Hello all. Let us get this train rolling on this glorious Thursday.

My birthday came and went, and I’ve always been a one-day get-it-over-with type of guy. Because my birthday fell on a Monday, I celebrated it a day earlier for the first time. The issue is that now people are sending me birthday messages on the actual day, making me feel awkward. Thank goodness that is over, and I appreciate everyone who came, said something, and made me feel special.

Padres Baseball

I’m a die-hard Cubs fan. Thru and thru. But I’ve enjoyed following the Padres. They definitely had an interesting series with the Nationals.

The recent series between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals was nothing short of a rollercoaster, filled with drama, heroics, and a touch of comedy. The Padres managed to sweep the Nationals, but not without some memorable moments that will be talked about for a while.

The series kicked off with a bang, quite literally, as the benches cleared in the first inning of Tuesday’s game. Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz took exception to Jurickson Profar’s celebration from the previous night, leading to a heated exchange and Profar getting plunked. This set the stage for a wild game where Manny Machado and Jesse Winker both hit go-ahead home runs, and Profar himself delivered a grand slam to seal the deal.

But the real highlight of the series was Kyle Higashioka, whose name sounds like something you might say when you sneeze. “Higashioka!” Bless you! The Padres’ catcher was on fire, hitting a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, and driving in six runs in the final game of the series. His outstanding performance was a key factor in the Padres’ dominance, and his name certainly gave the commentators something to chuckle about.

Adding to the off-field drama, a 66-year-old fan confronted a player, proving that age is just a number when it comes to passion for the game. The details of the altercation are still a bit fuzzy, but it certainly added an extra layer of intrigue to an already eventful series.

In the end, the Padres’ resilience and Higashioka’s sneeze-inducing name helped them secure a crucial sweep, boosting their playoff hopes and giving their fans plenty to cheer (and laugh) about.

Dave Martinez had this to say. Give me a break.

You intentionally walk a guy to get to a batter you feel you have a better chance against – Profar. Profar made you pay. You look stupid when your gamble doesn’t pay off. Do they have a right to celebrate in-front of their home fans? You bet your ass they do. Retaliation was just poor sportsmanship. Sorry – Dave. It is. Play better baseball next time.

Lastly….

This was a good breakdown of why Putin and Kim Jong didn’t really want to piss off South Korea. How that might have happened now…