Damn Near Perfect

Well, there isn't much else to be said. Armando Galarraga threw the 21st perfect game in the history of the MLB on Wednesday June 2, 2010 and everybody knows it. This game, this call, this controversy, will forever go into the baseball history books as arguably the biggest robbery of all time. Jim Joyce took away the game of a lifetime from Armando. A perfect game has only been done 20 other times in the history of the game, which oh by the way, dates back to the 1870’s. Not to mention the fact that there have already been two perfect games thrown this year, all in the span of one month, and if Galarraga would have gotten that call it would have been another first for the game of baseball. Never in the 140 year history have there been three perfect games in one season, let alone one single month. It is so unfortunate that this game will go down in history for all the wrong reasons.

I actually got lucky and was able to witness the last couple innings of the game in my dorm room here in Kalamazoo. Usually I’m never able to see the Tigers because we don’t get FSN here at school, but I had just happened to be watching ESPN when they cut over to the Tiger game for some bonus coverage in the 8th inning. Now I know it’s only a baseball game and that I was just watching it on TV, but it was seriously a great feeling to be watching something of that magnitude. I had butterflies in my stomach, I was pacing around my room while my roomie was trying to do homework, and I cheered after every out Galarraga recorded in the 8th. When he took the mound in the 9th inning I was legitimately nervous as hell. I kept thinking of all the “what if” scenarios. The first pitch Armando threw was smacked into the left-center gap and I thought I was all over as soon as that guy hit the ball. When Austin Jackson made that Willy Mays style catch I went absolutely nuts. It was at that moment that I thought to myself, “Wow this could not be more perfect for this guy right now.” Second batter, Mike Redman, hits a soft ground ball to short stop for an easy out. At this point, I couldn’t sit still for the life of me. I was one out away from witnessing something that had only been done a handful of times before, not to mention the first time ever for any Detroit Tigers player. Ground ball to the right side…… fielded by Cabrera…… throw over to Galarraga at first……………………….. safe. I honestly fell to my knees in disbelief. I couldn’t believe the umpire called him safe. Granted, I hadn’t even seen the replay yet so I didn’t know for sure if it was a bad call or not. However, when they showed the replay seconds later it made me sick to my stomach. It amazed me too that after all that work, and after being so close to perfection, the only thing Galarraga did was smile and walk back to the mound. Meanwhile, first base umpire Jim Joyce was being booed by literally every fan in attendance and being chewed out by the likes of Jim Leyland and Miguel Cabrera. I think Tigers TV announcer Mario Impemba said it best when he stated, “It’s a sheer travesty.”

As soon as the play happened and they had shown the replay, I knew it was going to cause controversy and become a big story, but it exploded into perhaps one of the biggest mistakes in the history of the game. I kid you not, within 10 minutes of the game being over there had already been multiple Facebook groups geared toward the hatred of Jim Joyce. Within 20 minutes Joyce’s Wikipedia page had been updated, mentioning his blown call that cost Galarraga perfection. The man practically created thousands and thousands of enemies in a split second.

After the game Jim Joyce apologized first to Galarraga for blowing the call, and then also publicly. It was easy to see that the man was upset and truly did not mean to miss the call. However, no matter how sorry he is, it’s not going to change what is. That call is going to haunt him for the rest of his life and he’s going to have to live with it. Personally, I feel that if you’re an umpire in that situation and you’re going to make the wrong call, at least make the wrong call in favor of the pitcher who already has 26 outs in a row. There probably wouldn’t be nearly the same public reaction if that had been the case.

The "call heard 'round the world" as it has been nicknamed, has been all over the news and has been the top story on Sporstcenter all morning. They’ve been showing the reactions of different people around the game of baseball and hearing what they have to say. Unanimously, they all have the same response, that it was a terrible call and a huge disappointment. Now, they are discussing the possibility of overturning the call and actually giving him the perfect game, but unfortunately I think it’s rather unlikely that Commissioner Bud Selig will go through with that. When all is said and done, I have to take my hat off to Armando. Not only did he put on a hell of a performance, but his reaction to the whole controversy was nothing but class and integrity, and for that I have a lot of respect for him. No matter what happens though, he will always have a perfect game in his mind, in the minds of his teammates, the fans, myself, and practically everyone who has seen this unfold. On June 2, 2010 Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers threw the 21st perfect game in MLB history, and what's even more impressive, he got 28 outs to do so.

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother’s are the ultimate super heroes. They do so much for their children, and it all starts with the grueling process of giving birth. As we grew up as kids they fed us, they cleaned us, they bought us things, they entertained us, they fixed our “boo boos”, they made us laugh, made us cry, taught us lessons, preached responsibility, showed us right from wrong, gave us rides, picked us up, allowed us to have friends over, and so many more things. But most importantly, they loved us unconditionally, and they always will. Hell, they still do a lot of those things from that list even when we’re grown up, I sure know my mom does and I can’t thank her enough for it.

I don’t know where I would be today had it not been for my mother. She is an amazing woman and I love her very much. She is responsible. She is strong willed. She is caring. She is honest (sometimes in a more brutal way). She is a fighter. She is a cancer survivor. She is artistic. She is a great photographer. She is a recently enrolled Eastern Michigan Eagle college kid. She is… my momma. There is no doubt that over the last 18 (almost 19 now) years I have yelled at, questioned, and been disrespectful to my mom, and every single time I thought I was right and she was wrong. Yet, after looking where I am today, in a good four year university with a great network of friends and family, it has become so obvious to me that it really is true, “mother knows best.” Fancy that, mom actually knew what she was talking about and I didn’t. My mom, and also my dad, have both raised me to be a responsible, respectful, and determined young man. Or at least I like to think so. It’s been kind of weird living away from my mom for a whole school year after spending 18 years of my life with her. It’s a pretty abrupt change. Although, more for me than her, because she still has one bird left in the nest. Yet, pretty soon he’ll be driving and in his junior year in high school and before we know it, my parents will be living the life that, to me, has always felt like it would never come. Growing up is kind of scary at times, but I know my parents have prepared me well for the real world and whatever challenges it may throw at me.

Mom, there aren’t enough words in Webster’s dictionary to express my gratitude and thanks to you for all that you have done for me in 19 years. You have been my nurse, my cook, my ATM, my chauffer, my biggest fan, my teacher, my entertainer, my role model, a safe haven from an angry dad, and one of my best friends. I’ve been having a very successful first year of college and I can’t think of anyone else to credit for instilling good values within me that have allowed me to succeed. You’re a wonderful woman and I love you. Happy Mother’s Day momma!

I'm Alive!

Well, so much for that consistency I had mentioned the last couple of times. My days of late have all been quite busy and I just haven’t really found a chance to sit down and write, and I do apologize for that. I’m in my third and final trimester of the year here in Kalamazoo and even though most of my friends are out of school already, I still have about 4 weeks left. I actually have a countdown on my white board of the exact number of days left until I go home, including weekends, and it is currently sitting at 41. Oh well, its manageable. I’ve been getting up four days a week at 5:30 a.m. to work out for football and we’ve actually just recently started our spring practices on top of that. Just another quick fact for you, I also have a countdown on my white board of the number of early morning workouts left, because as you can imagine, they’re not a crowd favorite. That number is currently only 21, which is even more manageable. My classes are also going well, their challenging but I suppose that’s that way it should be. I’m also on an intramural softball team which usually takes up a couple nights out of the week. So that’s really why I haven’t gotten around to any recent postings.

It feels so surreal to think that I’m almost already done with my first year in college. I think saying it went by fast would be such an understatement. Just to put in perspective, I can remember being a freshman in high school like it was yesterday. It’s also kind of scary to think about too. In three years I’ll be out of school and looking to start a career and a life, yikes! I like to think I’ll be ready though. My parents have raised me well and with the addition of a college degree, I may not turn out so bad. I am looking forward to coming home and seeing all my friends and family though, that is for sure. It’s kind of funny actually, when I go home now I feel more like a guest than I do a resident, but I suppose that’s all a part of growing up. It just feels so strange for it to finally be happening to me though.

As far as other updates go, not too much else is going on. I’ve decided that I’m going to major in business and get a minor in Spanish, so please wish me luck on that. I’m also starting to freak out because I currently have zero job security for the upcoming summer. Hopefully I’ll end up back at Compuware because it’s a great place and I loved working there last year, however the drive-in is under new management so I’m still waiting to find out what my chances are. I’m not real sure what I’m going to do if I can’t get a job but I suppose I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Well that’s what’s new, I pinky promise I’ll do my best to keep writing on here with more consistency. Until next time, ciao!

A Growing Trend

It’s amazing to see how many celebrity scandals are coming out now-a-days. Just off the top of my head I can think of recent incidents involving Lil’ Wayne, John Edwards, Ben Roethlisberger, Michael Irvin, Jesse James, Chris Brown, and of course Tiger Woods. I just find it stunning to see these people with great talent, take advantage of their situation and think they’re above everyone else. Let’s run down the above list:

Lil’ Wayne is in jail for possessing an unlicensed firearm. After one of his concerts two years ago, police boarded his tour bus to find a .40-caliber Springfield Armory semi-automatic hand gun. Apparently Wayne had it out when the cops came on and he quickly tried to hide it, but obviously failed. Lil’ Wayne is not the first rapper to go to jail for unlicensed weapons either. A while back, rapper T.I. went to jail for the same thing. I just don’t understand it. Rappers like Lil’ Wayne have plenty of money to hire security or body guards, which I’m sure he already has. I don’t see the need for them to personally own a gun, especially one that is unlicensed and obviously illegal. There are so many young kids that listen to rappers such as Lil’ Wayne, and right now he’s setting the example that it’s cool to own a gun. I think he should be doing the exact opposite.

Next on the list is John Edwards. What else can be said about this guy? His wife has terminal breast cancer, he has children with her, he cheats on his wife, and now he has a baby coming from his mistress. I don’t think we could even create a worse situation than that of Edwards in our own imaginations. This guy has lost absolutely all respect from not only myself, but many other Americans, and probably people worldwide as well. I’m not quite sure what went through his head that made him think what he was doing was okay, because it sure as hell wasn’t. It’s even crazier to think that this guy ran for president of the United States. A man who cheats on his terminally sick wife, had the potential to be the leader of our country. That scares me.

Ben Roethlisberger and Michael Irvin can be put together. Both of them have been accused by young women that they sexually assaulted them, or touched them inappropriately. In their defense, no evidence has really surfaced yet that would suggest either of them to be guilty. In fact, the charges against Irvin were actually waived by the young woman; however both Roethlisberger and Irvin still appear in negative lighting. Even though they have not been proven guilty, it still leaves some questions in my head and also changes the way I look at them. Just because they weren’t proven guilty doesn’t mean that they didn’t commit the act. I also know that it’s very possible that they in fact are innocent. But I feel that there will always be that “what if” factor or the “maybe he did” questioning going on with some people when they look at these two athletes.

Jesse James is involved with a more recent scandal, cheating on his wife Sandra Bullock. This one really cuts deep because Sandra had just given a glorified speech about him after winning her Oscar for her role in The Blindside. If she made it that clear on national television how much she cared for Jesse and how much he meant to her, I’m sure she took that even further when they were alone. Therefore, I don’t understand what compelled him to cheat on her. Whatever happened to being married and actually doing the things you promise to do when you’re at the altar?

Chris Brown is now known as a woman hitter. I’m sure you all know that there was a big controversy between him and his girlfriend Rihanna, whom he had physically struck. Again, it’s just another example of a celebrity who has so much power and influence over fans, especially younger ones, and then they go and do something like hitting a woman. Two things can happen from there: either he loses fans because of his actions, or he teaches them that it’s okay or “cool” to hit your girlfriend. It’s a lose-lose situation.

Finally we come to Mr. Woods. He may be one of the all time greatest disappointments in the history of celebrities. Not only does he play perhaps the most prestigious and “gentlemen-ly” sport, but he is also arguably the best to have ever played. Tiger is the kind of person who I would have used to set the standard of respectful athletes. He was the face of golf, he had tons of sponsors, a bunch of commercials and advertisements, and now no one looks at him even close to the same. His approval rating dropped from 84% or so at its peak, to a mere 40 something percent. This was a man who inspired people of all ages, and had so much influence over aspiring athletes, but now is only looked at as a disrespectful cheater.

It sure would be nice to look at celebrities, especially ones who we look up to, and find out they actually are who they say they are. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of them like that our there. However, these scandals seem to be a growing trend and it gets older and older each time a new one comes out.

Just a Little Update

I apologize for the consistent long delays between my postings. I’ve found myself quite busy as of late, whether its homework, studying, going to school related events, or going to the library, I haven’t really had the opportunity to do a posting. For this one I thought I’d just bring everyone up to speed with what is going on here in good ol’ Kalamazoo, MI.

Winter is still in full force here as I close out my second trimester. My last day of school before spring break will be sometime during the week of March 12th-18th, depending on my final exam schedule. With classes coming to an end for this trimester, the work load has picked up a bit and my nights are usually consumed with homework and studying for tests/quizzes. My three current classes are Constitutional Law, Spanish 102, and Econ 101, and they are all going really well. When I have found some free time over the last week or two, my roommate Nick and I have tuned into the Olympics to support the red, white, and blue. The weekends have been real nice and not nearly as time consuming with homework. I’ve gotten to see my lovely girlfriend Lauren and this weekend I’m actually really excited for because I’m going home for Cameron’s birthday! That kid is turning 16, which I’m still trying to wrap my head around. I’m really looking forward to seeing my family, along with my Aunt Mary, and of course my faithful feline Stanley.

Spring trimester starts up on the 29th and will, unfortunately, go until early June. With spring comes entirely new classes and also the start up of football again. I’m registered to take Calculus, Spanish 201, and Business Stats for classes, along with a mandatory 6 a.m. football workout class that meets four days a week. Booooooo! I’m not looking forward to the early awakenings, but the class will definitely get me in shape for next season. Other than that, not too much else is new. It feels almost surreal to think that I’m almost done with my first year of college. I don’t really know where the time goes anymore. I hope to find some self discipline though and get a consistent schedule going for my postings so I don’t leave you all hanging!

The Snow is a Fallin'

Well the title pretty much says it all.... the snow really was falling Tuesday, and at a pretty good rate I might add. I decided to include a picture with my posting for the first time ever! Now I know that most of you also read my mother’s blog, so please excuse the quality, or rather the lack there of, in my photo. I was just hoping to give you guys a visual of the winter wonderland that has unfolded here in Kalamazoo. It’s actually kind of funny because just last week the temperatures must have been close to 40 or 45 degrees, especially when the sun was out. Then boom, from the time I fell asleep on Monday night until I woke up at 9 the next morning, the sky had dropped about 2 or 3 inches of snow onto the ground. Snow continued to fall fervently throughout the day Tuesday and it actually got to the point where my face was taking a decent sized beating from the intense snowfall and brisk wind. I literally had to put my head down and just stare at the sidewalk when I was walking from place to place. The day was filled with the usual winter complaints and whines by my friends, classmates, and professors.

Snow fell for nearly the entire day Tuesday and by the time Wednesday morning had rolled in we probably had about half of a foot of accumulation. I had talked to my brother the night before and apparently they were getting the same type of weather back home, thus creating what I consider to be the 8th wonder of the world, a snow day. If only I could have been as lucky. All the public districts in the greater Kalamazoo area had the day off as well, but unfortunately I had to drag myself out of bed and go to class as usual. My Spanish professor actually complained about not having the day off along with all of us students. Even though the snow had stopped, it was still quite a pain in the ass to walk outside, but this time it was because of the good ol’ sun. With no clouds in the sky and 6 inches of snow on the ground, I felt like I was walking on a giant reflector panel. I couldn’t look in any direction without having to squint my eyes and put my forearm over my face. I probably would have had to put on some suntan lotion if I planned on being outside for an extended period of time; at the least maybe some sunglasses.

Anyways, I made it through the brightness of the day and decided to go to the basketball game later that night, mainly because we were playing our biggest rival, Hope College. Nick and I had gotten a text from our buddy who’s a sophomore and lives at the bottom of Academy St. (we live at the top) asking if we would be interested at painting our chest for the game. Uhhhh…. Duh? We immediately stop what we’re doing and head down to our friends room to start the festivities. Enough guys showed up to successfully spell out “Daa Zoo!” Personally, I decided to add emphasis to the phrase and be the exclamation point. We entered the arena and became an instant hit with the crowd. We screamed, taunted, and cheered our heads off for the ensuing hour and a half, but unfortunately in the end our fighting Hornets fell short of victory. About 23 points short. Oh well, the loss didn’t stop us from all having a blast at the game. Plus, not to brag or anything, but we all made the nightly news when they showed the highlights of the game. Are we local celebrities now? No, not even in the slightest. But even if we were, I wouldn’t think of myself like that. Nope, we were just a few students fulfilling our duties as diehard fans. Go Hornets.

Groundhog Day

Well yesterday was February 2nd which takes host in perhaps one of the silliest holidays of modern day: Groundhog Day. It is a day in which a little rodent comes out of a hole and decides our meteorological fate for the next six weeks. Everyone knows how the superstition works, if the groundhog comes out of his burrow and sees his shadow then we are plagued with another six weeks of winter. However, if the groundhog in fact does not see his shadow, then it is a sign of an early spring. Is it just me or does it seem like no matter what, the groundhog always ends up seeing his shadow anyways? Plus, what if it’s not even the shadow that scares him, could it possibly be the large group of people waiting outside his little hole to see what he does? I’d probably run back into my house too if I walked outside and was surrounded by a bunch of hooligans. Though, I have very little real knowledge about this holiday so I decided to do some research, just to see what it was really all about.

First of all, it apparently is just me who feels like he always sees his shadow, because according to a list of recent predictions by groundhogs, the results seem to be quite even actually. My real interest however, was in how this peculiar holiday was started and where it originated from. Currently it is celebrated in the U.S. and Canada, but originated from European cultures. The American version was said to have started as a Pennsylvania-German custom in the 18th and 19th centuries, however it holds resemblance to other European customs such as the day of Candlemas, which is a medieval Catholic holiday. One early account of a reference to Groundhog Day in America was found in a journal entry from a man in Pennsylvania in the year 1841.

Today the largest celebration of Groundhog Day takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, which happens to be home of the most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. It’s said that they’ve had crowds of up to 40,000 people! It’s like I said earlier, maybe that’s why Phil is rushing back into his hole sometimes. I mean people must get the day off of work in that town just to go watch this little groundhog do his thing, which seems crazy to me. Perhaps I’ll never really understand all the hoopla involved with this holiday, but I at least have somewhat of a clearer picture. Oh by the way, Phil saw his shadow yesterday so stay bundled up!