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Blog #47 On May 2, 1939, Lou Gehrig pulled himself from the Yankees line up. After 2130 consecutive games, Gehrig approached Yankees manager, Joe McCarthy. and told him that he would sit that day’s ballgame. It happened in Detroit, at the Book-Cadillac Hotel which has recently been restored to it’s mid-20th century glory. Gehrig pulled himself because he felt he wasn’t playing up to the standard he expected of himself. I love the movie, ‘Pride of the Yankees’, where Carey Grant plays Gehrig, who is portrayed as a humble, self effacing gentleman. As my Dad would say, “He was a class act.” Gehrig’s consecutive games streak stood for almost 60 years, before Cal Ripken broke the streak on September 20, 1998. I remember watching that night when Ripken broke the record. It was very emotional as he lapped the stadium shaking hands of the Orioles fans on hand to witness the historic occasion. Ripken’s record will not be broken in my lifetime. I am convinced of that. I’ll make that bet against any one reading this, that Ripken’s record will stand for a long, long, long time. Obviously I never got to see Gehrig play but I can tell my grandkids about Cal Ripken. And I can tell them about Pete Rose and his 4,256 hits and how I loved “Charlie Hustle’ and for all his faults, I feel he should be in the Hall of Fame. But I digress. Like Gehrig, it’s time for me to call for end to my streak. My blog will end at 50 straight days. In Michigan the Coronavirus is regressing and things are starting to open up. I hope to be back at work in the next couple weeks. This blog has been fun and a nice diversion for me. And I appreciate your word kind words and patience with me “spamming” your ‘Inbox’ everyday. But today is only Blog #47, so I still have a few more days to go. And today we had a milestone event with an online college graduation ceremony for Lyda. Congrats to Lyda for earning her BA from Albion College! While Lyda sat in her cap and gown, Meegan, Josie and I joined her at the kitchen table and watched the commencement ceremony online. We ate toasted ravioli. Lyda commented on the different graduates that she knows as they were announced. Then our annual Derby Party co-hosts, the DeMovellans, came over. We sat in the backyards (6 feet apart) and drank champagne and toasted Lyda. As it’s the first Saturday in May, we toasted in honor of the Kentucky Derby. The weather was perfect. We mused about a Derby Party in September and we can keep the Derby Party streak going. September is a great time in Michigan to host a party. And does’t everybody love to keep a streak going?
Quote of the Day: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.” — Mark Twain
Today’s Playlist from The Graduate:
1) The Sound of Silence
2) Mrs. Robinson
3) Scarborough Fair
4) April Comes She Will
Books to Read:
1) Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
Binge Watchable:
1) The Graduate
Yesterday’s Trivia Question: Cornelius McGillicuddy is known by his nickname and is one of the greatest sports figures of all time. What was his nickname? ANSWER: Connie Mack
Today’s Trivia Question: What is Albion College’s nickname?
