Thundered Out/Komets Hoist Another Cup

I arrived at about 4:20 for the 5 o'clock start at Spencerville yesterday afternoon....my partner from St Marys Sean was already there, and as I pulled into the parking lot, the first clap of thunder was heard....the heavy rains were south of the diamond over Grand Lake and in the Montezuma and St. Marys area....but with lightning around, there can be no start or continuing of games....we never tossed out the first pitch.  As the home plate umpire{umpire in chief} I finally called the contest at 5:50pm...we had done our job, waited and waited some more, but the storms, although south of the park, could be heard and that was enough not to get things underway.

By the time I arrived back in Celina the sun was shining....but the story had been told, no baseball last night.  Tonight a rare JV game, this one at Delphos St Johns....I have only had two JV games this season, both of those with Sam at Celina Easter Saturday....I don't do many in baseball, unlike football and basketball, I pretty much stick to varsity contests on the diamond.   Tomorrow Ol' Jimmy and I work a Sectional Final at Crestview, as they take on country rival Lincolnview for the right to move on to the Coldwater District, which I will work next week with Garry and Ed Oberlander....the spring season is moving past us in a hurry.  In fact other than tournament games, I have no varsity games left...just the JV contest tonight, and a rare double header on Friday, between the Celina and Coldwater Freshman squads.

Fort Wayne Wins the Presidents Cup_____

I grew up in Venice, Florida, but managed to keep a piece from the heartland while living there from 1953-62...that piece was be able to listen to WOWO Radio out of Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Fort Wayne was just 30 miles from Scott, Ohio, where I spent my first 5 years....and WOWO was the home of the Fort Wayne Komets Hockey Club.  In the late 1950s I could pick up WOWO on my trusty transistor radio, and during the winter months, I would listen to Bob Chase do the play-by-play of the Komets.   Now no ice skater was I, there was no ice in south Florida back then, no indoor rinks at all....I was a roller skater however, and I loved hockey.

I have been a fan of the Komets for over 50 years....they have been around since about the time I was born....and Bob Chase, now in his late 80s is still doing the radio play-by-play, and still active in the Fort Wayne community....last night in the Komets 2nd year in the CHL(after the UHL folded into the Central League) Fort Wayne won the cup...they had also won the final 3 Turner Cups in the old league...they now have 9 in there 60 year history:

http://www.komets.com/

So while my Philadelphia Flyers face elimination against New Jersey tonight in the Stanley Cup, my "other" hockey team, The Fort Wayne Komets, who have been a part of my life for much longer...take home another title...Congratulations K's!

Off to the Doc's for a Check-Up____

Time to get ready to head out...off to the bank and then New Bremen for a check up on the results of the blood work I had done last week....hopefully no surprises....but at my age, after this past few months, I have come to know, that nothing is certain in this crazy life....back later>>>>

Sectional Baseball, Full Moons, Sunny Mornings, Lawn Mowing, and Hockey Playoffs

As I left Ottoville on Friday night, pretty pleased with myself for getting that game completed in about 70 minutes, I noticed a large bank of clouds dropping slowly from the northeast towards the parking lot.   I talked briefly with Robert, another older umpire that I work with on occasion, and we headed out.  I took my usual route through the Van Wert County back roads towards Mercer County and Celina.   I get a text message from Garry who was working the Parkway at New Bremen game....he didn't get done, as a large amount of rain, complete with lightning and heavy rains caused them to postpone their game in the 5th inning.  Such is the way it was on Friday afternoon late....some games got in, some were "killed" off in the middle, depending on where the storms decided to pop up....I was lucky, Ottoville got hammered by the storms, but it was well after we completed our fast moving league game, won by the home team 2-1 over rival Miller City.

After getting home, I cracked open a cold one, clipped one of the hand rolled New Orleans Cigars that Garry had brought me back from his trip there a month ago, and sat on my back steps watching the lightning show, now in the south and east....the back yard got a few sprinkles, but I managed to take nearly 2 hours to smoke that torpedo, and finish listening to the Reds games, a win over Pittsburgh.

Tournament Saturday____

The tournament trail began for many and ended for half of those playing Saturday, in both boys baseball and girls softball.....

 I was assigned to work the Division 3 Baseball Sectional at Lima Shawnee....my partner, Dave West is a Hall of Fame official with the Ohio High School Athletic Association....nearly 40 years each on the diamonds, basketball courts, and football fields of Western Ohio.  With me at 63 and Dave nearing 65, we were probably, age wise at least, the two senior umpires working the tournaments together.

The weather had cleared for our Noon start, and Dave worked the plate in the first game, a 6-2 victory for Delphos Jefferson over Bluffton....two foes from the Northwest Conference.   I would get the second game behind the plate, which I wanted....two good teams, Parkway from the MAC and Lima Bath from the WBL....it was all that an umpire or fan could have wanted.  A few controversies, but minor, excellent pitching, and a 1-0 final, with Bath winning.  After a double, Dave and I called a balk on the Parkway starter, the runner moved to 3rd base, and scores on a one out ground ball to second....this was in the third inning, and that was the scoring.  Both starting pitchers, tossed complete games, both gave up just 3 hits, and both struck out 5.

The total time of the games, including a 45 minute break between the first and second game was only 3 hours 45 minutes....we done good!  I headed for home, where I would be in bed, pretty much wore out, before 8pm.

Sunrise, full moons, and Flyer Follies____

Going to bed early, it gave me a chance to crawl out of the sack around 5am.  Clear skies let the "Super Moon", the brightest full moon of the year, shine through my window.  I snapped a shot with my cell phone, but really full moons take time a more than a digital point and shoot to come out good, a cell phone camera sure won't get the job done.

Anyway I  crawled out of the sack grabbed some coffee, and left the house just after 6...to see what kind of sunrise and maybe a full moon shot as it sank in the west....the results were mixed.  The moon photos were mediocre at best, the sunrise over Grand Lake and Windy Point weren't bad...but I have taken hundreds of those shots over the past year or so....I need something new.

The rest of Sunday was spent mowing mom's lawn, sitting out back with Anissa and Patrica, and finally watching my beloved Flyers stink up the ice rink in New Jersey, losing 4-2 to the Devils, and the game wasn't that close.  Philly jumped out 2-0 but New Jersey dominated the game, finally putting it away on an empty net goal to take a 3-1 lead in the best of 7, with Tuesday being an elimination game in Philadelphia.

This Week Ahead___

This week I still have plenty of baseball left, and a doctor's appointment for tomorrow.  Patricia also has one, concerming her knee....I expect she will need to undergo surgery...I believe she had minor surgery on the other one some 20 years ago, maybe it was 15...hard to keep track of time.  That is the one part of my body that, despite the wear and tear of officiating and umpire work, that has held up on me...{knock wood several times}

My appointment is a look at the blood work that I had done last week....frankly I still do not feel "normal" for me....and was hoping to get back to lifting weights and a more active lifestyle, as I had before the surgery.  Whether it is the medication, as I suspect, or just a slow recovery, which I don't believe for a minute, things are not back to normal.  Will they ever get back there?  Frankly I don't know...sure I can still umpire, still mow a lawn with a walk behind mower...but this isn't the me before it was discovered that my Carotid Arteries were pretty well plugged.  I would like to drop some of the medication, but checks and balances, are, for now, the name of the game.

 Speaking of games....tonight I am scheduled to be at Spencerville as they host St. Henry....both teams are still in the tournament.  This is a non tournament game, but if things go their way, I may have both teams in the District 4 Tournament @ Coldwater next week.  Spencerville needs a win over Ottoville on Friday, while St Henry takes on New Bremen in the Minster Sectional later this week as well.

Fact of the matter is however, tonight's game probably won't happen...deep dark clouds are in the area, and heavy rain in north towards Spencerville....I suspect my second rain out of the year is in hand.  Interesting week regardless....In addition to a Tournament game at Crestview on Wednesday, I have a JV game at Delphos tomorrow, and a Freshman doubleheader at Celina with rival Coldwater on Friday.  I suspect my days off will have make up games to finish off the week...then next week the District at Coldwater, before a couple of weeks off before ACME and American Legion baseball begin.

On one other Hockey note, despite the Flyers hopes fading, my "other" team, the CHL Fort Wayne Komets(yes it is spelled with a K, and on the verge of winning the Cup in that League....The "Ks" are up 3 games to one in the championship round....and a win at home tonight and Fort Wayne can hoist the Cup in the CHL:

http://www.komets.com/

The rains are moving in, and I'll be back later>>>>

Photos-Shots of a full moon are tough without the right camera and settings...but I continue to try.  The top was about 2 in the morning, taken with my cell phone, as I awoke to use the facilites, something common with a 63 year old male body in the nightime hours. Baseball High Schoo Tournament action is in full swing.  The sunrise over West Bank Park on Grand Lake was not much different from the setting full moon....the sun shots are just much easier to take and make look decent.  And the Komets can clinch the cup tonight with a home win....

Baseball-Sometimes you just gotta Smile, Kick Back, and Enjoy!

Yesterday blew in hot, and somewhat humid, but not unbearable....I mowed the back yard....working up a sweat in only 15 minutes...damn medications!  I had been to the lab in the morning, and had blood drawn for my recheck at the cardio docs next week....not sure what they will say, but one thing I won't do, regardless, is add any meds to my diet.  Hopefully I can cut back a pill or two, but I will not add any, without dropping something else.   That you can bank on....I don't like what is going on with those I am taking, let alone add more.

Why I Love Baseball_______

Baseball has always been my favorite sport....since the day I remember watching the 1955 All Star Game on the small black and white TV, when we lived in South Venice, Florida, at Alston's Cottages.  That is the first baseball I remember....for the following 57 years, baseball has been a part of my life that will define me, regardless of how long I remain on this planet.

Sure the Majors are a joke these days...mediocre ball players getting millions of dollars, while the likes of Mantle, Mays, and Ruth,  played for virtual peanuts back in the glory years.  Can you imagine what kind of money Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Jackie Robinson, would command in today's game?

While MLB may be a sad shadow of what it was...the game really hasn't changed much....America however, has.  Growing up in Venice in the late 50s and 60s....in addition to playing Little League baseball, along with my brother Mike, and now deceased friends, Barry Young, and Mike Graff, those that I don't know what happened to, like Jackie Dye, Robert Haskins, and those names that have slipped from my memory banks.  In addition to controlled and sanctioned Little League, we had a ball diamond in the Edgewood Section of Venice that we always had a sandlot or pickup game going on at, we played, for the most part, 12 months a year.  Those days are long gone, America, as it was back then is gone as well....and we are not better, nor or our kids and grandkids, for it.

 

Highlight of the Frustrating Season___

Having played, coached, and/or umpired baseball for much of my life....this umpiring season has been difficult for me.   With the Carotid Surgery in March, I was late getting started, then more delays before getting behind the plate.  Having to work the bases for most of the first few weeks.  Of late however, even with the windy and at times cold weather, I have been getting back into it full force....this week marked the highlights of the season, even as the Spring portion winds down.

After I worked the bases Tuesday at LCC in their 4-3 win over Columbus Grove, which gave the Thunderbirds a share of the NWC Title...last night Garry and I were at Crestview, where LCC could win the title outright, but a Knight win would have the two teams sharing the crown.

The game was a joy to work...some close plays, a bit of controversy, too many errors for these two good teams, perhaps a bit on nervousness?  But it was a good one regardless....and here are some highlights from one of the local stations:

http://video.wosn.tv/media/sports-report-may-03-2012

Now a word to announcers, fans, and others that don't know the rules, but think they do...."Andy' the announcer, says "The Umpire{referring to Garry} Said He Tagged Up"...no Andy, the runner did tag up on the ball that was bobbled and then caught in foul territory....here is the rule...."Once the ball is touched on the fly by a fielder, the runner can tag and attempt to move up"....Not caught, but touched!  Once the Crestview right fielder touched the ball, even though he bobbled it, and grabbed it a second later...once he touched it, the runner can, and in this case did, move up.  I got the catch correct, and Garry got the tag up correct as well....

Regardless, it was a great game...Crestview, by virtue of the 5-4 win, gains a share of the title... these kind of games, are the reason I got back into umpiring some dozen or so years ago.

Tonight, if the rain holds off, I have a league make-up game in the Putnam County League, at Ottoville vs Miller City....then tomorrow at Noon, I head to Lima Shawnee High School, to kick off the tournament trail....a opening round in Division 3, games between Delphos Jefferson and Bluffton, followed by a Rockford Parkway vs Lima Bath match up....

This weeks games remind me of why I love baseball....but I'm sure there are games and mistakes I will make down the road, that will have me second guessing those feelings.

 

back later>>>>

Photos-Brother Mike and Me, back in 1958...when we played for The Venice Elks little league team in South Florida....My childhood hero, warts and all, was Mickey Mantle, Hell I even rooted for the Yankees back in those days....not so much any more.  And Babe Ruth, who made a $100,000 thousand back in his playing days, an astronomical sum back then...can you imagine what baseball's greatest player{nobody else is close} would command today?

One {inning} and Done!

Spring is always wacky, weather-wise, in Ohio...especially the months of April and May, no rhyme or reason it seems for what Mother Nature blows our way....

Yesterday was no exception, near record heat, with humidity to match, but the strong breeze from the southwest kept things bearable.  Jim and I were to umpire a NWCCA game between Perry and Waynesfield, at Perry...the game was entering the 12th inning when the other umpires had called it because of darkness a couple of weeks ago...the score 9-9.  Jim took the plate, since I will work the dish at our Sectional Tournament game at Crestview next week.  We were paid a "half fee", and if the game lasted more than 1 inning, we would get $5 per inning....unique to say the least, but since both of us were off...we took the $30 each and that would be enough for gas and a 12 pack a piece it seemed...if it went longer, well, we could deal with that....it didn't.

We got the game started on time, and Waynesfield  jumped out, scoring two runs in the top of the  12th....Perry could not answer, and we were done in 20 minutes at the most....I filled the van back up at the local Speedway, bought a 12 pack of Miller Lite, and the total came to $24.65....I had come out on top...gas, Miller, and $5.35 left over for 20 minutes work and a 45 minute drive each way.....damn is retirement good or what?

The Heat Is Back____

With yesterdays near record temperatures, it seems we are in for a spate of Summer-like weather....March saw records, April, after the first week, was windy, rather dry, with normal temperatures for the most part.....but we saw some heat, snow, and last weekend, sleet and storms.  Tonight Garry and I head to Crestview for the season ending league match up between the host Knights and LCC.  The Thunderbirds clinched a share of the NWC title on Monday, with that 4-3 win over Columbus Grove that I worked the bases...tonight, with me behind the plate, they can win the league outright, or Crestview can take a share of the crown with a home field win.
 
The weather will remain hot, or at least above normal through the weekend, with today being the warmest....after today's dry spell, we will be dodging showers and storms for the next week or so, which could and probably will reek havoc with the games and especially the tournament action.  I picked up a game at Ottoville tomorrow, and am scheduled to work the Division 3 Sectional at Lima Shawnee, the first of two games starting at Noon on Saturday...we will see what the weather brings.

With yesterdays predicted showers staying west and north, I finished up round one of putting the seeds in the ground.....several varities of Sunflowers, the Moon Flowers, and other usual garden fare flowers are planted.  I will give them a week or so to see how they 'break out'....if they do no problem, if they don't?  No problem, I've got the time and seeds to re-sow them all.

All for now....back later>>>> 


Photos-The sun rising over Grand Lake is more like mid Summer this week rather than mid Spring....The LCC @ Crestview game tonight should be a good one, with a at least a share of the league title on the line....and hopefully the seeds I planted yesterday will be even more successful than those that produced the Moon Flowers last season.

Finally a Rain Out!

What a strange baseball season it has been.....

Here we are six plus weeks into the high school season, and yesterday was the first game I have had canceled in total due to wet weather/grounds.  32 games in, even with my late start, and just two of those were postponed, but those after getting started, one in the 5th and another, last Saturday, in the 2nd....last night it wasn't to be.   Crestview called and canceled the contest at around 3pm....it was a good thing too.  We had three major storms pound the area, and on top of the rain we received late Monday(after my game at LCC was completed), I say our "mini drought" is over, at least for now.

My old buddy Jim, who I work with next week at the Crestview D4 Sectional Tourney, and I have the completion of a game tonight at Lima Perry...how long it lasts I don't have a clue....the game was suspended because of darkness a couple of weeks ago, with Perry and Waynesfield tied going into the top of the 12th.....so we may be around for an inning, two, five...we just don't know, but with a 5pm start, we should be able to finish it before dark.

The strange Spring weather meanwhile will continue.   Saturday we had 40 degrees, with some rain, sleet, and snow, at Paulding....today we are looking for possible record highs, and it may reach 90...they are forecasting 88 with a 30% chance of storms.  Tomorrow, Garry and I will head to Crestview, where LCC and the home squad will settle the NWC Championship.  Lima Central Catholic has clinched a share of the title, but Crestview can earn a piece if they defeat the visiting Thunderbirds tomorrow.  I will work the plate for that one....

Friday it's back to a good chance of rain, at 50%, I'm doing a Putnam County League make-up at Ottoville....then Saturday 40 year umpiring veteran Dave West and I will work the first two games of the Lima Shawnee D3 Sectional, when Delphos Jefferson meets Bluffton, and Rockford Parkway takes on Lima Bath, both games should be competitive.  After that it's games each day, except Sundays and rain outs through May 12th....followed by the Coldwater D4 District on May 16th and 18th.....then some resting up before Summer Baseball starts the first of June.

Personal Planting Gets Going___

Before the rains came yesterday, I finally got out and about, and sowed some seeds in and around the fence line, in the back yard....planting some differing varieties of Sunflowers, Moon Flowers, and others.....not sure how much mud is now burying the seeds, but I kept plenty in reserve, and will replant in a week or so, if I find it necessary....May 1st seems to have treated the flowering plants well over the past few years, so I will see how it works out this time around.

That will do it for now....back later>>>>

Photos-Wet Baseballs and Diamonds have been rare so far this Spring Season....but look for those conditions to increase as we head for Tournament time.....and with my planting beginning yesterday, hopefully this years flower crop will equal or better last seasons.

Game Before the Storm...

I kept checking in on the Radar yesterday and the Weather Channel near term forecast as well....100% chance of rain and storms by 8pm.  Well, if that was to be the case...we had a pretty good shot at getting our NWC league contest in at Lima Central Catholic.  I know better than to believe much of what they have to say however, and I headed the 35 miles or so north and east to the western edge of Lima knowing we indeed would at least start the game, but would also be watching the western sky for dark clouds, lightning, and the sound of thunder.

My young partner for the game, Ben, is only in his 3rd season of High School Baseball, he also, like me, works basketball and football...he appears to be one of the up and coming young officials, and we indeed need those, to go with the older guys, and the average everyday officials.  I had contacted Ben over the weekend, giving him the option to work the plate, since I was to have the dish for the LCC/Crestview game this coming Thursday, in a game that would likely decided the NWC Championship, at least in part.

Visiting Columbus Grove has just a single loss in league play, as did Crestview entering last night, LCC, with a total of 4 loses on the season, was undefeated in the NWC.....the game promised to be a good one, if we could complete the seven innings.  The two teams started off looking a bit 'shaky'...errors by both teams led to a 4-2 lead after two complete, with LCC out in front...after that things settled down, and the dark clouds remained to the west and south...Grove scored in the top of the 6th to cut the lead to one, and as we entered the top of 7, with the score standing at 4-3 in favor of the home team, I thought to myself  "We might get this thing done".

Columbus Grove, with 1 out managed a base hit....after a force out, which nearly resulted in a game ending double play, the Bulldogs were down to their last out...they tried a hit and run, the batter missed on a high pitch and the T-Bird catcher threw a dart to second nailing the Grove runner as he slid in...Game Over!  LCC clinched at least a share of the NWC title...that will be decided on Thursday at Crestview, Garry and I will work that one, with me behind the plate.

As Ben and I walked to the parking lot, both agreeing we had a pretty easy game and both did a good job...he reveled to me that on the last out....if the runner had been 'safe' he was going to call "Batter Interference" because the Grove batter had steppe across home plate and interfered with the throw....thankfully that didn't happen, because surely all Hell would have broke lose.....He would have made the right call, but regardless, it was better that it ended the way it did.....no complaints, no controversy, and a solid game, one of the best I've worked this year.

As we parted and I headed towards "The Wine Sellers" on Lima's far west side, the first of the rain drops started hitting the van's windshield....I stopped, picked up a six pack bottles of Guinness Extra Stout so I could enjoy a couple after getting home....when I walked out, the rain had picked up, I called Patricia, and she told me that a couple of large storms had passed through Celina....40 minutes later as I drove into town the limbs and downed trees and a few power poles were there for all to see....it rained for the next couple of hours, the moisture was welcome, we could do without the wind....more storms are likely for tonight.

If we do have baseball, I will be at Crestview for a non league game against Ayresville....the season is winding down, but I will stay busy for the next few weeks, with make-up games, Sectional and District Tournaments, and a few lower level games to that will keep me busy until the off time between the Spring and Summer Seasons.

back later>>>>

Photos-Great Game last night, and we beat the storms by a few mintues....There was no rain at LCC last Summer when I worked the Summer ACME District there....and I relaxed as the rain fell last night, returning home and having a couple of cold Guinness Extra Stouts.

Warm and Wet Beginning to May?

Saturday dawned as one of the potentially most miserable late Spring baseball games I was about to embark on, umpiring-wise.....Sam was home, he had double header slated at Waynesfield-Goshen, but that was "killed" off early as they anticipated the coming rain mix, so he would head back to Columbus to work the video/audio play-by-play for the Ohio State vs Lewis final Men's Volleyball match for entry to the "Final Four" that night....Anissa went with Patricia as they headed to the Dayton area to sit with Grandson "The K-Man", while Hal and Lisa participated in a Autism Walk, in mostly miserable conditions.  Me? Well the rain was holding off, and I was out the door by 8:40am and heading north on 127 the 40 miles or so to Paulding.

I arrived at the diamonds in plenty of time...happy to be working the plate, because the extra gear was going to help keep me warm...Chris, the Paulding AD paid me, and commented, "Looks like we may be able to get this game in"...I wasn't so sure.  My partner Nick showed and we decided to see if we could get started a bit early....just as we headed to the filed, Sleet began to fall....and it was a hard sleet, the ice pellets sticking on jacket and in my hair.   We had the pre-game discussion with the Paulding and visiting Elida coaches, none of sure just how far we would get into this one.

Well we got to the top of the 2nd inning, I finally stopped play with 2 out and 2 on base...Elida had built a 4-0 lead, but with the mixture of ice pellets and large rain drops, it wasn't going to fly....we waited another 15 minutes but I finally called it off....from 80 miles away in Anna, Garry text me saying he had thunderstorms with some hail, and they never got their game started.  Seems Waynesfield was ahead of the game, they cancelled before having to pay the umpires.  Most everybody else, but not all, canceled as well....one of the few wash out days of the mostly dry season thus far.

Tonight is "iffy" game and weather wise....we have a 60% chance of storms, but the first batch moved north and east, and missed us....the next batch appears to be diminishing, but there is more coming.  I am at Lima Central Catholic tonight for a big NWC league game between two of the league powers, LCC and Columbus Grove, the bases tonight for me.....but that game status is in doubt.  To be honest, despite the windy and cool weather the past three weeks, I have not had a game canceled before starting it, and getting paid....pretty amazing streak, and the season is winding down, at least the regular season...Division Tournaments begin Saturday, when I am scheduled to work the D3 Sectional at Lima Shawnee.

A Warm Beginning to May_____

While the winter was much above normal, and March, along with the first week of April, was even more so....the last three weeks have been a mix of cool, windy, and at times seasonal temperatures....the lack of rain has been the most noticeable condition that one does not expect for West Central Ohio.

The forecast as we hit the last day of April is appearing to say, a warm first week of May is in store, along with some more normal rain potential....frankly I would like to see it stay dry for a couple more weeks...getting my tournament games in, and my Michigan Mushroom Hunt completed as well....but Mother Nature is going to do what she always does....and throw us a few curve balls....on that you can count.

Now that my cold, a rare one indeed for me, is about over, I am getting ready to plant the seeds from the flower packets....plenty of differing varieties of Sunflowers, we will try the Moon Walkers in a different location, they were successful last year, but I think we can do better with them elsewhere.  Hopefully we can have that done this week....a bit of rain won't hurt, but not too much.

On the other hand, the flowers that pop up on their own, as you can see from the attached photos, including some left over Sunflower seeds, are making themselves shown....Spring is finally here, and although a day or two in May is usually miserable, for the most part, we can count on "outdoor" weather between now and mid October....and I am ready for it!

back later>>>>

Photos-The March/early April backyard flowers have moved on, and the late April/early May Flowers have arrived....now time to plant those that will come up in late Summer, including my favorites, the different samples of Sunflowers in all shades and sizes.....below one, complete with bee, from the Summer of 2010 in my back yard.

 

Bugs, Wind, Hockey Playoffs....

Despite skipping yesterday on the Blogging Circuit....I survived, and was back on the baseball diamond by yesterday afternoon.  I was at Botkins down a few miles on I-75, the only game south of Grand Lake, other than the District Tournament at Coldwater, that I have on my calendar this Spring season.   Cold Bug, Flu Bug, or whatever the Hell it is, is still with me...usually worse after coming home from umpire work, not so bad by the early afternoon, if I get a decent nights sleep...regardless, it sucks.

I have to say, the last 6 weeks, yes it has been 6 weeks today, since I got my carotid artery cut open and stint placed in the right side of my neck, have been pretty miserable.  Yes, I did get back out on the ball fields, probably too soon.  I resumed much of my usual activities, other than baseball, which included beer drinking, blogging around on the computer, and enjoying the outdoors, out my back door, when the weather was worth venturing outside.  But frankly, it just has not been the same.  The medications have made me tired, at least that is what I'm guessing is the cause, so I have not resumed my workouts in the basement weight room...I was, in my mind, was moving forward, feeling "ok", and not discouraged...until Monday evening, when I came down with "The Bug".  The smart thing would have been to shut down the games and stay home....that, if you know the workings of the contract system, is easier said than done.  Most nights, except perhaps Wednesday, you cannot find umpires that are qualified to work varsity games on short notice...sure I could stick the Athletic Directors with that task....but that's not me.  I've worked too many years and seasons to leave these guys holding the bag...I don't get the tournament and league assignments I do, because I can't be relied on...so I am pushing forward, "Bug" or no bug, and hopeful of a rain out for tomorrow, because it looks like the weather for Saturday is going to be awful.

At Fort Jennings tonight for a Putnam County League game with Kalida....then tomorrow a 10am single game(moved down from a double header) at Paulding vs Elida{not to be confused with Kalida}...40 degrees with rain showers are predicted at game time....now you know why I am rooting for a rain out.

The NHL Stanley Cup round #1 ends...Flyers move on vs New Jersey____

The first round of the NHL dragged on last night, as Flyer fans waited for their round two opponent to be named....we knew it would not be the Rangers, whether they won or lost.  When the New Yorkers pulled out a 2-1 regulation win over Ottawa in game 7 of their series it came down to Florida or New Jersey.  If Florida won, the series would open in Miami, if the Devils won game 7 on the road, they would open the Eastern Semi Finals in Philly.....it took 2 overtimes, but New Jersey pulled out a 3-2 win, after blowing a 2-0 lead in the 3rd period....so three teams from the same Atlantic Division, New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, will make up 3/4th of the Eastern Semis...joined by the Washington Capitols.  New Jersey and the Flyers are the last of the four series to start...Sunday at 3pm.on NBC.   Nashville and Phoenix kick the West off tonight in Arizona.

Here is a preview of the Flyers/Devils match up

http://flyers.nhl.com/index.html

Don't forget the Fort Wayne Komets____

While the NHL moves into the second round, in the long drawn out Stanley Cup Playoffs  ... The minor leagues don't  take nearly as much time.  And my favorite, since I was a kid,  the Fort Wayne Komets, have moved on to the finals of the CHL against the Wichita Thunder:

http://www.komets.com/

The Komets and their play-by-play announcer Bob Chase have been around since the early 1950s, and Fort Wayne is, year in and year out, the top attended minor league hockey team around.  This year was no exception, averaging 8000 fans per contest in the War Memorial Coliseum.

So that's my plan as I recover from "The Bug"..watch some Hockey, umpire some baseball, and hopefully watch the weather warm up....at least that is what they are saying...of course rain may come along with the warm as we move into May, what else can you expect.....perfect weather?  That's not going to happen in West Ohio....back later>>>>

The Bug Day 2....

Another wind blown outing, this one at Ottoville, yesterday afternoon...the hometown Big Green came back from a 4-1 deficit in the 6th inning to pull out a 6-5 win over visiting Lima Perry...scoring the final two runs with 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th.....

The wind was constant at 40mph out of the west and northwest....and did little good for the "bug" that has plagued me since Monday evening....I feel somewhat better today, after a rough night, but frankly if the approaching rains wash out tonight's game at Wayne Trace, I won't be disappointed.  No rainouts so far this season, and couple of those probably won't bother most of the coaches....the pitching has to be getting thin by this time of the season.

Looking ahead...I see the "High" temperature Saturday is only slated to be 45 degrees!!!  WTF?  Another date I would be more than a little happy to see canceled, this one at Paulding....umpiring in these conditions is anything but pleasant...and with the effects of the cold/flu or whatever the Hell "bug" I have, would be worse.

This morning the excitement is getting a haircut, followed by turning on The Big Ten Network and see oldest son Sam work the Women's Softball game at Ohio State.....that game begins at Noon Eastern Time...

OK, that's the short and boring of it....off to get those ears lowered....

back later>>>>

Photos-Worked a wind blown game for the 3rd time in a row, this one at Ottoville's Big Green yesterday....and Sam, seen here working a Ohio State Volleyball game, will be on The Big Ten Network doing women's Softball at Noon (EDT) today

The Bug....

Not sure if it's the flu or cold, but one thing for sure, it sucks....

A raw windy day on the ball diamond at Paulding yesterday, but other than some congestion I made it through the 2 hour game...a 8-2 win by visiting Ada, who had been beaten just last Thursday in a league game 42-4, giving up 25 runs in the first inning...they also were outscored 32-2 on Saturday in a double header.  The visiting Bulldogs jumped out early and won going away over the host Panthers...not without some complaining directed at me by the youthful Paulding coach however.  It did seem most of the close calls went against his team, but you know what?  You call them the way you see them, and I'm pretty sure I got all of them right....regardless of what he may have thought....besides, when you lose 8-2, those calls didn't make a hill of beans difference in the outcome.

After the game, on the way home...taking the back roads from Van Wert, I felt wore down from the constant 40mph winds that blew during the contest.  By the time I showered, had a bite to eat, and poured a beer, I knew something wasn't right...a couple hours later, I knew I probably had caught what my mom had...I stopped by her place yesterday and she was pretty much "out of it"....this morning I figured out that I had been messing around on her computer on Sunday, and most likely had picked up what she had, from the keyboard and mouse contact.

About 10 or 12 years ago, I had changed my eating habits, workout habits, and vitamin intake...and as a result, I have not had the flu since the beginning of the new century, and the handful of cold I had acquired, were the day long and mild variety....Not so with this one!  It's a full blow something...not sure it it's the flu or just a nasty head cold...but it sure stinks.

Game slated at Ottoville tonight....and I will probably try to work it, despite the way I feel...but I will be hitting the hay early....and let you know how it all goes tomorrow.

back later>>>>

And the Wind Continues......post season Baseball Assignments

Youngest son Hal flew into Buffalo yesterday afternoon, once step ahead of the major eastern storm that is heading towards the northeast....and will be driving into Toronto for a work related meeting today....it looks like he will be driving into some snow...April 23rd?

Having lived for a couple of years in the Mohawk Valley of Upstate New York, I know what April and May, even June can bring...so the snow of this week should come as no surprise up that way.  I can remember June 5, 1971, at Griffiss Air Force Base, when a C5A landed at the base, and I was assigned to provide security for that larger than life plane...June 5th it was, and it was a snowing....large, heavy, flakes, coming down on my security vehicle, and the two young Airman I had assigned to guard it the massive plane, on that day.....

The winter of 1970-71 was so cold and snow infested,  the piles of gritty, grimy, snow, stacked off the base runways didn't totally melt until early July...we had over 300 inches of snow that season, my first winter back from Vietnam...damn I hated that.   Hated it so much in fact, that I volunteered to go back to Vietnam and Southeast Asia..."Sure they said, if you'll extend your enlistment for another two years"...well that ended that...no way I was staying in the military any longer than I had signed up for.   So I was stuck in snowy Upstate New York for two winters.....

This winter past, and the month of March were well above normal temperature wise, and we received very little snow in this area of Ohio...the latter part of April it seems, will try to make up for some of that "nice" weather.  The wind has been a constant...and the once above normal temperatures have settled into the normal and a bit below normal range, we have however remained dry for the most part.

With this past Friday, a rare day off from baseball, I awoke early Saturday, knowing that I had a double header scheduled at Wayne Trace...a 9am double header to boot.  The rain from Friday, as light as it was, had ended, but the cloud cover stayed as I drove the 35 miles north to the windy diamond, located in Blue Creek Township of Paulding County.  The neon clock/temperature sign read 37 degrees when I passed though Van Wert on my way....it would stay cool and windy for the next 6 hours.  I worked the plate the first game, a 8-4 North Central win, and the gear helped me to stay warm....by the second game, this a 9-5 Pioneer victory, the temperatures had risen into the mid to upper 40s and a peek on occasion the sun would make....not comfortable conditions, but I have worked in worse.

This afternoon it's back to Paulding County, this time in the county seat of the same name...to work a NWC League game between the home standing Panthers and visiting Ada...hopefully the visiting Bulldogs don't start off like they did last Thursday, when Columbus Grove put up a 25 run first inning(an all time Ohio Varsity record), on their way to a 42-4 win....one of the most lopsided games in Ohio High School Baseball history....in these windy conditions, we don't need that.  I had Ada last Monday at Lincolnview, they lost, but it was actually a competitive game most of the way...hopefully today's will be likewise.

The Post Season....just around the corner____

Yesterday I checked my e-mail just after the noon hour, and saw a couple of messages from the Ohio High School Athletic Association...I clicked on it's website at myOHSAA, and saw three contracts up for the District Baseball Tournaments.  The District drive won't be far this year....as I am assigned to the Coldwater Division 4 District...just an eight mile drive.  May 16th and 18th, a Wednesday and Friday are the dates...and my partners are Garry, who I work often with during the regular season, and Big Ed from the St. Marys Association.  Ed has nearly 40 years of High School umpiring under his belt, and although we don't work a lot of spring baseball with each, we do work often in the Summer in ACME games....should be a good crew, and this District will  likely have several good teams, which probably will include the defending D4 State Champions from Minster, if they make it out of their own Sectional.

The three games in District will bring my total of post season assignments to six...with three sectionals, 2 at Lima Shawnee, and another at Convoy Crestview(whose sectional feeds into the Coldwater District)...this also will mark the 4 time in 5 years I have received a District Assignment{last year being the exception}...to go with the Regional assignments over the same years.....

Flyers Win!

My favorite hockey team, Philadelphia, moved on to round two, the Eastern Conference Semi Finals yesterday.  They knocked off hated rival, Pittsburgh, 5-1 to take the best of seven series 4 games to 2....The Penguins had entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs as favorites....but the prim dona Pens couldn't handle the rough and tumble Flyers, despite their efforts at "Gooning it Up"...55 goals in total were scored, and with scores like 10-3, 8-5, and 8-4, it hardly seemed like playoff hockey....but we will take it, as Philly awaits their next opponent, yet to be decided.

 Speaking of windy, this post was long winded enough today....so I will cut it loose for now...

 back later>>>>

Photos-The C5A...at that time in 1971, the largest of the fleet in the Air Force...Me in from of the Security Police living quarters in the winter of 70-71 at Griffiss AFB....some of the 300 inches of snow we received that season...my first back from Vietnam...The District Assignments are out, and I will be working the 3 man crew at Coldwater this year in Division IV....and the Philly Flyers move on!