Author Archives: alifeofknuckleballs
New book on knuckleballs
My new book on knuckleballs has now been published.
Every book that I’ve written is different. This one started before the COVID19 pandemic, and although I left it alone for a while (I wasn’t particularly motivated for a time), I finally decided to continue working on it the last few weeks and it was finally completed.
A lot of research went into this book (most of which came before the pandemic hit), and I’m very proud to have completed it.
Is this one my proudest piece of work? I can’t say that. I’m proud of all of the books I’ve written. This one just took a while to be published, and a big part of the delay was related to motivation.
Special thanks to Michael McCormick for several of the photos used in the book. Special thanks to Michael Unger for spending time to chat baseball cards with me. Special thanks, too, to Stan for chatting sports with me, period. Jason, too, was often checking in and wondering what I was up to.
I think I need to also mention hockey historian Todd Denault. After a conversation with him in late August, I was a little more motivated and really started the process of completing this book. It’s super important to surround yourself and interact with those who take the time to listen and offer insights. For that, I’m appreciative of the conversation with Todd.
EDIT: I also want to thank a couple of journalists: Jeff Pearlman and J.P. Hoornstra. I reached out to both of them via email (shortly after my conversation with Todd Denault) because I had a complicated question about baseball card images. Both took the time to respond despite having extremely busy schedules. For that, I appreciate their gestures. They most certainly didn’t have to respond, but they did… and that definitely pushed me a little to get my book done.
While I appreciated the opportunity, the feedback was absolutely ridiculous…plus I was railroaded
Two summers ago, I was asked by the afternoon school that I helped out with to give a trial lesson on the school’s online platform.
I was told this was a group of beginners who wanted to learn public speaking. I asked for a list of names but wasn’t given any information beforehand. That was fine; I could easily get it during the lesson.
However, when I started the trial lesson and got each person to introduce him/herself, I realized that all of the students in attendance were high-level kids and/or advanced. That did not faze me, as I was already prepared (as I am always prepared).
The lesson went on, and I taught a few concepts that could help the students with giving speeches.
That was the only time I was asked to do that class. Maybe a week after that, I was given some feedback from the boss. He told me two specific “complaints” from the students’ parents.
- The boss had made up a flyer of me with a photo of myself wearing a suit. (I had worn that suit to L.A. a few years back when I was invited to join the Dodgers Nation podcast, and I went there to do the show in person. I really didn’t have to wear a suit, but I chose to for that occasion.) The complaint was that during the lesson, I was not wearing a suit(??????). I was dressed very casually, wearing an NFL jersey and a hat. My explanation to the boss was that I’m not doing a news broadcast, I’m not Stephen A. Smith doing a show on ESPN, I’m not a news anchor, etc. I’m doing a lesson. I’m not a businessperson. I’m not a salesperson. However, the parents expected me to have worn a suit. Apparently, they told the boss that the person teaching the trial lesson was not the same as the person in the photo. I explained that I would not be wearing a suit for any lessons because that’s not required and I don’t feel comfortable wearing that, and it would affect the way I teach. (I then pulled up a video of Clay Travis, who does dress up when he appears on FOX but dresses casually when he does his own podcast, to show the boss that that particular lawyer/radio host doesn’t wear a suit when he is doing a podcast.)
- The second complaint was that the parents, who were spying (watching) the session in a hidden spot (because I only saw the students on the webcams), said that I wasn’t paying attention when their kids were talking(??????). They said I kept looking down and not looking at their kids’ faces. My explanation was simple: As the students (there were eight) were taking turns to speak, I was making notes on a piece of loose-leaf paper to keep track of what they were saying so that I could give feedback or commentary later (which I did). So, when I was “looking down and not at the kids’ faces,” it was because I was making notes. After all, it was the first time I had met them. I wrote down their hobbies and goals, etc., things that they were saying. I even showed the boss later that piece of paper. I can totally see other lazy teachers doodling while students are speaking, and probably those parents thought I was one of those lazy people. I am not.
To me, these “complaints” were from parents (and a boss) who didn’t know what I was doing, and they insisted on a suit and they thought I was not listening to their kids. I explained my perspective to my boss. It did not work — because I was not asked to do this class again.
I’m not Stephen A. Smith on ESPN. I’m not a corporate person. If I were, I would wear a suit, but I’m not.
So, again, I was not given a fair opportunity (I was, in fact, railroaded by being told the students were beginners and then the excuse was the boss also didn’t know). Perhaps the marketing efforts were poor. The communication was definitely lacking. I mean, marketing is not easy; at the end of the day, if the deal wasn’t “closed,” so to speak, that’s on marketing.
My job is teaching, and I delivered an effective lesson teaching the students some key concepts. If I really wanted to do marketing, then I wouldn’t be teaching. If I wanted to wear a suit, I would be doing another line of work.
In spite of nonsense from afternoon school, it was a good week — a winning day every day this week with investments
Today is Friday – the end of the work week. The afternoon school has chosen to act passive aggressively against me….the entire month up to now (it’s the 22nd of September today). (For more, see the second paragraph here.)
However, I’ve managed to survive and thrive in spite of being treated poorly.
Every day this week, I have made a profit in my sports investments.
Monday was a winning day with Monday Night Football (both games and multiple plays) and the morning KC/Cleveland baseball game (morning on the West Coast).
Tuesday was a winning day with both WNBA playoff games as well as big nights from the Mariners, Cubs (point spread), and Dodgers (rally).
Wednesday as a winning day with the lone WNBA playoff game, Pirates/Cubs, and the Tigers’ victory over the Dodgers.
Thursday was a winning day with Thursday Night Football (multiple picks for the NYG/SF 49ers contest), Tigers/A’s, and Giants/Dodgers.
Friday (today) is already a winning day with what the Pirates/Reds did in the first six innings.
It’s already a big winning week Monday through Friday, so I’ll quit now for the week.
But I’m a winner in spite of passive aggressiveness from those around me, from those who are supposed to be on my team.
Well, the afternoon school that I help at might not want to pay me or talk to me, but I’m still not going to starve because I can find ways to make money. I’ve proved it all month and I’ve proved it all week.
UPDATE: Okay, I changed my mind. One hour after posting this, I decided to make a couple of plays on the Angels/Twins game that was already in progress. So, I didn’t “quit” after Pirates/Reds on Friday after all. Both the plays on Angels/Twins were accurate, and Friday’s profits (and for the week) from my sports investments went up even further.
UPDATE #2: Two hours after the 1st update (after I’d finished doing some errands), I went back to investing and made a play on Giants/Dodgers with the game already in progress (and won), and shortly after that I made a play on Boise State/SD State (won) and Air Force/SJ State (won). So, all in all, a nice run of profits on this day. Each day this week was profitable.
My bosses told me to lie
The other day, I mentioned that the boss at the afternoon school that I help out at didn’t allow me to take time off while others were allowed to go to Guatemala and San Diego.
Of course, there were times when I simply said that I needed an afternoon off and that was notified well in advance. One such situation was a Wednesday evening, when I normally had an online session with a student named SM. I informed the school that I needed that day off because there was a makeup hockey game that I was going to broadcast. It was a makeup game, and I had no control over that time, and I gave a one-week notice.
Sure enough, that day came, and I was getting ready to head to the hockey rink for the game. Suddenly, I received some text messages from the school saying the student SM was waiting for me. I replied reminding the boss that I had asked for that day off. I was then instructed to, the next time that I had a lesson with SM, to say that I was “sick” and could not make it.
What? I was doing something that I enjoyed — broadcasting a hockey game — and certainly something that I should be proud of sharing, but I was instructed to tell the student that I was “sick” and couldn’t do that class. That was the excuse the school came up with — I was “sick” — and I was told to lie to the student to keep the story straight. I was instructed to keep my hockey broadcasting a hidden secret. I was told to lie, plain and simple.
Another time, I had a student named A who himself was a student athlete and sometimes missed classes due to soccer. That was fine, except his mother instructed the school to let A read historical novels in our lessons — but to NOT LET THE STUDENT KNOW IT WAS HIS MOTHER’S IDEA. My boss told me NOT TO SAY THAT IT WAS HIS MOTHER’S IDEA. I’m not sure why that would be the case, but I was given the title of a historical novel to assign to the student. When the class suddenly changes like that, I feel that I need to explain it to the student instead of just acting like it is random. So, I simply stated to the student in class that I was asked to assign this novel. I went over my expectations of the assigned readings and what we would be doing. I reiterated it wasn’t my idea but I was asked to assign it. The student figured out who was behind this…but anyway, this was another instance when I was asked to lie.
Shame on me….a few weeks ago on a Friday, I was enjoying a meal in the afternoon at the local mall food court. Suddenly, I received a phone call from the school’s management staff begging me to head over to the school to handle a class. I had not been informed beforehand that I was needed that day and was therefore enjoying a meal at the mall food court. I should have just “lied” and said I was “sick.” However, being the loyal person that I am, I finished off my meal and took an Uber — in rush-hour traffic — to get there. I was needed for only 1.5 hours. It was a waste of my time and very inconsiderate of the school to do that. Yet I helped out. The school clearly did not — and does not — appreciate my efforts and treated me like I could be taken advantage of, to be taken granted for…when they needed something from me.
These words are here to stay… Facts…
So, you wonder why people don’t communicate effectively. I have a policy of leaving my door open and that’s a symbol that people can come and talk to me.
I was asked back in August to provide my availability for September to a place that I help out at. I submitted it. I was not given a courtesy email or phone call about scheduling. Long story short, I just happened to be logged into my Zoom one evening and a student came on. I had not been notified beforehand but I took the lesson on. Anyway, no further communication came for subsequent weeks for the rest of the month.
Now, let’s get serious here. When I run my classes, I actually plan out lessons, which is not something that everybody does. In fact, I was asked a few times to pass on my lesson plans to unprepared instructors at the facility.
For several months in the past, I negotiated with the students in my morning school to end classes half an hour early (with the agreement that those students receive 30 minutes’ worth of homework for the early dismissals) — so that I could commute via a Lyft/Uber to the evening school in time to help out there.
I did not truly receive any praise or recognition for doing that.
In fact, it feels like I’m being talked to only when people want something from me. I’ve communicated this before to the people in charge — I expected to be treated like a Patrick Roy or an Ed Belfour… people who were deemed to be egotistical and who, as the perception was, expected to be pampered and treated like a superstar. And why not? I plan out lessons. I take a Lyft/Uber after ending class early in morning school just to make it in time for the evening facility. What? Am I stupid for making the effort?
I’ve even communicated the fact that I would like to be talked to. I even showed a video clip of the final episode of “Unhappily Ever After” where Floppy Bunny “dies” after he is ignored. The male instructors there don’t say hi. You’d say hello to them and they just glare at you and go about their own business. (So, I just stopped saying hello because fellow instructors don’t want to talk.) The leaders there would rather chitchat and laugh at jokes and joke around instead of updating me on scheduling. There were times where literally every week there was miscommunication and/or errors on my schedule. Wrong times. Showing up when there were no classes. One winter later afternoon (January) I showed up because I was scheduled, only to find out there actually was not any class. So, I left, but the number of mistakes with scheduling happened so frequently.
I would arrive early and sit in my assigned classroom and be there with the door open for quite a bit of time. Nobody would come in and talk. They were always busy chitchatting and joking around. Then when the class started, one of them came in to ask me what teams I was “betting” on that day. I was annoyed but I said Boston. I was told to “put 200 bucks down on that” and it distracted me from what I was doing.
When I requested time off, I was told it was impossible. Yet I later found out that another instructor was allowed to leave for Guatemala for 10 days on a missionary trip. Another one was given permission to travel to San Diego. I was not allowed the time off that I had requested. (And, as mentioned, I wasn’t given the courtesy of any notice/update for the current month of September.)
And one day I was literally sitting in the room when one of the leaders was talking to a student, and the two of them were saying that one instructor had a habit of not responding to texts or calls until the next day. So, I saw that as something that we were all allowed to do. After all, again, am I stupid for always responding promptly? Another time I was told that when I mark people’s essays, I do a thorough job that others don’t do…which doesn’t make me feel good since I do what an instructor is expected to do while others (apparently) cut corners and are preferred over me.
One of the worst things is that since COVID19 happened, I had been afraid of Asian hate crimes. That’s a legitimate concern. Yet whenever I’ve raised that concern, I’m laughed at and told not to worry about that. In my opinion, when one goes about not thinking about something like that, that’s when you let your guard down and something *might* happen. It’s a legitimate concern….so much so that I’d virtually stopped taking public transit. I take Uber/Lyft to get there.
Okay, you could make the case that that’s my problem. However, what if I raise concerns about matters related to the business? For instance, when I specifically said that whoever had posted on the social media site that the person had made a bunch of typos and grammatical errors (which looks bad for a school and the posts themselves were “teaching” grammatical/writing points), nothing was done about it.
I mean, what’s going on here?
k. p. wee 