Monday, December 28, 2009
Sometimes I forget...
... that I'm 31. 3 decades plus 1. It's a trip. I have reminders that I'm old-er, although I can't really say I'm old. I don't feel old. My body's weaker at some points, my emotional maturity is evolved, but I'm not old in the negative connotation. (But why is getting older bad? Not sure. I'm just not there.)
I think I read a retweet somewhere that said something to the effect: Why complain about getting older when there are so many people who don't make it this far?
Christmas time is always the easiest time to make a clock check because family parties show the wear, tear, and evolution of the family.
The nieces and nephews are all getting older. One's in high school. Two or three are in middle school. The rest are all older, sassier, talking, aware. I remember when they were in their illegible stages. My god.
Parents are aging. Uncles and aunties are aging. Cousins are aging. But, in the same way, I forget that they're at their advanced.. umm.. youthful adulthood. We're all relatively "young" acting with a great big mix of adult grounding.
I still wear jeans and flashy sneakers more than I wear shirts with collars and blue suits. I've actually never worn a blue suit, but you get it. But, I guess the biggest riddle of this game of getting older is processing what it's all supposed to mean at particular numerical landmarks. When I'm 40 am I NOT supposed to dress the way I do now? Why? It's not like I'm wearing my belts to my knees or raggedy t-shirts to formal dinners.
I think the age game, like so many other things, is a part of the Matrix-like mainframe to trap us into categories so that OTHER people can make better assumptions about us before knowing us. Yet, it's wonderful knowing the need, stepping up to the challenge, and tracking our personal growth. But, those tracks are built by ourselves. Or else, we're just trying to compete in someone else's race. And that's great and dandy for a bunch of the world, but not for me.
I've strayed. Been lost. Been disconnected. Been de-spirited. But I know who I am and where I need to go to become there person I want to be. And that's wherever the combination of where the road takes me and my decisions along the way. Is that a less poetic and omnipotent way of saying destiny meets free will? Not really. It's just what I am. Here, there, and wherever.
The roots and the soil are my peoples.
The clouds are the forms of creation.
I spent the late 20s and early 30 ignoring the elements. I had those things - the earth, the skies, and myself all flowing into some sort of spirituality at some point. So, I know I could go there again. And there will be my journey for now until something else decides to engage me in something else.
Kinda esoteric. Kinda whimsical. But it's okay. That's who I am. And at 31, I'm still not bothering with constructions. Or are they instructions?
Friday, December 25, 2009
Marco Scutaro piece from April 2005
Written in April 2005
I was whispering to myself and sort of to my friend next to me during a later inning of the A’s – Angels game on Friday night for Charles Thomas to just get a hit, “Scutaro will get you home, I promise.” Unfortunately, Marco didn’t get a chance to do that because Thomas couldn’t get on base. I was joking in a sense – making a promise I couldn’t keep, but I was serious also. Scutaro’s done nothing but produce more than ever expected during his tenure as an A, and despite him lacking superstar status I always believe in him.
He came into the Sunday afternoon game against the Angels batting only .241. Definitely not the surprising .320 he was hitting last year at this time. He also has been fielding at shortstop to fill in for injured superstar-to-be Bobby Crosby. On Friday night, a ball was hit up the middle and it was within his range, but it was obvious the lack of experience at the position left him a bit tentative. He and Mark Ellis were running towards the grounder, but both stopped to yield for each other. It was Scutaro’s ball – Ellis’ yield, but Marco didn’t get it. Doesn’t matter. He killed the Angels on Sunday with his defense. That’s what matters. He’s getting better. Plus he hit the game winning homerun – a major plus for a non-power hitting second baseman. That’s really what matters, too.
Scutaro’s a small guy and he’s young. You can see the youth in his face and the freshness of his baseball life. He’s also got a somewhat bashful batting stance – feet close together, bat held timidly high, and he has an off beat foot tap. His size and youth combined with that stance, it sort of makes you adhere your support of him like you would one of those Little League World Series kids. But his game is all man – all able bodied heart – all star even if he probably will never be an All Star. He is exactly why the revenue-deficient A’s are perfect representatives for a blue-collar town like Oakland. He is exactly what Billy Beane baseball is all about even when it gets frustratingly fruitless.
After Sunday’s game, Scutaro will probably be forgotten again by media. He’s not as exciting a draw as someone like Chavez, a four-time Gold Glove third baseman who’s making the news the wrong way with his yearly early-season funk. Nevermind the fact that Scutaro had the highest fielding average of all American League second basemen last year. Nevermind the fact that he has produced more clutch hits this year than Chavez or Durazo who are hitting in the 3 and 4 holes, respectively. This isn’t a call for a mutiny against Chavez or Durazo. Let’s just not forget what Scutaro continues to bring to the team.
Two weeks ago, he was a Bobby Crosby injury away from being optioned to Sacramento. Who could blame the team for that? With Mark Ellis back and Keith Ginter ready to share time, Scutaro was left out, as usual. The question now is if the A’s can afford to keep forgetting about him. Ellis deserves the starting spot. He is a versatile hitter and great defender. Ginter was an off-season free agent acquisition. Being that Beane signs those so infrequently, it would seem the Ginter (who does have more apparent power than Scutaro) would keep a spot. Where does that leave Scutaro?
I guess he’ll just have to keep producing. If he has to, he’ll just have to help Sacramento get to the Triple-A playoffs again and when time comes he’ll get called up and quietly help drive the A’s to the postseason. That’s just what he does.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Best of the Double Zeros: Pro Sports Experiences
Initially, I was only going to count the best live experiences I’ve had watching sports this decade, but realized there were some moments, as you’ll see, that were far too impacting to leave out.
1) Marco! Scutaro! Send the A’s to the next round! - 2006
Hands down, this was the BEST experience I have ever had at a sporting event. The A’s, after squandering so many opportunities in the past to get past the first round dubbing them “Choke-land” finally were one the precipice of getting over the hump. Bases loaded and the guy that only hit in clutch situations, Marco Scutaro, was up to bat. A few moments later, he drove a ball down the right field line that ended with a close play at home, that scored Nick Swisher, and Scutaro on 2nd base watching intently and giving Swish the “safe” gesture. The crowd went nuts. I was sitting in the same section that, a few years earlier, I saw the A’s go down. It wasn’t the game winning hit, but it was the game sealing hit. It was also THE hit that the A’s had been missing for years. What did we do? We chanted “MARCO” (dub dub dub) “SCUTARO” (dubbydido) for almost two innings! I still get chills thinking about it. I also witnessed it with one my few diehard A’s fans and one of my best friends, Mon. Scutaro won’t be remembered much by most baseball fans, but he’ll always hold a special place in A’s fans’ hearts – not only for this moment, but for ALL of the clutch hits he had.
Marco's hit: Youtube
More on Marco: sfgate
2) Sharks kill a penalty with 3 guys and 1 stick - 2006
Not sure how many hockey games I had attended before this particular playoff game. It definitely was not a high amount, so this unexpected treat was surely appreciated. My sports buddy, Tricia, invited me to watch the game and all of a sudden the Sharks were faced with a 2-man disadvantage. 101 seconds in a tense game. I forgot the score at the time. The game ended as a 2-1 victory for the Sharks so a goal would’ve been a major event. Anyway, at some point both the sticks of Scott Hannon and Mark Smith were broken and that left Kyle McClaren as the only defenseman with a stick. Well, other than goaltender, Toskala. Basically, the Sharks were on a 5-1 penalty kill. Anyway, that puck stayed inside the Sharks zone for a long time. There were shots, diving Sharks players, rebounds, but nothing could get cleared. Each shot and each deflection brought everyone in the Tank closer and closer off our seats ready to burst into cheers (relief) or intense disappointment. A shot was attempted and the rebound floated into the middle of the zone where Scott Hannan was nearby. Without a stick, he dove to the ice and cleared the puck, and the Tank EXPLODED. It was, what they call, bedlam. It was easily the greatest sporting event I had ever witnessed in person (until Scutaro sent the A’s past the first round!) If you couldn’t fall in love with hockey (SHARKS Hockey!) at that point, you were a lost cause.
Game Recap: NHL.com
3) We Believe Warriors Worldwide – 2007
The We Believe run for the Golden State Warriors was a traveling affair for me. Game 1 was happening on a road trip back from Las Vegas as we were driving through one of the cross highway roads connected 5 to 99. The game was on the local sports station but the signal wasn’t great. I still made everyone in the listen to it as long as I could. Then, a day or two after, I was in the Philippines. I didn’t expect much, but I was just excited to see the Warriors in the playoffs. Once we got to Manila, after spending most of our time in the province and in Palawan, I found the basketball channels in our hotel room. I watched what I could. I watched reruns. Then, one morning, they showed one of the games live and sat there watching in the Philippines! Over there, only a few teams got much pub: Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, Bulls, Heat, and the Mavs. None of my cousins knew anything about the W’s so they didn’t understand my fervor for them. It’s all a haze now. I’m not sure which games happened while I was gone or when Game 6 was, but that was a great great time to be a Warrior fan – anywhere in the world. Then, of course, BD dunked on Kirilenko and made, for damn sure, the world knew who the Warriors were. They lost and now have only TWO people left from the We Believe team. (By the way, Warrior fans are too loyal for our own good. And, another by the way, Utah fans TRIED to be like the Oracle crowd but couldn’t live up. They TRIED to be raucous to match Oracle, but they just aren’t Warriors fans. Okay, done.)
BD's dunk on AK47
Matt Barnes ****s on Dirk's face
4) A’s win 20th a row - 2002
Anyone who was there or watched it on TV spent knew that the first 15 minutes were exciting. The next 45 were laughable and anticlimactic. Then, the next two to three hours became slowly discomforting finally edging, if not completely falling, into shock and subtle disgust. Then. Came. Hatty. After going on an epic, MVP-winning run by Tejada and the A’s for 19 straight games, the cool summer night that hosted the 20th game began as an exciting fun capper on the streak. The A’s ran up an 11-run lead on the Royals and did it quickly. It was such a big lead, so early, that I remember feeling a little disappointed that the record-breaking game wouldn’t have as much zest. Then came the erosion of the giant lead like a stream slowly breaking our hearts apart. I don’t remember much in the middle except for the doom I felt as well as the disdain for the middle and late relief that gave up the runs. Looking at the story, it looks like it was Billy Koch. Nonetheless, “moneyball” pick-up Scott Hatteberg came up to pinch-hit in the bottom of the ninth and then a few moments later I was eyeing the ball he smoked to right seemingly eye level (I was sitting on the top section before it was tarped off, obviously.) Then, the celebration. I didn’t want to leave, and party with the A’s faithful. It wasn’t exactly the way we were hoping it would’ve happened, but extremely happy nonetheless.
Recap: cnnsi.com
5) Davis beats Stanford – 2005
What my friends and I wanted was our Division II team to come in and play hard and NOT be blown out by the end of the first half. Us getting in late, that hope was even more pronounced. When we finally got into the stadium to find our seats, the game was still close. Once the final drive started, my fellow Davis alums looked at each other thinking, “we actually still have a chance”. Davis started at the far end of the field and began driving towards our end zone with a bunch of dump passes and short routes. It was becoming a reality but we still couldn’t believe it. Then, Blaise Smith ran his route into the corner of the end zone near our seats and Jon Grant hit him for the lead. What did we do? We jumped around, of course. But, along with me, I noticed a couple of us running around the bleachers in complete joy and disbelief. I saw my other friends, Stanford alums, in complete shock. On the way out, I called some of the other Davis folks that didn’t come along to watch. It took a few minutes for them to actually believe me.
Game Recap: ESPN
6) 49ers comeback against the Giants - 2002
After I graduated from Davis, I spent the next two to four years in Davis and Sacramento on the weekends almost weekly. First it was at Adams. Then, once the boys all graduated and moved into Alex’s house, I was there. Saturdays were usually full of Madden. Sundays were full of real football. And, in between, there were bottles of beer, random trips to Tahoe, homerun derby with a whiffleball bat, BBQs, and even more Madden. When the Niners took on the Giants in the playoffs we were all amped. Then, as the Giants went apeshit on the Niners our energy began to dissipate. But we kept watching. In the 2nd half as the Niners made their push, we stayed glued to our seats on the couch and on the floor. We all took note. Didn’t move. We didn’t have anything to do with the game on the field, but damnit we were going to will them to a victory from the family room! Score after score – defensive stop after defensive stop we started to believe more, started to cheer louder, started to high-five harder until the Niners fully came back and won the game! What a game.
The memory that lasts though occurred the next week. The Niners once again were screwed going into the 2nd half being down 28-6 to the Tampa Bay Bucs. Witnessing the amazing comeback from the week before gave us a sliver of hope. So, what did we do? We all found our spots on the couch and the floor from a week before. It didn’t work. The Bucs dominated the 2nd half and eventually won the Super Bowl, but those two Sundays represented the good times with the fellas those early years in the decade.
Recap of the 2006 NFL Playoffs: wikipedia
7) Baron Davis hits the buzzer-beating game-winning shot against the Celtics - 2008
My buddy Art’s been a long time fan of the Celtics. I’m one of the few friends that actually knows this for some reason. So, since I knew this, I decided to bring him to the Warriors versus Celtics game. And it was a good one. I don’t remember much of the game except for lamenting the damage that I thought Ray Allen would do – against good teams with solid 3 point shooters, the Warriors typically overhelped and left the sniper alone. He had a monster game. But the Warriors, like they did during those two years of We Believe, stepped up against the best teams led by Baron Davis. I remember standing during the final possession in a raucous Oracle (it was always crazy that year) and watched BD take his step-back shot and drain it. We went nuts – not Art or the hoard of Celtics fans. Leaving the Arena that night, the energy felt like it was a playoff game. The Warriors went toe-to-toe against the best team in the league (the eventual World Champs), and for one night at least, were better than them. What a great 1 ½ years of being a Warrior fan. How sad. 1 point 5 years.
Game Recap: Boston Globe
8) A’s lose to the Red Sox - 2003
Wait, what? Yes, this game makes the top ten. Why? It was my first professional (or any, I guess) sports playoff experience ever. Despite the terrible way of losing – two strikeouts looking in a row – this playoff experience did not disappoint. The Mac, as it was known back then, was rocking from the start. Our section, behind the left field bleachers was awesome. I learned more about the left field bleacher traditions that game. There was beef from the Red Sox and A’s fans. There was a concussion. A Zito blow up. Clutch plays all around. A terrible managerial call of hitting T Long instead of Jermaine Dye (who cares about the lefty-right match-up? Dye’s a stud, Long is NOT.) I told the Boston fans near us to take the Yankees because they were still the stepchild to the Yanks’ evil empire (before they were both equally evil empires). It was during the 2002 season that I officially fell in love with Baseball. This capped it.
Game Recap: ESPN
9) Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays – Fenway experience - 2009
With my found love for baseball this decade, I decided that I wanted to visit all the MLB ballparks across the country. Only a few historic ballparks still exist and are in use and Fenway Park is one of the most beautiful and iconic. For a an evening, I became a Sox fan dawning a red shirt and Huong wore a blue one to match. And yes, we both knew were were selling out for an evening, but we both are baseball fans and this was an experience any baseball fan should experience. (It’s not like the A’s or Giants were the opponents, anyway.) The stadium is full of character: the eating area underneath the bleachers oozed an energy and community that seemingly has thrived there for a century. Walking by the Green Monster, on Yawkey Way was awe-inspiring. The energy on Yawkey was great. Once we entered the stadium, there was an old-time band playing old-time baseball music – just like you heard on Ken Burns’ Baseball documentary. Then, walking into the aisles, and taking a look at the Green Monster from the inside was truly a baseball-geeking out moment. Experiencing Sweet Caroline during the middle of the 8th was just as fun as it seems on tv and movies. Seeing Jonathon Paplebon enter the field, who I usually can’t stand, was very fun for the evening. The rocking out Dropkick Murphy’s “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” energizes the stadium like no other – very intoxicating it must be for real (and their immense amount of bandwagon) fans. (Yes, I have to take a shot.) Seeing Marco Scutaro play for the Blue Jays was a treat, also. It was a great baseball experience. Nothing less.
(A few more parting shots: at least 5 or 6 times people came into our section looking for OTHER rows, seats, or sections. WTF? Read your ticket and the damn signs. We were swimming in milk. Getting out of the bleachers and getting OUT of the Fenway area was a bit of a nightmare. The people sitting behind us initially were kinda scary. They eventually moved because they were one of the 5 or 6 that were in the wrong section. Take that, d-bags!)
Game Recap: ESPN
10) A’s vs Giants Weekend - 2006
Looking back at a previous post, I realize now that I went to all three games of the “Bay Bridge Series” at Oakland. Admittedly, I commit sports polygamy with the A’s, Giants, and even the Mets. But I have steadfast rules. One, the A’s are my team. Period. Two, I don’t cheer against any of the home teams – meaning I wouldn’t watch a A’s at Giants game at ATT so I wouldn’t have to cheer against the Giants. Three, the A’s are my team and wouldn’t cheer against them in any situation – Mets, Giants, Bad News Bears, Victoria Secret softball team, whatever. So, that weekend was fun. It’s always fun to watch the series with close friends that are fans of both teams since the ribbing would be good natured. Back then, I could also stomach the idiocy of both teams’ fans screaming stupid insults at each other. Ribbing that is good-natured is fine. But the doucheyness of both teams has turned me off to watching most of those games. This game, this rout, was fun because of the company. We were all sitting in the left field with a mix of friends and a mix of different fans. It obviously was a terrible game for the Gmen fans. At the time, I still had my ever-reliable A’s fan companion so it made it more fun. I love baseball.
Sunday Game Recap: ESPN
