HASBRO KOOSH GALAXY ALIEN ARCHER Ball Launcher

this is my son in his print ad for Hasbro Koosh Galaxy Archer

Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

In honor of National Poetry Month - I have been reading my second favorite poem.
Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny's Letter to Parents

Message from Kevin Seitzer - Mike Matheny is the new St. Louis Cardinals Manager.  Mike lived with me in Milwaukee his rookie year.  He's one of the most respected, wonderful people you will ever be around.  Mike coached his kids after retirement and this is a letter to the parents on his team.  This may be the BEST letter I've ever read regarding youth baseball and is exactly what "The Mac-N-Seitz Way" is all about.  Please enjoy and help us get there!

Letter from Mike Matheny.....

I always said that the only team that I would coach would be a team of orphans, and now here we are. The reason for me saying this is that I have found the biggest problem with youth sports has been the parents. I think that it is best to nip this in the bud right off the bat. I think the concept that I am asking all of you to grab is that this experience is ALL about the boys. If there is anything about it that includes you, we need to make a change of plans. My main goals are as follows:

(1) to teach these young men how to play the game of baseball the right way,

(2) to be a positive impact on them as young men, and

(3) do all of this with class.

We may not win every game, but we will be the classiest coaches, players, and parents in every game we play. The boys are going to play with a respect for their teammates, opposition, and the umpires no matter what.

With that being said, I need to let you know where I stand. I have no hidden agenda. I have no ulterior motive other than what I said about my goals. I also need all of you to know that my priorities in life will most likely be a part of how I coach, and the expectations I have for the boys. My Christian faith is the guide for my life and I have never been one for forcing my faith down someone's throat, but I also believe it to be cowardly, and hypocritical to shy away from what I believe. You as parents need to know for yourselves and for your boys, that when the opportunity presents itself, I will be honest with what I believe. That may make some people uncomfortable, but I did that as a player, and I hope to continue it in any endeavor that I get into. I am just trying to get as many potential issues out in the open from the beginning. I believe that the biggest role of the parent is to be a silent source of encouragement. I think if you ask most boys what they would want their parents to do during the game; they would say "NOTHING". Once again, this is ALL about the boys. I believe that a little league parent feels that they must participate with loud cheering and "Come on, let's go, you can do it", which just adds more pressure to the kids. I will be putting plenty of pressure on these boys to play the game the right way with class, and respect, and they will put too much pressure on themselves and each other already. You as parents need to be the silent, constant, source of support.

Let the record stand right now that we will not have good umpiring. This is a fact, and the sooner we all understand that, the better off we will be. We will have balls that bounce in the dirt that will be called strikes, and we will have balls over our heads that will be called strikes. Likewise, the opposite will happen with the strike zone while we are pitching. The boys will not be allowed at any time to show any emotion against the umpire. They will not shake their head, or pout, or say anything to the umpire. This is my job, and I will do it well. I once got paid to handle those guys, and I will let them know when they need to hear something. I am really doing all of you parents a favor that you probably don't realize at this point. I have taken out any work at all for you except to get them there on time, and enjoy. The thing that these boys need to hear is that you enjoyed watching them and you hope that they had fun. I know that it is going to be very hard not to coach from the stands and yell encouraging things to your son, but I am confident that this works in a negative way for their development and their enjoyment. Trust me on this. I am not saying that you cannot clap for your kids when they do well. I am saying that if you hand your child over to me to coach them, then let me do that job.

A large part of how your child improves is your responsibility. The difference for kids at this level is the amount of repetition that they get. This goes with pitching, hitting and fielding. As a parent, you can help out tremendously by playing catch, throwing batting practice, hitting ground balls, or finding an instructor who will do this in your place. The more of this your kids can get, the better. This is the one constant that I have found with players that reached the major leagues....someone spent time with them away from the field.

I am completely fine with your son getting lessons from whomever you see fit. The only problem I will have is if your instructor is telling your son not to follow the plan of the team. I will not teach a great deal of mechanics at the beginning, but I will teach mental approach, and expect the boys to comply. If I see something that your son is doing mechanically that is drastically wrong, I will talk with the instructor and clear things up. The same will hold true with pitching coaches. We will have a pitching philosophy and will teach the pitchers and catchers how to call a game, and why we choose the pitches we choose. There is no guessing. We will have a reason for the pitches that we throw. A pitching coach will be helpful for the boys to get their arms in shape and be ready to throw when spring arrives. Every boy on this team will be worked as a pitcher. We will not over use these young arms and will keep close watch on the number of innings that the boys are throwing.

I will be throwing so much info at these boys that they are going to suffer from overload for a while, but eventually they are going to get it. I am a stickler about the thought process of the game. I will be talking non-stop about situational hitting, situational pitching, and defensive preparation. The question that they are going to hear the most is "What were you thinking?" What were you thinking when you threw that pitch? What were you thinking during that at bat? What were you thinking before the pitch was thrown, were you anticipating anything? I am a firm believer that this game is more mental than physical, and the mental may be more difficult, but can be taught and can be learned by a 10 and 11 year old. If it sounds like I am going to be demanding of these boys, you are exactly right. I am definitely demanding their attention, and the other thing that I am going to require is effort. Their attitude, their concentration, and their effort are the things that they can control. If they give me these things every time they show up, they will have a great experience.

The best situation for all of us is for you to plan on handing these kids over to me and the assistant coaches when you drop them off, and plan on them being mine for the 2 or so hours that we have scheduled for a game, or the time that we have scheduled for the practice. I would like for these boys to have some responsibility for having their own water, not needing you to keep running to the concession stand, or having parents behind the dugout asking their son if they are thirsty, or hungry, or too hot, and I would appreciate if you would share this information with other invited guests...like grandparents. If there is an injury, obviously we will get you to help, but besides that, let's pretend that they are at work for a short amount of time and that you have been granted the pleasure of watching. I will have them at games early so we can get stretched and loosened up, and I will have a meeting with just the boys after the game. After the meeting, they are all yours again. As I am writing this, I sound like the little league Nazi, but I believe that this will make things easier for everyone involved.

I truly believe that the family is the most important institution in the lives of these guys. With that being said, l think that the family events are much more important than the sports events. I just ask that you are considerate of the rest of the team and let the team manager, and myself know when you will miss, and to let us know as soon as possible. I know that there will be times when I am going to miss either for family reasons, for other commitments. If your son misses a game or a practice, it is not the end of the world, but there may be some sort of repercussion, just out of respect for the kids that put the effort into making it. The kind of repercussions could possibly be running, altered playing time, or position in the batting order.

Speaking of batting order, I would like to address that right from the top as well seeing that next to playing time this is the second most complained about issue, or actually tied for second with position on the defensive field. Once again, I need you to know that I am trying to develop each boy individually, and I will give them a chance to learn and play any position that they are interested in. I also believe that this team will be competitive and when we get into situations where we are focusing on winning; like a tournament for example; we are going to put the boys in the position that will give the team the best opportunity. I will talk with the boys individually and have them tell me what their favorite position is and what other position they would like to learn about. As this season progresses, there is a chance that your son may be playing a position that they don't necessarily like, but I will need your support about their role on the team. I know that times have changed, but one of the greatest lessons that my father taught me was that my coach was always right...even when he was wrong. The principle is a great life lesson about how things really work. I hope that I will have enough humility to come to your son if I treated him wrong and apologize. Our culture has lost this respect for authority mostly because the kids hear the parents constantly complaining about the teachers and coaches of the child.

I need all of you to know that we are most likely going to lose many games this year. The main reason is that we need to find out how we measure up with the local talent pool. The only way to do this is to play against some of the best teams. I am convinced that if the boys put their work in at home, and give me their best effort, that we will be able to play with just about any team. Time will tell. l also believe that there is enough local talent that we will not have to do a large amount of travel, if any. This may be disappointing for those of you who only play baseball and look forward to the out of town experiences, but I also know that this is a relief for the parents that have traveled throughout the US and Canada for hockey and soccer looking for better competition. In my experiences, we have traveled all over the Midwest and have found just as good competition right in our back yard. If this season goes well, we will entertain the idea of travel in the future.

The boys will be required to show up ready to play every time they come to the field. Shirts tucked in, hats on straight, and pants not drooping down to their knees. There is not an excuse for lack of hustle on a baseball field. From the first step outside the dugout they will hustle. They will have a fast jog to their position, to the plate, and back to the bench when they make an out. We will run out every hit harder than any team we will play, and will learn how to always back up a play to help our teammates. Every single play, every player will be required to move to a spot. Players that do not hustle and run out balls will not play. The boys will catch on to this quickly. The game of baseball becomes very boring when players are not thinking about the next play and what they possibly could do to help the team. Players on the bench will not be messing around. I will constantly be talking with them about situations and what they would be doing if they were in a specific position, or if they were the batter. There is as much to learn on the bench as there is on the field if the boys want to learn. All of this will take some time for the boys to conform to. They are boys and I am not trying to take away from that, but I do believe that they can bear down and concentrate hard for just a little while during the games and practices.

I know this works because this was how I was taught the game and how our parents acted in the stands. We started our little league team when I was 10 years old in a little suburb of Columbus, Ohio. We had a very disciplined coach that expected the same from us. We committed 8 summers to this man and we were rewarded for our efforts. I went to Michigan, one went to Duke, one to Miami of Florida, two went to North Carolina, one went to Central Florida, one went to Kent State, and most of the others played smaller division one or division two baseball. Four of us went on to play professionally. This was coming from a town where no one had ever been recruited by any colleges. I am not saying that this is what is going to happen to our boys, but what I do want you to see is that this system works. I know that right now you are asking yourself if this is what you want to get yourself into and I understand that for some of you it may not be the right fit. I also think that there is a great opportunity for these boys to grow together and learn some lessons that will go beyond their baseball experience. Let me know as soon as possible whether or not this is a commitment that you and your son want to make.

Thanks,

Mike Matheny

For Roxbury Latin Alumni not on Facebook

Recently I posted a picture from the 1988 RLS Football season.
Please enjoy the commentary that this picture generated.

Dave Morgan: What formation was that?
> March 16 at 10:45am · 
> Brian Donovan Not sure what formation. But pretty clearly any time
> you have 3 running backs, the quarterback can't throw.
> March 16 at 11:32am · 
> Tom Leveroni I realize i am a career back-up, but from that angle it
> looks like a Veer A0 319 reach option is coming right at those gus
> (Brooks?), much to the delight of the sold out stadium
> March 16 at 12:57pm · 
> Ryan McDonough My guess is it's an option left. I was the dive back
> on the left. Then lead blocker for QB and pitch back. Mitch and Popes?
> March 16 at 1:06pm · 
> Rick Canale definitely Popes #24 - not sure on #22 ?
> March 16 at 1:09pm · 
> John W. Meany I could be giving away a TUB block with that stance
> March 16 at 1:19pm · Like
> Brian Adams I think its an AO, I can tell that I'm cheating in my
> stance to the left. think that may be BB&N on the other side
> March 16 at 1:34pm · 
> Ted O'Connor I was trying to figure out if I was on that team but
> then saw the score RL 6-0 and it couldn't have been the team I was
> the kicker on......we didn't kick too many field goals back then.
> March 16 at 1:44pm · 
> Rick Canale that team was so good, we really did not need a kicker.
> March 16 at 1:53pm · 
> 
> Joe Zee · Friends with Ryan McDonough and 3 others
> I was in the tall tree to the left stealing signals
> March 16 at 2:11pm · Like · 1
> Tom Leveroni Ted -- are you ruling out the possibility of a botched
> PAT?
> March 16 at 3:18pm · 
> Jim Hamilton Closest game of the year. Jack right?
> March 16 at 3:22pm ·
> Jim Hamilton Berkery #22?
> March 16 at 3:23pm · 
> John W. Meany I was going to guess Meagher...I got no tick when
> Berkery was there
> March 16 at 3:25pm · 
> 
> Tyler Leshney · Friends with John Connolly and 1 other
> Were you running the Multi-flex?
> March 16 at 3:54pm · 
> Ted O'Connor Tom Leveroni....I might have missed the goal on the
> hockey rink but it was smooth sailing thru the uprights !!!! Jim
> Hamilton.....Berkery was in my class so he was gone in this picture.
> March 16 at 4:19pm · Like · 1
> Frank Guerra Wow one little picture sure has generated a lot of
> activity. Yes this was the multi-flex and the formation is Solid
> Right (straight T with two tight ends). I think this team was the
> most talented that I coached in my 21 years at RL.
> March 16 at 5:09pm · 
> Ryan McDonough ?'88!!! Thanks, Coach. And I think Chris Mitchell was
> 22. Not positive.
> March 16 at 5:17pm · 
> Jim Hamilton If it's 88 is it BBN? I was think fall 87.
> March 16 at 5:37pm · 
> Rick Canale Thanks coach. You just made some old guys proud. .
> Ry, I have Mitchell #43. Maybe Nicholson?
> March 16 at 5:38pm · 
> Ryan McDonough I was 43. Maybe Nicholson was 22 though.
> March 16 at 6:54pm · 
> Ted O'Connor Just hearing Coach Guerra chime in brings back chills
> and great memories. Coach had something good going for a lot of years
> at RL. We were fotunate with him as lead and Dave Morgan was pretty
> good too.
> Saturday at 7:45am · 
> John Kyle Grady Definitely '88. Kenny Burke (#20) is at right tight
> end, and John Powell (#48) is at left tight end.
> Saturday at 9:17am · 
> Ted O'Connor And don't forget my Boss, John Connor, at center....who
> admittedly will never join facebook.
> Saturday at 9:27am · 
> John Kyle Grady Yes! I believe Connor was #59, and I think I see a 5
> on his jersey.
> Saturday at 9:29am · 
> John Kyle Grady Or more likely that's the 9 we see. Frank, we should
> get your friend the professor at Brandeis that teaches the course
> about the JFK assassination to analyze this photo. He could probably
> figure out what the snap count was.
> Saturday at 9:32am · 
> Matthew J. Adams Brian, hey if that's bb&n 88, the only AO you were
> pulling was to fetch more water bottles....I think that is me in RL
> jacket in the foreground, just can barely make out the stripes in my
> head.....youth...
> Saturday at 10:12am · Like · 1
> Ryan McDonough Def '88 as the jacket is from the '87 undefeated
> season. The first of 2 consecutive undefeated seasons, I might add.
> This could be Brooks. I think we played BB&N on the road in '88. But
> all the leaves are gone, and Brooks was the first game of the season.
> St. Marks?
> Saturday at 12:02pm · 
> John Kyle Grady I have to refute my Irish brother's story. I know we
> played BB & N at their place my senior year, because I specifically
> remember Davo kicking off, then running down the field and absolutely
> laying out the 5'5" return man, sending him flying back 10 feet into
> a pile of snow. The game was played on a Sunday because there was a
> big snow storm on Saturday.
> Saturday at 12:28pm · Like
> Ryan McDonough I believe you are correct, Grade-A. We played Nobles
> and BB&N at home to end the '88 season and away to end the '87 season.
> Saturday at 12:42pm · Like
> Rick Canale Ok. lookingat other pics and I am thinking this was
> Nobles. other pics show Mitch as #47, Nicholson #25 and Broggi #32.
> so this back must have been Broggi, Dave Meagher would have been
> taller.
> Saturday at 12:46pm · Like
> Ryan McDonough Excellent detective work. I remember Nobles was a
> close game till the 4th quarter.
> Saturday at 12:49pm · Like
> John Kyle Grady Brooks was at home my senior year ('89) because I
> remember we tied 8-8. This was the famous "you got your water?" game.
> Saturday at 12:56pm · Like
> Ryan McDonough I stand corrected about Brooks. We definitely played
> them on the road in '88 to start the season. That kid Rourke was
> there for a 5th year. He killed me in wrestling that winter. I think
> we beat Brooks 7-6 or 7-0. I know it was close. Then we rolled.
> Saturday at 1:01pm · Like
> John W. Meany Were the Brother's McAdams required to go to the
> penalty box for a game after the O'Hanley incident?
> Saturday at 8:55pm · Like
> John Kyle Grady Exactly, Means. Nobles was the opponent against whom
> the Brothers Adams took an early departure due to the Ross O'Hanley
> encounter, which I believe happened on the opening kickoff. But Bri,
> are you in the game at right guard?
> Sunday at 2:06am · Like
> John Kyle Grady I think 22 is Dave Meagher.

Raychelle Writes: The Writer's Block Interviews: Suzie Canale

Raychelle Writes: The Writer's Block Interviews: Suzie Canale: 1) Describe your journey to becoming an author. My journey towards becoming an author began from the memories captured during my chil...

Movie Review for The Ides of March

Clooney, Gosling, Tomei, Giamatti and Hoffman. If I were the casting director, this is my dream team. I had to watch this. Throw in Presidential primaries and I am salivating.
The movie was solid. Enjoyable, a little rushed.
Worth watching yes, Worth paying for, maybe not.

Moneyball - Worth Seeing ??

Okay, you know I am a huge baseball fan. I read at least one baseball book a month and consume all baseball media. I have Not read Moneyball. As a matter of fact, I never will. I have no desire. I know the story. Yes I believe in some facets of the approach too.

The only item to draw me to the movie was Jonah Hill. So I rented it the other night. The first half is great and worth seeing. The second half dragged on. But I did come away with a respect for Billy Beane. He had the guts to turn the establishment upside down.

Good for you Billy Beane. I think you would have made the Nomar trade too if you had been here.

The 2011 New England Book Festival Awards

While  everyone was watching the Patriots dismantle the Broncos on Saturday January 14th, 2011 I was attending a first in my lifetime event. The Omni Parker House in Boston hosted the 2011 New England Book Festival Awards. It was there that my wife Suzie received an Honorable Mention award for Children's Book of the Year.
Suzie's The Land of Chocolate Cosmos is the first installment of the "Green Series" which focuses on the environmental issue of preserving our natural resources.  The topic is introduced through a blithe occurring throughout the land caused by the townspeople wasting their chocolate cosmos.  As the flower begins to become endangered, the magic of the petals disappears leaving the town without their beloved chocolate.  With the help of Coco(a character inspired by Suzie's first son), the community learns how to preserve their cherished flower and begin their very first "Green Policy" initiative.

Available from her company The Beantown Tales Her children's book are a mainstay in any childhood library.

Good Obama Story -- I couldn't resist

Obama goes to a primary school to talk to the kids. After his talk he offers question time.
One little boy puts up his hand, and Obama asks him his name.

"Walter," responds the little boy.

"And what is your question, Walter?"

"I have four questions:

First, Why did the USA Bomb Libya without the support of the Congress?

Second, Why do you keep saying you fixed the economy when it's actually gotten worse?

Third, Why did you say that Jeremiah Wright was your mentor, then said that you knew nothing about his preaching and beliefs?

Fourth, Why are we lending $ to Brazil to drill for oil, but America is not allowed to drill for oil?"

Just then, the bell rings for recess. Obama informs the kiddies that they will continue after recess.

When they resume Obama says, "OK, where were we? Oh, that's right:
question time.. Who has a question?"

Another little boy puts up his hand. Obama points him out and asks him his name.

"Steve," he responds.

"And what is your question, Steve?"

Actually, I have two questions.

First, Why did the recess bell ring 20 minutes early?

Second, What the f*#k happened to Walter?"

Start Your Own Traditions

I am always preaching about starting your own traditions. Create memories that last a lifetime. If you know me, you know family is always first. This year we ushered in the new year with our own Canale family tradition.

My two boys, Suzie and myself jumped into the car and headed to the beach. We wrote our New Year resolutions down and put them out to see. We have given a new meaning to a message in a bottle.

My nieces and nephews already asked to be a part of this special tradition next year. This new year's was our best one ever as a family. Suzie even said in 2013 we have to do it even if it a snowstorm.

Exotic Flowers Delivers Yellow Roses in Boston Testimonial

Great. She really liked them. Thanx


Duane G.
Raynham MA

Exotic Flowers Delivers Funeral Flowers in Dorchester Testimonial

Thank you for your selection everyone was very pleased

 

pastor Shelley

Hyde Park, MA