On Catching Natitude

My mom noticed something different about my Beetle today. What’s the decal on your car?” “It’s a Washington Nationals decal. I picked it up at Big Lots a few weeks ago.” “Why?” I shrugged. “It was cheap.” True, it was only three dollars. And Big Lots had lots of Nationals merchandise. Of course, they’ve hadContinue reading “On Catching Natitude”

On My Independence Day Plans

July 4th. Two epochal, world-changing events have fallen on July 4th. The first comes on July 4, 1776. In Kent that day, Horatio Hornblower was born, and he would become one of the Royal Navy’s greatest heroes, distinguishing himself at an early age and playing a significant role in the defeat of Napoleon. The secondContinue reading “On My Independence Day Plans”

A Tale of Two Baseball Caps

Yesterday, the Stars & Stripes Washington Nationals Baseball Cap arrived. Baseball teams started wearing patriotic baseball caps on national holiday weekends a few years ago. (And yes, the Toronto Blue Jays have their own patriotic cap, with the Maple Leaf instead of the Stars and Stripes.) Despite my love of the Cubs :cubs: I don’tContinue reading “A Tale of Two Baseball Caps”

On a Tale of Two Baseball Teams

As I write this, the Chicago Cubs :cubs: have a record of 35 wins, 46 losses. The Washington Nationals have a similar record — 36 wins, 46 losses. The Nats are 12 1/2 games back in the National League East, the Cubs :cubs: are 10 1/2 back in the National League Central. And yet. AndContinue reading “On a Tale of Two Baseball Teams”

On End-of-Season Baseball Musings

With the playoffs beginning today, I wanted to muse on things baseball-related. First, why does a team advance to the playoffs as a wild card when there’s a tie for division champion? I’m not trying to exclude Boston from the playoffs, but it’s a fair question. Boston didn’t win their division. The Tigers and theContinue reading “On End-of-Season Baseball Musings”

On Mistaken Names

I watched on MASN2 this afternoon two of the lowliest teams in baseball — the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates. I consider the Nats my “local team.” I think this is common amongst football fans (and by “football fans” I mean “soccer fans”), where there’s a top tier squad that one roots for, andContinue reading “On Mistaken Names”

On Signs of Spring

Today’s a little dreary in Baltimore. It’s overcast. It’s a little chilly. The air feels like snow. I want spring. I want it now. Fortunately for me, the first signs of spring have arrived. Spring training games began yesterday. And in the game that mattered to me, the Cubs :cubs: triumphed over the Dodgers atContinue reading “On Signs of Spring”