Joe T. is desperately seeking a vaccine for “The Loney Virus.”
By Joe Torosian
“So I looked at the scenery
She read her magazine
And the moon rose over an open field.”
—Paul Simon
Kick it!
Right off the Top: Never thought I’d say this, but getting old isn’t so bad.
***
Question: Does Yasiel Puig finish the season with the Dodgers?
***
“So, Joe, are you stressing about getting older?” I had someone ask me the other day.
Half a lifetime ago the question would have caused me to worry. Half a lifetime later? Not at all.
So what are the benefits of being old? There are a number of things but among the best is experience. Old eyes and old ears give constant reminders that you’ve seen situations, dramas, history, and rhetoric all play out before.
Age also gives you the ability to know that the world isn’t necessarily coming to an end when the media tells you California will fall into the ocean in 1976, or Jimmy Carter tells you the world will be out of fossil fuels before the end of the century, or when Ted Danson tells you in 1989 the world’s oceans have only ten years of life left.
Age lets you keep perspective when your team blows a 4-0 lead, at home, against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.
“Anyone who has a kid trying out for his High School football team needs to read this book. Torosian has taken his 20 some years of reporting on Prep sports, mixed a healthy dose of San Gabriel Valley insider references and created a very readable first effort.”
“A page turner…I’m sorry it’s over! Is a sequel in the works?”
“Torosian does for high school football what Hemingway did for the Spanish Civil War…compelling look beyond the scoreboard and into the lives of players…”
“A truly great story unfolds in the pages of Joe Torosian’s first novel. With high school football at its core, the story of Dale Andrade shows how a young man grows in all aspects of his life thanks to being a part of a team and a football community.”
“This is a great read for everyone: from those who love high school football to those who have no idea about the game.”
“This book brings you onto the field and into the locker room…”
Joe Torosian’s high school football novel is available through Amazon.com –click pic–
(Cover by Pat Cherry www.blackheartart.com)
Age and time give you the blessing of seeing the young mature and fulfill their dreams. Age helps you to appreciate family and the God who has blessed you with them.
Age is not a bad thing.
I didn’t do a lot of riotous living when I was young…A crazy disco night for me in the early 80’s was an evening watching the Marx Brothers on KTLA. I’ve never smoked, did drugs, or drank so as the spare tire expands and the hair begins to look like something relocated out of the Swiss Alps, I’m in pretty good shape…That is, pretty good in comparison to some.
I don’t long to be young again, but I have become peevish about wasting time.
I think the only thing I miss is having the time to play basketball or swing a bat. I wouldn’t mind throwing the football again, but I don’t want to get hit anymore (call that a concession to age).
Age, experience, these are good things…I’m not stressing about it at all.
***
Read a trade idea on Yahoo this morning that said it would be good for the Dodgers to send Joc Pederson and prospect Jose DeLeon to the Atlanta Braves for Julio Teheran.
What do you think?
***
Love him or hate him, but doesn’t it seem like every time the media feels like it has Trump cornered he delivers the verbal equivalent of a split-fingered fastball?
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If I never see Todd Frazier again the rest of my life will surely be blessed.
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June Predictions: The Golden State Warriors win their second consecutive NBA title…The Los Angeles Lakers will draft somebody their fans don’t like…there will be persistent rumors that Kevin Durant is coming to Los Angeles…The San Francisco Giants will lose at least one baseball game…perhaps two…I’ll complain about James Loney every time the New York Mets lose and the Time Warner Dodgers every time I get nostalgic for Vin Scully…
…And the feeling of doom will increase on all mankind at the anticipation of the “Ghostbusters” reboot being released.
***
Midbits (same as ‘Tidbits’)
Midbits: After Alex Guerrero, whom the Dodgers designated for assignment, clears waivers does he become the highest paid Triple-A player in history?
Midbits: “The Loney Virus” has arrived in New York. Officials, fans, season ticket holders are urging the Mets to release him before it spreads. Classic symptoms of the infection show an increased indifference to all that is occurring around you and an extreme lack of power when hitting a baseball. It is not to be confused with “Sellers Syndrome” named after former Dodger infielder Justin Sellers who was born with this deficiency. “The Loney Virus” is an acquired affliction.
Midbits: Former Bonita Bearcats head coach Eric Podley turns 58 today.
Midbits: I want to give a big thank you to “The Coach” John Kentera (Formerly of the Mighty 690 & 1090) for his praise of “Tangent Dreams.”
Midbits: Still haven’t met anyone who says they grew up dreaming of playing for the San Diego Padres
MLB GAMES JOE T. HAS WATCHED THIS SEASON (Minimum 5-innings)
New York Mets: 43
Los Angeles Dodgers: 10
Los Angeles Angels: 7
San Francisco Giants: 6
Quick Pitch (Watney/Ryan): 46
The Dude abides…
625
Psalm 118:8-9
Contact Joe at joe@midvalleysports.com
Author of “Tangent Dreams: A High School Football Novel” available through Amazon.com
Follow Joe on Twitter @joet13b
“Joe T.’s Scoreboard” is found at www.midvalleynews.com every Wednesday & in the hard copy of the Mid Valley News, published every Wednesday.
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