Walk Off

There’s a special tie to Baseball history that continues to thrill fans of the game, especially in October.

This year I’m torn. Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, or Astros? If you’ve been watching the 2017 MLB playoffs it’s been a treat so far. Readers of this blog know by now I’m a dedicated Cubs fan, however . . .

First of all, there’s Jose Altuve, the Astros 5′ 6″, 165 lb. sensation, what a joy to watch. He plays the game with reckless abandonment. Will he hit a home run, steal a base to manufacture a run, or simply fly around the bases from first to score the winning run? He’s currently batting .466 in the playoffs and has captured the hearts of baseball fans everywhere. Don’t believe me, just tune into any ALCS game this season and listen to the broadcasters revel in his accomplishments.

In complete contrast is the Yankee Rookie sensation Aaron Judge, 6′ 7″, 282 lbs., built for power and speed. With an unassuming smile, and calm demeanor he goes about his business professionally. Criticized by the press for batting .172 in the first two ALCS games against the Astros. His attitude is best summed up with this quote, ”To a certain extent," Judge said, "I enjoy failure. It's part of the game. There's always room to grow, there's room to improve. So it's been a fun ride. And it's my first year, still pretty crazy.”

Judge, an All Star in his rookie year, the Home Run Derby Champion for 2017, and American League Home run leader, with a record 56 (eclipsing Mark McGuire’s record of 50 in 1987). Star credentials for the historic Yankee franchise already being compared to Babe Ruth with gargantuan blasts.

And how about the Dodgers? Exactly 29 years to the day from Kirk Gibson’s memorable walk-off, fist pumping home run, Justin Turner launches his first walk-off home run to seal a Dodger victory over my Cubs in Dodger Stadium! What a season for the Dodgers: 104 Wins and just 58 losses. The previous record setting, World Champion 1955 Dodgers had 95 wins and 55 losses. Are the Dodgers destined to win another World Series this year? We’ll see.

And what about my Cubs? Well, with last nights loss to the Dodgers they are currently 3-0 in the NLCS. But there’s still hope. Lets’ get Ben Zobrist, the 2016 MVP of the World Series, on base in the lead-off spot. Then have Bryant and Rizzo drive in the runs the Cubs need to win the next three games this Post Season. Remember, it’s the best of seven. If the Cubs win we could be in for another exciting game seven!

As you can probably tell by now, being a Cubs fan all these years, it’s not really about who wins the World Series (Go Cubs). It’s the thrill of victory for the team that provides the most suspense and entertainment for the fans and proves once again that Baseball is the greatest game of all.

Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, or Astros? Who are you rooting for this year?

Comments

Confidently Wrong: The Art of the AI Tall Tale

In this episode, A chat with Adamas the Chef on hidden recipes causing digital hallucinations. Pull up a chair and pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee—and please, for your own sake, taste it first. We need to have a quiet chat about why your computer sometimes decides to reinvent reality with the confidence of a five-star chef who has clearly lost his mind. In the world of technology, we call it a hallucination . It sounds pretty dramatic, doesn’t it? As if the computer decided to ignore your instructions altogether in favor of a vivid, technicolor imagination that simply hasn’t met reality yet. But in truth, an AI hallucination isn’t a breakdown; it’s just a very confident, very polite mistake. Think of it like our friend Adamas , the Chef. Adamas is a master of the kitchen, but he is also a bit of a romantic who refuses to say “I don’t know.” When you ask him for a classic recipe he hasn’t made in years, he doesn’t stop to consult a cookbook—that’s far too pedestrian. Instead, ...

Opening Day Magic 2026 . . .

It’s back. Baseball—yes, baseball ! If you’re someone who finds themselves inexplicably drawn to this peculiar ritual, let’s be honest with each other: it’s a bit odd, right? I mean, 162 games. That’s a lot of hot dogs, a lot of standing around, and a lot of grown men in oddly tailored trousers spitting with remarkable precision. And yet, here we are, poised on the precipice of another season. Thursday, March 26, 2026, to be precise—Opening Day. It’s a curious thing, this Opening Day. You walk into a stadium, or turn on the TV, and suddenly, everyone is infected with a highly contagious strain of . . . Optimism . It’s a spectacular form of collective amnesia. All of last year’s fumbles, the endless losing streaks, the existential dread of watching your bullpen implode in the eighth inning—poof. Gone. It’s entirely replaced by a wide-eyed, childlike belief that this year, finally, the baseball gods will smile upon us. The Cycle of Hope and Despair As a Cubs fan, I know this cycle intim...

Overcooking the Grid

In this episode, terrified of smart toasters, yet demanding infinite electricity for potato personality tests. Pull up that chair again, and let’s hope your coffee is safe this time. In our last chat, we talked about our well-meaning but occasionally delusional AI friend, Chef Adamas, and his penchant for hallucinating blueberries into your Carbonara. We learned how to manage his quirks by keeping our “digital pantry” organized. But today, we need to look past the chef and take a hard look at the sheer size of the kitchen we are building for him. And folks, that kitchen has gotten completely out of hand. Down in Louisiana, tech companies are currently building an artificial intelligence data center the size of 70 football fields. It is a four-million-square-foot digital brain that requires so much electricity they are building three new natural gas power plants just to keep the servers from literally melting down into a puddle of expensive silicon. And what are we using this god-like, ...

Vintage Vinyl

In this episode - Vintage Vinyl . . . Turntables are making a big comeback; why? Listening to music should be a multi-sensory experience. Harmony, rhythm, and the deep expression of emotion. Like a warm, gentle rain in the springtime cascading around you the room is filled with a resonant, rich, melodic sound. My emotions welled up, and tears come to my eyes. Ok, I get it, we need to step back to get some perspective here. Recently a visit to Lou's Records in Encinitas, California, inspired me to dig out my Vintage vinyl LP record collection. I selected the Carpenters Singles 1969- 1973 . This musical duo reigned from 1969-to 1982 with the rich, full melodic voice of Karen Carpenter. They were one of the biggest-selling groups of the 1970s. "No fewer than ten of their singles went on to become million-sellers, and by 2005 combined worldwide sales of albums and singles well exceeded 100 million units." The tactile sensory experience of music begins with the album cover it...

On The Fly

Search This Blog