nnnindonesia.blogspot.com EUGENE, Ore. — The No. 19 Oregon women's basketball team extended its win streak to seven games Sunday with an 80-48 victory over USC before 7,613 fans in Matthew Knight Arena.
Playing a USC team whose roster was short due to injury and whose coach was absent due to COVID protocols, the Ducks not only took care of business but put together one of their most complete performances of the season. They shot 50 percent from the floor, were plus-10 on the boards, forced 17 turnovers and limited the Trojans to 26.3 percent shooting.
"I feel really good," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "I thought we put together a great performance today, at both ends of the floor and in every phase, really. … We shot it well from the perimeter, got points in the paint (and) I thought this was one of our best defensive efforts for 40 minutes."
Nyara Sabally capped an outstanding month of January with 23 points and seven rebounds, her third 20-point game in her last five outings. Endyia Rogers added 17 points with seven rebounds and four assists against her former team, and the Ducks limited USC's dangerous three-point threats to 4-of-17 shooting from behind the arc.
"By and large we did a really good job on them," Graves said. "They didn't really have many looks; it's not like they had a bad shooting night, they just didn't get many looks."
How It Happened: The Ducks (13-6, 6-1 Pac-12) established the upper hand early, getting five points from Rogers during a 13-0 run for a 17-4 lead late in the first quarter. Oregon forced seven turnovers in building a 19-9 lead through one quarter.
The Ducks stayed hot in the second quarter, with Sabally scoring seven during a 9-0 run to open the period. Rogers added a couple of more buckets later in the quarter, and also drew a technical foul when she and a player from her former team got tangled up near the sideline during a dead ball. Sabally scored twice more in the waning moments of the half as Oregon led 38-21 at halftime.
The second half opened with yet another UO run, this one an 8-0 burst that included six more points from Sabally. Later in the period, Maddie Scherr rebounded a miss to keep alive a possession that ended in a three-pointer by Rogers for a 55-29 lead, and Sydney Parrish nailed another three-pointer on the next possession. The Ducks led 58-35 after three quarters.
A bucket by Sabally and a three-pointer by Scherr got the fourth quarter going, and Phillipina Kyei completed a three-point play for a 66-40 lead. Rogers hit another three for a 69-32 advantage, and Ahlise Hurst closed the game with a pair of threes as the Ducks finished the day with their largest lead of the game, at 32 points.
Who Stood Out: Rogers played a team-high 32 minutes for the Ducks, as they beat the program she transferred from prior to this season. The technical foul perhaps illustrated the heightened emotions for both Rogers and the Trojans, but she was the one celebrating a win at the end of the afternoon.
"I thought she was great; from the start she came out and played really well," Graves said. "We talked the other day … and I just told her to have fun. She's on the better team — just go out and show she made the right choice."
Te-Hina Paopao added nine points for the Ducks and Scherr scored eight with four rebounds, three assists and a steal. They also contributed to the sterling perimeter defense that limited USC's three-point shooters, while Kyei helped anchor the 2-3 zone the Ducks employed at times.
What It Means: The Ducks were happy to be back in action and appreciative of USC's grit in playing short-handed, after UCLA had to forfeit a scheduled matchup in Eugene on Friday. The Ducks will now have to show some grit themselves, as Sunday's game was the first of four in eight days for Oregon, due to a rescheduled game against Arizona State to be played Tuesday at home, before a road trip to play at Arizona and ASU later in the week.
"It's one game," Graves said after lauding Oregon's effort Sunday. "Now we've gotta do it again."
Up Next: The Ducks host Arizona State in a rescheduled game in Matthew Knight Arena on Tuesday (2 p.m., Oregon Live Stream).
Friends and neighbors mourned the loss of former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, who tragically jumped to her death from a high-rise apartment building in Midtown on Sunday morning.
Former Miss South Carolina winner MaKenzie Divina, who competed against Kryst in the 2019 Miss USA pageant in which Kryst was crowned winner, remembered her friend as an “amazing,” impactful woman, in a painful Instagram post on Sunday afternoon.
“Cheslie I hope you knew how loved you were. I can never begin to understand how you were feeling but what I can rest with is knowing the amazing person you were and how your legacy will continue on forever,” she wrote.
“The impact you had on so many people including myself was incredible. You left people better than you found them. The world will never be the same without you. I’ll love you forever… Until we meet again Cheslie.”
The social media post included a photo of the two women standing together, donning their pageant sashes. Kryst represented her neighboring home state of North Carolina.
Kryst left behind a note saying she wanted to leave everything to her mother, sources said.Getty Images
Kryst, 30, jumped from her luxury 60-story Orion building at 350 W. 42nd St. around 7:15 a.m. Sunday morning and was found dead in the street below, according to sources.
She lived on the ninth floor of the building and was alone when she leaped from a terrace area on the 29th floor that was open to the whole building. She was last seen on the terrace, sources said.
According to sources, Kryst left behind a note saying she wanted to leave everything to her mother – a former beauty pageant competitor herself who was crowned Mrs. North Carolina in 2002. No motive was included in the note, sources said.
Kryst also worked as a reporter and host for the celebrity television show “Extra.”
“Extra” host Billy Bush took to Instagram on Sunday to offer his condolences to Kryst’s family. He posted a photo of Kryst holding a microphone to Tom Hanks at a red carpet event with a huge smile on her face.
“She was positive, hardworking, fun and of course beautiful,” Bush wrote. “Always dancing in between takes. This is a complete shock to all We are left with great sadness because the best was definitely yet to come for this special person.
Kryst was a lawyer but also worked as an Extra TV correspondent.Instagram/chesliekryst
Another “Extra” colleague Renee Bargh called Kryst “The sweetest, kindest, smartest woman I’ve ever met,” in a post on her Instagram story with a photo of the two posing for a photo. “Devastated & shocked. We lost a beautiful bright light.”
The former beauty queen’s family confirmed Kryst’s death in a statement on Sunday.
“Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength. She cared, she loved, she laughed and she shined,” her family said.
“Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA and as a host on EXTRA,” her family said. “But most importantly as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague — we know her impact will live on.”
Hell’s Kitchen resident Michael Austin, 58, stopped by the Orion building to leave prayer candles on Sunday afternoon. He struggled to wrap his head around the string of suicides in the area recently.
“This is four times within the last year. This is not normal,” Austin told The Post. “Those four deaths have happened within one block of Manhattan Plaza.”
Kryst was remembered fondly by her friends and family as a caring and kind woman.Stephen Yang
A resident of the building who identified himself as Richard also remarked on the number of local suicides.
“It happens. It sucks,” he said. “This is probably the third or fourth one I witnessed.”
In July 2021, a 60-year-old woman jumped to her death with her dog from the roof of a 46-story highrise building on 10th Ave. near 41st Street, leaving behind a note in which she talked about stress.
Just days later, a 14-year-old boy was killed after he jumped from the Hudson Yards Vessel on 10th Ave and 33rd Street in front of his family, the fourth to leap to their deaths from the structure in two years.
In January 2021, A Brooklyn woman jumped from the roof of a 12-story Hell’s Kitchen building on 53rd Street, while clutching her 5-year-old daughter — killing them both.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
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January 31, 2022 at 10:37AM
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Friends, colleagues mourn loss of former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst - New York Post
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nnnindonesia.blogspot.com EUGENE, Ore. — The No. 19 Oregon women's basketball team extended its win streak to seven games Sunday with an 80-48 victory over USC before 7,613 fans in Matthew Knight Arena.
Playing a USC team whose roster was short due to injury and whose coach was absent due to COVID protocols, the Ducks not only took care of business but put together one of their most complete performances of the season. They shot 50 percent from the floor, were plus-10 on the boards, forced 17 turnovers and limited the Trojans to 26.3 percent shooting.
"I feel really good," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "I thought we put together a great performance today, at both ends of the floor and in every phase, really. … We shot it well from the perimeter, got points in the paint (and) I thought this was one of our best defensive efforts for 40 minutes."
Nyara Sabally capped an outstanding month of January with 23 points and seven rebounds, her third 20-point game in her last five outings. Endyia Rogers added 17 points with seven rebounds and four assists against her former team, and the Ducks limited USC's dangerous three-point threats to 4-of-17 shooting from behind the arc.
"By and large we did a really good job on them," Graves said. "They didn't really have many looks; it's not like they had a bad shooting night, they just didn't get many looks."
How It Happened: The Ducks (13-6, 6-1 Pac-12) established the upper hand early, getting five points from Rogers during a 13-0 run for a 17-4 lead late in the first quarter. Oregon forced seven turnovers in building a 19-9 lead through one quarter.
The Ducks stayed hot in the second quarter, with Sabally scoring seven during a 9-0 run to open the period. Rogers added a couple of more buckets later in the quarter, and also drew a technical foul when she and a player from her former team got tangled up near the sideline during a dead ball. Sabally scored twice more in the waning moments of the half as Oregon led 38-21 at halftime.
The second half opened with yet another UO run, this one an 8-0 burst that included six more points from Sabally. Later in the period, Maddie Scherr rebounded a miss to keep alive a possession that ended in a three-pointer by Rogers for a 55-29 lead, and Sydney Parrish nailed another three-pointer on the next possession. The Ducks led 58-35 after three quarters.
A bucket by Sabally and a three-pointer by Scherr got the fourth quarter going, and Phillipina Kyei completed a three-point play for a 66-40 lead. Rogers hit another three for a 69-32 advantage, and Ahlise Hurst closed the game with a pair of threes as the Ducks finished the day with their largest lead of the game, at 32 points.
Who Stood Out: Rogers played a team-high 32 minutes for the Ducks, as they beat the program she transferred from prior to this season. The technical foul perhaps illustrated the heightened emotions for both Rogers and the Trojans, but she was the one celebrating a win at the end of the afternoon.
"I thought she was great; from the start she came out and played really well," Graves said. "We talked the other day … and I just told her to have fun. She's on the better team — just go out and show she made the right choice."
Te-Hina Paopao added nine points for the Ducks and Scherr scored eight with four rebounds, three assists and a steal. They also contributed to the sterling perimeter defense that limited USC's three-point shooters, while Kyei helped anchor the 2-3 zone the Ducks employed at times.
What It Means: The Ducks were happy to be back in action and appreciative of USC's grit in playing short-handed, after UCLA had to forfeit a scheduled matchup in Eugene on Friday. The Ducks will now have to show some grit themselves, as Sunday's game was the first of four in eight days for Oregon, due to a rescheduled game against Arizona State to be played Tuesday at home, before a road trip to play at Arizona and ASU later in the week.
"It's one game," Graves said after lauding Oregon's effort Sunday. "Now we've gotta do it again."
Up Next: The Ducks host Arizona State in a rescheduled game in Matthew Knight Arena on Tuesday (2 p.m., Oregon Live Stream).
The Eagles, who were without Makayla Dickens again this afternoon, suffered a rough loss to #18/20 Notre Dame today in a far cry from BC’s home win over the Irish early this year. Notre Dame dominated the Eagles for a 74-61 victory today.
The Fighting Irish jumped out to an early 8-2 lead thanks to a pair of 3 pointers, but Cam Swartz scored 7 first period points for the Eagles to help her team tie the game back up and keep pace with Notre Dame. After 10 minutes, the teams were tied at 14, and BC was out-rebounding Notre Dame 16-12 behind 4 rebounds from Jaelyn Batts.
Another couple of 3 pointers jumped Notre Dame into the lead early in the second quarter, giving the Fighting Irish a 25-18 lead halfway through the period. The second quarter has, for some reason, been a tough period of play for the Eagles in many games this season. That stayed true today, and BC scored just 6 points until late in the quarter when Ally VanTimmeren broke the Eagles’ scoring streak with 2, and then sunk a 3.
The Eagles were seconds away from ending the half down 10 after Taylor Soule missed a pair of free throws, but Kaylah Ivey grabbed the ball from Notre Dame’s offense as the clock wound down and ran down the court to score, putting Notre Dame’s lead at 35-27 heading into intermission.
Notre Dame continued to dominate in the third quarter. By the end of the third, the Fighting Irish had 27 defensive rebounds, 6 blocks, and 9 steals in the game, and their strong defense helped them to limit BC’s chances after the evenly matched first quarter to build up a lead. The Irish went into the final period of play leading 59-40.
As the fourth quarter went on, the Eagles clearly started to get frustrated and frazzled, and the Irish just kept building their lead. BC went on a bit of a run at the end of the game, but it ended with a disheartening final score of 74-61 in favor of Notre Dame.
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Boston College Women’s Basketball Can’t Complete Season Sweep of the Fighting Irish - BC Interruption
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As #JuniorCircuit has a signature GIF, whenever I return to the past of #SaveEli, I shall draw upon the meme I’ve adopted for my own. I feel that it’s important to lean into your eccentricities. Plus, the GIF really does sum up that first trip.
For the most part, these main page Post-Mortems will be the Greatest Hits of the Player Reviews or Alternate Cuts that never saw the light of day because the Comments closed out on me.
Or “The Heir Apparent No Longer” or “Mr. Saturday Night”
Just the Ace warming upMichael Elizondo
Dissecting the outings of Walker Buehler in 2021, when I was around, seems akin to being a sommelier in some of the finest wineries in France or a sushi concessioner in some of the most prestigious restaurants in Tokyo, it’s so hard to differentiate between Buehler starts to find which is best and which is worst, because, in theory, it’s all so darn good. Moreover, I did not want for choices of the locale to witness Walker Buehler firmly establish himself as the Dodgers’ ace, now and for the foreseeable future, as demonstrated below.
Buehler warming up in the outfield in San Francisco on May 22, 2021.Michael Elizondo
However, when reflecting on 2021 Walker Ferris Buehler,* I realized around the All-Star break that whenever I turned around, he was on the mound for a Dodger start. In fact, I even wondered in a post, just how many times it was actually BuehlerDay. In fact, the answer startled me to the point where I discuss it below.
* His middle name is actually Anthony, which seems like a missed opportunity. Oh well.
Buehler pitching in San Francisco on May 22, 2021.Michael Elizondo
That line of thought raised an overall question: just whose day was it when I was around the Dodgers this season. For 30 regular-season games, it wasn’t all that difficult to figure out. For the sake of completeness, Julio Urias was the starter for NLDS Game 2 and that game isn’t counted in the tally below.
The Staff Compared to The Ace
The Staff
Frequency
Who Pitched...
...Against Who, Respectively
Dodgers Team Respective Result
The Staff
Frequency
Who Pitched...
...Against Who, Respectively
Dodgers Team Respective Result
Once
The Bullpen†
@ Cardinals
W
Once
Mitch White
@ Cardinals
L
Once
David Price
@ Giants
L
Once
Max Scherzer
@ Reds
W
Twice
Dustin May
@ A’s, @ Brewers
W, L
Twice
Tony Gonsolin
@ Pirates, @ Cardinals
W, L
Thrice
Clayton Kershaw
@ Cubs, @ Atlanta, vs. Diamondbacks
L, L, W
Quarce‡
Trevor Bauer
(@ Brewers, @ Cubs, @ Giants, @ Atlanta
L, L, W, L
Five Times
Julio Urias
vs. Reds, @ Angels, @ Pirates, @ Giants, vs. Diamondbacks
L, L, W, W, W
The Staff Totals
20 Starts
9 Different Pitchers
17 Road Starts, 3 Home Starts
9-11
The Ace
Ten Times
Walker Buehler
vs. Reds, @ Cubs, @ Giants, @ Pirates, @Diamondbacks,
L, L, W, W, W, L, W, W, W, L
@Marlins, @Rockies, @Giants, vs. Padres, @Reds
The Ace Totals
10
8 Road Starts, 2 Home Starts
6-4
Michael Elizondo
† For my purposes, a bullpen game isn’t a bullpen game unless it’s planned that way. Otherwise, it gets confusing. May’s injury and Gonsolin’s short leash are hence addressed with this reasoning.
‡ Quarce is technically a word but isn’t the official term for four times, because apparently, the Oxford Dictionary stops after thrice.
It’s quite a load on those skinny shoulders.
Vista shot of where I was sitting in Pittsburgh for Buehler’s start on June 8, 2021 – once the rain cleared.Michael Elizondo
As I previously said, the running joke, for quite a while, was that I probably saw him more often than his mother did. I originally thought that the classic, yet somehow really creepy 80s “Every Breath You Take,” would be appropriate here, but I’m not, nor I was ever, stalking Walker Buehler. So instead, let’s frame this happenstance of schedule as a stakeout. And one song immediately jumped to mind.
Most of Buehler’s starts that I was present for were on Saturday – hence Mr. Saturday Night. It was either the above or inflicting Saturday Night Fever on any poor soul that happens by.
It’s worth noting that outside the first four-city trip, I didn’t plan my games around who was pitching. During the initial trip, I wanted to see every member of the rotation. In my poverty days, prior to becoming an attorney, I used to schedule trips around when Kershaw was pitching, because back then he was as close to a sure thing as you could get. After that trip, whoever was pitching on the day I was available was good enough for me. I did want to see Max Scherzer again as I once saw him as a Nat in D.C. in 2015, which I was able to do.
Overall, Buehler’s statline when I was around was as follows:
Walker Buehler’s Statline when I was around in 2021
Record
Innings Pitched
Hits Allowed
Runs / Earned Runs
ERA
BB
K
HR
HBP
bWAR
Record
Innings Pitched
Hits Allowed
Runs / Earned Runs
ERA
BB
K
HR
HBP
bWAR
6-1
65 2/3
46
21 / 20
2.74
15
68
3
3
6.7
Michael Elizondo
Truly solid stuff and he likely hasn’t reached full power yet.
Buehler with the K in Denver on July 17, 2021.Michael Elizondo
If Buehler has a flaw in his game, apart from being winded at the end of this year from reaching a career-high in innings pitched, is that he walks too many people (relatively speaking). Surprisingly, he issued at least one free pass in every start but one, and at least two free passes in six of them. However, that was the maximum amount he allowed. Granted, this flaw is not a major one – he’s not on Kershaw’s level yet, however, he did do a Kershaw-impression this year by being gassed and ultimately being let down by his offense and his bullpen to appear mortal on the national stage against a team wearing a red uniform.
Something tells me that Eddie Rosario will not go down in Dodgers’ infamy like Matt Stairs or Matt Adams. But we’ll see.
Michael Elizondo
Michael Elizondo
Buehler pitching in Miami on July 5, 2021.
Looking back, in 2021, Buehler had three modes: God Mode, Ace Mode, and Mortal Mode.
Buehler was in full control of his faculties (hence God Mode) on two occasions in my presence in 2021, which are discussed in depth below.
As to what I called Ace Mode, Buehler pitched at least 7 innings and gave up two or fewer runs, six times in my presence in 2021. He won all six starts.
Buehler frankly only looked mortal twice in my presence in 2021, his first start (vs. Reds, on April 26, 2021 – 6 1/3 in., 7 H, 5R (all earned), 1 BB, 10K, 1 HR, 1 HBP) and his start in Miami (5 in, 5 H, 4R (three earned), 2 BB, 6 K).
Buehler pitching in Cincinnati on September 17, 2021.Michael Elizondo
Even Buehler’s lone loss in my presence, he still pitched well – 3 ER in 6 innings isn’t a bad night’s work. As previously stated, in that game, the Dodgers’ offense didn’t really do anything except in the first and ninth innings.
Game of the Year Debate
Generally, I don’t consider it my place to disagree with the substance of main player review, except when to point out a factual error, like Nate Jones isn’t a free agent – he retired back in August. Eric’s choice for Buehler’s game of the year is a solid choice.
Per Eric:
Game of the year
Buehler’s consistency makes this a difficult choice, but we’ll go with May 17 against theDiamondbacksat home. After a single to shortstop by Josh Rojas in the first inning, Buehler did not allow another hit in his seven scoreless innings. He did walk four batters, including three in a row in the fourth inning. But after the bases were loaded, pitching coach Mark Prior paid a mound visit, after which Buehler retired his final 11 batters faced.
I politely propose two alternate candidates for Buehler’s game of the year that merit further discussion.
Candidate One: June 8, 2021, @Pirates. Line score: 7 in., 2H*, 0ER*, 1 BB, 2 K – “the Not a Homer Game.”
Buehler dealing in PittsburghMichael Elizondo
At first glance, this statline doesn’t jump out at you. It’s a very solid night, but it’s not eye-popping. I draw your attention to the hits and runs allowed, because, if you dig deeper you’ll likely remember that there was something very special about this game. One of the most bizarre plays in baseball that occurred in 2021: “The Hayes Not-Home run.” (video link to the play here.)
The Not-Home Run In Super Slow MotionMichael Elizondo
And like usual, I had a front-row seat, but to be fair, I had no idea what the heck was going on until I checked online. As it turned out, we, at the ballpark, all thought that Hayes had homered to put the Pirates up early. The shock of what actually happened was palpable and was truly emblematic of Pirates baseball in 2021.
Adric and me prior to the Not-Home Run game.Michael Elizondo
As a fun addition to this jaunt down memory lane, I now present alternate perspectives of the play from both the Dodgers and the Pirates.
From the Pirates (yet another shout out to UTree):
Candidate Two: June 19, 2021, @Diamondbacks. Line score: 7 1/3 in., 2 H, 2 R (both earned), 2 BB, 11 K – “The almost no-hitter.”
I’ve been fortunate enough to see Clayton Kershaw be absolutely dominant. As I’ve said elsewhere, I was at this game in 2013, where he went eight scoreless innings, struck out 12 before Brandon League(!) put the Brewers away for 1-2-3 ninth.
But the pure electricity in the crowd that day in Phoenix, I have never felt before or since.
Walker Buehler dominating the Diamondbacks on June 19, 2021.Michael Elizondo
I was screaming myself to the point where I was hoarse. I hadn’t done that since I was a child.
I understand why Buehler went back out on the mound in the eighth inning, but he was laboring in the seventh. I’d have gone to Treinen then Jansen if the goal was to preserve the no-hitter. Buehler was dealing that night, but the Diamondbacks were fouling enough off so that Buehler was at the 100 pitch mark in the eighth inning. It would have been nice to save some bullets in Buehler’s arm against an inferior opponent. But it’s all hindsight. Buehler reached for the brass ring and just missed it.
As to the future, here’s hoping we’re continued to be spoiled by Buehler’s pitching dominance for years to come.
Part 2 - The B-Side
Or “Synchronicity, Serendipity, or Being Larry David”
Now, I kept ending up at Buehler’s starts. Ten in total. I even joked during the season that I likely saw Walker Buehler more often than his mother, cracking wise that he should eat his vegetables. Even Eric felt compelled to comment on this fact.
I was amazed [Eli] saw TEN Buehler starts [in person] this year
Posted by Eric Stephen on Dec 31, 2021 | 8:54 AM
I didn’t plan to, Eric! It just happened and then somehow…the cringe…the cringe…
If we’re going down this road, it better be done right.
Like I previously said, I kept traveling to baseball on Saturdays, and Walker Buehler was just there. I’m going to blame Dave Roberts – that feels actually appropriate here. #FreeTonyGonsolin. It was BuehlerDay, literally 33% of the time. Heck, if Buehler was a family member, I wouldn’t be at that many games.
Look Eli, cousin Walker’s struck out a dozen Giants! Why can’t YOU do that?
My right arm wasn’t blessed by god…no thank you.
To be fair, I did take this virtual photo of my main man, Tony Gonsolin, and Walker Buehler, which seemed like a great idea at the time on my Dodger tour.Michael Elizondo
Honestly, if you go to Dodger Stadium, you should do the AR Dugout experience beneath center field. You can get your photos taken virtually with Dodgers who were on the team on Opening Day. I did that twice, once on the tour of Dodger Stadium, discussed below, and once on September 15, 2021, with my friend-date. I let her pick and she picked Urias and Bellinger. From what I noticed, most folks pick from a combination of Kershaw / Buehler / Bellinger / Mookie / Urias / Jansen. Austin Barnes and Dustin May need love too, people.
At some point, when prepping Side-A, the joke of my proximity to Walker Buehler stopped being funny (until it circled around to funny again) because I realized that I kept running into Walker Buehler – completely by accident. And at some point, synchronicity (II) and serendipity turn into a cringefest worthy of being Larry David. And like an earworm that just gets caught in your head, I was trapped in a glass cage of the emotion of awkwardness that I now share with you to close the book on Walker Buehler in 2021.
It all started innocently enough on May 3, 2021, where that day’s baseball was “rained out.” I use quotes because it didn’t rain until late into the evening and the fear was thunderstorms, which didn’t occur at all. There was just a light rain after I had myself some deep dish casserole.
I stumbled upon the area where the Dodgers’ buses were located and I figured I’d loiter until Clayton Kershaw showed up. Of course, Kershaw didn’t show, because he left on the only bus that left before I noticed the bus area.
Loitering by the team buses after a “rain out.”Michael Elizondo
While I was standing around my own business, hollering at various Dodger players, guess who I see.
Buehler gets on and off and on the team bus. Apparently, I had been standing by the Buehler family and I had not realized it.Michael Elizondo
Okay, innocent enough. Kind of a neat moment. Not meet Champ Pederson neat, but still pretty good...pretty good.
But that was at the beginning of the season, and I was trying so hard to not be weird and not somehow transmit COVID to the players by respecting their distance.
Anyway, the true source of my cringe is a moment that occurred when I took the tour of Dodger Stadium on September 13, 2021, which I highly recommend. You can do all sorts of things!
For instance:
You can enjoy the quiet beauty of Dodger Stadium without the pesky addition of people…
Just the view from center field. Was perfect picnic weather.Michael Elizondo
You can walk the field level and pretend you have an ounce of athletic ability – provided you stay off the grass.
No, seriously, stay off the grass.Michael Elizondo
You can run into Diamondbacks Manager Terry Louvillo for some reason…*
Not Pictured. Some guy on the tour: “Sorry for what we’re going to do to you tonight!”Michael Elizondo
*Terry Louvillo may not be available on all dates.
You can look for Eric’s name, in vain, while in the press box…
I mean, there’s Jon Weisman. It’s not nothing. Held up the tour group to look.Michael Elizondo
You can look at the many, many awards that the Dodgers have won over the years, including last year’s championship trophy…
Just hanging out by the 2020 Trophy.Michael Elizondo
You can run into Walker Buehler in the hallway trying to go to work…
Yup. This moment actually happened.Michael Elizondo
Wait, what?!?!What did you say to him?
Yay for COVID protocols, because I didn’t say anything. At the start of the tour, the tour guide wisely told us that we were the players if we saw any. The tour guide even argued just how awkward it would be if a player stopped you trying to go to work to talk to you. Besides, I felt so awkward running into him. What on earth would I say?:
“Oh, hi, Walker, apparently I keep accidentally following you around the country. That’s not creepy at ALLLLL!!! HAHAHAHA. So, how’s life and how’s your mom? We’ve been talking and you should eat your vegetables —”
At this point in the hypothetical, security has tackled me and I have to argue to a judge why a restraining order is inappropriate. Yeah, that was so not happening.
As an aside, the argument of what if a player showed up at my job and booed has little sway over me:
HypotheticalKenley Jansen: Hey Eli – I heard you booed me in April. Well, payback time! Boo, you suck at drafting wills! Boo.
Eli: Fork off, Hypothetical-Kenley – I’m billing you for that. Enjoy me padding your bill!
Eli’s Boss: Eli, my office – now!
Eli: Heh, the post where I admitted that I booed Kenley went blue. I think Istillwin.
Yeah…I cringed and laughed while writing that. Oh god, I am Larry David! My hair...my hair...
So that was my day at Dodger Stadium on September 13, 2021. If you want to see everything I did, please click the following link, if you cannot wait for the Los Angeles entry to the Guide.
Oh hey, these photos look familiar.Michael Elizondo
One last thing to share: I got lost in the Dodger Stadium parking lot trying to leave. I had to walk around the stadium to find the Uber lot to get back to the hotel and change before Kershaw’s return against the Diamondbacks. It was lovely but it did warm up. Plus, Dodger Security kept following me around because I’m just this guy wandering around the parking lot trying to leave…#NoReally_SaveEli. I’m fairly sure I saw Gavin Lux arrive in the player’s parking lot. We just awkwardly stared at each other for a moment. There’s not much more to that interaction, and it’s not his Post-Mortem anyway. #WaitYourTurnGavin.
And on that note, it’s time to roll credits, I think.
"complete" - Google News
January 30, 2022 at 10:00PM
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The Complete Walker Buehler: A 2021 #SaveEli TrueBlueLA Post-Mortem - True Blue LA
"complete" - Google News
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