Last July a writer for Sports Illustrated made a surprising World Series prediction, perhaps under extreme duress “during the stress of these times,” that inspired in me an afternoon of wistful pipe […]
Dodger dynasty and Angels agony
Grocery drive-thru at the mall
Saddleback Church, the Westminster Family Resource Center and the Westminster Mall are partnering to serve families with a drive-thru grocery distribution on Wednesday, Sept. 23 from 9-11 a.m. at Westminster Mall. Saddleback […]
Searching for The Perfect Good
In the storied TV drama “West Wing,” there’s a scene in which White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (played by John Spencer) is confronted by a colleague asking what’s “good” about […]
Did one call decide the game?
If you follow sports, or even history, a common theme is “turning point.” We’re talking about a home run, or turnover or military mishap that changed the conflict/contest around. That’s a convenient […]
The mystery of the strike zone
Dear Mr. Howard, The Umpire-Defender has logged on. I am the guy that turns on the game to see the umpire. We exist. We are valid. Apparently that’s news to you. When […]
Pizza, politicos and pull ups
If you’re at all like the vast staff of The Tribune, you like a good pizza. In fact, some of us will settle for a mediocre pizza. But there’s a promising entry […]
Angels get (a bit) closer to heaven
The beginning of September is traditionally the start of the stretch run of the baseball pennant races. For the Los Angeles Angels, their chances of making the post-season are about as good […]
Knitted together with love
Like many people, I have a favorite pair of slippers, however, they aren’t the kind you can purchase at a department store or online. They are hand- knit with soft maroon yarn […]
“Bill and Ted” still dumb and slow
By Jim Tortolano Full disclosure: To me, Keanu Reeves is one of the worst actors to ever have leading roles in American motion pictures. The Challenge: Can a movie in which Mr. […]
Are robot umpires the future?
In July of 2019 a “robot umpire” made its debut at the Atlantic League All Star Game in York, Pennsylvania. It’s decisions were limited to balls and strikes which were relayed immediately […]
