute within Whittier Little League, which is when Whittier Pony league formed; 1987. For the first two years of Pony, I was again on the team lead by Traci's uncle. This obviously allowed me more time to see Traci, even though nothing was happening with us at the time.
Anyway, on the Padres, I typically had a really strong first half of the year and then tailed off towards the end. No top 3 trophies either of those years, but i really enjoyed playing and had a lot of fun. One of the memories I have from those years is when I was playing 3rd base and really had to go to the bathroom. I think our pitcher walked a batter or two while I danced around at third base trying to keep it in. Eventually, we got the third out and everybody was yelling for me to run to the port-a-potty. Somehow I made it, but man was it torture standing around being frustrated pitch after pitch waiting for the chance to go.
Another memory I have from the Whittier Pony, Pony Division Padres is when we were being no-hit by the opposing pitcher and I broke it up with a triple down the right field line at Joe Miller field.
My finest pitching performance ever was mercy rule shortened game where I pitched a 2-hit complete game shutout. I didn't pitch very often because although I was accurate, I was not very fast. Regardless, that was a great memory.
After playing for Traci's uncle for three years, it was time to move on to the Bronco Division, where I was on the Reds for two years. I didn't do great either year, although my highlight from those two years was a home run I drilled at York Field where there were no fences. It was a shot into the left-center gap and I had time to circle the bases before the left and center fielders could chase down the ball an get it back to the infield. Considering i only hit 3 home runs in my whole time playing baseball, it was a pretty special moment for me. (Notice that both home runs i have hit to this point have involved not going over a fence.)
After the Reds came La Serna High School. I started at La Serna High School in the Fall of 1990, which is just a few months after the school's baseball team had won a CIF Championship, very exciting. I made the Freshman team my freshman year and was excited to play at the high school level. I started the year sharing playing time with the other, bigger first baseman. Eventually, I earned a majority of the playing time. Although I had one of my worst offensive years that year (I think I hit .225), I still loved playing and was looking forward to advancing up the high school ranks.
My sophomore year I made JV. I saw limited action the first half, but when I was given a chance to start a game about half way through the year against Pioneer High School, I took advantage of the opportunity, hitting a ground-rule double (bouncing over the fence), showing I deserved playing time. I managed to start every game the rest of the year, whether paying first base or DH (Designated Hitter). I finished the year with pretty good numbers although I don't remember the stats.
My junior year I had hopes of making the Varsity team since there were typically very few juniors on the JV team. The JV coach said he thought I would make the varsity team and so I was excited. However, a couple week s later when JV and Varsity team rosters were posted, I found myself on the JV for a second year. Needless to say, I was disappointed. however, that couldn't make me quit; I was too determined. Again, as a junior this time, I rode the bench most of the first half of the year. Again, I was given a chance to start a game about half way through the year, this time at Whittier High School and I played the game of my life! I went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI (runs batted in)! And my hits weren't little singles. The first hit was my first, and only ever, home run that cleared the fence. It is a moment I will never forget! The pitch was down and in. I know I had two strikes on me because first I fouled a pitch down the third base line and almost got my coach near third base. The following pitch I fouled off into my team's first base dugout. The next pitch I nailed and it soared over the left field fence, bouncing on the tennis courts! I remember my parents screaming with excitement. I was totally pumped when I saw it bounce off the concrete past the fence. I didn't think I had hit it that well. I wanted to keep it cool circling the bases and was able to until I saw all my teammates gathered at home plate to congratulate me. Then I couldn't hold back the smile. Later in the game, I drove another one to the left-center field wall, which turned out to be a double. I tried to advance to third on the throw that got away from the catcher trying to tag out the runner, but I was thrown out at third. Oh well. As a result of this game of my career, I again played in every game the rest of the rest of the year. I finished with my best offensive year ever, batting over .400 (.429, I think) and earning Most Improved Player of the Year Award for the team. It is still the award I am most proud of that I ever received.
The following year as a senior, I made the Varsity team finally. However, it was an extremely frustrating year. I saw a total of 10 at bats the entire year, although I did have 3 hits for a .300 batting average. Those three hits were productive though. One was a bases loaded, bases-clearing (3 RBI) double against and at Loyola High School in L.A. during a Spring Break tournament. Another hit was during the last regular game of the season, when we were at home playing against Santa Fe High School. We had given up 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning. i was batting ninth in the lineup and actually got to bat in the 1st inning. The score was 5-4 in favor of Santa Fe and there were 2 runners on base. The first pitch I saw I drove to the wall in right-center field, knocking in both runners and giving us a 6-5 lead, which wound up being the final score. Also in that game, I grounded out and walked. The best part of this was that the coaching staff from Whittier College was in attendance since I had already received a partial academic scholarship from there. Coach Brock told me that they were very impressed with what they saw. Although I didn't wind up laying in college because I decided to focus on keeping my scholarship, it was great to know that they saw what I could do. The funny thing about my third hit that year on Varsity, it was a single that made it onto the school's video annual that year, along with a play from that same game where I did the splits at first base. So the stats for the year were a .300 batting average with 5 RBI. We made the CIF playoffs that year as the League Champions. We made it to the semi-finals before being eliminated. I don't remember seeing any action in the playoffs, but it was fun to watch and be there.
Since then I have played a softball team a church one time and have played a few years in MABL (Men's Adult Baseball League) in Orange County. Watching Courtney play softball for the first time this year has given me the itch to try to get back into baseball, but I need to get into shape (and save money) if I ever want to play again.
Baseball has always been a part of my life and always will be. There's just something in my DNA that prevents me from being who I am without baseball. In addition, it is because of baseball that I am married to the person I am married to today. What more could I ask for?
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