As Miguel Cabrera chases his milestones of 500 homeruns and 3,000 hits, he can relate to what happened to Simone Biles at the Tokyo Olympics. Here is what Miggy had to say as reported in the Detroit News.
“It’s really tough,” Cabrera said. “I understand what she’s going through, because that mental part is a big part of the game. You try to do something to prove who you are or to prove what you’ve been doing your whole career. And you lose your focus. You lose something because you don’t play like that. You go out there and do it. You don’t try to do it. You go out there and play hard and try to make something happen. It’s something that’s bothering me the last two or three years. I don’t want to make an excuse. I need to do a better job in the field and do a better job when I hit, and that’s it. That’s the bottom line. Forget about the milestones and forget about the numbers and try play better.”
I am always amazed when I read quotes in news articles from people who are quoted but will not give their name because they are not authorized to discuss the subject. In my opinion, the people who do this are broadcasting that they cannot be trusted with information because they cannot honor confidentiality. Here is a quote from recent article posted in the NY Times about the inquiry into Governor Cuomo’s sexual misconduct accusations. Few details have emerged from the meeting, which took place on Saturday, July 17; the participants are barred under state law from publicly discussing the interviews, but five people briefed on the encounter shared some details on the condition of anonymity. The confidential nature of the meeting was underscored by the investigators’ exit: They were whisked away at night through a loading dock to avoid photographers staking out the entrance to the governor’s building. How can people who lead information like this be trusted?
The University of Michigan is requiring that all students, faculty, and staff be vaccinated starting in September unless they meet one of the very limited exemptions. I am trying to put this in perspective as I received my season tickets for U of M football. I wonder if the 110,000 people who will be attending the football games while sitting on a bench seat 15 inches are required to be vaccinated. If not, why not? I am just wondering.
Winning an Olympic gold medal in golf is not considered to be one of golf’s “majors” but I don’t think it matters to U.S. golfer Xander Schauffele, who captured the gold medal on Sunday with a one stroke victory. Since golf was excluded as an Olympic event for nearly a century, Schauffele is the first American to win a gold medal in golf in over 100 years.
I find it interesting that very little is being made about Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from the bronze medal round of mixed doubles, leaving his partner with no opportunity to compete for a medal. Djokovic who was trying to become the first ever to achieve the “Golden Slam” (Olympic gold medal in men’s singles, while also winning all four of the majors in the same year). Djokovic has already won the French Open, and Wimbledon, while hoping to win the U.S. Open and the Australian Open later this year. Djokovic, who has won a record 20 major titles, officially withdrew because of an injury to his shoulder, following his loss in the men’s single semi-finals and then his loss in the bronze medal game a day later. Speaking to reporters after his withdrawal, Djokovic expressed disappointment with the way the Olympics have personally played out for him. “I do have a regret for not winning a medal for my country and opportunities missed both in mixed doubles and singles and, yeah, I just didn’t deliver yesterday and today,” he said. “The level of tennis dropped also due to exhaustion, you know, mentally and physically.” I find it interesting that he, like Simone Biles, is one of the greatest of all time, but he is not facing the same scrutiny that Biles has faced. Maybe people who were critical of Biles are beginning to realize that the pressure of trying to be the GOAT in your sport can sometimes be overwhelming and prevent even the greatest from performing at the level people expect. I can only hope.
Stay safe. Social distance. Wear your mask. Wash your hands regularly. Get your vaccine.
Orchid of the Day: My daughter Katy, who turned 37 today.
Onion of the Day: To all the electric bicycle and Pedi-go operators who do not know the rules of a bike path and are going too fast with a bicycle they cannot handle properly.
Quote of the Day: We have to be careful how much we talk about it because Miggy might bite our head off,” Tiger manager AJ Hinch joked over the weekend. “He just wants to play. But our players love it. Changing those numbers on the board is pretty cool. Fans are way into it as we should be. This is history we’re watching right before our eyes.”