So, here it is, just a few days from the 11th month of the year and the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, and we’re all ready to start the Fall Classic. The weather in Kansas City will be in the low 50s, with a chance of rain. It's marginally better in NYC. Who knows, though, what it’ll be like 8 days from now, when the series wraps up. Maybe it’ll snow!
I mean, what says baseball more than mittens, parkas, ski masks, and thermal blankets, right? Seriously, though, I guess we should be thankful we’re not in Minnesota or Boston.
So, if that doesn’t sound crazy enough for you, how about the fact that baseball goes for over 7 months, from April to November. And if you add in spring training, that’s March through November – 8 months! Three-fourths of the year! Every season but winter!
Games? We all know there are 162 in the regular season. Add the postseason in, though, and that could be up to 181. Add in spring training, and we’re talking about maybe 215 games. I work fewer days that that!
A Modest Proposal
Geez, how did all this come about? I mean, wasn’t there a time when the season was only 154 games, and the postseason was only the World Series? That’s 161 tops, less than the whole regular season today.
So, how might we slim things down a little? Here are my humble suggestions …
Regular Season
How about if we just go back to that old schedule? Heck, it was good enough for Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, right? Should be good enough for Bryce Harper and Mike Trout.
It also might make it easier to compare regular-season records as well. I mean, look what happened the first year they instituted the 162-game schedule. Ever heard of this guy named Roger Maris?
It might also make it easier to compare career records too. How many homers would Babe Ruth hit if he had played in 162 games a year? How many would Barry Bonds have hit if he played in 154?
Suggestion: revert to 154-game season
Savings: 3 days (and that’s saving a bunch of games at the beginning of the season too – no more Rockies in the snow)
Play-In Game
Next, we gotta eliminate that stupid play-in game. I mean, that thing is just so unfair. This year, for example, the team with the 2nd best record in baseball (Pittsburgh) was out on the first day. I can’t wait ‘til the team with the worst record in the post-season wins it all. You know it’s going to happen.
Mind you, I have absolutely no beef with the wild card. I think it was a brilliant idea, allowing teams that might have the 2nd best record in the league a chance to compete when they might otherwise be left out.
And I also have no beef against the one-game playoff … when the two teams are tied at the end of the regular season, that is. There is after all a long – and dramatic history – of these things.
Further, what happens if the two wild-card teams just so happen to be tied at the end of the season? We’re then adding 2 more days. Sheesh!
Suggestion: eliminate the play-in game
Savings: 2 days
League Championship Series
Next, we could make the LCS 5 games, instead of 7. There is precedent for that as well. In fact, best-of-5 was the format between 1969, when playoffs were instituted, and 1984.
For some reason, the LCS went to best of 7 in 1985. That was okay, though, as there was only one playoff before the Series.
In 1995, though, the League Division Series was also added. So, that’s an extra 5 games, plus all the travel. And now we’re playing in November!
It also means we’re getting pretty inconsistent as well. I mean, why is the LDS 5 and the LCS 7? Further, why is the old LCS 5 and the new LCS 7?
Finally, I think 7-game series also take something away from the World Series itself. Why not reserve 7-game series just for it? Let’s keep the Series special and unique.
Suggestion: make the LCS a 5-game series
Savings: 2 days
In Sum
Overall savings: 7 days
What would the schedule look like? How’s this work for you:
- LDS: 10/1 - 10/7
- LCS: 10/9 - 10/15
- WS: 10/17 - 10/25
Hey, we’d be done by now! And much warmer to boot.
For eons, man has looked for answers to the great questions of life. What is its meaning? What is truth? How do you define beauty? How do I find inner peace? So, how come nobody just went to Google and searched on ‘em?
Yup, that’s what I did. I went to Google, and typed in those very words – “beauty,” “nirvana,” “inner peace,” “the meaning of life” ... Just to make things interesting, though, I did that on Google Images. Oh sure, there was lots of lame clip art and pretty obvious stock photography. But then there was this …
And just so you have some idea of where those strange images came from, I’m including some text I found explaining each one.
#15 Health
It's all Britney, bitch! Britney Spears sparked Photoshop rumors following her smokin' hot January/February 2015 Women's Health magazine cover and spread, but in a behind-the-scenes video posted by TMZ, it's clear the Queen of Pop really does look that good. (US Magazine)
#14 Goodness
I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and now my family loves these little No-Bake Balls of Goodness! For the original recipe from Smashed Peas and Carrots go to: No-Bake Energy Bites. I’ve adjusted the recipe a bit. I have omitted coconut…not a lover of the stuff, and added 1/2 cup Nutella. Also, I used regular chocolate chips instead of mini. (Cul de Sac Cool)
#13 Hope
Hope Dworaczyk
BIRTHPLACE: Port Lavaca, TX
MEASUREMENTS: 34C-23-35
HEIGHT: 5' 10"
WEIGHT: 126 lbs
AMBITIONS: Continue to host and produce in the fashion and entertainment fields.
TURN-ONS: Intelligence & confidence. Also the ability to make me laugh.
TURNOFFS: Narcissism, negativity and insecurity.
MY FIVE FAVORITE FUNNYMEN: Seth Rogan, Vince Vaughn, Chris Rock, Dane Cook and Will Ferrell.
SOMEONE I LOOK UP TO AND WHY: My nana for the wisdom she has shared and the inspiration she continues to be.
WHERE I AM LIKELY TO SETTLE DOWN: Los Angeles or New York. It's impossible to choose between the two!
IF I WEREN'T A MODEL, I WOULD: Work behind the lens as a photographer
(Playboy)
#12 Justice
This male model is the weekend man candy of your dreams. Ladies and gentlemen of the internet, please let me introduce you to Justice Joslin. (BuzzFeed)
#11 Nirvana
Some of the greatest album cover photos were not exactly products of careful planning.
Take the now-infamous image of a naked underwater baby floating across the cover of Nirvana's ground-breaking "Nevermind" -- arguably among the most eye-catching album covers ever produced. It was "a fluke," said photographer Kirk Weddle. (Huffington Post)
#10 Liberty
You'd probably think that a being over a hundred years old would wear a girl out, but not Lady Liberty. All those years and she's still looking as beautiful as ever and she's not showing any signs of stopping now. That's the sort of attitude every 4th of July celebration needs and you can bring that spirit to the party with this Womens Lady Liberty Costume. We're pretty sure if the forefathers were still around, seeing it would give them a nice and warm tingly "freedomy" feeling inside, or at least, that's how this costume makes us feel inside. (Halloween Costumes)
#9 Inner Peace
This fresh herbal tea, made from the finest Egyptian chamomile, French lavender and lemon grasses, brews to a beautiful golden yellow with an aromatic, apple-like character. Inner Peace is a soothing, delicious experience for both the mind and body; and conveniently packaged in our exclusive Boca Tea Pyramids. (Boca Java)
#8 Love
In celebration of her 49th birthday (on July 9th), here's a look at Courtney's fashion from back in the day -- we think she is fashion's original badass (sorry, Taylor Momsen). Between the tattered dresses, hot pants and bra-tops, these seven looks make it clear where punk style truly began. (Huffington Post)
#7 Romance
The End of Romance, Antônio Diogo da Silva Parreiras (20 January 1860, Niterói - 17 October 1937, Niterói) … Brazilian painter, designer and illustrator. (Wikipedia)
#6 God
Super Saiyan God (超サイヤ人ゴッド) is a Super Saiyan transformation that surpasses Super Saiyan 3. It appears in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and Dragon Ball Super, and it represents the other God in the Japanese title for the film: Dragon Ball Z: God and God (ドラゴンボールZ 神と神), as well as the reason for the plural "Gods" in the English title. (Dragonball Wikia)
#5 Beauty
Ewww, the picture of that little girl all dolled up in make up and pink dress just creeps me out. It’s not what the kid wants, it’s more to the fact that those parents want it that way. (Wordpress)
#4 Freedom
The Internet Defense League (IDL), a collection of organizations and individuals promoting Internet freedom across the world, wants to make its mid-July launch something special.
The plan? Collect $19,000 to fund at least five giant "catsignals" that will light up the night sky in cities around the world in a geeky nod toward Internet culture's love of cats and the simultaneous release of The Dark Knight Rises. (Mashable)
#3 Meaning of Life
Why are we here, what's it all about? The Monty Python-team is trying to sort out the most important question on Earth: what is the meaning of life? They do so by exploring the various stages of life, starting with birth. A doctor seems more interested in his equipment than in delivering the baby or caring for the mother, a Roman Catholic couple have quite a lot of children because 'every sperm is sacred'. In the growing and learning part of life, catholic schoolboys attend a rather strange church service and ditto sex education lesson. Onto war, where an officer's plan to attack is thwarted by his underlings wanting to celebrate his birthday and an officer's leg is bitten off by presumably an African tiger. At middle age a couple orders 'philosophy' at a restaurant, after which the film continues with live organ transplants. The autumn years are played in a restaurant, which, after being treated to the song 'Isn't It Awfully Nice to Have a Penis?' by an entertainer, sees the arrival. (IMDb)
#2 Wisdom
Wisdom is a Hungarian power metal band from Budapest. Formed in the fall of 2001, the group is known for its practice of basing each song on a well-known quotation. Many of the band's lyrics and all of the album covers center on the story of an old man, a cult figure called Wiseman. (Wikipedia)
#1 Truth
Ronnie Aaron "Ron" Killings (born January 19, 1972), better known by the ring name R-Truth, is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Since working for WWE, he has been a one-time United States Champion and one time WWE Tag Team Champion with Kofi Kingston under his ring name, R-Truth, and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik. As R-Truth, he headlined five WWE pay-per-view events from 2010 to 2011, three times in world title contention. He has also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as K-Krush and later as Ron "The Truth" Killings, where he became the first African-American to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, a title he held on two occasions, in addition to becoming a two time NWA World Tag Team Champion and a one-time TNA World Tag Team Champion. (Wikipedia)
