Six Week Training Schedule

Daytona Half Marathon

Week 1

Monday December 30, 2019 – 75 pushups, 3.5 mile

Tuesday December 31, 2019 – 75 pushups, 4 mile

Wednesday January 1, 2020 – 75 pushups, Yoga

Thursday January 2, 2020 – 75 pushups, 4 mile

Friday January 3, 2020 – 75 pushups, 4 mile

Saturday January 4, 2020 – 75 pushups

Sunday January 5, 2020 – 75 pushups, 8 miles

 

Week 2

Monday January 6, 2020 – 75 pushups

Tuesday January 7, 2020 – 75 pushups, 4 mile

Wednesday January 8, 2020 – 75 pushups, Yoga

Thursday January 9, 2020 – 75 pushups, 4 mile

Friday January 10, 2020 – 75 pushups, 4 mile

Saturday January 11, 2020 – 75 pushups

Sunday January 12, 2020 – 75 pushups, 10 mile

 

Week 3

Monday January 13, 2020 – 75 pushups, 3.5 mile

Tuesday January 14, 2020 – 75 pushups, 4 mile

Wednesday January 15, 2020 – 75 pushups, Yoga

Thursday January 16, 2020 – 75 pushups, 4 mile

Friday January 17, 2020 – 75 pushups, 4 mile

Saturday January 18, 2020 – 75 pushups

Sunday January 19, 2020 – 75 pushups, 10 mile

 

Week 4

Monday January 20, 2020 – 100 pushups

Tuesday January 21, 2020 – 100 pushups, 5 mile

Wednesday January 22, 2020 – 100 pushups, Yoga

Thursday January 23, 2020 – 100 pushups, 5 mile

Friday January 24, 2020 – 100 pushups, 5 mile

Saturday January 25, 2020 – 100 pushups

Sunday January 26, 2020 – 100 pushups, 12 miles

 

Week 5

Monday January 27, 2020 – 100 pushups

Tuesday January 28, 2020 – 100 pushups, 5 mile

Wednesday January 29, 2020 – 100 pushups, Yoga

Thursday January 30, 2020 – 100 pushups, 5 mile

Friday January 31, 2020 – 100 pushups, 5 mile

Saturday February 1, 2020 – 100 pushups

Sunday February 2, 2020 – 100 pushups, 12 miles

 

Week 6

Monday February 3, 2020 – 100 pushups

Tuesday February 4, 2020 – 100 pushups, 6 mile

Wednesday February 5, 2020 – 100 pushups, Yoga

Thursday February 6, 2020 – 100 pushups, 6 mile

Friday February 7, 2020 – rest

Saturday February 8, 2020 – 13.1 miles – Daytona Half Marathon

 

Bulow Trail Race Half Marathon

I completed the Bulow Trail Race Half Marathon on December 7, 2019. Running to mile 7.5 or there abouts, I ran at about an 9 minute mile pace. At approximate mile 9 or 10 I started to slow down considerably. I averaged nearly an 11 minute mile for the entire race. Race organizers said that this trail race would include higher running times, meaning a slower completion time. I knew that my time would be slower. I was perfectly ok with that. No hydration on the course. No gel on the course. The race organizers tried to keep the litter on the trail to zero. I think that the organizers met this objective. All in all, the race was quite fun and challenging. Much better than the Disney 1/2. Lighthouse loop is actually much faster, much easier than any course I have been on yet. This course was a lot of fun because it was shady and in nature. That was awesome!

One slightly negative or improvement. I finished the race at 2:22 (that is 2 hours and 22 minutes and 53 seconds or something). I felt very weak on finishing. I went to the water cooler to re-hydrate, at least a little. Two people stood behind the cooler filling the mason jar glasses with ice to give to people upon finishing. It wasn’t that I could not not catch my breath because as I stated above, I did not run all that fast. But my muscles and body needed replenishment. I walked to the cooler thinking that I might get a little water after running  13.1 miles and not drinking any water on the course. I stood at the containers for a moment trying to figure out exactly what was in each 5 gallon cooler. The lady pointed to the cooler in front of her and said “water.” Then, the lady pointed to the second container and said “lemonade.” I said “thank you.” A man stood behind the lemonade cooler filling mason glasses with ice. I pointed to the the container with water. I grabbed a glass with ice and filled it with water. My body absorbed the 8 ounces of water immediately upon it touching the inside of my mouth. I walked back to the lemonade container. The man behind the water jug says with an almost hostile attitude, “oh, what do you want now?!” I paused, looked up into the man’s face because he had no eyes that I could see and I said, “LEMONADE!” He immediately turned his head the opposite direction. The lady’s reaction to the man after condescendingly saying what he said to me was “what the heck is your problem?” I went back to the water cooler and lemonade cooler one more time each.

This race was a very perfect culmination of a long semester in the environmental law class. I got to see first hand how the laws that are made to keep people from polluting Florida’s wetlands had a practical application. This race was truly amazing. We got to run right by the Halifax River. It was awesome. I found out about the race because I receive emails from people who organize races around the area. I felt like writing and telling the organizers what a great time I had. And that I was happy to train to run in more races should I receive more emails in the future. I wanted to say also, that if the people that volunteer for the races do not want me to attend the races, then please, refrain from sending me an email as an invitation. It is not likely that I will be offended by not receiving an email. I am slightly offended by some of the rudeness and condescending attitude of that volunteer. This is one small issue that I don’t feel that I need to stir the pot over. Although, I certainly felt like stirring the pot after this dismissive conversation occurred.

Who On Earth?

I recently submitted manuscript proposal or query to six literary agencies. Most of my inquiries have been largely unsuccessful. I chalk this up to my inexperience in the industry or profession. In one regard, this process is very difficult. In the other regard, the process resembles a very interesting journey. The process has become interesting at times once I am somehow able to hold constant all of the different variables that would ordinarily increase anxiety. This task can be insurmountable at times. Holding anxiety constant provides opportunities to observe what I consider the very small crumbs of information that I hope might lead to a publication. I will try and remember to blog the experience.

I first heard of the term ‘concentric circle’ as an adult student at San Jose State University. I probably heard the term in a geometry class in high school. One professor described it briefly in a lecture or during office hours. A few other helpful points on writing accompanied the discussion. I think I remember that at least one of the points centered on formatting a written paper. I have since become intimately involved in learning to write and continuously attempt to put forth a written product for publication. I enrolled in graduate school to learn or re-learn how to write. This process is ten years or longer in the making for me.

I think I understand the concept of a concentric circle in terms of marketing a written work after publication. Application of the concentric circle is used to identify an inner core audience and then grow outward as people read the work and discuss the ideas and content within it. Social media can facilitate this discussion rapidly for marketing purposes. In the age of social media, the spread of an original idea can occur rapidly because of the inter-connectivity of the digital marketplace and discussion forums. I am skeptical of social media and online forums as starting points for endeavor. I am old-fashioned in the sense that I prefer word of mouth and the human interaction and discussion in the generation of ideas, even when I say absolutely nothing. Social media often removes the human interaction from the equation and translates to mean spirited mobilization of a collective. Another former Professor at San Jose State said to practice divorcing the self from the product to increase the likelihood that negative feedback is channeled appropriately. The lesson: the self is distinct from the product.

Of course, words matter. The reality of life is that individual people do not always couch human discourse in complete sensitivity to a collective or individual norm. This is probably part of one person or group fighting for the right of a less strong person or group because the stronger person or group feels that the less strong person or group has been slighted by the collective in some real or perceived fashion. People feel emotion which can sometimes cloud objectivity and decision making in private and public settings. Collective mobilization can be a positive for trampling a political opponent or demonstrating action for some other worldly cause, but the individuals within the collective are just as likely to experience some form of Group-think behavior that includes negative aspects that harm individuals in society. Group-think behavior is the normative and subjective cloud over a collective that ruins societies, tramples individual rights, and destroys individual innovation.

Proponents of social media are likely to argue that technology is the future of innovation and sometimes neglect the human drive for improvement which exists externally to the social media industry. Social media forums can reduce the human element of life into a compartmentalized veil of binary choice. No room for human error occurs within this compartment. The is one example of the concept for American exceptionalism. The contradiction is that most people are ordinary and aspire to exceptionalism.

Compartmentalization and technology put Americans in space and onto the moon after American people decided to work with one another toward accomplishing that goal. I would venture to say that this process toward the heavens led people to rely more on their inner angels than on any tool devised for space travel. The technological tools facilitated the process. The belief generated the way forward.

One of the positive aspects of not having an inner core audience out of the gate is the organic development of an original work in the process of discovering new knowledge. The process of discovery is often brutal. Some people have remarked that the process can also be rewarding.

Concentric circles remind me of a topographical map. For the first time reader of a topographical map, thousands upon thousands of lines move squiggly in what appears as many different directions. Trained topographical readers understand that lines very close together indicate sharp increases in elevation. Lines further apart indicate gradual increases in elevation. Centers of elevation are often marked by a hilltop number, ridge, mountain top elevation, and so on. Different fields of study are likely to have similar characteristics for analysis. For example, meteorologists study wind patterns at different levels in the sky. Oceanographers study the sea patterns and tides and life within the ocean and must also have knowledge of the ocean floor. Marketers need to understand  the production and consumption cycles and equilibrium to study the consumption and production patterns of society. It is very likely that all of these fields use the concentric circle to some level to identify the cores of change in each respective field. The core of change in the process of publication is likely the publisher, the literary agent, and the author.

I view the concentric circle applied to the publication of a manuscript as the opposite of a topographical map with concentric lines that represent the depths of discovery rather than elevation. The outer rings of the concentric circle resemble individuals or groups in society that are closer to the surface of society. The inner rings represent layers of critics who discuss in unison the ideas put forth by internal and external members of the ring. The concentric core audience are the final decision makers or possibly the gatekeepers that permit or reject the original idea for publication. The criteria that I used to move this project forward is: Will this project contribute to the scientific body of knowledge? I think I am beginning to recognize that there is more criteria to this process than the question I used to continue down this path.

Unfortunately, a new author’s path is completely uncertain. The new author assumes all of the entrepreneurial risks involved in working toward the completion of a project that seemingly has no end. The end of a project is the beginning of a publication. Yet, the author has limited control of the process for publication. This is likely to mean that undertaking a process with limited control over an outcome increases the ambiguity and uncertainty of completion. Who on earth would knowingly engage in or actually seek out this type of activity?

I submitted proposals for a manuscript that includes 14 chapters. I realize that I would work with an agent in the process to determine the content of a publication, but I also think that eight of the chapters and the current epilogue should be combined to form nine chapters. I also think that the first six chapters should remain in the current chronological order. The current eighth chapter should actually be the seventh chapter and the current seventh chapter should become the eighth. The current epilogue should become the ninth chapter of the first manuscript.

I worked at least three times longer on the first eight chapters and epilogue than I did on the other five chapters. The last five chapters have caused me significant and sometimes increasing frustration and headache. This frustration may be a result of my attempts at combining the first and second parts of the manuscript to form one manuscript rather than two manuscripts. I am supposed to start a program this fall that could provide new topics of study that could align the overall themes of government regulation of the environment with the second five chapters of the manuscript. The new topics of study are likely to include environmental regulation and policy. I hesitate in moving forward in this second endeavor and manuscript because I have yet to see any fruits of my labor regarding the first endeavor and manuscript and the nearly ten years of  graduate school. I am already going to have a difficult time paying for the costs I have incurred in this process.

 

Baldwin, J. Norman. “Political Science 662 Organizational Theory.” Class Notes at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa (Spring 2016).

Posamentier, Alfred S. and Robert Geretschlager. The Circle A Mathematical Explanation Beyond the Line. New York: Prometheus Books, 2016.

Posementier, Alfred S. and Ingram Lehman. The Secrets of Triangles A Mathematical Journey. New York: Prometheus Books, 2012.

Ross, Gail and Howard Yoon. “Publishing and Social Media.” YouTube Ross Yoon Agency, Washington D.C., (November 2, 2010).

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/2 Marathon Training Plan for Fall 2019

I watched part of the Olympic track and field trials over the weekend. The hurdlers, sprinters, long distance runners, pole vaulters, steeple chasers, and long jumpers made me realize that I am not actually a runner, which is a little contrary to my thinking over the past few years. I thought that I was a runner. Au contraire, I am a person that enjoys running. The new epiphany has helped me commit myself to constructing a training schedule for a 1/2 marathon in the December, January or February time frame. I plan to adhere as best as possible to a 16 week training plan that follows below.

Week 1 –

Thursday – Stretch, Run 3 miles for time, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 4 miles, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Uphill 6 Sprint + 3 mile run, Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 5 mile, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 2

Thursday – Stretch, Run 3 miles for time, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 4 miles, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Uphill 6 Sprint + 3 mile run, Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 5 mile, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 3

Thursday – Stretch, Run 4 miles for time, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 5 miles, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Hill Run + 4 miles, Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 5 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 4

Thursday – Stretch, Run 4 miles for time, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 5 miles for time, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Hill Run + 4 miles, Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 5 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 5

Thursday – Stretch, Run 5 miles for time, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 6 miles for time, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Run 5 mile fartlek (Straight Shot), Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday- Stretch, Distance Run 6 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 6

Thursday – Stretch, Run 5 miles for time, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 6 miles, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Uphill 6 Sprint + 5 miles, Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 6 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 7

Thursday – Stretch, Run 6 miles for time, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 6 mile fartlek, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch,  6 mile hill run, Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 7 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 8

Thursday – Stretch, Run 6 miles for time, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 6 Uphill sprints + 6 miles, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Run 5 mile tempo for time, Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 8 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 9

Thursday – Stretch, Run 6 miles for time, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 7 miles, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Hill Run 6 miles, Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 9 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 10

Thursday – Stretch, Run 7 miles, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 8 miles, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, 7 mile fartlek, Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 10 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 11

Thursday – Stretch, Run 7 miles, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 8 miles for time, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Run 6 miles tempo, Hydrate

Monday -Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 10 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 12

Thursday – Stretch, Run 7 miles, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 7 miles for time, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Run 7 miles Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, 6 mile tempo run for time, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 13

Thursday – Stretch, Run 7 miles, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 8 mile for time, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Run 8 mile fartlek, Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Run 12 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 14

Thursday – Stretch, Run 8 miles for time, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 6 uphill sprints + 4 miles, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Hill Run 4 miles for time, Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 12 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 15

Thursday – Stretch, Run 8 miles, Hydrate

Friday – Stretch, Run 8 miles for time, Hydrate

Saturday – Rest

Sunday – Stretch, Tempo Run 6 miles,  Hydrate

Monday – Stretch, Cross Train (Weights, PU, SU, AB, Cycling, Jujitsu, etc), Hydrate

Tuesday – Stretch, Distance Run 8 miles, Hydrate

Wednesday – Yoga

Week 16

Thursday – Yoga

Friday – Yoga

Saturday Yoga

Sunday – Race Day

Monday – Recover

 

Hydration Policy

Why write stuff about hydration policies? Why should I hydrate? With what should I hydrate? All relatively decent questions. Answers are likely to arise from the situation of the persons or people. I expect this entry to meander a little. Just be prepared for a smattering of ideas as you read further. Hopefully, the reader of this content can find some use in remaining safe and increasing the likelihood of an enjoyable summer.

People familiar with the heat and humidity of the summer in the southern US will tell you that the weather can sometimes be extreme and even oppressive. Mind over matter? If you don’t mind it don’t matter. Well. The Old Farmers Almanac of 2019 includes a guide to determine the heat index for individuals participating in outdoor activities. The Almanac defines the heat index as “a measure of how hot it feels when humidity is factored in with actual air temperature.” The heat index is often greater than the actual temperature outside and makes individuals even hotter than normal. For the purposes of this entry, a short discussion of the temperature versus the heat index and a comparison becomes more important for scheduling activities outside.

The Almanac depicts a chart in Fahrenheit and Celsius. This entry is discussed in terms of Fahrenheit. A discussion of temperature begins on a y axis at 80 degrees and increases to 100 degrees. The x axis depicts a scale of relative humidity starting at 40 percent and increasing by 5 percent to 100 percent. A temperature outside of 100 degrees F with 40 percent humidity feels like 109 degrees F. A temperature outside of 100 degrees F with 65 percent humidity feels like 136 degrees F. The increase of only 25 percent humidity outside increases the feels like temperature by a 27 degree margin.

Similarly, at the low end of the temperature range of 80 degrees F, increasing the humidity from 40 percent to 100 percent humidity only increases the feels like temperature outside by 7 degrees F. What percent increase in humidity yields the approximately same feels like temperature at 82 degrees F? The answer is 30-35 percent increase in humidity at 82 degrees F. At 84 degrees F? The answer here is a 15-20 percent increase in humidity at 84 degrees F. At 86 degrees F? 5 percent increase in humidity. This is according to the Almanac’s numbers. Two things are said about this change here. Decreasing the humidity outside while increasing the temperature results in a feels like temperature that is mostly bearable. Increasing the humidity and increasing the temperature could generate heat related injuries.

The above example showed that effects of the feels like temperature outside by a decrease to humidity while increasing the temperature. All of these temperatures with the accompanying humidity levels can be dangerous depending on the level of fitness, activity, age, and a number of additional variables. The last temperature on the Almanac’s scale that allows a reading of 100 percent humidity is 90 degrees F. Why is this particular temperature important? For starters, at 90 degrees F and 40 percent humidity, the feels like temperature already increases 1 degree F. The feels like temperatures below 90 degrees F are equivalent to or even less than the actual temperature in degrees F. At 90 degrees, the feels like temperature with the least amount of recorded humidity on the chart (40 percent) already feels hotter. At 90 degrees F with 50 percent humidity, the feels like temperature increases to 95 degrees. At 90 degrees F with 60 percent humidity, the feels like temperature increases to 100 degrees. At 90 degrees F with 70 percent humidity, the feels like temperature increases to 106 degrees. At 90 degrees F with 80 percent humidity, the feels like temperature increases to 113 degrees. At 90 degrees F with 90 percent humidity, the feels like temperature increases to 122 degrees. At 90 degrees F with 100 percent humidity, the feels like temperature increases to 132 degrees F.

The feels like temperature at 90 degrees F with 40 percent humidity and 100 percent humidity is a change of 31 degrees. Further increases in temperature above 90 degrees that coincide with increases in humidity condense the feels like temperature at a faster rate of increase.

The Almanac explains ways to self-regulate one’s internal body temperature. Drinking cool fluids, such as water, decrease the likelihood of heat related injuries. Caffeine, salts, alcohol, and strenuous exercise increase the likelihood of heat related injuries.

A fit person that exercises on a regular basis and hydrates with water and maintains a reasonable diet can ordinarily work through the heat related issues for a short period of time. The person would need to rest in a cool place and hydrate, but under reasonable circumstances, the person is likely to avoid heat related injuries.

I contend from this point forward that drinking one alcoholic beverage at least 18 hours prior to strenuous exercise in the extreme heat and humidity is likely to have adverse effects on the person. The extreme heat and humidity in this example is 90-92 degrees F with at least 90 percent humidity. The feels like temperature at 92 degrees and 90 percent humidity is 131 degrees F. The feels like temperature 92 degrees and 100 percent humidity is not recorded on the Almanac’s chart and is approximately 141 degrees F, based on estimates from the chart.

What is the point of this exercise? One beer 18 hours before strenuous exercise in the extreme heat and humidity is likely to produce a heat related injury of some type depending on the person’s age, fitness level, diet and general conditions. Strenuous exercise is cycling for one half hour or eight miles without replenishing the fluids lost from sweat.

This entry is not meant to dissuade people from having a good time during the summer. This is meant to help people plan activities around extreme weather accordingly.

Hydrate with cool water in the shade whenever possible. Do not become a casualty of the heat!

 

 

 

The Baseball Shift

Some people in the baseball community are starting to believe that strategy for winning games in the 162 game season includes shifting fielders on one side of the field to cluster on the other side of the field. Looking at the dynamics of a baseball diamond, the observer is likely to see that the field in its entirety as a quarter of a circle. The ray from home plate to second base marks a 45 degree angle. Lately, many strategic decisions made by managers effectively move third baseman, short-stop and the left-fielder over to the second baseman’s and first-baseman’s side of the field. The decision kicks out the second baseman to shallow right field. This decision is designed to guard against the left-handed hitter that pulls everything pitched into right field.

Decisions such as this are complete co-pouts and remove the responsibility of scouts and operations managers that fail to find quality players. Quality players are those that make adjustments in hitting to all fields rather than one field. This appears to be a symptom of a larger problem in professional sports. The larger problem is that in order sustain a fan base, franchise owners ask for buy in from the public. The majority of the public does not understand the undercurrents of strategy or know that post-season ball requires substantial pitching and defense excellence.

Baseball is a game of finesse. As such, this can be quite boring at times because finesse requires mental acuity for strategy and long-term thinking. Hitting home-runs is often sensational. Who doesn’t like to see the ball blasted out of the park? The answer: Everyone likes to see the ball hit out of the park as often possible. This increases revenue and profit and salaries for owners and players. Rarely does a team possess the financial resources to pay for offensive players and or defensive players.

The shift occurs at the Major League Baseball level throughout the minors and into college, high school and little league. The point of this entry is coaches that teach players correct fundamentals are likely to encourage hitters to hit the ball where the ball is pitched rather than pull the ball to the fence every fourth or fifth at bat. Players that hit the ball for average are sometimes just as exciting to watch because suspense is generated over the course of a series. Teams that know how to do this consistently are remarkably exciting to observe. The most recent San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals to some extent had such qualities.

 

 

 

Test

I reconnected the wix site and the blog after more than one year. This was somewhat difficult trying to remember how these website sites connect. I am not sure whether the blog will accept comments. Additionally, the random advertisements may prove to annoy me more than I value actually having the site up. Time will tell. I will do my best to at least comment a little every now and again.

And the video, I disconnected the video from youtube a while back also. Probably shouldn’t have done that.

 

Cheers —–Tony