Batting .500 on first round of very biased MLB playoff predictions

Right before the MLB playoffs began I wrote down my predictions for the playoffs and posted them here.

I picked the White Sox to win it all, which might seem the ultimate heart instead of head choice, but I 80% believed that the Sox could be the 2021 World Series Champs.

Of course, this was not meant to be.  The Astros beat the White Sox in 4.  It was a series of blowouts with Houston winning 3 of the blowouts and the Sox winning only game 3.  The White Sox had their chances leading 3 0f the 4 games but the Astros led all 4 games and their hitting was relentless.

In my other ALDS prediction I correctly picked the Red Sox to beat the  Tampa Bay Rays in their AL East rivalry. I also correctly picked the NL Wild Card (and 2020 reigning World Series champ) LA Dodgers over their NL west rival over the San Francisco Giants. 

In the pick I felt less certain about I did pick the Brewers to beat the Braves in the other NLDS and I was quite wrong about that.  (Fun fact: Both the Brewers and the Braves once called Milwaukee County Stadium their home. ) It's just as well as the Dodgers Braves NLCS match-up is a rematch of my the first baseball my game my Dad ever attended.  This was back when the Dodgers played in Brooklyn and Jackie Robinson played for them and the Braves were playing in Milwaukee.

The Red Sox lost game 1 in the ALCS and the Dodgers Braves NLCS gets underway today,  Now that the White Sox are out of the mix, I am not as invested in the results but I would not be surprised if any of these teams were to win the World Series this year.

  

Album Spotlight: Peter Paul & Mommy

 

Peter Paul and Mommy 1969 Warner Brothers

I used to love to make mix tapes from my album c.d. and cassette collections. Often I would record an album spotlight where I would feature 4 or 5 songs from the same album and mix it in with other songs on a 45 minute cassette. I found I can basically do the same thing in a much shorter time on Spotify. I am also less limited by space so instead of choosing 45 minutes of songs I chose 20 songs.

The first album I decided to do this with is Peter Paul and Mary's award winning Children's album Peter Paul and Mommy. Unfortunately, I didn't discover this gem of an album in 1969 when it first came out. This is too bad, as I was 5 in 1969 and at the perfect age for many of the wonderful songs on this album I did eventually discover it when my own children were at the perfect age to listen to it.

Click here to listen to the entire playlist.

My favorite 5 songs on the album (in alphabetical order) are ...

Boa Constrictor

Christmas Dinner

Going to the Zoo

It's Raining

The Marvelous Toy

An additional 5 songs featured on the playlist are ...

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall - Bob Dylan

Grandma's Feather Bed - John Denver

The entire album has a singing around the campfire feeling. I guess it's not surprising that many of the songs I chose to accompany songs from the album were songs that I sang around the campfire over the years. Grandma's Feather Bed is a song that I learned over the campfire years before I ever heard Denver's rendition

Wedding Song (There is Love) - Noel Paul Stookey

On my album spotlight playlists, I like to feature songs by the artist or solo songs from the group that are not on the album. Noel Paul Stookey is the Paul of Peter, Paul and Mary and The Wedding Song was performed by my sisters at my and my wife's wedding, so it was a slam-dunk choice for the playlist.

Snuggle Puppy - Eric Stoltz

I also like to include songs from the album's same genre on my playlist. Snuggle Puppy is a song from the book c.d. combo Philadelphia Chickens featuring the lyrics and artwork of Children's author Sandra Boynton. Like Peter Paul and Mommy this song (and the entire album) was a favorite of my kid's growing up. I could totally see doing an album spotlight in the future on this amazing project.

Carolina in My Mind - James Taylor

I think groups like Peter, Paul and Mary paved the way for the folk-pop music of the 70's. This is why I added a little JT to the mix.

I hope you enjoyed this look back at one of my favorite albums. I hope to do another one here real soon.                                                                  

My Very Biased Playoff Predictions

 As both the NL Wild Card and AL Wild Card games are in the books time for my hopes and dreams for the rest of the playoffs.  Predictions are too string of a word, but I will take credit for any of these picks that turn out right as I have the courage of my convictions to post them here.

National League 

Dodgers vs Giants

I pick the Dodgers,

Brewers vs, Braves.

Ever since I lived 2 hours from Atlanta back when the Braves won their World Series in the last century I have been a pretty big Braves supporter from afar.  That's not true exactly.  I have loved the Braves ever since the days of hammering Hank Aaron who remains my favorite ball player who never wore a Chicago uniform. That being said I think the Brewers will beat the Braves in a close series.

Dodgers vs. Brewers

I am a little torn here and will explain my reasoning more when I get to my World Series pick but suffice it to say I'll pick the Dodgers.

American League

Rays vs. Red Sox. 

 The Rays were very impressive in a very impressive division.  I think the Red Sox will find a way to skate past Tampa.

White Sox vs. Astros.  

In a rematch of the 2005 World Series the former NL Astros play my beloved White Sox.  I hope with all the hope I can muster that Houston will have a problem and the pale hose will prevail.

White Sox vs. Red Sox.  

Let me boldly assert that the Sox will definitely win this match-up.  The question is what color will these victorious Sox be adorned with,  Again my hope is that the White Sox will prevail.  

2021 World Series Pick

White Sox vs. Dodgers

If the White Sox do make it to the World Series my preference would be they play the Brewers.  I live less than 2 hours from each ball park and would try to get tickets without breaking my bank account. However I love the symmetry of the White Sox beating the Astro's and the Red Sox as they did in 2005 and then avenging their last World Series defeat in 1959 by beating the reigning champion Dodgers.  

It could happen and in October anything can happen, so why not that?!!!? Go Go White Sox!

Note: I Just remembered that Hank Aaron started and finished his playing days in Milwaukee. He started with the Braves, moved to Atlanta with them, and then finished his career with the Brew Crew. 

Randy Stonehill 50 years in ministry kickstarter project is fully funded.

Last Month Ray Ware, Randy Stonehill's longtime manager and bestfriend, launched a kickstarter project to produce an album to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of Born Twice, Stonehill's first album.  The Album will have various artists performing Stonehill songs from the last 1/2 century.  The link to the project (which is now fully funded and closed for contributions) is found here.

The album will be  entitled "There's  A Rainbow Somewhere" which are lyrics from his song King of Hearts.  I was excited to hear about the project and it is the first kickstarter project that I have ever been a backer of.  To celebrate funding I am sharing the song King of Hearts here.  

79 Years Ago in baseball history

Today is September 9th 2021. Seventy-nine years ago today, Eddie Robinson made his major league debut for the Cleveland Indians. Eddie, is currently the oldest living former magor league. In addition to the Indians Robinson also played the majority of his career for the White Sox, Yankees, Philadelphia and Kansas City Athletics and Washington Senators. He also saw limited service with the Detroit Tigers and Baltiomor Orioles in his final year of baseball in 1957. Robinson turned 100 on December 15th of last year