Monday Morning Meissnervations

It's Monday Morning. (Well, at least that's what my calendar says) Here's what's happening....

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Mark Buerhle threw the 18th perfect game in Major League history last week, as the Chicago White Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0 this past Thursday. I was sitting home, hanging out with Jimmy as usual when I thought: "The Rays are playing. I'd better turn on the TV. I tuned in in the top of the 7th and thought: "Ooh. I'd better watch this." I have long thought that Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen was just, well, a guy umpires enjoy ejecting. But, what a brilliant move he made, putting Dewayne Wise into centerfield in the ninth innng for defensive purposes. Wise flew to the wall in left center and robbed Gabe Kapler of a home run with a leaping, then juggling catch. It's an amazing catch anytime, but to preserve a perfect game? Wow! And from what I've seen and heard, Buerhle is one of the class guys in baseball, a guy who really seems to appreciate the game and is grateful to be a part of it. I say: Good for him! (BTW: In 2001, the year he broke into the big leagues, he threw two consecutive complete games. The first was a one-hitter against the Rays.)

Oh, it's amazing the coincidences that can occur, not just in life, but in baseball too. Eric Cooper was the home plate umpire on Thursday. He was the home plate umpire when Buerhle no-hit Texas on April 18th, 2007 and they both wear number 56. As the great Yankee announcer Mel Allen used to say: "How about that!"

The Rays seem to be in one of those 6-4 modes right now. But, they are hanging in in the A.L. East race. And it appears they may have found a closer in lefty J.P. Howell, who has been lights out from the bullpen recently. They might figure in the race yet come September.

And in case you haven't heard, quite a debate about a new stadium is raging around these parts. I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that said: "$500 million to move a stadium 16 blocks?" Heck, if they (the Rays and City of St. Petersburg) can do it that cheap, I say "Go for it!"

As my friend Rod Pedersen says in his blog's Monday Morning Goalie (this inspiration for this featuer here) this week: "Life goes on."

Yankees lead the AL East by 2 1/2 over Boston and 6 1/2 over Tampa Bay. Detroit leads the AL Central by 2 over the White Sox and 4 over Minnesota. In the AL West, the Angels are 3 1/2 in front of Texas and 7 1/2 ahead of Seattle. In the wild card race, Boston leads Texas by 2 games, Tampa Bay by 4 and Seattle by 6 1/2. Kansas City brings up the rear, 19 games back. (I wonder just how many people are listening to Royals baseball in Kearney, Nebraska these days?)

In the National League, Philadelphia leads the East by 6 1/2 over both Atlanta and Florida(Marlins-Rays World Series anyone?), the Cubs are now 1/2 game ahead of St. Louis in the Central, while the Dodgers lead Colorado by 8 in the West. In the Wild Card, Colorado leads San Francisco by 2 games and St. Louis by 2 1/2. Washington(First in war, first in peace and now last in the National League) is 24 games back.


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The Saskatchewan Roughriders built a 22 point lead Saturday, but lost to the Edmonton Eskimos 38-33. Edmonton may well have saved their season with the win. And while some in Rider Nation are thinking "We suck" right now, rest assured that your team, heck, OUR team! has plenty of season left and will be in the thick of the West pennant chase when all is said and done. Two biggies coming up on the road though, Calgary and BC. Those will be tough! Coach Miller will have the boys ready. Saturday though was kinda frustrating. While the Riders built the 22 point lead, the defense was flying, special teams was getting it done(Tad Kornegay stripping thye ball from punt returner Tristan Jackson was WAY cool!) and the crowd at Taylor Field was really into it. But Eskimo boss Richie Hall, who spent 20 years in Regina as a player and coach didn't panic and got his team back on track. Saskatchewan didn't blow the game, the Eskimos came back and took it.

Saskatchewan, Calgary and Edmonton are tied for first in the West, with BC 2 points back. Montreal, the CFL's last unbeaten team, sits atop the East, 4 points ahead of Hamilton and Toronto and 6 ahead of Winnipeg.


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My wife and I had lots of fun watching the Dunedin Blue Jays-Sarasota Reds Florida State League game Saturday. (I had to watch the 4th quarter of the Riders game after we came home.) Three home runs and a 6-2 Baby Jays win. Jimmy spent a lot of time talking to the fans around us and sitting on our laps. I enjoyed watching the umpires work, as I always do. But it made me feel closer to retirement than I've ever felt, watching them run like gazelles all over the field covering plays. If you go to a game sometime, whether it's big leagues or minor leagues, watch the umpires. It's poetry in motion out there the way they work, often with no apparent outward communication at all. Best of all, these two guys, A.J. Johnson on the plate and Matt Cunningham on the bases, got an 8 1/2 inning game over with in a blazing hour fifty-three! Great job guys!

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At Holy Trinity Episcopal in Clearwater, we said goodbye to the Allison family yesterday, as they leave for seminary in Wisconsin next Saturday. My wife Kim and I have known them for a very short time, but they have had a very profound effect on our lives with their kindness to us. Roy has become one of the best friends I have ever had, Marcia is Kim's supervisor at work and their daughter Heather is an absolute delight(Jimmy thinks she's pretty cool!). And, if you want to look at it this way, they are the "players to be named later" in the Wisconsin-Florida trade that brought us from the freezing cold Wisconsin winter, back to the Florida sunshine this past January, while the Allisons prepare to head to Wisconsin, as Roy follows the Lord's calling and enters seminary. Please support them with your prayers. The Allisons are tremendous people and will no doubt be very successful. We love you guys and miss you already! God's blessings on you Roy, Marcia and Heather!

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Why am I up just past 3:00am writing this week's entry? Well, it's because I had a very unpleaseant nightmare, related to something that happened during our time in Cocoa. (Some of you know what I'm talking about.) It's simply amazing how someone's actions can have such an effect on others. And when those actions are bad AND they are intentional, it magnifies things a great deal. Then, when someone you thought was your friend could have corrected a very nasty situation, but did nothing because of how it would have affected him and his business, well, that makes it even worse. I'm not sure this "friend" really understands what effect this had on our family, especially me. My "friend" and I have tried fixing our relationship, but it just doesn't seem like it's happening, you know? He should feel great shame by his inaction and what it did to me and my family, but I doubt he does.

We really did meet Satan during our time in Cocoa, in the form of the person (not my friend) who pulled the crap on us he did during our time there. But, we truly have met Jesus during our time here in Tampa Bay, in the form of several different people at Holy Trinity. Good (and God) is definately winning this battle!

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Oh, before I forget: I love my family!!!! Kim, Jimmy, Snoopy and Smoke are as absolutely as good as it gets. Ours was one of those classic boy and girl meet on an internet chat group for those owned by schnauzers stories. (You don't own schnauzers, they own you!) Life may not be perfect and it often times might be a struggle, but I consider myself a very lucky man. I am blessed with the greatest family in the history of family!

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Okay, the "heavy stuff" is over. Have a great week everyone!

Take us out to the ballgame!

My wife, bless her heart, takes great joy in doing stuff to make her family happy. The latest was tickets to the Saturday night Florida State League (Long season A) game between the Dunedin Blue Jays and the Sarasota Reds.











As you can see, Jimmy had lots of fun(except for when he fell out of his seat and bumped his widdle head -- He's okay though), especially when the Baby Jays took the lead on a first inning three-run homer. They hit three out, on their way to a 6-2 win.












This was loads of fun, and hopefully, we can check out some of the other FSL ballparks in our area, like Clearwater and Tampa.











Thanks to my lovely bride for such a fun evening! Also, thanks to the umpires, who got us and everyone else out of there in a crisp buck-fifty!!!!

Edmonton mounts improbable comeback to beat Riders

Down 22 points early in the second quarter and on the heels of two straight embarrassing losses, the Edmonton Eskimos scored 38 of the next 49 points to defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 38-33 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina Saturday.

The Riders had the sell-out crowd of 30,945 on their feet early, as Tad Kornegay stole the ball on an Edmonton punt return. 3 plays later, Darian Durant flipped the ball in the left flat to Wes Cates, who scored from 4 yards out. Luca Congi kicked the convert, then Jamie Boreham got a single on the kickoff, putting Saskatchewan up 8-0 4:19 into the game. On the Eskimos next possession, Ricky Ray was intercepted by Lance Frazier, who ran it back 70 yards for the major score. Congi's convert put the Riders up 15-0, a lead they would increase early in the second quarter, as Durant capped an 11 play, 92 yard drive with an 18 yard touchdown run. Congi converted with just 1:55 gone in the second quarter, to give Saskatchewan a 22-0 lead.

Edmonton Coach Richie Hall, who spent 20 seasons in Regina as a player and coach before becoming the Head Coach of the Eskimos at the start of this season, rallied his team and turned things around. Noel Prefontaine kicked a 16 yard field goal, Calvin McCarty ran the ball 37 yards for a major score with Prefontaine converting. Congi got 3 back with a 27 yard field goal, before Prefontaine added a 42 yard field goal, cutting the Rider lead to 25-13 at the half.

Prefontaine made it 25-16 with a 34 yard field goal with 9:33 remaining in the third. Then, after forcing Saskatchewan to punt, Tristan Jackson scored on a 75 yard punt return. Prefontaine's convert cut the Rider lead to 25-20, with 8:05 to go in quarter number three. Calvin McCarty would then cap a 7 play, 47 yard drive with a 2 yard scoring plunge. Prefontaine converted again, putting Edmonton on top for the first time in the game, 30 to 25.

The Regina Boys would regain the lead in the 4th. After a Jason Clermont 33 yard reception ended the third quarter, Weston Dressler was interfered with in the end zone, giving Saskatchewan the ball, 1st and goal at the Eskimo 1. Chris Cazrka powered in from there on the first play of the fourth. The Riders went for two and failed, but got a second chance thanks to an Edmonton penalty. Durant was able to make the most of the opportunity, hitting Andy Fantuz in the left corner of the end zone, putting Saskatchewan back on top at 33-30, with just 49 seconds gone in the final period. The Riders forced the Eskimos into a 2-and-out, but were pinned deep in their own end after the punt. They failed to pick up a first down and elected to give up the safety touch, with Boreham running the ball out of the back of the end zone with 11:29 to go reducing their lead to one, at 33-32. Edmonton scored the winning points on the ensuing possession. They ran the kick back to their own 54, then scored eight plays later on an Arkee Whitlock 18 yard run. The Esks failed on the two-point conversion with just over eight minutes remaining, but held on from there for the 38-33 comeback win, clinching the win when Dressler couldn't hold a third down pass that would have given Saskatchewan a fresh set of downs with just over a minute to go.

Ricky Ray started slow but finished strong for Edmonton, completing 23 of 32 passes for 247 yards, while beining intercepted once. Calvin McCarty rushed 9 times for 76 yards with two majors, while Arkee Whitlock added 63 yards on 13 carries to go with his winning touchdown. Noel Prefontaine had a huge game, scoring 12 points on 3 field goals and 3 converts. For the Riders, Darian Durant was 20 of 36 passing for 238 yards and two touchdowns, one passing and one rushing. Wes Cates added a receiving touchdown, while Chris Czarka scored a rushing major and Lance Frazier scored on an interception return. Luca Congi had a fairly quiet day with a field goal and 3 converts for 6 points.

Edmonton, now 2-2 and in a three-way tie for first in the West with Calgary and Saskatchewan, hosts the 4-0 Montreal Alouettes on Thursday, July 30th. The Riders, who have now lost two straight after starting the season with two wins, travels to Calgary to meet the defending Grey Cup champion Stampeders on Saturday, August 1st. Kickoff is set for 9:00pm EDT. The live broadcast, with Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri calling the plays, starts at 8:00pm EDT and can be heard at http://www.620ckrm.com/.

Riders host reeling Eskimos today

From http://www.riderville.com and The Canadian Press.


The Saskatchewan Roughriders are set to host another Western Division Rival this afternoon, as they host the Edmonton Eskimos.

Saskatchewan will look to improve their record to 3-1, and keep a hold on first place in the West, as they battle the 1-2 Eskimos.

The Riders won their first two games, but last week suffered their most embarassing home loss in many years, losing to Montreal 43-10. Darian Durant and Steven Jyles combined for 14 of 28 passing for 155 yards, and Wes Cates, appearing in his first game after off-season shoulder surgery, scored Saskatchewan's only touchdown on a four-yard run. Jamie Boreham punted 8 times for a 39.1 yard average for the Riders, who led 7-4 early in the second quarter. Tad Kornegay led the defense with 8 tackles and a forced fumble. The Green and White hurt themselves greatly last week with 6 turnovers, plus 7 penalties for 68 yards. "Our defense played lights out for a long time in the ballgame" said Riders Head Coach Ken Miller, "but we just didn't give them any help."

Edmonton, led by former Saskatchewan player and assistant coach Richie Hall, have allowed 762 passing yards and six touchdowns through the air in consecutive lopsided losses - a 50-16 drubbing in Montreal July 9th and a 40-22 defeat at home to the B.C. Lions July 16th. The 1-2 Eskimos have spent the past week looking for answers. Lack of defensive pressure up front, blown assignments and a secondary that's been one step behind opposing receivers too often, has been very damaging in the two losses.

The game will kick-off at 4:00 pm EDT at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, with a special tribute being paid to the 1989 Grey Cup Team at Halftime, as the Riders celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the championship team.

Edmonton leads the all-time series between the two teams with a record of 104-78-2, but the Riders have won 9 of the past 10 games played in Regina. The Eskimos beat Saskatchewan 45-12 in a pre-season game in Edmonton on June 12th.

Fans unable to make it to the game can catch all the action with Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri, live on Rider Radio http://www.620ckrm.com beginning at 3:00pm EDT. You can also watch the game, live on TSN, as the Blackout has been lifted with Mosaic Stadium selling out for the second straight time. In the Tampa Bay area, catch the game on Bright House Sports Network Channel 47, beginning at 4:00pm EDT. It will be followed by the replay of last night's Toronto-Winnipeg game.

Monday Morning Meissnervations

It's Monday morning. Time to check out what's going on.

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The Montreal Alouettes showed they are the class of the early season CFL Saturday, with a 43-10 thrashing of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Saturday in Regina. While the Riders defense was solid, they did have trouble containing Quarterback Anthony Calvillo. And the Saskatchewan offense(namely QB's Darian Durant and Steven Jyles) once again had trouble hanging onto the ball. Could QB of the future Graham Harell be the QB of the Now sooner than anyone expected? As Rider Radio Voice Rod Pedersen puts it, Harrell still has the learn the CFL game first. He's got to learn the Rider offense too. It's not like he'd crack the lineup in the next couple of weeks, or anything like that, but it's still a point to consider. A little less fumbleitis likely wouldn't have made a difference Saturday, but Jyles' fumble at the Montreal 2 killed any hopes of building some momentum for the Taylor Field squad. Riders host Edmonton next Saturday, with the CKRM broadcast beginning at 3:00pm EDT.

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In Canada, three things are certain: Death, taxes and the Hamilton TigerCats will suck. Well, that third "fact of life" is a bit less certain these days. Kevin Glenn, in relief of starter Quinton Porter, was 11 of 19 passing for 146 yards, 2 touchdown and 2 interceptions to lead Hamilton to it's second straight win, a 25-13 triumph over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The TiCats got receiving touchdowns from Dave Stala and Chris Davis, plus 13 points from kicker Nick Setta, who booted 3 field goals, 2 converts and 2 singles. Hamilton put up 19 second half points and held the Bombers to just 7, after being tied 6-6 at the half. Siddeeq Shabazz 30 yard interception was Winnipeg's only major score, while former Oregon State kicker Alexis Cerna booted 2 fieldgoals and a convert for 7 points.

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Maybe our friends to the North should now be saying: "Death, Taxes and the Toronto Argonauts suck." The Argos have now lost 16 of their last 21 games(They went 4-14 last season), following a 44-9 pounding at Calgary last Friday. In those 21 games, Toronto has scored just 472 points, while allowing 734. Quite a fall for the Double Blue, after 2007's 11-7-0 record was good enough to win the CFL East.

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Edmonton's Richie Hall might be on the hot seat early. The long-time Saskatchewan Roughriders player and assistant coach, who finally got his well deserved chance to be the head man in Edmonton this season, is 1-2, after the Eskimos lost 40-22 at home to the BC Lions last Thursday. Edmonton is off to a 1-2 start and fans of the CFL's best-known team in the States, probably won't stand for losing for long.

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Why all the interest in the CFL on an American-based blog? Well, why not? Quite frankly, if I had the choice between tickets to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Saskatchewan Roughriders, I'd take the Riders every time. (Even my wife, a die-hard Bucs fan, has been heard around our house singing "Green is the Color" on Rider game days!) 12 men on the field, any number in motion towards the line of scrimmage, no fair catches and the famous "Rouge" for a kick that isn't run out of the endzone, make for a fun game. The CFL motto, "This Is OUR League" applies in the Meissner house, as well as across Canada. I found attempts by the Buffalo Bills to insert themselves as Toronto's team quite distressing. Now that those attempts are apparently over, fans of the CFL can breath a bit easier. Now, if the CFL can get a franchise going in Ottawa again(One has already been awarded to begin play next season, but is contingent on stadium improvements), plus another one out West(Saskatoon perhaps?), things will really get jumping up North.

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CFL standings through week #3:

In the West, Saskatchwan leads at 2-1 for 4 points(The CFL awards 2 points for a win, just like in hockey), followed by Calgary(the defending Grey Cup champs), BC and Edmonton, all at 1-2 for 2 points. In the East, Montreal(who lost in the 2008 Grey Cup to Calgary) is 3-0 for 6 ponts, followed by Hamilton at 2-1 for 4 points, then Winnipeg and Toronto, both 1-2 for 2 points. The season is 18 games long and the top three teams in each division make the playoffs.

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The Tampa Bay Rays swept the Kansas City Royals over the weekend. And the bullpen got the job done, which was good to see. If the Rays can't do that(beat the teams below them) on a consistant basis, then they have no business being as close as they are to first(4 1/2 back)in the AL East. And don't look now, but even though they are in third in the AL West, the Seattle Mariners are only 4 back. Could they be ready to make a move there as well? San Francisco(still my favorite team), is 7 1/2 back of the Trolley Dodgers in the NL West. Maybe someone could remind Barry Zito that he used to be a good pitcher in Oakland, before the Giants(so far have) wasted all that money on him. Still hard to believe that the Jints haven't won a World Series since leaving New York after the 1957 season. (They won their last World Series in 1954, the year before I was born.)

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In the NL East, Philadelphia is first, with Atlanta 6 1/2 back. St. Louis is 2 ahead of the Cubs, 3 ahead of Milwaukee and 4 clear of Houston in the Central and Los Angeles leads the West by 7 1/2 over San Francisco and 8 over Colorado.

In the AL East, Boston leads the Yankees by a game and Tampa Bay by 4 1/2. Detroit leads the Central by 1 1/2 over the White Sox and 2 over Minnesota. And the AL West is paced by that other Los Angeles team, who are 3 up over Texas and 4 ahead of Seattle.

There just might be some pennant races this summer after all.

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How much for the game of golf did Tom Watson's weekend at the British Open do? I'd say, a lot. It was heartbreaking to see him miss that putt on 18 Sunday that would have won the tournament, then lose by 6 shots to Stewart Cink in the 4-hole playoff. Some people actually believe that if Watson could be competitive at age 59, that is a bad thing for the sport. I say, as did Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated, that it should be a really good thing. Like he said on the TV coverage, how many people in their 50s, who have given up the game, will now dust off their clubs and hit the links again? Anything that can get people off their couches and out in the (somewhat) freah air, can't be so bad, can it?

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And finally(WHEW!) in sports, fan-run message boards are fun to read. But why, oh why, do people in Kearney, Nebraska(well, people is an overstatment. It's more like 2 or 3) think that fan message boards are a good way for team management to keep track of what "the fans" feel? I think it would be safe to say(I use that message board as an example, because I spent two seasons there as the radio voice of the USHL's Tri-City Storm) that less than 1% of the fans of the team there participate of that message board. In no way, should a fan run, non team-affiliated(or otherwise sanctioned) message board EVER be considered as representative of a significant cross section of that team's fans.

At the Storm fan board (http://www.stormreport.net)they are begging for a team staff member, like returning head cheese Greg Shea, to become a regular participant. Well, how much of a no-win situation do you think that would put him in? A couple of years ago, I spent some time there on that board, and actually took quite a bit of abuse from a couple of very vocal blowhards, because I had the "cajoonies" to disagree with them on more than one point. You want team management to hear what you think? Then contact them directly. (If message boards were that important to fan/management communications, then why do teams list contact information on their official websites?)

Of course, some teams just don't get how important communication with their fans is. (Are you listening Tampa Bay Rays? Probably not.)

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Things at home are pretty cool. (Well, as long as the air conditioner keeps working!) Jimmy, who has been cruising furniture for quite awhile, is now taking to cruising door frames and the like. Walking isn't far off. He also had tooth #5 break through the lower right gum line. He's still a bit on the small side, but his Baby Doctor(Little, teeny doctor!) is pleased with his progress. So are Mommy and Daddy.

Snoopy had his eight birthday yesterday, and Smoke continues to find it a challenge to find an escape route from the backyard out into the neighborhood each time he goes outside. We sure do love out fur kids!

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The weather continues to be typical for Florida. Heavy rain, lots of thunder and lightning overnight, but now mostly clear, sunny, hot and humid. Here in Florida, we have four seasons: Hot, Really Hot, Unbearably Hot and Holy S#$@ this is crazy hot! While I'm not anxious to repeat the winter we experienced in Wisconsin in '08-'09, I do like the usual Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter up North more. Now, if any current (or future) USHL teams want to make me an offer my lovely bride and I can't refuse....

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I had the opportunity to speak on the phone with Dean Gorman yesterday. Dean is the former owner of both the Spokane Flyers and Kootenai Colts(who later became the Coeur d' Alene Lakers) of the Northern Pacific Hockey League. Dean is completely out of hockey now, is enjoying life and embarking on new challenges. I really enjoyed our chat. Dean is one classy guy!

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So, for those of you who have been around for awhile, where were you on this date in 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the Moon? I was home in Portland, Oregon, watching it all on TV, as a wide-eyed 14 year old. What a year 1969 was. Men walked on the Moon and the Mets won the World Series. My Mom lost her battle with Cancer in November of that year. Perhaps she thought, at that point, that she had seen it all?

Speaking of parents, with my Dad's passing last November 7th at age 88, my wife Kim and I have lost both our parents which, of course, means that Jimmy has no actual Grandparents(He has plenty of adopted Grandparents, plus adopted Aunts and Uncles and wonderful Godparents in Ric and Debbie Deane, so he's covered.). If you still have one or both parents(and/or Grandparents), cherish the time you spend with them, talk with them, take lots of pictures and tell them you love them as often as possible. That's an order!

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That's it for this week's entry. Have a great week everyone!

Happy Birthday Snoopy Boo!

Our eldest son, Snoopy Boo Meissner, is eight years old today! Snoopy has been with his Mommy since he was a little guy, and has been Daddy's schnauzer boy for the past four years. He is a wonderful boy, gets along great with his Chi-hua-hua brother Smoke and his human brother Jimmy and is a wonderful and greatly cherished member of our family.

Happy Birthday Snoopy Boo. We love you very much!




Snoopy and Mommy










Snoopy and Daddy










Snoopy and Smoke with Jimmy









Snoopy and Smoke