Anyone Care for a Bryce Harper Update?

Click Clack.

Welcome to the anonymity of the Sally League, Bryce.  I’m not going to leave you alone, though.  I’m on phenom watch. Someone needs to hit in the middle of the Nationals lineup and clearly Jayson Werth is not the answer (just continuing my DiMaggio-like streak of taking every possible shot at J-Dub).  I was hoping the Nationals would cave under the pressure and just throw Harper into the fire.  All the more easy for me to track his progress, but they did no such thing. They shipped him all the way down to low-A ball.  Hagerstown, MD.  Not exactly the big-time.  Is there room for Bryce and his eye black in a humble Western Maryland hamlet?

Harper started the season slowly, and I felt my enthusiasm waning, but my most recent check of his statistics brings exciting news.  He’s 6 for his last 10, he’s got a .414 OBP, and Friday he went 3 for 3 with a double, homer, 2 walks and 6 RBIs.  Now, that’s the kind of game that can rekindle the interest in a hurry.  I’ve decided that I can’t watch this spectacle from the sidelines any longer.  The weekend of May 14th, Harper and Hagerstown invade Lakewood, NJ.  It’s the closest the Sally League gets to these parts.  I want to see the show in person.  I’m expecting several volunteers to make the trip with me.  Let me know.  We’ll stop and play golf on the way, perhaps get a cheeseburger, it’ll be a great time.

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I know this has probably been said a million times, but it is amazing how many episodes of Seinfeld are rendered completely implausible by the emergence of the cell phone.  I was watching the parking garage episode the other day and while it is still funny, it is also completely ridiculous.  How many episodes are based on the characters not being able to get in touch with each other?  You’ve got Bubble Boy, The Airport, The Party out on Long Island, I feel like it goes on and on.  Sometimes when I am writing something these days I feel burdened by plausibility.  It must have been nice when you could write something about people in the same building wandering around not being able to find each other. I mean, everyone’s funny if you throw out the cell phone.

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MLB Underdog of the Day:  Friday’s Result:  Loss.  Financial Status, (-63,000 pennies)

Top 5 Worst Gamblers of All-Time:

1. Grossy
2. Pete Rose
3. Eddie Mush
4. Leonard Tose
5. Kraft circa 2009

Today’s Pick:  Washington (+110) over Pittsburgh.

Not a huge line, and in such a hole I was tempted to try Kyle Drabek again, but I’m in desperate need of a win, and betting against the Pirates seems as good a method as any.  John Lannan, I could see him developing into Omar Daal.

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Quiz of the Day:  Last 40 HR Hitter by Team.  Category: Human Growth What?  My Score: 29/29.

Take your time, deep breath, guess away.

Top Ten, Etc.

A View at Galloway National

There’s a pretty interesting feature (to me) over at Golf Digest’s website.  They’ve asked several top players, or asked them over the years to rank their top-10 favorite courses in the United States.  It’s an interesting look, because these are players with access to just about any course in the country.  There isn’t quite as much variety as I would like to see, but maybe the best really are just the best.  I’ve played only a dabbling of top courses in my lifetime, but here’s my top-10 anyway.  If you’re wondering where Pine Valley and Augusta are, well, I haven’t played them, but thanks for asking.

1.  Merion Golf Club (East Course)–Upon some reflection, this is easily the best course I’ve ever played.

2.  Gallaway National Golf Club–First time I played Gallaway, I was careering it through 10 holes, then blew up.  The second time, with less emotional swings I realized how good the golf course was.

3.  Bob O’Link–My favorite place to experience.  A men’s only club in Highland Park, Illinois.  Amazing atmosphere and a pretty good golf course too.

4.  Baltimore Country Club (Five Farms)–Maybe the best set of Par 4s I’ve ever encountered.

5.  Shoreacres–A hidden gem for design enthusiasts, hardly gets any play, felt like I had the course to myself in the middle of the summer.

6.  The New Course at Grand Cypress–There’s no rough on this golf course.  There’s trouble, but the fringe from the putting green melds perfectly into the first tee and off you go.  All short grass.  For me, a dream come true.

7.  Lost Dunes Golf Club–Kind enough to employ me for a summer, but also one of Tom Doak’s first great American courses.

8.  The Olympic Club (Ocean Course)–The less famous of the two courses, but the golf in San Francisco is unique and just off the charts good.  This was the best I’ve gotten to experience.

9.  Caledonia Golf and Fish Club–I debated between this and Tidewater, but I think this is my favorite in the Myrtle Beach area.  I just love the final shot coming over the water on 18 with the clubhouse in the background.

10.  Bent Creek Country Club–Four years of college golf practice.  Pretty good course, but all those laughs and misadventures deserve a spot in the top-10.

Feel free to share some of your favorites…

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If you don’t feel like debating golf course rankings, or lamenting the fact that the now defunct Valley Forge Golf/Tennis and Yacht club is one of the 20 best courses you’ve ever played…here’s something else to think about.  I’m sitting here, surrounded by a pretty good haul of Easter candy.  It was a decent year.  It made me think, what holiday has the best of it in terms of sweets or desserts?  They all have their specialties.  Easter brings out Cadbury Eggs, jelly beans, pastel colored M&M (they taste better!).  There’s Halloween.  There are Christmas cookies.  Thanksgiving has a stranglehold on the pie market it seems like.  You could bend the rules and say July 4th could have the S’More.  Would Christmas lose points for the Fruitcake?  How would you rate your holidays in terms of calorie binge delivery systems?  If I was ranking quickly, I’d probably go:

1. Easter
2. Christmas
3. Halloween
4. Thanksgiving
5. Summer 3-Day Weekends.