Texans may move 2017 training camp to the Greenbrier Resort (West Virginia)

[chuck]

Great story! I was grinning like a goon when looking at your baseball team photograph. I have plenty just like it tucked away who knows where. I'm ~15 years younger than you are so mine are in color, but you could colorize yours and I would never know that it wasn't Willow Creek Little League in 1974. I don't know for sure but I think it took until I was seven and playing for the Owls to have a black teammate. Sammy. He could throw, and I could catch, which were talents of some distinction at that time. I became the catcher. That evolved without my really realizing the implications into my being A catcher. I remember watching as an Owls opponent hit a ground ball to one infielder or another and he somehow fielded the ball and tossed it across the diamond to Raymond, our freakishly tall and freakishly unathletic first baseman, who somehow caught it to complete the play. Gene, our coach (I just remembered his name, he was young and childless and not a creep or anything, just wanted to help some kids kind of vibe), Gene literally leaped from the dugout, arms raised triumphantly, and screamed, FAR OUT!

It was the 70's, you know? And so I am certainly old enough to remember South Park Blvd before it became MLK.

I'm always curious about the lives you necks lead. I like to wonder, but I also like some background that comes from a place other than my fetid imagination. I mean, I know about Buford's life, of course. And Keith and I have actually met. But that was back when his son was just a little boy. He's probably about 25 now, paying for Buford's so-securtee.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by chuck

Great story! ......

Thanks, chuck. You'll have to do the old-guy-deep-closet-cleanout someday, so be prepared for the ensuing nostalgia trip.....

Where are you located, BTW? Is it Puerto Rico?

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Arky

Thanks, chuck. You'll have to do the old-guy-deep-closet-cleanout someday, so be prepared for the ensuing nostalgia trip.....

Where are you located, BTW? Is it Puerto Rico?

You say the Chuckster is a Peurto Rican, that's surprising to me, I would have never guessed it ? Wonder if he knows Carlos Correa ?

[Arky]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

You say the Chuckster is a Peurto Rican, that's surprising to me, I would have never guessed it ? Wonder if he knows Carlos Correa ?

No, I thought he was a white guy living in Puerto Rico. I'm guessing Puerto Ricans named "Chuck" are kinda rare.

Last night's loss not withstanding, Astros are kicking ass. Marisnick has been hitting some monster home runs. (I thought was just a goofy guy who threw water in people's faces when they hit a home run) He and Marwin Gonzales are on a pace to hit 50 home runs combined. Who'd thunk it? Astros can play .500 ball the rest of the year and still end up with 94 wins....

[chuck]

A couple of months ago I did one of those DNA tests to see about my ethnic heritage. My mom's family is your normal southern hillbilly clan, you know, you can trace them back forever but hardly get out of Tennessee. My dad was adopted and although as a young man he somehow identified and tracked down his birth mother there was always considerable mystery regarding his background.

Well, disappointingly it turns out I am 100% white guy. No vaguely shameful surprises generations back, no trace of any ethnicity that plays music in an interesting time signature, mostly German, a sprinkling of one of each from the British Isles. White, white, white.

Maybe that's why Buford's always liked me so much.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by chuck

A couple of months ago I did one of those DNA tests to see about my ethnic heritage. My mom's family is your normal southern hillbilly clan, you know, you can trace them back forever but hardly get out of Tennessee. My dad was adopted and although as a young man he somehow identified and tracked down his birth mother there was always considerable mystery regarding his background.

Well, disappointingly it turns out I am 100% white guy. No vaguely shameful surprises generations back, no trace of any ethnicity that plays music in an interesting time signature, mostly German, a sprinkling of one of each from the British Isles. White, white, white.

Maybe that's why Buford's always liked me so much.

Well that sucks because I was all excited about you being a PR. And like Arky says a PR guy name Chuck would be one of a kind, but you are probably already one of a kind, huh Chuck ?

[Arky]

Originally Posted by chuck

A couple of months ago I did one of those DNA tests to see about my ethnic heritage. .....

Which service did you use for that? I looked into it a few months ago and thought most of them were a little too generalizing. I didn't want to pay $200 for them to tell me I was mostly "Western European". Hell, I know that. Was looking for something a little more specific in country/region breakdown....

[chuck]

Originally Posted by Arky

Which service did you use for that? I looked into it a few months ago and thought most of them were a little too generalizing. I didn't want to pay $200 for them to tell me I was mostly "Western European". Hell, I know that. Was looking for something a little more specific in country/region breakdown....

I used the Ancestry one. It wasn't quite as specific as I might've have liked but it was ok and it was $100. You can get it for $80 if you're patient as they occasionally have a sale.

I might do the other one at some point just for the hell of it. I don't really remember the key differences or just why I chose the one I did.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Arky

No, I thought he was a white guy living in Puerto Rico. I'm guessing Puerto Ricans named "Chuck" are kinda rare.

Last night's loss not withstanding, Astros are kicking ass. Marisnick has been hitting some monster home runs. (I thought was just a goofy guy who threw water in people's faces when they hit a home run) He and Marwin Gonzales are on a pace to hit 50 home runs combined. Who'd thunk it? Astros can play .500 ball the rest of the year and still end up with 94 wins....

Marisnick is one of my favorite players because he's such a tremendous outfielder. The guy makes difficult catchs look routine and he can really haul ass for a big guy, he's almost TE big.If he can keep hitting HRs like that it will cost the Astros a ton to keep him when he becomes FA.
So far this has been a pretty good baseball season by the Astros and helps to pass the time until the real sport begins in a couple months.