Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Just A Heads Up For The Blog Tonight


I apologize in advance but updates on the site will be somewhere between sporadic and nonexistent tonight as I am taking the night off to go see my favorite band in concert. My wife is taking me to see Smile Empty Soul tonight for my birthday present and I intend to fully enjoy it as this is the fourth time I have seen them in less than a year, yes I am spoiled. Just wanted to let everyone know so nobody thought I died, filed a missing persons report, or anything crazy like that. We will be back to full strength tomorrow, assuming you don't need a voice to type, so everyone enjoy the day! If you get bored or curious and want to see what is going to cause me to go deaf and mute tonight watch the video above.

58 comments:

  1. You do more more than enough anyway, Daniel.

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    1. Thank you jack! I only do it because I love it!

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  2. Damn, Happy Birthday to the Mick, he would have been 82 on the 20th...I was so reminded by a tweeter!

    He had his faults, but Oh what a great player he was and baring his injuries he could have been the greatest five tool player ever.
    He was one (of a few) Yankees that took the time to talk Real Baseball to some kid from the wrong side of the tracks...he will always be the Tallest Yankee of them all...for me anyhow!
    And to hell with what you say Twasp!

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    1. Yeah you must have missed it. I had his bday on one of the "this day in Yankees history" posts. Had a baby picture and everything

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    2. ha ha ....lets not get over sentimental here. He was a very good player but had some major flaws. He wasn't much of a fielder....leading the league in errors 5 times and finishing in the top 3 4 other times.
      And he struck out an incredible amount of times. Leading the league in unproductive outs 8 years in a row.
      This could be attributed to his excessive drinking and whoring around. He even admitted most of the time he saw 3 balls when he batted...not one.
      He is no one to be admired and if you had a daughter you would keep her miles away from this lush.
      True story....when they were planning to put Mickey's monument out in centerfield someone in the front office suggested they put his bar stool out there since he spent so much time on it.

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    3. Major League Records Held by "The Mick"
      as a switch hitter...13.
      As for SO, a guy playing for the Yankees for 19 years beats him with 1753 SO and holds no Major league records at all, as a singles hitter. As a singles hitter, that is real bad...and Mick did it (as he once said, jokingly) "I saw three balls and hit the one in the middle"!
      One had to know his way of making fun of himself ...when talking about himself, to understand it was a joke...on himself!

      I didn't realize one had use their private lives, to play baseball, the umpire says "Play ball" not let's see what you did yesterday after the game, were you a good little boy? Who gives a damn, just play the game!

      If you would quit being such a jerk all the time and be a Yankee Fan and support all the Yankees as they are (or were), you would know Alcoholism is not a life choice...it is a sickness!

      To all Yankee fans, sorry about the remark about SOs for a singles hitter, just noting, everyone has their own weakness...nobody is perfect, except God!

      28-14

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    4. Namecalling fellow commenters will not be tolerated Mr. Oldranger07......by order of Daniel Burch

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    5. The Lush......oops.....I mean the Mick......was asked to donate his glove to the HOF......unfortunately when they tried to display it it smelled like Schlitz beer.

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    6. Alcoholism is a disease ? Sounds like liberal BS. Drinking beer and cheating on your wife is classless...... the Mick is no Jeter. The classiest Yankee.

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    7. We're all adults here gentleman I don't feel the need to moderate here and really I don't want to feel the need. Not saying its ok to call someone a jerk but at the same time for this to be successful I think everyone needs a little bit of thick skin. We love this team and more importantly we are passionate about it. When something we love or are passionate about gets attacked people attack back. Giving each other a little jab, as long as its good natured and not over the top, has been around since baseball has.

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    8. I used to work for this woman who was a junkie, went through rehab at a place called the hope house, got out and started her own business and got successful locally. She then began to give second chances to the people who were in that hope house when no one else would hire them and talking to a lot of them I tend to agree that alcoholism and drug use, to a certain extent anyway not to make it an excuse for lack of morals etc, is a disease.

      I would sit there with ppl and hear there stories about how they lost their kids and license an how they didn't wanna drink or do drugs but after such prolonged use they relied on it like we rely on the air we breathe.

      Not making excuses or taking sides but I know my father was a drug addict. My father would seem cry and tell him how I hated his drug use and how if he did them he would never see me again. Then I would see him doing them a few hours later. Same with his beer drinking, they went Hand in hand. He would tell me I was his best friend then go get high and break my heart. He died when I was 11 so I am one of the few that thinks it is a disease. If that makes me a liberal or a believer in bs that's fine cuz I am open to hearing and accepting both sides but I still wanted to share my two cents

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  3. So leading with our left foot, as we march into the off season. I reflect on a few observations.
    Observations, that encourage me, towards the forming of the 2014 squad.
    Last year was not like this one. Last year's off season started slowly, never got off the ground,
    and ended mired in dashed dreams. Signings that were there for the taking.
    This year, the horses are at the staring gate ready to tug at your heart strings. You know the names
    of the rumored " interested players." So many, we can field two teams, if allowed.
    All this, and the World Series is just beginning. The Managers Meetings, and the Winter Meetings, are
    still many weeks away.
    Trades?...blockbusters?...signings?...someone not mentioned? Although I think Daniel, and his site
    will list them all. Just mt thoughts.

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    1. the difference between this year and last year, besides the obvious drop in ratings, attendance, and overall revenue due to the lackluster team on the field, is we have an easy month of planning more than we did last season.

      Last year we made it all the way to the ALCS before Brian Cashman and crew could turn their full attention to the offseason and the moves we need to make. The World Series has not even started and we already have our manager, pitching coach, and our bullpen coach is close to coming back. We have already outrighted a few guys off the 40 man roster, have had organizational meetings regarding free agency, the 189 million goal, and the minor league systems.

      Long story short we have a head start, a big one at that, this season as opposed to last season. We did not help ourselves last year by passing on the likes of Russell Martin and a million others and I cannot see the Yankees making that mistake again.

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    2. Great point, Daniel. Most of the top free agents are gone by the time the new year arrives, so getting that head start on things can be very big.

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  4. You guys are way off base here. A team being out of the playoffs does not give a GM a head start versus years when they are in the playoffs.

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    1. I disagree. I am not under the illusion that Brian Cashman was glued to his seat watching the Yankees in the ALCS just chomping at the bit to do something but if you think having that extra time to have everyone here and together for the meetings and political BS does not affect things then I just have to disagree with you.

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  5. It makes very little difference.....Cashman can work the phones.....and do his job while the team is playing. Watch Moneyball again Daniel it was an accurate depiction of GM SOP.

    Question Daniel what Yankee third baseman was on the miracle A's team of 2001 that won all those games in a row?

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    1. Like I said I was under no illusions that cash has to sit on his hands while the teams plays and I acknowledged that. The difference between billy beane in Oakland though and cash is cash has to go to the steinbrenners with everything.

      My point more r less was is if we are still playing right now we don't have Girardi back in the fold, Rothschild either, and Harkey is set to come back too. Knowing who the managers and coaches are, te certainty, makes a difference to a few free agents. Took what felt like 2 weeks to get Girardi back. Not getting Girardi back until the middle of November is a huge step back from getting him back in October. Guys with qualifying offers now know who they would be playing for in 2014

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    2. Without cheating an looking up the 2001 athletics roster I wanna say eric Chavez but I am doubting myself for some reason. If my memory doesn't let me down isn't that the year either Giambi or tejada won the MVP? Mark bellhorn keeps coming to mind too but I think he was a 2b back then. Ill go chavy?

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    3. Congratulations ....Eric Chavez is the correct answer.

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    4. moral of the story is never doubt yourself and always go with your gut lol. Go me!

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  6. Allow me to open a few windows, to vent the ' Mickey ' air.
    I don't get it. The man has passed away. It's not like he's wrecking this country from the White House.
    I met Mickey Mantle twice. Once as a young boy, in 1957. And years later, along with my wife, I crossed paths with
    him at his saloon...' Mantles '. Both times he was kind, good natured, and a gentleman.

    He makes sense....if you see three balls coming at you, who wouldn't swing at the one in the middle.
    This Mantle thing with drinking / rumors, has run it's course. Makes no sense.
    Can feel the difference in the air, already.

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    1. All over with, Irish Sailor,
      Keep up the writing, you do have the gift...makes me a bit envious of you and the rest of those with the talent.
      I like the optimism here!
      Back in the day...well, need not go there any more! Different times and days...good days to come.
      28-14

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    2. Oldest Ranger on the boardwalk.....Remember Mayor Ed Koch ?.. " Stop, stop, stop!!!"
      I learned from you. All that bluster, is a non-issue. No need for the above.
      Besides that, you have as much talent as any one. Sometimes your twisting of the English
      language is priceless.
      I like that ' Irish Sailor ' greeting. .......Did you ever catch your wife ? Then you forgot?

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    3. TWASP met the great Mickey Mantle once too......back in 1969.....TWASP was having lunch on Central Park West at the great sports bar Mickey Mantles's.

      After trying to chew through some burnt Potato Skins with Bacon....and regurgitating some rancid Mozzarella sticks......TWASP was heading out the door when a hand came out from under the bar and grabbed my ankle. It was good old boy #7 waking up from a night with Bud Wiser.




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    4. You should write a book Twasp, and I am not being sarcastic or anything. These stories are highly entertaining.

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    5. Thank you Daniel......its all for fun....I don't take anything seriously....

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  7. Daniel...
    I must say, I reacted as I did, from years of him running down great Yankees because their names were not Jeter, Mo or Andy.
    It was a quick reaction that will not happen again. I was hoping things would change with this great new site you have here!

    As a new member commenting here, I express my apologies to you and the readers.

    I never make the same mistake twice, so take it to the bank!

    Thank you.

    28-14

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    1. Ranger never apologize to me ever again, that's an order sir!

      No seriously totally cool no need to apologize. We're all human and it's no big deal I promise.

      We have all been guilty of it and we will all be guilty of it again. We're all family here, in my opinion and heart anyway, and at the end of the day that's all that is important.

      Carry on..

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    2. Dear Mr. Burch..

      Please do not allow any defamation of character on your baseball blog site. Anymore defamation of character will be severely dealt with.


      Ryan Seacrest
      FCC - Internet Division

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    3. Isn't he busy with American Idol?

      And FYI I dabbled for a while with the idea of going to law school and got into it for about a year so so before I decided that was way too much schooling... anyway said all that to say this... calling someone a jerk is not defamation of character... not one that you could legit sue him for anyway.

      And I say legit because you could sue him for looking at you funny, doesnt mean the judge won't laugh at you ;)

      Let's just have fun gentleman. No need for Ryan Seacrest or Randy Jackson to make an appearance.

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    4. Daniel.....

      TWASP has known OldYankee since the summer of 2009. He was a young rookie on iYankees and TWASP took him under his wing and showed the older less technical OldRanger the ropes. Many chided him for his love of Gardner and Nova. I came to his defense and invented
      the term Speed Kills.tm We spent many a day debating Yankee topics and I grew to love him as a father that I never had. *violins playing*. He is a man of subtle wisdom .....a man who knows the intricacies of a double steal or the applying of the right amount of Fixodent.

      Do not listen to Ryan Seacrest or Paula Abdul.....straight up now....he does not mean the slurs he throws my way......

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  8. I have come to the conclusion; one of the reasons Jeter and his private life is never written about is the same reason the players back in the day were protected by the media. As with Obama, both are poster boys and not to have dirt touch them.

    A big difference is, Jeter has earned his press by being who he is. He lives as he has been taught by his family.
    Other people, live as they want, not as others would want them to act. They have no idea how they should act, so they do what they want to do and the devil take the hind most!

    If one takes the time and the training, one can find a reason for how each of us act in this life!

    REASON is NOT the same as Excuse...so don't mix them up!

    28-14

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    1. Yes and no on Jeter here. Yes sure there will be people who will just not touch him just because of everything he is and everything that he does. He is very respectful to the umps, the media, and the fans. All the more reason for some people to want to bring him down though, no? Imagine being the person to break the "Derek Jeter took steroids" news or "Derek Jeter beats (fill in the blank hot babe)". He is under a constant microscope.

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    2. {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252
      {\fonttbl\f0\fnil\fcharset0 ArialMT;}
      {\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red34\green34\blue34;\red255\green255\blue255;}
      \deftab720
      \pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

      \f0\fs26 \cf2 \cb3 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0
      \outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 Now you are catching on Daniel......can you imagine being under the TMZ age microscope for almost 20 years and nobody not even the sleaziest of the media or yhe sleaziest of coctail waitresses ( see Tiger) have been able to find the smallest of negatives against the guy. It just solidifies what his friends, family, peers, coaches, mgrs etc...all say about him ....he is a great guy. And you can see it with your own eyes if you have studied his career as it blossomed....never got a big head, continued to call Torre Mr. Torre, never took a shot at an opponent or teammate or reporter...etc. \
      \
      The bigger a celebrity gets...the bigger their ego usually gets....the more invincible they feel....and with the temptations , especially in NY, an eventual fall from grace takes place.\
      \
      Tiger Woods, Bill Clinton, Eliot Spitzer, Anthony Weiner, Pete Rose, Joe Namath, Dwight Gooden, Mike Tyson, Darryl Strawberry, Billy Martin, Aroid, Bonds......\
      \
      Jeter with the good looks, all that money, captain of the Yankees......a kid when he started.....handled the limelight as well as anyone has ever handled it.... and that talks to his character , his integrity, his morals .....}

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    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    4. yes TWasp I agree with you but I simply love to play devils advocate so that is where I come from a lot of the times. I am one that likes to get your mind going.

      The thing with Bill Clinton, Bonds, A Rod, and all those other guys you mentioned though is they all got caught eventually... How are we to know that stuff wont come out on Jeter eventually, you know? Not saying it will, or I think it will, or that it should, but the thing is people get away with things for years before they get caught if they know what they are doing.

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    5. Why was oldranger's comment of 3:25 am deleted? let him speak without censorship!

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    6. He deleted his own comment, hence the "deleted by author" and not "deleted by administrator" so cancel the party protest.

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  9. As one that has seen many of the great Yankees play and met many of them in person many times...starting back in 1944.
    One is an Idiot if they try to compare players of one generation with another...with stats only (if the time between them is more than 2-3 generations). The ballparks alone is reason enough not to do that. I mean, look at Jeters hitting, in old Yankee hall of pain, he would already have 4,000 hits (good chance anyhow). If one has ever seen pixs of "The Old House Ruth Built" one would know...it was a damn near a mile to Center Field. Der was a bunch a hits out in that dar pasture!
    Then we have the much Maligned Mick! IF he were hitting in this park to-day...he would have many many HRs (50+ a year) and one heck of a lot less errors in the out field. Fast players seem to make more errors than slower CFs do. (i.e. Brett Gardner). Mick could and would steal a base anytime he wanted too.

    Bottom line is, one has two star players...each would or could have been much better in each others generation.
    Jeter would have had a few things to adjust to...No diving across the plate, much bigger strike zone, learn to hit all kinds of pitches (mud ball, scuffball, beanball spit ball) all without a helmet. Can be done!
    Mick would have to make changes in his life-style and that is it!


    Right off the bat, I do not like Jeter, never have!
    He is a Yankee, I criticize him getting all the credit but no blame and not being a true Captain for ALL the Players. Never his talent or his place in Yankee History...without rose colored glasses...placing him in the top 20 Yankees. One of the top four or five is nothing but wishful thinking. Heck, Mo has moved him down!

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    1. I think that is a great point for both Mantle and Jeter. If Jeter played in Mantle's era and vice versa the stat lines would look vastly different... thats where sabermetrics come in that compare the two era's without calculating ball parks, spitballs, etc. Is it perfect? Why hell no but it is better than saying "well Mantle had over 500 home runs and Jeter doesn't!"

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    2. Daniel - World Series....Yankees need win badly. Oh no....Mickey cant play....misses last week of 61 season. Why?

      Some quack doctor gave Mickey a bad PEDS shot causing a severe abscess in his hip.


      as Mel Allen would say " you can look it up"

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    3. Not true Twasp..
      It was a B-12 shot in the hip. If you don't get the facts right, don't put it down as a fact. PEDS were given in the mid-section, not the hip! He went to another Doctor because the Yankees were out of B-12, or he couldn't get any more from our doctor.
      I just don't get it, you say you are a Yankee Fan, why then do you trash players from other generations? Players that ARE in the HoF.
      Most of the things you say are not true anyhow.
      If he was so bad why...
      7 WS rings
      10 times the voted the top player on the team
      4 times AL MVP
      triple crown
      WS record for HRs...18

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  10. Mickey Mantle was a myth. He never existed in real life. He was a media fabrication fed to unsuspecting little boys like you oldyankee.... the real Mantle was a big dope.... climbing on hotel rooftops at night to peer into unsuspecting young girls windows. Lurking beneath the stands at Yankee stadium to look up girls dresses.

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    1. Mantle was Often ignorant, capricious and extremely self-centered, he drank heavily, cheated on his wife and could be crude and obnoxious to fans (some of the things he wrote on souvenirs for young hero-worshippers—e.g., "You're lucky. Your mom has nice tits"—are legendary).

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  11. Daniel...

    Did you know that Aroid

    1 . Had a clubhouse attendant lay out his toothbrush on the sink after each game?
    2. Had the same attendant put toothpaste on it
    3. had the same attendant lay out his clothes in the order that he would put them on?

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    1. If I made 32 million bucks a season and had enough of an ego to have a painting of a centaur and myself I guess I would too...

      I really don't care to be completely honest. In my eyes he is paid to hit the baseball, win games, and keep me entertained. Check, check, and check.

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    2. Thank the gods, there is common sense in this world we live in.

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    3. Daniel...you do care but you dont realize it....those ridiculous Prima Donna traits of Aroid is what kept you and us from enjoying more than one championship in the last 10 years. the reason he wet the bed in every postseason besides 2009 is his weird mind set that prevents his true awesome talent from displaying itself.

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    4. It wasn't just A Rod I assure you. "You can look it up"

      There were a few postseasons where he struggled but still outhit Derek Jeter and company.

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    5. The difference between his play during the season and his play post season was the most pronounced. HE CHOKED. Torre had to drop him to 8th was it?

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    6. Torre could get away with dropping A Rod, no way he could drop Jeter. Fans and Steinbrenner wouldnt allow it.

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    7. Twasp...
      I have another read for you; look-up A-Rod on Wikipedia or how ever it is spelled. His bio is there all without the BS, just the facts. Then come back and tell me who is the better player.

      By the way, A-Rod was playing hurt in the post season!

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    8. If Jeter took PEDS and had a role of being a power hitter on the Yankees he would have the same numbers as Aroid. But Jeter's role on the Yankees was as a table setter and he excelled at that and at performing in clutch situations.

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  12. Tommy ...you remind me of....' the old lady, in the early diner line. The one with too much make-up, and extra diner saltines in her pockets '...I also found a babushka, and a old box of fixodent powder, not expired,....that you can use in your endless Mantle / Alex rants.
    And please, no more remarks re: Old Kenny's toupee. It looks almost home made. It reminds me of Red Skelton.

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    1. ha ha Red Skelton .....Daniel doesnt know who he is.....no toupee jokes from TWASP ....I promise......

      I never make fun of a man wearing camouflage ..

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    2. Damn Irish...
      That was about 15-20 years ago. Now my hair is ...shall we say...skinny or almost not there. To say, one with my high stature in this life...I am still here, I think...would resort to a toupee is unconscionable! Besides, it being wrong, too!
      And do not touch my field hat, it has been where I have been for longer than you and the bug have been alive....through mud, storms and rain the mail must go on, oh, wrong story...oh well!
      It is my good luck charm, first field hat I ever had but, it is in bad shape. I only put it on when I have to visit the bright lights and the nice nurses. My back-up hat (same as the 1st) is only about 20-25 years old...that one I wear a lot.
      The newer one has a problem, it is too darn heavy. For some reason it makes me fall down after sharp sounds go off! Just gotta get it fixed.
      28-14

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    3. Red Skelton sounds like a story I wanna hear, lol. Do tell!

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)