Saturday
In my remarks yesterday, I forgot to thank my friend Justin for, you know, giving me a place to stay in LA. Curtis mentioned the shuttle, and I should write that I was able to hear the sonic boom on the morning it landed. Of course, I was neither smart enough nor awake enough to draw that conclusion. I thought it was the world's biggest firecracker.
The vacation did make me wonder who I'd hit up next year for my vacation. Phil, if you're reading, make no plans.
One other thing about the trip. I rode on the bridge in San Diego where Baxter got punted. Let's see who gets the reference.

Tribe and Error
Sorry, but if a team commits five errors, then grounds into four inning-ending double plays, it officially brings a loss upon itself. In a year of mind-numbing offensive slumps, wasted starting pitching and Eric Wedge's brown meadow under his nose, it would take a lot to call a game the worst of the season. But this had to be it.
And no Matt Underwood, I don't buy that the Indians were "tired." Underwood also made some strange remark about the Indians offense being on fire since the all-star break. Huh? Does he even remember the series against the White Sox? Probably not.

Gene Mauch
No one mentioned it here, and in the wake of Peter Jennings, it was easy to see why. Still, a great baseball manager was lost last week when Gene Mauch died. He was 79.
For all the words written about Bill Buckner, it's hard to imagine a a baseball figure with worse luck than Mauch. If Ernie Banks is the best player never to reach the World Series, Mauch has to be considered the best manager never to get there.
It's 1964 and the Phillies have a six game lead in the National League with 12 games to go.
It's 1982 and the Angels have a 2-0 NLCS lead on the Brewers.
And of course, it's 1986 when the Angels are one out away from a World Series appearance, only to meet up with Dave Henderson.
Gene Mauch managed all of these clubs, and they all met a bad ending.
He managed four teams and won a combined 1,902 games. His winning percentage was .483, but that's mainly because he was the first manager for Montreal, and unlike today, expansion teams were almost certain failures in their early years.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Mauch.