How to save Thursday Night Football

Watching an entire game of Thursday Night Football isn’t easy. Overwhelmingly, it’s one of the sloppiest games of the week. It’s understandable too. It’s a brutal schedule that the NFL shouldn’t subject its players, especially the visiting teams:

Sunday: play a game (and maybe fly home)

Monday: go over the last game film, heal/rest

Tuesday: put in a game plan, prepare for new opponent

Wednesday: travel and probably a light walk-through

Thursday: play another game

It’s no wonder energy levels are so low, mistakes are common, late comebacks are rare, the visiting team rarely wins, and the injury risk is so high.

Here’s two quick steps to save Thursday Night Football:

1. Add a second bye week to every team’s schedule.

2. Mandate that both teams get a bye before the Thursday night showcase.

Miracle Men excerpt: Game 7, 1988 NLCS -- Mets at Dodgers

This is an excerpt from my recent book: "Miracle Men: Hershiser, Gibson & the Improbable 1988 Dodgers." You can order a copy here, here, or at most major bookstores.

Wednesday, October 12, 1988

Los Angeles

Mets vs. Dodgers

NLCS Game 7

There was never a doubt that Orel Hershiser would start Game 7 for the Dodgers. 

There was plenty of doubt—and questions remain 25 years later—about Ron Darling starting Game 7 for the Mets. Many question why Doc Gooden didn’t start the game. Many believe the Mets thought they could win with Darling, and they were saving Gooden for Game 1 of the World Series.

Photo courtesy of LA Daily News

But really, Darling was the Mets’ only option because of the rainout. The rainout meant two off-days between Games 2 and 3 and no off-day between Games 5 and 6. Gooden started Game 1, then Game 4 on four days rest. With the travel day wiped out, Gooden would be starting Game 7 on two days rest. That just wasn’t realistic. Gooden was available in relief, but he wouldn’t start.

David Cone started Games 2 and 6 (on four days rest). Sid Fernandez started Game 5. That left Ron Darling, who started Game 3, to start Game 7 on three days rest.

How much did Hershiser have left in his arm? To review: he threw 100 pitches in 81/3 innings in Game 1, 109 pitches in 7 innings in freezing cold weather on three days rest in Game 3, three pitches to one batter on zero days of rest in Game 4, warmed up in the bullpen in Game 5, and was now starting Game 7. It was three starts and four appearances in nine days.

“There’s no telling what kind of condition The Bionic Man will be in,” Mets manager Davey Johnson said in pregame. “I was amazed he was throwing [in the bullpen in Game 5]. He’s going to have to be Superman. I don’t expect him to have much stuff.”

When told of Johnson’s comments, Hershiser replied, “Tell him to grab a bat.”

It wasn’t the last time Hershiser would tell somebody to grab a bat in October.

Miracle Men excerpt: Game 6, 1988 NLCS -- Mets at Dodgers

This is an excerpt from my recent book: "Miracle Men: Hershiser, Gibson & the Improbable 1988 Dodgers." You can order a copy here, here, or at most major bookstores.

Tuesday, October 11, 1988

Los Angeles

Mets vs. Dodgers

NLCS Game 6

David Cone was starting for the Mets. It seemed like an eternity since his newspaper career ended. He was glad the focus was just on baseball once again, called Game 6 the biggest start of his life, and was more worried about a suddenly potent Dodgers lineup than the bench jockeying he endured in Game 2. Davey Johnson gave him the option of traveling to Los Angeles ahead of the team to get more rest. Cone declined because he wanted to be with his teammates.

Tim Leary was starting for the Dodgers. An ineffective September pushed him to the bullpen at the start of the series. Leary understood. His arm was fatigued. He’d thrown a full Winter League season and then 228 2/3 innings in the regular season. His brief relief appearance in Game 4 didn’t go well. He was facing the team that originally drafted him. Ron Darling was his former roommate, and Wally Backman was his minor league teammate.

Orel Hershiser was not starting or relieving for the Dodgers. Hershiser started Game 1, started Game 3, pitched in relief in Game 4, and warmed up in Game 5. Hershiser volunteered to pitch Game 6 in relief. 

Lasorda said, “No chance.” Hershiser was being saved for Game 7. “He’s crazy, just crazy,” Lasorda said. “No way he pitches. I’ll tell Jamie [his wife] not to let him out of the house.”

If it’s possible for a game’s tone to get set by the National Anthem, this was it. Saxophonist Kenny G played an over-styled National Anthem that clocked at more than two minutes—the over-under for Super Bowl National Anthems is usually 1:34—and at times didn’t sound like the National Anthem.

Saxophone critic Steve Sax declared, “It was the worst I’ve ever heard, the absolute worst. It was terrible, fucking terrible.”

Mike Marshall agreed, “It was a disgrace to America.”

Miracle Men excerpt: Game 5, 1988 NLCS -- Dodgers at Mets

This is an excerpt from my recent book: "Miracle Men: Hershiser, Gibson & the Improbable 1988 Dodgers." You can order a copy here, here, or at most major bookstores.

Monday, October 10, 1988

New York

Dodgers vs. Mets

NLCS Game 5

Jay Howell watched Game 4 from his hotel room with his wife, Alison. Crank callers found out his hotel room and called to heckle him, pour more salt in the wounds. Normally, they’d have taken the phone off the hook. But they were awaiting another phone call.

Late that night, the call arrived. Alison’s father, Otto Quale, died of cancer. Otto knew he was going to die. He never let his daughter and son-in-law know how bad his condition was. He loved Jay Howell like his own son and lived vicariously through his major league career. In his will, Otto arranged for his own memorial service to take place in November, just in case the Dodgers were in the World Series. Otto didn’t want his funeral affecting Howell or the team.

Jay and Alison Howell never got the chance to say goodbye to Otto Quale. The only people who knew about his death were Tommy Lasorda and Fred Claire. Howell’s name was all over the newspapers. He wanted to appeal his decision and wanted to explain his motivation to National League president Bart Giamatti. He didn’t want people to think it was sandpaper, that he was a cheater for life. An informal hearing expedited the process. Giamatti cut a game off the suspension, making Howell eligible to pitch in Game 6.

Giamatti told Howell, “You’ll be in the headlines for a couple more weeks, and somebody else is going to take over in a big way, let me tell you. You’re not going to make headlines for long, I can assure you.”

Miracle Men excerpt: Game 4, 1988 NLCS -- Dodgers at Mets

This is an excerpt from my recent book: "Miracle Men: Hershiser, Gibson & the Improbable 1988 Dodgers." You can order a copy here, here, or at most major bookstores.

Sunday, October 9, 1988

New York

Dodgers vs. Mets

NLCS Game 4

This was why the Dodgers acquired John Tudor. This was why they traded Pedro Guerrero. They acquired John Tudor to face the big, bad New York Mets—who were more vulnerable against lefties—in playoff games like this.

In the regular season, Tudor did what he was supposed to do. In nine starts, he posted a 2.41 ERA down the stretch. He went 4–3, and the team went 6–3. Tudor didn’t join his new teammates in the champagne celebration that night in San Diego. He’d only been there a little over a month. He thought it was their celebration, not his, because they were going to win the division no matter what he did.

The playoffs were different. Tudor knew that’s why he was acquired—to take the place of Fernando Valenzuela in the rotation. If he did his job and there was another celebration, Tudor would partake.

Tudor was starting Game 4 on eight days of rest. His last outing was September 30, and he lasted 11/3 innings until the spasms in his hip ended his night. The start before that, he pitched just four innings. He had no idea how his arm and hip would respond until he was out there.

But now the Dodgers needed Tudor more than ever. On their 24-man playoff roster, they carried nine pitchers. Jay Howell was suspended for three games, so now they were down to eight pitchers.

Miracle Men excerpt: Game 3, 1988 NLCS -- Dodgers at Mets

This is an excerpt from my recent book: "Miracle Men: Hershiser, Gibson & the Improbable 1988 Dodgers." You can order a copy here, here, or at most major bookstores.

Chapter 15

NLCS

Saturday, October 9, 1988

New York

Dodgers vs. Mets

NLCS Game 3

The Mets were still steamed at the David Cone drama. They weren’t happy about what he said and how those words appeared in print. But they were even more upset at the crude and obscene things the Dodgers yelled at Cone from their dugout.

“Sportsmanship is out,” was the first sentence in a story in The New York Post. The Mets vowed they would get revenge. They had a pretty good idea how to do it. They just had to wait for the right moment.

They would wait through the travel day. They would wait through another day, after rain postponed Game 3 from Friday to Saturday. They would wait until late in Game 3, when the opportunity presented itself.

Because of the rainout, and because of the fragile condition of John Tudor’s hip and elbow and shoulder, Orel Hershiser started Game 3 on three days rest. Hershiser considered it a blessing, not a detriment. Two of the shutouts during The Streak came on three days rest. The sinker worked better when he wasn’t as rested. Plus, Hershiser was still angry about how Game 1 ended, and he was eager to get back on the mound.

Roger McDowell looks at the rain that plagued Game 3

In retrospect, Hershiser thought Game 3 should have been postponed yet another day. The temperature at first pitch was 43 degrees. The wind was blowing at 10 mph. The game started at 12:20 pm in New York, and it was so overcast, it looked like it was already a night game. In the official box score for the game, the field condition is described as “soaked.”

Mets owner Nelson Doubleday wanted a night game so the field would have more time to dry out. Doubleday fumed to Newsday that television was “screwing the national pastime.... This is the Fall Classic and we have to change things because the networks want to make money off us and off college football and pro football? When do we start making sense? They should come to us and ask us when we are going to play the games. I don’t want my guys playing on a soggy field. I don’t want a game decided because somebody’s outfielder slipped on wet grass. TV shouldn’t want it, either.”

Miracle Men excerpt: Game 2, 1988 NLCS -- Mets at Dodgers

Chapter 15

NLCS

Wednesday, October 5, 1988

Los Angeles

Mets vs. Dodgers

NLCS Game 2

Dave Anderson didn’t make the playoff roster because of a back injury. He’d done a yeoman’s job subbing for Alfredo Griffin at shortstop for two months. In the playoffs, he’d have to find another way to contribute. Anderson arrived early for Game 2, and a Dodgers public relations member showed him an article from the New York Daily News.

“Ever heard the saying, ‘Better to be lucky than good?’ Trash it, because Hershiser was just lucky. Look what happened to luck in the ninth inning last night. It’s called justice—catching up to luck and pummeling it into the ground. Trouble was, Orel was lucky for eight innings.”

Those weren’t the words of a New York columnist stirring things up. Those words were under a first-person byline of David Cone, the starting pitcher in Game 2 of the playoffs. Cone didn’t “write” the column himself. He was interviewed by Bob Klapisch, who was responsible for putting his thoughts into print.

That wasn’t even the most controversial part of the column, either.

“I’ll tell you a secret: As soon as we got Orel out of the game, we knew we’d beat the Dodgers. Knew it even after Jay Howell had struck out HoJo. We saw Howell throwing curveball after curveball, and we were thinking, This is the Dodgers’ idea of a stopper? Our idea is Randy [Myers], a guy who can blow you away with his heat. Seeing Howell and his curveball reminded us of a high school pitcher.”

Anderson made copies of the column, underlined the key passages, and plastered the clubhouse with them. He put them in the trainer’s room, on the walls of the clubhouse, on the chairs of teammates, and a stack was on Tommy Lasorda’s desk.

“Trying to do something, you know, to motivate the boys,” Anderson recalled, laughing.

Miracle Men excerpt: Game 1, 1988 NLCS -- Mets at Dodgers

This is an excerpt from my recent book: "Miracle Men: Hershiser, Gibson and the Improbable '88 Dodgers" that is available to order here, here or at most major bookstores. 

Chapter 15

NLCS

Tuesday, October 4, 1988

Los Angeles

Mets vs. Dodgers

NLCS Game 1

The space shuttle Discovery returned to earth, landing at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, and welcomed by more than 400,000 exuberant witnesses that included vice president George Bush. A NASA physician boarded the space plane, giving checkups to astronauts Frederick H. Hauck, Richard O. Covey, John M. Lounge, George D. Nelson, and David C. Hilmers. They exited the plane waving American flags. It was the first mission since the Challenger disaster 33 months earlier.

One-hundred fourteen miles to the south, doctors and trainers were checking on Kirk Gibson, as well. Gibson started six of the Dodgers’ final 14 regular season games. Part of this was because the Dodgers had a big lead and they could afford to rest him. The bigger reason was his body—in particular, a pulled hamstring and sore knee—needed time to heal.

Gibson had run hard once in the last two weeks. He couldn’t walk for two days afterward. It was the worst he’d felt all season. The hamstring was bothering him. But now his knee was killing him. Gibson thought he’d have to throttle down a little, if that was possible. He didn’t want to end up crippled. But he knew one thing.

“I will be in the lineup,” Gibson said. “I will be in the fucking lineup.”

Gibson didn’t fill out the lineup, though. Tommy Lasorda did. One factor would determine if Lasorda would start Gibson in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Mets.

Comparing the 1988 Dodgers to the 2013 Dodgers

-- by @Josh_Suchon

Anytime the Dodgers reach the playoffs, it's natural to compare that team to the last Dodgers team to win the World Series. 

Since this is the 25th anniversary of the 1988 team, and I wrote a book about that season, I've been getting a lot of questions about those natural comparisons. 

The short response is those teams are totally different. The 2013 team was built on star power at every position and the highest payroll in baseball. The 1988 team rode the arm of ace Orel Hershiser, the fire and clutch hits of Kirk Gibson, and a cast of role players to hoist the championship trophy into the air.

However, a closer examination reveals there are some parallels. 

The story behind Nick "Chili" Buss

-- by @Josh_Suchon

The Dodgers call him Nick Buss.

The Isotopes call him Chili Buss.

They're both right.

The name on the birth certificate is Nicholas Chili Buss. His dad always wanted unique middle names for his kids. The first three kids had normal middle names. Nick was the last chance for something different. His dad once played in a charity golf tournament with former major leaguer Chili Davis and always liked the name Chili.

So that's how he got the middle name.

Nick Buss always went by Nick, until his junior year of college at USC. He ordered an internet connection for his apartment, when his roommates discovered his middle name was Chili. They loved the name and started calling him Chili.

The rest of the time on the baseball field at USC, teammates and coaches called him Chili.

When he got to professional baseball, the nickname remained among Dodgers staff and teammates in the minor leagues.

Last year at Double-A Chattanooga, hitting coach Franklin Stubbs called him Chili all year, not knowing that was simply his middle name. Everybody just assumed it was a nickname.

This year -- before the Isotopes game on Tuesday, April 23 against Oklahoma City -- Isotopes general manager John Traub asked Buss if he wanted to be referred as Chili over the public address system, in game notes, and on the radio broadcast.

Buss, who hates drawing any attention to himself, replied, "sure."

My scorebook from the first game we called him Chili.

That was the 19th game of the season. At the time, Buss was hitting .295 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. He was in a 2-for-19 slump at the time, the two hits being a home run and bunt single.

In the first game -- when I referred to him as "the baseball player formerly known as Nick Buss" -- Chili went 2-for-4 with three runs scored. The next day, Chili went 2-for-4 with a walk and three more runs scored at Round Rock. 

We called him Chili the rest of the season.

Around the All-Star break, I asked Buss what it was like going by Chili the last three months. Buss said it was great, except that at least 2-3 times a game, somebody on the field -- an umpire, a coach, a fan, an opposing player -- would ask what's the story behind his name and it got annoying constantly telling the story again.

I told Buss that people ask me the same question too, so I'm probably saving him another 2-3 times telling the story every day.

So now that Nick Chili Buss has been called up to the majors for the first time, figured I'd document the story one more time, and hopefully save Buss a few more times explaining the story.

How to win your Survivor Pool, the 2013 edition

-- by @Josh_Suchon

This is my second annual post on how to win your Survivor Pool, aka an Eliminator Pool, or World's Simplest Pool, or Last Man Standing Pool.

The basic rules of the Pool: you pick one NFL game each week, point spreads don’t matter. If you win, you advance to the next week. If you lose, you’re done. In most of these pools, once you pick a team once, you can’t pick them again. I’m in a pool where you can pick the same team three times. I don’t like that rule, but I’m not the Commissioner. But in most pools, you can only pick a team once.

Follow my advice and you've got a good shot at winning your Survivor Pool.

1. Never save a pick for later in the season. Depending on the participants in your pool, very few last 17 weeks. A lot of them don’t last 10 weeks. Don’t plan ahead. It’s all about winning each week. Don’t save New England for Week 5. Tom Brady can blow out a knee in Week 3 and you wouldn’t want to take the Patriots in Week 5 if Brady isn't starting.

2. Look at the point spread to decide on your candidates. The oddsmakers in Vegas are the smartest people in the room. No matter how much you think you know about football, the oddsmakers know more. Look at the five biggest point spreads each week. You should be picking one of those five teams. That team doesn’t have to cover. They just have to win. It goes without saying you shouldn’t ever take an underdog.

3. Take the home team on Thursday night games, if the visiting team is in a short week. Road teams face a massive challenge. Play a game on Sunday, heal on Monday, prepare on Tuesday, fly on Wednesday, and play on Thursday. Unless the visiting team is dramatically better, and it’s a short flight (like Oakland to San Diego), take the home team. Not only will they win, they will win easily. If a team is traveling three time zones on a short week, they’re toast. Note: this does not apply in Week 1. Teams aren’t in their usual routine yet.

4. Avoid taking the road team in general. The deeper you get into your Survivor Pool, you might have to break this rule. This rule can be broken in extreme circumstances, like a 9-1 team playing on the road against a 1-9 team. Even then, I get nervous. The double-extra detail on this rule is don’t ever take an East Coast team playing on the West Coast. Recent studies on the effect of time-zone change on a body suggest it’s harder to go West and perform at an optimal level than it is to travel East.

5. Ride the worst team(s) in the league. Once you get to around Week 5-6, it’s clear which teams are the worst. You can’t pick the best team to win every week. But you can pick the worst team to lose every week. Personally, I get nervous taking a winless team, like an 0-7, because they have so much pride, they’ll try extra hard to avoid the embarrassment of a winless season. But once they’ve lost, I love riding the opponent of that hopeless team week after week.

6. Don’t pick a team with a rookie quarterback in September. Most of the time, a rookie will only start at quarterback if the team was lousy the year before, so this is usually a moot point. But it’s such a huge adjustment from college to the NFL, it’s hard to win. The deeper you get into the season, say October, then it’s not as risky to pick a team with a rookie quarterback. The secondary rule is be wary of picking against the rookie quarterback early in the year. We just don’t know how the rookies will respond. Be patient.

7. Avoid rivalry games. You know that cliché “throw out the records” when these rivals meet? Remember it. Avoid a Giants-Cowboys, or Raiders-Chiefs, or any other type of strong rivalry game. Crazy things happen when rivals meet.

8. Never select a team that’s using a backup quarterback. It’s the most important position on the field, and affects the outcome more than any other. If the starter is definitely out, don’t select that team. If the quarterback is doubtful or even questionable, avoid that team if possible. You’re only picking one game a week, you can find a healthy quarterback.

9. Don't use the same team on multiple entries. I'm actually not a fan of multiple entries in Survivor Pools. If you do it, then you start thinking about the two best locks, instead of just one lock. Now you have to be correct twice each week. I know a lot of people use multiple entries. I know a lot of people used both picks on the New England Patriots in Week 2 last year -- and lost both. If you are going to double-up on multiple entries, only do it late in the season when you're options are thin.

10. Don't brag about your expertise in making picks. Stay humble. The NFL Survivor Gods don't like it when you act like you have this game figured out. Put another way, don't write a blog post pretending like you have all the answers.

11. Don't make your decision when you're drunk. If it's Saturday night and you still haven't decided your pick, it's OK to discuss this with your friends over drinks. It's a great topic. Just don't send in your pick when you're drunk. Wait until the next morning and make sure it's still a good idea.

12. Don't change your mind. Once your pick is in, never second-guess yourself. Don't change your pick. Ever. 

13. Don’t take your favorite to win or lose. You have enough emotions going through your body when your favorite team plays. Don’t compound that anxiety by picking them to win, and don’t do something that will make you feel OK about your favorite team losing. Not to mention, you’re not very objective about your favorite team. They’re not as good as you think they are. They’re not as bad as you think they are. Just avoid your team. 

13b. Unless your favorite team is the Raiders, they're on the road in Week 1, using a questionable quarterback, against a solid team, facing a huge point spread, and notorious for playing terrible in Week 1. Raider Nation kicked me out for making this pick. I'm counting on the Nation forgetting this by Week 2. If I lose in Week 1, it's the most deserved loss ever, and it's proof this should be always be Rule #1 forever and ever. 

14. If you win, tip the Commissioner. It's hard work being a Commissioner. It's very time consuming. Depending on the size of your pool, it should be between 5-15 percent. 

15. Don’t save a pick. Can’t stress this enough. That’s why it’s listed twice. Don’t. Ever. Save. A. Pick.

Most of the time, you can’t follow all 15 of these rules. You want to follow as many of these as possible each week.

When it comes to Week 1, know in advance that it’s the hardest week. It’s the most unpredictable week. There’s not much information you can use. Don’t get fooled by exhibition game results. When in doubt, follow the rules to eliminate potential obstacles.

Good luck in your Survivor Pool.

And, don’t forget, never save a pick.

Ever.

40 Before 40 -- what I did instead

-- by @Josh_Suchon

My original "40 before 40" list turned into a colossal failure. I only accomplished eight of the 40 items. 

The failure can mostly be contributed to putting a bunch of ridiculous items on the list, taking a new job that cancelled a trip to Hawaii that was going to check off numerous items, and moving to another state where a lot of the items were no longer feasible.

Instead of being depressed at what I didn't complete, here's my list of 40 things that I accomplished instead.

The lesson is that while making goals and planning is helpful, life is best when you're spontaneous and just experience what's around you ... or when you just go through your iPhone, just start picking random photos, and declare that it's something you accomplished. 

1. Got stranded on the side of the road, during a wine trip to Santa Barbara, when our bus broke down. Fortunately, my friends don't blink an eye. We just crack open beers on the side of the road, and watch the girls get cars to honk as they ask for a ride. The bus cooled off, the driver got us to the next winery, we got a new bus, we kept wine tasting. You haven't lived until you've rode home on a wine bus, music blasting, all the girls dancing in the aisles, and a view o the sunset on the Pacific Ocean out the side of the window.

2. Discovered where the "Melrose Place" apartment was located. Turns out, it was less than a mile from my old apartment in LA.

3. Lucked into New Balance making shoes with my name stitched into the back. The perks of working the Area Code Games for ESPN3.

4. Saw the Space Shuttle Endeavour fly over the Griffith Observatory. It only took about a hundred photos to get this shot. Thank goodness for digital pictures that can be easily erased.

5. Attended the Poinsettia Bowl with a whole bunch of former Daily Aztec sportswriters. No need to discuss what happened in the game. Eff BYU. We're a basketball school now.

6. Spent a day as an extra on a movie. This was more boring than fun. But there was so much sitting around, I was able to proof almost half of my book. What was really sad is how many people do this for a living, or try to do this for a living. I can't even remember the name of this movie, so I can't look for myself. I think it was just a trailer anyway. I did gain a lot of respect for how tedious making a movie can be, and why it's so easy for goofs on continuity. I even got paid for it.

7. Celebrated the New Year with great friends and tasty beverages. Yep, wore that ridiculous hat.

8. Published my second book. Perhaps you heard, from one of the thousand posts I did on Facebook/Twitter to promote it? Thanks to all who bought a copy. For those who didn't, the book will make a great Christmas gift. 

9. Hiked to the "Bridge to Nowhere" in the San Gabriel Mountains. This was a little shorter than Mt. Baldy, but every bit as interesting. That guy in the blue shirt with his arms up in the air is my hiking amigo, Josh Cumming, who suggested the trip. A great excursion.

10. Was the guest of honor at a press conference ... for me. How surreal. A very nice gesture by the Albuquerque Isotopes to welcome me into town with a press conference. Even my aunt Janet was able to attend.

11. Played whiffle ball on the Venice Beach, at Sunset, during my going-away party. Thanks to all who showed up. A bigger thanks to those who played whiffle ball with me. The biggest thanks to Sean Maddison for taking this super cool photo.

12. Was faced with this decision and didn't make a U-turn. I definitely miss Los Angeles. I ended up loving it way more than I thought. But the job in Albuquerque was too good to pass up. Seeing this sign made me laugh as I drove to New Mexico.

13. Went inside a humidor that's used to store baseballs. The high altitude in Albuquerque means that baseballs travel much further. In order to try combating this, the Isotopes installed the humidor in 2013. By keeping the baseballs in a controlled environment, they don't dry up or shrink. As a result, they don't travel as far. In theory.  

14. Saw not just any Bon Jovi concert, but a concert inside the Arena where Jon Bon Jovi has a retired uniform. This was in Des Moines. Bon Jovi used to be a part-owner of the Arena Football Team in Des Moines. That's why his name hangs from the rafters. Very convenient Sunday day game in Des Moines allowed me to catch the concert that night from the rafters. 

15. Got my picture taken with Tabitha Soren. Because who could ever forget when she moderated a "Choose or Lose" program on MTV, and one of the college students asked then-candidate Bill Clinton, "the world is dying to know -- boxers or briefs?" 

16. Re-united with Daily Aztec alums Ferris Shahrestani and Gregg Lewis for beers in Round Rock. Because when we were students in San Diego, we vowed that we'd all end up in Round Rock, Texas. 

17. Interviewed my former Dodger Talk co-host, Ken Levine, about the Simpson's episode he wrote that inspired the name of the baseball team that now employs me -- with Homer Simpson listening. The ultimate example of life imitating art, and life coming full circle. Super cool that Ken came out to Albuquerque, saw the ballpark, and joined me on the radio. Great times.

18. Got the worst haircut of my life that made me so embarrassed, I bought this ridiculous hat. The reaction I got in the clubhouse from the players was priceless.

19. Visited the Civil Rights Museum and Lorraine Motel. Highly recommend if you ever find yourself in Memphis. So is the Sun Studio, where Elvis Presley and others got their start. Disappointed in myself for not going to Graceland. Next time. 

20. Watched the College World Series from a bar across the street from the College World Series in Omaha. I didn't care enough for the teams to buy tickets. I was close enough. Cool atmosphere. 

21. Visited the National Museum where the Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed. Shed a few tears. Maybe a few more than a few tears. Emotional place. Very well presented. 

22. Walked through the corn from the "Field of Dreams" movie site. Highlight of my tourist-related excursions during the season. Well worth the six-hour, round-trip drive -- even if I was exhausted for that night's game. Still get goosebumps thinking about it. Quite a special place, even after all these years. Bought a "wanna have a catch Dad" t-shirt for my old man. Can't beat that. 

23. Broadcasted live on the radio during a monsoon. This was crazy. Lucky that nobody got hurt from our grounds crew and front office. 

24. Visited the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. Did you know it's located in a dry county? They make all the Jack there, but you can't buy it in town. You can buy special limited edition bottles at the distillery. Snagged me a bottle of the "single barrel" whiskey. Haven't decided when I'll drink it. Waiting for a special occasion … or when I'm too lazy to go buy something else.

25. Took a picture of a mermaid swimming above a bar. Yep. I couldn't make this up if I tried. In case you want to do it yourself, the bar is called "Dive" and it's in Sacramento.

26. Did a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Albuquerque. Where more than one person showed up. Honest.

27. Did a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Huntington Beach. Where more than two college friends showed up. Honest. 

28. Did a book signing at Dodger Stadium. Where somebody showed up wearing an Isotopes hat. Yep.

29. Signed a copy of my book to Vin Scully. My hand was trembling. Definitely the highlight of all the books I ever sold, signed or gave away. Wow. 

30. Did I mention that I wrote a book and shamelessly took photos with a bunch of people from the book? Nahhh, not yet.

31. Helped break into my friend's locked office so he could show me this picture. Because if you're climbing through the ceiling in the office of the Las Vegas public defender's office, it better be for an autographed photo of a shirtless photo of Jose Canseco and his ex-wife Esther.

32. Got food poisoning in Fresno ... and discovered the greatest product to help with dehydration. Seriously, these brought me back from what felt like the brink of death. It's called Pedialyte. It's intended for kids. It's also great for adults who are dehydrated from playing baseball in the high altitude, or broadcasters who get food poisoning. A note for the future: not that I've ever been hungover in my life. But should that day ever occur, it's a little known fact there's some magical electrolytes in these packets.

33. Snagged a copy of the greatest bobblehead ever. This is the legendary Johnny Doskow, radio announcer for the Sacramento Rivercats. He's got a big nose. He's got a receding hairline. This bobblehead captured both beautifully. Brilliant.

34. Found my biggest fan and got an autographed baseball card of him. Aiden's dad contacted me and they joined me in the booth for a few innings. Aiden wore the headphones and watched the game next to me. He departed by giving him his autograph. Hopefully, the kid waits a few years before taking my job.

35. Snuck onto the Vanderbilt football field and took a few photos. Because, you know, they have such a great history of winning football games.

36. Interviewed the great Rickey Henderson for the pre-game show. Even told him that on my ninth birthday, in 1982, he broke the single-season record for most stolen bases in a season.

37. Birdied the first seven holes in a round of golf. Sure, it was Golden Tee, but I don't care. That's still hard to do. Pretty sure my final round was about 10 under par. Best round of my life. 

38. Vastly improved my fancy socks collection. Because a day without color-coordinated fancy socks is a boring day.

39. Found somebody from Pleasanton who has recently moved to Albuquerque too. A hearty welcome to Kim Hansen (now Kim Smith). Her husband is an assistant coach for the New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team, better known as the school the Aztecs will defeat this year en route to another league title.

40. Got the map on my iPhone for places where I've taken photos to look like this. Now I need to add a bunch of red pins in more countries.