The Astros' Wives...Thank You!


I'd like to thank the wives of the Houston Astros for standing in their husbands place and allowing them 3 days rest. On May 15-18 the Astros organization crossed an unprecedented threshold once again. On the heels of their first World Series appearance, the Astros catch America's attention by sitting their players and asking the wives to fill in for their men.

The Giants of San Francisco came to town with "swollen-head" Bonds with media from across the nation in tow. Obviously there was a idea somewhere in the Astros camp that must have sounded similar to this, "Hey the stage is set with all this media around, why not be the first team to put the player's wives on the field for an entire 3 game series."

3 games straight, the Giants faced the Astros' wives on the field. And the result was obvious. The Giants scored 34 runs combined for the series. And you ladies thought no one would notice your presence at Minute Maid.

And so I'd like to give a Texas sized thank you to the Astros' wives for giving their men a rest and playing the Giants so bravely(name of NL East team not intended). I'm not sure we realize what a sacrifice that was. Thank you ladies. I look forward to more impressive things from you in the future. As for now rest up we might need you in a pennant race in October.

Are you a Waver?


During a baseball game last week, I saw one of the funniest yet addicting things happen in the crowd. The wave. It's funny because never would you see someone, or find yourself, alone in a chair then having the urge to stand up, hands up in the air and scream then sit back down again; then repeat until interest is lost. However if a crowd of one-man-wavers get together and begin propositioning for this silly maneuver, it turns into a giddy, childish, "hey look at that" happening.

As I watched a few one-man-wavers attempt to sell the rest of the watching-the-game-paying-fans on the necessity of the wave, I recognized a few simple but profound truths.

1. No matter how hard one man tries to get the wave started it takes more than one. Possibly two...four would be good...seven to ten people even better.

2. Multiple pockets of wave-starters can have a difficult time reaching their intended goal unless they are pushing the ripple in the same direction.

3. Once everyone succumbs to the few wave-starter's appeals, they love it. In fact they cheer it on as the sea of people push the ripple all the way around the now ocean-like arena, and boo the sitter-downers as if they just kicked their dog or just took the parking spot they were waiting for at Target.

4. After the wave has come around about eight times (field research shows the eigthth pass is key) the once "hey sit down I'm trying to watch the game...Ok I'll do the wave" fans, return to their previous position of sitting and being disinterested in the human ripple that once, for a fleeting five minutes, held their attention and devotion.

I think we all are either searching for a "wave" that we can start or sitting watching wave-starters desperately try to get others to buy into their wave, all the while wishing we had the guts to start one ourselves. Either way I have an encouraging word for all of us.

Dive in!

Why not? What can it hurt? Do you really think someone will look at you and say, "look at that moron, what a goofball, sit down"? Just try it next time you see the one-man-wave-starter call for your attention. He just wants everyone to have some fun. And why not attempt a wave yourself, what can you lose?

And wave-starters...we need you. Life would be nothing but a spectator sport without you. So when you feel the urge to spread the love and get others excited; please by all means stand up and shout, "Hey let's do the wave on three...ready? One...two...three...AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

I'm feeling the desire right now...Ok that was a little silly doing the wave by myself in front of my lap top while the cleaning lady was right outside my door, but it was a start.

How about you?