BASEBALL DILEMMA

Cubs win World Series ending 108 year drought!     

In 10th Innning after Rain Delay       

 Update 11/02/16

Fall 1948 approached with change in the air for our little family of three -- my parents, new teen me, and two dogs.   A few months prior, I had to heart-breakingly part with my dog, King, which I've previously written about.   Property, all other animals and most of our belongings were sold at public auction that fall.  We moved into a small Trotwood trailer, hitched to our old Plymouth car and drove across the country in search of a climate a doctor reportedly thought might be a more healthy environment for Pop considering his worsening heart and respiratory problems.  

In the months ahead I attended four different Jr. High Schools in various states before we finally unexpectedly settled in one state half-way back across the continent from the Southwest.  We were returning to the  Great Lakes Midwest area but stopped in the South, considerably short of where we had originally started.   Our western Arizona  destination had been reached, but after only a few months in residence,  the ensuing dust storms sweeping across the desert  soon proved to be the exact opposite of Pop's needed healthy breathing environment, so we had headed back home.   

This trek, plus where we actually put down roots in the South for a number of years,  proved  to be an educational experience contributing significantly to  influencing my attitudes and helping form my beliefs -- including my personal philosophy toward marriage, culture, race relations,  living.   

Throughout that relocation trip the memories of the Cleveland Indians good fortunes winning the 1948 Baseball World Series stayed with me .   Their memory seemed to offer  a stable sense of place that was important to me long after the baseball season ended.    That Spring, Summer and Fall we had followed the Cleveland Indians march toward winning an American League pennant.  

I had immersed myself in the sport, charting score cards of every radio broadcast game we heard.  

To this day the names of many of the '48 Indian players and some of their unique plays are etched in my memory.    

The Cleveland Indians in winning the 1948 Baseball World Series, had their first championship since 1920.   Their Boston Braves losing opponents had not won their National League pennant since 1914, so still had that win in which to take pride.     I never followed a major league baseball team as closely afterward, but the Indians always had special meaning for me well beyond sports and baseball.  They symbolized much more to me those many  years ago --  a connection to my often longed-for home state since I was living in a somewhat isolated environment.   

My marriage many years later ultimately lead to my living on the West Coast.    I've long since ceased to regularly follow baseball or any specific team.   I've been aware the long-suffering Chicago Cubs baseball team fans have been awaiting their turn -- to be not only a National League pennant winner participating for the first time in the World Series since 1945  -- but to win that title, too, since 1908 was their last championship.    Through the years when I've heard mention of how the Cubs finished another year without winning, I've come to wish they could -- now, they finally have a chance. 

The Cleveland Indians last represented the American League in 1997, but haven't won a World Series since 1948 -- that significant year to me.    I surely do wish they could finally win again.  

Actually,  I would prefer these two teams were each in the playoffs against some other team -- one this year, the other next year -- rather than against each other, so each could possibly be a World Series winner. 

 I read sports writers predict a Chicago Cubs win, but I have mixed feelings, wanting the Cubs to win, but.....my reticent feelings,  associated with my allegiances to those long ago '48 Cleveland Indians,  coupled with their once symbolic meaning to me, have me wanting the Indians to win, too.  The first game is completed in the Indians favor.   I think this will be an interesting World Series to follow.   Perhaps, when the games conclude I'll be happy with whoever wins, but feel a touch of sadness  for the other team. 

UNIVERSITY IS LONGWOOD BUT VEEP DEBATE LOUSY

Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia was the setting for the first and only 2016 Vice Presidential debate.   I was more than a little annoyed when the Republican candidate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, falsely called the institution Norwood.   Longwood University students, including a proud family member of mine, must have been impressed.   Longwood is an outstanding  university, but any school should, at the very least, be appreciatively  named correctly by guests on their campus.    The university deserves Pence's apology -- or just like his running mate is prone to do -- does Pence not apologize either?

I guess the name glitch was an honest mistake,  but this was the only university where Pence and the Democratic candidate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine would debate in this election.  Surely Pence could get the university name  fact correct, or maybe bothering with such details affecting ordinary people aren't that important to him.  Of course, Kaine had an unfair advantage since he was more familiar with his home state, plus he had even once been Governor of Virginia.  Unfairness is a theme the seed of which the Republican  Presidential candidate may be not so subtly planting as a potential possible accusation he'll unleash if he doesn't win this November election.  

I couldn't help thinking that Pence might have become infected with just saying whatever came to mind regardless of accuracy as his running mate is infamous for doing.    Pence continually having to defend all of his running mate's denials that he didn't say what he actually said, I can imagine  results in discerning fact from fiction becoming more than a little challenging. 

The candidates talking over each other angered me as that is not debate.   Let the speaker spout their mistruths, falsehoods, distortions -- then the opponent counters with the facts.   That's the purpose of rebuttal.   What's so difficult about doling that?   Difficulty occurs when the issue to be addressed is avoided and the subject is even changed which infuriates me, too.    Just cut off the sound on their microphones when they talk over each other,  ignore the moderator, or if they don't answer the question -- that's a penalty that will train them real fast.      

I get disgusted with name-calling and labeling, also, but that's a tactic used primarily at the higher presidential candidate level this election and mostly by Gov. Pence's running mate.   Let's cut that presidential candidate's microphone, too, when he pollutes the airways in that manner.  I know, easier said than done.

One of these two Veep  candidates will become only a heart beat away from the Presidency.  Though we can't vote separately for a Vice President, maybe we should give serious consideration to whether or not we would want a person in that vice-presidential position who willingly and so readily has been reinforcing his running mate's obvious falsehoods -- lies that even a child would recognize.