I'm in Phoenix.
I'm not in Phoenix; I'm at my desk, but by the time this posts on Sunday; I'll be in Phoenix training for my new job for the next two weeks, encompassing three Sundays. Tendownfree Sundays.
Thursday I woke up at 5:30 for my last day at a job I've had for 8 and a half years and watched Matt Cain throw the only perfect game in the 130 year franchise history of the Giants.
There won't ever be a way to separate those two occurrences, perhaps you have something similar in your life. 20 years ago, I started what was my most significant relationship of my life to that point on the same day that Magic announced he had HIV. As long as I remember one, I'll remember the other.
That's how this will work too. It's the longest time I've ever worked anywhere; I taught as much as 48 weeks a year, with up to 7 classroom classes running at a time, with as many as 50 students in a class. I gave the school almost every good idea I had in my thirties. They sliced my vacation in half, and when corporate profits dropped they took away my health insurance. The way the right wing would like me to react to that is to direct my anger at some tenured instructor at a state school. "Look at what those government workers get! Why do they deserve so much more than you?"
They don't. But it doesn't mean their deal is too good; it means mine wasn't good enough.
The right hates class warfare, believes that talking about inequality is just "envy" - but whether it's "look at those immigrants" or "look at those welfare cheats" or "look at those government workers" - the right message of misdirection - that we should look at anyone except at who actually has a greater and greater share of the wealth - is predicated upon envy.
And all of those things are frozen in my mind along with this:
I left my job on June 14. I flew to Phoenix on June 17. Which is today. Except its not.
131 is here. This is Tendown 132.
1. Inning by Inning
Here's the breakdown of Cain's 125 pitch, 14 strikeout, perfect game.
2. Blanco
Given the spot - one of the great catches in baseball history.
3. The five minute version.
Via MLB - a 5 minute version of the game.
4. The final Out
5. The Greatest Game Ever Pitched?
Cain's game score is tied for the second best in baseball history.
6. The Other 21.
Here's every perfect game in baseball history.
7. No Longer Unlikely
The distance between Cain's advanced metrics and his career win-loss record led some to call him the unluckiest pitcher in baseball history.
8. Headlines.
At 5-0 in the third, our expected win percentage was 94%
10. The Rubber
That's all for this time. I'll be back next time....if there is a next time...
Your pal,
Jim
