Orioles Friday

It is time to look in on the progress of the Orioles season and see what the team is up to this week.

I have not actually been to an Orioles game in person this season yet, although I am planning on attending a game on May 23rd. It is an afternoon game against the Yankees--a team whose name I usually do not mention, but this season it does not matter, I am not expecting more than a whimper from what they are calling the Baby Orioles.

They have been spanked pretty soundly lately. 

The Orioles are 3-4 for the month of May--which is respectable. They started the month by splitting a double header against the White Sox, then they split a rain shortened series against the Rays, 1-1, and lost a series again the Rex Sox 1-2. 


The Orioles are the 28th best team in baseball at 13-24, .351. If they remain on this pace they will end the season at 57-105, which is better than last year's finish, but still with 105 losses which, by the way, is the number of losses I predicted before the season began. I should be a baseball writer.

Chris Davis has raised his batting average from .000 to .176. He had a hot streak but has significantly cooled in recent days. He has been hitting .294 since ending his hitless streak and had managed 3 homers.

The week ahead should be tough. The Angels (17-20) are coming to town for the weekend and then the Orioles go on the road to the Yankees (22-15) for three games, followed by four games in Cleveland against the Indians (20-16). 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Eyes in the Sky

The Edge of the Clouds
May 8, 2019

Windmills on a Ridge
May 8, 2019

I had the opportunity to fly to Cincinnati yesterday. I was crammed into a small airplane and forced to sit in a window seat. Fortunately the flight was short. 

Baltimore was covered in clouds, but about halfway to my destination, the clouds parted and I was able to do some airborne sightseeing. 

I found the edge of the cloud bank that had been covering Baltimore, although I have no idea where it was, but my day in Cincinnati was beautiful and bright. Baltimore remained cloud covered all day and was similarly cloud-covered when I returned.

I enjoyed doing sightseeing from the air in an airplane with minimal air conditioning which was very stuffy and plain hot! It kept my mind off my discomfort. Delta says that they are going to ask me for my opinion of their service. You might imagine how I will be responding.

Cincinnati, Ohio
May 8, 2019

Flying over downtown Cincinnati, I was able to see the stadiums along the Ohio River which host sporting events that I enjoy watching.

I continue to prefer aisle seats rather than the window. I felt confined in the window seat and the heat inside the aircraft did not help. But my camera worked great and I took advantage of having the window next to me.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Season Continues

Officially, the score of last evening's game between the GORC 12U Haslup Wildcats and the Crofton - Coach Mitchell was 1-0, by forfeit. Sadly, the Crofton boys were short one player and the umpires enforced the rules that they had to have a complete roster of 9  to begin the game. When Crofton's 9th player did not arrive within 15 minutes of the officially designated start time, the umpires declared the forfeit, took their money, and departed.

But, that is when the game began. The coaches decided to scrimmage.  Since we were all dressed and ready to play, why not actually play some baseball. The teams played a four inning scrimmage which saw the Wildcats leading 17-9 when we were finally forced from the field due to darkness. It was some of the best practice that the team has had and everyone was loose and the boys really started hitting the ball. 

It turned into a long evening, but everyone had fun. Perhaps the best play of the night was made by Crofton as they picked off Jax on 3rd base. It was a great play. I was coaching 3rd and I didn't even see it coming. We both learned something from the play.

When darkness fell about 8:15 PM and we could no longer see the ball, the scrimmage was ended. Sadly, this was the only scheduled meeting between the teams and we do not get to play a real game against them on their home field.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Duck in the Street

Duck on the Street
Annapolis, MD
May 4, 2019

Saturday evening we enjoyed dinner at a local pub in Annapolis. We sat outside at the tables as the inside was crowded with people watching the unfolding Kentucky Derby drama. The evening was nice in terms of temperature and we were able to watch ducks mooch for food along the street. 

There was one duck that was very adept at getting people to throw food towards it. It was very personable and there was a small boy that was totally fascinated by the duck and his parents provided the duck with numbers french fries. Not a very good diet for a duck, but then french fries are not a good diet for people either. 

But, the boy enjoyed the duck and the duck received a reward for its street antics.

It was both amusing and entertaining. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - May 6, 2019

1. Welcome to the first Monday in May. 

2. What a weekend, I have a broken mower deck on my lawn tractor, I had a dead battery in a vehicle, and I enjoyed not having to be outside in the rain yesterday.

Lilac Bush
Elkridge, MD
May 3, 2019

3. The pool is clearing up nicely. Now if the temperatures would just warm up, we can enjoy swimming.

4. Our lilac bush is finally blooming and filling the air with its sweet fragrance. Our bush is a late bloomer and many other lilacs have already bloomed.

Gray Tree Frog
Elkridge, MD
May 4, 2019

5. I found a gray tree frog on the deck on Saturday. I relocated it from the deck to a safer location, although being a tree frog I should not have worried that it would fall off the deck. 

6. It is very frustrating to be in the middle of mowing the lawn and have a critical spring break on the mower deck! The lawn is half mowed awaiting the spring to get the mower deck working again.

7. I have noticed that the mapping programs I use to go places that i am unfamiliar with sometimes route me in what seems to be a circuitous manner. I wonder why? 

8. It rained all day yesterday. I am happy that Chris and I had planned indoors activities. Sadly, however, it was another weekend without swinging my gold clubs as the small, white and frustrating ball.

9. Today in History. On this date in 1994, In a ceremony presided over by England’s Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterrand, a rail tunnel under the English Channel was officially opened, connecting Britain and the European mainland for the first time since the Ice Age.

Headlines

After Intense Fighting in Gaza, Israel and Palestinians Observe Ceasefire - The New York Times

10 Teenagers Burned by Acidlike Liquid Thrown From Above at Raucous Party - The New York Times

Russian passenger jet catches fire on runway in Moscow, killing 41 people - The Washington Post

Two U.S. warships sail in disputed South China Sea - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: ``We the People.'' ``We the People'' tell the government what to do; it doesn't tell us. ``We the People'' are the driver; the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which ``We the People'' tell the government what it is allowed to do. ``We the People'' are free.  Farewell Address to the Nation, January 11, 1989

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Bats Awaken

The win streak is now three. After starting the season 0-3, the GORC 12U Haslup (Wildcats) are now 3-3 after a hard fought 16-11 win over Crofton - Coach Plummer. 

The box score only partially reflects the hard fought victory. The six runs scored during the third and fourth innings are significant because that is the maximum number of runs allowed to be counted during an inning, until the unlimited sixth inning. It means the team scored six (or more) runs before getting three outs. In fact, the Wildcats scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning due to a massive three-run homer, but only six could be scored for the game. 

Jax Warming-up for the Fifth Inning
GORC Park
May 4, 2019

The team started by giving Crofton the lead at during the first inning and that held until the bottom of the third when the Wildcats took the lead for the first time, 10-7. Crofton regained the lead during the top half of the fourth, 11-10, but that lead was short lived as the Wildcats exploded for eight runs during the bottom half of the fourth and that is when Brian hit his massive three-run homer.  

Jax came in to secure the win by pitching the top half of the fifth inning. He faced 5 batters, walked 2, struck out 2 and allowed no runs. 

The game was called because of the two-hour time limit with the home team Wildcats winning after the top of the fifth inning. 

It was a hard fought complete team victory. The boys are beginning to gel as a team and trust their instincts while making some great plays.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Extrovert or Introvert?

I conducted an interesting experiment yesterday as I walked into the place where I work at the height of the morning arrival hour. 

We have always joked that most of the people who work there are introverts and are look down at their feet as they walk. 

The extroverts, allegedly, look at other people's shoes. Meaning that they are also introverts.

Yesterday, I arrived at work with one shoe untied. Instead of tying the shoe, I decided to see how many introverts and extroverts were around me. As I walked to my office, I watched the people. I discovered that the extroverts were not looking down at the floor and had their gaze up looking into my eyes or down the hallways and did not notice my shoelace. 

The introverts noticed my untied shoe and looked at their own feet wondering whether their shoes were similarly untied. 

There was one confused introvert who saw my shoe, looked at me and then gently advised me that my shoe was untied.

Of all of the people I passed, only one brave soul was able to let me know my shoe was untied.

Suspicions confirmed. Most of the people working with me are introverts.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Thunder Booms--The Movie Plays

The region experienced its first really warm and humid day of the year. The temperatures were in the upper 80's--my car thermometer indicated 90 degrees, but it had been sitting in the sun.

Along with the hot, humid temperatures came the afternoon thunderstorms. They were full of rain, but little wind. It is afternoon during late Spring--well maybe it is mid-Spring. 

The rain cleansed the earth. I love the smell of the outdoors after a cleansing rain. The smell of the earth, the mulch, and the clean air. It was not crisp, clean air as it was warm air. The rain was even warm as it splashed again my face as I was running to the theater. 

Chris and I took the afternoon and evening to finally attend a showing of Avengers: Endgame. We bought the tickets on Saturday and saw the movie last evening. It is the movie everyone is seeing but no one wants to talk about. No one wants to spoil the ending. Chris made me watch Avengers: Infinity War before going see the current movie. It was a good choice and I heartily recommend seeing the movies in order. The current movie picks up where Infinity War left off and if you have not seen the first, you will be lost during the Endgame. 

I will not write of the movie, except to say that it is definitely worth seeing at least once! Yes, it is a long movie, but that is what a tub of popcorn is for!

Recommendation: See Avengers: Endgame. It really is a good as everyone says, no kidding.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sliding Through the Months

May arrived yesterday, barely noticed during the flurry of activity that has become my daily life. 

The days are slipping by at an incredible pace and the arrival of May meant that 2019 is already 1/3 complete. My pool is only just now open, but at least I do not need to worry about opening it this weekend as I had originally planned many months ago during the deepest part of the Winter.


May Day was the nearly world-wide holiday for workers celebrated yesterday. Most of North America does not celebrate the day, but in the rest of the world it is quite the Spring holiday. May Day and International Workers Day, although both celebrated on May 1st are not the same holiday!

While the rest of the world was celebrating the arrival of May, we here in the U.S. were working, barely taking notice. 

In celebration of May Day, I was on a baseball field last evening with most of my team, working out getting ready for Saturday's game--which stands a good chance of being rained out given the arrival of thunderstorms during the next couple of days. 

But, at least May has arrived! The days will push past 14 hours of sunlight on the 6th and I may even be able to get in some twilight golfing--when it is not raining.

Happy May! May the skies be clear and your days be long.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Offense and Defense Equals a Win

The team took to the field for our first away game of the season last night. The weather was warm and it seemed to warm up the bats and the inspiration the team as the GORC 12U Haslup cruised to a five inning win over the Anne Arundel County Harundale Rebels Recreational,17-5.

Box Score from the Game

Looking into the GORC Dugout
Corkran Middle School
Glen Burnie, MD
April 30, 2019

The game was another complete team win which saw GORC throw out four runners at the plate and turned in an improbable double play that started with a ball hit deep to Michael in center field. The hitter tried to stretch the hit into a double and play continued as Michael got the ball to Sawyer, the shortstop, covering second base, who tagged the hitter out trying to advance and then threw a strike to Preston, the catcher, who tagged out the runner attempting to score. Score the play 8-6-2, as I recall it. There were many other great plays by the defense during the night, one if which was throwing the batter out who tried to advance to second base after getting a walk. Great defense is just as important as a solid offense and the team had both last night turning in 9 hits and 9 walks.

The game saw Jax's first hit of the season, a double, in a night which saw him go 1 hit in 2 at bats but score 3 runs because he was also hit by a pitch and drew a walk. Jax had a solid pitching outing as well giving up 2 runs on 1 hit with 4 strikeouts, but 7 walks during 3 innings of work. The big player of the night was Sawyer, the shortstop, who hit the team's first homer of the season and went 2 for 3 at the plate with a walk, but more importantly had 5 RBIs. 

The win felt good for the boys and the game was called after 5 innings due to impending darkness.

Tonight is practice and we have a few more things to work on to make the team even better. The written recap of the game can be found at GameChanger. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD