"Go'on, Git" Wow, Alex.

Lying in bed this very morning I was reminiscing about this little story my Dad told at my daughter's birthday party in CA 2-years ago. It was just a few lines about him "being in a POW camp on an island off Vietnam" and not wanting to leave. He's actually WWII Navy vet, pushing 91, and he used to tell detailed stories about his Pacific island war experiences. But his stories have now become odd-lot confabulations. Salads of his life history, the news and catch phrases from his youth. Anyway, he used those very words in his story, which I recalled on this very day (and said aloud), "We didn't want to leave, but they said, "Go'on, git! So I got"

The stars must be aligned for a Yankee win.

[1] Oooooh.

Very, very familiar, Boatzilla. My dad is in his late 80s, a WWII Navy vet, and tells confabulated stories. Sometimes, if I'm not sure, I look over at my mom, and she either nods or shakes her head. Occasionally the odd stories include me as a character.

Because of this, I think a lot more often about what he was like when I was a kid.

Beat Darvish!

Your mission, Mr. Phelps, should you choose to accept it...

RI - I was excited to get an email from you. 4:52am, is like middle of the afternoon to me. Alas, it was spam. I didn't open it...

Ok, back to work I go...

GO YANKS!!!

[3] Impossible...

[1][2] Wow. I remember a friend here a long time back took his J fiance to the US to meet the family. The grandpa was a WWII Pacific vet and never really came around to the whole 'US & Japan are now best of friends' diplomacy. He spent weeks talking about how betrayed he felt with his grandson 'marrying a Jap' etc etc..then met the young lady and was instantly charmed..totally changed his tune and was 'proud of the boy for finding such a fine young lady to marry' etc etc..

Hey now, Brett. Little Bingo!

[4] Ah, yeah, I think that Yahoo! account was hacked, or anyway its address book was harvested. Sorry about that. I think Chyll Will got one, too.

[5] Oh man. I can just see my dad in that role, too. I mean, he doesn't dislike Japanese people, but I can imagine some weird old resentment popping out, and then being smoothed away by personal contact.

Meanwhile, there appears to be a baseball game going on.

[8] Gardner really is a solid player, just wish he's meet up with Rickey! for some lessons on how to steal.

[7] Never underestimate the power of a young, charming Japanese woman to warm the heart of an old, cranky Grandpa!

Oh, god. Come on, Phelpsy! Straighten up and fly right!

The Beltran contract isn't great but that Choo deal for Texas looks real bad..

I guess we can't count on the Red Sox to knock the Blue Jays down a game or two. 9-0 in Fenway in the sixth.

[12] Think they will really trade Lester?

[7] Thanks for sharing. We should have taped more of my Dad's stories when he was clear headed. It's too late now. Although, he did write a book about his life up to Pearl Harbor.

Never held any resentment. Was overjoyed that I came out here to live. He even hooked up with a Zero pilot for his book.

And we have "Mr. Roberts."

[13] Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me.
John Henry is making a lot of noise about some profound sabermetric study showing that most of the overpaid players in MLB are over 30. (I mean, he needed a sabermetric study to figure out that teams rarely overpay players before they become free agents???) So everyone thinks that means they won't pay him. So, if some team offers anything of value, sure, I guess they'll trade him.

[9] Yeah, why isn't Rickey invited to Spring Training.

Holy shit, the Rangers have a pitcher named "Feierabend".

[15] Venture capitalists. They are smart.

Just a thought..Yanks poach Lester as a CC replacement?

[16] Rickey! should be invited to every team's Spring Training, teach players how to 'play the right way' with style.

Toronto 13, Boston 0. Buchholz faced three batters in the sixth and got none of them out (walk, single, double).

Enter Felix Doubront.

BB, sac fly, homer, single, BB, double, double, single, groundout, single. (He actually faced Anthony Gose twice.)

Exit Felix Doubront.

[7] Yeah, I got it too. I could tell from looking at the url it was spam. The format of spam emails are pretty easy to spot these days.

[18] I'd be happy to have Lester. I think I've said he's the only guy on their pitching staff I don't dislike. (And that was before the Re2pect commercial.)

But, whoever signs him will be stuck with a highly-paid mediocre pitcher in three or four years. Depending on what he actually gets, it might be worth it.

[17] Fire Bend faced the Yanks last week.

How bout Mr. Phelps? How bout Gritty? Fun game to watch so far, except for McCann playing first.

Ya just cant' predict.....
Yay, Brett!

I'm enjoying these Darvish/Gardner encounters

WOW, GARDNER!

Maybe Brett has been speaking secretly to Ricky!

[18] Teach 'em how to play cards in the clubhouse during the game?

Kenny was talking about stealing base rates a few games back. These days, teams expect higher success rates from their top speedsters. When Rickey was stealing 100 bases he'd get caught 20 or more times. Even 80% is not good enough these days.

Gardner's afraid he'll get cut if he gets caught.

[22] Yes. Phelps is pitching a helluva game.

[1 5 etc] My dad passed away when he was 69 , 25 years ago. He never reached that reminiscent stage of talking about his war experience flying in B29s over the hump. I know he saw atrocities in Burma and China, but he never elaborated.

A good friend of mine came from a family of emigrants from China, living in SF. She married a Japanese American. Her mother was a young teen growing up middle class in Nanking when the Japanese attack (rape of Nanking) occurred. The mom cannot acknowledge the marriage.

[28] 'Phelps-y' please.

[29] The Chinese and Japanese still hate each other. Except when they're shopping or eating.

[29] etc.
I guess there are some stories about the Greatest Generation that don't quite fit into the usual narrative. Maybe the Europe part fits better than the Pacific part.

Yikes.
Big batter here. Phelps can get out of this with the lead.

Nope.

[32] maybe; but until the day my Grandmother died (she lived to be 94) she would never ride in a German car. Also, no one in my extended family would own a car made by Ford due to Henry's pro Nazi, anti-Semite sentiments.

We will have to disavow any knowledge of Phelps' actions.

I guess Phelps having a nice shut down inning was predictable.

[31] Boat, Mrs. Jazz' granny told me in early 1945 she watched the American bombers fly over her house in Hakodate, turn towards the harbor then bomb the crap out of the entire city. Luckily she lived on a hill slightly outside town and survived. They all just sat and watched the city burn for two days..war is indeed hell.

And today we can watch Ichiro face off against Darvish at agame in Texas..

Man, that went south in a hurry.

Shit. What happened to our game?

[32] I've met more than a few British dudes out here who say their dads still hate Germans. Sometimes it's passed on.

(32) I wouldn't drive a Mercedes if you gave me one because Daimler Benz was a proud builder of the crematoria at Auschwitz.

That hit up the middle is a back breaker. 0-2 and Phelps grooved one. I think he panicked and wanted out of the inning on that pitch.

[38] Apparently the "pumpkin" bombing raids killed more civilians than the Nagasaki A-bomb. A-Bomb proponents (was necessary-ists) never mention that Japan had near zero air defense at the time, and Tokyo had already been bombed into rubble.

[42] True, can't be giving up big hits to weak battters like Arrencibia..

[41] Mitsubishi made the Zero. The origins of BMW were behind, the Messerschmitt, I have heard.

That's the first Rougned (Odor) I've ever seen on a MLB roster.

Gardner prunes a Yu tree?

McCann had his pitch and lined it foul. Game would feel a whole lot different if he hit it 1/4 inch higher on the bat.

Lonely

What's the Texas bullpen like?

[50] "#59..Lisalverto Bonilla..#59.."

[45] Apparently, on further review BMW's Messerschmitt was a failure, but it did build a few WWII fighters. More prominent in WW!.*

Today is Eel Day in Japan. The eel is supposed have all the right stuff to give you the stamina to survive the brutal summer. And it's damn tastey.

We will have eel tonight, but I needed it two weeks ago when it was 90-plus every day! Eel Day is misplaced anymore.*

*Rants of a lonely man.

[52] *Rants Of A Lonely Man: How One Gaijin Salaryman Lost A Daily Battle With The Chuo Line But Fought Back To Find Salvation In Eel - The Boatzilla Story

[51] I can hear the voice.

Jazz, in case the game is boring you "Ishtar" is on.

[53] I like it.

[55] Life has indeed got you beat when you are choosing between this Yankee lineup and watching Ishtar. I'll pass on both and head out for some miso ramen at 一風堂. Catch you later!

[57] Ciao. I'm hitting the showers.