Friday, September 8, 2017

New York Yankees and Retired Numbers

The retired numbers and plaques are getting so silly now with the Yankees that here is what will be coming in a few years:
Plaques:
  • John Sterling
  • Suzyn Waldman
  • Michael Kay
  • Brian Cashman
  • Mike Francessa
Retired numbers coming:
  • Joe Girardi
  • Paul O'Neill
  • Mark Texiera
  • Alex Rodriguez
  • CC Sabathia
  • Scott Brosius
  • Hideki Matsui - first Japanese Yankee to be honored
It's ridiculous and the Yankees should say after Jeter, there will be NO MORE retired numbers again.
The team is bigger than whoever happens to be wearing the uniform at any given time.
A retired number should only go to the players who were so outstanding and one of a kind immortal that there will never be one like that again.
While these players below were absolutely great and fan favorites they are not in that category in my opinion:
  • #1 Billy Martin 
  • #6 Joe Torre
  • #10 Phil Rizzuto
  • #20 Jorge Posada
  • #23 Don Mattingly
  • #32 Elston Howard
  • #44 Reggie Jackson
  • #46 Andy Petitte
  • #49 Ron Guidry
  • #51 Bernie Williams
These players had wonderful careers but we will likely see more like them in the future. 
It cheapens the distinction when all these players get retired numbers when they are no where near the stature of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMagggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra....
The exceptions to this for the modern guys are Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter.  There is no way we will ever see players like these 2 again so they qualify.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Recycled Recumbent Bike Project

I vowed after bike riding in the 2017 Bike-A-Thon and Tour de Shore events (Philadelphia to Atlantic City) that next year I would not do 5 hours on an upright bike for 65 miles again.  I test rode a few recumbent bicycles in early August and really liked them however the cost for one is around $1800+.  So of course I decided to try making one.  I found some good plans from AD Carlson of Recycled Recumbents.  This is the Mach 1 design and he shares all his plans for free.  I have about 60 miles on the bike now and it is very comfortable.  I really love it.  I learned some new skills with this project including arc and mig welding.  I also did some brazing.
More construction pictures here on my Flickr site.

Dovetailed Box

My friend from work, Dave, asked me to make him a wooden box to store a pistol he had someone handmake for him.  I tried to make it all out of cherry, but the bottom and top pieces warped.  I wound up making the sides out of cherry and the top and bottom out of clear pine.