1. I got up early Sunday, determined to get my long run out of the way before work consumed my afternoon and evening.
I've gotten to where I pull up a movie on my iPad on Sunday mornings and run on a treadmill. It's not fun, per se, but it's enough of a distraction to help me knock out the 8-10 miles or so.
On Sunday, kind of out of the blue, I watched most of "Moneyball," the film version of Michael Lewis' book of the same name. It's the story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's transition from traditional baseball analysis to the analytics that today dominate the sport.
The A's are a small-market club strapped with a small-market budget. Tasked with competing with big-market behemoths such as the Yankees and Red Sox, Beane built the A's roster around offensive efficiency.
Look, the movie is a real stretch. The A's team chronicled had Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder -- at the prime of their careers -- in the rotation and it featured a young Miguel Tejada and Eric Chavez on the left side of the infield.
But there was a line that stuck out in the movie. Beane, arguing with old-school scouts about evaluations, told one, "Adapt or die."
It was coincidence, to be sure, but on Sunday, my movie choice had some real significance later in the day.
2. In the end, Sunday's loss to Texas A&M may not matter. Ole Miss ace Gunnar Hoglund will get an MRI on his right arm Monday. He left Friday's start after just 18 pitches (more on that in a bit) after complaining of stiffness during his pregame warm-up.
If Ole Miss doesn't have Hoglund, it's not going far in the postseason anyway, barring some incredibly fortuitous draw. There's just not enough pitching on the roster.
However, Sunday's loss felt like a killer in real-time. Ole Miss had split the first two games of the series against the relatively listless Aggies and led Sunday, 5-2, entering the seventh inning. After Jack Daugherty surrendered a leadoff double, Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco brought in his closer, Taylor Broadway, who hadn't thrown a pitch all weekend.
There was one hitter in the Aggies' lineup that Ole Miss needed to fear all weekend. Will Frizzell destroyed Ole Miss pitching from start to finish, and it was obvious he was locked in. So, naturally, Broadway nibbled. (That was sarcastic, in case you needed clarification.)
With Frizzell looming, Broadway issued two-out walks to Ray Alejo and Logan Sartori. Bianco seemed to bristle at the calls from the home-plate umpire, but from my view on television, I'm not sure Bianco had a great argument. Broadway was up and away with his fastball, and he wasn't getting anything off the outer edge of the plate. But instead of attacking Alejo and/or Sartori, he depended on a call he didn't get, bringing Frizzell tot he plate with the bases loaded.
After getting ahead 0-2 with a pair of inside fastballs, Broadway went with his heater again. Broadway seemed to be wanting to get the pitch up, but that's what Frizzell was looking for. The pitch drifted over the middle of the zone and Frizzell absolutely launched it. It was a no-doubt grand slam, a rocket that made it to the train tracks will beyond the right-field wall.
"I thought I really got a good swing off on the first pitch," Frizzell said. "For them to go right back to it, for me to be late. Just in the back of my head, I was thinking, I think they are going to go even higher right here, and if they do, I have to get to it because I'm not going to get another fastball if I don't. It felt really good."
3. Still, Ole Miss had a chance.
In the top of the eighth inning, Justin Bench and T.J. McCants opened the frame with consecutive singles, bringing Hayden Leatherwood, who was 3-for-3 on the day, to the plate.
However, Bianco pulled Leatherwood in favor of Ben Van Cleve. The announcers, who couldn't get through a game without cliches and stereotypes if their lives depended on it, were shocked when Van Cleve laid down a sacrifice bunt, but they shouldn't have been. Van Cleve was used to bunt.
And I hated it. I've got the time stamp, via our MPW Digital Watch Party, presented by The Rogue, to prove it, so I can say it again now: I hated it. Hated. It.
Another theme from Moneyball was about bunting. Specifically, computers and analytics eschew the idea of bunting. Don't give away outs. And if your opponent bunts, take the out. Treat it like charity.
Ole Miss, trailing by one run with six outs left, gave away 16.7 percent of its outs with Van Cleve's sacrifice. Naturally, Texas A&M then intentionally walked pinch-hitter Tim Elko, setting up a force at every base and keeping a double play very much in order. On cue, Calvin Harris hit a ground ball to the left side. 6-4-3. End of inning. End of threat. And ultimately, end of game.
4. On Saturday, Bianco won his 900th baseball coach as a college coach, which is precisely -- carry the one -- 900 more than I've won.
So this isn't me calling for change or any of that. Bianco took a stagnant, middling baseball program and turned it into a consistent power for 20 years. No one can or should try to take that away.
Hell, I personally think Ole Miss is over-invested in baseball, but I'm not here to fight that fight either. Sunday is the kind of loss that can haunt, however. A home regional remains likely, but Ole Miss has work to do. Vanderbilt comes to town this weekend, and the Commodores didn't get to 16-7 in the league by accident. Ole Miss closes things out at Georgia, and the Bulldogs are fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives and very nearly won a series this past weekend at Arkansas.
Ole Miss likely needs to go 3-3 down the stretch to host a regional at COVID-certified, limited-capacity Swayze Field in June. A win on Sunday would have lowered that pressure and kept Ole Miss on the fringes of the national host conversation. It would take a red-hot finish now to even get in that mix, and given Hoglund's status, that's simply not likely.
Seasons have pivotal moments, both good and bad. Perhaps I'll be proven wrong; it won't be the first or last time. However, the bottom of the seventh and top of the eighth innings Sunday felt momentous at the time and still does in retrospect. And after sleeping on it, I don't think it's unfair to question some of the decision-making in those moments.
5. It's time for my weekly ranking of the SEC.
1. Arkansas -- The Hogs just win series. They don't wow you. They rarely dominate. They just win.
2. Vanderbilt -- This might be high, but respect the king until the crown is gone.
3. Mississippi State -- The Bulldogs march on, winning two of three in Columbia, S.C.
4. Tennessee -- The Vols have all but locked up a national seed.
5. Florida -- The Gators' talent is being felt late in the season.
6. Ole Miss -- There's a big difference between 15-9 and 14-10.
7. South Carolina -- The Gamecocks have faded, as have their regional host hopes.
8. Alabama -- At 11-12, the Tide can still do enough to make the NCAA field.
9. Georgia -- The Bulldogs will look back on Sunday in Fayetteville as a real lost opportunity.
10. Kentucky -- At 11-13, the Wildcats can still do it, but the time is now.
11. LSU -- The Tigers likely need a 5-1 finish and some noise in Hoover to make the tournament.
12. Texas A&M -- The Aggies should tell Frizzell every opposing pitcher is an Ole Miss fan.
13. Auburn -- The Tigers and Aggies meet this weekend on the Plains. The loser gets to avoid COVID protocols in Hoover.
14. Missouri -- There's really no reason for snark. They don't care, and frankly, that might be a wise decision.
6. If you have read my work for any length of time, you know I'm a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan.
That hasn't changed, but man oh man, I loved watching the Atlanta Braves this weekend.
The Braves hosted the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park in Atlanta over the weekend, and for the first time since the pandemic, the stadium was fully open. Almost 40,000 fans turned up on Saturday night, and I loved it. It was great seeing all of the Braves fans at the park enjoying their team, a spring evening, each other, etc.
After watching all of the theatrics at Wrigley Field so far this season -- extremely limited capacity, masks in an outdoor, socially-distanced stadium, straight politics right there on the screen -- it was fantastic to see common sense and normalcy.
7. The NBA season enters the final week of the regular season slate today.
There are plenty of storylines, largely due to the play-in format that will see the Nos. 7-10 seeds in both conferences have to play their way into the playoffs next week. Boston, Charlotte, Washington and Indiana are all in the mix in the Eastern Conference, meaning a Boston exodus could lead to big change there and a Wizards uprising could put red-hot Russell Westbrook into the playoffs and make a first-round series interesting.
In the Western Conference, the Lakers, Warriors, Memphis, San Antonio and New Orleans are all in the mix. A Lakers-Warriors game, with the loser moving to the brink of elimination, would be intriguing. The Grizzlies are fun, too, now that Jaren Jackson Jr. is back. The Grizz would have to win two straight to earn a spot in the playoffs, and that might be a tough ask for such a young time, but the future is bright in Memphis.
Also at stake this week: Lottery order. Right now, Houston, Detroit and Oklahoma City have the best chances at the No. 1 pick. The Thunder could land two of the top five picks if Houston has bad pingpong ball luck. The Rockets' top pick is top-four protected. The Thunder and Pistons would be insane to field a team capable of winning a game this week.
8. On Sunday night, after the storms had moved through Oxford, Campbell was asking about old movies.
My wife, Laura, loves those 80s classics such as "Pretty In Pink," "The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles."
She recommended the latter of those films, and Campbell ordered it off Amazon Prime. Coincidentally, the movie popped up on TV, so we turned it on. Campbell couldn't get through it. She left for Sonic with one of her Oxford friends, but not before telling us some of the scenes in the film were bothersome.
I haven't watched that movie start to finish in 30 years, but after struggling through it Sunday, I have to concur with Campbell.
Holy hell, that's the horniest movie ever.
Spoiler alert, but:
-- Jake Ryan dumps his red-hot girlfriend only after he reads the note Samantha meant to pass to her friend, the one in which she said she fantasizes about sex with Jake.
-- Jake basically hands off his trashed-beyond-consciousness girlfriend as a sex toy for Anthony Michael Hall's character.
I could go on, but I don't want to. I want my Sunday night back, and I want to apologize to Campbell. And if I acted that badly in 1984, when "Sixteen Candles" was released, I'd like to go back in time and apologize to every girl I knew.
9. OK, let's eat. Here's Burton Webb with Taste of the Place, Lesson 86 — Fried Eggplant Pita.
With the days getting longer, sometimes you will need a snack to get you through the day. This is a quick throw-together sandwich that is a can’t miss on flavor.
Tidbit #1: Whenever you work with eggplant, you will need to salt it after you slice it. The reason for this is to release some of the bitterness that the eggplant has in it. Let the slices sit on a plate for 30 minutes. After, wash the pieces in water and drain.
Tidbit #2: For the tomato-cucumber salad, you can make it the day before and it lasts for up to 3 days.
Things you will need:
4 People
Glass of water
Mis en Place time - 5 minutes
Waiting time - 30 minutes
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Utensils needed:
Worksurface and chef’s knife
Medium saucepan
Tongs
Mixing Bowl
Spoon
Side plate
Side plate with paper towels
Stovetop
Measuring cups
Toaster
Ingredients needed:
1 Eggplant
1 Cucumber, medium diced
1 Beef tomato, medium diced
2 Hard-boiled eggs, sliced in quarters
1/2 Red onion, small diced
Tahini
Tzatziki
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
Vegetable oil
1 tbsp cilantro leaves
1.5 tsp chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Step 1: Begin by slicing the eggplant and then tossing it in salt. Place on your side plate and let rest for 30 minutes. During this time, make your salad of tomato, cucumber, red onion, vinegar, olive oil, parsley, cilantro, along with salt and pepper to taste. Set to the side.
Cooking time
Step 2: Heat your vegetable oil on medium heat on your stovetop in the saucepan. Wash the eggplant slices in the sink to wash off the salt. Pat dry with the paper towels. After, begin frying in batches in the oil until each side is golden brown. About 5 minutes per batch. Place on your side plate and sprinkle with a little bit of salt when done.
Assemble the sandwich
Step 3: Place your pita bread in the toaster oven on the lowest setting to warm it. Once it is ready, place the bread on your serving plate. Then add a spread of tahini paste to the top. Top this with the fried eggplant, followed by the quartered eggs, the cucumber salad, and finally the tzatziki sauce. Then you’re good to go.
Bonus tasting: If you want to spice up your sandwich to have that extra kick, squirt over the sandwich Sriracha sauce. It pairs very well with the oily eggplant and tzatziki sauce. Give it a try.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. First, Happy belated Mother's Day to all the moms out there. I hope you had a great day. We'll have coverage of baseball, recruiting and whatever else pops up this week at RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:
'They don't see what we're seeing': Jeff Ireland breaks down the Saints' draft – The Athletic
Thunder Rookie Theo Maledon Looks Like Biggest Steal Of 2020 NBA Draft
From production to the priesthood, how the ripple effect of Linsanity changed one man's life forever
Players who choose not to be vaccinated have rights, but those rights will be hard to enforce
Rosenthal: Angels’ split with Albert Pujols was awkward, uncomfortable and necessary
‘I Used to Like School’: An 11-Year-Old’s Struggle With Pandemic Learning - The New York Times
Fairness means lowering the bar for specialized schools
NYC schools chancellor calls for end to elite school test
Woke-ism will swallow our kids unless we restore the West's traditions
Is Coke rethinking woke? Soft drink giant puts 'pause' on diversity plan | Daily Mail Online
Origin of Covid — Following the Clues | by Nicholas Wade | May, 2021 | Medium
Boy's botched Amazon order leaves him with $2,620 worth of Spongebob Squarepants popsicles
