UPDATED 21 FEBRUARY 2009 in the cold morning light: grammar in the introduction and #s 1, 5, 10, 12, 15, 18, and 20; new links in #1; and new information in #18. UPDATED 21 FEBRUARY 2009 later in the day because I just remembered I've been to Texas (#9, #11). It’s the third Friday in February, which means pitchers and catchers have been in camp for a week. I want to write a Friday night blog post.. do I dive into my folder of technical posts awaiting my attention, which is deeper than it’s ever been?

Last Tuesday and Wednesday very little was right with the world, as the first two games of the 2008 regular Major League Baseball season were played half a world away, and they started at 3AM Seattle time.  I'm all for globalizing the appeal of the game, but 3AM?!?   And then have both teams come back to the States and play more exhibition games?!?   It defies reason. Last night, things got a little better.  The Washington Nationals hosted the first regular-season baseball game

..pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training. This is better than the groundhog and his shadow.. -wp

Sad news that one of the iconic voices of my youth, Phil Rizzuto, has passed on at the age of 89. "The Scooter" was the oldest living Hall of Famer at the time of his passing. After an incredible 13-season playing career (interupted, as so many were, by the most recent War To End All Wars), Rizzuto was a broadcaster for the Yankees -- the only team he ever played for -- for another 40 years. Even if you never watched the Yankees on television or listened to them on the radio, though, you've probably

Kyle and I are back in Redmond after our weekend in Yakima . Yesterday, the Redmond boys faced Strategic Energy of Gig Harbor for third place in the tournament. The boys played well, but lost in the end, 10-6. Although they finished in fourth place with a 1-3 record, all of the teams that beat them finished ahead of them, so there were no easy games in their schedule. After the game, about two-thirds of the team enjoyed a scenic three hour raft float down the Yakima River Canyon north of town. The

Hello once again from Yakima, Washington, where frequent visitors to this space will recall I've traveled to watch my son Kyle's team compete in the Yakima Mid Summer Special baseball tournament. After yesterday's victory against the Red Sox and this morning's loss to Prairie , Redmond returned to the Eisenhower High School field this evening to face a select team from Prairie with first place in Pool A on the line. Unfortunately, every available break went against the Redmond crew from the get-go.

Hello again from Yakima, Washington, where frequent visitors to this space will recall I've traveled to watch my son Kyle's team compete in the Yakima Mid Summer Special baseball tournament. After yesterday's victory in the tournament opener, Redmond is playing a doubleheader of sorts today, with games at 9:00am and 6:00pm. The nine o'clock game was an inter-pool matchup with Columbia Basin (not Prairie, as I reported yesterday), which won in impressive fashion, 11-3 in five innings. The Columbia

Greetings from Yakima, Washington, where frequent visitors to this space will recall I've traveled to watch my son Kyle's team compete in the Yakima Mid Summer Special baseball tournament. Today they faced the Red Sox, who certainly appear to be a local team here in Yakima (several members of the team did maintenance work on the field after the game). This afternoon's game was very well-played by both side. Redmond jumped out 1-0; the Red Sox came back to take a 2-1 lead which held until Redmond

It's been awhile since I posted any non-technical news, and since the current non-technical news is going to result in blog neglect until August 9, I figured I'd let you know what's up. Of course, that's the pivotal piece of information right there. After this week, I'm going to be willfully neglecting the blog for a protracted period. If the whys and wherefores are of limited interest to you, then feel free to abandon this post presently. I won't be offended. You've gotten the gist of this message.

The day brings much remarkable news. Kyle and Zach worked the 9-12 year old Little League tryouts today, assisting about 250 of the younger competitors in the league through a day of skills evaluation. The day also served as an impromptu reunion of last year's Redmond Red Sox. Many of the boys were in attendance, including Ryan FitzPatrick, who is now throwing right-handed! Congratulations to Ryan, dad Dave, mom Corinne, and brother Sean on this remarkable turn of events. The other piece of news