We made it to October 1st, and all things feel right with the day in sports. ⚾️ & 🏈 on a Thursday.
We have postseason baseball games..the Twins are out, the Yankees are in, and the Astros keep banging the can.
The storylines are strong & the drama...
of postseason baseball makes for an electric day in the book...
Opinions are plentiful, experts scattered throughout, bettors questioning every manager’s move and anyone with a set of eyes yelling at the umpire’s strike zone...
I’ve shared many October days in the book with...
complete strangers, watching games and listening to bad beats...
No NBA, no NHL, no college football today...just baseball...
Aces trying to save their team’s season pitching into the shadows...baserunning gaffes costing teams a run and a guy his first five inning total...
Terence Mann said it best:
"They'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball...
There is nothing more magical than your team’s run in October...
As a kid, I lived the 1979 “We are Family” team in Pittsburgh...I can still name the starting line up...and the song brings back all the memories every time I hear it...
In the book, you remember stuff cause you..
had a ticket on it...
For all you White Sox fans holding a future on them, pennant or World Series, may you get to the next day...you will truly become “America’s team” as it will be the world against the Astros...
Wait, what’s that? There is a Thursday night NFL game...
tonight? Really?
Hold on here, Ray Kinsella...
It’s Football Night in America...0-3 Broncos at 0-3 Jets...
Brooklyn Joe, an old friend, would ask on a day like today “Davey boy, who you like tonight in football?”
Nobody...
“Whaddya mean nobody? You gotta like somebody..
in the football game.”
I don’t care about the football game...I’m watching baseball...it’s October...who gives a shit about the Broncos and Jets...
“You are ridiculous. You know the Yankees are going to win the World Series. And they aren’t playing today. So forget baseball...
and give me a play in the football.”
Brooklyn Joe was a persistent mo’fo. He wore me down.
“Okay Joey. Jets and over.”
He looked at me over his readers.
“Ah...you are full of shit. You are just sayin that cause I like Denver.”
You asked me for a pick, there it is...
“Never mind, Davey Boy. I’ll be watching football. You go watch baseball.”
I nodded. He paused.
“You gotta game today?”
White Sox.
“C’mon. You think they are going to win today or you just rooting that future ticket in?”
Both.
“Oakland’s pitcher isn’t lefty today...
A’s are winning today.”
Ok, jagoff. We’ll see. What do you know anyway. You will be watching Broncos-Jets.
It was 1994, in Pittsburgh. Was working multiple jobs & hanging out with guys who bet games and guys who booked games.
Everything was done in pick up and drop offs. Everything was done over the phone. Word of mouth was how info got passed. It was..
also how you got a guy.
There was no promo code. There were no bonuses (at least at the beginning). If Moses the barber took your action, it was because he knew you or someone vouched for you.
All the book guys I met had cool nicknames. Bussy, Philly, Pie, and Rabbi were..
a few that a 23 year old kid was around at the card games, the fantasy drafts, let alone the dinners.
Got into a Sunday night card game with the Barber. He invited a couple other guys. The Rat, a bartender, the Bomber, a golf pro, Killer (we weren’t sure what he did), Tooney..
Non-stop, three days in a row, lines of people 100 deep, ticket..
after ticket, and just enough time to go home & take a nap in between. In all my years in the business, have never seen it as busy as it was these three days.
Back at it Sunday morning, hoping to just get through this day and not snap.
At lunch with my dad, years ago, an old bookie guy told us..
“All this shit, all the sports, all the suits, all the hats, none of it means shit if you don’t take care of the home team.”
Remember like it was yesterday. Thought I knew shit. So I ask..
“Wait, what? Sports are fixed? Don’t tell me that.”
He smiled at my dad. Looked over at me. And went..
“Your home team is your family. You have to play strong at home. You don’t win every game, but you have to make sure they are good before you go on the road. You..
understand?”
I nodded.
“You are a good son. Listen to your parents. Keep an eye out for your brothers & sisters at all times. Shit will get tough. You will understand when you have kids of your own.”
Today is Thanksgiving. For many of us, today is a special day. For me, it is the three "F's." Back in school, F's were bad, but today, it's all about the Food, Football & Family.
The date was 11/27/1980. Bears at Lions. Det -3, 37 was the line..
Up to that point, I had always been a Steeler fan, growing up in the glory days of the Super Bowl Champs. Every Sunday, the day was centered around whether the game was on at 1pm or 4pm.
I knew we didn't like the Browns and Bengals, and despite the best uniforms in football..
we weren't supposed to like the Houston Oilers, but man, those baby blues and Earl Campbell were fantastic.
The other teams were just that..other teams, brought to life by the halftime highlights on Monday Night Football by Howard Cosell.