Summertime Blues

Misery

I managed to make it all through the winter and spring without catching a cold, but the law of averages finally caught up with me.

Now I have a week
or so of misery to deal with, just as the hottest part of the summer is set to begin. Great...

Actually, I think you're the one who gave it to me...thanks a lot...

Birthday Boy

Last night at Kauffman Stadium my beloved Kansas City Royals concluded a dismal 3-6 homestand with a 7-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

"Not great, but not terrible. I'll take it."

Royals starter Danny Duffy struggled with his control, but still managed to turn in a Quality Start. Because the Royals offense was dormant until after Danny departed, he was denied his sixth straight win.







RHP Joakim Soria got the win after pitching a scoreless top of the 7th. All-Stars Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis held off the Angels the rest of the way (although Davis was dented for two runs in the 9th and had the bases loaded when he got the final out).

"SAAAAAAAAAAAAAFFFFE!"

On his 21st birthday, new call-up Raul Mondesi, Jr. got his first major league hit with a bunt single in the pivotal 7th inning. The pitcher made a two-base error on play, allowing a second run to score and Mondesi to reach third.



CF Jarrod Dyson followed with a triple that scored Mondesi, so in the space of just a few minutes the kid got his first big-league hit, RBI, and run scored.

"How long is this road trip they're starting today?"

Eight games...and since they have the second-worst road record in baseball, by the time it ends Royals fans will finally have to let go of their 2016 hopes and accept that "Defend the Crown" isn't happening...

Baseball Coincidence

Not long ago I wrote about the baseball coincidence of one-time teammates and future Hall of Famers Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron each hitting their 500th career home run on the same calendar date just one year apart. Today's calendar date is another of those baseball coincidences that make being a fan of the game so enjoyable.

On July 28, 1991 Dennis Martinez of the Montreal Expos threw the 13th perfect game in major league history, beating the Dodgers 2-0 at Dodger Stadium.








Among the noteworthy aspects of that game: Martinez was the first pitcher born outside of the U.S. to throw a perfecto, the Dodgers became the first team to be on the losing end of consecutive perfect games (they lost perfect game No. 12 to Tom Browning in 1988), and Dodger Stadium became the first site to witness two perfect games (Sandy Koufax threw his there in 1965).

On July 28, 1994 Kenny Rogers of the Texas Rangers threw the 14th perfect game in major league history, beating the California Angels 4-0 at The Ballpark in Arlington.











Among the noteworthy aspects of that game: Rogers's gem came a decade after the Angels' Mike Witt threw a perfecto against the Rangers, making them the only teams in MLB history to have perfect games against each other and making The Ballpark in Arlington just the second park to witness two perfect games. Rogers was also just the third left-hander to throw a perfect game (Koufax and Browning were the others), and no Rangers pitcher has thrown a no-hitter since.

"Most Qualified Candidate Ever," Huh?

From the insightful pen of Michael Ramirez, whose editorial cartoons you should read often, as I do.

Until Next Time...

One of the reasons that parents across the country struggled to accept the rock and roll music that captivated their children in the 1950s was that as live performers the early stars of the genre like Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and others seemed wild and rebellious, bordering on anarchic at times. When they came along in the early 1960s, The Beatles were more readily accepted by parents because (at least at first) they projected a wholesome, clean-cut image.

Few of rock and roll's early performers could match the high energy of Jerry Lee Lewis, famous for his "wild man" singing and playing style.

Original 1957 45 rpm single

On July 28, 1957 Jerry Lee made his first appearance on national television, on The Steve Allen Show, performing his current Billboard hit "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On."

Completely aside from the sexually-charged lyrics, Lewis's performance cemented his reputation as a manic live performer. Nothing like it had ever been seen on live television before, and it did much to fuel the ongoing cultural struggle over rock and roll and its influence on young people.


Today's send-off is the live recording of Jerry Lee's frenetic performance that day. I can only imagine what people watching him for the first time must have thought. Enjoy...