And im down to my last day..

Being in the military there comes a time where you get to ask yourself. "If today was my last day what would i do?" Sometimes it comes across selfish and I would answer "I would spend it all with my family, doing the things we all love and get one last moment with them." But, lest we forget what our main goal in life is that we may continue to further the kingdom of God. Maybe spend that last day spending it with friends and family telling them about Jesus Christ and their need for salvation. Its always hard to make that call and honestly by the time you end up trying to make the best decision possible, its already over.

Sounds sad, but really for alot of people it is reality.

For me, I dont look at my situation this way. Im only leaving for a short time. Yes, Six months is a good bit of time. But, really compared to many Men and Women that serve this country that is merely a blink of an eye compared to the years of service they will spend there.

I've been trying to figure out a way to put this blog together it started out as one with my wife (AJ) while making fun of Derek Jeter and lifes little funny nuences and it turned into writing about sports and then focusing on my love of baseball and the Seattle Mariners. I know not everyone really cares about them and thats okay. I know its a silly game and compared to the real issues of life that hang in the balance daily, its nothing. But that silly game makes me smile and reminds me how simple this life really is....a simple thrown ball, a bat to hit it with and some bags to touch as you run around a dirt diamond make up a sport that our country has been in love with for about 140 years.

At 17 i knew i didnt have the athletic ability nor the talent to make it very far in baseball. Looking back i know i didnt work as hard as i could have and i know that if i really wanted too i could have very possibly pieced together a independent career (but who really wants that) struggled and was tortued by the thought that i couldn't be involved with the game that i loved as i grew up so as a junior in highschool, i junked it. i threw it away like an old t shirt. ignoring and missing out on an amazing 2001 seattle mariners season.

While i was away from reality the Mariners really didnt do much and it seems to me that they took that same mental brake from the game. Only to have now found a new direction one pointed towards a succesful future, and i refuse (to lose lol) to miss out on it again.

I know my responsibility with the Lord and i know where he has pointed me thus far in my life and i know that i shouldnt get comfortable because just that time that i do he's got something else for me. I know that in the future ahead he has something thats great for me in the future.

This all culminates to 5 easy bullet statements. What are the top 5 things i feel im going to miss out on, as the season progresses strickly concerning the seattle mariners.


5. Felix Hernandez, i think this guy might just have the ability to turn around win 18 games. THAT WOULD BE GREAT!

4. Russell Branyan 40 Hr year .. i think he can... i think he can..

3.The flurry of trades and menauvers that Jack Z and Donny W are going to make upcoming!


2. The Griffey fairwell, once and for all the goodbye to The Kid IN A SEATTLE MARINERS UNIFORM!!

1. Seeing Ichiro get hits 200th hit this year and breaking the record for most 200 hit seasons in a row.

Runaway

So ... it's 11:47 ... it's time for bed. I obviously have work tommorrow and i need to be up at 6 am .. but there is no way .. NO WAY after that game.

First of all let me say that Kevin Millwood PITCHED HIS HEART OUT! Very much like Jarrod Washburn i don't believe he will maintain his ability to pitch the way he has the first month of April and now a week into May. I just don't think it's possible for him to play at a level this high over a sustained period of time. It's not a knock on the pitchers it's just reference of their talent levels.

Regardless of weather or not he'll eventuall regress, he pitched like an Ace tonight and i'm throughly impressed. He was one of my orignal top 5's and i was initially pretty amazed, but now i'm flabberghasted. CJ "Rick Vaugn" Wilson pitched well to Russ Branyan (who is continued to hit the cover off the ball)

The pitching between frankie and the seattle batters was awesome. Just a game of cat and mouse.

However... the game of cat and mouse WAS RUINED... ABSLOUTELY RUINED!!!! BY PAUL EMMELL the FIRST BASE UMPIRE.

Now i watched and reviewed the call FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES FROM FOUR DIFFERENT ANGLES...Davis(who is a great defensive firstbasemen) DID NOT ... i repeat that DID NOT HAVE HIS FOOT ON THE BASE. IT WASNT TOUCHING IT .. it came off to make the catch ... the catch didn't even beat the runner.


NOW, please do NOT, misunderstand what i'm saying. Because i realize i'm going to have an influx of texas ranger fans to my site shortly to spew their crazy non-sense like greffity let me make this PERFECTLY CLEAR.

Andrus made AN INCREADABLE PLAY ... AMAZING STOP.... GREAT THROW...

Davis showed GREAT AWESOME WONDERFUL RANGE to make that catch.

Here is where the point is ... the throw DID NOT.. beat the runner... the firstbasemen's foot... WAS NOT on the bag. Johjima was safe.

It takes alot of Wak to come out of the dug out and argue the call. I am not sure if it's allowed but i wish we could have had a home plate appeal. I know they allow it in High School play but i'm not sure how it goes down in the Majors and that in and of itself is a huge diss if another umpire over rules you on your own bag during an MLB game.


My point to this run away blog is that a beautifully battled, wonderfully played, ball game but two amazing clubs was ruined by Paul Emmel when he made a snap decision and did not even pay attention to the play.

If joh was safe and not out... runner on first... Gutz looper down the right field line is suddenly HUGE .. because it would have taken joh to third. now with 1st and 3rd and yuni at bat with only one away. if he STILL walks yuni (which let me say THAT was the first time i've seen him take TWO pitches in a row EVER in a game), now ichiro comes to hit with the bases loaded. That line fly out to Byrd brings home Joh and we have a tied up ball game.


Now again time for clairfication i'm not saying we lost because of that one call. Felix pitched very poorly and texas capitlized off several mistakes that King Felix left up in the zone and that happens. he still struck out 9 of 18 outs.. which is awesome and the bull pen was solid for the three innings they were there. I am tottally a fan of Denny Stark and i'm loving his pitching right now.

I really feel we had a chance to do some damage and chase millwood from the game there in the fifth and we rolled over and let him work his way out of it. we swung at bad pitches and he came out attacking hitters. i don't remember him starting off very many counts 1-0. he was just pounding the strike zone tonight and it worked out very well for him tonight. Overall, we had some oppertunities that we didn't cultivate and in the end we lost because of it.

I just hated to see such a wonderfully matched game end the way it did....


Thanks alot, Paul Emmel