Bunker Mulligan "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." ~Mark Twain

Busy, busy, busy. A new granddaughter, visitors, three web sites, golf, work, and now baseball.

Last night was the first home game for our Astros AA affiliate Corpus Christi Hooks baseball team. I joined 8,254 others at Whataburger Field last night to see the home team lose to Midland. I’m an old baseball coach–for 30 years now–and it was difficult for me to sit and watch without feeling like I needed to do something.

I’m always perplexed that people talk about baseball being a boring game with little activity. I guess it is unless you really understand what’s happening. My three boys all played catcher, and ran the games they were in from behind the plate. When Slice went to college, he shared catching duties with another young man. All their contests were double-headers, and the two of them swapped places for games, one at third and one catching. He was always a bit bored at third base because it wasn’t the hub of all on-field activity like catcher.

It is the same with coaching. Your mind is always active running through scenarios. I found myself doing that last night. I must get that perspective out of my mind so I can really just enjoy the game. I have no decisions to make. I am just a fan.

We have an excellent manager, Dave Clark. In my mind, the toughest job in professional sports is that of a minor league manager. He has to balance player development with trying to win. Winning is secondary, but is a requirement to develop the right mental attitude in players trying to move up. And it is important to keep the fans coming through the gates.

Dave probably keeps a jar of Tums on his desk.

A manager must deal with a constantly-changing lineup. The players he starts the season with are not the ones who will finish the year. Some will go on to AAA or even the major league team. Others will move down where they can get more playing time. The closer the manager develops is no longer there three games later. That starting lefty gets pulled up. The outfielder who hits .476 in the first half of the season becomes the lead-off hitter at Round Rock and is replaced with the worst hitter from that team.

I have season tickets, so I’ll probably OD before the summer is over.

Dave, pass the Tums.