You know how itSA国际影视传媒檚 often said people see things during near-death experiences? One minister in the U.S. claims he had one but it was about Hell.
Bill Wiese has written a book about it called 23 Questions About Hell and in it, he said it was a 23-minute out-of-body experience and not one of near-death. He says there were dungeons and demonic creatures of all sorts along with a big pit of fire, among other rather terrible things. Now, ISA国际影视传媒檓 not making fun of Wiese because who are we to question what he saw? You werenSA国际影视传媒檛 there with him but I will say this: I, too, spent 23 minutes in Hell once and you have as well if youSA国际影视传媒檝e suffered through half an episode of My Big Fat Fabulous Life on TLC.
Anyway:
Your how-to manual for interviews
I missed this one when it happened but I need to talk about it because it made a re-appearance on Facebook a few days ago.
It was a post-game interview ESPN did with Stephen Schoch, who was a relief pitcher with the University of VirginiaSA国际影视传媒檚 menSA国际影视传媒檚 baseball team. The original live hit happened on June 8 after he saved a win for the Commodores and it turned into three minutes of pure gold.
For example, Schoch was asked about how it felt coming in for the save to begin with and he responded with the following:
SA国际影视传媒淵ou walk into a stadium with 8,000 people, they want you to lose but as long as you got your 26 guys ready to kick a SA国际影视传媒�, er, kick butt, youSA国际影视传媒檙e gonna be alright. Sorry I sweared.SA国际影视传媒� (Yes, he said sweared.)
Then it was on to the emotions of the ninth inning. HereSA国际影视传媒檚 where Schoch will live forever:
SA国际影视传媒淭he emotions are go in, win - I heard a fan offer free DippinSA国际影视传媒� Dots if I blew it, which - the price of DippinSA国际影视传媒� Dots with inflation is unreal. So, for a brief moment, I was like SA国际影视传媒楧amn, DippinSA国际影视传媒� Dots sound goodSA国际影视传媒�. But also, I thought in the back of my head, we win today, we win tomorr SA国际影视传媒� we win tonight, weSA国际影视传媒檙e gonna be here another day. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 more per diem so that means I can buy my own DippinSA国际影视传媒� Dots and be a winner SA国际影视传媒A国际影视传媒�
Schoch then proceeded to talk about how heSA国际影视传媒檚 scared most of caves, uses three words when heSA国际影视传媒檚 on the mound - one of which is contained within George CarlinSA国际影视传媒檚 Seven Dirty Words You CanSA国际影视传媒檛 Say on T.V. - and how there are more important things in life than striking out the side. All in all, three minutes of my life ISA国际影视传媒檓 kinda sorta glad ISA国际影视传媒檒l never get back.
So all you kids out there - the next time I call you for an interview, I expect to hear how you won the game and got some DippinSA国际影视传媒� Dots and how you overcame your fear of caves.
Yeah, they went SA国际影视传媒� wha!?!?
One of my favourite calls to make during mu umpiring days was the check swing. Guaranteed 99 times out of 100, the batter has gone around enough for me to ring them up.
On that one off-chance that the batter didnSA国际影视传媒檛 look like they swung, it was a ball but it was close. Like any call an umpire makes on the field, itSA国际影视传媒檚 judgment. Some umpires will say yes all the time, some will say no all the time, some will be right down the middle.
The reason I talk about this is because there was a panel debate on the MLB Network on July 20 about the check-swing rule. One of those involved, Jon Heyman, came up with perhaps the dumbest thing I have ever heard about how to deal with check swings. Heyman feels that as soon as you start your motion and make it appear that youSA国际影视传媒檙e going to swing the bat, it should be called a strike. ISA国际影视传媒檓 not kidding SA国际影视传媒� that was his take. His defence was that it would take away any argument about whether someone swung.
I donSA国际影视传媒檛 know where to start with that but suffice it to say that itSA国际影视传媒檚 a terrible take. If that ever becomes the rule, the Mendoza line (batting average of .200 on the nose) will become the gold standard for winning batting titles in Major League Baseball. Pitchers are already good at fooling batters and they donSA国际影视传媒檛 need any more help. Even with the substances being taken away from them, some can top out at 100 mph on the gun.
Stick with the regular rule and if the players donSA国际影视传媒檛 like it, donSA国际影视传媒檛 swing.
Geez, didnSA国际影视传媒檛 see that word count coming so SA国际影视传媒�
Until next time, folks SA国际影视传媒�
