Since your in your rewrite, I want to mention a book: The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates. It covers EVERYTHING about the season. The first chapter is the best. Because we all know what happened in game seven of the World Series, but what happened after was just as amazing. Fandomania!! If you haven't read it and you haven't included that season in your book, well, lets just say you should have or maybe you should....
Based on what Joe has said before, the book is about individual player seasons, not entire MLB seasons or even an entire team's season. But you've sold me on this book. Is it just called The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates?
I'm not sure exactly how you do it, Mr. Posnanski, but you seem to have a knack for writing about things that are currently on my mind. Last Tuesday, June 16th, we lost our beloved 15-year old Norwegian Elkhound, Loki. Loki was the sweetest dog ever (aren't they all?), but had been slowing down in the past year. His sight was failing him and he didn't hear as well as he used to. He'd recently developed the occasional bloody nose. The vet in our old town (we recently moved) figured he had a tumor in his nose, but that at his age, treating it would be worse for him. She advised us to start counting good days and bad days. That was in April.
Last Tuesday, his bloody nose became an issue and he eventually was unable to move, just lying on the floor panting. I had to pick him up and carry him to the vehicle and then into the vet. She told us that she took an ultrasound and found a tumor in his abdomen that was taking up more than 60% of the space. His pain must have been horrible, but, like Westley, he was stoic in the face of adversity.
So, we said our tearful goodbyes. Then, yesterday, this post. And if that wasn't enough, we also received in the mail yesterday, a card from the vet office. In it, there were notes of commiseration...and prints they took of Loki's paws. That, my friend, brought the flood.
The paw prints have gone on the mantle, next to a lovely picture of our sweet boy and his favorite toy. Eventually, we'll get another puppy. Not to replace Loki, nothing could ever do that, but to give our home a bit more life and happiness.
Thank you, once again, Joe. Thank you for your words and your thoughts. You never know when they'll touch someone and you did it yesterday.
B&N membership is certainly NOT free... but I would argue that it's essential for bibliophiles who don't want to support Amazon. (I know there will be bookshop.org people out there and such, and that's great, too!) I've been a member for years and years, and as someone who orders dozens of books each year, it's saved me loads of money, plus gotten me free shipping on a bunch of stuff.
THAT SAID, as I said in a post a couple of weeks ago: I've bought Joe's last FOUR books with preorder code "PREORDER25" from Barnes & Noble as soon as (or before!) they were announced. (B&N does preorder sales 2-3 times per year.) Each and every time, I've missed out on signed copies, or whatever weird giveaway on inscriptions Joe gives. So I'm not doing it this time, no sirree! I know the essential nature of preorders for the book industry - but I do my part, most of the time. This time, I'm waiting (unless Joe announces that he's NOT doing a thing this time).
An important lesson here is that Pets do have a tendency to be stoic, so much so that for many internal things, they progress too far to be saved before we ever figure out that something is wrong and get it checked.
I am not only glad for Westley, but for you guys as well. Be appreciative every time you see moments of joy or contentment in him in the future. While it isn't the boundless energy of a young dog or anything, it is somehow more life affirming every time you see it in an older dog.
The ones from now on are extra, and you gave that to him. And yourselves.
Since this post ends happily, I'll note the hilarity of a dog owner thinking that hours of lethargy spells doom. Us cat owners face no such anxieties when naps run for 23 hours uninterrupted.
My buddy Aaron & I were talking about that very website just a few days ago. He told me about it after I sent him a trailer to the new Brad Pitt film, Heart of the Beast. Whether the dog lives or dies will most likely determine if I go to see it.
We've got 2 older dogs, 13 and 12, and we're becoming very good customers at their various vets. Our german shepherd mix has been having problems with her hind legs, making going up stairs a problem for her. We put her on arthritis medicine, and she is much improved. Magic!
I have two older (13 and 10) dogs, and a younger cat. Thanks for reminding me to appreciate them, even when they're annoyingly, vigorously needy. Especially when they're annoyingly, vigorously needy.
Joe; I’ve got to know if Westley is named after the protagonist in Princess Bride?
Hey Joe,
Since your in your rewrite, I want to mention a book: The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates. It covers EVERYTHING about the season. The first chapter is the best. Because we all know what happened in game seven of the World Series, but what happened after was just as amazing. Fandomania!! If you haven't read it and you haven't included that season in your book, well, lets just say you should have or maybe you should....
Based on what Joe has said before, the book is about individual player seasons, not entire MLB seasons or even an entire team's season. But you've sold me on this book. Is it just called The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates?
Yes, 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, Day by Day: A Special Season, An Extraordinary World Series. by Rick Cushing. It was published in 2010.
Oh, and why wasn't Bill Mazeroski in the Baseball 100?
Oh - that one's easy. It's because Bill Mazeroski very clearly and obviously was not one of the 100 greatest baseball players of all-time.
Well, maybe one of the best second basemen of all time... You're a Philly fan?
I'm not sure exactly how you do it, Mr. Posnanski, but you seem to have a knack for writing about things that are currently on my mind. Last Tuesday, June 16th, we lost our beloved 15-year old Norwegian Elkhound, Loki. Loki was the sweetest dog ever (aren't they all?), but had been slowing down in the past year. His sight was failing him and he didn't hear as well as he used to. He'd recently developed the occasional bloody nose. The vet in our old town (we recently moved) figured he had a tumor in his nose, but that at his age, treating it would be worse for him. She advised us to start counting good days and bad days. That was in April.
Last Tuesday, his bloody nose became an issue and he eventually was unable to move, just lying on the floor panting. I had to pick him up and carry him to the vehicle and then into the vet. She told us that she took an ultrasound and found a tumor in his abdomen that was taking up more than 60% of the space. His pain must have been horrible, but, like Westley, he was stoic in the face of adversity.
So, we said our tearful goodbyes. Then, yesterday, this post. And if that wasn't enough, we also received in the mail yesterday, a card from the vet office. In it, there were notes of commiseration...and prints they took of Loki's paws. That, my friend, brought the flood.
The paw prints have gone on the mantle, next to a lovely picture of our sweet boy and his favorite toy. Eventually, we'll get another puppy. Not to replace Loki, nothing could ever do that, but to give our home a bit more life and happiness.
Thank you, once again, Joe. Thank you for your words and your thoughts. You never know when they'll touch someone and you did it yesterday.
Much love to Westley!
I will share that our 14 year-old dog (Bonnie) benefits a lot from her CBD drops.
Glad Westley is better, but as an Oriole fan, I agree with Westley- why aren’t Jim Palmer and Eddie Murray in Baseball 100?!
No joke, I thought exactly the same thing while reading this.
B&N membership is certainly NOT free... but I would argue that it's essential for bibliophiles who don't want to support Amazon. (I know there will be bookshop.org people out there and such, and that's great, too!) I've been a member for years and years, and as someone who orders dozens of books each year, it's saved me loads of money, plus gotten me free shipping on a bunch of stuff.
THAT SAID, as I said in a post a couple of weeks ago: I've bought Joe's last FOUR books with preorder code "PREORDER25" from Barnes & Noble as soon as (or before!) they were announced. (B&N does preorder sales 2-3 times per year.) Each and every time, I've missed out on signed copies, or whatever weird giveaway on inscriptions Joe gives. So I'm not doing it this time, no sirree! I know the essential nature of preorders for the book industry - but I do my part, most of the time. This time, I'm waiting (unless Joe announces that he's NOT doing a thing this time).
So glad that Westley has made a comeback.
An important lesson here is that Pets do have a tendency to be stoic, so much so that for many internal things, they progress too far to be saved before we ever figure out that something is wrong and get it checked.
I am not only glad for Westley, but for you guys as well. Be appreciative every time you see moments of joy or contentment in him in the future. While it isn't the boundless energy of a young dog or anything, it is somehow more life affirming every time you see it in an older dog.
The ones from now on are extra, and you gave that to him. And yourselves.
Since this post ends happily, I'll note the hilarity of a dog owner thinking that hours of lethargy spells doom. Us cat owners face no such anxieties when naps run for 23 hours uninterrupted.
Feel for Westley, but mostly curious why he doesn’t ask why Sweet Swinging Billy Williams was left out of the Baseball 100
My buddy Aaron & I were talking about that very website just a few days ago. He told me about it after I sent him a trailer to the new Brad Pitt film, Heart of the Beast. Whether the dog lives or dies will most likely determine if I go to see it.
I already checked, as I know my Wife will want to see it. It does not.
Hooray for Westley!!!
Glad to hear that Westley is doing better! Hope he's his old self for years to come.
BTW don't ever watch the movie, A Dog's Purpose. I never cry in movies but I was bawling nonstop in that stupid thing.
I cried as well, but it was worth it.
We've got 2 older dogs, 13 and 12, and we're becoming very good customers at their various vets. Our german shepherd mix has been having problems with her hind legs, making going up stairs a problem for her. We put her on arthritis medicine, and she is much improved. Magic!
Older dogs is such a sad time, especially if they are stoic. Love em while you got em.
On the film side of things, my son started saying "The pig always lives, the dog always dies" when he was 7 or 8.
I have two older (13 and 10) dogs, and a younger cat. Thanks for reminding me to appreciate them, even when they're annoyingly, vigorously needy. Especially when they're annoyingly, vigorously needy.