The Knights of Lexington (not to be confused with the Knights of Columbus), played last night in the Las Americas baseball league at 5th and Jefferson. The baseball game was a close one until Kentucky Trade scored 7 in the bottom of the 8th to put the game out of reach and send the loyal fanbase to the parking lots to warm up their cars. The final was 11-5 Kentucky Trade over the Knights.
The game started out with the Knights going against the Jamie Moyer of the League. A lefty with a mixture of slow and slower fastballs, curveballs, and spinners kept the Knights off balance for the first four innings. The only bright spot for the Knights was a long ball by Tyson 'the quiet bat-master' Murray. In the bottom of the first, the Trade got a few runners on base to bring up their talented third batter. He ripped a liner down the right field line that according to infield-outfield-catcher Jordan 'Cookies' Adler, "it was foul by four feet." Fair or foul, without the luxury of an umpire down the right field line to identify the correct landing of the ball, the home plate umpire called the ball fair and the Trade was scoring runs unabashedly.
The Knights bats cooled off when Cody came into the game to pitch for the Trade in the 5th inning. A big tall southpaw with a mixture of fast and faster balls as well as a ball that broke away from the right hand batter, it looked bleak for the Knights. However, the bleakness of the night turned when Tyson stepped up the plate. He took a fastball and crushed his second homerun of the game to make it a 4-2 score with the Trade starting to wonder if the game was going to tighten up as their lead was diminished.
The Trade's fears were realized. After two quick outs, Cody all of a sudden couldn't find the strike zone. He walked Matt and Michael with two outs. Then Dave stepped to the plate with the Pizza Hut play of the game. "Unsure of the count, Cody sets the sign and delivers plate ward. The pitch is swung on and crushed to right field! The right fielder might have a play on it. No! The balls screams past and we are off to the races folks! One is scored, two runs are scored. Dave is heading for third with a two out-two run triple! We are tied at 4! The Knights have tied the Trade at 4!!! What a game! Talk about coming through in the clutch! Who doggies!!!"
Jordan Adler would then rip a single up the middle to give the Knights the lead 5-4.
The lead unfortunately wouldn't last for the Knights. The first batter for the Trade in the bottom of the 8th squibbed a ball to first base and barely beat the throw to a covering pitcher Michael.
Then the wheels fell and before the dust didn't settle on the infield, the Trade had scored 7 runs in the inning.
The Knights went quietly in the 9th and that was all she wrote. In the words of the cowboy Jeff Brantley, it was time to 'kiss the baby.'
The Knights next game is Thursday May 31 at 5th and Jefferson.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
The Red Letter Commentaries 5-19-12
DC Talk came out with a song a in 1998 called the "Red Letters." Basically they sang about Jesus' life how the red letters offer hope, love, and peace. For you country music fans, Brooks and Dunn also released a song called, "Believe." Both of these songs talk about how some versions of God's Word include the words spoken by Jesus Christ are written on the pages in red. Granted, Jesus spoke in Aramaic and the versions I read are in English because I am still many years away from understanding, speaking, or reading Aramaic.
With that said, I have begun my personal commentary about the red letters of Jesus. I am reading a New International Version of the Bible given to me by my loving, beautiful bride and I will also cross-reference in spots with a New King James Version.
Let's begin in Matthew and work our way forward.
Matthew 3:15 Jesus is just baptized by John the Baptist and said, "it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Jesus understood what needed to happen in his life and one of the first things for his ministry was to be baptized. Christ offered the humbling act to be performed by John, who resisted at first, but eventually agreed.
4:4 Jesus went into the desert and is tempted by Satan. Satan tries to get Jesus to turn some rocks into bread because Satan knew Jesus was famished. Jesus replies, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Jesus is referring to the Bible because God breathed the words into the authors exactly what he wanted them to write. I feel that so many of us try to rely on 'bread'-money, status, or a job alone in life and it can't sustain us. It is the word of God that will offer us the sustenance that we need.
4:7 Satan again tries to tempt Jesus to call on angels to save him from a fall off of a tall building. Jesus responds with, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Jesus understood God's will and knew that throwing himself off of a tall building only to have God the Father send angels to catch him would not prove anything. Satan tempts us constantly to try something we shouldn't because he knows he can rule over us with the smallest of footholds. Jesus response extinguished any foothold Satan tried to gain.
4:10 Jesus scolds Satan and shouts, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written, Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." Satan will promise us so many things and a lot of it looks very glamorous. But we worship only the true God of this world and serve and give him our time.
4:17 Jesus preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." How true is this? Very true! I think that our lives as Christians begin the day we decide to follow Jesus. We know that heaven will come after we die, but while are here on earth, we have the opportunity every day to serve Jesus and share our hope we have in Christ with others.
4:19 Christ told the fishermen near the bank, "Come, follow me. And I will make you fishers of men." The men left at once to follow. No delay or time to scratch their heads to figure out what Jesus was talking about. Jesus has called us to follow him today!
With that said, I have begun my personal commentary about the red letters of Jesus. I am reading a New International Version of the Bible given to me by my loving, beautiful bride and I will also cross-reference in spots with a New King James Version.
Let's begin in Matthew and work our way forward.
Matthew 3:15 Jesus is just baptized by John the Baptist and said, "it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Jesus understood what needed to happen in his life and one of the first things for his ministry was to be baptized. Christ offered the humbling act to be performed by John, who resisted at first, but eventually agreed.
4:4 Jesus went into the desert and is tempted by Satan. Satan tries to get Jesus to turn some rocks into bread because Satan knew Jesus was famished. Jesus replies, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Jesus is referring to the Bible because God breathed the words into the authors exactly what he wanted them to write. I feel that so many of us try to rely on 'bread'-money, status, or a job alone in life and it can't sustain us. It is the word of God that will offer us the sustenance that we need.
4:7 Satan again tries to tempt Jesus to call on angels to save him from a fall off of a tall building. Jesus responds with, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Jesus understood God's will and knew that throwing himself off of a tall building only to have God the Father send angels to catch him would not prove anything. Satan tempts us constantly to try something we shouldn't because he knows he can rule over us with the smallest of footholds. Jesus response extinguished any foothold Satan tried to gain.
4:10 Jesus scolds Satan and shouts, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written, Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." Satan will promise us so many things and a lot of it looks very glamorous. But we worship only the true God of this world and serve and give him our time.
4:17 Jesus preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." How true is this? Very true! I think that our lives as Christians begin the day we decide to follow Jesus. We know that heaven will come after we die, but while are here on earth, we have the opportunity every day to serve Jesus and share our hope we have in Christ with others.
4:19 Christ told the fishermen near the bank, "Come, follow me. And I will make you fishers of men." The men left at once to follow. No delay or time to scratch their heads to figure out what Jesus was talking about. Jesus has called us to follow him today!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
2012 Derby Day Stakes
I ran today in the 1st annual, "run for Madi," Derby Day Stakes. The foot race at Coldstream Park offered 5k, 10k, and 15k races. I, being the ever optimist and doing what I haven't done yet, signed up for the 15k race. For those without a conversion table nearby, this is 9.3 miles. I ran the Moonlight Madness Marathon in 2008 with the Party Line, but that race was considered unofficial by some estimates.
This race was bona fide and and had a lot to offer for challenge. The weather gave us thunderstorms at daybreak but the threatening weather moved out by the 8:35 AM start. Humidity did give way for plenty of sweat for the shirt.
Aside from the distance it would torture the body, I suffered a back strain on Thursday thanks to base running out at 5th and Jefferson. I wasn't going to let this deter my race so I slapped a Icy Hot Patch before the start and jogged a mile to loosen the legs and back.
The race started at a good pace with the first mile going by at a 7:06 clip. I ran with a youth in a neon green jacket and a middle-aged man in a plaid kilt. The second mile took us out to citation boulevard and up a down a few hills. I was going through the motions good enough for a 7:25 second mile.
The third mile was the bright spot of the day. We raced through a bank parking lot or maybe insurance/law firm. I passed three people in front of me but was passed by another middle-aged man in a ball cap. I latched on to him and we drafted the entire third mile down hill and with the wind at our back. The result? A 6:13 third mile!
I followed the cap through the fourth mile but started to loose the draft. The fourth mile slowed to a 7:11 time. During the fifth mile, I suffered a pass from the middle-aged plaid kilt. As I tried to keep up with him, onlookers would shout the obvious to him. He didn't seem to respond, all business from this competitor. I finished up mile five in 7:31.
I was starting to feel the muscles in my hips right at the waist start to tighten. The back was feeling great, but my mile splits were moving into the mid to up seven minute quadrants. Only natural, right?
I watched from a distance as the cap and kilt battled each other the next three miles. For me, mile six took 7:43, mile seven paced 7:25, and mile 8 lasted 7:57. Mile 8 would have been over eight minutes but I sprinted for about ten seconds to secure the under eight mile.
Mile 9 came and passed with little event, I did run with a few of the 10k runners. I ran the 9th mile in 7:45 and had three-tenths to go. I ran up a hill and at the crest of the hill were encouragers and race officials. The course went downhill and ended on a nice flat stretch. 2:11 clocked off for my last leg.
Total time was 68:30. I am glad to be able to run and run for fun!
This race was bona fide and and had a lot to offer for challenge. The weather gave us thunderstorms at daybreak but the threatening weather moved out by the 8:35 AM start. Humidity did give way for plenty of sweat for the shirt.
Aside from the distance it would torture the body, I suffered a back strain on Thursday thanks to base running out at 5th and Jefferson. I wasn't going to let this deter my race so I slapped a Icy Hot Patch before the start and jogged a mile to loosen the legs and back.
The race started at a good pace with the first mile going by at a 7:06 clip. I ran with a youth in a neon green jacket and a middle-aged man in a plaid kilt. The second mile took us out to citation boulevard and up a down a few hills. I was going through the motions good enough for a 7:25 second mile.
The third mile was the bright spot of the day. We raced through a bank parking lot or maybe insurance/law firm. I passed three people in front of me but was passed by another middle-aged man in a ball cap. I latched on to him and we drafted the entire third mile down hill and with the wind at our back. The result? A 6:13 third mile!
I followed the cap through the fourth mile but started to loose the draft. The fourth mile slowed to a 7:11 time. During the fifth mile, I suffered a pass from the middle-aged plaid kilt. As I tried to keep up with him, onlookers would shout the obvious to him. He didn't seem to respond, all business from this competitor. I finished up mile five in 7:31.
I was starting to feel the muscles in my hips right at the waist start to tighten. The back was feeling great, but my mile splits were moving into the mid to up seven minute quadrants. Only natural, right?
I watched from a distance as the cap and kilt battled each other the next three miles. For me, mile six took 7:43, mile seven paced 7:25, and mile 8 lasted 7:57. Mile 8 would have been over eight minutes but I sprinted for about ten seconds to secure the under eight mile.
Mile 9 came and passed with little event, I did run with a few of the 10k runners. I ran the 9th mile in 7:45 and had three-tenths to go. I ran up a hill and at the crest of the hill were encouragers and race officials. The course went downhill and ended on a nice flat stretch. 2:11 clocked off for my last leg.
Total time was 68:30. I am glad to be able to run and run for fun!
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