Commentary – Page 12 – The Devine News

The Blessings of Baseball –

America’s Best Sport

 “Baseball is like church.  Many attend, few understand.”

Leo Durocher

 I believe that baseball is the best game ever invented.  No other sport compares to it, really.  It is like poetry played out on brown dirt and green grass.  Baseball is part of our character, culture, and history - America’s best sport.
 Abner Doubleday is credited with developing the game we know as baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in the summer of 1839.  Some dispute this story, however.  References to games resembling baseball in the United States date back to the 18th century.  Baseball’s direct ancestors appear to be the English games of cricket and rounders.  Prior to the American Revolution, variations of these games were being played in schoolyards and on college campuses across the country.
 In September of 1845, a group of men in New York City founded the Knickerbocker Baseball Club.  One of the members - bank clerk and volunteer firefighter - Alexander Joy Cartwright, created a set of rules that would form the basis for modern baseball.  These included the three-strike rule, a diamond-shaped field, and fowl lines.  The Knickerbockers played the first official game of baseball against a team of cricket players in 1846.
 It is said that baseball came of age during the Civil War, with soldiers on both sides participating.  Baseball was the most popular sport for both armies, causing it to spread nationwide after the war.  
 Professional baseball debuted with the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869.  In 1876 the National League that we know today was created, followed by the American League in 1901.  Baseball has grown from there.  Once considered our national pastime, baseball has lost ground to football, basketball, hockey, and soccer.  But the game lives on and is still popular today.  Here are some reasons why…
 Even if you don’t like the game itself, baseball is the best sport to watch in person.  You can be outside in the sunshine, enjoy a hot dog and beer, and feel like a true American.  There’s nothing like the sights and sounds of a ball game – the crack of a bat, the pop of a ball in a mitt, strike calls, organ music.  Stadiums are like cathedrals, and when entering the sight of perfectly manicured emerald green grass can take your breath away.  A ball game can be a joy for your senses.
 Baseball provides a relaxed environment for players and fans while at the same time building a sense of tension and drama.  Not being controlled by the clock gives baseball a composed cadence and rhythm.  There is more freedom in the game.  Every pitch and play can make a difference.  
 There are mental benefits to baseball as well.  For players and coaches, it is an analytical, strategy driven, calculated sport requiring long term thought.  The defense has the ball, unusual in sport, and you must know in advance what you are going to do.  It’s like playing 3D chess with cleats on.  For fans, there are mental benefits as well.  Smartphone addicted short attention span humans may not appreciate baseball, thinking it is boring and too slow.  But watching baseball stretches your attention span, just like reading a good book.  In our fast-paced, instant gratification, dopamine filled social media world, baseball fosters patience and a calm demeanor like no other sport.  It builds character.
 Baseball is good training for life because it teaches us to deal with failure (whether you are a player or fan).  Life is filled with constant failure, as is baseball.  The batter who fails 70% of the time (batting .300) is among the very best in the league.  Baseball is especially suited to our American sensibilities because it teaches us how to cope with failure.  In America we have the freedom to fail, and we do.  Baseball shows us how to deal with it.
 Baseball also offers a magical mix between both the singular and plural, the lone hero and the reliable team.  Baseball gracefully incorporates a perfect balance between individual and group effort which is superior to other sports.
 And baseball presents a picture of a real meritocracy, what America aspires to be.  Here luck matters least.  Teams play 162 games over a six- month season (the longest season in any sport).  At the end of each season, each team is its record, with the stats to prove it.  
 There is a charm to baseball that other sports can’t match.  Like Brad Pitt said, playing the character of Billy Beane in the movie Moneyball, “It’s hard not to be romantic about baseball.”

My weekend was pretty quiet. My sister ad I spent part of Friday in Cuero, checking out a little boutique that we had gift certificates to. It was nice and had plenty of sizes for everyone. Looking at their stock, I came to the conclusion that cute little dresses were back in style. They are perfect for the 20 to 30 age brackets, but not for this granny! The hem lines are mostly just above the knees, and they are floaty and perfect for this time of the year.

This coming Monday is Labor Day. This is the only holiday that has always been on Monday, so therefore it has not fallen to the changes that some of our other holidays have. It is still celebrated on the first Monday of September, just as it has been for many years.

The Knights of Labor in New York City first celebrated Labor Day in 1882 and 1884. Labor Day is now a legal holiday throughout the United States and Canada. It is just about midway between July 4th and Thanksgiving, which is why the first Monday of September, was chosen as this holiday.

Labor Day has always signaled the official end of summer fun. In the past, school always began the Tuesday following Labor Day. This no longer holds true in most school districts, with some having begun classes a couple of weeks ago, with teachers having to go in for workshops and such a week earlier. Many families plan their last get-together of the summer, their last trip to the lake or coast, or their last camp out for Labor Day weekend.

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Things & Stuff

On Friday, we got rain…sprinkled for about 45 seconds but, it sounded good and smelled good…hit the concrete driveway and evaporated. Evidently, there is a few more praying for rain but, not enough.

I went to the EMS meeting on the 20th, along with about 18 or 15 others and was witness to an unorganized, sham of a meeting that had several folks wondering if it was even legal. I’m gonna leave this alone because the newspaper was there and will expound on it in depth. According to one of the posted notices on the window of the meeting room was the phrase “the people of MCESD #4 have spoken”. I don’t think that this is an accurate statement.

Also went to the Commissioners Court meeting on Monday and attempted to address my concerns with the increase in the Tax Rate using my own math calculations. Using numbers from Tax Central (told Melissa Lutz that I wouldn’t use her name) I came up with a $79,055 net gain for Medina County using the new rate of 0.4511 per $100 valuation instead of the current rate of $.4356. My thoughts were leave it the same. Don’t know if they will or not but, I went and spoke up.

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Weekly Crime report, and upcoming Lytle events…Mark your calendars for the Homecoming Night Parade Sept 21st

Throughout Lytle P.D. last week … Officers handled 48 calls for service and conducted 48 traffic stops. Of those 48 stops, 29 resulted in citations and 19 were warnings.
We did not have any property crimes reported last week! No thefts, no burglaries, and no criminal mischief.
Officers made five arrests last week. #1– Officers responded to the Pecan Grove Apts. (14900 Main St.) for a report of a disturbance. A 19-year-old male was arrested for Assault Causing Bodily Injury (family member). #2 – A report of suspicious activity near the intersection of Wisdom Rd. and Norvell St., resulted in the arrest of a 30-year-old male who provided false identifying information to the officer. #3 – A traffic stop on Main St. resulted in the arrest of a 37-year-old male for an active felony narcotics warrant out of Bexar Co. #4 – Bexar Co. S.O. met one of our officers and turned over a 22-year-old male who had an active warrant out of our department (he fled on foot a couple of months back.) #5 – A traffic stop on Main St. resulted in the arrest of a 21-year-old male for possession of marijuana and unlawfully carrying a weapon. All the arrestees were booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail in Jourdanton.

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Hack Your Health with Morning Sunlight

 “Learn from flowers – always angle towards the Sun.”

Maureen Joyce Connolly

 Sunlight matters.  Recent research suggests that experiencing early morning sunlight might be the healthiest thing you do every day.  Many believe that getting sunlight into your eyes early in the morning can be vital to our physical and mental health.
 Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist, podcaster, and associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.  He lists morning sunlight as one of six fundamental pillars of health, alongside daily exercise and movement, quality nutrition, managing stress, healthy relationships, and restorative sleep.  Morning sunlight aligns with the body’s natural rhythm by triggering a release of cortisol.  This is a critical daily activity for hormonal function and positive mental and metabolic health.  
 The spectrum of light in the early morning is different than sunshine later in the day.  Optimally, it is best to soak up these early morning rays within the first two to three hours after sunrise (though, the earlier, the better).  Because of the angle at which the sun’s rays hit the Earth, morning sun tends to be cooler and softer, creating unique light wavelengths which impact the body in different ways.  Morning sun is a potent and free source of light therapy.
 Sunlight at dawn and in the early hours of the day is softer and diffused.  This beneficial light is due to the lower solar angle we experience early in the day.  This spectrum of early sunlight includes red light, blue light, and invisible infrared light.  
 Morning red light is known for its calming effects and is believed to reduce inflammation.  The morning’s blue light is said to raise cortisol levels, waking you up and prepping your body for sleep at the end of the day.  Invisible infrared light absorbed in the morning penetrates deep into the eyes and tissues of your body and is thought to have healing properties, aiding in cell repair and regeneration.
 The primary benefits that you can receive from morning sunlight exposure include improved sleep and enhanced mood, energy, and mental clarity.  
 A good dose of morning sun sets and regulates your circadian rhythm, or your body’s internal clock.  This sunlight increases your cortisol levels, waking you up and setting your clock for sleep approx. 16 hours later.  After a productive day, you can then fall asleep faster and have a more restful night’s sleep.  
 Your healthy dose of morning sunlight also triggers the release of endorphins which lift your mood, can foster stress relief, and boost your energy.  Compounding this positive energy is the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin.  Serotonin helps you relax and contributes to a feeling of well-being.  This is a very good thing.
 Here is how to best harness the morning sun for better physical and mental health.  
 Ideally, drag yourself into the morning sunlight within the first 30-60 minutes after waking (best at dawn, but still beneficial during the first 2-3 hours of the day).
 Stay in the sun for at least five minutes.  More time is better.  10-30 minutes is a good goal.  Being outside is crucial.  This doesn’t work sitting by a window.
 Looking in the direction of the sun is sufficient.  Do not stare directly at the sun.  Instead, look towards the east in the general direction of the rising sun with your eyes open (look above or below the sun – or off to the side).  The goal is to simply get sunlight into your eyes indirectly, not look at the sun.  Staring at the sun directly, at any time, but especially later in the day when sunlight is stronger, can burn your retina and damage your vision.
 Contacts or glasses can be worn when absorbing sunlight.  I do prefer to soak up the sun with my naked eyes, however.
 Inspired by the research I have done for this column, I have been attempting to cultivate the practice of absorbing early morning sunlight.  I typically begin my morning by reading my Bible for 30 minutes or so, and as such have taken my reading outside.  While I do miss some mornings, this has become a wonderful way to start my day.  Other than the peace and calm of enjoying the morning sunlight in our backyard, I have noticed an improvement in my sleep.  When I get even 10 minutes of morning sunshine, I do sleep better at night.  This really works!  Hack your health and try this for yourself.  You’ll be glad you did…

McAnelly claims athletic skills “spawned” at elementary recess

Phil McAnelly during his early school years.

Phil McAnelly claims that the skills for becoming an athlete were “spawned” at elementary school recess.
I [Phil McAnelly] was born in Hondo, Texas, in 1946 and lived the first three years of my life right across the street from the old school, where the track now is. The house is still there. My dad was the Ag Teacher in Hondo High School, and he walked across the street to work. Sometimes I would accompany him to a class or two when my mom had something she had to do, or maybe he was just indoctrinating me early on to be an Ag teacher myself. Don’t know.
The Ag Building, or Ag Shop as everyone called it, was in the same building as the old gymnasium that later served as the band hall until just a few years ago. I remember one time when I was four years old I crawled up on one of the tables that was used instead of desks and told my dad, “You teach that side, Daddy, and I’ll teach this side over here.”The ag boys all loved it, and I was told about it many times down through the years.

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Tid Bits

Last week in the Lytle P.D. work world … Officers responded to 52 calls for service and conducted 87 traffic stops. Of those 87 stops, 58 resulted in a citation and 29 were warnings.
We only had two property crimes reported last week. #1 – A construction company working in the new Rosewood Estates subdivision reported that a Bobcat Skid-Steer valued at $14,000 was taken between August 8th and August 10th. #2 – H.E.B. reported a shoplifter and your officers responded. A 16-year-old female juvenile was cited and released for theft; the value was $19. So, those thefts were on both ends of the spectrum.
Officers made four arrests last week. #1 – A traffic stop on FM 2790 N. resulted in the citation and release of a 60-year-old male for possession of drug paraphernalia. #2 – A traffic stop on Lytle-Somerset St. resulted in the arrest of a 33-year-old male for violation of a protective order (booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail). #3 – This was the juvenile from the H.E.B. theft. #4 – A traffic stop on Main St. resulted in the arrest of another 33-year-old male. He had an active warrant out of Bexar Co. for resisting arrest. He was also found to be a felon in possession of a handgun (booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail).

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Buying pluots

Just recently, I’ve been noticing a fruit in the produce section that intrigued me. It looks a lot like a light colored (not dark purple), plum with freckles and the name is similar. The tag on the display tells me it is a pluot, but what is that? Pluots are members of the stone fruit family, just as peaches and apricots are. They were developed as a hybrid fruit in the late 1980s and are actually 75% plum and 25% apricot. They have a smooth skin and a shape and texture that is like a plum. The flavor is intense and delicious and they don’t have a bitter aftertaste that plums sometimes have. They are totally and deliciously sweet.
There are several varieties of pluots, including Dapple Dandy, Dinosaur Egg, Flavor Grenade and also Flavorglo. When you are purchasing pluots, look for a fruit that is firm to the touch with just a little give, smells fragrant, and has no blemishes. They are available in a variety of colors, and you should choose the most intense colored fruit of any variety, as they will be the tastiest. If the fruit feels hard to your touch, don’t select it as it won’t ripen well.

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How to Fight Fair in Marriage

 “Never go to bed mad.  Stay up late and fight.”

Phyllis Diller

 Marriage and prison are the two easiest places to fight.  If you are married, or in prison, you will know this to be true.  I’m afraid I can’t help you regarding conflict during incarceration, but I can offer some tips for those locked in matrimony.  The key to successfully navigating conflict in marriage is learning how to fight fair.
 Marriage is like a job that you work at. Sometimes you have problems.  The real danger starts when you have the same last name.  If you are not trying to date anymore (when you are typically on your best behavior), the smallest of disagreements can flare into a double-digit married fight in a hurry.  Note – there are two types of fights in marriage.  There is the disagreement, which is like a planned fight, and the spontaneous fight, which can erupt at any time (who brought home this chocolate milk?!!!).  The following useful tips

can be applied to both.
First, you want to avoid having things blow up in blistering anger. Any kind of fight is a threat. Our brains can be hijacked when we perceive a threat. This is where the danger lies. When facing a threat, we tend to react emotionally and either fight, flee, or freeze. This happens when our amygdala kicks in and stress producing hormones flood our system causing a physical response. The amygdala is a small, almond-shaped structure in the brain’s temporal lobe that is part of the limbic system. It’s involved in processing emotional input, especially fear.

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Where in the Biblewill I find…?

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”
I pray that you are doing well so far this week. As always, I encourage you to get into the word of God on a daily basis. Have you read your Bible today? If not why not? It only takes a few minutes to read a whole chapter. In Luke 4:4 Jesus said, “…it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Let us also continue to pray for our nation’s defenders and our first responders. And please pray for rain! Our question for the week is; “Where in the Bible will I find gods and earrings hidden under an oak?”

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