Birthdays, bugs, baseball & business ...

... have kept us from our duly-appointed blog rounds for the last three or four days. This is an explanation, not an apology. The day blogging becomes Job No.1 will be the day it provides 50% of the net Oklahomilist income. Seeing that it now represents a more-or-less neutral cash flow position, that day is not yet circled on the calendar.

Our excited congratulations today go to the St. Louis Cardinals for their 13-5 opening day win against the Phillies yesterday. Albert Pujols hit two homers (which mathematically projects to 324 on the season ... heh) but perhaps more significant is the grand slam delivered by Scott Rolen, seemingly indicating that his rehab from injuries sustained in a crash last May (with a big Dodger first baseman) is complete.

Less pleased this morning am I over a younger Cardinal team, a group of young men 15 to 18, that we began to manage three years ago. We played our first league game Monday, fell behind early after our starting pitcher struggled, giving up seven walks, and then rallied to close to within 4, ultimately losing 11-7 to ... the Ducks.

Yeah, the Ducks. Sigh. So contrite am I over this embarrassing loss that for once I will drop the Grand First Person Plural and simply say that the loss was my fault as the manager. Shoulda pulled the starter in the early going instead of testing to see how he would handle himself. Every pitcher has his bad days, and a manager's responsibility includes limiting the damage when those bad days occur. The Ducks! Gee whiz!

There were many good things, chiefly the big six-run rally that pulled us to within one with an inning to play. Also, the play of the youngest Son of Oklahomilist (on his birthday) was exemplary. Baseball's an unforgiving game: you take your comfort where you can.