A TIP ABOUT SPORTS • Why does life sometimes take more twists and turns than Logan Gilbert?Are we hated or does it do this to everyone?
•••••••
• Our father told us that no one was looking to hear about the pains of childbirth. They just need to see the baby. Good advice. We have tried not to forget this over the years. We probably won’t bore you with the existing details.
Suffice it to say, if Dad had been friends with Al Swearengen, he would have also agreed with Al’s favorite quote: Announcing your plans is a clever way to hear God laugh. Which makes adjustments today. On a personal level, of course, but it also made us think about the approach that you have to constantly do in sport.
We start with the Mariners, who left Seattle on a four-game winning streak, the last of which was a nationally televised 12-1 rout of the Mets. But the sweet taste of momentum temporarily disappeared from their mouths Tuesday, replaced by the bitter truth of a 15-1 loss in Detroit, among other things.
Well, Seattle graduate Tarik Skubal is one of the most productive pitchers in the American League. He leads the American League in wins (14), clean yield average (2. 53) and strikeouts (180). This explains the “1” in the final score. But George Kirby hit the mark for the M. A close match is on the horizon. If not, Scott Servais may want to make an adjustment. Or listen to something other than Big Fella’s laughter above.
Kirby has pitched approximately 145 innings this season. It is August 14. He’s been. . . well, suffering the right word, however, Kirby’s command has been suspect in his last 3 starts, all of which have been lost to the Mariners.
Maybe give him an extra day of rest before the next one?Let it restart? This would be the right resolution in the long run. And that’s what a baseball season is all about. A long-term journey. The Astros know it. They regrouped. They’re playing, albeit at the most sensible moment of their game, at least better than anyone else in the AL West. They have a game and a partial advantage.
To catch them, throwing the M is essential.
Four of Seattle’s five starters have less than five years of MLB experience. All 4 are ready to pitch more innings than ever before. There’s an invisible wall there. No one in the quartet will end up there in September.
• All Washington State football enthusiasts are facing adjustments as we speak. One wonders how many of them do it with a smile on their face and how many wear the status on their heads so we can see a smile.
The truth of what awaits us is emerging. Why not adopt it? Instead of looking forward to the now-defunct annual edition in Los Angeles or the Bay Area, why not choose one of the new places on the road and make it an adventure?
Wait, what? Have you looked at the management hours? Not Mountain West planners have provided the Cougars and their enthusiasts with many interesting destinations.
Two states where we would have liked to make a stopover, Wyoming and Hawaii, are not on the list. Oh, the Cougs play in those schools. It would have been fun to make a stopover in late September or early October at Mike Leach’s state house. Or at the beginning of November on the islands? Ok, here we are. No, we are not.
The most productive option is San Diego. We suppose. But as natives of the state, we never imagined that a city with the same maximum temperature every day of the year would be so exciting. Unless you really like Legos. Then 30 minutes down I-5 to Legoland is about right. Rumor has it that there is a haunting where you have to walk barefoot through a dark room, trying to avoid 1,394,772 Legos scattered on the floor.
But it may not be as painful as a vacation in Albuquerque in mid-November. There is an explanation for why the government moved the Manhattan Project out of World War II. Only extraterrestrial beings make a stopover in New Mexico in late fall.
The other novelties of this season? Well, there’s Boise in September or Fresno in October. The most productive thing we can say about both? You can buy In-N-Out or get some smart raisins. At least in Fresno.
Well, three of the most beautiful national parks in the United States are within a two-hour drive of the latter city, so that’s it. But you’d better be able to adapt. The Sierras in October?Nowadays, you never know if you’ll have to light a fireplace or face a snowstorm. You have to plan for both. And be in a position to laugh.
•••
WSU: With classes about to begin, preseason practices will soon transition into preparation for the Aug. 31 opener. Greg Woods was at the 11th practice of the season and has this report. …We talked about the Mountain West above. Jon Wilner does the same today, with his look at the name race in the Mercury News. Array. . Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, Mountain West and the country, Oregon State’s defensive coordinator thinks about the Beavers’ smart fortunes so far. At some point the offensive coordinator will let us know who the starting quarterback is, right? Array. . . The Oregonian’s numbers stories continue, with 18th place going to Oregon State and Oregon. Array. . Choosing Washington as a football destination not once but twice is an attractive choice. Array. . As practice continues for third-ranked Oregon, the Ducks have some players out and others stepping up. Array. . . There is a Hall of Fame defensive lineman in Colorado, although he can’t play. Array. . . Can Utah succeed in the CFP without an ever-present running back? Matrix. . . Confidence is vital for a quarterback. Array. . . After a bad day, Arizona State’s quarterbacks bounced back. Array. . . Arizona’s defense had a smart day of practice. Array. . The Wildcat basketball team agreed to a three-game series with UCLA, all games at off-campus sites. Array. . In the Mountain West, Nevada will rake in more than $1 million from its non-conference games. Array. . . San Diego State’s new coach is from Colorado and brought with him a Buffs legend. Array. . . Utah State’s starting quarterback is old. Array. . A knee injury has kept Wyoming running back for a while. Array. . . Suspension completed, Hawaii receiver rejoined the team. Array. . . There is versatility in the backroom in New Mexico. Array. . . UNLV will have to upgrade its quarterback, who left for USC. Matrix. . . The Air Force made a resolution in the same position. Array. . Finally, the Stanford women’s soccer program will face more demanding situations in the ACC.
Gonzaga: At CMC, Santa Clara is committed to transfers to give life to its women’s soccer program.
EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, Northern Colorado will soon host a football birthday party. Array. . In women’s soccer, Idaho State opened with an exhibition victory.
Preparations: Well, there is still a week left for the preparation sports. At least in Washington. But that doesn’t mean local graduates are at the center of the action. We start with Devin Culp, a Gonzaga Prep (and UW) alumnus, who is looking to make the Tampa Bay team in his first NFL educational camp… The other story? Drew Rasmussen, a Mount Spokane (and Oregon State) graduate who recently returned from his third elbow surgery. The right-hander is doing everything few people have accomplished for the Rays.
Indians: Spokane returned home for a six-game series with Vancouver, the Indians’ closest pursuer in the NWHL standings, at the moment and overall. However, they left their attack somewhere between here and Pasco. Dave Nichols has this story about their 5-0 scoreless loss. Elsewhere in the NWL, Hillsboro topped host Eugene 7-1 and Everett did not visit Tri-City, winning 8-2.
Zephyr: The city’s other new team begins its season Saturday, when Zephyr begins play in the USL Super League, a Division 1 league exclusively for women. Olive Pete has a preview of what’s in store for Spokane.
Speed: After a scoreless first half, the Northern Colorado Hailstorm picked up speed and earned a 3-1 win at ONE Spokane Stadium on Tuesday night. Ethan Myers was there and covered the Jagermeister Cup defeat.
Olympics: Talk about the judges’ purchases. Jordan Chiles’ resolution reeks of cronyism and outright corruption. Go. . . Yes, we knew that Break Out for Los Angeles in 2028. And that baseball and softball were back. But this Washington Post story got us thinking, with boxing on the verge of being eliminated from the maximum of 28 reasonable Olympics. At one point, sport gave us, in back-to-back Olympics, Floyd Patterson, Cassius Clay (or as most of you possibly know him, Muhammed Ali), George Frazier, and George Foreman, probably four of the five most sensible heavyweights of all time.
Mariners: The loss featured a fun half-inning. The back of the eighth. Shortstop Leo Rivas throws his 44 mph “fastball” to the Tigers. He worked a blank entry. And now we can all say we pitch as hard as a guy who pitched in the primary leagues. Array. . Julio Rodríguez is pleased to be back and Víctor Robles is satisfied to have been paid. Womb. . . M’s are falling in the strength rankings, if that’s your kind of thing.
Seahawks: The Hawks are in Nashville for their joint practices with the Titans and the exhibition game that follows. Seattle holders will get more out of the practice. . . There are still quite a few hypotheses about when the new Conner Williams midfielder will be available. … Seattle seems to be a haven for foreign-born NFL contenders.
Sounders: Los Angeles has two MLS teams. This one, the Galaxy, hasn’t been a challenge for Seattle recently. The other, LAFC, will be. They are the next opponent in the quarterfinals of the Coupe des Ligues.
Reign: At least the women’s side of the pro soccer equation in Seattle includes adding new players in the summer trade window.
•••
• Have you ever won a test? We did it. Once. In high school. And the last query was in our wheelhouse: calling the school’s only basketball player to score a hundred goals in a game. Others went with Wilt Chamberlain. Fake. It was Frank Selvy from Furman. They proved us right, basically because he was an L. A. Laker when we were young and Chick Hearn discussed it. Many. Why do we mention this? Because Selvy died at 91 years old. I just thought we were going to pass it, basically because we owe him the loose food at the bar. See you later. . .