Tryin' to Chill

Well, our heat wave is starting to break a little. Here in the Inland Valley our high for the day was down 4°F from yesterday. I opened up the Ancestral Digs about an hour earlier than the previous four evenings, and there was a noticeable "Delta Breeze" wafting through the house, helping it cool off nicely...I re-aimed the fans, and settled in to watch my sports.

I was able to get in the Tour de France and the SF Giants on the tube, but my Fantasy Team backslid a little...Team CorduroyPlanet finished the day back in 34th Place. It was a tough day in France for all concerned. Very narrow rural roads and on and off torrents of cold, pouring rain squalls.

American Levi Leipheimer hit the pavement in the last ten miles of the stage, and while no worse for wear, he did lose a minute to the other leaders. The Big Viking Thor Hushovd retained le maillot jaune, finishing third in the bunch sprint finish.

The rain played havoc with Alberto Contador's bike, and he had to change bikes twice and chase back to the front yet again. It looks like Lady Luck isn't in Contador's corner so far this week.

The Giants won in far less dramatic fashion than Wednesday night. Players coming back from early season injury are finding their stride. Tonight's victory was the Giants' 51st win against 39 losses so far...better than last season.

Sadly, I had to watch yet another Giant go down with injury. John Hall, a utility player acquired last month by the team to fill several injury-induced holes in the infield, took one for the team, though hardly intentionally.

Tonight Hall was playing second base, and got spiked as he tagged out the runner. Instant replay showed the runner to be safe, so it was a blown call by the second base umpire that went the Giants' way.

One of the things that make baseball baseball, is the Human Element. Humans "fit" baseball perfectly, and baseball returns the favor by fitting humans perfectly.  For me, one of baseball's greatest charms is it's human-ness for lack of a more precise word. 90ft between bases, nine men on a team, nine innings of three outs...baseball is a perfectly scaled latticework for humans to build their personal baseball worlds on.

After the play at second, Hall immediately reached for his leg, and walked off the field into the dugout, and down the stairs to the locker room.  TV clearly showed the holes in his pant leg where the runner's spikes found purchase.

During the Post-Game wrap-up, it was reported that the cuts on Hall's leg went "to the bone". Feeling my own leg, there's not much meat over the tibia, so getting to the bone probably isn't that uncommon on the baseball diamond. Hall got some stitches I'm sure, and he'll have to sit out a few games until he's healed up, so the hits just keep on coming for the Giants.

I'm staying up late tonight so I can stream LIVE Free Practice One from Silverstone in the British Midlands. It's the British Grand Prix weekend, and as always in F1, there are many fascinating questions to be answered on the track.

Stay tuned!