Leaving for Pittsburgh Later Today for the SABR Annual Meeting

I have been a member of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) for about 4 years.  Recently, I have been involved in the Games Project.  I went to the national meeting in NYC last year and really enjoyed attending the sessions.  I really need to get away from home for a few days and decided to attend this year's meeting in Pittsburgh.  I have been in touch with many people in the organization through email since I have been a member.  I will have an opportunity to speak to them face to face while I am in Pittsburgh.  My flight leaves from Laguardia at 1:40 PM.

Strawberry Fields Forever - Beatles Song of the Day

One of my favorite Beatle songs.

Visited the American Folk Art Museum and Lincoln Center

Today we visited the American Folk Art Museum on Columbus Avenue between 65th and 66th Street.  It was a small museum that did not have an admission charge, but we gave them a small donation.  This museum is devoted to the creative expressions of self-taught artists of diverse backgrounds.

The current exhibition was titled Charting the Divine Plan: The Art of Orra White Hitchcock (1796–1863).  She was an illustrator was western Massachusetts whose husband was a biologist at Amherst College.

From there we walked around the Lincoln Center area and stopped by the Metropolitan Opera shop and the Performing Arts Library of NYPL.

This Woman Inspired of 3 Hit Songs by 2 Rock Icons

I just completed this autobiography of Pattie Boyd published in 2007.  I actually saw her at the Beatles Fest in 2014.  She candidly detailed her relationships with two rock icon whom she married.  She first met George Harrison on the set of A Hard Days Night and married him a few years later.  Pattie divorced George since he was a womanizer and eventually married Eric Clapton.  She inspired these 3 hits.

James Brown Covers George Harrison's Something

I very rarely read about singer-songwriters commenting about other artists covering their songs.  Right now I am reading:  Boyd, Pattie, and Penny Junor. 2008. Wonderful tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and me. New York: Three Rivers Press.  Pattie commented that there are over 150 covers of Something, but George thought that the James Brown version was the best.

The Mets Salvage One Game of the Subway Series by Beating the Yankees 2-0

I attended game 1 in person but watched games 2 and 3 on TV.  Todd Frazier's 2-run homer coupled with excellent pitching was able to beat the Yankees 2-0 last night.  It was the only time this season that the Bronx Bombers were shut out.  This victory gives the Mets a small psychological boost, but what will happen during the rest of the season?  Can they return to respectability after playing so poorly so far?  They have been affected by several injuries and the hitting has just been poor.

There are some suggestions that the Mets should trade deGrom and/or Syndergaard for some hitting prospects.  I wouldn't do that since minor league players often don't work out once they are promoted to the major leagues.  They just made some roster moves by releasing Adrian Gonzalez and Jose Lobaton and promoting Dominc Smith and Ty Kelly.  I really think that Jose Reyes should be let go as he has performed very poorly this season.  Last night he made 2 errors on one play.

Time will tell.

Yankees 4 Mets 1 in Game 1 of the Subway Series

The Yankees are moving up while the Mets are going down.  This was obviously played out in last night's Subway Series game. Jacob deGrom started for the Mets and pitched very well until Brett Gardner hit a two-run homer in the 8th inning.  Since the Mets are just not hitting that was enough.  The only highlight for the "Amazins" was a home run hit by Brandon Nimmo in the first inning.  If they can't win with their top pitcher, when will they win again as they have now lost 7 in a row?  Yoenes Cespedes is not the answer.

Game Recap