Sunday, March 31, 2013

Easter 2013


We met Tom at the 7:30 am Easter Service at St. Ignatius.

Sunday afternoon, we celebrated Easter with dinner at the Tom Frames. The group included Tom, Becky, Kevin, Jim, Kathy, Eileen, Sharon, Jack and I.

We finished the evening watching the Amazing Race...

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Vas Canyon Hike [2013 Carmel Day 2]


The plan for the day was to hike somewhere along the way back to Sacramento. Searching the internet, I ended up recommending Uvas Canyon. This is Santa Clara County park is off of highway 101 near Morgan Hill on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The park has several small waterfalls.

After having breakfast at the hotel, we packed up the room and headed north. We stopped and brought sandwiches in Gilroy.

We ended up hiking 4.4 miles over the course of 3 hours. The hike included a 1,000 climb in the first mile. We stopped at Black Rock Falls and Basin Falls, climbed Knobcone Point and then had lunch at the base of Upper Falls. After lunch, we continued up Swanson Creek and returned to the parking lot by the Contour Trail. I will post some maps and Google Earth views in the near future.

Back at the car about 2:00 pm, we were back in Sacramento a little after 5:00 pm.

Friday, March 29, 2013

2013 Carmel Day 1


Up early, Sharon, Jack and I headed to Carmel. I always forget how long it takes to get there; it took us just about 3 1/2 hours. Morgan has been spending the week with her mother in the Carmel Valley. We picked her up about 11:30 am and headed into Carmel. We had a nice lunch at La Bicyclette.

After dropping Morgan off back at her mom's home, we went to The Celebration of the Passion of the Lord at the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo. It was a very nice Good Friday celebration in a cool setting.

Much to Jack's chagrin, the plan was to spend the night in Carmel. We checked into the Wayfarer Inn just a couple of blocks off Ocean Avenue. Sharon and I wandered around the downtown and then had a drink at Grasing's where Sharon had made reservations before heading back to the room to get cleaned up for dinner.

The three of us finished the night with a very nice dinner at Grasing's. I had Grasing’s “Paella”, while Sharon had the Abalone. We shared a bottle of Mary Edwards 2009 Klopp Ranch Pinot Noir.

California Historical Landmark #135

After having lunch with Morgan, Sharon, Jack and I went to The Celebration of the Passion of the Lord at the Carmel Mission on Good Friday.

Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo
California State Historical Landmark #135

See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps

This landmark is located at the southwest corner of Lasuen Drive and Rio Road, Carmel, California. There are 24 other California State Historical Landmarks in Monterey County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 36° 32.581 W 121° 55.202.

A list of California missions is here. The missions that I have visited are highlighted in red.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

IMG_3905-001

Mission San Carlos was established by Father Serra on June 3, 1770 at the Presidio of Monterey. Finding this location unsuitable, Serra moved the mission to Carmel Valley. In July 1771 he set to work constructing temporary buildings at the new site, and in December 1771 the mission was moved to its permanent location.

IMG_3915-001

IMG_3907

Monterey County Landmarks

California State Historical Landmarks in Monterey County
{GPS Coordinates of Site Location}

NO. 1 CUSTOM HOUSE
NO. 105 ROYAL PRESIDIO CHAPEL OF SAN CARLOS BORROMÉO
NO. 106 LARKIN HOUSE
NO. 126 COLTON HALL
NO. 128 LANDING PLACE OF SEBASTIAN VIZCAINO AND FRAY JUNÍPERO SERRA
*NO. 135 Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo - [map] - {36.543017,-121.920033}
NO. 136 FIRST THEATER IN CALIFORNIA
NO. 232 MISSION SAN ANTONIO DE PADUA
NO. 233 MISSION NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA SOLEDAD
NO. 348 HOUSE OF GOVERNOR ALVARADO
NO. 351 VÁSQUEZ HOUSE
NO. 352 ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON HOUSE
NO. 353 HOUSE OF FOUR WINDS
NO. 354 OLD PACIFIC HOUSE
NO. 387 THE GLASS HOUSE, CASA MATERNA OF THE VALLEJOS
NO. 494 RICHARDSON ADOBE
NO. 532 CASA DE ORO
NO. 56O HILL TOWN FERRY
NO. 651 SITE OF THE BATTLE OF NATIVIDAD
NO. 712 SOBERANES ADOBE
NO. 713 GUTIÉRREZ ADOBE
NO. 839 CHAUTAUQUA HALL
NO. 870 JOSÉ EUSEBIO BORONDA ADOBE CASA
NO. 934 TEMPORARY DETENTION CAMPS FOR JAPANESE AMERICANS-SALINAS ASSEMBLY CENTER
NO. 951 LIGHT STATIONS OF CALIFORNIA (THEMATIC), POINT SUR LIGHT STATION

List of California Counties

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 52


On Day 52, I rode 18.1 miles across Wyoming. Starting near the La Bonte Pony Express Station [N42 36 19.0 W105 22 47.0] on the Emigrant Trail, I rode east to North Elkhorn Creek Road. I stopped near the Elk Horn Pony Express Station.

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

ESPN Films 30 for 30 Shorts: Silver Reunion



Grantland and ESPN Films have released the seventh film in their 30 for 30 documentary short series.

30 for 30 Shorts: Silver Reunion

During the summer of 2012, a secret meeting took place among the 12 members of the 1972 U.S. men's Olympic basketball team. Reuniting more than four decades after the controversial gold-medal game in which they lost to the Soviet Union and then declined to accept the silver medal, the team members met in Lexington, Kentucky, to make a final decision: to accept, or forever refuse, the medals for a game many of them believe they never lost. And, like with the jury in 12 Angry Men, the verdict needed to be unanimous.


You can find Silver Reunion on the ESPN web site at http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9105242.

More about the film at: http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=silver-reunion

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

ESPN Films 30 for 30: Survive and Advance


I watched Survive and Advance. This is the seventh installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Vol II. An episode guide for Vol II is here.

In 1983, the North Carolina State Wolfpack, coached by Jim Valvano, stayed alive in the postseason by winning nine do-or-die games in a row, seven of which they were losing in the final minute. The team beat Michael Jordan and three-time National Player of the Year Ralph Sampson. The unlikely squad made it to the national championship game against No. 1 Houston, aka Phi Slama Jama, a team featuring future NBA Top 50 all-time players Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. NC State was one of the biggest underdogs ever in the final game. The game is possibly the best college basketball game in history. It ends with one of the best known college basketball plays of all time.

Woven through the story of Wolfpack's march through the ACC and NCAA tournaments are two other stories. First, The team got together in 2011 to mourn the death of one of their teammates. There is footage sprinkled throughout the film of the group talking about the games, their coach and each other.

Second, Jim Valvano's story, including his battle with cancer, is a key part of the film. There are some very compelling segments, including Valvano's speech at the Espys. Valvano was a very good speaker and storyteller.

I am not a college basketball fan. While I knew some of Jim Valvano's story and have seen the last play of the championship game, the story of the NC State's run through the tournament is not one that I remember. Of the more than forty-five 30 for 30 documentaries that I have seen so far, Survive and Advance is clearly in the ten top. It is a very good film.

Survive and Advance is available on iTunes. I enjoyed the film enough that I gifted a copy of the film to Drew.

A trailer for the film is here.

Bill Simmons had a podcast with the director Jonathan Hock discussing the documentary which is a nice supplement to the film.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

California Historical Landmark #1012

First Manufacturing Site of the Pelton Wheel
California State Historical Landmark #1012

See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps

This plaque is located at 325 Spring Street, Nevada City, California. There are 20 other California State Historical Landmarks in Nevada County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 39° 15.730 W 121° 01.220.

You can log your site to this site at waymarking.com!

California Historical Landmark #1012

The Pelton Water Wheel, first commercially manufactured here at George Allan's Foundry and Machine Works in 1879, was a major advancement in water power utilization and greatly advanced hard-rock mining. Its unique feature was a series of paired buckets, shaped like bowls of spoons and separated by a splitter, that divided the incoming water jets into two parts. By the late 1800s, the Pelton Wheels were providing energy to operate industrial machinery throughout the world. In 1888, Lester Pelton moved his business to San Francisco, but granted continuing manufacturing rights to Allan's Foundry, where the wheels were manufactured into the early 1900s.

California Historical Landmark #1012

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 51

On Day 51, I rode 14.2 miles across Wyoming. Starting at the corner of Old Yellowstone Highway and North 4th Street in Douglas, I rode south out of town to Highway 94 (Esterbrook Road). I traveled south about 7.5 miles on the highway and then exited on the Emigrant Trail. I stopped near the La Bonte Pony Express Station [N42 36 19.0 W105 22 47.0].

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Jesuit Frosh Marauders versus Vista Del Lago


Making up the first rain out of the year from Wednesday afternoon, the Jesuit Frosh Marauder baseball team played the Vista Del Lago Eagles. This is the first league game.

Jack started in left field and batted second.

At the plate, Jack was 0 for 3. He reached on an error and scored a run. In his first at-bat, Jack struck out swinging on a 1 and 2 pitch. He grounded the first pitch to the right side in his second plate appearance. The second baseman didn't handle the ball cleanly. With Jack motoring up the line, the second baseman threw the ball in the dirt and Jack was safe at first. He went to second on the throw, to third on Jared's walk and came home on Alex's walk. In his third at-bat, protecting the plate with a 1 and 2 count, Jack hit a towering fly ball into right center for an out.

In the field, Jack played four innings in left field. He had three put-outs on fly balls. Moving to deep left center to track down one of the fly balls, Jack tried to make the transfer from his glove too quickly to hold a runner at second and juggled the ball. You could everyone in the stands gasp... Jack also tracked down a line drive hit down the third base line.

In a surprise to me, there is a 10 run rule. The Marauders ended up beating the Eagles by the score of 16 to 6 in sixth innings. The Eagles were unable to get anyone out in the bottom of the sixth. I was frankly surprised at the poor quality of the Eagles pitching; I expect better pitching at the high school level. The box score is here and the score card is here.

Iwasa (3-0, ERA 3.00, 4 starts, 21.0 innings) was the winning pitcher. He threw 75 pitches, including 49 strikes and 26 balls, in six innings.

The Jesuit Frosh baseball team now has 8 wins and 3 losses. In league, they have 1 win and 0 losses. The game log is here. The Marauders next game is Monday, April 1 against Del Campo.

The pitching speed samples from the game include:

#17 McLeod
2nd inning - 56,57
3rd inning - 53,54

#22 Pardasoplas
3rd inning - 57,50,52

#7 Neves
4th inning - 59,60
5th inning - 58,60

Jesuit Frosh Marauders versus Vista Del Lago

VISTA DEL LAGO (6) AT JESUIT MARAUDERS (16)

VISTA DEL LARGO      AB  R  H BI  JESUIT MARAUDERS     AB  R  H BI
Bradley Schummer      4  0  0  0  Nile Redmond          1  1  1  2  
Garret Donnelly       3  2  0  0   Nicholas Sogard      1  2  1  0  
Blake Martin          3  2  2  2  Jack Heringer         3  1  0  1  
Noah Loara            2  0  0  0   Jordan Vujovich      2  1  1  2  
 Austin Greene        1  0  0  0  Nick Iwasa            3  3  2  2  
Josh Walker           3  0  1  1   Trevor Beards        0  0  0  0  
Patrick Gaffney       2  0  0  0  Jared Alameida        2  3  1  1  
Matt Silva            2  1  0  0   Christian Flores     1  0  1  1  
Zach McLeod           1  1  1  0  Byrce Colombara       3  0  1  0  
 Seth Pardasoplas     1  0  0  0   Kyle Roessler        1  0  1  1  
 Jacob Neves          1  0  0  0  Alexander Isola       0  1  0  4  
Aaron Schley          3  0  0  0  Jack Wolger           3  0  2  1  
                                  Cole Jacobi           3  1  1  1  
                                  Sam Starosciak        1  2  1  0  
                                   Ryan Kane            0  1  0  0  
TOTALS               26  6  4  3  TOTALS               24 16 13 16

VISTA DEL LAGO               004 020 -- 6  
JESUIT MARAUDERS              016 144 -- 16 

LOB--VISTA DEL LAGO 5, JESUIT MARAUDERS 10. ERR--Garret
Donnelly (2), Bradley Schummer, Nile Redmond (3), Alexander
Isola, Cole Jacobi, Sam Starosciak. 2B--Josh Walker, Blake
Martin, Nile Redmond, Cole Jacobi, Nick Iwasa (2). HBP--Nile
Redmond, Ryan Kane. SACF--Alexander Isola (3), Cole Jacobi.
SB--Garret Donnelly, Blake Martin, Jack Wolger, Nile Redmond
(2), Nick Iwasa, Sam Starosciak.

 VISTA DEL LAGO                 IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Zach McLeod                    2.00    2    5    4    4    2    0
Seth Pardasoplas (L)           1.00    1    2    2    3    0    0
Jacob Neves                    2.00   10    9    9    4    2    0
 JESUIT MARAUDERS           
Nick Iwasa (W)                 6.00    4    6    2    3    5    0

PB--Matt Silva (2), Alexander Isola. WP--Zach McLeod (2).
SO--Noah Loara, Jacob Neves, Bradley Schummer, Patrick
Gaffney (2), Jared Alameida, Jordan Vujovich, Jack Heringer,
Cole Jacobi. BB--Garret Donnelly, Matt Silva, Patrick
Gaffney, Jack Wolger, Jared Alameida (2), Nile Redmond, Kyle
Roessler, Alexander Isola, Nicholas Sogard, Nick Iwasa, Sam
Starosciak (2), Trevor Beards.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Jesuit Frosh Marauders versus Davis Blue Devils

The Jesuit Frosh Marauders played the Davis Blue Devils at the Davis Sr High School. Jesuit beat up on Davis in a scrimmage in February.

Jack started the game in centerfield and led off.

At the plate, Jack was 0 for 2 with two walks and a run scored. In his first at-bat leading off the game, Jack hit the first pitch for a fly ball right at the centerfielder for an out. Jack grounded a 1 and 2 pitch to the right side and was thrown out at first in his second plate appearance. In his third at-bat in the top of the fifth inning and Jesuit leading by the score of 1 to 0, Jack walked on four pitches. He stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored the second run of the game on a wild pitch. Jack walked on five pitches in his fourth plate appearance, but ended the inning there when Bailey grounded out to the second baseman.

In the field, Jack played seven innings in centerfield. He had one put-out. Jack made a nice catch on a sinking line drive to left center.

The Davis pitcher did a nice job of keeping the Jesuit batters off balance. Through five innings, Jesuit was leading by the score of 2 to 0 with only one hit. I will talk more about the Davis pitching at the end of the post. By the sixth inning, the Davis starting pitcher had thrown 101 pitches. He was visibly tiring. The two Davis relief pitchers were clearly not as strong. They opened the door for a couple more runs and Jesuit won by the score of 6 to 0. The box score is here and the scorecard is here.

The winning pitcher was Chiappe [3-0, ERA 1.75, 3 starts, 20 innings]. Remarkably, Chiappe only threw 69 pitches in a seven inning complete game; this is his second complete game in three starts. He only threw 15 balls! His first pitch strike percentage was 77%.

The Jesuit Frosh baseball team now has 7 wins and 3 losses. The game log is here. The Marauders will make up a rain out against Vista Del Largo on Friday night, March 22.

Unlike the St. Mary's pitcher on Tuesday night, the starting Davis pitcher tonight did a really good job mixing up speeds and location. He had the boys off balance...

Here are the speed samples from tonight.

#19 Tujo
1st inning - 69
2nd inning - 60, 70
3rd inning - 70, 58
4th inning - 55, 66
5th inning - 68
6th inning - 69, 67

#14 Henrickson (walked two straight batters)
6th inning - 63, 62

#7 Harper
7th inning - 57, 64

Jesuit Frosh Marauders versus Davis

JESUIT MARAUDERS (6) AT DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL BLUES DEVILS (0)

JESUIT MARAUDERS     AB  R  H BI  DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL BL AB  R  H BI
Jack Heringer         2  1  0  0  Alex Timmons          3  0  1  0  
Bailey Abercrombie    3  1  0  0  Peter Frame           3  0  1  0  
Nick Iwasa            4  1  1  0  Gavin Cosgrave        3  0  1  0  
Christian Flores      3  0  0  0  Mason Shorts          3  0  1  0  
 Kyle Roessler        1  0  1  1  Glen Welch            2  0  1  0  
Kevin Fitzsimon       2  0  0  0   Ben Hardy            1  0  0  0  
 Ryan Kane            1  2  0  0  Dan Henrickson        2  0  0  0  
Jordan Vujovich       3  0  1  0   Alex Halford         1  0  0  0  
Jonah Allman          2  0  0  0  James Richardson      2  0  0  0  
 Jared Alameida       1  1  1  1   Greg Ruhnstock       1  0  0  0  
John Louis Chiappe    3  0  1  0  Jacob Gussero         2  0  0  0  
Nicholas Sogard       2  0  0  0   Josh Milenbach       1  0  0  0  
 Trevor Beards        1  0  0  0  Gabe Gitierrez        2  0  0  0  
TOTALS               28  6  5  2  TOTALS               26  0  5  0

JESUIT MARAUDERS                100 012 2 -- 6  
DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL BLUES DEVILS  000 000 0 -- 0  

LOB--JESUIT MARAUDERS 9, DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL BLUES DEVILS 5.
ERR--Nick Iwasa, Ryan Kane, Mason Shorts, James Richardson,
Peter Frame. 2B--Jordan Vujovich, Nick Iwasa. SB--Bailey
Abercrombie, Jared Alameida, Jordan Vujovich, Christian
Flores, Nicholas Sogard, Jack Heringer.

 JESUIT MARAUDERS                IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
John Louis Chiappe (W)         7.00    5    0    0    0    5    0
 DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL BLUES DEV
Pierce Tujo (L)                5.67    1    4    2    6    3    0
Dan Henrickson                 0.00    0    0    0    2    0    0
Peter Frame                    1.33    4    2    1    0    0    0

PB--Jordan Vujovich, Mason Shorts (7). WP--Pierce Tujo (3),
Dan Henrickson. BALK--Pierce Tujo. SO--Jonah Allman,
Christian Flores (2), Alex Halford, Jacob Gussero, James
Richardson, Alex Timmons, Gavin Cosgrave. BB--Bailey
Abercrombie, Jared Alameida, Jordan Vujovich, John Louis
Chiappe, Nicholas Sogard, Jack Heringer (2), Ryan Kane.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Ranking the 10 most powerful people in sports media

In my short write-up about Mr. Russell's House, I noted that I was amazed at the media empire that Bill Simmons is building. Sports Illustrated has ranked Simmons as the most powerful figure in the sports media today!
Ranking the 10 most powerful people in sports media

1. Bill Simmons, ESPN

He leveraged his immense popularity as a writer to start the high-minded Grantland.com, extending his brand beyond himself to bring in talented voices such as Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Wesley Morris. Simmons is the rare person in the sports media with revenue power on multiple platforms -- his podcasts get significant traffic, he's a major player in the "30 for 30" initiative, and this year he added a regular television presence with a position on ESPN's NBA Countdown show. Most importantly, Simmons has the ear of ESPN president John Skipper. He's No. 1 on this list by a wide margin.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Jesuit Frosh Baseball versus St. Mary's

For the second week in a row, the Jesuit Marauders played the St. Mary's Rams. The Marauders beat the Rams by the score of 10 to 3 last Tuesday.

After playing in four straight games, Jack did not play in this game.

The Marauders continue to score runs. They jumped out to a 7 to 0 lead and then hung on to win by the score of 10 to 5. The box score is here and the scorecard is here.

The story of the game was unearned runs. The Rams gave up 5 unearned runs on 4 errors, while the Marauders gave up 2 unearned runs on 3 errors. Errors at third base continue to plague the Marauders.

The winning pitcher was Wolger (1-0, 4.74 ERA). Wolger has pitched in all three of the Marauders loses. He has left with a lead in each of the previous three losses that Jesuit was not able to hold.

The Jesuit Frosh baseball team now has 6 wins and 3 losses. The game log is here. If it does not get rained out, the Marauders play Vista Del Lago on Wednesday night.

I have a new toy: a radar gun. I will post more about this in the next week. I am going to be sampling opposing pitchers once each inning and entering the results in notes that show up at the bottom of the scorecard. A summary of the results from this game are:

#12 Mendoca
1st inning - 70, 72
2nd inning - 67, 71
3rd inning - 73, 73

#20 Bettencourt
4th inning - 68, 66

#35 Harper
5th inning - 69, 70
6th inning - 66, 65, 64

Marauders Frosh Baseball versus St. Mary's Box Score

ST MARYS (5) AT JESUIT MARAUDERS (10)

ST MARYS             AB  R  H BI  JESUIT MARAUDERS     AB  R  H BI
Michael Mendonca      3  1  2  0  Nile Redmond          3  1  1  0  
Brandon Zaunbrecher   4  0  0  0  Byrce Colombara       3  1  0  0  
Gavin Cline           4  1  2  1  Nick Iwasa            2  1  0  1  
Nick Swanson          3  0  0  0   John Louis Chiappe   1  1  0  0  
 Jovanni Goivannoni   0  0  0  0  Jared Alameida        3  2  2  2  
Anthony Galindo       4  0  0  0   Jonah Allman         0  0  0  0  
Juan Vasquez          3  1  2  0  Ryan Kane             4  1  2  2  
Nick Herrera          2  0  0  0  Kyle Roessler         3  1  1  0  
 Michael Relloque     1  0  1  1   Jordan Vujovich      0  1  0  0  
Tevin Hernandez       3  0  0  0  Alexander Isola       4  0  1  2  
 Anthony Harper       0  0  0  0  Cole Jacobi           3  0  1  1  
Roy Harwell           1  0  0  0  Sam Starosciak        2  1  1  1  
 Isaiah Bettencourt   1  2  0  0                                    
TOTALS               29  5  7  2  TOTALS               28 10  9  9

ST MARYS                      000 131 0 -- 5  
JESUIT MARAUDERS              007 102 x -- 10 

LOB--ST MARYS 10, JESUIT MARAUDERS 6. ERR--Nick Herrera,
Tevin Hernandez (2), Anthony Galindo, Kyle Roessler, Nick
Iwasa, Ryan Kane. 2B--Juan Vasquez, Kyle Roessler.
HBP--Byrce Colombara. SB--Michael Mendonca (2), Juan
Vasquez, Isaiah Bettencourt, Gavin Cline, Jordan Vujovich,
Alexander Isola.

 ST MARYS                        IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Michael Mendonca (L)           2.67    6    7    5    2    1    0
Isaiah Bettencourt             1.33    2    1    0    1    2    0
Anthony Harper                 2.00    1    2    0    2    1    0
 JESUIT MARAUDERS           
Jack Wolger (W)                4.00    5    3    2    2    3    0
Bailey Abercrombie             2.00    2    2    1    4    3    0
Trevor Beards                  1.00    0    0    0    1    1    0

PB--Gavin Cline, Kyle Roessler. WP--Michael Mendonca, Jack
Wolger, Bailey Abercrombie. SO--Nick Herrera, Michael
Mendonca, Tevin Hernandez (2), Isaiah Bettencourt, Brandon
Zaunbrecher, Nick Swanson, Nile Redmond, Byrce Colombara,
Kyle Roessler, Cole Jacobi. BB--Nick Herrera, Michael
Mendonca, Anthony Harper, Juan Vasquez, Isaiah Bettencourt
(2), Nick Swanson, Jonah Allman, Nile Redmond, Jordan
Vujovich, Nick Iwasa, Sam Starosciak.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Milo Greene European Tour!


Holy Diamonds, Batman!

Milo Greene European Tour...

8 Countries! 15 Shows! 23 days!

4.24 - Paris, France
4.26 - Strasbourg, France
4.27 - Zurich, Switzerland
4.29 - Vienna, Austria
4.30 - Berlin, Germany
5.01 - Amsterdam, Netherlands
5.02 - Cologne, Germany
5.04 - Brussels, Belgium
5.05 - Groningen, Netherlands
5.06 - Copenhagen, Denmark
5.07 - Hamburg, Germany
5.09 - London, England
5.10 - Manchester, England
5.15 - London, England
5.16 - Brighton, England

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - WikiWeb

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!
Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - WikiWeb

Access Wikipedia wherever you go.

Code Expiration: June 11, 2013

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - The Cave Singers - When The World

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!
Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Cave Singers - When The World

Code Expiration: June 11, 2013

Sunday, March 17, 2013

2013 St. Patrick's Day

We celebrated St. Patrick's day with a dinner of corn beef and cabbage at Tom and Becky's. We had a small group for dinner that included Tommy, Becky, Jim, Sharon, Jack and I. We finished the evening with Jack and I losing bocce ball to Jim and me losing two games of chess to Jack...

2013 Jesuit PACE Gala & Auction


After a long day of baseball, Sharon and I went to the 2013 Jesuit High School PACE Gala and Auction on Saturday night.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Jesuit Frosh Baseball versus De La Salle Doubleheader


The Jesuit Frosh Marauders played a doubleheaders against the De La Salle Scorpions. De La Salle is from Concord. Talking to one of the De La Salle parents before the first game, he said that they had 70 boys go out for freshman baseball. They ended up drafting two teams of about 13. The Marauders played the Silver team. The parent also said he thought that this was the better team with more pitching.

Jack started the first game in centerfield and batted second.

At the plate, Jack was 1 for 3 with a single, a walk, reached on an error (3DK!), a stolen base and a run scored. In his first at-bat, Jack struck out swinging on a 0 and 2 pitch, but the catcher misplayed the ball. Hustling down the line, Jack was safe at first on the dropped third strike. Jack went to second when Nick was hit by a pitch and then scored on Jared's double to left center. Jack grounded a 2 and 1 pitch to the left side in his second plate appearance and was thrown out at first. In his third at-bat, Jack ran the count full and drew a walk. He stole second and was thrown out at home on Nick's single. As best I can figure out, the coach sent him. In a good at-bat, Jack fell behind 1 and 2, fouled off two pitches and then lined a single into right field in his fourth plate appearance. He got picked off first base.

Playing centerfield for seven innings, Jack did not have a put-out or an assist. He made one diving attempt on a play hit into short left center.

The Marauders scored four runs in the top of the first and never looked back. Iwasa (2-0/ERA 3.27) pitched five strong innings and got the win. The Marauders won the game by the score of 7 to 3. The box score is here and the scorecard is here.

After a short break, the boys turned around and played the second game. Jack started in left field and lead off.

At the plate, Jack was 1 for 2 with a single, a walk, a stolen base and a run scored. In his first at-bat, Jack walked on five pitches. He went to second when Jordan was hit by a pitch, to third when Nick walked and scored on Jared's double to right center. Jack popped a 0 and 1 pitch into right field for an out in his second plate appearance. In his third at-bat, Jack lined the first pitch into right field for a single. He stole second, but ended the inning there when Jordan struck out and Nick grounded out to short.

Playing left field for four innings, Jack did not have a put-out or an assist. One of the batters for De La Salle hit a home run just barely over the fence in left field. Jack said after the game that he thought that he could have reached up and got it with just a little better jump.

The Marauders scored 8 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning and won the game by the score of 15 to 3. Chiappe (2-0/ERA 2.69) was the winning pitcher. The box score is here and the scorecard is here.

The Jesuit Frosh baseball team now has 5 wins and 3 losses. The game log is here. The Marauders have a rematch against St. Mary's on Tuesday afternoon.

Jesuit Frosh Baseball versus De La Salle

Game 2 of the doubleheader
DE LA SALLE (3) AT JESUIT MARAUDERS (15)

DE LA SALLE          AB  R  H BI  JESUIT MARAUDERS     AB  R  H BI
Connor Redmond        4  0  0  0  Jack Heringer         2  1  1  0  
Tristan Webb          4  0  0  0   Bailey Abercrombie   2  1  1  0  
Patrick Guidi         2  1  1  0  Jordan Vujovich       4  2  0  1  
 Matt Koelzer         1  0  0  0  Nick Iwasa            2  2  1  0  
Christopher Vanderkl  4  0  1  1   Cole Jacobi          1  1  0  1  
Nicholas Sparks       3  2  2  1  Jared Alameida        2  1  2  3  
Grant Jones           1  0  0  0   Jonah Allman         1  1  1  1  
 Connor Perrey        1  0  1  0  Christian Flores      5  1  2  4  
Andrew Fogel          3  0  1  1  Kevin Fitzsimon       3  0  0  1  
Coleman Shess         3  0  1  0  Kyle Roessler         1  2  0  1  
Connor Roberts        1  0  1  0  Trevor Beards         3  1  1  2  
 Jordan Chriss        2  0  1  0  Sam Starosciak        2  2  0  0  
TOTALS               29  3  9  3  TOTALS               28 15  9 14

DE LA SALLE                   100 101 0 -- 3  
JESUIT MARAUDERS              420 018 x -- 15 

LOB--DE LA SALLE 7, JESUIT MARAUDERS 9. ERR--Jordan Chriss
(2), Christopher Vanderklugt, Wesley Palmer, Jared Alameida.
2B--Jordan Chriss, Jared Alameida, Trevor Beards.
3B--Christian Flores. HR--Nicholas Sparks. HBP--Kyle
Roessler (2), Jordan Vujovich, Sam Starosciak, Kevin
Fitzsimon (2). SACF--Kyle Roessler. SB--Bailey Abercrombie,
Kyle Roessler, Christian Flores, Jack Heringer.

 DE LA SALLE                     IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Connor Roberts (L)             2.00    4    6    6    2    0    0
Jordan Chriss                  3.00    1    1    1    2    5    0
Connor Perrey                  0.67    2    7    2    3    0    0
Coleman Shess                  0.33    2    1    1    0    0    0
 JESUIT MARAUDERS           
John Louis Chiappe (W)         6.00    9    3    3    1    2    1
Ryan Kane                      1.00    0    0    0    1    2    0

PB--Wesley Palmer. WP--Connor Perrey, Ryan Kane (2).
SO--Connor Redmond, Tristan Webb (2), Christopher Vanderkl,
Jordan Vujovich, Christian Flores, Sam Starosciak, Trevor
Beards, Kevin Fitzsimon. BB--Patrick Guidi, Grant Jones,
Jared Alameida, Jonah Allman, Jack Heringer, Cole Jacobi,
Nick Iwasa, Sam Starosciak, Trevor Beards.

Jesuit Frosh Baseball versus De La Salle

Game 1 of the doubleheader
DE LA SALLE (3) AT JESUIT MARAUDERS (7)

DE LA SALLE          AB  R  H BI  JESUIT MARAUDERS     AB  R  H BI
Connor Redmond        3  0  0  0  Nile Redmond          3  1  0  0  
Tristan Webb          2  0  0  0  Jack Heringer         3  1  1  0  
 Wesley Palmer        2  0  0  0  Nick Iwasa            3  1  3  2  
Patrick Guidi         4  0  1  0  Jared Alameida        3  2  1  1  
Christopher Vanderkl  3  0  0  0  Bailey Abercrombie    4  1  2  2  
Nicholas Sparks       3  1  1  0  Alexander Isola       3  0  0  0  
Grant Jones           2  2  2  0  Jack Wolger           2  0  0  1  
 Andrew Fogel         1  0  0  0  Byrce Colombara       3  0  3  1  
Jordan Chriss         3  0  0  0  Nicholas Sogard       2  1  0  0  
Matt Koelzer          3  0  2  2                                    
Connor Roberts        3  0  1  1                                    
TOTALS               29  3  7  3  TOTALS               26  7 10  7

DE LA SALLE                   020 100 0 -- 3  
JESUIT MARAUDERS              400 111 x -- 7  

LOB--DE LA SALLE 6, JESUIT MARAUDERS 7. ERR--Patrick Guidi,
Christopher Vanderklugt, Connor Roberts, Alexander Isola.
2B--Patrick Guidi, Grant Jones, Jared Alameida, Byrce
Colombara, Nick Iwasa. HBP--Jack Wolger, Nick Iwasa.
SACB--Nile Redmond. SB--Matt Koelzer, Patrick Guidi, Grant
Jones, Bailey Abercrombie, Jared Alameida, Byrce Colombara,
Jack Heringer.

 DE LA SALLE                     IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Nicholas Sparks (L)            4.00    7    5    3    2    3    0
Connor Redmond                 2.00    3    2    0    1    0    0
 JESUIT MARAUDERS           
Nick Iwasa (W)                 5.00    5    3    2    1    3    0
Nile Redmond                   2.00    2    0    0    0    0    0

PB--Wesley Palmer. WP--Nile Redmond. SO--Nicholas Sparks,
Connor Roberts, Wesley Palmer, Jack Wolger, Nile Redmond,
Alexander Isola. BB--Connor Perrey, Jared Alameida, Nicholas
Sogard, Jack Heringer.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Jesuit Frosh Baseball versus Vacaville

The Jesuit Marauders frosh baseball team played the Vacaville Bulldogs in their first road game of the season. The Vacaville team has a number of players that Jack has faced over the years on the Bulldog Baseball and the Dirty Dozen teams.

Jack started the game on the bench, but came into the game to lead off the top of the fifth. He stayed in the game and played four innings in centerfield.

At the plate, Jack was 1 for 2 with a single, a walk, two stolen bases and two runs scored. In his first at-bat, he fell behind in the count 0 and 2, but ended up drawing a walk on six pitches. Jack stole second and went to third on a balk. He scored on Nick's ground out to shortstop. Jack lined a 2 and 1 pitch into centerfield for a single in his second plate appearance. He stole second and scored on Jared's soft fly ball to right. In his third at-bat, Jack struck out looking on a 2 and 2 pitch. He said after the game that he thought that the ball was going to break out.

In the field, Jack played four innings in centerfield. He had one put-out on a fly ball to left center. Jack made a diving attempt on fly ball in shallow right center. At least to my eye, he looks comfortable in the outfield.

Leading 5 to 1 in the top of the fifth, the Marauders gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the fifth and then 2 more runs in the bottom of the sixth. After seven innings, the score was tied 6 to 6. The Bulldogs scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to win the game by the score of 7 to 6. The box score is here and the scorecard is here.

I think that the Marauders actually got enough pitching to win the game. Unfortunately, the outfield play was not sharp. In my opinion, the left fielder misplayed two balls in the six inning that ultimately cost Jesuit the game. I charged him with an error on one fly ball and debated back and forth charging an error on the fly ball that let the tying runs score. I respect that the coach is trying to get a number of players at-bats; there are a lot of catchers and infielders on the team. I am hopeful that Jack will stake a claim to left field and play there consistently.

The Jesuit Frosh baseball team now has 3 wins and 3 losses. The game log is here. The Marauders have a double header against De La Salle on Saturday.

Jesuit Frosh Baseball versus Vacaville box score

JESUIT MARAUDERS (6) AT VACAVILLE HIGH SCHOOL BULLDOGS (7)

JESUIT MARAUDERS     AB  R  H BI  VACAVILLE HIGH SCHOO AB  R  H BI
Nile Redmond          2  0  0  0  Austin Cowan          4  1  2  3  
 Jack Heringer        2  2  1  0  Cody Norman           3  1  1  0  
Bailey Abercrombie    4  0  0  0  Gabe Caravantes       4  1  1  1  
Nick Iwasa            3  1  1  1  Harrison Paschal      3  0  1  1  
Jared Alameida        4  2  3  2   Will Dietrich        0  0  0  0  
Ryan Kane             4  1  2  1  Blake Perea           4  0  3  1  
Kyle Roessler         4  0  2  1  Garrett Bair          4  0  0  0  
Alexander Isola       2  0  0  0  Donovan Harrison      4  0  0  0  
 Christian Flores     1  0  0  0  Nate Kerner           1  0  0  0  
Jordan Vujovich       3  0  1  0   Jacob Boothe         3  1  1  1  
John Louis Chiappe    4  0  0  0  Darren Serrano        2  2  2  0  
TOTALS               33  6 10  5  TOTALS               32  6 11  7

JESUIT MARAUDERS              200 031 00 -- 6  
VACAVILLE HIGH SCHOOL BDoGS   100 032 01 -- 7  

LOB--JESUIT MARAUDERS 7, VACAVILLE HIGH SCHOOL BULLDOGS 5.
ERR--Kyle Roessler, Austin Cowan. 2B--Kyle Roessler, Ryan
Kane, Gabe Caravantes, Austin Cowan. 3B--Jared Alameida,
Jordan Vujovich. HBP--Alexander Isola, Darren Serrano.
SB--Jack Heringer (2), Stephen Pena, Jacob Boothe, Darren
Serrano (2).

 JESUIT MARAUDERS                IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Jack Wolger                    4.67    7    4    4    2    3    0
Byrce Colombara (L)            3.00    4    3    1    0    1    0
 VACAVILLE HIGH SCHOOL BULLD
Brandon Barling                4.00    5    2    2    0    3    0
Cole Chadwick                  0.67    3    3    3    1    0    0
Brett Whitney                  1.00    1    1    1    1    0    0
Tyler Bokum (W)                2.33    1    0    0    1    2    0

PB--Gabe Caravantes. BALK--Cole Chadwick. SO--Bailey
Abercrombie (2), Nile Redmond, Christian Flores, Jack
Heringer, Cody Norman, Nate Kerner, Harrison Paschal,
Donovan Harrison. BB--Jordan Vujovich, Jack Heringer, Nick
Iwasa, Cody Norman, Harrison Paschal.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

California Historical Landmark #855

Originally the Sacred Heart Convent and Holy Angels Orphanage and Mount St. Mary’s Convent and Orphan Asylum, this is the only existing original orphanage in California.

Mount Saint Mary's Convent and Academy
California State Historical Landmark #855

See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps

This plaque is located on South Church Street between Chapel and Dalton Streets, Grass Valley, California. There are 20 other California State Historical Landmarks in Nevada County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 39° 12.850 W 121° 04.060.

You can log your site to this site at waymarking.com!

California Historical Landmark #855

Built by Reverend Thomas J. Dalton, the Sacred Heart Convent and Holy Angels Orphanage was dedicated May 2, 1865 by Bishop Eugene O'Connell. Under the Sisters of Mercy, it served from 1866 to 1932 as the first orphanage of the Northern Mines. It functioned as an academy from 1868 to 1965 and as a convent from 1866 to 1968.

California Historical Landmark #855

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

ESPN Films - Nine for IX

In addition to 30 for 30 Volume 2, 30 for 30 Shorts and SEC Storied, ESPN Films has announced a new film slate titled Nine for IX. This documentary series focuses on captivating stories of women in sports told through the lens of female filmmakers. The series is scheduled to premiere on July 2, 2013 on ESPN. The films will air on consecutive Tuesday evenings at 8pm ET.

1. Venus Vs. by Ava DuVernay - July 2, 2013
Everyone knows about the swing. Everyone knows about the swagger. But what most Americans don’t know about Venus Williams is how she changed the course of her sport. In a stunning case that captured the attention of the European public beginning in 2005, Williams challenged the long-held practice of paying women tennis players less money than their male counterparts at the French Open and Wimbledon. With a deep sense of obligation to the legacy of Billie Jean King, Williams lobbied Parliament, UNESCO and Fleet Street for financial parity. Indeed, it was her poignant op-ed piece in The London Times that convinced many people that the tournament organizers at Wimbledon were “on the wrong side of history.” The boys clubs at Roland Garros and Wimbledon finally relented in 2007. In fact, it was at Wimbledon that year that Venus became the first women’s champion to earn as much as the men’s (Roger Federer). So to her seven major championships, another victory can be added.
2. Pat XO by Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern - July 9, 2013
On April 18, 2012, Pat Summitt, the winningest coach in the history of the NCAA basketball, did the unimaginable and announced her resignation from the University of Tennessee. On the very same day, her son Tyler was named assistant coach of the Marquette’s women’s basketball team, his first job out of college. While the sports world reeled from the news of Pat’s early on-set Alzheimer’s, the coach and her son quietly set out to beat this challenge just as they had every other – with grace, humor and most of all, each other. Pat XO tells the remarkable story of Pat Summitt as it’s never been told before. This raw, authentic portrait takes the camera from the filmmaker’s hands and places it into those who know her best. With Tyler as the lead storyteller, moving recollections are shared by assistant coaches, players like Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings and Michelle Marciniak, fellow coach Geno Auriemma, and such admirers as Peyton Manning and Kenny Chesney. The archival footage and statistical records woven into the film provide their own insights into a woman who cared about winning, but also about elevating her players and her university. If it’s possible to do justice to Pat Summitt, Pat XO does it.
3. Let Them Wear Towels by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern - July 16, 2013
Lisa Olson was just trying to do her job as a reporter for the Boston Herald in 1990 when a group of New England Patriot players sexually harassed her in their locker room by exposing their genitals and making lewd and vulgar comments. Even though a subsequent NFL investigation concluded that Olson had been “degraded and humiliated,” the 25-year-old continued to be tormented by Patriot fans—so much so that she temporarily moved to Australia to resume her career. In the meantime, the story touched off a national debate about the presence of female journalists in the male sanctum of the clubhouse. That debate should have been settled 12 years earlier, when Melissa Ludtke of Sports Illustrated successfully challenged Major League Baseball after she was kept out of the New York Yankees locker room. Why had equal access for women reporters remained such a hot-button issue? That question is asked in Let Them Wear Towels, a history and examination of females working in the man’s world of the locker room. Through interviews with such pioneer women as Ludtke, Claire Smith, Lesley Visser and Jane Gross, you’ll hear stories of raw behavior and humorous retaliation, angry lawsuits and remarkable resolve.
4. No Limits by Alison Ellwood - July 23, 2013
As a teenager, Audrey Mestre suffered from scoliosis, but in those formative years, she discovered a passion for the ocean. It offered her a sense of freedom, and the burdens she faced on dry land soon dissipated as she slipped below the surface. In the final stages of her PH.D., Mestre was drawn to Cabo San Lucas where she became infatuated with free-diver Pipin Ferreras, a Cuban defector whose dives had put him at the forefront of the sport. The two became a couple and Mestre followed the elusive, often raucous Pipin on his almost spiritual quest to push his limits underwater. Soon enough, Mestre moved from support team member to ardent free-diver and then to a world-class competitor who outshone her husband. In 2002, after news arrived that a rival female diver named Tanya Streeter had successfully gone to a record-breaking 525 feet, Pipin began preparations for Mestre to make a 561-foot dive off the coast of the Canary Island. Having completed practice dives even deeper in the weeks leading up to the record attempt, Mestre was prepared. But because of a fateful decision before the dive, Mestre never resurfaced alive.
5. Swoopes by Hannah Storm - July 30, 2013
Sheryl Swoopes has famously been labeled as the female Michael Jordan. Actually, she’s far more interesting. On the court, she was nearly as dominant as Michael: a national championship with Texas Tech, three Olympic gold medals, three MVP awards and four consecutive championships with the Houston Comets of the WNBA, the league she helped start. She even had a Nike shoe named after her, the Air Swoopes. Off the court, she gave birth in the middle of her first WNBA championship season, divorced her high school sweetheart, and became the highest-profile athlete in her sport to declare she was gay. She has struggled with love, family, money and lack of recognition, but she has never lost her spirit. In this portrait, viewers will meet someone who’s not the everyday superstar, a woman who has defied a multitude of labels, including “old” – in August 2011, Swoopes, at 40, hit a buzzer-beater to end the Tulsa Shock’s 20-game losing streak.
6. The Diplomat by Jennifer Arnold and Senain Kheshgi - August 6, 2013
At the height of the Cold War, Katarina Witt became one of East Germany’s most famous athletes. Trained in an ice rink that gave rise to socialist heroes, Witt dominated her field by winning six European skating titles, five world championships and back-to-back Olympic gold medals to become arguably the world’s best figure skater. Known as “the most beautiful face of socialism” her success gave her a unique status in East Germany. It also triggered constant surveillance by the Stasi, East Germany’s notorious secret police force. This film chronicles how Witt, one of the greatest skaters of all time, fought for her future in socialist East Germany, how she faced the great changes that occurred after the fall of The Berlin Wall and, ultimately, how she ended up both a beneficiary and victim of the East German regime.
7. Runner by Shola Lynch - August 13, 2013
Mary Decker obliterated opponents and records with blazing speed and a starving hunger to win. She dominated her sport, holding U.S. records in every distance from 800 to 10,000 meters, and she did it all without the Olympics. She was too young in ’72, hurt in ’76 and shut out by the U.S. boycott in ’80. As Sports Illustrated’s cover “Sportswoman of the Year” in 1983, she was ready: 1984 was the target, with the Olympics in Los Angeles and her skills at their 25 year-old peak. But the story leads to a single shocking moment in the 1984 Games, with Mary writhing on the ground in physical pain and emotional heartbreak, with the whole world watching.
8. The ‘99ers by Erin Leyden and Produced by Julie Foudy - August 20, 2013
The world of women’s sports was kicked upside down on July 10, 1999. Before a sold-out crowd of more than 90,000 at the Rose Bowl and an estimated 40 million Americans watching on television, the women’s soccer team reached a cultural and athletic pinnacle with its penalty-kick shoot-out victory over China to win the Women’s World Cup. These players were more than the ponytailed poster girls celebrated by mainstream media. As told through the voice of longtime team captain, Julie Foudy, viewers get an inside look at the strong team ethic and rare “do for each other” mentality that propelled them to victory that day and turned the team into a cultural touchstone. With unprecedented access, the film uses candid, behind-the-scenes footage shot by the players themselves during the tournament to present a unique portrait of the women who irrevocably changed the face of women’s athletics. Reuniting key players from the 1999 squad and talking with current U.S. players as well, the film examines how women’s soccer – and women’s sports as a whole – has changed since that epic day at the Rose Bowl.
9. Branded by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady - August 27, 2013
Anna Kournikova was never the greatest tennis player in the world. In fact, she never rose higher than No. 8 on the WTA world singles rankings. But her looks and willingness to capitalize on them made her the most famous tennis player on the planet and ultimately, a pioneer for fellow women athletes who understand that sometimes, sex sells. Sports is supposed to be the ultimate level playing field, but in the media and on Madison Avenue sometimes looks matter more than accomplishments. This film explores the double standard placed on women athletes to be the best players on the field and the sexiest off them. Branded explores the question: can women’s sports ever gain an equal footing with their male counterparts or will sex always override achievement?


ESPN Films and espnW Announce Nine for IX « ESPN MediaZone

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Jesuit Frosh Baseball versus St. Mary's

Over the next ten days, the Jesuit Marauders Frosh baseball team has six games. In their first weeknight game of the season, the Marauders played the St. Mary's Rams. St. Mary's is in Stockton.

For the second game in the a row, Jack started in left field. Rather than batting second, he was the lead off batter. Talking in the car after the game, neither Jack or I could remember a game in the hundreds of baseball games that he has played where he batted lead off.

At the plate, Jack was 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs, 2 runs scored and reached safely on an error. In his first at-bat, Jack hit a 3 and 2 pitch for a fly ball right at the center fielder for an out. Jack hit a 1 and 2 pitch for a grounder to the right side in his second plate appearance. The second baseman fielded the ball awkwardly and then stumbled. With Jack flying up the line, the second baseman never made a throw and Jack was safe at first on the error. Jack scored the first run of the game on Bailey's triple to right center. Jack came to bat with runners on first and second and two outs in the bottom of the fourth. With the game tied at 2, Jack lined a 3 and 1 pitch into left center for a single. Jordan scored from second for the RBI. Jack went to second on a passed ball and then scored on Bailey's single to left center. In his fourth at-bat in the bottom of fifth, the bases were loaded with two outs. Jack grounded a 3 and 1 pitch up the middle for a single. Kevin scored from third and Sam scored from second for two more RBIs. Jack went to second on the throw to the plate, but ended the inning there when Bailey flew out to centerfield.

In the field, Jack played seven innings in left field. He had two put-outs on fly balls. Jack also did a nice job running down a triple that was crushed down the third base line and rolled all the way to the trees on American River Drive. I am frankly surprised how comfortable he looks in the outfield. Jack and I were talking in the car on Monday night. He was saying that he thought that one of the strongest outfield combinations would be him in left, Sam in center and Bailey in right; this is the line-up they used on Tuesday night.

Needing a strong pitching performance, the Marauders got one. Behind a 76 pitch complete game by Chiappe, the Marauders beat the Rams by the score of 10 to 3. The box score is here and the scorecard is here.

I am not sure that anyone saw Chiappe's performance coming. He had only pitched one inning in the scrimmage against Davis on February 23. Jack said that he had not pitched that well in their inter-squad games. Nevertheless, it was just what the team needed.

The Jesuit Frosh baseball team now has 3 wins and 2 losses. The game log is here. The next game is their first away game Friday night against Vacaville.

Jesuit Frosh Baseball versus St. Mary's Box Score

ST MARYS (3) AT JESUIT MARAUDERS (10)

ST MARYS             AB  R  H BI  JESUIT MARAUDERS     AB  R  H BI
Michael Mendonca      2  0  0  0  Jack Heringer         4  2  2  3  
Jamie Zavala          3  0  0  0  Bailey Abercrombie    4  2  3  3  
Gavin Cline           3  2  2  0  Nick Iwasa            2  0  1  1  
Nick Swanson          3  1  1  1   Cole Jacobi          1  1  1  0  
Anthony Galindo       3  0  1  0  Jared Alameida        3  0  1  1  
Juan Vasquez          3  0  0  1   Christian Flores     1  1  1  0  
Anthony Harper        2  0  0  0  Kevin Fitzsimon       3  1  0  0  
William Ramirez       2  0  0  0  Jordan Vujovich       3  1  1  0  
 Brandon Zaunbrecher  1  0  0  0  Sam Starosciak        3  1  0  1  
Jovanni Goivannoni    3  0  0  0  Jonah Allman          4  1  1  0  
                                  Nicholas Sogard       2  0  0  0  
                                   Nile Redmond         0  0  0  0  
TOTALS               25  3  4  2  TOTALS               30 10 11  9

ST MARYS                      000 201 0 -- 3  
JESUIT MARAUDERS              002 422 x -- 10 

LOB--ST MARYS 3, JESUIT MARAUDERS 7. ERR--Jovanni
Goivannoni, Gavin Cline, Jonah Allman, Nick Iwasa.
2B--Bailey Abercrombie. 3B--Gavin Cline, Bailey Abercrombie.
HBP--Sam Starosciak.

 ST MARYS                        IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Nick Swanson (L)               3.67    8    6    4    1    3    0
Isaiah Bettencourt             2.33    3    4    3    3    1    0
 JESUIT MARAUDERS           
John Louis Chiappe (W)         7.00    4    3    2    2    3    0

PB--Gavin Cline. SO--Jovanni Goivannoni, Michael Mendonca,
Gavin Cline, Jared Alameida, Jordan Vujovich, Sam
Starosciak, Kevin Fitzsimon. BB--Michael Mendonca, Anthony
Harper, Jordan Vujovich, Nicholas Sogard, Nick Iwasa, Kevin
Fitzsimon.

Monday, March 11, 2013

My Father

My mom's brother Spencer and my father at Puertecitos, Mexico

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Jim James - A New Life

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!
Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Jim James - A New Life

The My Morning Jacket frontman delivers a vocal tour de force with this ever-building selection from his new solo album, Regions of Light and Sound of God.

Code Expiration: June 4, 2013

Sunday, March 10, 2013

ESPN Films - SEC Storied - Miracle 3

I watched ESPN Films SEC Storied Miracle 3. In addition to 30 for 30 Volume 2, the 30 for 30 Shorts and Nine for IX, ESPN Films is running a series of films about the Southeastern Conference. There are about five other films in this series that I have not seen yet; I have not built an episode guide for these films.

Miracle 3 tells the story of the 2008 SEC Championship Basketball tournament. As the first quarterfinal went into overtime on Friday, March 14th, a tornado hit the Georgia Dome. It was the first tornado to hit the city since the 1880's and one of the few reported tornados to hit a major metropolitan area.

Alabama's Mykal Riley's buzzer beater shot to force the overtime probably saved thousands of lives. If Riley had not sunk the 3-point shot, thousands of fan leaving the Alabama/Mississippi State game would have literally walked right into a tornado with winds estimated at 135 MPH.

The film focuses on what happened as the storm raged outside and then the monumental task of having to finish the tournament with four games in 30 hours.

Miracle 3 is not as good as most of the other ESPN Films, but it is an interesting story. I actually got sucked in and enjoyed the film more as it progressed. I actually don't remember hearing about the story at the time it happened.

Miracle 3 is available in iTunes.

It is also available on Amazon as an Instant Video.

Saturday, March 09, 2013

Jesuit Frosh Baseball versus Valley Christian Doubleheader


The Jesuit Marauders played the Valley Christian Warriors in a home doubleheader. Like Archbishop Mitty last week, the Warriors are from San Jose.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Jack started in left field and batted second. He had a solid day. Jack claims that he is the second fastest kid on the team, behind only Nile.

At the plate, Jack was 1 for 3 with two runs scored, a single, a walk and a fielder's choice. In his first at-bat, he ran the count full and walked. He went to second on Nick's walk, to third on Jared's single and scored on Ryan's walk. With Sogard on first, Jack grounded a 0 and 2 pitched to the right side in his second plate appearance. Sogard was forced out at second and Jack was safe at first on fielder's choice. Iwasa hit a hard line drive off the pitcher. With no one covering third, Jack raced from first to third. He scored on Jared's triple. In his third at-bat, Jack popped the first pitch up down the first base line. The wind blew it back into play and the first baseman caught it in foul territory for an out. Jack lined a 2 and 1 pitch into right field in his fourth plate appearance for a single. He was forced out at second on Jared's ground ball to the third baseman.

In the field, Jack played seven innings in left field. He had two put-outs; Jack handled two fly balls to left. He also did a nice job tracking down a grounder that bounced off third base. In the sixth inning, a ball was crushed almost to the street in left center. Jack said after the game that he thought that he could have gotten to it if the wind had not been blowing out. He was able to hold the batter to a double.

Leading 5 to 0 after four innings, the Marauders pitching let the Warriors back into the game. More on this in a second... The Warriors tied the game at 8 in the top of seventh. The Marauders scored in the bottom of the seventh to win the game by the score of 9 to 8. The scorecard is here and the box score is here.

Jack didn't play in the second game. The Marauders have 19 boys on the roster and the coach is doing a good job of trying to get everyone some at-bats.

The Marauders ran out to a 13 to 4 lead in the second game. Unfortunately, the adventures in pitching continued. The Warriors scored 5 runs in the top of the seventh. With runners on first and third, the Marauders finally got the third out and won the game by the score of 13 to 9. The first two outs in the bottom of the seventh were caught stealing! The scorecard is here.

The Jesuit Marauders 2013 frosh baseball team now has a record of 2 wins and 2 losses. The game log is here.

As I said last week, I really thought that pitching was going to be a strength of this team. During the scrimmages, it looked like the Marauders were deep with pitching. This has not panned out so far. While the team has scored 9.5 runs per game in the first four games, they are giving up 9.25 runs per game. It is going to be a long season if the pitching does not settle down.

The Marauders next game is Tuesday afternoon at home against St. Mary's.

Jesuit Frosh Baseball versus Valley Christian Box Score

Game One of the Doubleheader
VALLEY CHRISTIAN (8) AT JESUIT MARAUDERS (9)

VALLEY CHRISTIAN     AB  R  H BI  JESUIT MARAUDERS     AB  R  H BI
Masori                4  2  2  0  Nile Redmond          4  0  1  1  
Holder                3  1  1  1   Jordan Vujovich      0  1  0  0  
Manderson             4  0  3  3  Jack Heringer         3  2  1  0  
Lopez                 4  0  0  0  Nick Iwasa            3  1  1  1  
Ferroni               4  0  1  2  Jared Alameida        3  2  2  2  
Hoefling              3  1  1  0  Ryan Kane             2  1  1  2  
 Lamas                0  0  0  0  Christian Flores      4  0  1  1  
Citti                 2  0  0  0  Alexander Isola       4  0  0  0  
 Caberberg            1  1  0  0  Jack Wolger           1  0  0  0  
Erickson              3  2  0  1   Bailey Abercrombie   1  0  0  0  
Stearns               1  1  0  1   Byrce Colombara      1  1  1  0  
                                  Nicholas Sogard       2  0  1  0  
                                   Cole Jacobi          1  0  0  0  
                                   Kyle Roessler        1  0  0  0  
TOTALS               29  8  8  8  TOTALS               30  8  9  7

VALLEY CHRISTIAN              000 043 1 -- 8  
JESUIT MARAUDERS              140 003 1 -- 9  

LOB--VALLEY CHRISTIAN 8, JESUIT MARAUDERS 10. ERR--
Manderson (2),  Citti, Jared Alameida (2), Christian Flores.
2B-- Manderson,  Hoefling, Byrce Colombara. 3B--Jared
Alameida, Ryan Kane. SACF-- Stearns. SB-- Hoefling,  King,
Christian Flores, Nicholas Sogard.

 VALLEY CHRISTIAN                IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Lopez                          1.67    3    5    1    5    2    0
Citti                          3.33    2    0    0    1    3    0
Hoefling                       0.00    1    2    2    1    0    0
Manderson                      1.00    3    2    1    0    0    0
 JESUIT MARAUDERS           
Jack Wolger                    4.00    3    2    2    2    3    0
Bailey Abercrombie             1.33    4    5    4    2    0    0
Byrce Colombara                0.67    1    0    0    1    1    0
Nile Redmond (W)               1.00    0    1    1    2    1    0

PB--Alexander Isola (2). WP-- Lopez, Jack Wolger, Nile
Redmond. SO--Masori, Stearns, Lopez, Ferroni, Caberberg,
Jack Wolger, Bailey Abercrombie, Nile Redmond (2), Cole
Jacobi. BB-- Holder,  Hoefling,  Masori,  Erickson,  Stearns
(2),  Caberberg, Jack Wolger, Jared Alameida, Jordan
Vujovich, Jack Heringer, Nick Iwasa, Ryan Kane (2).

Marauder Baseball

Friday, March 08, 2013

California Historical Landmark #293

Like the California Historical Landmark for Lola Montez, there is a lot more to the story of Lotta Crabtree than you get from the marker description. I really recommend reading the Wikipedia article about her.

Home of Lotta Crabtree
California State Historical Landmark #293

See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps

This plaque is located at 238 Mill Street, Grass Valley, California. There are 20 other California State Historical Landmarks in Nevada County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 39° 12.980 W 121° 03.850.

You can log your site to this site at waymarking.com!

California Historical Landmark #293

Lotta Crabtree was born in New York in 1847. In 1852-3 the gold fever brought her family to California. Several months after arriving in San Francisco, Mrs. Crabtree and Lotta went to Grass Valley and with Mr. Crabtree started a boarding house for miners. It was here that Lotta met Lola Montez, who taught her to sing and dance. In Scales, Plumas County, Lotta made her first public appearance, which led to a successful career on stage here and abroad.

Thursday, March 07, 2013

Mad Men - Season Four


Sharon and I finished watching season four of Mad Men on the AppleTv. Season four takes place between November 1964 and October 1965. It picks up roughly a year after the end of season three.

The season is set at the new and considerably more modern advertising agency, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. The main arc of the fourth season is driven by Don Draper's identity crisis. He is regularly meeting with prostitutes and drinking more heavily than ever. As the season progresses, Don losses his grip more and more. It is a dark season...

While the second season ended with the Cuban missile crisis and the third season's ended with the assassination of President Kennedy, the fourth season's ending revolves around Don's getting remarried.


[Mad Men - Season Three]
[Mad Men - Season Two]
[Mad Men - Season One]

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

I finished reading the Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard. I stumbled across the book while surfing on Amazon in December. It wasn't until I started reading the book that I realized the author had also written The River of Doubt. The River of Doubt is one of my favorite books!

I brought the book as part of my effort to read about all of the United States Presidents. Destiny of the Republic is the story of James Garfield, the 20th President. President Garfield had a mere four months to establish his presidency before he was shot by Charles J. Guiteau, a deranged political office seeker, on July 2, 1881. Garfield died after 80 days of suffering.

Raised in poverty in Ohio, Garfield was a remarkable individual. A passionate abolitionist, Garfield was not only hailed a hero in the Civil War, but was a fierce champion of the rights of freed slaves. At the same time, he was a supremely gifted scholar who had become a university president at just 26 years of age, and, while in Congress, wrote an original proof of the Pythagorean Theorem. The Republicans ended up choosing him as their candidate in 1880 primarily because they couldn't agree between former President Grant, James G. Blaine, and John Sherman. The delegates chose Garfield as a compromise choice.

In addition to providing an overview of Garfield, the book weaves in two other plots. First, Alexander Graham Bell plays a prominent part in the story. The book outlines his invention of the telephone. Bell's efforts to build an induction balance, a type of metal detector, to locate the bullet lodged in the President’s body play a major role in the last third of the book.

Second, the idea of antiseptic surgery is explored. At the time, American physicians were skeptical of the idea of the need for antiseptic procedures. As a result, their efforts to treat Garfield caused more problems than they solved. Garfield would likely have survived the shooting ten years later.

One of the odd coincidences highlighted in the book is that Robert Todd Lincoln was present when Garfield was shot. He was also at his father's death bed and standing with President McKinley when he was shot. Robert Todd Lincoln has the dubious distinction of being the only man to be present at three of the nation's four presidential assassinations.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it. Like The President and the Assassin, the book looks at the President in the context of the what else is going on in the country. I give the book a strong B+.

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Sunday, March 03, 2013

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 50


On Day 50, I rode 26.8 miles across Wyoming. Starting in Glenrock near the Deer Creek Pony Express Station [42° 51' 48.01", -105° 52' 14.46"] on North 3rd Street, I followed Highway 20 to Interstate 25. Traveling 20 miles along Interstate 25, I exited on the Old Yellowstone Highway at Douglas. I finished the ride at the corner of Old Yellowstone Highway and North 4th Street in Douglas.

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.