Bowling Weekend Overload

This weekend, I was in maximum overload with bowling. No tournaments, only practice. And lots of it.

Yesterday, I bowled 6 practice games.

Today, it was my usual morning practice of 8 games with Wednesday night friends. When I finished, I grabbed a granola bar from the vending machine and caught up on news on my phone. Then I left Classic Bowl and drove to Bel Mateo for fellow Monday night friend Will's 50th birthday.

Wish I'd done what Will and his wife Jules did. They reserved the entire center for 3 hours. If you didn't want to bowl, you could hang out in one of the party rooms, the bar, or like the fanatic I am, roll in my bag and bowl more games.

But first, some much needed food. Then bowled 6 more games with my Monday night teammate Ronnie. Fun, closely fought battles. Probably the most non-league fun I've had since the late Saturday nights at Classic Bowl with Jeff, Burton, and Lester.

In one of the games, it came down to the last frame. I had been ahead most of the way. Ronnie bowled strikes in the 9th frame and 2 in the 10th. In my last frame, I needed to pick up 2 pins (the 4-7) for the spare to win. I picked up only 1. I lost the game by 1 pin.

I finished the afternoon completing 20 games in 2 days. I bowl 3 more games tomorrow night. Can't wait.

Madison Bumgarner - 2016 Home Run Derby?

source: Deadspin

As I lick my wounds from tonight's Game 7 Golden State Warriors devastating loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, I'll focus on another Bay Area positive - The San Francisco Giants. Currently in first place in the National League West, the Giants sweep the weekend series over the Tampa Rays (in Tampa) earlier today.

I have never been comfortable with my teams doing too well too early. Case in point: tonight's Warriors loss. Seasons are long and grinding. How a team plays during the regular season doesn't always extend to post-season. Just ask the Detroit Tigers in the 2012 World Series. Or the 2014 Washington Nationals.

I'll end with a personal, quiet campaign to permit Madison Bumgarner participate in this year's Home Run Derby at next month's MLB All-Star Game. Likely won't happen, but what the hell. Perhaps YouTube's MrHighlightVideos featuring Bum's career homers might help.

Thoughts with Orlando

source: Huffington Post

A few events over the weekend in my small part of the world:

• Golden State Warriors won NBA Finals Game 4 over the Cleveland Cavaliers, 108-97. Today, the NBA suspend Warriors forward Draymond Green for his fourth flagrant foul. Golden State currently hold a 3-1 series lead over Cleveland.
• San Francisco Giants take 2 of 3 games over arch rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Each of the 3 games were won by a 1 run margin.
• Broadway smash "Hamilton" has won (not surprisingly) 11 Tony Awards. I don't follow musicals all that closely, but am among the many that have been taken in by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr. and Phillipa Soo. 

In about an hour, I'll be off to shower and get ready for work tomorrow. There are 50 in Orlando that won't. It's times like these I'll pause to reflect. What we do and love shouldn't be taken for granted. Ever.

Ryan Vogelsong - Get Well Soon

source: ESPN
Ryan Vogelsong, hit by pitch, 5-23-16

On May 23, 2016, former San Francisco Giants/current Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Ryan Vogelsong was at bat against the Colorado Rockies. Rockies pitcher Jordan Lyles had an 0-2 count on Vogelsong when a 92 MPH fast ball beaned Vogelsong in the face.

It has been almost 2 weeks since the accident. I refuse to look at the video. The still picture of his cheek from the ball's impact was more than enough for me to see. Doctors waited a few days for the swelling to go down so they could determine the extent of his facial factures before performing surgery on June 2.

To Nicole, Ryder and the rest of Vogey's family and friends, I wish Ryan a speedy recovery.

I'll close with Ryan's speech in the last home game of the 2015 season. Coincidentally (or eerily), against the Colorado Rockies. It was also his last game as a Giant.

For me, it was with the same feeling Vogey said about teammate Hunter Pence in the 2012 post-season. "It wasn't so much what he said, but how he said it."

Since the injury, I've seen Vogey's 2015 closing speech at least 5 times. And cry every time.

"...I don't know where I'm gonna be at next year. Or what the front of my jersey's gonna say. But I do know one thing. I will always - always - be a Giant."