Harold Reynolds-- Baseball Commentator extraordaire

Harold Reynolds has worked this World Series (2015) as part of the Fox Sports team. He has to be the best baseball analyst events. Reynolds played second base for the Seattle Mariners and was a big league ballplayer from 1983-1994. He was born in 1960. At age 54, Reynolds has developed a comfort level with the microphone and a mature understanding of communicating with the baseball audience.

A few examples... New York Mets vs. Kansas City Royals

Game 1: Reynolds notes that Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores was proving to be a difficult out for Chris Young, the behemoth Kansas City relief pitcher. Young stands 6' 10" and looked like a dominant force. Reynolds added Flores "has great eye-hand coordination, the best on the Mets along with Daniel Murphy." He added that Chris Young "does not have the stuff to get Flores out." Sure enough Flores fouled off multiple pitches, eventually got a walk and trotted off to first base.

Game 1: Reynolds also noted the way Curtis Granderson, another Met player, deftly moved out of the way of a fastball headed right at him. "He's seeing the ball extremely well." Granderson's ability to dodge the pitch indicated to Reynolds that the batter had established a strong position in the batter's box, a nice insight to share with the viewers-- not related to any statistical data. The pitcher avoided serving up any good pitches to Granderson.

Game 2: Reynolds contrasted how the Kansas City Royals hitters have deviated from conventional baseball wisdom by going after good pitches in an aggressive manner. He explained further. The Kansas City hitters never stand passively in the batter's box and take pitches. The attempt to tire pitchers out by lifting the pitch count in not the KC style. Instead, they seek to hit the ball and knock the pitcher out of the game by superior ball contact. They certainly have done that effectively in Game 1 and Game 2 of the Series.

Reynold's grasp of what to share about the finer points of the game truly amazes. He avoids the sports cliches but doesn't not get into minutiae or belabor the statistics. Baseball has a notorious love affair with stats-- and now you can follow the pitch count, review the ball's position as it moves through the batters box, watch the spin on the pitch thanks to super slow motion technology and countless other details. Reynolds is like a breath of fresh air. He tells you what is really happening at keep moments of the game.

Moneyball, the baseball book by Michael Lewis, recounts the absolute tyranny that numbers have claimed over the game of baseball. And, of course, most of the number crunchers never could play the game of baseball beyond the Little League level but have been elevated by virtue of their mastery of big data. Reynolds played the game but does not overstate the case for his real life experience. He offers commentary with clarity and modesty. Reynolds allows the fans to absorbs insights without any showboating or ex-jock braggadocio.

Did baseball cause global warming?

Remember back in the days when World Series, the October classic, was actually played in October? For you non-baseball fans, the World Series, a best of 7-games contest, took place in the month of October back when October was an autumn month. Fans were satisfied in those days with a 6 month long regular baseball season. And the weather always seemed to be cool on those October days 'cause that was back when we had an autumn season of the year. You had to wear a sweater or jacket to those early October World Series games of yesteryear-- maybe even a coat. The weather got cooler in mid-September in those days. That was before global warming added an entire extra month of summer to most of the United States. I just got back from Montana on Oct. 12th and it was still balmy up there.

For example, the 1961 World Series pitted the New York Yankees (American League) against the Cincinnati Reds (National League). The series only lasted 5 games. The Yankees won four of five games and the last game was played on October 9th! Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's record that year by hitting 61 home runs.

But now let's check out the weather changes between 1961 and 2015! Temperatures have increased dramatically. Now we can play baseball all the way to November.

From the official weather records for New York City:  "The hottest day of 1961 was July 26, with a high temperature of 87°F."

Here are your temperatures for a single week this summer in New York City for the 6 days from July 26-- July 31, 2015.

July 26: 90 degrees
July 27: 86 degrees
July 28: 95 degrees
July 29: 96 degrees
July 30: 87 degrees
July 31: 89 degrees

New York City temps in the final week of July 2015 exceeded the 87 degree high temperature for New York City for 1961-- on just about every day! That's hot, hot, hot...

Today is Oct. 14, 2015 and we are in the midst of playoffs, the preliminaries to the World Series. But not to worry. Conveniently, thanks to global warming, the temperatures will likely stay warm for the next three weeks. The World Series will be played between Oct. 27-- Nov 4, and fans can watch comfortably anywhere in North America.

Conceivably.... we might see the Kansas City Royals play the New York Mets or Chicago Cubs. Baseball in  those cities on Oct 27? No problem. Maybe you'll need a sweatshirt for the game. You'll be fine. Or maybe not? Major League Baseball seems confident the temps will be plenty warm enough.

The only logical conclusion-- baseball is causing global warming!

Missoula, Montana--15 reasons (or so) to love it

Missoula Notes

Higgins Bridge-- “A river runs through it” and from the Higgins  Ave Bridge you view the amazing panorama.

Dining Out, Etc.

·      Biga Pizza—top-notch pizza, great cheeses, fresh local ingredients

·      Le Petit Outre—really good pastries and breads, friendly environment with large tables for patrons to sip cappuccinos, lattes etc. brewed with artistic flair.

·      Catalyst—healthy breakfasts and lunches, good vibe, right on Higgins Ave, the main drag through town.

·      Red Bird—great Art Deco space to have a glass of wine. Or dine at the upscale at the restaurant/wine bar.

·      Green Hanger Laundromat—146 Woodford, best Laundromat in America. Clean, friendly with good machines. And say hello to Midnight, the house cat.

·      Good Food store—great quality health food, along the lines of Whole Foods, and with lots of beautiful customers and employees to add joy to your day.

·      Hob Nob—good breakfasts and lunches, good prices, located on the Hip Strip on South Higgins, a great place to meet and greet.

·      Scotty’s Table—upscale dining in a awe-inspiring room.

·      Charlie B’s (photographer—Lee Nye)-- Esquire named Charlie B’s one of the “15 bars you should drink in before you die,” and if you become a regular at Charlie’s you’ll probably hasten your demise from liver failure. The Lee Nye portrait photos of Missoula’s hard-living denizens of years past are worth the price of admission.

·      Big Dipper—homemade ice cream, great array of flavors served in generous portions on sugar cones, homemade waffle cones or in cups, truly delicious

·      Missoula Club—a sturdy wooden bar with old-time photos of Montana sports heroes, from the days before ESPN. Great crew of bartenders make every visit a fun experience and serve you the largest burgers known to mankind.

·      James Bar and Alan Vick’s— Missoula is a beer drinking town and great beers and friendly conversation is a feature of these nearby pubs on the north side of town.

·      Wood’s Second Hand & Pawn Shop—first pawn shop in Missoula, run by a couple of wise-cracking proprietors, the crowded shelves provide a glimpse into the goods and materials needed for survival in Missoula through the generations.

Missoula Art Museum—a lively museum and museums are not usually such lively places, the curator of these exhibits knows the artists that will pull you in, make you smile and think.

Riverside Trail—one of the best urban walking, hiking and biking trails in America, you walk around the river that runs through it, see the trees reflected in the water, look around and view the mountains above. Truly spectacular