Skip Caray

We lost a good one yesterday. I have lived most of my days in the south. My mom and dad loved the Braves and talked about the days when they got married. They still tell all the stories of how bad the team was and how cynical and honest Skip really was.

I remember going to my first game at Fulton County Stadium and listening to him call the game. I remember making tomahawks out of shoebox cardboard with Daniel watching those early playoff runs. I remember when Otis made the catch, when Sid slid, and when Grissom made the final out in the '95 World Series. Skip was there for all of them.

In middle school I had a little walkman that only had AM radio. It was enough for me. My bed time stories were told night after night by an older man who might have been the only fan bigger than me. Year after year about all those great teams that were mine. In 10th grade I went to game 6 of the NLCS and caught a baseball out there in right field where my season tickets are today and how proud I was of that. That game cost me everything I had. I think it was $50.

In college I spent more time with Skip than ever. I'd drive back and forth to see my girlfriend in Athens. I'd get there most Friday's after the game would be over. And again I'd leave every Sunday at 1:05 to catch him bringing me the first pitch knowing that if I drove the speed limit I'd catch 3 hours of the game going back to Birmingham.

On weekends in the summer I remember listening to the games we could get at the pool and everyone always wanted me to play music. I'd tell the patrons if they wanted music they could bring their own radio. I wasn't popular for that but my boss who was a huge Phillies fan always respected it. I remember listening to those games with Talia Judge by the pool in Vestavia Hills. The pool was open until 9:00 or until the final out was recorded. I never minded being being bored at the pool as long as you were on. Adult swim was never ever on the hour. It just happened to be whenever the inning ended. Even to this day. I don't pay for gas and I drive every night and listen to the Braves for about an hour.

I always enjoyed knowing where the fan was from who caught the foul ball. I always enjoyed knowing the only person on the Braves with more doubles than McCann was Skip. No hits, runs, no errors, 2 left. Braves are just getting massacred 14-1. Totals and highlights after this.

I can't imagine the game tonight without Skip. It'll be hard but I'll be there with Pete and Joe just like always. Few people can understand the bond. But you were there every night. You'd talk and we would listen. I have really only known a handful of people longer than you Skip. Words can't express how much I personally will miss you. Your calls made the soundtrack to some of the biggest highlights of my life. You brought to life a lot of the Braves worst days and some of my best. You're responsible for a lot of the love I have for my favorite team.

From the bottom of my heart... thank you Skip. You will be missed beyond words. We enjoyed you in our cars, apartments, swimming pools, and in our home.

You were family. It won't be the same without you.

B

Whats the right thing to do?

Most people know I work in construction. My guess is that most people think it is probably a little more blue colar work than it really is. Sure I come home dirty as anything at least once a week. But this week I found myself in a really interesting conversation with a superintendent about the costs of scrap steel going up with every passing day.

The S&P 500 says that your average yearly rate of return over a generation should be between 8-12%. I had a professor in college that said if you would put 10% of your money into this index every check while you are working you would have more money than you knew what to do with when it came time to retire. When construction jobs are bid your margin is usually at least 5% and sometimes as great as 8% if you can get away with it. 5% covers one mistake. 8% covers about 2.

I understand that those are yearly returns and they are not quite the same as operating costs. However, NUCOR Steel sent out an email that steel prices are going up 22% a ton over night. The dollar is weak. Residential Markets are at a screeching hault. Why is this happening? Well its easy... the wise asses in the north east have decided that if China and other markets over seas are willing to pay top dollar for our product. even if its gonna hurt everybody on the home front. I'm all for progress but it kinda goes against the working mans philosophy up there. I just want everyone to know that over the next few years when you build anything commercially your getting hammered and taken advantage of. This situation is very simalir to the unproven collusion of the oil companies and the American auto manufacturers during the late 90's. Gas was cheap because I suspect people in the automobile industry were suplimenting gas. And then when 9/11 happened and our markets became more volitale it soared through the roof and everyone wondered what happened.

The moral of this story is if you're gonna stick it to us now. We're gonna stick it to you later. And if your bottom dollar is all that you care about then that is fine. I understand. But when the cycle moves back around and the producer is at the consumers mercy and we can go elsewhere. We're going elsewhere. Because if you wanna sit and be a fat cat for a little while. I don't care who gets laid off or how poor the northeast is. You did this to yourself.

mirrors and windshields

I was listening to bits and pieces of Brett Favre's retirement speech today in between working in Atlanta and he said something that sparked a fire. He said as he was driving to the press conference at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconson his wife said something that he had never heard. She said life is like riding in a car. You can either look in the rear view mirror and see what you have passed or you can look through the front windshield and see whats coming.

Its interesting, you always need to take a look back and see what you have done. Mistakes you have made. Mountains you have climbed. Learning a better way to do things. But the majority of your time better be spent planning and seeing whats next. I think he and I both relesh victories and store them in a special place. But yesterday is over and done with. I liked the fact that Favre said he would always miss parts of playing football but that he looked forward to tomorrow and riding into the sunset a little bit. Taking a breath and enjoying whatever comes his way. There is a lot to be said for his attitude on his next phase of life. Personally, I think he's got it right.

Roger Clemens

So the "biggest cheater" of em all takes the stand in front of congress manana. I know everybody thinks they know whats coming on my thoughts about this but I think you might be wrong. I hope the rocket gets up on the stand tomorrow and lays em all down. I'm think you can ask any of my baseball loving friends and they'd tell you that I have never really been a big fan of the guy. He's done everything right to this point. Does a lot of charity work everywhere he has been. Talked like a badass and played like one. Everybody is kinda off his bandwagon now. Word on the street through the news today is that 3rd party depositions aren't favorable to the his case. So be it. I think Roger is guilty. But I would like to see him beat this for one reason.

I think this witch hunt is an incredible waste of my money. I think its an injustice to me as a tax payer and middle class worker that this would ever see the congressional floor.

I kinda sympathize in ways with him, in only the smallest of ways. We've all been in trouble for saying or doing something that was wrong. And though you won't admit it. The only reason you're sorry is that you got caught. Most of the time I know I am genuinely sorry but sometimes I'm not. But this case is incredible. The guy has his own press conference. Got in front of the country with Mike Wallace on 60 minutes and told us again about how he had never done anything wrong. I suspect tomorrow Clemens will tell congress, under oath that he never took any performance enhancing drugs. Blah Blah. One of my best friends played baseball at a big BCS school and got drafted and played a few seasons of ball in the pros. He said that the problem was really wide spread, and that this whole thing has turned into a goose chase

Tomorrow will be a day of bordem all over the media. It'll be old men in suits probably hearing a bunch of lies but maybe their will be some truth. Colin Cowherd says weekly. "Never lie to a man in a suit". He's right. They have power they have money. Avoid them in confrontations at all cost.

But I want to see him succeed for one reason. If you're not sorry and you think you can get away with it. Go for it buddy. Tell them whatever you want. Stick to your story, trust no one, and shove this one right back up Americas ass. Just don't get caught :)

Tumornators

What up Hommies,

Quick post about Rock4Research. Thanks to everybody that came out. We raised about $10,000 with the help of Jeff Francoeur. Special thanks to Wes Cook and Matt Moore for playing a wonderful night of music. I came away with an autograpahed Joe Namath Bama Jersey and some other goodies. Its fun to do charity work. I challenge everyone to find something they can be passionate about. Anyways here is link to pictures. We've got ideas flowing for Auburn, Athens, Nashville and Birmingham. Anybody that wants to make a corporate donation get in touch!

Our website is www.Tumornators.com

Here are pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/cjleathers/TumornatorsRock4Research

Rock4Research.com

My Tail

I think this last month has been the hardest month I have on record. Work has been hard. My personal life has been hard. A lot of that is bought on myself, but a lot of it is not. I have made some mistakes in the last month that I never really thought I would be guilty of. It's amazing what you can do and not think twice about that hurts somebody else. It brings on a lot of stress that leaves plenty to be desired.
I met a girl at Clemson a few weeks ago that had a tattoo on her foot that said "friendship, love, and loyalty." I thought about that a lot. I thought it sounded a whole lot like the things I desire for my life. And then I thought over time about how I had hurt a few people doing things I never thought I would be guilty of. It turns out some days I am nowhere near that code.
It was probably a few days after I saw the tattoo that I read something that my mom sent me. She sends me things to read all the time. Some are beyond annoying and some are very motherly and wonderful. It told a story about a couple who were trying to get this gecko (lizard for the mainlanders) out of their house. It went on for a little while and then they had finally trapped it they went to pick it up and its tail fell off. They couldn't figure out why that happened. So they researched what they had done to make sure they hadn't mortally wounded the animal. They found out that its tail falling off is a defense mechanism to protect it from predators. I always knew that since I'm blessed to be Hawai'ian. But the moral of the story was sometimes to free yourself to really live you need to get rid of your tail or whatever holds you down. Its been a long time coming since I have spent this much time in prayer and seeking what God has in store for my life. And although I hate the decisions I have made. I know I am very loved, and very forgiven. Tomorrow is coming and I am trying to get rid of my tail. Freedom is a wonderful thing. Its the blessing that comes from embracing where you are and looking towards the future. There are amazing plans for my life. And regardless of what I did yesterday or the day before. Tomorrow is a new day and Jesus love me :)

The Braves

I take a lot of heat because I like the Braves. I always have. I honestly remember sitting with my dad in Hawai'i watching them as a little kid. I'll never forget my first game. It was the last day of the season in 1990 and I was all of 7 with my brother. We had free tickets and went to Atlanta FC Stadium. Undeniably the greatest stadium in the world has ever seen.

I have lived too many places to really have any strong loyalty to a college football team. I love tailgating and fun but I dont really have the attachment to it like I do baseball and the Braves. They're the thing I always got in trouble for, as a little kid staying up to late. I remember when I was in high school and the nlcs tickets were $60 and my allowance for the month was $50. I didn't think twice about going and not doing anything else the rest of the month. My dad said he was so impressed he just gave me the extra 10 dollars to go. I love baseball. I love the Braves and I love TBS. We watched them in Hawaii at lunchtime everyday. I will miss hearing Skip Caray. It might be a little too old school but I'd rather listen to him on the radio. I used to do all my driving to and from college in unison with the Braves games. I am an old soul.

A lot of people dont know that MLB made TBS give up the rights to only covering Braves games. I think that is partly because major league baseball is going the way of everything else with corporate interest. Some years the Braves have done more with less better than anybody else. Some years we do less with more. I can't wait to make the playoffs sometime in the future to get that chill in the air one more time. I will miss it until next fall. But more than that I can't wait to teach my kids about the Braves. They can make plenty of choices. Who their favorite baseball team is. will never be up for debate