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Friday, October 9, 2015

The Writer's Life 10/9 - Around the Horn

My buddy Bags posted a New York Times article on Facebook on the 2015 MLB season. It includes a lot of fun stats. Here are those I found the most intriguing:
Dallas Keuchel (Astros): finished 15-0 in 18 starts at home, becoming the first pitcher to go undefeated with at least 14 wins at home in one season. Keuchel has not lost in Houston since Aug. 10, 2014, a 21-game undefeated streak.
Madison Bumgarner (Giants): not only went 18-9 with a 2.93 E.R.A. but also hit five home runs, the most by a pitcher since Carlos Zambrano hit six with the Chicago Cubs in 2006. Bumgarner earned the win in every game in which he homered.
Bartolo Colon (Mets): set a record for the longest scoreless streak by a pitcher 42 or older, 31 innings, ahead of the 27 innings recorded by Cy Young and Warren Spahn.
Mike Trout (Angels): youngest player in history with 100 career home runs and 100 stolen bases.
Anthony Rizzo (Cubs): second player, after Don Baylor, to hit 30 home runs and be hit by a pitch 30 times in a season.
Evan Gattis (Astros): only the fourth designated hitter to collect at least 10 triples. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Gattis, who entered this season with only one triple in 213 games, is the heaviest player to leg out at least 10, finishing with 11. He is also the first major-leaguer in more than 50 years to record more than 10 triples without stealing a base.
Paulo Orlando (Royals): first player since 1900 with triples for his first three hits in the big leagues.
Albert Pujols (Angels): sixth player with at least 13 30-homer seasons.
Robinson Cano (Mariners): first player to record at least 30 doubles in each of his first 11 seasons.
Kris Bryant (Cubs): set the record for most strikeouts by a rookie, 199, breaking Pete Incaviglia’s (Rangers) mark of 185.
Bryce Harper, 22, (Nationals): after 1,733 career plate appearances, finally faced a pitcher younger than him, Yankees' rookie reliever Jacob Lindgren.

TV shows often end with a recorded song playing in the background. I generally hate this, although it sometimes works. Last night, after its typical mayhem, the two lead characters on The Blacklist found a safe haven, and the treacly, sappy Our House by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young came up on the soundtrack. I know the creators were aiming for the offbeat, a counterpoint, but it elicited a sneer and roll of the eyes in disbelief from me.

The failure of Republicans to get their act together on finding a replacement for House Speaker John Boehner illustrates how maddening and discouraging politics is. I'm most disappointed in Paul Ryan for not seizing the job. He seems perfect for it. I guess they all fear being as ineffective as Boehner. No wonder Americans hold politicians in such low regard.

As Shelley paid for a paperback Nora Roberts romance, she offered this gem: "My dad's 90. He likes her books. He says she writes good sex scenes. That's more information than I need." My thanks, and to all the other kind folks who bought and donated books, especially Estelle, 90, who is moving to Florida soon, and who sent her neighbor Barbara to me with three bags of best sellers.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

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