Strategy matters. A lot. And bad strategy often begets bad outcomes.   Speaking of strategy. No plan existed to write this until something unfolded last night.   Those who discuss baseball (and softball too) with me know how important I view the construction of a batting order, the ephemeral lineup.   I look at constructing (choice of word intended) a lineup as much the same as putting together a building or vehicle. A weak link and it topples or falls apart.   The failure of...

A year ago (plus) I had planned to go. A year ago it got postponed and then when time to proceed came, no fans allowed. This year I aimed to go. I did, but not as planned, The recent tradition – until the canceled year – involved a small group, including a family member, not always the same, some clients and friends. Groups could not play this year. My foray involved a friend who collaborated on the annual opening day group and a few of his colleagues. A number of friends opt...

I did not expect to follow last week’s blog welcoming the return of Mets baseball tomorrow. A Newsday article yesterday, a discussion at the Gotham Brad Scherer Happy Hour Friday eve and an email exchange with Mr. Title is Vital attorney and fellow tribal member Roy Fenichel induced today’s commentary; Roy even took the exchange to twitter after I shared my preferred Mets lineup. This column blossomed after I shared to Gotham Sportstalk listserve a nice article (to which Roy ...

On the eve on Superbowl LV, I think how different watching the game will be. It’ll likely be more of solo affair unless Shelly and I dine watching the beginning of the game (well we already ordered our meals yesterday so C’est possible at this writing). As shared on the eve of prior games, we join up with friends, sometimes in a diner in Brooklyn; otherwise among friends here in northeast Queens. If gatherings made sense, this would be first time in a long time that school th...

Baseball is back this weekend. For real.  The Mets hosted the Yankees in a summer exhibition game.  Last night's outcome confused. It included players I do not expect nor want to play when the games count but it was nice to experience it via the telly. There’s more tonight. Did you check it out last night?   Do you plan to watch it tonight? It also makes me excited to think about those same teams playing against each other for real on September 11, 2021, when Gotham and my...

We got to hang with some good friends last eve. It was fun to catch up. It was not in person but technology made it seem like we gathered at our place or one of their homes. Usually I see the men one or two times a week for basketball in a program my Knight of Pythias (FDR) lodge sponsors. There’s been no ball for a month and we have no clue when the game returns. We play in a school gym which mean no ball through April (maybe the end of June after the Governor and the May...

Baseball games – the Spring training variety – returned this weekend. Towards the end of next month we welcome Opening Day.  My twitter feed often includes activities involving Mets players.v Daily I receive various MLB updates about my team and others.  This included ranking of players by position and even a ranking for Fantasy baseball – 800 players in all. Some I agreed with; others I found curious. Often a lack of depth killed my team when injuries “erupted”. Friday’s blo...

Already two prior blogs posted about tonight’s main event. I find it a travesty that I need to refer to it as an eve game. The game really belong to late afternoon. The current scheduling often means gatherings break down after half-time, especially those who might need to travel a bit to get home; and with tomorrow remaining a work day, no reason to expect many to hang late on a Sunday eve. Sometimes, we join friends to watch; the hanging certainly outdoes watching the game ...

The stupid but often true cliché, “The more things change, the more things remain the same.”, carries some resonance this week. I fashion myself a strategist. It certainly involves messaging. So what occurred with Major League Baseball last week really bugged me. I lack the pertinent information to make an informed judgment but it remains clear that things went awry – again – for my baseball team. The excitement about the new manager -- #15 – evolved to anger about a failure ...

Two Sunday blogs ago I opted to focus on three reasons to consider still watching a then failing Mets team. I asked if my team might get hot. It did! It is.  Who'd thunk it?   Through last night 15 Ws out of 16 games, including two comeback wins against the Nationals this weekend.   As mentioned in that previous blow we took in the game Wednesday: Another series sweep.   We attend again this afternoon.   I purchased those tickets last Saturday. deGrom pitches.   1/2 game out ...