College Bowls 2019/20

Once again it is time for the college football silly season. Each year there are way too many bowl games, only three of which matter. The rest are the equivalent of soccer friendlies or exhibition games. It only takes a .500 season to qualify for a bowl. That means six-win teams get to play. Hardly a mark of excellence. In addition to a lack of good teams, there are also suspect bowl names and locations. Many are just made for TV filler events, particularly by ESPN. So, let's get on with this year's rundown. 

For 2019/2020 there will be 40 bowl games. That means 78 different teams will participate. There are 130 Division 1 - FBS football schools, so 60 % get to play in a bowl. That is quite an exclusive club.  The first game is December 20th, the last on January 6th.

There are always some funny, awkward, or unfortunate bowl names. Almost every bowl now has some tie-in to a title sponsor.  Some of them this year are:

• Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl - Two problems here. First, it is in Nassau Bahamas, not exactly a hotbed for American football. The game is played in a crappy 15,000 seat soccer stadium. We have bigger and better high school football stadiums in Texas. Second, Makers Wanted is just a slogan for an industrial park in Elk Grove Village, IL. 
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl - This game is also played in a rather small 20,000 seat soccer stadium. No, it is not in San Francisco, it is in Frisco, TX. 
• Cure Bowl - Again a soccer stadium, this time with 25,500 seats. The CURE refers to breast cancer. 
• Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl - What's a Cheribundi? It's cherry juice.
• Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl - At least it is played on a natural grass field.
• Walk-On's Independence Bowl -  Walk-On's is a sports bar/restaurant chain. Hardly any of the players will actually be walk-ons. 
• Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl - Shouldn't this be named Tony the Tiger Cereal Bowl? No tigers will be playing in this bowl. It will be the Seminoles vs the Sun Devils. 
• Vrbo Citrus Bowl - Can I buy a vowel? 
• Famous Idaho Potato Bowl - I always find this name confusing. What exactly is famous? Idaho, potatoes, the bowl, some or all of the above? This is the game played on the blue field.
• Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic - Not a funny name but the game is no longer played in the actual Cotton Bowl stadium which still exists, it's at Jerry's World. For a few years, there was a minor bowl at the real Cotton Bowl, but none this year. 

The sponsorships change every year. Many only last a year or two. A few stick around for years. 

Because of the lax requirements for bowl eligibility, there are some pretty bad teams in the mix. If in any year there are not enough six-win teams to fill all the slots, they just waive that requirement. In theory, a six-win team will have a .500 winning percentage. Because we now have conference championship games, some teams play 13 games so a 6-7 team is still good enough. It doesn't look like that aberration happened this year. In fact, there was one extra bowl-eligible team this year. Toledo (6-6) is the unlucky team that lost the lottery. However, there are 13 6-6 teams in the fray. That includes The Kent State Golden Flashes and FSU Noles, two extremes of the college football spectrum.  

Enjoy the games, root for your team. If your school is one of the have-nots who made the dance, this is your chance to get a national TV game and maybe a big upset. If you root for a major school that snuck in with a 6-6 record you just hope for a win so it's not a losing season. I'll certainly watch the three playoff games that count and the Gators play in the Orange Bowl. A few others look interesting too. There is also the yearly tally to see which conference does well in the bowls. The ACC has ten teams in the bowls. The SEC and Big 10 each have nine teams. 

If these 40 games are not enough, remember there is an even sillier season at the end. That would be the four all-star games that have lost almost all relevance in recent years. They are now mostly populated by marginal players hoping for a look by NFL scouts. 

So, let the games begin. Happy bowling. Go Gators! Go SEC!

wjh

Our Last Visit to The Temple

Globe Life Park

On a warm evening, September 12, 2019, my youngest son Matt and I made our last trip to Globe Life Park to see a Texas Rangers baseball game. It turned out to be a very enjoyable evening. One of the great joys of being a father is going to a ballpark with a son who is also a baseball fan. There are no bad visits regardless of the game outcome, the weather, the seat location, the traffic, or anything else.

A little history. I am a big baseball fan. When very young, I was a New York Giants fan. We lived in the metro New York City area until I was about 6½ years old. I remember watching their games on an old black & white TV. Willie Mays was and is my all-time favorite baseball player. We then moved to Florida and there was no local or even near MLB team so I still rooted for the Giants but hardly ever got to see them play. After college, I moved to Atlanta and the Braves had also recently moved to town. I had the chance to go to several games back when Hank Aaron was their star. I even got to see Willie Mays on the few occasions that the now San Francisco Giants and New York Mets came to town. I became an Atlanta Braves fan. Even when I moved to south Georgia I could keep up because their games were televised on WTBS and carried on cable TV. Then in the mid-'80s, I moved to the DFW Texas area. The Texas Rangers were the local MLB team. I knew little about them since they were an American League team and were never contenders. Nevertheless, I decided to latch on to them as my new team. It was difficult. The team was mostly terrible and the ballpark was even worse. Still, Arlington Stadium could be fun. Admission and concessions were cheap and there was no problem getting good seats at the last minute. We all got used to mediocre at best baseball and facilities. 

Then in the '90s, the team started to get better. Not great but respectable. They had some young studs and signed Nolan Ryan. They also got new ownership that finally had some money. They planned and financed a new stadium along with the city of Arlington. It was just across a parking lot from the old stadium. 

I was lucky enough to go to the opening day of the new stadium and then the next night to the first night game. They were nosebleed seats down the right-field line but still great. It was amazing. It was a particularly striking contrast from the dump that was the old stadium. It was big, not cramped. It was shiny and green, not faded blue and rust. There were dozens of concession stands and restrooms, not just a couple of often flooded locations. There were big electronic scoreboards and TV monitors. It was beautiful. In fact, it was the best ballpark I had ever been in. Not the most iconic or historic but the best. I had been to (old) Yankee Stadium, Shea, Wrigley, Fenway, Dodgers, Anaheim, Candlestick, and several others. It was beautiful. The first time you emerge from the concourses to the field of any ballpark is special. This was extra special because I was one of the first 40,000 people to experience that Opening Day and the Rangers were my adopted team. That Opening Day was in 1994. Now in 2019, 26 years later, the stadium is apparently worn out. 

This ballpark will always hold a special place in my heart. Besides being there for Opening Day, I also had the opportunity to take my stepson to that first opening night game. I went to many games with friends and colleagues in those first few years. Finally, probably around 1997 or '98, it was time to take my youngest son to a ballgame. He was five or six by then and already a baseball fan and old enough to know what was going on at the game. He was a huge Pudge Rodríguez fan at the time. I still remember as we made our way to our seats, we passed a big poster of Pudge. Then we turned the corner and he saw the field. It was a magical moment for both of us. I have no memory of who the Rangers played or who won the game. It didn't matter. At that game and several others, Matt would drink Dr. Pepper, eat a hot dog, maybe ice cream in a little batting helmet. Dad had a couple of beers and maybe a dog. 

We also went to a couple of fan days during the off-season when we could tour the clubhouse, indoor batting cages, the dugout, and the field. Matt got to take batting practice, run the bases and slide into home. Special times. 

The Rangers continued to improve after they moved to the new ballpark. It was originally named The Ballpark in Arlington. It then became Ameriquest Field. Unfortunately, Ameriquest went out of business with the mortgage crash in 2007. The stadium went back to Rangers Ballpark. In 2014 it became Globe Life Park. The new stadium will be named Globe Life Field. 

Starting in the mid-'90s, the Rangers began winning division titles. They peaked in 2010 and 2011. By 2015 and '16, they made the playoffs again. Matt and I went to those playoff games. By then, he was joining me in drinking cold beers. We now go to games every season. It is always a joy. We splurge for good seats, pay attention to the game, and have a few beers. We once stayed through the end of an 18 inning game. 

Our last trip to Globe Life Park was almost perfect. It was a Thursday night game against the Tampa Bay Rays. We headed that way around 5:30. We parked across the street from the stadium and right next to Texas Live, the new eat, drink, entertainment venue. We had a good early dinner. Better food, a real table, a server, and less expensive than the ballpark. We then matriculated across the street to the stadium. While standing in the security/ticket line, we heard the national anthem. Into the concourse and we grabbed a beer because we had to walk about halfway around the field to our seats. We stopped at our aisle to talk to our favorite beer vendor. Then walked to our seats just in time for the first pitch. No waste, no haste. They were good seats, row nine between home and the third-base dugout. The beer vendor in that section is a friend so we were well taken care of. It was warm but not oppressive and the Rangers won the game. Most importantly, I was with my son at a ballgame. What more can you ask?

The new ballpark opens next season. I'm sure it will be nice. It will have a retractable roof so there will be no more 100° days or rainouts. Comfortable, but it will never replace the current stadium or even the previous old dump. My youngest son will never see his first MLB game at the new field. I will never have to stand in ankle-deep water for a beer or piss in the trough of old Arlington Stadium restrooms. Matt and I for sure will go to games at the new Globe Life Field. Maybe someday there will be a son/daughter and grandchild we can go see a game with. That will make the new venue really special.

A local sports radio guy early on named the ballpark The Temple. It was an apt name and has stuck. I don't know if the new Globe Life Field will get a nickname but it will never be The Temple. RIP old friend. 

wjh

College Football 2018-19 Bowl Games

Once again it is time for the college bowl season. It could also be named the silly season. Only three of the 40 bowl games actually count. You read that right, there are 40 bowl games this season. That is up one from last season because 39 is just not enough. The two semifinal playoff games this season are the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, actually Arlington, and the Orange Bowl in Miami, actually Miami Gardens. The championship game will be held at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Those are the three that count. The rest of them are exhibition games that are only good for bragging rights and recruiting. The schools may also make a few dollars if they are lucky. They may also lose money. 

Bowls used to be rare. Fifty years ago, there were probably only eight or ten games. A school had to be top 25 to get a bid. Now you only need to win six games, 50%, to be eligible. There are 125 FCS division football programs and 78 will play in bowl games. That is about 62% of the teams, very exclusive. If by chance there aren't 78 teams with six victories, they will let a five-win team or two play. With the inception of conference championship games, some teams play 13 games. A team with a 6-7 record still qualifies for a bowl. Gotta fill those slots so ESPN will have live programming to air. 

So let's get on with my observations about this illustrious bowl season. 

• The first six games will be December 15th, the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl, the New Mexico Bowl, the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl, the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, and the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. All must see games packed with big-time football power schools.
• There will be four bowl games in the DFW area. The Frisco Bowl in Frisco, TX; the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth; the First Responder Bowl which is played in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas; the Cotton Bowl which is played at AT&T Stadium (aka Cowboys Stadium, aka Jerry's World) in Arlington. So, the Cotton Bowl game is not played in the Cotton Bowl stadium and the contest in the Cotton Bowl stadium is not the Cotton Bowl game. Clear?
• Orlando has three bowls, the  Cure, Camping World, and Citrus Bowls.
• Several places have two games, Tampa, New Orleans, and the Miami area.
• Once again there is a bowl game in that football hotbed Nassau, Bahamas. This year it is called the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl but is sponsored by the town of Elk Grove, IL, a Chicago suburb. Not sure what the name or sponsorship is about. 
• It's a tossup for the worst location. Boise and Detroit have games. Boise may win because that game is outdoors and played on a blue field. There is also the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. That could be pretty cold but at least it's in the Big Apple. 
• There are always some obscure sponsors scattered among the bowls and they insist that their name is in the title. This year we have Raycom Media, R+L Carriers, Cheribundi, Bad Boy Mowers, Quick Lane, Walk On's, and Nova Home Loans.
• Some bowls have incredibly long name as they try to get the sponsor's name included with the original name. The San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl, The Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman, and The Rose Bowl Presented by Northwestern Mutual top the list. 
• Gator is back in the name this season. After four years of being The Taxslayer Bowl, it is The Taxslayer Gator Bowl once again. Of course, it was just The Gator Bowl for several decades and was played in the actual Gator Bowl stadium which is long gone.
• The Gasparilla Bowl has been moved from St. Pete's Tropicana Field, a terrible baseball stadium and worse football venue, across the bay to Raymond James Stadium, a real football venue that is home to the Tampa Bay Buccanneers and the Outback Bowl. A good decision unless the weather is really bad. Tropicana has a roof.
• The Cactus Bowl lost its name and is now The Cheez-It Bowl.   
• There is both a Military Bowl and an Armed Forces Bowl. Different days, different places. Each sponsored by large defense contractors. Cozy.
• There will be some of the made for TV bowls that will have about as many people on the field as in the stands. 
• Most of the venues are at least adequate nowadays. That was not always the case. The original Independence Stadium in Shreveport looked like a bad Texas high school stadium before the city rebuilt it. Hell, the old Gator Bowl was pretty spartan as was the Orange Bowl. 

The first game between highly ranked teams will be December 29th at The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl when #7 Michigan plays #10 Florida. Go Gators! That is also the date of the two College Football Playoff semifinal games. They are #3 Notre Dame vs #2 Clemson in the Cotton Bowl and #4 Oklahoma vs #1 Alabama in the Orange Bowl. 

I'm interested to see how Oklahoma does against Alabama. The Sooners score a ton of points but play in the Big 12 where nobody plays defense. Alabama does play defense.

The remaining big bowl games are on January 1st, the traditional date. The most interesting of those games may be #8 UCF vs #11 LSU. The non-Power Five Knights of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) against the mighty SEC Tigers. 

It's almost time to buy the snacks, chill the beer and get ready for some football. It shouldn't take much longer than about 125 hours to watch the 40 bowl games. I'm sure they will all be riveting. It will all be over on January 7th when Alabama beats Clemson for the championship.

Let's go bowling. I hope your team wins.

wjh 

Hall of Fame Stats

After I wrote my thank you to Adrian Beltré, I realized I hadn't really said anything about the outstanding career stats he compiled. Any Rangers fan worth their salt is already aware of most of them, but hopefully, a few non-Ranger fans also read this blog. So here is a summary of Adrian's accomplishments on the field. They are certainly worthy of a first-ballot election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Adrian will be eligible in five years. 

Adrian played 21 seasons in the majors. During that time, he played with four MLB clubs. Seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, five seasons with Seattle, one year in Boston, and his final eight seasons with the Texas Rangers. 

Perhaps Adrian's most impressive stat, other than playing 21 years at a high level, is the 3,166 hits. That ranks him 15th on the all-time hits list. He has more hits than any foreign-born player. More hits than George Brett, Tony Gwynn, Rod Carew, and numerous other baseball greats. 

His other stats include:

• 1,707 RBI - That ranks 24th all-time
• 477 Home Runs - Ranks 30th
• .286/.339/.480 slash numbers - Batting average/ on-base %/ slugging %
• .819 OPS - on-base + slugging
• Played 2,933 regular season games
• Five Gold Glove awards 
• Four All-Star games
• Four Silver Slugger awards 
• MLB home run leader in 2004 with 48
• MLB hits leader in 2013 with 199
• Named MLB Personality of the Year in 2017. An award he should have won numerous times

With the exception of the five Gold Gloves, the above statistics don't really touch on Adrian's outstanding fielding. Baseball continues to struggle with meaningful defensive metrics. The few measurable categories like fielding percentage are flawed. It often penalized fielders with outstanding range by charging them with an error on balls a less talented player doesn't get close to. Many of the new sabermetrics also leave a lot to be desired. All that being said, I'll give you my opinion based on over 50 years of baseball watching. I have seen Brooks Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Chipper Jones, Clete Boyer, George Brett, Eddie Matthews, and many other good and great third basemen play. Several in person. I have had the opportunity to watch Beltré almost every game for eight years. I'm not saying Adrian is the best fielder ever, but I can't name anyone who is better. 

With the above offensive numbers and one of the best ever fielding third basemen plus the leadership and off-field contributions, there should be no doubt in my mind that Adrian Beltré is worthy of a first-ballot election to the Hall of Fame. 

Thanks again Adrian for a great ride. 

wjh

Adrian Beltré

The great Adrian Beltré announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on November 20, 2018. 

First off, let me say thank you for 21 years of outstanding baseball. A very special thanks for the last eight years with the Texas Rangers. It gave me the chance to see you play almost every game. Mostly on TV, but also several times live at the ballpark. We will miss you. It wasn't just the outstanding baseball, you were also a great personality. You played the game with a smile regardless of the circumstances. You brought a smile to those playing with and against you. You brought a smile to the fans. You even brought a smile to the umpires. Your antics are legendary. 

Don't let that happy go lucky exterior fool you. Adrian was a fierce competitor. He gave full effort every game. He played hurt without complaint. He was a leader on the field and in the clubhouse. Screw up and you got the LOOK. After the look, there was often a talk and a teaching session, followed by encouragement. 

Adrian was an outstanding fielder. I can't imagine any third baseman being any better. He had catlike reflexes at the hot corner and an exceptional arm. His fielding plays often made the highlights.

Beltré also had unique mannerisms in the batter's box. He would do a little dance after being brushed back. He would immediately point to the first base umpire on a checked swing. Maybe most famously, he would sometimes hit from one knee. Several of those one kneed gems left the park. 

Let's not forget Adrian's off-field behavior either.  He was always up for a visit to the local children's hospitals, a youth center, or a charity function. He gave personal attention to special visitors to the ballpark and locker room. Aways with that big smile and humor. 

Over the 30 plus years of following the team, I can think of only one other Texas Ranger who connected with the fans the way Adrian has. That would be Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez. Ironically, Pudge and Adrian reached career milestones on the same weekend in 2017. I am confident that Adrian Beltré will be following Pudge into the Hall of Fame in five years. 

I was sad when Pudge was traded and I am sad today because Adrian is retiring. Sad but grateful to have had the opportunity to see great baseball. I know both gave it there all and owe us, the fans, nothing more. Pudge came back to Texas and works for the Rangers. If they are smart, the team will make a similar offer to Adrian. 

So, thank you again Adrian Beltré for an outstanding career and a bundle of joy.

wjh 

MLB 2018 Season Predictions Results

Before the 2018 MLB season, I made my Fearless Forecast predictions. The predictions were made on our podcast, Two Old Guys Drinking Beer (TOGDB). You can check them out at this link, TOGDB - Season 2 Episode 12 at the 01:10 mark. Here is an accounting of those predictions and a recap of the season. 

A summary of those predictions shows that I got three of the six division races correct for 50%. I correctly predicted seven of the ten playoff teams for 70%. The Braves, Brewers, and Athletics fooled me. I also correctly predicted 50% of the World Series teams, the Dodgers, but I did not correctly pick the WS winner.

A few notes on the regular season. For the first time in MLB history, there were more strikeouts than hits. The AL East had two teams that posted 100 or more wins (Boston & NYY) and a team with over 100 losses (Baltimore). The AL Central had two teams with 100 or more losses (Chicago White Sox & KC). Baltimore finished 61 games out of first place in the AL East after losing 115 games. The NL Central (Chicago & Milwaukee) and NL West (LA Dodgers & Colorado) divisions both ended in a tie that required a one-game playoff. That left the wildcard and NLDS home field teams undecided until after those games. 

Here are my picks vs actual results: (correct picks are in bold)

• NL East pick Washington Nationals. Actual winner Atlanta Braves.
• NL Central pick Chicago Cubs. Actual winner Milwaukee Brewers
• NL West pick LA Dodgers. Actual winner LA Dodgers
• NL Wildcard picks St. Louis Cardinals & Colorado Rockies. Actual winners Chicago Cubs & Colorado Rockies

• AL East pick NY Yankees. Actual winner Boston Red Sox
• AL Central pick Cleveland Indians. Actual winner Cleveland Indians
• AL West pick Houston Astros. Actual winner Houston Astros
• AL Wildcard picks Boston Red Sox & LA Angels. Actual winners NY Yankees & Oakland A's.

• NLDS picks Washington Nationals & LA Dodgers. Actual winners Milwaukee Brewers & LA Dodgers 
• NLCS pick LA Dodgers. Actual winner LA Dodgers

• ALDS picks Houston Astros & NY Yankees. Actual winners Houston Astros & Boston Red Sox
• ALCS pick Houston Astros. Actual winner Boston Red Sox

• World Series pick Houston Astros. Actual winner Boston Red Sox

Now the champion BoSox get to celebrate for a year. The other 29 teams are in wait til next year mode. Spring training starts in mid-February 2019.

wjh

The Colonial 2018

I love The Colonial golf tournament and the Colonial course. This year it is called the Fort Worth Invitational and has no signature sponsor. For the past few years, it has had several sponsors. Sometimes it was named The Colonial sponsored by (insert corporate name) and other years it was named the (insert corporate name) Invitational or Tournament at Colonial. Then finally, it was the (insert corporate name) Invitational, no mention of Colonial. For over 60 years it was The Colonial Invitational, the tournament started in 1946, the country club and course began in 1936. That's what it should be called regardless of the sponsor(s). It is also what I and everyone I know calls it. On Friday, May 25th, my son and I went to "The Colonial". I have been many years and he first went last year. He's hooked too. 

Most years it was a fairly easy choice between the Byron Nelson and the Colonial golf tournaments. For years they have been held back to back. The Nelson was OK if you had an invite to a corporate tent and didn't really care about the golf. The Colonial was far less corporate and was played on a course that is beautiful and conducive to watching golf. Both had a party atmosphere, the Nelson during the golf rounds, the Colonial during the afterparty. 

So, now the Nelson has moved to a new venue. The Colonial is still at its original 1946 home. The old girl is holding up very well. 

May weather in Texas is a crap shoot. It may be rainy, it may be hot, it can even be cool. Some years it is even perfect. This year and last have been of the hot variety. Temperatures reached into the mid 90's with little wind. The great thing about Colonial is that there are about a million trees. Many are giant oaks that are hundreds of years old. You can find shade. 

This year we went on a Friday so we got to see the whole field. We wandered around the front nine when we got there. After a quick lunch at the Main Street pavilion, we met up with some friends at the area around the 12th and 13th holes. The 13th has always been a party hole, it is a par three over water. It used to be the site of the famous caddy races which are now banned by the PGA. Over the years, it has become a major gathering spot with multiple concession stands and corporate tents plus giant covered bleachers at the 13th green. As the day wound down, we ran through the pro shop on the way out. It's not an official trip to The Colonial without spending a few bucks on stuff we don't need. It was then the ride back to the mid-cities and a sit-down dinner in an air-conditioned restaurant. I had no trouble falling asleep that night.  

Another fun and successful day of golf and beer at a Fort Worth tradition. I'm ready for 2019. Hope you will join us. Fore.

wjh

The Byron Nelson Tournament

My son and I went to the Byron Nelson golf tournament on Saturday, 5/19. It was the 50th anniversary of the tournament. It was also the inaugural year for a brand new venue. For the last 35 or so years, the tournament was held at the TPC Four Seasons in Irving, TX. The new course is Trinity Forest in southeast Dallas. 

The Nelson has never had adequate nearby parking and that problem continues. When in Irving, the parking was at the old Texas Stadium location. Now, parking is at a big Fair Park parking lot. The good news is that parking and the shuttle buses to the course are still free. It seemed like a somewhat longer bus ride, but not bad. 

I am glad they moved the tournament. I never liked Four Seasons. It was a mediocre course that was terrible for the spectators. There were very few places on the course to actually see golf. No locations where you could see multiple holes. 

The new Trinity Forest location is a bit strange. It has only been open for about a year and a half. Although it is actually located in a large forest, the course itself doesn't have a single tree. No, the golf architects didn't clear-cut the site. It was formerly a garbage landfill that has been reclaimed. It is a links style course that features wide fairways, large greens, a lot of traps, and a few areas of very tall native grass rough. 

Trinity Forest Golf Course, Dallas, TX

It is a great venue for watching golf. There are a couple of shared greens and tees. Because there are no trees, it is easy to see several holes from one location. A big improvement over the old location. The downside is that there is little natural shade and a late May in Dallas can be hot and sunny. The day we went started out mostly cloudy with temps in the 80's. It got sunnier and hotter later, but not too bad. That's what sunscreen and beer are for. There are several enclosed, air-conditioned places on the course although most require some kind of sponsorship connection or an additional fee, a couple are open to the general public. If you just want to go to a party, I would suggest upgrading to one of the premium venues. The same goes if you require adult beverages other than beer and wine. If you actually want to watch golf and drink beer or wine, there is no need. 

The other thing about the course is that it is different from almost every other course the pros play here in the States. Think the British Open courses like St. Andrews vs the tree-lined courses like Augusta National, home of The Masters. 

Augusta National Golf Course

We walked most of the course and found several vantage points to comfortably watch a lot of golf. We walked over 6 miles during the day since we wanted to check out the whole place. 

My biggest concern for the course going forward is the scoring. The cut was -4 and the winner, rookie Aaron White, was at -23. Thirty-one players finished at -10 or better. Links courses can be fairly easy when there is no wind and rain softens up the greens. That turned out to be the conditions for most of the rounds. Saturday, the day we were there was the toughest since the winds were blowing. The PGA is making several changes to the 2019 tournament schedule. It will be interesting to see where the Byron Nelson falls. Will the new dates make the course a little harder? I hope so. I think 23 under par is too much. 

Overall, the new Trinity Forest venue is a big improvement. It is a farther drive to get to for those of us west of Dallas. That is more than made up for by a better course. 

I'm ready to go back next year. Until then, here in DFW, we have the Colonial coming up this week in Ft. Worth. That has always been a favorite course and tournament of mine. From the very new Trinity Forest links course to the very old Colonial tight tree lined location. We'll be there again this year. 

wjh

MLB Baseball Predictions - 2018

2018 MLB Predictions

These predictions were written prior to the start of the season and were broadcast on the Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast, Season 2 episode 12, on 04/12/2018. The text was originally meant to be my notes for the podcast so they may be somewhat cryptic and incomplete. Nevertheless, my picks are now additionally documented so there is evidence for October when the mocking will commence.

The numbering and bullets failed to transfer correctly but it is still readable. To fix it would require going into the HTML code or retyping much of it. Kind of a pisser since both the original document and this blog are Google apps.

My Fearless Forecasts picks for the 2018 baseball season. I got some right and many wrong in 2017. Some teams seem to be a lock for a division title and a place in the playoffs. Others seem destined to be eliminated early and finish in the cellar. It’s the teams in the middle that are intriguing. Will a rookie have a breakout year, will a free agent excel or fizzle, will a star suffer a season-ending injury? So many things to go right or wrong. Cliché warning - That’s why they play the games. So, on with the picks.

National League

East Division

1. Washington Nationals - Last chance, Harper and other stars free agents at end of season. Scherzer & Strasburg. Maybe 100 wins. Weak division.
2. Atlanta Braves - A little hopeful. Still young and rebuilding. A .500 season would be good.
3. New York Mets - Terrible injury riddled 2017. No major roster changes. Healthy pitchers and depth a problem.
4. Philadelphia Phillies - Rebuilding, still look a couple of years away. Could break through if a couple of youngsters excel.
5. Miami Marlins - Complete player dump & rebuilding mode. Weak hitting and pitching. Probably 100 losses. Jeter in charge.

Central Division

1. Chicago Cubs - Solid lineup. Some new pitchers, starting and bullpen. Lost Arrieta but signed Darvish. Should be a net gain.
2. St. Louis Cardinals - Could win division if Cubs falter, otherwise a wildcard team.
3. Milwaukee Brewers - Pitching a ?. If good, will be wildcard contender
4. Pittsburgh Pirates - Sinking. McCutchen gone. Starting to rebuild.
5. Cincinnati Reds - Young and rising. Could move to 4th.

West Division

1. Los Angeles Dodgers - Still loaded and young, right around 100 wins again. A couple of middle bullpen questions. A toss-up between West & Central for strongest NL division.
2. Colorado Rockies - Flip a coin between Rockies & D-backs for 2nd & 3rd. Both could again make the playoffs as wildcards. Maybe a tick better than 2017.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks - Same as above. Strong pitching (Greinke
4. San Francisco Giants - Added Evan Longoria (32) and Andrew McCutchen. Both good players, but past their prime. Bumgarner out 6-8 weeks with fractured hand.
5. San Diego Padres - Still not ready for prime time although the farm system has gotten better.

American League

East Division

1. New York Yankees - Loaded. Stanton & Judge, the new Bam Brothers. Sonny Gray for the whole season.
2. Boston Red Sox - No big additions or improvements, only beat Yankees by 2 games last season. Chris Sale, can David Price come back.
3. Baltimore Orioles - No starting pitching but never count out Buck.
4. Toronto Blue Jays - No big changes. One last try for this roster.
5. Tampa Bay Rays - Longoria gone, even lower payroll. Maybe finally a new stadium in Ybor City in the works.

Central Division

1. Cleveland Indians - Another 100 win season. Loaded pitching staff (Kluber, Carrasco). Weak division.
2. Minnesota Twins - Hoping for another wild card spot. Santana out for 12 weeks will hurt.
3. Chicago White Sox - Young and improving, but not yet.
4. Kansas City Royals - Early rebuilding period.
5. Detroit Tigers - Early rebuilding. Verlander and Kinsler gone.

West Division

1. Houston Astros - Young and talented. Maybe 100 wins in what could be the toughest division. MVP Altuve. Everyone back. Verlander for entire season. Strong starting pitching, maybe best in MLB (Verlander, Keuchel, McCullers, Cole, Morton)
2. LA Angels of Anaheim - Othani? Added Kinsler
3. Texas Rangers - No big changes. Gallo full-time 1st base. DeShields CF & leadoff. Left field? Calhoun sent to minors. Pitching? 6 man rotation, 5+ rotation, closer, Lincicum. Maybe wishful thinking, Rangers could lose 90+ games.
4. Seattle Mariners - No big changes. Pitching a question.
5. Oakland A’s - Young but some talent. No money, no big names, crappy stadium.

Playoffs

National League

• East - Nationals
• Central - Cubs
• West - Dodgers
• Wild Cards - Rockies, Cardinals

• NLDS - Nationals, Dodgers
• NLCS - Dodgers

American League

• East - Yankees
• Central - Indians
• West - Astros
• Wild Cards - Red Sox, Angels

• ALDS - Yankees, Astros
• ALCS - Astros

World Series

• Astros, Dodgers - Astros in 7

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