To those that assert that there exists just one person out there designed especially for you, I present the following rejoinder:

Game, set, match…. game over…. no more game.

Overheard at the coffee shop:

Trivia board question: “How many US States border the Pacific Ocean?”

Girl (17 or 18 years old) at the counter: I think the answer is 19.

Grandville Dept. of Education FTL.

So I’ve already pointed out that MLB ’08: THE SHOW for the playstation 3 is awesome… here’s some more. I created a new player, named Ron Veenstra, who’s dream is to be the starting Shortstop for the Chicago Cubs. As fate would have it, he was in the Cubs’ Spring Training. All was looking up… until the games started:

Ron’s Stats the end of spring training

• AVG: .215
• 17 Ks
• 5 Errors
• 0 HR
• 1 RBI
• 1 Run
• 2 for 3 in Stolen Bases

Ron was promptly sent to the AA Tennessee Smokies, where he was benched.

His first at bat was a few games into the season, a pinch hitter in the 7th inning. On the first pitch he hit a home run… He was promptly put into the lineup.

After 2 weeks of sub-par performing, Ron was moved to 3rd base, then left field for a game, and then benched again.

Then things changed.

Ron’s Stats the end of June

• AVG: .349
• 280 at bats
• Hits: 100
• 2B: 15
• 3B: 0
• HR: 11
• RBI: 56
• 9 Errors
• 24 Stolen Bases in 45 attempts
• 44 Ks
• SLG: .517
• OBP: .351
• OPS: .861

Ron’s stats for the month of June

• AVG: .409
• 5 HR
• 34 Hits
• 24 RBI

Pretty impressive, no? Ron was now leading the team in doubles, batting average, total hits, stolen bases, and tied for first in home runs. He made the AA “WHO’S HOT” list, and was player of the game in June 3 times. How was Ron rewarded, you ask? He was promptly benched for “failing to reach team goals.” What goals, you ask? Ron’s bunting ability did not improve by the required amount. Bunting. I kid you not. So here’s a stat for you:

• Total number of bunts attempted in the entire season: 0

So… awesome. Well done coach.

Since this point, Ron has been involved in 3 games, and has gone 3 for 4 with a homer and 2 doubles, 5 RBI and 2 runs…. and I just got an email from the coach saying that since our third baseman broke our hand, he’s getting put back in the lineup. As far as I know, our coach is not Dusty Baker.

If you’ve seen me or spoken to me in the past 3 months or so, you likely know I have been waiting with fevered anticipation for the release of a game: MLB ’08: The Show… in my opinion the greatest baseball game yet created. I’ve played the demo with friends and by myself more then many games that I’ve purchased and have owned for years. It is, in short, a thing of beauty. It was released today, and I purchased it. If there were any doubt in your mind as to this game’s greatness, or at the very least any doubt about how perfect this game is for one such as me, I present to you the audio that was played shortly after putting in the disc (while I was being prompted to enter my name to create a profile, actually.) I kid you not, it played this, and I went back and recorded it on my computer so you folks could hear it (well.. first I went crazy, then quick got a hold of Morgan and giddily reported the events… but then I went back and recorded it for you folks):

There are many, many more clips. It is awesome.

[Update: I made it a few screens farther, and the game is now showing me current baseball scores from spring training games... like, actual MLB spring training games. Ron head asplode.]

Jamilah and I went and saw the butterflies at Fredrick Meijer Gardens the other day. I’d never been, and it was rather fun. Now I’ve posted the pictures so you can see what we saw.