The 2019 MLB season is upon us. We have already seen games that matter played. Granted it was just the Mariners and A's so no one really paid attention. Except to see Ichiro play his last games. And the games were played in Japan so they were on SUPER EARLY. The real Opening Day is the 28th. One week from now! My co-workers make fun of me because of my excitement, but I take the day off and just soak it all in.
It is going to be a very painful season for us Tigers fans. The youth movement has started, but all the prospects that are going to bring this team back to relevance are still a year or two away. By all accounts, 2020 and 2021 is when we will start to see the top ten to fifteen prospects in the bigs. If they're still with the organization. Also, one of the core starting pitchers, Michael Fulmer, is out for the season after his elbow exploded recently. We'll see him back some time in the 2020 season. If you want to find the positive to this devastating news this just means he'll have one less season's worth of innings on his arm. He'll be well rested and could be the true number one we thought he would be after his rookie season. This could also be Castellanos's last season with the Tigers. And Miggy is coming off a lost season and is another year older.
With all this bad news, what do Tigers fans have to look forward to? Ummm, Christian Stewart is gonna mash a ton of baseballs. Just don't watch him in the outfield. Niko Goodrum is the new Don Kelly/Andrew Romine. But better. I think he has the ability to make games fun to watch, but as a utility player he won't have a true position each and every game. The bullpen, surprisingly enough, could be a bright spot. If the starting rotation can eat enough innings where the bullpen won't be taxed by August that is.
There are going to be long stretches this season where the Tigers are going to be unwatchable. There are no two ways about it. The first month of the season they have a chance to be a .500 team playing teams like Toronto, Kansas City, and Minnesota, but they've also got Boston, Cleveland, and New York on the schedule. As fans, we just have to look for the fun and positive to get us through what is undoubtedly going to be a tough season.
End of the season record prediction: 67-95. 4th in the AL Central. Kansas City sucks more than Detroit does.
21 March 2019
21 February 2019
Well Spent
This past weekend I celebrated my 37th birthday. And by 'celebrated' I mean chilled and kept it low key. I'm not all about big celebration or grand gestures. I wanted to just enjoy the day. I took three days off of work which is what I normally like to do for my birthday just because. I don't want to be at work on my birthday. It's a day for me.
The first day of my three day weekend was spent watching the original 'Star Wars' trilogy. I have been doing this for several years now. I grew up loving these movies and I still do. Yes it's nerdy. Yes I could do something else with the six and a half hours. No I don't want to do anything else with that time during my birthday. We see those social media posts that are like 'take care of yourself' and 'self care is important'. Self care has many facets and I think that some include losing yourself in a favorite movie or book or tv show.
Saturday and Sunday were spent just chilling at home and doing a little running around. My wife and I checked out a brewery in Hastings and ate dinner at a restaurant we liked. I say we checked out a brewery, but let's be honest, I checked it out. My wife doesn't drink so she tolerates me enjoying a beer or two while we sit and talk. It's what we're all about.
Everyone spends their birthdays in different ways. Some go all out with parties while some lay low. It's all about what you want to do isn't it? Embrace being selfish on your birthday. If you want to sit around in your pjs all day and drink coffee while reading a book, DO IT! If you want to go shopping and buy some new clothes just because, DO IT! If you want to invite a bunch of people over for an all night rager, DO IT! Spend the day feeling great about yourself, but also think about doing that more than just once a year. Celebrate a half year birthday, or just celebrate you every couple of months.
The first day of my three day weekend was spent watching the original 'Star Wars' trilogy. I have been doing this for several years now. I grew up loving these movies and I still do. Yes it's nerdy. Yes I could do something else with the six and a half hours. No I don't want to do anything else with that time during my birthday. We see those social media posts that are like 'take care of yourself' and 'self care is important'. Self care has many facets and I think that some include losing yourself in a favorite movie or book or tv show.
Saturday and Sunday were spent just chilling at home and doing a little running around. My wife and I checked out a brewery in Hastings and ate dinner at a restaurant we liked. I say we checked out a brewery, but let's be honest, I checked it out. My wife doesn't drink so she tolerates me enjoying a beer or two while we sit and talk. It's what we're all about.
Everyone spends their birthdays in different ways. Some go all out with parties while some lay low. It's all about what you want to do isn't it? Embrace being selfish on your birthday. If you want to sit around in your pjs all day and drink coffee while reading a book, DO IT! If you want to go shopping and buy some new clothes just because, DO IT! If you want to invite a bunch of people over for an all night rager, DO IT! Spend the day feeling great about yourself, but also think about doing that more than just once a year. Celebrate a half year birthday, or just celebrate you every couple of months.
07 February 2019
Ned was Right
After having a lack of snow during the months of November, December and January, Minnesota finally remembered that it is, in fact, Minnesota. But not before delving out a handful of rather bizarre days of weather. From negative thirty degree temperatures to mid thirties just two days later at the end of January. We also saw some freezing rain right before another plummet in temperature. Then finally. It happened. Winter showed up. We finally got snow.
In the months of November and December we had to shovel snow maybe three times. It has been snowing in the Twin Cities for the past twenty four hours. It started snowing last night around six thirty. It is now seven twenty two and the snow hasn't stopped. We have easily gotten a foot and a half in that time. It's just wonderful.
We have a very small driveway because our garage is on an alley. Because of that we do not have a snow blower. We have no need for it...yet. We do have to keep our front sidewalk and porch clear though. That takes some time. There are a few people in our neighborhood that will run up and down the sidewalks on the block and clear a path. You still have to go through and full clear the width of the walkway, but at least a good majority of the walkway is done.
I have been of the mindset that if you get out and clear the snow a few times it is less stressful on your body. I'd rather get out and shovel two or three times during a snow storm to keep the accumulation down. It helps that I enjoy the cold and the snow. If I was not a fan of it, I'm sure I would just want to be outside once and be done with it. I would also probably just do it once if I had a snow blower. Going old school and having a shovel almost forces your hand to go out a few times. I just put in my earbuds and listen to music as I go. It makes it go by quicker. I've seen both in our neighborhood and I've been wondering which method is best. It helped that I did not have to work today so I could pick and choose times to go out.
In the months of November and December we had to shovel snow maybe three times. It has been snowing in the Twin Cities for the past twenty four hours. It started snowing last night around six thirty. It is now seven twenty two and the snow hasn't stopped. We have easily gotten a foot and a half in that time. It's just wonderful.
We have a very small driveway because our garage is on an alley. Because of that we do not have a snow blower. We have no need for it...yet. We do have to keep our front sidewalk and porch clear though. That takes some time. There are a few people in our neighborhood that will run up and down the sidewalks on the block and clear a path. You still have to go through and full clear the width of the walkway, but at least a good majority of the walkway is done.
I have been of the mindset that if you get out and clear the snow a few times it is less stressful on your body. I'd rather get out and shovel two or three times during a snow storm to keep the accumulation down. It helps that I enjoy the cold and the snow. If I was not a fan of it, I'm sure I would just want to be outside once and be done with it. I would also probably just do it once if I had a snow blower. Going old school and having a shovel almost forces your hand to go out a few times. I just put in my earbuds and listen to music as I go. It makes it go by quicker. I've seen both in our neighborhood and I've been wondering which method is best. It helped that I did not have to work today so I could pick and choose times to go out.
30 January 2019
it. cold.
You guys. It's cold. Too cold. And I love cold, but it's almost too much for me. The one good thing is that if you put room temperature beer outside, in less than an hour it's ice cold. It's so cold that places like the post office is not sending out their delivery men and women. Stores and businesses are closing. Schools are shut down. For all of that to happen, especially in Minnesota, it's something 'special'. I don't have much else to say about it.
13 January 2019
No Rush
The big thing on the movie landscape in the past decade has been super hero movies. Specifically movies in the Marvel Universe. Movies like Iron Man, Thor, and the Black Panther. Everything in between as well. They are all enjoyable to watch and I have seen them all with the exception of one (Ant Man and the Wasp). However, I do not rush out to see them.
They are all well made. Visually they are amazing. We truly live in an age of wonder with what movie studios can do. They bring you into a world that is an escape from every day life which is what movies are suppose to do. They're fun. They take themselves just seriously enough to have great cinematic tension, but also have quite a bit of humor in them.
For all the positive things that the MCU movies have going for them, they have one flaw. They all start to run together. There is not much of a difference from one to the next. Because of that, I haven't found myself rushing out to see them when they're in the theaters. I do understand the point of seeing them in the theater, it's an experience. It's an immersive environment, you get pulled into these grand adventures.
I'm sure it's great, but it just isn't for me. I'd rather sit at home and watch them when they're released to streaming services. You know, sit down in my pjs, enjoy a few cups of coffee, not have to over pay for the movie or snacks. In order for this to happen, you have to let go of the fact that if anything major happens, it won't be a shock to you. We just watched Avengers: Infinity War a few weeks ago and anyone that has seen knows about 'the snap'. It's a major moment in the MCU which has ramifications we aren't fully aware of yet. Because we finally watched months after it had been out in theaters, the major spoilers were gone. And you know what, it doesn't much matter to me. I'd rather avoid the large crowds and enjoy the movie from the comfort of my own home.
They are all well made. Visually they are amazing. We truly live in an age of wonder with what movie studios can do. They bring you into a world that is an escape from every day life which is what movies are suppose to do. They're fun. They take themselves just seriously enough to have great cinematic tension, but also have quite a bit of humor in them.
For all the positive things that the MCU movies have going for them, they have one flaw. They all start to run together. There is not much of a difference from one to the next. Because of that, I haven't found myself rushing out to see them when they're in the theaters. I do understand the point of seeing them in the theater, it's an experience. It's an immersive environment, you get pulled into these grand adventures.
I'm sure it's great, but it just isn't for me. I'd rather sit at home and watch them when they're released to streaming services. You know, sit down in my pjs, enjoy a few cups of coffee, not have to over pay for the movie or snacks. In order for this to happen, you have to let go of the fact that if anything major happens, it won't be a shock to you. We just watched Avengers: Infinity War a few weeks ago and anyone that has seen knows about 'the snap'. It's a major moment in the MCU which has ramifications we aren't fully aware of yet. Because we finally watched months after it had been out in theaters, the major spoilers were gone. And you know what, it doesn't much matter to me. I'd rather avoid the large crowds and enjoy the movie from the comfort of my own home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)