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In 1986, my wife and I lived in Lake Forest, California. At the time, the address was El Toro. Down on Rockfield Blvd there was a pizza place. I don’t remember anything special about this place except that it was one of those places where you ordered and picked up your pizza over here, and over there you got your drinks. We had ordered our pizza and my wife found us a pretty good table and I went to get the drinks. There were several people in front of me and a lady directly in front of me who I’d say was about 55 years old. She didn’t strike me as being special. She was dressed just like the rest of us in jeans and a tee. She did have an empty pitcher in her hand. We all waited silently and if any contact was made at all, it was just a polite smile or a nod. Finally, it was her turn in line. There were two guys at the drink bar. One was younger taking orders and the other in probably his late 20’s was filling those orders. The lady popped the pitcher on the bar and politely asked “can I just get half a pitcher?” The young man immediately responded by saying “I’m sorry, we can only sell by the mug or by a full pitcher.” She then said she’d take a whole pitcher. The older guy filling the orders, turned and said, “for you, we’ll make an exception,” and presented her with a half pitcher and continued “it’s on the house.” She then thanked the young man, grabbed the pitcher and turned to walk away. I thought to myself “How cool was that, maybe I can get some free beer, too.” Before I could order, the older guy leaned to the younger guy and said “that lady owns this place.”
In 1960, there was a Bing Crosby movie “High Time” where Bing was a successful owner of a chain of burger restaurants. Once he got successful (MILLIONAIRE successful) , he decided to fulfill his dream of getting his college degree. Bing joins a fraternity and decides to treat his college friends to what he said were the best hamburgers ever. When they got there and ordered, the burgers came out horrible. Bing told the waiter so. The waiter was kinda snobbish and begged to differ. Bing then announced who he was and then gave the waiter and the cook a much needed lesson on how the burgers were supposed to be cooked and how his restaurants are run.
I have a friend who owns two chain fast food restaurants. He is also retired from another successful career. I ask him one day why he went into the fast food restaurant business when I know he makes a pretty decent retirement check from that previous career. His reply was “Visions of Grandeur.” He told me he thought he could buy the already successful restaurants, hire someone else to run them, and sit back counting his cash. He’s owned them over ten years now and still can’t find anyone he trusts enough to turn the business over to. He gets up everyday and goes in and runs his business. Even when he’s not there, he’s continuously on the phone to his managers.
I have the same dream of owning a place where I don’t have to do anything but kick back and count the cash. Once in a great while, I can pop in for a surprise visit. What lessons can we learn from these three stories?
Monday, July 26, 2010
If you love baseball…
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Today, I watched the induction ceremonies for the 2010 baseball hall of fame. One of the inductees was Andre Dawson, an outfielder who played 21 seasons for four different teams.
The “Hawk” as his uncle nicknamed him as a youngster, had blown out a knee in high school from what sounded like playing a different sport. Bad enough that he had to have an operation. He then went on to play college ball wearing a brace. He must have done well cause he was drafted by the Montreal Expos.
He played ten years in Montreal on artificial turf at exhibition stadium. He blew his knee out again during that Montreal stretch and had to have another operation. After that tenth season, he decided there was no way he could continue playing on artificial turf, (plus he was offered a pay cut) so he became a free agent. Unfortunately, no one wanted him.
When it came time for spring training, he was still not signed. Andre wanted to play baseball. Every one told him he’d had it and it was time to move on. But, Andre still wanted to play. So, his agent, Dick Moss came up with a brilliant idea. They arrived at the Cubs spring training and approached them with an offer. Let Andre try out with the Cubs and Moss handed them a contract with all the numbers blank. Give him what you feel he’s worth. It was dubbed the “blank check contract.”
The Cubs gave him a half million bucks, cutting his pay by 2/3’s. The Hawk responded by hitting 49 homers, making the All Star’s, and being the league MVP.
Andre went on to play another 10 seasons after that for the Cubs, Red Sox, and Marlins. Along the line, he had another knee operation and after baseball had both knees replaced.
During the Hawks induction speech, he made this statement many times. “If you love baseball, baseball will love you back!”
Today, I watched the induction ceremonies for the 2010 baseball hall of fame. One of the inductees was Andre Dawson, an outfielder who played 21 seasons for four different teams.
The “Hawk” as his uncle nicknamed him as a youngster, had blown out a knee in high school from what sounded like playing a different sport. Bad enough that he had to have an operation. He then went on to play college ball wearing a brace. He must have done well cause he was drafted by the Montreal Expos.
He played ten years in Montreal on artificial turf at exhibition stadium. He blew his knee out again during that Montreal stretch and had to have another operation. After that tenth season, he decided there was no way he could continue playing on artificial turf, (plus he was offered a pay cut) so he became a free agent. Unfortunately, no one wanted him.
When it came time for spring training, he was still not signed. Andre wanted to play baseball. Every one told him he’d had it and it was time to move on. But, Andre still wanted to play. So, his agent, Dick Moss came up with a brilliant idea. They arrived at the Cubs spring training and approached them with an offer. Let Andre try out with the Cubs and Moss handed them a contract with all the numbers blank. Give him what you feel he’s worth. It was dubbed the “blank check contract.”
The Cubs gave him a half million bucks, cutting his pay by 2/3’s. The Hawk responded by hitting 49 homers, making the All Star’s, and being the league MVP.
Andre went on to play another 10 seasons after that for the Cubs, Red Sox, and Marlins. Along the line, he had another knee operation and after baseball had both knees replaced.
During the Hawks induction speech, he made this statement many times. “If you love baseball, baseball will love you back!”
Friday, July 23, 2010
Pitch Count Coaching in Major League Baseball
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Somewhere along the line, baseball managers came up with the pitch count. The premise is that a pitcher can only pitch so many pitches in a game before tiring out. Somewhere about 120. So, when he reaches that count, you pull him out. You do it because if he is tired, he’ll make mistakes, and if he’s tired, he may injure himself. If he’s recovering from an injury, you don’t want him to get reinjured. How bout letting him heal up before using him if you’re that worried? So nowadays, you won’t see many pitchers pitch a complete game even if he’s winning and having a good night.
I think this kind of thinking is complete bull.
Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, one of the best pitchers of all time was on ESPN not long ago and he said if a pitcher can’t pitch a whole game, you work him harder and get that strength built up so he can. Nolan Ryan pitched 27 seasons of major league ball. He had 222 complete games. He once pitched 259 pitches in 12 innings against the Royals in 1974. He has more no hitters than any other pitcher. Ya think they ever considered pulling him because of pitch count?
Now here’s something else about pitch count managers that drives me batty. Since they are so absorbed in this pitch count deal, they won’t pull a pitcher when the need to. They make excuses like, I don’t want to use my bull pen so soon in a game. Instead they would rather lose 10-0. Tonight, July 23rd, 2010, I’m watching the Yankees play the Royals. It’s a record type of night. Jorge Posada already hit his 1000th RBI in the first inning. A-Rod is sitting on 599 homers and tonight he could get number 600. Bannister has already given up 4 runs in the first inning. How ‘bout a high run count? He walked one and hit another with a pitch. How about number of batters to get on base in a row count? The announcer said Bannister sometimes takes a couple innings to settle down. So, as a pitch count guy, you keep him in. But, in the later innings after you replace him for having a high pitch count, you don’t have a pitch count for your relievers. Now, you’ll put in a reliever for one inning or maybe to pitch to just one batter. What kinda crap is this?
Batting coaches will even get involved in this. They say a batter who can make a pitcher pitch 6 or 7 pitches to him is a good at bat. Doesn’t matter that you strike out. They say that the count for that pitcher will get high quick and his manager will pull him when he gets to his pitch count high and that’s a good thing. Oh, a good thing that you get a fresh pitcher coming at you? Batting coaches will have a batter take the first pitch no matter where it’s thrown. Pitchers know this from the scouting report and what you’ll see is a batter taking strike one every time he comes to bat. A waste of a good pitch. I’ll tell ya what, if a pitcher is having a good night, the batters can’t wait for him to get pulled. If he’s having a bad night, they want him to stay in forever.
.
.
Somewhere along the line, baseball managers came up with the pitch count. The premise is that a pitcher can only pitch so many pitches in a game before tiring out. Somewhere about 120. So, when he reaches that count, you pull him out. You do it because if he is tired, he’ll make mistakes, and if he’s tired, he may injure himself. If he’s recovering from an injury, you don’t want him to get reinjured. How bout letting him heal up before using him if you’re that worried? So nowadays, you won’t see many pitchers pitch a complete game even if he’s winning and having a good night.
I think this kind of thinking is complete bull.
Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, one of the best pitchers of all time was on ESPN not long ago and he said if a pitcher can’t pitch a whole game, you work him harder and get that strength built up so he can. Nolan Ryan pitched 27 seasons of major league ball. He had 222 complete games. He once pitched 259 pitches in 12 innings against the Royals in 1974. He has more no hitters than any other pitcher. Ya think they ever considered pulling him because of pitch count?
Now here’s something else about pitch count managers that drives me batty. Since they are so absorbed in this pitch count deal, they won’t pull a pitcher when the need to. They make excuses like, I don’t want to use my bull pen so soon in a game. Instead they would rather lose 10-0. Tonight, July 23rd, 2010, I’m watching the Yankees play the Royals. It’s a record type of night. Jorge Posada already hit his 1000th RBI in the first inning. A-Rod is sitting on 599 homers and tonight he could get number 600. Bannister has already given up 4 runs in the first inning. How ‘bout a high run count? He walked one and hit another with a pitch. How about number of batters to get on base in a row count? The announcer said Bannister sometimes takes a couple innings to settle down. So, as a pitch count guy, you keep him in. But, in the later innings after you replace him for having a high pitch count, you don’t have a pitch count for your relievers. Now, you’ll put in a reliever for one inning or maybe to pitch to just one batter. What kinda crap is this?
Batting coaches will even get involved in this. They say a batter who can make a pitcher pitch 6 or 7 pitches to him is a good at bat. Doesn’t matter that you strike out. They say that the count for that pitcher will get high quick and his manager will pull him when he gets to his pitch count high and that’s a good thing. Oh, a good thing that you get a fresh pitcher coming at you? Batting coaches will have a batter take the first pitch no matter where it’s thrown. Pitchers know this from the scouting report and what you’ll see is a batter taking strike one every time he comes to bat. A waste of a good pitch. I’ll tell ya what, if a pitcher is having a good night, the batters can’t wait for him to get pulled. If he’s having a bad night, they want him to stay in forever.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Bellamy Salute
Sometimes there are parts of history that simply are not taught. That's a shame, although I do realize that not everything can be taught. It would take way too much time. Anyway, here's one item that came to me in a pamphalet from the American Legion.
The title of the article in the pamphalet is "History of the Pledge of Allegiance." Below is the article in full. What was new to me was the Bellamy salute which is like a Roman salute, kinda. The arm is cocked bringing the open hand palm down to the chest. The arm is then extended out reaching upward pointing at the flag with the palm turning upward.
History of the Pledge of Allegiance
The original Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy. It was first given wide publicity through the official program of the National Public Schools Celebration of Columbus Day, which was printed in The Youth's Companion of September 8, 1892, and at the same time sent out in leaflet form to schools throughout the country. School children first recited the Pledge of Allegiance this way:
"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
"The flag of the United States" replaced the words "my Flag" in 1923 because some foreign-born people might have in mind the flag of the country of their birth instead of the United States flag. A year later, "of America" was added after "United States."
No form of the Pledge received official recognition by Congress until June 22, 1942, when the Pledge was formally included in the U.S. Flag Code. The official name of The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in 1945. The last change in language came on Flag Day 1954, when Congress passed a law, which added the words "under God" after "one nation."
Originally, the pledge was said with the right hand in the so-called "Bellamy Salute," with the right hand resting first outward from the chest, then the arm extending out from the body. Once Hitler came to power in Europe, some Americans were concerned that this position of the arm and hand resembled the Nazi or Fascist salute. In 1942 Congress also established the current practice of rendering the pledge with the right hand over the heart.
The Flag Code specifies that any future changes to the pledge would have to be with the consent of the President.
The title of the article in the pamphalet is "History of the Pledge of Allegiance." Below is the article in full. What was new to me was the Bellamy salute which is like a Roman salute, kinda. The arm is cocked bringing the open hand palm down to the chest. The arm is then extended out reaching upward pointing at the flag with the palm turning upward.
History of the Pledge of Allegiance
The original Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy. It was first given wide publicity through the official program of the National Public Schools Celebration of Columbus Day, which was printed in The Youth's Companion of September 8, 1892, and at the same time sent out in leaflet form to schools throughout the country. School children first recited the Pledge of Allegiance this way:
"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
"The flag of the United States" replaced the words "my Flag" in 1923 because some foreign-born people might have in mind the flag of the country of their birth instead of the United States flag. A year later, "of America" was added after "United States."
No form of the Pledge received official recognition by Congress until June 22, 1942, when the Pledge was formally included in the U.S. Flag Code. The official name of The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in 1945. The last change in language came on Flag Day 1954, when Congress passed a law, which added the words "under God" after "one nation."
Originally, the pledge was said with the right hand in the so-called "Bellamy Salute," with the right hand resting first outward from the chest, then the arm extending out from the body. Once Hitler came to power in Europe, some Americans were concerned that this position of the arm and hand resembled the Nazi or Fascist salute. In 1942 Congress also established the current practice of rendering the pledge with the right hand over the heart.The Flag Code specifies that any future changes to the pledge would have to be with the consent of the President.
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