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10U House Ball Update
Our team has officially beaten all the teams in the league. Last night, it was a rematch against the Rangers, a rather aggressive team we lost to earlier in the season and a team we needed to beat to get over the hump because they have the flamethrower Heath Bell-esque pitcher who is the boogeyman to our boys.
We got to him for four runs over three innings before his innings limit kicked in and then we poured it on from there. Final: 11-4.
Your 10U Astros are now 10-4 with one game remaining before we push all the chips to the middle during the end-of-the-year tourney in mid-July.
Yet again, our pitching was outstanding. I seem to remember those four runs scattered over four one-run innings. I'd have to go back through the scorebook, but I believe that's four straight games of holding the opponent to five runs or less.
Highlights:
• The boy on our team they call Black Bear -- he's small with a big heart, sensitive, and something of a character in his own way -- stepped up to face the Rangers' flamethrower last night, and the very first pitch he saw drilled him right on the left elbow where right-handed power hitters typically wear the elbow pad.
I'm talking a straight-up full effort, rocket off his elbow. Picture Rob Dibble going full effort, ball coming from outer space and launching toward home plate.
Black Bear let out a wail I'll never forget. He had no chance to get out of the way. It was one of those fastballs you can hear hit skin. I ran to the plate to get BB and it was a delayed this s--t is the worst pain I've ever felt in my life moment.
He now has a tattoo of baseball stiches on that elbow.
Later, Bear came to the on-deck circle shaking at the thought of going back up to the plate. I looked right at him and said, "You're going up there and you're going to get a hit. look at me. You're not scared."
Then he got hit in the head by a kid that throws much slower -- thankfully.
• Griffey, the 10-year-old who told me at the beginning of the season that he wasn't very confident in his pitching ability, is now the best pitcher in the league and it's not even close. I'm incredibly proud of this kid because he has great baseball instincts for his age. The sky is the limit for this kid because he's insanely coachable, and completely understands higher-level baseball discussions compared to the other kids.
I'm very fortunate to have him.
His fellow pitching staff teammate Skittles is the same way. These kids have been a treat.
Daddy Ball Report:
My son had three walks. It was a quiet night.
Here's what the Twins are eating today in Detroit
You guys know I love the oddities of sports and the lifestyle surrounding sports. That's why I'm encouraging my buddy Bellino to keep the tweets coming about what road teams are eating when they visit Detroit. Bellino, whose sports-talk morning show is on across Michigan, is also a butcher at his family's grocery store.
That leads to intel like this:
World's No. 1 Ranked Pilot Influencer Sabrina Johnson has people talking just as I suspected she would which is great for the Internet
Thursday's big announcement that Sabrina Johnson is the Paige Spiranac of the Gen Z pilot industry created quite a stir.
• Kevin W. writes:
As a retired airline pilot, I'm not quite sure what to make of the 22-year-old Instagram gal. I generally didn't care what my first officers were like as long as they could fly OK and didn't try to kill me. But, posing for pics in the cockpit? I don't know. Hope I don't sound like a grumpy old guy.
Really enjoy reading about your coaching saga and the improvement of your son's play. Good luck going forward. Also, congrats on your wallet adventure. Amazing.
One last thing. Could you have Mike T. confirm that Idaho is still conservative? I've just about had all I can take here in Washington state. Seriously considering a move to Idaho.
Thanks for Screencaps, it provides a little enjoyment every day.
Kinsey:
Mike T. reads this column from top to bottom. I guarantee he'll have a response for you. Hang tight.
• David in Illinois writes:
Is it just me, or was that a third nipple in the yellow bikini pictures (second Instagram insert from the bottom of the article; right above the sexy kitty pics)? Unless I missed it in the article, that went unmentioned, which seems darn near a crime. Maybe I can get a judge’s ruling on this one and she and her third nipple can make an encore appearance in Friday’s Morning Caps?
Kinsey:
Here we go with another investigation like when HILLLDEEEEE's bellybutton drama gripped this column for weeks.
• Dave in Rhode Island writes:
Just a quick note - saw your blog on pilot Sabrina Johnson today - seems legit!
But, she does have global competition...I present to you "Dutch Pilot Girl":
For those of us that are aviation enthusiasts, this young lady gives us the best of both worlds...awesome cockpit-view departures and (mostly) landing approaches from some of Europe's most beautiful Mediterranean locations, and she is VERY easy on the eyes as well!
Kinsey:
I told Dave that Sabrina still holds the title because she's active on Instagram. Yes, "Dutch Pilot Girl" is putting up huge YouTube numbers, but Sabrina is putting up HUGE TikTok and IG numbers. It's quite a battle, but I feel confident in the OutKick Culture Department's ranking decision.
'Show Me Your Patio' Series
Mike T. suggested it and the readers responded.
• Tom W. writes:
I have been meaning to send you a picture of an addition we made to our patio last September. You mentioned maybe two months ago you would be interested in suggestions for your patio. This swing is a great addition, and it is easy to spend a lot of time in it. The seats swing silently, there are extendable leg rests, and the seat backs recline. It is called Sunset Swing. Our nephew had purchased one two years ago at Wisconsin State Fair, and we decided to spend the money. We saved big money because he ordered a total of five at last year's fair.
The company delivered all of them to our nephew and then our nephew delivered ours to us (after we paid him!). You have a beautiful patio, but I don't know if the swing will fit!
Www.sunsetswings.com or maybe they display them at a fair near you.
• Kevin W. writes:
My wife and I built this deck, including the roof. Took all of one summer. Inside the "smoke shack" is my grill, flat top, pizza oven and smoker. Under the roof hangs my tv to watch the baseball games. Summer living!!!
Kinsey:
LOVE the smoke shack. Just feels like a place where guys could spend hours while the wives ramble on about the latest news they've seen on Facebook.
• Speaking of smoke, look what Aaron H. from Texas has going on. It looks like he could send you to the bottom of the Gulf in his propane tank smoker:
The topic of patio pictures struck a chord with me. We’d been talking about covering our patio for a while, but decided to bite the bullet last year for “Summer of the Patio.”
It was not originally supposed to be this big, but my father-in-law, who is a retired contractor, got involved and this is what we came up with. We nearly live out there this time of year. There’s nothing better than enjoying a cold one while smoking on my homemade pit with the college baseball postseason on the TV.
It was particularly nice during the month of May when we, very unusually, got quite a bit of rain here in the TX Panhandle. My wife calls it our oasis. I guess it’s fitting. Don’t mind the yard. I’m still trying to whip it back into shape after the build and our dogs beating the hell out of it during a very dry winter and early spring.
Kinsey:
Another Summer of the Patio satisfied customer.
• Gerard writes:
Tried getting a picture of the moon coming up last winter over our patio.
Your plants and flowers look great! Be super careful spraying those thistles! Straight 2 4D is the answer. Round-up will kill the grasses and 2 4D won't volatilize (move after you spray it) like Dicamba. Good luck.
AI bots and coal mine tours
• Brian L. in NE Pennsylvania writes:
Scott Allen is back (finally!). Took they/them an entire month to get back to me.
Not sure where this "relationship" is headed, to be honest.
Scranton, Pa.
I finally took the plunge into the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour a few years ago, after living here in NEPA for the better part of 30 years now. Changed my perspective on the folks (immigrants) who founded and built up this area.
As someone who stands 6'2", I could not have imagined heading down into that hole for 12 hours 6 days a week. My youngest son, who was seven at the time, was also there, and to think he would have been one of the "breaker boys" also working in and around the mines, really put in perspective the luxuries we get to enjoy today.
Kinsey:
Brian was reading this week when I wrote about going on underground tours I'd like to take back now that I'm much less into taking risks. I used to live near Brian and he knew I was talking about the Lackawanna Coal Mine tour.
He's right, if you want a whole new perspective for what built this country, go take that tour. Or if you have a son or daughter who needs an attitude adjustment, take them down on that tour and see if it changes their perspective on life.
Yes, they take you down in a tunnel car. I'm a one-and-done on that tour.
And that's it. I gotta run. It's Friday. The TNML reports need to be posted.
Let's go finish the week strong. It's raining here, so I have all day to jerk around on the Internet and then turn on a bunch of baseball tonight because now I'm a big baseball guy.
Go Reds!
Oh, and tomorrow morning I'm coaching in the 10U all-star game. This will be the fourth time I've been at the ballpark this week. It's all good.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com