Mike O'Connell

This weekend marks the 17th anniversary of the most disappointing sports moment I ever witnessed. The days of the week line up this year too. It was Sunday, November 4, 2001, that the Arizona Diamondbacks completed their seven-game series win over the three-time defending champion New York Yankees. Following September 11 everyone was rooting for New York, but despite the many heroics in that series, the final result was not meant to be.

It would be eight more years until they won another championship.

And they haven’t won another since.

First, read my post from Oct. 17.

Now repeat with the following changes.

Change Carolina to the Giants and delete “didn’t.”

Change Pittsburgh to Navy and 7-0 to 8-0.

That is all.

Game One of baseball’s World Series last night turned up pretty much everything I would have expected, for better or worse. The Red Sox won, 12 pitchers were used, and the game ended after midnight.

Basically this is 2013 all over again. My only question going in was, “Who’s going to be the Ortiz this year?”

Would you have guessed Eduardo Nunez?

Yeah, that guy. Former Yankee hitting the first World Series pinch-hit home run since a certain Mr. Matsui in 2009. Broke the game open.

Guess those reports about his being unable to play were a bit off.

Said that about Gibson for Game One in ’88 as well.

My friends at the post office are at it again. In the face of declining sales and decreased revenue, the USPS is raising the price of a first-class stamp from 50 cents to 55.

Yup, that’s what you want to do when people aren’t buying your product: raise the price. That’ll make ’em want to buy more of it.

Of course, most other products don’t have a legal monopoly on their enterprise.

Because a little self-promotion never hurt anyone…

Let the record show my new CD, Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Franklin, is now available for purchase via the interweb. Head here.

You can also buy tracks on Amazon or hear them, of course, on Spotify.

Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Franklin is a six-track EP recorded in June at Lady of Noise Studios in Frederick, Maryland. Original compositions inspired by a certain toddler I know.