tennis, life and a few things in between

My first Rays’ game.

The stadium @ 1 Tropicana Dr., St. Petersburg, FL 33705 … in 2025

• Marlins
• Texas Rangers playoff
• @ Yankees

Bay Area means SF or Tampa? 😂 The battle of the Bays

The stadium: it looks old, feels old and it is old. The name shows the age … nowadays, the sport arenas use the names, like Bill Games and Steve Jobs, -:) you get the picture. I wonder if the Field is ever used for circus, which I think is pretty appropriate.

The national anthem is so so

Ok, to the game. It’s an exciting game, Rays won 12-4. The 8th inning is something to remember for: they scored 9 runs, of which is the grand slam home run by the rookie Osleivis Basabe (2000-, Venezuela), who made ML debut early this month, August 13, to be exact. By now he has 8 rbi.

Below is what I wrote on my FB during the first innings …

Everyone loves Raymond

Parking lot directors: I asked them if I could bring my bottle of water in. They said only sealed bottles. And followed up with “if you’ve beer 🍻 you can leave them with me.” Little Irene “beer? I’ve whole bottle of grey goose.” I lied but they said they love me.

Seeing the fans in purple, I asked the gate checkers why don’t you direct them to another ball park? They so love me 😂

Ticket agents. As my better half busy conducting his transaction. Little Irene saw a couple of guys walked over who looked like have no clue. I told them “if you’re Rays fan, the tickets are free …” The agent was so not happy, kept saying, “look at me who wears uniform … trust me …” Guess it’s politically incorrect to say don’t trust woman … shouting match ensured 😝 ha ha ha

⚾️ what ⚾️? It’s only the end of the third inning 😂 long way to go 😭 the night is so young

@ 7:29 Rays ties the game at 2:2

Social Roost is really, will return.

Citi Field
41 Seaver Way
Flushing, NY 11368

New York Mets baseball is based in Queens, New York, across the #7 subway line from the US Open.

The club was formed in 1962, to replace departing Brooklyn Dodgers (1890-1957; team color blue) who was moving to LA, and Giants (1883-1957; orange) to SF. It competes in National League (pitchers bat) east division.

• def Marlins 10:4 @ LoanDepot 2025
• def Marlins @ Jupiter 2024
• @ Clover Park: spring training, 2023
• lost to Phillies 2015
• def Nationals 2014
• the 1st game of 2013

A few milestones for me, and events

• Meeting Strawberry – the Mr. Baseball
• The current stadium Citi Field (2009-) is being built
• 1986 when they won the World Series in Shea Stadium (1964-2008): shoutings, car horns and beer cans on the streets woke me up, I thought it was World War III: their second (1969 was their first)
• a view in 2022
• blue skies & snowy ground, 2016
• Will they win tonight 2015
• Their 2014 team
• Oh thy Mets 2009
• Lenny Dykstra

The current owner Steven A. Cohen (1956-) was born in Great Neck, NY. A fund manager of Point72 (2014-) was born after his S.A.C. Capital (1992-2016) was fined …

Currently, Mets’ payroll tops (or 2nd) the league @ $323 mil, follows by LA Dodgers @ $321m with 8 WS titles since 1958; and Yankees @ 293m 27 WS titles since 1903.

Loan Depot Park
501 Marlins Way
Miami, FL 33125

… more pix on Google Maps

This event, a celebration of baseball, holds every four years.

It’s my first indoor baseball game. We got tickets for the final of 2023 world baseball classic near midnight yesterday and rush down here today, to watch USA vs Japan. The stadium is pretty nice, new and no greasy smell, which is super great. The little graphs for the bathroom are rather artistic. The on site parking is $40 per car. There are many homeowners renting their spots out. One cross the street from stadium parking lot entrance rents his for $50. How does that work and if he’ll get any takers, is beyond me.

Again, LOVE the national anthem… go USA!

Albert Whitted Airport
107 8th Ave SE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete (May 3-5) is the season opener for the IndyCar series. The ground includes Dali Museum and Mahaffey Theater.

The 180 miles race is ran on track and streets. It has multiple crashes: the first one occurred on their first lap. This one took out Grosjean who was the leader, as we were about to leave. Luckily, no one hurt. Marcus Ericsson of Sweden (1990-) survived the chaos and won the race – last man standing.

This is the second auto racing event I attended. The first was 30+ years ago at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA – nascar – that race was ran entirely on the oval race track.

Noise is bearable. Maybe I’m old and hear no evil because I remembered the nascar race I went, was nearly killed or deafened by the unbearable noise. Getting old has its advantages.

The national anthem is awesome. The country singer Trace Adkins (1962-) has an incredible deep voice and sang beautifully.

There is fire works; jets fly over;

Some photos

A serious tailgating. Biking two wheelers come to watch four wheelers.

Seriously? Yes

There are many exits. Some has really long lines. We walked around and found one that has no line and left.

Many apartment building along the route have watching parties.

Be the One – Save a veteran

We left before the end

LGA (LaGuardia airport), New York

A big man walked over, someone said to him, “Hi Darryl.”

He replied, “How you doing.” Then sat down quietly by himself.

Me, his fan, couldn’t help but went over, asking for a selfie. He obliged.
“May I take a photo of you?”

“Sure.”

Before I left, I said, “You’re the first baseball player I’ve known.”

“I appreciated it. I appreciated it.”

The Sixth Man (2019) by Andre Iguodala (1984-).

I picked this book randomly, without knowing who he is. His diction keeps me going. Then the stories. He raised many valid points and the writing is good (with Carvell Wallace (1974-).

不知道他是何方神圣 就开始听,也真够大妈的.
开始听下去是他的声音好听
然后
内容好

这本书和前不久 擅嘴巴/打脸王的自传 Will (2021) 都有一个特点: 严厉的外婆+注重教育的妈. (题外话: 爸爸都去哪儿了?)

很少留意🏀. 迈克尔·乔丹退休后 更是没了任何兴趣. Iguodala的书值得看/听 是他非常明确体系.
大学运动员要不要或者应不应该有收入,一直是个争论点. 他坦坦荡荡的阐述他的观点.
我听完后 看了些书评. 很多人说他的回忆录是关于种族. 不完全同意:也可能他善于隐藏? 比如他说 🎾 ⛳️ ⚾️ 🏒️ 可以随心所欲转职业 但是??🏈就不可以… 但没有中学大学的体育 🏀 他会不会也有今日? A问题好大 留给大人物吧 🤣

Chris Mullin (1963-) 是我们当地的🏀名人. 好像安居乐业在我们隔壁村 🇮🇪人堆. 时不时会撞见他. 一次他坐在我旁边. 大妈刚想问他 他就走开了. 大概是聪明😂

^{The Russian gold medalist Anna Shcherbakova (2004-)}

The Russians went to Beijing Olympics under the ROC banner (Russian Olympic Committee), a shell corporation for Russia due to drug scandal (csce.gov: In 2016, Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov blew the whistle on Russia’s state-run doping program,…). One would think that they’ve learned something … Then the scandal of figure skater Kamila Valieva (2006-) tested positive for trimetazidine on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, at her country’s 2022 Figure Skating Championships in Saint Petersburg, became known AFTER she helped to secure the Russian team gold medal.

^{Lonesome Dove}

The scandalous decision to allow her to continue, not only angered the average spectators/couch potatoes like me but her fellow figure skaters as well: Tara Lipinski ( gold 1998) and  and Johnny Weir condemn the decision; Kristi Yamaguchi (1971; gold medal in 1992) weighted in, said she began to compete at age of 13 and managed it well.

Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that because of her age – 15, is protected and would suffer “irreparable harm” if not letting her to compete. What kind of bullshit is this? IF she wants world glory and decided to compete with adult, then she is under the same rules as everyone else, regardless in age.

In the end, the druggie teen lost, so did World Anti-Doping Agency WaDa and Court of Arbitration for Sport.

• ^2.17 SI: It’s Time to Raise the Age Minimum in Figure Skating
• ^2.17 women’s individual final
• ^2.14 Time: The Russian School, Johnny Weir | allowed to continue
• ^2.11 ITA statement
• ^2.07 women team final

… and more …

One FB user wrote: “… Anna Shcherbakova delivered extraordinary performances placing first place in the women’s competition. At the completion of the event no one was embracing her. No one was congratulating her. No one was rejoicing with her. She awkwardly stood silent, alone and seemingly lost while her coaches abandoned her to console her distraught teammates. Just plain insanity. She just won a gold medal! …”

I watched her on Youtube, found her to be very beautiful and, it was a pleasure to watch her skate. …

Sorry have to ask, is she clean?

^{Kamila Valieva (2006-)}

A very controversial Olympics (XXIV, Feb 4-20) to say the least.

91 nations with nearly 3,000 athletes in 109 events in 7 sports. The slogan is Together for a Shared Future 一起向未来 and it was opened by president Xi Jinping.

Russians go there under ROC banner because their old doping scandal. Why would they be allowed to compete in the first place?

1. How many people are still watching the Olympics nowadays?
2. 11 countries diplomatic boycott the game, incl. US, UK, Canada and Australia, Taiwan, …
3. the covid-19 pandemic or Omicron is still raging …
4. Putin of Russia is about to invade Ukraine
5. The athletes switching their alliances, high profile such as Eileen Gu and massive foreign athletes playing for the Chinese ice hockey teams
6. A mother of eight in Xuzhou is chained by her neck… Mrs. Xi for real or made up by wishful thinking netizens.
7. Credit Suisse revealed: unmasks criminals, fraudster and corrupt politicians 

The winter games? Seem the least interesting subject. And the bad judges … “Who’s f***ing judge?” fumes Fanny Smith of Switzerland.