The Wonderful Power of Baseball

So, Arlene and Amianan(my only readers)

last night I got home and decided to check out a little bit of the All-Star game festivities. It was the Home Run derby and it was great. I turned it on just at the moment when Josh Hamilton was hitting. This is Josh Hamilton, the former #1 draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays. But, Hamilton was not there representing the Rays. Hamilton plays for the Texas Rangers. The reason is that about 3 years ago, Hamilton was a heroin addict. He was on pills, alcohol and the forementioned heroin. He cleaned himself up with the help of his grandparents and family, and got back into the game and found a chance with the Cincinatti Reds. He did really well and now he leads the Majors in RBI's at the half. So he is participating in the derby and is absolutely on fire. He hits homer after homer, and at one point hits 13 homeruns between outs. He ends the round with 28 homers, a new record. He did not win the derby, but everyone was in awe of the story of Hamilton.

Cut to today and I am watching the All-Star game and it is a really great game. Good pitching, some timely hitting and great effort on all sides. The Giants represent with Brian Wilson getting two outs in the 8th inning, even though he gets taken out in the middle of the inning. Then the next pitcher proceeds to give up the tying run to the American League. Freaking bonehead National League Manager. And then the game keeps going. It goes past the 9th inning tied at 3. It goes to the 11th when Dan Uggla makes back to back errors and almost costs the National League the game, but Aaron Cook absolutely holds it down. He gets back to back ground balls to get the outs at home and preserve the game. Then the game keeps going. It goes past the 12th. Then the 14th. And as I write this its the 15th Inning. If it goes to the 16th it will be the longest game in All Star history. But, as I am writing, the American League has loaded the bases again. And then gets the winning run on a sacrifice fly. SHIT!!! American League wins again. ARGHRGIODGHGJNGNJG!$#%#%!!!!!!!!!

But what my post was supposed to be about was how I love watching baseball. Even when it pisses me off and makes me angry it is still better than other sports. It makes you think along with it and tests you to remember the situations and ponder the possibilities. Only in baseball are you not counting against a clock. You are always in the game, even when you are way down and all seems lost. You are not lost until the final out is made. A small rally can turn into a big one and you are never really out of it. This is not so in games where you are fighting against the clock.

Josh Hamilton is baseball because he was almost out of the game and it seemed that it was over, but he rallied back and now has gotten back into the action. It was not over until the final strike! And he did not allow it to get there. I love this game

Hard to get away from that!

So,

Its been a while since I have posted to this blog, and I know there are a ton of things that you need me to talk about and expand upon, but its tough when you have a kid as cute as mine. I mean don't take it from me, just look at the proof right here.

You see. Its tough to not want to just focus your attention on her all the time. I will however make the effort to get my blog on the right track. I mean my wife has had her blog for less than a month and already she has a ton of posts and even some people leaving comments. Its nuts!

So I make this challenge to anyone and everyone who might still take a look at my blog. Send me a note, so that I know you are still out there, and I will start writing up a storm.

Youth or Experience?

So, this was a very frustrating weekend if you are a Giants fan. As most fans know the Giants are caught in this weird zone of playing some young players, while still having some older guys on the squad as well. It makes completely rebuilding the team an interesting assignment. The Giants have great starting pitching for the most part, at least if you mean young pitchers. We've got Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Tim Lincecum pitching pretty well this year. Lincecum is having a Cy Young award type year. But then we talk about Mr. Barry Zito, who signed a $126 Million contract with the Giants last year and has pitched like a guy who has not a freaking clue. Its the most frustrating thing in the world to see a guy try to nibble with all of these hitters, and know that he just doesn't have it to get them out. The guy is paid more than every other pitcher out there, yet he plays like he's a rookie.



Then our experienced guys are not the world beaters that you would think. They are putting up semi-good numbers, yet we are still 10 games under .500. In other words, its hopeless!!

I say we go young, in the positions where we know the guys are gonna be gone next year. Rich Aurilia, GONE! Omar Vizquel, TAKE A SEAT! Ray Durham, SCRAM!!, Barry Zito, SHIT!!

The Newest Addition to the Family...Soluna!!

So, I've been a bit busy the last few months. Me and the wife had to deal with the birth of our first child. Oh yeah!!! Soluna Laya Ibarra-Tacdol was born on December 23rd. Since then, we've been busy feeding, changing, putting to bed, feeding, changing, consoling, bathing and simply enjoying our little girl. She's great. And has made my blogging a very unimportant thing at the moment. But now with a little more room to breathe from all the new baby emotions, I wanted to get back to the posting.

Here is a collection of her best poses so far.

And then