The Year In Sports
Twenty 20
Covid 19
The coach of Twenty was quoted at the press conference.
"Covid put up quite a fight, but we knew if we worked together as a team we would persevere and prevail in the end."
My former pastor and fellow blogger Lindy Scott mentioned in a recent post, a list of upcoming posts that he would be addressing in his blog. One of those was about the future of the Republican Party. This reminded me that there are some specific areas that I would like to see the GOP address going forward now that the transition to a Biden Presidency has begun.
These issues are as follows ...
Abortion
I've heard it said that Donald Trump has been the most pro-life president this country has ever had. I am not sure if this statement has any merit, but for my present purpose the veracity of the statement need not come into play.
Abortion, in my mind, is one of the most critical issues of my lifetime. I am against abortion but I must admit that those on the other side of the issue have been very effective labelling it as a reproductive rights issue rather than a pro-choice issue. The bottom line is it is a human rights issue and it should be addressed as one. I would like to see Republicans (and Democrats for that matter) stand up for all life particularly for those like the human fetus who cannot defend themselves.
During the past election season, I viewed commercial after commercial where Republicans (and some Democrats like Illinois Congressman Dan Lipinski) were lambasted for their extreme views on abortion.
Click here to see one such ad against Lipinski.
Their "extreme" views were that abortion should be ended and that our tax dollars shouldn't fund abortion. These views are not extreme and need to be talked about in the light of day.
I would like to see Republicans not only stand strong against abortion but also lead the discussion on how to solve this problem. Many people align themselves with the Republican party because of this issue. So far, I don't believe they haven't gotten very much return on their investment.
Racial Reconciliation
It is often said that perception is reality. I think I can argue effectively for or against that statement. That is probably from my debate background. For now, let's just concede that it's a true statement. Lets review some perceptions for a moment.
Donald Trump has often been perceived as a racist. The Republican Party, it has been argued, has become the Donald Trump party. So if both those perceptions are in fact, reality does it follow that the Republican Party is racist?
I fervently hope not. But this perception is very real to many and I am certain this perception precluded many people from voting for Republicans in general and Trump in particular when they may have been more inclined to vote for them if these perceptions didn't exist.
Republicans need to show an immediate conciliatory approach to race relations in this country. Something I learned in my over 20 years in customer service is that its okay for me to apologize for something that isn't my fault. Slavery wasn't my fault. But I am sorry about it. It was a horrible practice to strip people from their homes and exploit, humiliate, and subjugate them. It is a shameful part of our history and it's even more shameful that we are still so divided racially in this country. It is just as shameful that so many people are ignorant of or tone deaf to these inequalities.
Republicans need to be on the leading edge of promoting racial harmony. The first step would be found in embracing the problem, even if the problem is just a perception. Changing the perception of the party to accepting people of all races rather than being perceived as a party of racists would be an important step in the right direction.
COVID 19
President elect Biden credits his victory in some part to making Trump's handling of Covid a major issue of the election. Republicans need to work with Biden and the Democrats as much as they can in stopping the spread of Covid. There is no logical reason why this should not be a bi-partisan slam dunk of an issue.
I think that Republicans do need to stand up and make sure that aborted fetal tissues are not used in potential co-vid vaccines. They need to be pro-actively seeking out scientific solutions that don't endanger any vulnerable populations including the unborn.
Distancing from Donald Trump
Speaking of covid, the Republicans need to begin socially and politically distancing themselves from the soon to be erstwhile president. There needs to be an almost Costanzalike mantra in any Republican politician asking what Trump would do, and then doing the opposite.
An example of this would be, if you find yourself speaking at a press conference and you are asked by a reporter what you would tell the millions of Americans who are scared. You probably don't want to go with "I'd tell them you're a bad reporter."
Click here to see the exchange I'm referring to.
Another thing I learned in customer service is that apologizing for someone else is nowhere near as effective as solving the person's problem. Solving the problem by employing a different approach than the way it was originally mishandled is more effective than just an apology on its own. Republicans going forward by handling issues in a way not reminiscent of Trump will go a long way in making the party a more viable choice for others in the future.
Establish a Platform
The Republicans chose not to have a platfrom at the 2020 Trump infomercial convention. This was a mistake. Their alternative was even worse. In the document the RNC did provide they stated that
RESOLVED, That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda;
RESOLVED, That the 2020 Republican National Convention will adjourn without adopting a new platform until the 2024 Republican National Convention;
Resolution Regarding The Republican Party Platform 2020
Some readers may have bristled when I said a few paragraphs ago that there was a perception that the Republican Party had become the Donald Trump Party. When a document designed to show your party's guiding principles says your party's mission is to enthusiastically support your President's agenda, it's hard not to get that perception.
Adherence to this document means now that President Trump is on his way out of office, the plan for next 4 years is to enthusiastically support the agenda of a former one term president who lost both the popular and electoral vote? As far as plans go, this is not a great one.
The party needs to redefine itself and represent that redefinition to the public.
Address Gun Violence
One of the hallmarks of a two-party system is that each party addresses issues in their own way. This is good and can be very effective. However, I believe that the gun issue is one that keeps many people from voting Republican or at least from feeling good about it. Guns may not kill people but they are part of the equation. Republicans need to realize that the gun lobby is never going to support Democrats. They can afford to pass laws that protect citizens better without infringing on their 2nd amendment rights. It's hard to argue that women don't have rights over their own bodies but everyone has rights to all manners of weapons. It's easier to argue that both parties should limit their rights that could deny other people life.
Widen Base
The Republicans need to take steps in the next 4 years to widen their base. Again, I think a concilatory approach is what is needed here. I think the Republican party can be a party of inclusion by showing that they can meet the needs of their constituents. I think by making some of the changes I have listed here a priority in the future they can add to their base without losing their historic identity.
Reform Immigration Compassionately
There are few places where walking back Trump rhetoric and actions is more important than immigration. Immigration is an important issue in this country. It is not going to get solved in a tweet or a debate. It is one of those issues that I believe needs to be solved on a bi-partisan basis. The reason why I say this is because otherwise it will just change from election to election depending on which party is in power. If Republicans want to build a multi racial base, they can do so by helping Democrats solve immigration permanently.
Reestablish Sound Foreign Policy
I know very little about foreign policy. What I do know is that Donald Trump's approach was far different than the historical Republican approach. I believe the foreign policies of Trump should be abandoned and the old approach brought back.
Appeal to Independents.
I don't think most Americans are 100% red or 100% blue, I think we are red, white and blue. Republicans living in a post Trump society should go forward trying to craft their message in a way that independents and the undecided can relate with. They should listen to their constituencies and meet needs and embrace change.
Now, none of these 10 things talk about free market capitalism or small government or many of the other Republican fundamentals. Other peoples' lists may look totally different than mine. In fact, some peoples' items might be opposites of the ones on my list. But that's okay, I think the most important aspect of this exercise was not the examination of the Republican Party but the examination of my values to see how the political parties line up to them. I also have a list of things I'd like to see the Democrats do in a Biden administration.
At the beginning of this post I mentioned how Lindy Scott ended his most recent post talking about other posts he is working on. I'd like to do the same.
Other subjects I would like to address in the future would be ...
Sizing up the 16 other Republican Primary candidates in 2016 for a run in 2024.
Why Bipartisanship is so important in the early days of the Biden Presidency.
Why a Trump 2024 candidacy would be a step in the wrong direction.
Those are just the political ones, I also have several chili recipes I'd like to spill the beans about.
As Fred Rogers so elegantly put it ...
“Anything that's human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”
On Monday November 16, 2020 The Baseball Hall of fame announced the 2021 BBWAA (Base Ball Writer;s Association of America) ballot.
There are 14 players returning to the ballot and 11 players on the ballot for the first time. Mark Buehrle who pitched most of his career for the White Sox is among the 11.
There are no players on the ballot for their 10th year. I have all the other players listed alphabetically under what appearance on the ballot this is for them.
9th appearance 8th appearance 7th appearance
Barry Bonds Jeff Kent Gary Sheffield
Roger Clemens
Curt Schilling
Sammy Sosa.
6th appearance 5th appearance 4th appearance
Billy Wagner Manny Ramirez Andruw Jones
Scott Rolen
Omar Vizquel
3rd appearance 2nd appearance 1st appearance
Todd Helton Bobby Abreu Mark Buehrle
AndyPettitte A.J. Burnett
Michael Cuddyer
Dan Heren
LaTroy Hawkins
Tim Hudson
Torii Hunter
Aramis Ramirez
Nick Swisher
Shane Victorino
Barry Zito
The results of the voting will be announces January 26, 2021. This year I did not get around to the analysis for the HOF that I have been providing for over 10 years. I hope this post shows I plan to remedy my absence for the 2021 ballot.
The Bug - Dire Straits 1991
I like both versions of the song. The lyrics are a little easier to understand in the Chapin version. Although I think I do prefer the Dire Straits version a little better.
The key lyrics to either version are found in the chorus ...
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're a fool in love
Sometimes you're the louisville slugger
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're going to lose it all
2020 has seemed more like a bug and ball year than a windshield or Louisville Slugger year . But the truth as usual is a little more simple and a little more complex than the lyrics of a song. It's true, life has it's mountains and it's valleys. It's victories and it's defeats.
Life sometimes seem like a flip of a coin determines the outcome. I believe that God is in control of this universe. God brings us out of difficulties that were beyond our control and also delivers us from the folly that we authored ourselves.
In Psalm 40 David wrote a song of deliverance. He did not know what a windshield or a Louisville Slugger but he certainly had his troubles (like ours many were self inflicted). To end this post I am sharing Psalm 40 and put highlighted some of the verses that spoke to me.
40 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is the man who makes
the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open ear.[a]
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance[b]
in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O Lord.
10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
ever preserve me!
12 For evils have encompassed me
beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
my heart fails me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
15 Let those be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”
16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!
Today is my brother Keith's birthday. He would have turned 50 today. He died in April of 2009 at the age of 38. Over the years I have written a lot about his life and death many of those posts can be found by clicking here.
Over the years I have also written about a musician friend of mine Allen Levi. He also lost a brother and chronicled their story in an excellent memoir called The Last Sweet Mile. I mislaid my copy a few years ago when we moved into our current house. It is probably in a box in the basement some where.
I found 2 posts I wrote about Keith that I wanted to share. One was written on 11/11/11 which was a birthday he has been looking forward to as it resonated firmly in his mathematical mind. The other was written a year earlier than that when he would have turned 40. I will reprint it here as it is also features the aforementioned Allen Levi.
Big 40 minus the birthday boy
I have read some exceptional books during my summer reading program thus far. I will say this; many of the books I've enjoyed most this summer have been great from the first chapter, sometimes the first page and even the first sentence. I am only about 10 pages into a new book and I am convinced it will be a wonderful experience. The book is Emily of New Moon by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Let me tell you why after only 10 pages I think it will be very good.
The first few reasons I had even before I started reading. One is I am familiar with the author's work. I just finished listening to Anne of Green Gables, which I enjoyed immensely. I have seen many t.v. and film versions of the Anne books and saw the musical version in Prince Edward Island a few years back.
This leads me to another reason I think I will enjoy Emily of New Moon because I've been to Prince Edward Island where the story takes place. I found that I have enjoyed the works of LM Montgomery more since my trip to PEI because it is easier for me to picture life on this island because of my experiences there.
The third reason I thought I'd enjoy this book before I read it, is the reason I ordered the book from my library in the first place. I had read that Lucy Maud Montgomery had based Emily on her own experiences of growing up in Prince Edward Island. I like fictional books based on authors' actual experiences.
I like how the cover of New Moon is evocative of Green Gables but seems to be setting a different tone for the book.
The first few pages of this book also have given me reasons to think I have happened upon a real masterpiece. The first sentence drew me in and I related to it immediately. The chapter is entitled the House in the Hollow and begins ...
The house in the hollow was "a mile from anywhere"- so Maywood people said.
I really liked this turn of phrase; a mile from anywhere. It reminded me of how I used to say that I have lived in several Chicago suburbs that few had ever heard of but they were familiar with our neighbors. I grew up in Elk Grove Village, and people were more familiar with Des Plaines, Arlington Heights and Schaumburg. After I married Amy we lived in an apartment in Hickory Hills where I regularly had to tell people we were next to Oak Lawn and Bridgeview. Our first house was in Carpentersville where Algonquin, East and West Dundee, and Elgin are better known outside of the area. Now that we have moved to Elgin, I no longer need to give sister cities. So, from the first sentence I connected my experience to that of the novel.
I am a big fan of symmetry and also enjoy foreshadowing when it isn't obtrusive. In the 4th paragraph of the book Montgomery starts one and nails the other quite elegantly: "She remembered that walk very vividly all her life ... - more likely because of what happened after she came back from it." The symmetry comes into completion with a big reveal that's blurted out quite unexpectedly in the final sentence of the chapter.
One of the things I liked instantly about the titular character of Anne of Green Gables is how she names things. For example calling people who understand her fully, kindred spirits, and changing the names of place names to better place names (ex. the Lake of Shining Waters). Emily does the same thing immediately with something called "the flash." I also like the pacing of the story, "the flash" is alluded to 3 times in the first page and not explained until page 7 but feels just right when it is explained. In my own writing, I often struggle with the desire to "explain" things too quickly.
Another enjoyable aspect of the first ten pages (about a chapter and a third) is that the second chapter takes place immediately after the first ends. In fact chapter one stops with the reveal I mentioned, and chapter 2 begins in the same conversation. That may seem like an abrupt break chronologically, but ending the chapter on the reveal is an excellent choice.
I love quotations. I even have a space on the header of this blog for quotations I really enjoy. If you are reading this on the computer version of this blog, you can look up and see the following quote (although you don't have to, as it follows the elipses) ... Aunt Nancy had once said to her 'The first time your husband calls you "Mother" the romance of life is over'.
I love this quote for multiple reasons: a) it's an excellent quote. b) the quote itself is the narrator quoting Emily's father quoting Emily's mother attributing the quote to Emily's Aunt Nancy. And as clumsily as I described, the quote is as breezily as Montgomery put it. c) the quote is a story of how Emily's father wanted to name her Juliet after Emily's mother. The fact that he heeded his wife's advice, and they named her Emily, made me think that the romance between them was never over. d) I related the naming story to my own experience. Before I got married, I had always wanted to name a son David, as this is not only my name but my Father's as well. Amy, who knew me when I would stay at my parent's house between school years and other situations, saw firsthand what it was like with two Davids in one house and that name was off the table before we even married.
I know I have mentioned twice already how I connected with the text on a personal level in the first ten pages of the book. Some might say that's more about me than the author, but I say that good writing is written in a way that the reader can make connections to it. Making connections to it early helped me feel great about the prospect of reading the rest.
The last thing I want to share about the way this book begins is another example of the delicious way Montgomery turns a phrase. Emily's dad is telling Emily about her mom and utters one of the best sentences I have ever read:
When she fell in love with me, a poor young journalist, with nothing in the world but his pen and his ambition, there was a family earthquake.
I mean that's more of a sentence I expect to hear from John Boy Walton. the boy poet of Virginia!
I can't believe how amazing this book has started! What I really can't believe is that I stopped reading it long enough to write this post. If you'll excuse me, I'll go remedy that situation.
15 from 2005
Snapshots from a Championship Season
1 - Season Tickets
Today, we look back at the wonder that was the 2005 White Sox. Many people have already said so many things about the 2005 White Sox. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here, I just want to take time and reflect and reminisce about that magical season from my point of view.
In 2005 I was working in the research department for a mortgage company. I was just a regular hourly employee there. However my position as the person who responded to correspondence directed to our company president and other high level correspondence made me fairly well known around the company as I interacted with most every department in responding to these issues. It was also fairly well known that I was a White Sox fan. One morning one of the mailroom employees who would bring me some of the correspondence I would research came to my desk with a flyer.
It was an extra White Sox 2005 Season ticket sales flyer that was sent to our company. She thought I would get a kick out of seeing it. She, of course, was absolutely right. I love all things White Sox and did enjoy looking at the different ticket plans available for the then upcoming season.
I took the flyer home to show my wife. I really had no real thought of buying tickets. We went to 3 or 4 games a year, but many of those tickets we received through promotions or other modes of frugality. I had never had season tickets for anything, so it really wasn't on my radar and we had 2 children at home so it also wasn't in our budget
AI showed Amy the flyer and went on with my regularly scheduled life. The next day AMy calls me at work and say, I think we should buy season tickets. Color me flabbergasted! Before I could un gast my flabber, she reminded me of a gift my parents gave us the previous Christmas.
My parents (who are huge Cubs fans) had given each of their children a sizable amount of money. They had done so almost every year and almost every year we had it spent it, or at least earmarked it by New Year's Eve.
This particular year we had held onto it, and had not really set it aside for any expenditure. The money hadn't even crossed my mind when I received the flyer. It evidently had crossed my wife's mind. She suggested that we could use some of that money and purchase 2 tickets to the 9 game plan (cleverly called the Minnie Plan after White Sox legend Minnie Minoso).
I wasn't so sure. It seemed like an extravagance to spend so much money on something that would mainly benefit me. Even so, there was another problem lurking in the ether, an Elephant in the Stadium that needed to be addressed.
The White Sox have been playing in the same stadium since 1991. From 1991 to 2002 IThe stadium was called Comiskey Park, which was also the name of the stadium it replaced. In 2003 the name the name changed to U.S. Cellular Field. I attended 8 to 9 games there in 2003 and 2004 and the White Sox lost every single one of them! This included a 7-0 loss to the New York Yankees on September 23rd. I remember that game specifically because a) It was my 39th birthday, and b) it eliminated The White Sox from the playoffs by that loss and a Minnesota Twins victory over the Cleveland Indians.
It wasn't like the Sox stunk at home since the name change. In fact, they went a combine 97-65 at home during those 2 years that's a winning percentage of .599! They won 6 of every 10 games but 0 of the 9 I went to! I'm pretty sure the White Sox Marquis had a sign that read Welcome to U.S. Cellular Field, except you Dave Roller!
So why would I possibly think of buying seasons tickets to a team I hadn't been to a home winner in since the name change? It was a valid question. But the thing about me, is I'm an optimist. I mean who isn't before a season starts? It's a new beginning. I took a leap of faith and bought the Minnie plan. I took different people to different games. We even went to a few more games not on the plan.
And when we went to games, they won. They actually won. I attended only one loss the entire season. Then they won the World Series for the first time since 1917.
Wait a minute, am I saying the White Sox won the World series because I stood up to my U.S. Cellular slump and had the courage to buy a ticket plan? Yes, yes, I am. It's not the only reason, as we will see there is plenty of credit to go around. The players had a lot to do with it. Ozzie Guillen sure deserves some acclaim. The general manager did a superb job picking up several players who did not play for the White Sox in 2004, who had major parts in the success of the 2005 season. Even the guy who watched the waiver wire had his part to play. What's a waiver wire? I'm both getting ahead of myself and setting the scene for future installments of 15 from 2005.
Join us next time, won't you?
In the Fall of 2007 my wife started taking our 3 children to a home school cooperative (co-op). It was a traditional co-op, where each family taught some classes and volunteered in others. The first semester it turned out amazing for the kids. Charlie, who just graduated from high school, still has his notebook from a very cool International Space Station class he took that year. It was amazing for the kids, but very difficult for my wife. Each parent got at least one class period off to fellowship with the other parents. Alas, Lucy was about 1 at the time and as you know when you take a 1-year-old anywhere you never get time off. Amy wisely decided on taking a semester off and going back when Lucy was a little older.
Amy planned to return in the Fall of 2008. However, Amy and I did the Old Switcheroo in the fall of 2008. (She went back to working full time, and I became Home School Dad and took over the teaching at home.) In the Spring semester of 2009, I brought the kids back to co-op and did the teaching, assisting, and running after Lucy. Soon The co-op became amazing for everyone in our family.
For several years this is how it remained. Then as our circumstances changed, we would quit the co-op and later, come back to it only to leave again and come back again. Finally, (or we thought it was finally) in 2015, we stopped homeschooling altogether. I quit co-op for "the final" time and we moved on with our life. Our home school adventure had many twists and turns in the road and yet looking back we could see God leading us through each and every one.
This contiued when all 3 children were in public sct hool at the same time for the first time in their lives. Charlie excelled in his last year of middle school and his first year of high school. Emma had major adjustments and changes to navigate, going from a 3 person school with a 40 person co-op once a week to a school of 3,000 students and being diagnosed with High Functioning Autism(HFA). (Her diagnosis was partially due to one of the many extra curricular events we went to because of our co-op. One of the former students in our co-op who has HFA was featured in a documentary that premiered at the Imago Film Festival. The documentary opened our eyes to the possibility that Emma might be on the spectrum, which helped hasten her diagnosis.) Because of her many home school credits from her first two years of high school she was able to finish her high school experience a semester early by taking an on-line poetry class at home. The wonder that is Lucy, continued to shine in her last 2 years of eleementary school. She won speech contests that highlightred her flair for the dramatic, won awards for her artistic achievement, and was honored with the highest award in her 5th grade commencement. As the 2017 school year ended, more changes were in store for the Roller clan as each of our 3 students again changed schools, as we after 16 years in Carpentesville changed suburbs.
Emma was off to the local jr. college. Charlie started his sophomore year at a new high school and Lucy started being home schooled again. We had always wanted to home school each of our children through at least middle school. We did that with Emma and even got an extra two high school years with her at home. Charlie was in 8th grad when we stopped home schooling him. We were delighted when we had the opportunity to bring Lucy back home for her 3 middle school years. Of course this meant going back to our old homeschool co-op and saying we needed to return if only for us to learn the actual meaning of the word final.
Our on-again off again relationship with our co-op taught us many things more than one post will allow, but here are a couple. My years at the co-op prepared me for my now on-again off again job (Thanks Covid) as a substitute teacher. At the co-op, Lucy was still a force to be reckoned with; No longer the one man wrecking ball of her toddlerdom, she continued to blossom as an amazing orator, comedian, actress, and especially a gracious loving daughter, student and friend.
Earlier this Lucy was accepted into a special theater arts academy part of the public high school Charlie just graduated from. She was so looking forward to finishing her home school and co-op experience and then leaving home and going to school every day in the Fall. Then Covid came on the scene. The co-ops did not end the way we expected and now we found out that her high school will not start as we expected. She will start high school as her brother and sister finished it, virtually.
Educating our children has not always gone the way we have planned it. However, we have seen God orchestrate all the steps and use them in mighty ways. As with everyone else on the planet, Covid 19 life has been very challenging for our family but we are still confident that God will continue directing our paths. In a way much more than the band at the fish in the sea dance at the end of Back to the Future could , God is more than able to keep up with the changes.
